Farmastery

The Farmastery at Spalding Valley Farm

The Lifeboat Academy is a cosmolocal, living experiment to create a replicable model of resilience and regenerative practices. The physical farm serves as both a demonstration site and a learning / retreat center where people can have a direct experience of balanced, healthy, interconnected living systems – including both the food producing systems and the human systems that are a part of it.

At the core of the retreat centre is a model regenerative farm that demonstrates a carbon-negative, self-sustaining, whole diet food system for our fair share of global resources. The farm is modeled on La Ferme du Bec Hellouin along with other tested techniques and has already been adapted and refined on three existing farms / locations.

At the same time, it’s an anchor and focal point around which we bring together a network of people who are (or would like to be) working on building their own local model of resilience – other lifeboat builders.

A Transformative Experience

The Farmastery creates opportunities for individuals and teams to immerse themselves in the life of the farm, enjoying a direct transformative experience of systems thinking and regenerative living. The farm provides the example of interconnected living systems while the daily routines and interactions provide examples of deeply collaborative and nurturing interpersonal environments.

Hear from Our Guests

What an incredible, healing week with Ben and Roland at Lifeboat Academy. A word I keep coming back to is ‘flow.’

Stepping outside each morning, I was greeted by an orchestra of bird song and the scent of evergreens, soil, and mist. Carrying my container of chicken feed, I slowly made my way towards the lightening sky, unhurriedly walking the path that leads to the coop. I heard excited clucks of 10 hens increase in volume as they registered my approach. This was just one of many daily rituals that felt ‘right.’

The mix of tasks that I needed to do were a well-fitting variety. I got to feel the power in my body when splitting wood and adding soil to a vegetable bed. I also had the privilege to cook in beautiful, well stocked kitchen, following Roland’s excellent recipes. I felt supported to do what I needed to do, and comfortable to ask for any guidance.

In between the chores were wonderful moments of conversation, learning, reflecting, and growing. The joy of a companiable silence as the fire crackles in the wood stove is like a balm. Ben & Roland both have lived, read, and experienced a lot. I learned so much from them in such a short time. They live what they say – kindness, curiosity, compassion, experimentation. Do not skip circle time!!

I am deeply grateful for the time I got to spend at Lifeboat Academy. It is a place to find your shoulders relaxing, a place to find yourself breathing deeply, and a place for healing from the modern horrors of late-stage capitalism.

— Sanja B.
WWOOFer / Farmastery Guest

I lived at the Farmastery on S,DÁYES for 14 months and it’s honestly difficult to describe the fullness of my experience.

The structure and rhythm of each day on the farm created many opportunities for connection, reflection, learning and growth. I got to live in nature, care for the goats and chickens, cook for the community using Roland’s fabulous recipes, and learn Indigenous Tools for Living that allowed me to process and heal some deep trauma with compassionate witness.

I plugged into the Lifeboat Academy project (and had a hand in naming it!) in ways that nurtured my interests and gifts. Ben, Roland and I navigated some pretty big challenges together, including moving the Farmastery from one parcel of land to another across the island. With their support and mentorship, I learned a treasure trove of skills that I’m now applying in multiple communities where I live. I’m growing more food in my backyard than I ever have, and I feel much more confident and impactful as a community facilitator.

I hold deep gratitude, respect and reverence for what Ben and Roland are doing, and for the many years of hard work (inner and outer) that have gone into making what the Farmastery is today: a place to heal from and hospice the dominant culture while simultaneously birthing a new one that centers and honors life.

If you’re serious about building resilient community and are ready to show up authentically, try new things, and learn about how to be in right relationship with land and people, the Farmastery experience will provide all of that and more. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

— Ronnie G.
WWOOFer / Lifeboat Builder