For 25 years we talked about buying some land and growing our own food. But until 2 years ago, talk was all it was. It took a world-wide pandemic to shake us out of our comfort zone. We wondered if the food supply would change, if prices would start to go up, if we were safe. We worried about the next generation, if they were learning the things they needed to survive AND thrive, to be independent and self-sufficient.
We became interested in discovering, preserving and teaching an almost forgotten way of life to younger generations, a traditional Cherokee life way. For thousands of years, the Cherokee managed to live in harmony with the land around them, enjoyed bountiful harvests, and built collaborative and mutually beneficial networks. Their way of life was highly sustainable and teaching children was a priority. The Cherokee knew and taught that each person’s time walking on this land is fleeting, and that we all have a responsibility to act as caretakers of this world and serve as teachers for the next generation. Early in 2022, we incorporated as a 501c3 nonprofit, so that we could raise funds to provide this education free of charge to those who can’t afford to purchase it.
Please consider contributing today – your donation of any amount provides necessary funds for sharing this knowledge with generations to come.
The money generated through donations, grants, market sales, homeschool classes, craft and art classes, farmer’s market sales, prepared foods and dinners – well, all that supports the programs offered by Longhsadows Ranch.
With the money generated we:
🌳 employ people who are seeking to live this kind of life.
🌳 care for the garden, animals and grounds providing a safe, fun and engaging learning environment for our students of all ages
🌳 bring out our Cherokee Treasures, Mentors and Elders to teach Cherokee language, lifeways, art and culture.
🌳 feed people in the community.
🌳 provide a place for folks to gather and engage in fellowship.
🌳 are a sanctuary for teens who are just trying to get through life without all the complications of peer pressure and popularity contests.
🌳 are saving for a school building with a teaching kitchen, attached teaching greenhouse and a central meeting are for activities, dinners in bad weather and as a meeting room for other groups to use.
🌳 are preserving and teaching a very old way of life, a Cherokee way.
If you cannot make it to the market or events, consider donating to our efforts.
