Internship Training at Harmony Farm

Interning at
Harmony Farm

Internship training for you in:
Conscious Communication with All Beings
Forest Gardening and Permaculture
Earth Building and Eco-Housing
Herbal Medicine
Solar Power
Sustainable Energy Systems
Trail Creation and Maintenance
with
Time off to explore the area
and
Free accommodation in a healthy environment

Your stay in Dunedin, New Zealand, can be a discovery of forest gardening and a time to contemplate in native forest, with the sounds of our creeks and native song-birds to keep you company.

Internship at Harmony is a period of practical, supervised, conscious experience of relationship to all life though a deepening understanding of principles of deep ecology, permaculture, earth building, sustainable living, and research into relationships with all beings at Harmony Farm just north of Dunedin, New Zealand.

We offer interns a unique opportunity to
* Experience a love for all life
* Expand field experience
* Apply studies to the real world
* Carry out a supervised independent study project
* Receive personal training

Activities

We have a wide range of educational (see Research Subjects listed below). In addition we have health and sustainability workshops open to the public, such as cob-earth building, and seasonal special projects, such as monitoring of the forest in early January, each year. Interns will have opportunities to participate in these subjects and others listed below in ways consistent with their cultural conditioning, skills, knowledge, research project, level of consciousness, and learning goals.

Stays are for a minimum of 6 weeks. The first week is a trial period, in which the prospective intern begins to learn the nature of Harmony and explores their options of research projects, and we get a sense of how well we work together. At the end of this week if we are mismatched you may end your stay, and your $500 security is refunded less a $100 cancellation fee.

After this period, if it is decided that you stay, you become a full intern with a focused research project, the nature of which will help determine the length of your stay, which must be at least five more weeks, and which is contracted to by both parties. Projects must be of benefit and service to the wider community.

You will be responsible to see that your research project is completed by the agreed date. Extensions are not granted as we will be committed to other interns and/or projects.

Upon the successful completion of your project the full $500 security is refunded to you.

If you do not successfully complete your project by the agreed date your fee is forfeited and retained in a scholarship fund. Scholarships are awarded to interns willing to complete projects. An intern cannot apply for the scholarship relating to their own project. We ask you to work a minimum of 30 hrs and a maximum of 40 hours each week on farm projects. Work is for five days each week with two days off away from Harmony in which you can travel and explore the greater Dunedin and Otago area, spend time with friends and family, and keep your "feet in the real world". Students may only stay at Harmony on these days during special, approved circumstances and emergencies. Time at Harmony includes intermittent coaching, supervision, instruction, meetings, and field work with David Baillie. You also participate in food preparation, general management, maintenance, and work on your special independent study project that we will collaboratively design during your first week. Your first week includes two days week weeding and clearing Harmony's trails or gardens to help maintain access to all of Harmony, or helping . This familiarises you with Harmony and brings you into relationship with all beings. Then its just one day a week maintaining gardens and trails. Those staying at Harmony also work for half a day a week helping maintain the buildings.

Interns must be willing to dedicate themselves entirely to the experience during the full period of their study. They must have their own transportation, cell (mobile) phone, and agree to be tobacco, alcohol, and drug free.

NZ interns are required to show us their driver's licence or passport. Overseas interns are required to show us their passport, and permit to be in the country for at least 3 months. We do not help overseas visitors obtain work permits or assist with immigration.

Independent study project

An independent study project complements the field work and is an integral part of the internship. During the first 2 weeks of the internship, we will develop a project involving research, design, education and possibly field study. The research of the project is gathered into a form that passes knowledge learned on to the wider community and to future generations. Forms include: buildings, compiled research, databases, diaries, discussion documents, documented procedures, e-books, interpretative plaques, journals, paintings, photo collections, plantings, poetry, published papers, sculptures, songs, visual presentations, websites, workshops, and written records. The original work is left at Harmony and remains accessible to all. If published the work it is copyrighted to both author and Harmony.

