Because spirit and intention matter.

It matters to Chaden and I. It matters to the Willowsong Midwifery team providing theCare. It matters to the artisans of Silent Rivers. It matters to the community we serve. And this spirit, this intention, has the ability to set the path for a more connected, sustainable, safer future for our planet. Or NOT.

 
On the hilltop corner of 800 19th Street, in the historic Sherman Hill neighborhood ~ up the street from where Willowsong Midwifery Care has been since 2003 ~ there sits a two-story masonry building that has sat empty for years. Chaden Halfhill, of Silent Rivers Design+Build had a vision to bring the building to life through a sustainable renovation aimed to “decrease our carbon footprint, increase energy efficiency and promote better use of materials”.

The site has a green roof…

And a rain wall and rain garden to effectively manage stormwater runoff, as well as geothermal heating and cooling, natural ventilation and solar panels…

The very caring, intentional restoration of this prominent building in the neighborhood is the beginning of a greater vision to restore, create and nurture sustainable communities, one building at a time, all around Iowa.

“This project will not only help to beautify a historic piece of our community, but it is our hope that we will inspire others to follow suit,” said Chaden. “There are over 10,000 buildings around Iowa alone that have a structure similar to that of our pilot project.

We could drastically change our environment if we were to implement more sustainable practices when renovating those existing buildings”.

 
Now that sounds a little like the purpose, mission, vision & values of Willowsong Midwifery Care.
 

We could drastically change our environment if we were to implement safer, more sustainable birth practices around the world.

 
This is theHeart of why Healing Passages, the entity that provides theSpace, chose Green & Main’s pilot project to be its future home. We know that when we CARE for one another, we must not disconnect from being human, from the cycles of LIFE, for we all are connected to one another and to our planet. The journey is not sterile. It is organic. The power to HEAL, comes from these connections and this knowing.
 

Take a moment to imagine a space that holds the belief that BIRTH is SACRED…

An opportunity for transformation for all who participate, an unfolding of a mother and baby’s journey beyond our control, a biological process designed to be SAFE for mother and child, where technology is only used when medically necessary, where the mother’s intuition is honored, where she and her newborn are seen as ONE and her soul’s connection to her baby is valued.
 

Now, feel yourself in another paradigm, in a space where the belief is that BIRTH is a MEDICAL PROCEDURE…

A physiological condition fraught with danger for mother and child, a process meant to be controlled and pushed, where all who participate feel nothing but FEAR expecting the worst to happen, where technology is seen as far superior than  the body’s design and mother and baby are seen as TWO ~ their soul’s connection devalued.
 

One paradigm does everything from a point of connection to each other, to our planet. The other from a point of disconnect from ourselves and the planet.

 
Not only does the building and the land upon which it rests synergistically work with and remind us as human beings of our connection to all the cycles of life; so does the design and intent of the space reflect those connections.

The next blog post will reflect upon how every aspect of the interior is designed for the women and families of Willowsong and what we, as women, do with each other ~ we hold space ~ guiding each other through all the passages of life. It is in this building’s design that theSpace, within which this hard work occurs, shall feel connected and organic as a gentle reminder to us all that this is where all healing begins.
 
 
Cosette Boone is the Founder and Executive Director of Healing Passages Birth & Wellness Center, which is the main tenant of the renovated building.
 

Chaden Halfhill and Cosette Boone at the Green & Main sustainable construction site where they are creating the future facility space for Healing Passages Birth & Wellness Center.

“Can you see doing it without him?”

This is what Ying, my CPA, asked me from across her desk one day a few years back. Instantly, my gut responded.

“No”, I said, after a summer of looking for new birth center sites, with no luck.

“Then that’s your answer,” she replied.

I gazed over at Chaden and took a deep breath. It was the moment I knew I had to see this through with my husband. His building development, which was to house our new birth center at the corner of 800 19th Street, known to us as Green & Main, had run into major funding issues, temporarily halting further construction on the project.

It was the summer of 2012.

The funny thing about destiny, as I’ve come to learn, is that the timetable in one’s head is not usually correct.

There is a universal timetable that exists — beyond one’s control I believe — that encompasses a larger knowing that we cannot yet see or understand.

It is much like BIRTH.

Despite the elaborate birth plans we make, our journeys are unique and not revealed to us until we are living the moment. This is the surrender that we talk about with our clients as they approach their births. “You’ve got to let it go. You are not in control,” we tell them. Funny how I don’t usually listen to my own advice.

I’ll let you in on a little history of my husband and I.

Thirteen years ago, we came together in a marriage defined by LOVE & PURPOSE. We identified with marriage as a “celebration of human destiny”. Taken from Weddings From the Heart, by Daphne Kingma, our ceremony acknowledged that our…

“Union will have as one of its major commitments the willingness of the partners to search for, discover, and support one another as they step into the presence of what is theirs, truly, to do in this life. Couples who are drawn to this ceremony have a sense of destiny, indeed of urgency, about discovering who they are and what, in some ultimate sense, their lives are about.”

We were challenged to ask ourselves not only what we desire to receive from our union in support of our own destinies, but also to discover what it is the two of us, “in the particular and unique configuration of our marriage”, have been brought together to accomplish.

I believe it was that defining moment in my CPA’s office that I figured this one out.

So here we are, with our community surrounding us

…four years later, 2016, looking up at the corner of 800 19th Street and seeing it come together, closer than we have ever been to finishing, yet still faced with challenges, just as many developments and growing businesses encounter.

We are in what feels like TRANSITION of labor.

For those of you who have given birth, you know this moment well…

Transition is the point of no return when we are faced with all our fears, completely vulnerable, our souls splayed open to the universe, tears falling down our flushed cheeks, we fall to the floor and beg for relief, our minds cannot possibly grasp how to go forward, yet we know we cannot go back.

