Angie Bruhm

Angie and her husband Wayne live right up the road from Windhorse. Will and I played with their sons Francis and Rodney as we were growing up. Their family has become a big part of the WHF community. Here are some of Angie’s reflections about WHF.

“I am fortunate to live a four minute short-stride walk from Windhorse Farm where I have gained my employment for over the past four years in a variety of capacities; at the present time as the bookkeeper.

Adventurous soul that I am ( tongue in cheek) I live in the only adult home I have ever known located one and a half miles from the only childhood home I have ever known on the same country lane. I have felt a connection to the lands now known as Windhorse Farm since I was a child living on another of the five family farms on the road- the only homes at that point. I remember the farmers trading their knowledge, labor, machinery and weather concerns and the wives; their recipes, laundry tips and child rearing advice.  Those were long days with hard work and the most rewarding life style in my experience.

It wasn’t from lack of farming passion that our farm, like so many in the area, has become silent to the echo of mooing cows, the jingle of horse’s bells, and the proud cackles from the hens. The acres of cow corn stalks that we played in have disappeared along with the rows and rows of vegetable gardens, and the apple trees we had to chase the steers away from else they would get drunk eating the fruit. Those farming memories I hold very dearly. Thankfully, because of Windhorse Farm, I can still walk whispering forests as they have been for generations, sit in acres of gardens to drink in the sun and scents, and be welcomed as I arrive to work by hens and horses.

From always having an active role in growing and rearing the food and supplies for the family’s benefit I have been provided an education that is immeasurable. I learned at an early age that if you love and nurture the forests, gardens, fields and livestock with due respect and foresighted consideration it is repaid with a bounty of life sustaining necessities and soul replenishing fulfillment. I have maintained this philosophy throughout my life.

To nourish the earth and its inhabitants, to live sustainably and to teach these ideals are a focus of the directors at Windhorse Farm. I’m happy to work for those goals and to continually learn new-found and long-forgotten ways of doing things.  In retrospect, society has learned great things from people willing to forge ahead and stick out from the crowd. Way to go Windhorse! “

Phil Cass

Phil Cass has become a dear friend of Windhorse Farm in the last few years. He first coneected with WHF through his work with ALiA. He lives in Columbus, Ohio, with his wife, Laura. He visits often and we are always excited to host him.

“Over these few years of my times at Windhorse I feel like I have made a connection with the woods there unlike anyplace that I have ever experienced on this earth.  In fact I don’t think I knew of connection to the natural world before coming there.

It was my first meditation walk in the Windhorse Farm woods with Jim when as we approached the Kami Shrine the woods all of a sudden just started to pulse with this iridescent green color that was almost overwhelming to me.  There was an energetic to that place coming from the earth that I had never experienced before and now experience every time that I am there.  I remember thinking to myself “What is going on here?”  At first I thought that maybe I was just tired or this was a product of being in a contemplative space, but I have come to know that if I am still and fully awake when I enter that space the same thing happens.  This has been a powerful learning for me about my little place in the context of all that is alive.

I had another magical moment in those woods last winter.  I was there helping Tim Merry and Sera Thompson with a project for Public Health.  We had a four hour solo planned in the woods for all of the participants.  It was a cold, snowy and overcast winter day.  We decided to split the group up into four groups and Jim, Sera, Tim and I each took a group out into the woods.  We had established “our grounds” the day before and had set a camp fire in each space so that if people got cold during the four hours they would have a home base to come back to.  After some orientation everyone was set loose for their solo.  They were asked to contemplate the question “what is my work in the world”.  After my group had left the camp fire I spread a tarp out on the snow and began to sit meditation and hold this same question for myself.  I had been sitting for about 2 hours when the message just bubbled up in me “you are doing your work in the world”.  I began to smile and then noticed that a sun beam had appeared right before me and just as quickly disappeared.  I was a bit stunned because there had been no sign of sun in the area that whole day.  I have thought of that moment so often and when I am wondering what am I doing in this world I remember that experience.”