The focus of some projects will require participation in other events, and visits to other places such as: Harmony's Library (in Dunedin City), Blueskin Bay Library, Blueskin Resilient Communities Trust, Cloud Forest Walkway to Mt Cargill, Dunedin City Council, Dunedin Environment Centre Community Gardens, Dunedin Public Library, Eckankar Library, Leith Saddle Walkway, Orokonui EcoSanctuary, Otago Regional Council, Otago University Libraries, Theosophical Library, VolCo (Voluntary Co-operative), Waitati Energy Project, Waitati Open Orchard Initiative, Weggies (Waitati Edible Gardeners).

Internet research may be best conducted in town as connection speeds are faster. The above are some of the reasons why students must have their own transport and mobile (cell) phone. All the above places are within 15km of Harmony, about one hours bike ride.

David is generally available in Dunedin City one to two days, and at Harmony the rest of the week to give supervision. The order in which the above days take place, and if any of them are connected is subject to the weather and David's availability.

Research Subjects

All Beings: Conscious Living with Devas, Elementals, Plants, Animals, Self, and Spirit

Developing a conscious relationship with Harmony. Observation of plants, rocks, environment. Consideration of all beings from minerals to humans as Soul. Loving communication between Souls according to the levels of consciousness of those communicating. Methods of communicating. Dynamic contracts and working agreements with animals, plants, and elementals. Unexpected gifts. Soul-Soul communication. Active leadership as a Guardian consciously working with devas and elementals. See All Beings Communication for stories about conscious living with all beings.

During September and October 2006 singer Denis Henderson, (the man with the guitar: www.thesouthernman.co.nz) had seven rebirthing sessions with David to prepare for earth healing on Harmony's 5th Birthday. On the 29th of October, Denis, his wife Marreta, sang with many friends of Harmony before we followed earth sound healer, Leslie Lightfall, up to Contemplation Ridge to share love and energy with Harmony Devas.

Forest Gardening

Harmony's gardens are designed to integrate with the forest, which they mirror. They are planted with fruit trees and bushes, to provide multi-story, many-level, food production, as in the forest. Fruit trees have been planted within clearing of various sizes within the forest as experimental tests. Interns researching in this area can help assess the viability, the practicality and the potential of a food forest. Research can be conducted into the seven levels (tiers) of the forest garden. Permaculture. Shaping the forces of wind, water, sun, and earth. Seasons. Gardening with trees. Herbs and plants that grow in poor dry soil. What a weed is. Maintaining a herb garden. Sharing with Animals. Effects of animals harvesting some of your crop. Conscious relationship with elementals as plant care givers. Safe use and care of handtools, including grubber, hand-hook, and sickle.

Compost systems, human compost, sheet mulching, green manure crops, perennial understories, plant nutrients, micro-organisms. No-dig gardening. Worm farms. Mechanical, chemical, and microbial characterisitics of soil fertility. Soil acidity. Humus

The changing nature of a forest garden. Wild forage. Food forage. Food Storage. Devas and elementals. Deep Ecology and All-Beings. Permaculture principles and design elements seen within Harmony Forest and other gardens.

Designing and building your own forest, permaculture garden.

Herbal Medicine

Principles of cleansing, building, nourishing, fasting, healing crisis, order of healing, vibrational energy, plant medicine philosophy, Wild garden herbs. Western Medicinal Herbs. Maori and Native Medicinal Plants. The influence of the gardener and their health needs on the medicinal and nutritional values of the plants in their garden. The principle of herbal medicine that where there is a need there is a plant medicine for that need growing close by.

Native Forest: Guardianship and Monitoring

David and Lorraine's love of forest has taken them to remnant forests throughout New Zealand, including the great Kauri forests in Northland, the oldest Matai Forest (2,000yrs), Kahikatea and other mixed podocarp-broadleaf forests and sanctuaries such as Orokonui and VolCo (Dunedin), Hinewai (Christchurch), and Korori (Wellington).

In their role as active co-guardians of Harmony they care for her and all her inhabitants with love, encouraging conscious participation in life's journey by all visitors and residents (human and not), monitoring the impact of different changes, contemplating on the best direction to lead the forest, and taking an active management role. At Harmony we have a special focus on including devas, elementals, and the plants and animals themselves in this process. We have conscious communication with animals and plants that might in many circumstances be considered "pests. All Beings are considered in the setting of goals and strategies in forest management.

