June 2025 NEWSLETTER
Written By David Whitaker
Dear Windermere Community,
I want to start by thanking you for being part of this community and for being interested in what we do and how we do it. Thank you for supporting the ranch from wherever you are and in whatever ways you are called to serve, give, and participate.
I have often come to the realization that, for me, life is all about the people.
I enjoy being reminded that people are the most important part of any exchange and that, whatever I do, people are at the heart of it. When I am able to love the person in front of me, the outcome of whatever situation or circumstance becomes secondary. What does loving the person in front of me look like? It can be pretty much anything: connection, joy, understanding, acceptance, setting a boundary, clear communication, giving space, making a joke, calling in the Light, whatever. When I am reminded that life is all about the people, I also remember that my intention is to be of service to the highest good and to serve the God in all things.
We (people) are the centerpiece of our experience. Shared experience between people creates relationships. Shared experience in a group of people creates community. In the context of being human, our community also includes the place where we are, the home and land that we care for, the foundation for our experience and the connection with the earth that sustains us. In our lives, we are part of many communities, simply by the fact that we share experiences with others (whether we know it or not). This is why it's easy for me to see and to say that everyone is part of the Windermere community. We all have an experience with Windermere and that is enough.
As humans, we are also part of a greater community, the community of being human. It is this community of humankind that Yo Yo Ma talks about when he refers to global humanism. When I saw him in concert, he shared a story in which, at a young age, one of his teachers told him that, although he was incredibly skilled as a cellist, he hadn't yet found his voice. Later, Yo Yo Ma realized that he wasn't looking for his voice; he was looking for our voice, a shared voice of the human community. Expanding the notion of community even more, Robin Wall Kimmerer (author of Braiding Sweetgrass), states the simple truth that "All flourishing is mutual," not just amongst humans, but including the natural world as well.
Peace, Community, and Sustainability are the guiding principles of Windermere. In these principles, I see caring for all humanity and the natural world as essential practices. Folding in the teachings of Jesus, we can easily see how these principles are harmonious with loving your neighbor (and your neighborhood) as yourself. Or, as John-Roger counseled us, take care of yourself so that you can help take care of others.
A community is made up of people and relationships. When we relate to each other with kindness and caring, the community is strengthened. When we forgive ourselves and each other, the community is strengthened. Sustainability means that we consider not only the impact of our choices today, but how our choices will affect the community in the future. Long before 7th Generation was a brand of cleaning products, it was a way of life for indigenous people who made decisions by considering how today's choices might affect the next seven generations. For me, this is like Jesus responding 7x70 when asked, "How many times must I forgive?" It's not so much about forgiving 490 times, as it is about forgiving every time there is something to be forgiven.
The seven generations aren't so much about me thinking about my great-great-great-great-great grandchildren as they are about an attempt to understand the impact of my choices beyond what I can see. One way I do this is by asking myself, "Am I leaving it better than I found it?" and also, "Is this necessary?" a key question of Masanobu Fukuoka's "do nothing" approach to farming.
When we did the design for the garden at Windermere, we included an area for gathering–a place where we could put a grill and a table or a place to lay out a blanket. At first, I thought that this might be a waste of space because it meant there was valuable square footage in the fenced-in garden, protected from animals, that we wouldn't be using for planting food. It was a choice not to maximize the amount of food that could be grown in the garden but instead to include a place where people could easily gather and be comfortable. In the last month, we've been using the space in the garden for our Windermere Ranch community meetings, and we've shared several meals there. Not only do we love spending time in the beautiful garden, but it also seems that the garden loves when we spend time there. The plants respond to our attention and care by providing food and growing healthy. I have heard it said that the best fertilizer is a farmer's footsteps.
What has become clear to me is that the garden is not just for plants, it's for the people. We are part of the garden and as we learn about the plants, we learn about each other. As we flourish, so does the garden and as the garden flourishes, so do we. All flourishing is mutual.
To close, I'd like to share this quote from George Washington Carver. When asked how he could work miracles with plants, "All flowers talk to me and so do hundreds of little living things in the woods. I learn what I know by watching and loving everything."
Mutual flourishing is the Golden Age.
The theme of this year's annual MSIA conference is the Inner Master. In this workshop, we're going to look at how the Inner Master can guide us into the Golden Age.
Location: Los Angeles, CA and Online
Date and Time: Wednesday, June 25, 3:30 pm – 6:00 pm PT
Complimentary (registration required)
Visit Windermere on Tuesday, July 1 for fun community-focused activities. It's a great opportunity to connect with the land and the people.
Location: In Person at Windermere Ranch
Date and Time: Tuesday, July 1, 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM Pacific Time
Complimentary (RSVP required)
Please feel free to respond to this email with any heartfelt sharing you have of your experience with Joker or photos you would like for us to upload to this month's newsletter album.
As a step toward sustainable agriculture, we've been evaluating our wells and water. Here's a brief report:
The Peace Meadows Well is up and running again after being down for about a year.
We ran water from the Buddha Rock Well over to the garden to use for watering.
We fired up the Oasis Well (rumored to be our most productive well) for the first time in a decade or so. The well pumped out so much water that it made our well guy's day to see it turn on.
All this to say, we are in flow.
You might be thinking, Wait, didn’t you already clean out the barn for the event in October? Well, yes... and no. Leading up to that event, our focus was on identifying what each bay held and relocating items to their proper places. We accomplished that, as you saw, and hosted a beautiful event.
This time, our goal was to take it to the next level: clearing out the mats in bays that had become homes to things we didn’t want—like mold and rats—and removing items that were no longer useful. We only put back what serves a purpose, and organized it, ensuring everything is now easily accessible.
We could probably create a parody of The Twelve Days of Christmas to capture what we uncovered during the 25 Bays of Christmas. On the first day of Christmas, the barn stall gave to me... but we’ll stick to keeping our association with furry friends with tails to the cute felt ones that hang as ornaments on Christmas trees.
In December, we also embraced the spirit of Service while enjoying the festive season—creating bay leaf wreaths, baking cookies, watching J-R seminars, and gathering together in matching family pajamas to share delicious food. We are deeply grateful for the Windermere Ranch community, which you are a part of, and we look forward to all that the new year will bring.
If you’re interested in visiting us for a day trip or an overnight stay, simply reply to this email. We would particularly love to see you at one of our upcoming service parties to help bring the barn cleanup to completion.
Photos & Videos!
Enjoy these photos and videos from Windermere Ranch.
Album: June 2025
Nota: Las cartas y diversas actualizaciones ahora están disponibles en español! Puedes por favor enviarme un email, si deseas recibirlos en español.