Extended Summary:

We are a faith-based organization based in the belief system of the rejuvenation of the Divine Spirit through alignment with and teaching of the laws of nature, the cultivation of unconditional love and peace, and the stewardship of self, community, and the Earth.

The vision for the property acquisition is to co-create a communal space focused on living in harmony with Creator, Earth, and community as stewards of well-being for everything around us. We have a vision of a community coming together to learn how to be self-sufficient through sustainable farming; physical, mental, spiritual, legal, lawful, and financial education; and living with a mutually beneficial relationship with the land. Through cultivating the land and spreading knowledge, we build sound connections with ourselves, our organization, and the community at large. We are here to help uplift the community through shared work and education. 

We are exploring partnerships with many organizations that aim to revitalize the Earth and its inhabitants. These organizations include sustainable farming initiatives, Indigenous communities, conservation advocates, and educational organizations. 

One of our partners is Mike Brankin, CIO of the non-profit Eden Restoration Project based in Waukegan. The Eden Restoration Project’s mission is to make available fresh, non-radiated, and non-manipulated foods to the community while ensuring the land remains just as nourished as those it feeds. They are partnering with lands to help grow more food and teach those interested in learning and contributing to the “fresh food revolution”, while reminding people that growing food and caring for the land is a joy that benefits all those involved.

Their central values of Education, Inspiration, and Community are echoed within our purpose of fostering connections between strongly independent people to create an interdependent community that cares for the well-being of all its people and the land, allowing the entire area to flourish on all levels. 

By pairing with groups like The Eden Restoration Project, we are combining efforts with organizations across the greater Chicago/Illinois community that have aligned visions and missions. Through this partnership we are learning their processes: what has worked well in their conservation and farming endeavors and what we can adapt to our vision. 

We are also exploring partnerships with Indigenous organizations. As the first peoples, they are deeply rooted in acting with respect, integrity, and accountability for the harmony between the individual and the land. Through this partnership we ensure the conservation and cultivation of the health of the community, the individuals that make it up, and the land, by means of well-developed and long-standing Indigenous traditions and newly discovered conservation techniques. Furthermore, we maintain the integrity of the land and the integrity of the ancestral wisdoms that cultivate balance in the world.

Our aim is to preserve the natural beauty of Bull Valley and all lands through creating a private sanctuary that acknowledges and acts upon the importance of preserving the reverence of this unique landscape and its ecosystems including the oak savannas, various types of wetlands, prairies, natural springs, and the collection of plant, animal, insect, fungi, and wildlife. 

We intend to initiate collective efforts to protect the land from detriments and invasive species through educating individuals and communities on the local and national scales so people may spread knowledge and apply it to their work and connections wherever they may be.

Farming Co-operative: 

We will utilize and adapt Paul Gauche’s organic, no-till farming techniques from “Back to Eden” to reconstitute the integrity of the soil by fortifying the nutritional content within the soil and maintaining balanced dynamics to uphold the soil’s well-being, as it is a foundation of all life within the ecosystem. In this way we will maintain self-sufficiency with the land, while simultaneously supporting and being supported by it as we return the abundance it offers.

This self-sufficiency will also allow us to connect with the community of Bull Valley, Woodstock, Milwaukee, Crystal Lake, Lake Geneva, Chicago, and other nearby communities through offering to share in the abundance we cultivate with the land through local markets and working alongside other organizations committed to stewarding the land.

We will help revitalize the ecosystem in the area, from tending to bee hives and creating protected spaces for pollinators and plants to thrive naturally; caring for chickens, ducks, and guinea fowl to keep a healthy balance of insects (ticks, flies, and mosquitoes); as well as cultivating mushroom growth and compost operations to propagate soil health.

We will grow mushrooms and microgreens to support the health of the larger community. Mushrooms like Lion's Mane help support human brain health through cognition, retention, and recollection; and microgreens are an easy space and water-efficient means of increasing the bioavailable nutritional content in our meals. 

Foraging is another technique we intend to use to deepen our connection with the land. By working with the abundance of black walnuts, medicinal mushrooms, fruits, and roots provided by the land, we maintain balance within ourselves in accordance with the natural rhythms of Earth. The foraging knowledge and medicines created from the land are able to be shared with the community to further spread this innate connection with Earth that enriches many lives. 

We also are seeing much alignment with a book written by Mike Brankin’s father “A Holiday for August” - a tale about a sustainable community farm...and how it started a revolution.

This book has a beautiful blueprint on how to create these thriving communal spaces. Highly suggested reading material. 

One aspect we envision with the land and PMA is a space to help facilitate physical, mental, spiritual, financial, etc. well-being of the individuals who visit through educational workshops. 

These membership workshops are intended to teach the importance of and how to maintain well-being through the balanced use of food, herbs, hydration, and fasting; meditation and conscious breathing; financial and legal literacy programs; and other methods of maintaining health in all aspects. Furthermore, these workshops are intended to strengthen the well-being of the local community and extended community of the members of the PMA members because a strong community is founded upon strong individuals. And as these individuals go about their lives, they innately carry this knowledge forward.