David and Lorraine see the forest and her creatures as a mirror of the fears, actions, and loving attention of its care givers. Interns interested in the monitoring of native forest help with keeping trails open, marking photo sites, marking and recoding orientations and angles of inclination of camera to help standardise the procedure of monitoring. January is the month photos are taken recording canopy and growth changes. Interns will monitor growth, survey, and monitor the living forests within the forest on foot and according to their skills and capabilities.

Harmony's aerial photograph at a resolution of 1:5,000 (1mm = 5m) has been overlaid with an Inkscape ª plan of noted canopies of landmark trees, notable features such as grass; and marked out in 7 distinct eco-zones. 5km of trails have been built to access these features and zones. A Filemaker (TM) database has been established recording individual eco-zones and their contents. This includes buildings, gardens, trails, creeks, plants, and trees. We are adding to this by mapping the locations of more key features to resolve the map in more detail and to further understand the ecology of the different zones.

This involves photographing, recognising changes, use of Google maps, databases, and record keeping. Interns choosing projects in forest monitoring must have their own laptop computer (preferably Apple-Mac for compatibility with Harmony's), digital camera (preferably SLR) with flash, 12 plus megapixels, and 10x zoom. GPS, experience with helium filled balloons, and a pilot with his own plane would be valuable as well. Another subject of research is the nature and history of the local cloud forest since the time of Gondwanaland, including cycles of broad-scale afforestation affected by changes in sea level, tidal waves, volcanic eruptions, civilisations, climate changes, and planting and other activities of man.

See also: Sustainable Communities below.

Sustainable Building

Picture of Dana in the sun with her red-stained marcocarpa and earth walls

Three of Harmony's buildings have natural rock as part of their foundations. Interns interested in the use of natural, cheap, durable resource such as rock, are encouraged to research the characteristics of rock as a building material. This includes the qualities of rocks, shape recognition, communication with rocks, lifting and moving rocks, rock foundations, rock steps, rock paths, and general principles of architecture and design.

As your supervisor, David, has built three cob ovens; cobseats; Danaa, the cob earth building (pictured on left back in March 2009); many rock steps; rock garden edges; and a cob-fire bath. He has held many popular public workshops showing people how to build with cob. Interns can learn the making of cob, the qualities of cob earth wall construction, the properties of a breathing cob wall with thermal mass, the value of dry feet and hat, earth floors, and methods of integrating cob and wood structures. He also helps build cob ovens within the greater Dunedin area.

David practices the principal of dynamic design, contemplating on the integration of site, surroundings, function, and building design. He has built Danaa and Herby (below) following these principles. For example they both have curved corrugated iron wind hats. A floor has been built for a future massage clinic, entirely supported by trees. Builders, carpenters and joiners are welcome to continue work on these and other dwellings as part of their internships.

Picture of Herbal Clinic

Herby (on left) is just 2.65m square with a sleeping loft overhanging her door (on left) and a 1.5 bathroom being built at rear (see ladder). She is a classic tiny cabin, small in footprint, and constructed with a feeling of spaciousness inside. Her red-stained walls are untreated ply oiled with natural oils and her cloud coloured roof is helical in shape.

Interns can study timber post and beam, stick frame construction, small building design, claddings, linings, roofing, water catchment and storage, and eco-friendly and sustainable, pure wool insulation, and bio-friendly preservatives. David made Harmony's first building to sleep by harvesting sycamore poles (considered a weed by the Dunedin City Council) with another David, the peeling poles with draw-knife and bending the poles to make a Bender (Bent pole structure) that was covered with tarps and known as the Temple. It has since been taken down to make way for a campsite.

Interns can work with drawknife, build shaving horses, gather, soak, stack, bend, dry wood, and treat with bio-friendly preservatives. Harmony is keen to establish a cultivated wood lot to supply these materials to future generations. Rocket stove construction. Rocket stoves are the most efficient, quick heat wood fire systems currently known. The can be made with cob forming the flue and chimney, or with steel flues.

