This article was first published in The Washington Island Observer. By Russell Rolffs, President, Gathering Ground We are pleased to announce that Gathering Ground has been granted 501(c)3 status, exempting the organization from paying federal taxes and permitting it...
When I was in college, I spent a lot of time hanging out with people at potlucks. Many times we were asked to bring a food that represented our culture. I didn’t identify with the casseroles midwestern friends brought. I didn’t feel kinship yet with apple...
There are a lot of buzz words in agriculture today. GMO, non-GMO, organic? Natural? Sustainability? All of these words are worth learning more about. Today, let’s spend some time with sustainability. It is a key word in our mission statement, after all:...
As of May 6, Tim Lyons, with the help of Russell Rolffs and a few other intermittent volunteers, had pruned 75 percent of the five acre vineyard at Gathering Ground. We praise Tim for his unswerving commitment to the vines, for teaching us how to prune and for having...
Louise Glück is a contemporary poet who often writes about the natural world and captures the surprise of it, even in familiar landscapes. No matter how many times you see trillium on the Island, they are always stunning. This poem captures that beauty in such a way I...
