Sustainable living on Hundredfold Farm

Hundredfold Farm is an environmentally friendly co-housing community about eight miles west of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. One of its founders is Lou Hammann, former Co-chair of the AfD National Council, who sends this update:

"Recently we have received two recognitions: the first from The Green Builders Association of Pennsylvania for the 'design' of the community. More recently, the local Chamber of Commerce recognized us as 'Environmental Stewards'. Along with this award we also received citations from both the House and the Senate of the Pennsylvania legislature. We have, with some frequency, appeared on two local TV stations, two local newspapers and two regional magazines.

"We also entertain visits by groups of teachers and environmental classes from a variety of public school and college courses. Through it all, believe it or not, our friendly Electric Cooperative is now buying back our surplus electricity at double the original rate-six cents a killowatt. This electricity is generated by arrays of photovoltaic panels on the roof of each house. We have also significantly cut down our use of natural gas with rooftop solar hot water panels. I must note, of course, the significant help given this effort by the Local Electrical Cooperative-not your typical 'corporate person.'

"The last of our conservation efforts is a green house in which we process all of the "waste" water produced in the houses. The final phase of this "green machine" is a veritable forest of aquatic plants that completes the filtering and purifying of all of our waste-without chemicals. The recycled water is pumped back to the houses for flushing and back onto our fields for distribution by a drip irrigation system.

"Just this week a long-time member of the community is at last able to build the tenth house on the mere 7 acres of our 45 acres tree farm. We live with the hope that soon the "real estate debacle" will ease and allow us to build the final five houses in the project.

"There is much else to be said about HfF, but one thing is clear: We have not been abused or corrupted by Corporate America. Through all of this celebrity we have managed to maintain the integrity of our mission statement: A cooperative venture in sustainable living. For more information, visit our web site: hundredfoldfarm.org."