Ok, if you’re friends with me on facebook, which you most likely are, you might have noticed some status and photos regarding Dreamacres. These did not capture the full story which I am so eager to tell.
We heard about Dreamacres farm through word of mouth, which is apparently the way most people hear about it, given its limited web presence. It is a cooperative, off-the-grid farm near Wykoff, MN (about an hour south of us) that specializes in community events. Every Friday in the summer they do a pizza and movie night, which is how we first experienced them.
We drove up the gravel driveway to a clearly marked parking area, next to a small cabin labelled “Curiosity Shop”. This I later discovered to be a display room of local artists and craftsman’s wares, including pottery, maple syrup, and woodprinted cards (among other items)- all at very moderate to low prices, and available to purchase by use of an honor-code drop box.
Walking over to the area where most people were congregated, we discovered a chalkboard describing the pizza options available for order. I did not ask but assumed that most ingredients came from the farm itself. Behind the table where we made our order was an enormous wood-fired oven where one of the full-time, permanent residents of the farm was inserting and removing pizzas. Old time jazz music was emanating from the screened in kitchen, where two other residents rolled dough and added toppings. The yard surrounding this building was scattered with picnic tables, crates, and chairs for eating at. Some people had brought their own beer, wine, or soda. We were content with our water bottles.
While our pizza was being prepared we explored the farm a bit, discovering the various cats, chickens, calves, horses, and goat. We also poked our heads into a barn turned performance space, and perused the various full bodied vegetables in the two acre garden. We found a small crate just the right size for the three of us, and received our pesto, goat cheese, and tomato pizza with glee. Aubrey took extra joy in plucking the small, orange tomatoes from the top to pop into her mouth. For dessert there was hand churned cinnamon peach ice cream (Aubrey got to help churn it).
After eating, Aubrey and I took our exploration further across the hay field to the enormous, multi-leveled tree house with slide by the river. Trevor indulged his inquisitive nature by engaging the farm residents in conversation regarding the various aspects of the farm and upcoming classes and volunteer opportunities. At one point, as the sun was just setting, a motorized parachute flew low overhead, as its operators waved down to us. Every person on the farm looked up and waved together as if they were a single unit.
We reconvened in the performance barn after gathering a few cats for our laps. (We were warned that picking them up meant we might have to take them home, since they were in need of one, and it took every part of our willpower not to take this offer seriously). Sitting on a long retired old couch, we watched a short film on a projector screen that was an animation of a French radio drama (translated into English) based on a short story and narrated by Christopher Plummer. It was the story of a man who travels to a wasteland to discover a shepherd devoted to planting trees in the area to bring back some of its fruitfulness. He revisits the shepherd (turned beekeeper after some years) at regular intervals, gradually observing the drastic changes that take place in the area as it takes on new life and eventually builds into a thriving, caring village community.
When this film finished we decided it was time we depart into the night and get our two-year-old to bed, but we left feeling full in so many other ways than nutritionally. We hope we can return again soon to Dreamacres, and bring more friends and family with us. We hope that someday we’ll live in a place as peaceful, beautiful, and community centered. For now, it is enough to know that such a place exists, and we’ve experienced it in all its abundance.
Angie Gustafson 