7 ~ CRMPI

Above: Jerome Osentowski teaches students about compost tea at a recent permaculture academy. Below: Anyone familiar with the Central Rocky Mountain Permaculture Institute is astonished to see many tropical plants growing in a high desert ecosystem. Photos by Raleigh Burleigh Jerome Osentowki — an internationally-recognized permaculture pioneer — began farming on Basalt Mountain in the 1970s. Nearly 50 years later, the Central Rocky Mountain Permaculture Institute (CRMPI) is one of the oldest established demonstration sites in the United States. Operating at 7,200 feet in elevation, CRMPI has attracted students from around the world to witness Osentowki’s innovations for growing food in harsh environments with minimal reliance on fossil fuels. What is permaculture? In essence, it is a philosophy for sustaining human life that combines the concept of “culture” with permanence. To achieve truly sustainable living, permaculture promotes working with the Earth’s natural systems rather than against them. “Oftentimes, industrial agriculture is touted as one of the main contributors to climate change,” educator Careen Erbe told The Sopris Sun. “In permaculture, the problem is the solution. Agriculture can be a solution.” Erbe teaches certification courses alongside Osenkowski. “Social systems design is a big part of it,” she continued. “Paying attention to the people piece is fundamental.” In recent years, CRMPI has been stuck navigating the “people piece” within the larger social ecosystem, attempting retroactively to sanction the institute within Eagle County’s code. Presently, the land is zoned “resource” and is too small to fit within the state’s 35-acre standard for agricultural use-by-right. As such, an arduous process is underway to acquire a special use permit that would allow the site to continue operating as it has for decades, with on-site camping, plus the addition of an accessory dwelling unit. Due to turnover within Eagle County’s staff, CRMPI has been successively assigned four different planners; according to Maya Ward-Karet, an architect hired by Osentowki to help CRMPI navigate this process, each planner assigned to the applicant has had differing recommendations for which of the county’s many land use categories to apply under. Eventually, CRMPI came before the Roaring Fork Valley Planning Commission as a “resort recreation facility,” a designation which Ward-Karet and CRMPI openly rejected. Instead, they attempted to qualify the operation as an agricultural education/demonstration farm, a classification that does not exist in the county’s code. However, “We’re not asking for a new use category,” insisted Ward-Karet. “We’re asking for the proposed use to be considered as most similar to agricultural use under the existing nuclear definition and Colorado Revised Statutes.” There is precedent of other Colorado counties expanding their definitions for resource zoning to include smallerscale farming as a use-by-right. “We were just working in good faith with the planners,” Ward-Karet continued. “We structured our entire application around the standards of resort recreation … to give the planners as much of a leg up as possible.” After two postponements, one occurring on the eve of a hearing on July 7 with a contracted planner’s failing to “adequately present the file,” according to an Eagle County Press release, the Roaring Fork Valley Regional Planning Commission recommended denial of the special use permit on July 21. Commissioner Karen Barch was the lone vote in favor of CRMPI’s out-of-the-box designation. “The county has gone to some length to find conditions and resolve some issues,” she stated, suggesting “openness to at least working with the applicant, maybe with some tweaks to the way they’re operating.” Commissioner Temple Glassier, a fourth generation rancher in the Valley, said, “CRMPI is wonderful, don’t doubt it ... But does the application fit and meet the standards? That’s what we have to look at. How wonderful CRMPI is is not on the table, unfortunately for us.” She acknowledged that the Eagle County Commissioners have more authority to make exemptions. During the public hearing at that meeting, more than a dozen people stepped forward to speak on behalf of the intrinsic value of CRMPI to the Roaring Fork Valley and the world. “Jerome is not just a farmer and educator, he is a visionary,” said Pitkin County Commissioner Francie Jacober, speaking as an individual and not as an elected