Sustainable Communities

The feasibility of re-building a Harmony Forest in the Waitati River catchment area from Mt Cargill to Leith Saddle and Silverpeaks to Waitati and Orokonui Sanctuary.

The merits and disadvantages of changing a native forest by the introduction of walkways, 4WD tracks, BMX tracks, motorbike tracks, aerial walkways, amusements, slow growing native timbers, food nut, seed and fruit trees in forests to humans to encourage the retention of forest by the world-wide community.

Alternatives: rocks to concrete, cob earth to timber, rot resistant native trees to preservative-treated building timbers.

The feasibility of conserving forest in partnership with wild weeds and wild animals, such as possums, goats, cats, deer, pigs, and without requiring or attempting their mass murder (eradication). The relative levels of forest destruction and inhibition of regeneration by humans, and domestic life-stock compared with wild animals and plants. Harmony Farm and Orokonui Sanctuary being "poles apart". Exploring the sustainability of sustainable educational communities in Dunedin area, such as Harmony and VolCo. The merits, deficiencies, and long term viability of predator-proof fenced communities. The value of protected land to the community and the role of contributions by the landowner and community. David has toured various projects throughout New Zealand devised by forest loving landowners to generate income to maintain "their" forests. Interns can research this concept locally. The role and value of QE-II Trust Covenants and the Dunedin City Council's Biodiversity Strategy and Fund.

Assessing water quality by evaluating visible life in water, colour, taste, smell, source, environment, and other features.

Bees, elementals, farm land/soil, freshwater, artificial fertilisers, petroleum products, air, and fertility, as decreasing resources and alternatives with which to sustain life.

Sustainable Energy Systems

Vew of solar panels on Danaa's roof as seen from in front

Vew of solar panels on Danaa's roof as seen from in behind

Passive solar heating, cob earth, thermal mass, earth heat, earth- berming, storing heat, transferring heat, solar power, wind power; channelling, collecting and storing water, RAM pumps.

Solar Power. Amorphous and crystalline PV cells, solar controllers, batteries, solar tracking, solar angles, solar radiation, climate, seasonal and atmospheric factors, record keeping, cables, 12V, 240V inverters, LED and compact fluorescent lighting, solar ovens, back-up generation.

Solar Water Heating. Students learn to make a simple, low cost water heater they can build home. Local students may purchase materials and take it home.

Water Harvesting. Collection, spouting, and filtration systems. Storage tanks and overflows. Greywater management. RAM pumps. Solar Food Dehydrator. Design considerations, choices of materials, and plans. Learn to make a simple efficient light-weight solar powered dehydrator that retains nutritional content and replaces the need for a fridge ... and if you think you need a fridge for butter you can use a passively cooled butter keeper instead!

Vew of solar pbattery bank

Vew of thermette glowing in dark with flames roaring out top

In March 2010, Jake Chevrier learned all he could about alternative power systems. He went on field-trips to Roxburgh to look at hydro and wind-turbine project with the Waitati Energy Project team, and into town to look at Friend of Harmony's off-grid home. He built a framework to all the correct angles and shifted our solar panels onto Danaa's roof (pics above) then reconnected the panels to the solar controller and batteries. He studied earth berming in an underground home book, built a cob-oven, slept in Danaa (our cob earth building) to experience the effects of thermal mass; cooked with wood outdoors, and heated water with a thermette (which very efficiently flames up the inside while heating the outer water jacket.

Trail Making and Maintenance, Organic

David grubbed off the grass and graded Harmony's drive by hand, carrying gravel by hand. Further uphill he would run his van full of gravel past the end of the drive, create the drive, then backfill with gravel. The Van then delivered the gravel to the end of the drive from which it was laid on and carried up "Compassion Trail", as it too was grubbed into the forest.

