veghippy heroes / November

Kyle and Jolene !

It's been a while, but the "veghippy hero" segment is back! This month, we have two incredible individuals with a vision to create an eco-village in Guatemala. I was lucky enough to meet them at Earthship Academy before they headed south on their journey across Mexico. I became very curious about their story when I found out they were driving a mini bus named"Lewis" that runs on vegetable oil... Check out our interview below!

Sunshine: So! Kyle and Jolene, can you tell us a little bit about your trip and what you're doing here?

Jolene: Well, basically, we're trying to transition into renewable and sustainably harvested energy. So driving our veg-oil bus is part of this transition. As you know, waste veg-oil is a way we can move around the country without using fossil fuel, and that's the biggest thing - no more fossil fuels for us. I went to the tar sands last year, and did a healing walk around one "tailing lake." It was huge, it took us 7 hours just to walk around one. I saw people dying and animals dying. I was like, this is just not a sustainable way of living, this is not right. We can't be taking something from the earth and killing people and animals. So that is how it started. Kyle and I have had a dream of traveling together for a while, and then this year we got a bus gifted to us from a friend.

Kyle: We've had a property in Guatemala for a couple of years and we've always wanted to get back to the land and live sustainably, support ourselves and grow our own food, so this trip has been a while in the making. We'd been planning to drive down with veg-oil and now it's finally happening! We're making a documentary about our trip too and we're stopping to visit different sustainable communities, and Earthship Academy was a big part of that. We're documenting what we're learning about and we're gonna try to put all these ideas into practice when we get to Guatemala.

(Photo by Kyle)

Jolene: We are looking to build an educational and healing center with Earthship principles as well as permaculture principles. The idea is that people can come and learn different healing modalities and find what suits them best to do their own healing, as well as learn to connect with the Earth again and build in a way that is not harmful - but in a kind way. We want to be able to teach people that and share that wisdom. One of the really big things that I'd like to do when we get there is if the locals are interested, show and share with them how to treat their own waste water so there's less pollution. Also, how to collect rainwater in an efficient way.

Sunshine: Amazing. That's a beautiful goal you both have! Now, you said your bus has a name... can you tell us about that??

Jolene: [laughter] Yes! His name is Lewis! He came with that name, and the people that converted him kept the name, because he was a bus from Lewis county. That's how he got his name and we decided to keep it going forward. We love it.

(Photo by Jolene)

Kyle: In fact, our whole project is called "Lewis and the Fireflies." Lewis is the bus and we are the fireflies! He's an old school bus that someone else converted. They "camperized" him into an RV and put the veg-oil system in. We inherited all that and we've just been learning how it works as we go. 

Sunshine: You've been on quite a long journey already! Where did you start? Where have you gone? And eventually you're headed to Guatemala right?

Jolene: Well, it started in Vancouver, in British Columbia. And that's where we kind of created the plan and got ready to take off. We had a fundraiser, we did an indiegogo as well as fundraising event - which was a lot of work but that's another story! [And then went across the border this April. We left him in storage all summer, then we went through Bellingham, different places in Washington, down through Oregon and California. We took some time to visit friends, or people who we'd like to refer to as family - family that you create...

Kyle: By the time we hit Northern California we had to go inland to make it to New Mexico for Earthship Academy so then we drove across a bunch of places we've never been before! Lake Tahoe, Nevada, Utah, Colorada, and eventually New Mexico.

And from here...well, where are we going from here?

(Photo by Jolene)

Jolene: We are heading to Arizona down to Mexico. When we're in Mexico we're hoping to stop at some sustainable communities to learn a little bit more. We want to see what people are doing to live off the grid, and to live in a better way, a kinder and gentler way with the Earth and all beings. We want to learn from them and capture that footage to share with others. Then we are headed to Belize for the winter. I will be teaching yoga and Kyle will be teaching sea kayaking for an eco-tour company. After that we have an opportunity to go to Jamaica as volunteers at a retreat center. The owner offered to teach me what I need to know about running a successful healing and retreat center which is our dream in Guatemala.

Kyle: Now, Lewis is not an aquatic bus yet...[Sunshine's laughter] When we head to Jamaica there's a pretty big ocean crossing there so we will leave him in Belize with some friends, but when we come back we'll get back on the road and head to Guatemala! [Jolene cheers] Lewis will be the first structure that we live in while we build other things on our land and farm.

Jolene: I think we're gonna have a workshop in May to start up the tire foundation and an adobe hut...

Kyle: Just down the road from us in Guatemala, is this place where they teach green building and they do super adobe and earth bags. They are doing all kinds of crazy stuff, like building temples out of earth bags! So we're gonna get in touch with them and we're gonna partner up and run workshops together.

Sunshine: Kyle and Jolene, can you share with us how the bus runs on veg-oil?