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official. “His farming is not flowing fields on the valley floor, but highly creative use of a challenging property. This is exactly what the world needs… we have to learn from people like Jerome.” Four neighbors, two of which were directly represented by lawyer Kelcey Nichols at the public hearing, have taken issue with CRMPI circumventing approvals from the get-go and assert that retroactive forgiveness is not appropriate. “It is the applicant’s burden to show uses conform to the code, not commissioners’ to bend and adjust it to conform to uses that began in 1987,” said Nichols. “Being legal is important,” contended neighbor Eric Berry. “It’s what, as another business owner, I’ve had to do all along: be in compliance with rules and regulations set in front of me.” Berry shared concerns with The Sopris Sun that sanctioning CRMPI’s on-site camping could set a precedent on Basalt Mountain that would allow a similar, existing permaculture operation to add lodging. With only 22 parcels on the mountain, Berry explained, every additional car on the narrow and winding road has a considerable impact. Nonetheless, Berry admitted, “CRMPI should be held as a jewel for what can be produced,” saying, “Jerome’s ideas are great, they just have to be done legally.” “We discussed dropping the application entirely and applying for a change in code instead,” said Ward-Karet. After what’s already been a lengthy and expensive process, however, Osentowki is reluctant to start over. “If Jerome was a millionaire and 30 years younger, this would be different,” she continued. “At this point, we can’t draw back and resubmit,” said Osentowski. Already, in addition to approximately $75,000 spent navigating this process, CRMPI has been unable to host on-site lodging for students, which has eaten into the income that its programming generates. Osenwoski asserts that Pitkin, Eagle and Garfield counties should consider the lodging needs of local farms for workers and education. “We need to have farm schools,” he said. “This information is locked up in a few people. All the farms are doing good work with different strategies.” A week after Osentowki’s 81st birthday, on Sept. 30 at 4 p.m., CRMPI will ask the Eagle County Commissioners for approval of the special use permit and accessory dwelling unit. “If I don’t get this approved, I stand to lose a quarter million [dollars] per year,” said Osentowski, who seeks to hire the right staff and retire on his farm in the near future. He based this estimation on the institute’s income in 2021. “After bills, there’s not much left,” he continued. “It's been painful to watch, as a process, because if I wasn't personally connected, I would be giving Jerome support to help do this,” said Berry, who previously maintained his own permaculture project on the adjacent property. “I would be right there standing next to him … because I think it is needed at this time where we are getting further and further away from the land and its ability to sustain us. … I believe in what he does and yet we have these issues that need to be resolved before things can get better.” Osentwoski hopes that with proposed measures, including rerouting CRMPI’s traffic to an upper road and a fire mitigation plan that could save nearby properties, his neighbors will embrace the institute. “As much as planners and land use professionals like to think everyone should plan ahead of time and answer questions before … the reality is a lot of things morph and change overtime,” said Ward-Karet. “Jerome didn’t buy property to start an institute. He bought property to be a smallscale farmer, to do direct-market and traditional agriculture. He learned about new methods along the way, trying them and inviting people to come and help out.” She concluded, “Things evolve and change.”

Jerome Osentowki, a self-described "81-year-old goat," likely knows Basalt Mountain better than anyone. Photo by Raleigh Burleigh TACAW continued from page 5 $30 on the day of the show — “and with Michael’s underwriting, it brings that ticket price way, way down,” Honey explained.

Also on Saturday night, drink specials and, of course, birthday cake will abound.

The Friday night performance by Cleary is a seated show beginning at 8 p.m. Saturday’s Motet performance will be limited seating with a two-ticket per customer limit and starts at 8 p.m.

When The Sopris Sun asked Honey what’s in store for TACAW’s second year, Honey said we would see the return of some of TACAW’s most successful events “in an attempt to build traditions” in the programming.

For example, in mid-October, “Pumpkin Jazz” will return with an evening of free jazz music, and English in Action’s “Immigrant Voices” impactful storytelling event will be back.

Honey reflected on TACAW’s first year, saying, “We’re pretty proud of the impacts we’ve made, and people will see more of that. But I want to express — on behalf of the staff and the board — our gratitude to the community for continuing to support TACAW, understanding that we, as a nonprofit, need their support, both in ticket sales and donations. We express our profound gratitude that our community is learning to support the great asset that is TACAW.”

Tickets from Friday and Saturday night performances are available at www.tacaw.org/calendar

I'm just waiting until you say the magic word… Treats!

