EPIC - Eastern Pennsylvania Intentional Community

This is how it all began .....

Individuals and blessed families from USA and other countries, expressing their interest in intentional community lifestyle for various reasons connected to each other on a BFA group page for intentional community discussion.

Several attempts were made starting as early as 2008 to make a substantial step forward, which was reinvigorated in 2012 through the tour of Herwig & Angela Schmid from Austria, presenting  their vision of "Creating the New WE" to a group of families in Camp Shehaqua, Pennsylvania (USA).

The Shehaqua Family (Pocono Family Ministries) had already created an unique community lifestyle with 3 generations coming together several times a year for workshops and adventure. As wonderful as the time together always had been, everyone was saddened that it came to an end after a week's passing and life went back to "normal".

Thus the "Creating the New WE" tour nourished the dream of many for a place, where this authentic community could be established for good.

This is our very first discussion and brainstorming in 2012 about the possibility of creating an intentional community.

The BFA group's founder, Sue Stoia, took the inspiration to a new level by inviting the author of "Creating a Life Together", Diana Leafe Christian, to teach everyone the first steps to establish a life together on a physical place - and there were many things to consider!

From the around 50 attendees of the workshop a core group developed, led by the camp director and his wife, Gregg and Elke Noll. They again took the dream to a new level by realizing the purchase of 20 acres of beautiful farmland in spring of 2014 (already including 4 minor subdivisions) by selling their home in NY.

Through this remarkable step now chances arose for a total of up to 7 families to eventually become owners of a home in the community plus shareholders in the farm coop.

BLUESTONE Farms at Millrift, PA was born - the beginning of an ongoing development of true, authentic community lifestyle in harmony with nature and the discovery of the potential of a "New WE" in authentic relationships!

The year 2015 was all about growing - growing a variety of vegetables, growing livestock like flocks of chicken, ducks and guinea hens, growing pigs (guinea hogs) and cattle (Scottish highlands), growing an orchard, growing our skills by using the new Woodmizer sawmill for cutting lumber to size for our projects and growing in outreach with our interns program.

The Sawyer House (our public place) got a new makeover, the chicken flock moved into a new stylish coop, their very own cob house, we fabricated many new brilliant pieces of wooden furniture and a new fire pit was established.

2016 - the year of burning ambitions

Already in spring 2 of the building lots got a prefabricated, full-size basement from Superior Walls - delivered accurately on our own "founder's day", the 2nd anniversary of the day, when we set foot on this land for the first time.

The houses are "ranch style" modular homes, built in a PA factory, delivered and set turn-key ready in only one day.

The new Walipini Underground Greenhouse started the season, we adored the first litter of 10  Guinea hog piglets and the Market Garden received a major soil enhancement.

Our new Farmstand, the "Bluestone Market" opened on Memorial Day weekend and the "Sawyer House" just received this marvelous new maple floor completely custom cut from our own trees with our own sawmill by a set of awsome young volunteers, - this is "Kingdom Building" prime time!

To prop up the level of comfort a new outdoor shower (yes - also with hot water!) and a fancy outhouse with composting toilet was added.

Thanks to Erland Smith, our "Market Gardener", fresh produce like snap-peas, potatoes, peppers, string beans, cucumbers, bok choi, strawberries, tomatoes, sweet corn, eggplants, varieties of salad greens and kale - just to name a few -  is thriving in our newly developed "Market Garden" both in open fields and greenhouses.

Looks like the 4th of July pigroast became a new tradition - just like last year we welcomed a ton of new guests and old time friends alike.

August startet harvest season and brought abundance to our Bluestone Market. How could you resist the aroma of freshly picked veggies?

Summertime - another new building enriches our Village Sanctuary, a beautiful and spacious modular design.

Our new rafts got initiated on an awesome Delaware River cruise.

The Woodmizer-Barn was finally finished and the makeshift wood pile neatly cleaned up.

Peter Van Geldern, our architect, had a lot of fun driving the big excavator digging out the swimming pond he just had finished drawing up on his computer.

Not only nutritious produce was harvested in autumn but also some of our precious animals - 5 turkeys, 30 chicken and 11 guinea hogs, a true abundance by the grace of God, who is good all the time!

As the year draws to its close the Bluestone founders are already in full gear planning to multiply the blessing God has given to us.

More to come!

More greenhouses, more fields, more quantity and variety of produce, more CSA, more new interns, more new structures, more community building, more fun events -  more Glory to God!

That makes the new year 

2017 and onwards – the year of MORE!