He can supervise on issues relating to gradients, planning, plotting, marking, cutting, clearing, draining, and gravel surfacing trails built on wet and dry soils; and on the safe use and care of grubbers, loppers, pruners, pruning saws, and spades. He also has experience with culverts, has built wood and rock water bars, rock and wood steps, and studied wood surfacing. In addition to being hand-made Harmony's trails hand weed, with minimal use of organic weed control. Harmony's trails are a prolific and under utilised source of seedlings for forest regeneration. Bridges are also being built and safety, and record keeping are also considered.

Aurora from Portland, Oregon, one of our great trail clearers, frequently stayed away all day communing with nature while clearing our trails. On May 8th, 2003 she had this to say about her experience in our "wild". "Thanks so much for a lovely 4 fun-packed days in the wild. I regret not making use of your bush-bath . . . perhaps next time! Best of luck with the gardens and retreat."

Vew of gratitude bridge built between two Tree Fuchsias over forest gully floor

Vew of gratitude bridge built between two Tree Fuchsias over forest gully floor

Jake Chevrier, built this 6m bridge, over a gully on Gratitude Trail in March 2010, with recycled decking timber nailed to a central macrocarpa beam. All timbers were oiled with Harmony's favourite: biosafe natural preservative CD50 with copper-quinolinolate from churton.com.

Qualifications

We are looking for candidates who are working toward a career in ecology, herbal medicine, animal care (as Soul), plant care including devas and elementals, permaculture, sustainable development, sustainable communities, sustainable forest, sustainable living, earth building, building with rock, organic agriculture, forest gardening, local food production and food security, resource conservation, environmental education, and similar fields. Candidates may have an academic background in one or several of these areas, however on-the-ground experience in community service roles is more valuable in our acceptance of interns. Completion of a certified permaculture course, natural therapies courses, spiritual study program, respect for all beings, wilderness awareness training, volunteer training, or gardening experience are valuable. We are looking for participants who like to serve their community, can work well both independently without close supervision and who also can thrive as team members and collaborators. Field skills such as in native forest management (especially temporate forest), organic gardening, permaculture, eco-building, electrics, plumbing, and field research are highly valued, as are building, writing, communication, contemplative, intuitive, and computer skills. Knowledge of western and native NZ herbs, native plants, wild animals, soil fertility, worms, bees, and compost are valued in applicants. Fluency in verbal and written English is required.

Accommodation

Interns choosing to live at Harmony stay in Danaa, our cob-earth and natural timber building or on the nearby tent site, or in one of Harmony's many forest clearings. There is a compost toilet, and fire-bath (no shower). Interns living on-site help with maintenance of the cabins and campsites on half-day week. This is usually the one they are staying in.

Food

Interns provide all their own food, supplemented by some foods and herbs that may be gathered in Harmony. Firewood is provided for outdoor fire cooking; cob-oven for pizzas, bread, and baking; and thermette for water heating. Interns help gather, breakup, and cut the stock of twigs and branches collected from the prunings and wind-falls.

Exchange

All interns help weed and trim the trails and gardens for 2 days in their first week. This introduces them to Harmony and helps them get to know what they will do. It also provides them with access throughout Harmony's 6km of trails and garden paths. After the first week just one day a week (8 hours) is spent helping maintain Harmony. This is usually integrated into the research project the intern has chosen.

The usual day and guided visit fees waived.

How can I know if its right for me?

Harmony will train you in your dreams, your personal experiences, and in spiritual exercises, such as the HU Song. HU means "It", "God" and HU is pronounced as in "hue" with the u long and drawn out. If you wish to know if it is right for you, find a quiet time, where you will not be disturbed, sit comfortably, close your eyes, and sing HU with all the love you can for a few minutes, and let the idea of being an intern at Harmony rest lightly on your mind's eye.

Insights during the exercise or that come softly during the following days will guide you in your decision.

Singing HU respects your path in live, and helps you find your own direction. Its nudges may include overhearing words that stand out in other people's conversations, or seen on vehicle numberplates and in adverts. Being open to all that is happening around you will help you be clear on your direction.

Singing HU is for everyone, and all situations.

For more information visit: www.eckankar.org.

FAQ

How much is the fee?