El Jebel, Colorado 970-963-1700 RJPaddywacks.com

By Jeanne Souldern Sopris Sun Correspondent

Eli Lev’s love of travel and sincere interest in world cultures have outfi tted the singer-songwriter with a unique toolkit for musical storytelling.

Lev will, as he says, “make the world a smaller place” by bringing his indie folk and Americana music leanings, with an “originals and covers set,” to the Bull and Buck in Basalt on Sept. 23 at 6:30 p.m. The show is free.

For a couple of years, Lev lived in Andorra, a country located in the Pyrenees mountains, nestled between France and Spain. He is excited to be back in Colorado and keenly understands the landscape as a place “totally surrounded by mountains” with “a certain way of life where time travels a little bit diff erently.”

Lev grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, D.C., where his parents worked in government: his mother for civil rights and his father for the Department of Health and Human Services.

Growing up in the ethnically-diverse community of Silver Spring sculpted Lev’s worldview and, more pointedly, his music. He said, “My friends were Cuban, Indian, Persian and Asian immigrants. Muslims, Christians and Jews — everybody from everywhere — shaped my view of the world.”

Those experiences would prove to be the impetus for Lev’s adventures around the world. For him, travel is “going out and meeting people, where they are and who they are and what they believe.” All of that has infl uenced his music.

A touring musician off ered Lev a gig at a Georgetown coff ee shop. He recounted, “Five people said, ‘Hey, when's your next show?’” That became the impetus for a series of events, allowing Lev to become a full-time musician.

Lev’s laid back vocal stylings bring to mind singers like Jack Johnson and Ben Harper. When paired with his vibrant and upbeat acoustic guitar playing, it makes for a satisfying listening experience.

On his Facebook page, Lev declares himself a “self-proclaimed folk hero,” which comes from his deep respect for the roots of folk music. “Folk music has stories that celebrate the common human experience, and those stories are passed through time and reinterpreted into diff erent versions along the way. That's why I champion folk music; I like how the stories connect our generations.”

After earning a master's degree in education, he taught eighth-grade English to Navajo students in northern Arizona. Lev’s hosts taught him about honoring the four cardinal directions — north, east, south and west. Lev shared, “It is a concept that rang true for me because that's essentially how Navajo perceive the world's place: surrounded by the four directions and four sacred mountains.”

That perspective helped to inform his fi rst steps on the path to becoming a musician. “As a beginning musician, I needed something as an anchor and something to guide me on that journey. I thought, ‘The four directions, I'm familiar with that. I will start in the east where the sun comes up.’”

His Four Directions Project consists of a four-part recording catalog, with each installment a fi ve-song EP. These include “All Roads East” (2017), “Way Out West” (2018), “Deep South” (2019) and “True North” (2021).

That initiative has led to Lev’s Three Worlds Project, which will consist of three albums. The fi rst will examine the three worlds of past lives, present journeys and future myths in a timeline that explores Lev’s ancestry, his current journey and what's to come for our country, humanity and the world.

The second is “Two Friends,” a collaborative album between two musicians, and the fi nal installment, “One Road,” is, as Lev said, “just kind of bringing it all home.”

In Basalt, Lev will be joined by his partner in music and life, singersongwriter Megan Leigh. The two, collaborating as the duo Wild Whispers, weave together engaging rhythms and dulcet vocal harmonies and released their self-titled debut album in July with funding from an online crowdfunding campaign.

The performance venue — Bull and Buck — opened last December in Basalt’s Gold Rivers Court and has a modern lodge aesthetic. They serve pubstyle fare with dishes like bangers and mash and entrée off erings including elk medallions and Colorado rainbow trout, along with a dessert and full drink menu.

For more about Lev and his music, go to eli-lev.com/music

Maryland-based singer-songwriter Eli Lev brings his eclectic repertoire of music to the Bull and Buck on Sept. 23. His work draws upon his experiences as a world traveler. Courtesy photo

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YouthZone film festival takes students to new heights

By Kate Phillips Sopris Sun Correspondent

Prepare to be inspired and entertained as student fi lmmakers from the Roaring Fork Valley and across the country take center stage at the third annual YouthZone Ascent Youth Film Festival. The fi lm festival doubles as a fundraiser, and will celebrate the students’ hard work and creativity at The Orchard in Carbondale on Sept. 30.