Kyle: Sure. Well, you have to have a diesel vehicle. Then, you get a veg-oil kit to convert it. You have a separate tank for the veg-oil, so the system becomes a hybrid where it runs on both diesel and veg-oil. When we start the car, we use diesel to warm up the engine to the right temperature, then we switch over to veg. It goes through a filter and the are lines connected to the engine. The mileage is about the same as diesel (about 9mpg with Lewis) and it is cleaner burning. Of course, with veg-oil you are not using "new" fuel, you are using up "waste."

Jolene: The process is a little tricky at first. When you collect "waste" vegetable oil, you have to filter it. You can get it from people who filter it for you too, and they usually charge but it's great to support people who are doing that.

To be honest, having a veg-oil vehicle is a clean way of traveling - but it's a messy ordeal! You get grease over EVERYTHING...

Kyle: If you think about restaurants and deep fried foods, and when you get that stuff on you...well veg-oil is that concentrated grease. So you just have all these buckets full of grease around you all the time. Thankfully we haven't spilled anything in Lewis yet, but it gets pretty messy.

We pour the grease from these buckets into our filter tank through a funnel on the back of our bus every few hours when we need to refuel. It could run on all different kinds of veg-oil. Some people have supplied us with soy bean oil and canola oil. Any kind of vegetable oil is compatible as long as it gets filtered so the water content evaporates.

Sunshine: How does it feel not to have to spend money on fossil fuel?

Jolene: VERY GOOD. When we are running on veg-oil it is very freeing. It's inspiring and empowering knowing that you don't have to use fossil fuel, knowing that you can live another way. Just like with Earthships, you don't have to go in just one direction.

Kyle: Yeah it's the same thing with Earthships. It's like, you realize, "Hey, I don't need fossil fuels to heat and run my home, I can do it in other ways!" Passive solar heating for example. 

Jolene: I definitely will say that I don't think running on veg-oil is the answer because there is just not enough waste vegetable oil in the world to power all the vehicles we have. But I think it's a great way to begin the transition into a more sustainable culture.

Kyle: We're not perfect but we're exploring fuel alternatives and just having fun along the way. We're trying to approach it with an open mind, and patience, and good humour. 'Cause stuff happens along the way and we'l be like "Shit! Well...cool!" We've been learning a heeeeck of a lot. Every time something goes wrong, it's a new opportunity to learn something. 

Sunshine: Have you had some ups and downs while on the road?

Jolene: Yes. Poor wiring is one...the electrician that worked on our bus originally miswired the switch board so we've had to deal with that! And then Lewis has broken down a couple times throughout our trip too.

Kyle: It's interesting, he's got a personality! He's held together with love and duct tape and whatever but...[Sunshine's laughter] Actually, the people who converted Lewis originally, they traveled aruond the country and made a documentary about urban farming. So Lewis has experience with documentary filmmakers. He's kinda guiding the process in some ways. 

Jolene: We're starting to say this motto: "Lewis always knows." 

Kyle: Lewis seems to know when we need to slow down or stop. For some reason he'll break down - for some "weird" reason. But then we'll end up meeting someone that we wouldn't have met otherwise who gives us another "piece to the puzzle." We'll run into someone who'll say "hey come stay here" and we get another adventure or lesson for our travels. Most of the time when he's broken down for a couple of hours have been the times when we needed to meet someone. So, Lewis has wisdom in that.

Jolene: He's part of the Divine plan!!! Sometimes I forget the Divine plan, and I get really frustrated and yell "LEWIS!!!" But then an hour later I'm like, "okay, that's why he did that..." [laughter]

Sunshine: I'm really excited for you both. The things you two are doing here with this veg-oil bus is just a great example of the kind of sustainable future we can all have. Do you have any inspirational words or recommendations for our audience before we finish?

Jolene: Believe in the beauty of your dreams, cause nothing is impossible. We ARE the change! Which means that making the change in yourself will lead to the change in the world around us.

Kyle: Sometimes it takes a leap of faith but when you get to the other side, it's totally worth it. And I just want to say thank you, Sunshine. It's been so good to share lessons and building with you for the last month.

Sunshine: [cheers and glows] Yaaay.

Love you two!! Be well and be safe.

To follow Kyle and Jolene on their epic journey to Guatemala...you can check out their website [here] or "LIKE" their facebook page.

Cheers to new friends/family =)

-PEACE*~!

veghippy hero / August

Rob Somma !

This month, Rob is the veghippy hero of the month because of his big love for gardening, his incredible backyard farm, his 9 cats, and his yoga practice that brings it all together. Check out the interview below!

Sunshine: Hello World! We are in Stony Point, a small town resting atop the Hudson River in Rockland County, NY...Rob, this is such a beautiful place to live. When did you move here and why?

Rob: Felicia and I were living in New City before I lost my job. We moved to Stony Point in 1996.

Sunshine: How big is your land?

Rob: The property is just under an acre, .98acres.

Sunshine: Rob, you told me you built this house! Can you tell us about that?