There is a $500 deposit, which must be paid in advance in order to reserve your place. Once your place is reserved, you may cancel up to 30 days before your internship start date and receive a deposit refund minus a $100 cancellation fee. Within 30 days of your internship start date, there is no deposit refund for cancellations after 30 days. Upon successful completion of the internship, the $500 deposit is refunded.

When can I come?

You can start anytime between September and March. Internships are for at least six weeks. Schedule your time here as far in advance as possible. We have only one or two interns at any given time.

Is this program only for New Zealanders?

Local New Zealanders are always particularly welcome. Residents of overseas countries are welcome to apply for internships, as long as you can show us you have a work permit to be in this country for at least three months. Overseas students must have medical insurance.

Who will supervise me?

You will be supervised by David Baillie, co-guardian of Harmony, a private educational organization dedicated to bringing humans, devas, elementals, plants, and animals together in conscious, loving relationship. All of us will assist with your training and your gift is to teach us skills and experiences applicable to our own research and spiritual journey.

David personally is an ECKist, a member of Eckankar, and while this religion is accepting of all others, if you are in conflict with religion as an experience of light and sound, with a Mahanta, living ECK Master, dreams, Soul Travel, and goals of self-realisation, and God-realisation, you are asked not to register as a prospective intern. For more understanding of this see "How can I know if its right for me?" above and visit: www.eckankar.org.

In 1979 - 1981 David trialed a small subsistence market garden carrying yams, cabbages, and cauliflowers from his small farm to market by bicycle. With a strong interest in herbs he graduated as a Naturopath and Rebirther in 1987, a Remedial Body Therapist in 1988, and completed extensive training in kinesiology, and human ecology. He has taught these subjects for his and another College for a number of years. In 1991 he completed a BSc in Anatomy. He practices principally as a masseur, one and a half days a week, and cycles from Harmony to his clinic.

Since the 1970s he has explored the concepts of sustainability and conservation. His authored health newsletters since 1982, and has two eco-blogs: All Souls Communication and Harmony; and writes Miracles Alive 365.

Since 2001 he and his partner Lorraine have developed Harmony Farm's trails, buildings, and gardens, with simple hand-tools, persistence, creativity, and occasionally interns, in conscious relationship with all beings.

You can expect an hour or two a day working and/or meeting with David.

How much of my time will the internship take?

It is full-time 5 days a week for as long as decided (usually 6 weeks)

Can I get study credit for the advance study internship?

We encourage university level work. We are not constrained by NZQA standards or formal affiliations with academic institutions. You may be able to arrange a credit for work done with us - that is up to you.

Where is Harmony Farm?

Wises Map or Google the words "Harmony and Waitati" at Google Maps NZ. Our GPS co-ordinates are: Lattitude: 45deg 47' 13.7" or 45.78273 Longitude: 170deg 30' 22.5" or 170.52107.

Are pets allowed?

Answers to further questions?

While a useful tool questions lead to knowledge not knowingness and wisdom. All answers already lie within, waiting for us to expand our consciousness to include them. Know that you are increasing in wisdom and knowingness, trust your heart and intuition, sing the HU (see "How can I know if its right for me?" above, and let answers come to you before the questions.

We discourage questions so that we can get on with other activities. Before emailing us, please read this page and the contents of this website, Harmony Stories, All Souls Communication, and Miracles Alive 365 to learn more about our activities, and relationships with all beings. We do not answer lengthy questions from prospective interns about what we do. We direct enquires to the above sites of information.

Calendar

Ask to come in any of the periods labelled with the number of spaces we have for both interns and volunteers and we'll confirm availability. We can usually accomodate 2 - 4 more people than the numbers given on the calendar if you have a tent you can sleep in on-site or sleep in Dunedin. Locals are always welcome!!
On all unmarked dates we have no spaces available

How to Apply

Prospective advance study interns are required to complete the Application Form (Word format)
Contact information:

David Baillie
Email contact

Don't include spaces in email address.

Once you have been accepted as prospective intern David will give you his mobile (cell) phone number

Harmony Farm
239 Waitati Valley Rd
RD2 Waitati 9085
New Zealand
www.gemstonetherapy.info

© 2010 Harmony Farm.