“This is a project for the youth and the families in our communities, but it’s also by the youth of our communities,” said YouthZone Development Director Carol Wolff . “It is a fundraiser for YouthZone, which is here to support our families and that in turn creates stronger communities.”

Ascent stays true to YouthZone’s core mission — to be a family-fi rst nonprofi t that fosters positive youth development from Aspen to Parachute — by off ering an artistic outlet for students to shine. Ranging in age from 12 to 18, each student creates a fi lm that puts their interests at the forefront. The fi lms can be a linear story or abstract piece, and special talents such as music, writing, poetry, photography, video or animation bring the fi lms to life.

Noting the specifi c age range, Wolff said that teenagers often need multiple ways to express themselves, and that this fi lm festival is a fun and impactful opportunity for them to share their passion with their parents and peers.

“It’s exciting and it’s fun for them to show off their work because a lot of times their parents don’t really know what they put together until they watch it,” Wolff laughed. “They have their peers there and other people that they don’t even know. It’s a lot of fun.”

She continued, “The kids are just excited to put together a fi lm, and that’s their way of expressing themselves [...] Art is a huge way for kids to express themselves.”

The students begin the process at the start of the summer, and must submit one draft by mid-July before submitting their fi nal cut on Aug. 26. Students who complete their fi lm receive a cash prize and participate in an awards ceremony at the end of the festival. Throughout the process, two noteworthy fi lm industry professionals mentor the students.

This year, YouthZone collaborated with Emmynominee Katherine Roberts, founder and CEO of Carington Creative, and the award-winning president of the Colorado Film and Video Association, Rob Shearer. Together, the mentors discussed project ideas with the students, off ered technical fi lm support and helped with editing.

Student fi lmmaker Luca Passerini Burks said it took him some time to fi nalize his fi lm’s story, but he worked with Shearer who helped shape his ideas into a movie that would be suitable for the targeted audience while also staying true to Passerini Burks' vision.

His fi lm, “The Clone”, will keep audiences on the edge of their seats as a riveting battle unfolds between the fi lm’s main character and an unexpected clone of himself. According to Passerini Burks, creating such a fi lm was diffi cult, but he was able to work hard and learn something new in the process. For him, fi lmmaking has been a long time passion, and Ascent is a great chance to continue pursuing his dreams.

“I’ve always wanted people to see my fi lms, and not just make them so my family can see them,” he said. “It was really cool to see my brother’s fi lm up there in front of 100 people [last year], and I can’t imagine my fi lm being up there. That would just be so awesome.”

Noting the challenges that come with fi lmmaking, Passerini Burks enthusiastically off ered encouragement

Levi Friday (left) and Nico Passerini Burks were all smiles at last year’s Ascent Youth Film Festival award ceremony. Expect to see those smiles again when they present their newest films at this year’s festival. Courtesy photo and advice for future student fi lmmakers. “Don’t give up easily, don’t cut corners, make a good eff ort and make a good fi lm,” he said. “And if your fi lm isn’t that good, keep trying and maybe someday you’ll get the big shot!”

This year, Ascent off ers a hybrid viewing experience where community members can participate either inperson or virtually after the live showing. The in-person watch party will also have a silent auction that includes donations from local businesses and individuals. Wolff said that Ascent’s sponsors and silent auction donors are very generous and YouthZone is deeply grateful for their support.

All donations from the event will go directly toward YouthZone programming such as youth advocacy, restorative justice, substance intervention and education, LGBTQ+ support and one-on-one coaching for parents and youth alike.

For tickets and more information, visit www.bit.ly/ AscentFilm2022

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Rev. Norris’ reflection will examine two metaphors. The metaphor of the American Dream is a powerful one that has influenced generations and inspired millions. The metaphor of being woke has likewise influenced millions. We’ll explore how these two metaphors provide a synthesis for understanding the world we share. “Staying Woke; Keep Their Eyes Open” by Rev. A.G. Norris, Live Music by Jimmy Byrne. Live in-person service (and online via Zoom).

Sunday, September 25, 10am

Two Rivers Unitarian Universalist Third St. Center in Carbondale or via Zoom

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