Rob: The old house on the property was too small for us. At the time we moved in, we had a Great Dane and a New Foundland and then adopted another dog! Between losing my job and selling our last house, a lot of things happened that just afforded us the opportunity to do it.

The house was built in 2001. In the beginning it took a while for us to agree on a design, but when we finally decided on something together, we got the plans, looked at the property, and said, "This is where we want to live!" We based it on a house that we had seen out in the Hamptons which was fun, open, and airy. Basically, having a dream, having a vision, and following our hearts eventually led us to the blessings we have here today.

Sunshine: What made you decide to start a garden and grow your own food?

Rob: I always liked plants, They are alive, they change, they grow...it feels good to be around them, it's one of those things you can't explain. I don't like just having grass around. I want interesting flowers, and all the things that come with the flowers: the birds, the bees, the praying mantises, the ladybugs, all of that! Getting away from the plain old grass keeps my interest and keeps my busy mind active.

Sunshine: When did you start gardening? How did you learn?

Rob: When I was 5 or 6, it was always the springtime thing to help my parents garden. That's where I got my start. Later on, I joined a community garden. There, I got 10x20 plot of land and I was surrounded by all these people with similar interests. I got to see what other people were growing, and everyone would be around to help each other. It was a really nice community down in Brooklyn.

Another thing that got me into this was watching Gardening Shows. I was inspired by many of the guys I saw on TV. Paul James in particular was just so engaging - and he was kooky! He liked fly fishing, he grew bonsai, and practiced Tai-Chi. You know he had so many dimensions to him. P Allen Smith was another, who built his own house and inspired me to say, "Hey, if he can do this, I can do this!" I looked into becoming a Master Gardener after moving to Stony Point and discovered that the Cornell Cooperative Extension was less than a mile from my house!

Sunshine: Rob, I know you are also a Dahn Yoga Master. How has your practice influenced your gardening?

Rob: Dahn Yoga has given me a greater awareness and ability for self-expression. It has given me trust in myself, and brought me to take interest in what's truly inside me - so that I can bring it out! Without my practice, I would not have thought of gardening as more than something merely pleasing to me. I would not have thought of gardening as a way to create and be creative, and to be in harmony with all that is around me. This is why I don't use chemical pesticides in my flowers or vegetables. Instead, in springtime I'll go around collecting egg sacs from Praying Mantises and place them around the garden so that they'll eat the other bugs. My practice has made me more aware of what I do. My actions affect everything around me, it affects every single insect, the earthworms, the soil...everything. Soil is the Earth, the planet itself. And although chemicals will make my flowers grow great, which may be good for me and my ego, it's not good for the soil, and therefore it's not good for the planet. So I've become more caring about what happens beyond me, realizing that there is more than me, and in effect, that I am more than me.

Sunshine: That's a wonderful way to think of gardening Rob. Thank you. Now, before we finish up, I am so curious what Felicia thinks about your creations and your insatiable hobby! Felicia, what do you think of Rob's gardening?

Felicia: I love the garden. I love his passion for the flowers. Rob really has a strong connection to the Earth and he seems so peaceful doing this. Even though I grew up in the city like Rob, I never got the true passion for dirt like he has - although I am not allowed to call it dirt...it's soil! [laughter] So I don't personally get into it but I love what's produced from it. I love that I can go into the garden and make myself a fresh salad. I've had organic food from other places, but there's nothing like picking the food right out of your backyard. It's as fresh as you can get it!

Also, I have to say that because it is Rob who has put his energy, love, and passion into the garden, I can really taste the care he's put into everything he's grown.

Sunshine: What is your favorite thing that has grown from your garden?

Felicia: Oh my gosh. Well, each year he does something different, so it's hard to say because there has been so many good things. Let's see...I love the kale. And one year he grew yellow watermelon, which was so delicious and sweet...but actually, I would have to say my favorite is the tomatoes. We're half-Italian, so naturally there's nothing like fresh pasta sauce. Yeah, the tomatoes are my favorite.

Sunshine: Thanks for the inside scoop Felicia! Okay, last question! Rob, What is in store for the future of your garden?

Rob: I'd love to redo the whole area on the side of the house where the dog runs are so that we can come out to a greenhouse that leads into the vegetable garden. I'd love to do cold frames so I can extend the growing season and get away from using my grow lights right now. I'm using too much energy, burning fossil fuels doing that. So my garden is green but it's not "green" I hope to take time this winter studying and perfecting the use of cold frames so I don't have to keep those lights on.

Once again, we have a veghippy hero who stands as a great example for those who choose to follow their "green dream." Rob's passion for all living things is evident in the life he's supported and created all around him! There is beauty blooming on that land in Stony Point NY. What an inspiration. Thank you Rob!!

If you have any questions for Rob or would like to recommend someone for "veghippy hero of the month" segment, please email: veghippnews@gmail.com

-Peace~!