Welcome to Dreamcatcher Community Farm
Welcome to Dreamcatcher Community Farm. This organization began in 2007 when I found a box of old books in my parents’ garage. Among the titles inside was one called The Guide to Self-Sufficiency by John Seymour. It is a beautifully illustrated tome of old-fashioned knowledge about how to subsist on what one can grow and harvest from the land. It gives step by step instructions on all the basic ingredients for a fully sustainable farm. I was enraptured by the idea of living such a life but there was one element missing from the farm that John Seymore described and that was people.
I have a background in Cultural Anthropology and Sociology, and it is my assertion that the happiest people in the world live simple, fulfilled lives and have strong community bonds based on mutual support and mutual need. This was what I desired to create for myself, for my family, for the people I thought of as my chosen family, and for those who, like myself and many of my loved ones, struggled to see a place for themselves in the hellscape that is late-stage patriarchal Capitalism.
Over the years there have been several false starts. Endeavors that led to learning, that led to new avenues of thought and methodology which have culminated in where we are today. Eventually I shifted gears from the idea that I would use my research as an Anthropologist to inform an empirically based decision-making model for creating the perfect modern egalitarian community, one based on all the best practices of past and present communities and small-scale cultural groups. I transitioned from this concept because I realized that the model, I thought would be the most effective form of governance for the organization I was envisioning was really the 501(c)3 nonprofit model of a charitable organization with a board of governors but which would also support a community governance system which would handle the day to day running of the farm itself. This two-fold system of governance was envisioned while I was a student in the Nonprofit Management Masters program in the School of Planning and Public Policy Management at the University of Oregon.
Upon completing my Master of Nonprofit Management degree in 2021 I began to assemble a Board of Directors, write bylaws, and incorporate as a nonprofit entity. Meanwhile I was building this website and working in extant nonprofits, continuing to get real-world experience of both what to do and what not to do when putting my ideas into practice. Thus far this website represents the work in progress that is Dreamcatcher.
Currently we are supported by 7 board members but are always open to adding new members interested in helping to build the foundation of a strong organization. We have several programs created but not currently in operation. The biggest hurtle to getting fully underway is our lack of land to begin building our infrastructure. Besides money for office space and initial operational overhead it is the land fund that is the primary campaign for donations which is launching along with the launch of this website.
I am so glad you decided to take a look at Dreamcatcher. Please spread the word about us by sharing our posts on social media, signing up for our electronic newsletter, expressing interest in our programs by signing up to participate, and by making a monetary donation by clicking on any of the Donate Today buttons on the website.
And don’t forget, word of mouth is the best form of advocacy. Please share the link to our site with your friends and family, especially those you think might find what they are looking for at Dreamcatcher Community Farm.
Rose Sleanbeck MNM
Founder/Executive Director