This is the moment as a midwife where I fall in love with the woman before me, over and over again, as I look into her eyes, knowing she is about to realize her true power.

Only this labor is not just me birthing our child, it is Chaden and I birthing a greater vision for humanity:

He to restore our relationship with our dwellings and the ecology in which they exist. She to empower women through a paradigm of care that HEALS while restoring to humanity, a safer, more sustainable birth practice. Both holding a burning, urgent, desire to push for change for the health of our planet and our future generations.

Hmmm, and you thought this article was just going to be about the new facility.

Healing Passages Birth & Wellness Center will soon be located in the amazing sustainable building at 800 19th Street. There has been a whole lot of love and vision going into this birth center…

and we are eager to bring the community up to speed surrounding the design and purpose of the space as the project comes together day by day. Slated to open mid-summer, I will be posting weekly updates and photos of the space along with event dates being planned around the new Center’s grand opening.

We have so many mamas desiring birth center birth and anticipating the move this summer. I can only hope this blog will generate inspiration, excitement, hope and greater connection within our Willowsong community.

Let me begin with the very intentional tile layout of the Center’s front entrance

Many of you will recognize theHeart from our website’s main navigation. This was purposeful, and came together on a busy day when my husband, the developer of the site, called and said, ‘We need a word to go into the tile layout for the front entrance of your building and we need it today!’ Our team went into brainstorming mode with our architect Teddy (Teodora Shtinareva) from Silent Rivers Design+Build. Through the synergistic flow of ideas, much like that of a willow branch that bends and sways in the wind, we landed with theHeart.

“So why? What does it mean?”

Here is my reply:

~theHeart you ask, not understanding the front entrance, or why it even matters. Imagine as one walks through the front door ~ there is a moment of pause, perhaps a smile as the words are taken in and the reflection becomes apparent. One can imagine the artisan painstakingly placing the tiles by hand so that all who enter may be transformed. It is a moment in the exploration of the space, the space through which many will pass to heal, to learn, to grow, to connect. You see, beautiful creations come from the soul. theHeart is the “driver for the soul, which means if your heart isn’t in it, it’s going to be lackluster and flat”. theHeart is the energy that is created as great people with great intentions come together. Fear and anger and negativity close down theHeart. We learn to trust and love and believe from theHeart space. We at Willowsong are led to this work by our hearts. It is our soul’s purpose, which means we cannot run from it. It lifts us up and breaks us down and brings us to our knees on a daily basis.

Journey with us…allowing your heart to open to what is possible; for this is where all healing begins.

We would not be where we are today without you, the women and families we serve. You are theHeart of our vision at Healing Passages and the core of our team’s work at Willowsong. “But it’s not easy!” you say. “No, it’s not. Name one thing worth achieving that is easy”. To push beyond the grain, you have to trust from theHeart, as you are going places few have the courage to enter. But this is how we change the world ~ have an impact ~ leave our mark.

And it all comes ~ from theHeart.

A cohousing community in Nevada City, California.

“Traditional forms of housing no longer address the needs of many people.  Dramatic demographic and economic changes are taking place in our society and most of us feel the effects of these trends in our own lives. Things that people once took for granted – family, community, a sense of belonging – must now be actively sought out. Many people are mis-housed, ill-housed or unhoused because of the lack of appropriate options.” – Author Charles Durrett from his book Cohousing: A Contemporary Approach to Housing Ourselves.

What, Exactly, Is Cohousing?

A good place to start a discussion about cohousing (or cooperative housing) is with a clear definition of the term “cohousing.” According to The Cohousing Association of the United States (www.cohousing.org), “Cohousing is a type of collaborative housing in which residents actively participate in the design and operation of their own neighborhoods. Cohousing residents are consciously committed to living as a community. The physical design encourages both social contact and individual space. Private homes contain all the features of conventional homes, but residents also have access to extensive common facilities such as open space, courtyards, a playground and a common house.”

Many cohousing developments also include other shared spaces such as gardens and greenhouses. The physical layout of cohousing communities varies, but almost always has private residences closely situated around a center green area with a sidewalk. Vehicles are kept in a specified parking area, typically located on the backside of the development.

In many ways, the social aspect of cohousing is similar to the way Americans lived 100 years ago. Neighbors and extended families lived, worked and played as close-knit community. There were interdependencies among the adults, including shared responsibilities and concerns. Children learned and played in a safe environment, guided and protected by the adults.

This seems to be one of the cornerstones of WHY cohousing exists: to create a real community of friends that once naturally occurred in our society.

Cohousing History and U.S. Adaptation

A cohousing community in Denmark.

All sources agree that the type of cohousing espoused by Durrett traces its roots back to Denmark in the late 1960s when a group of dual income professional families were searching for better childcare and a way to share evening meal preparation. The trend made its way not long after to the U.S.  A tract in Boulder, Colorado was among one of the first to open in 1987, according to the Cohousing Association. California and Washington State followed in tandem, with earliest housing established between 1991 and 1994.

The Cohousing Association currently lists 243 cohousing communities (built or in some phase of development) across 37 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. Today, California boosts by far the most cohousing communities at 51.

Cohousing and Sustainability

“The movement back to community is the key to sustainability in Western culture,” states Chris ScottHanson, author of The Cohousing Handbook. Because cohousing typically includes shared spaces and resources, it is a model that directly affects many elements of rebuilding sustainability in the world around us. “This is acting locally,” adds ScottHanson.

Today’s cohousing communities typically have one or both added elements of social responsibility and environmental sustainability.  Sometimes referred to as “ecovillages,” these housing settlements strive for environmental sustainability in the community’s design and cooperation among its residents.

Abundance EcoVillage in Fairfield, Iowa provides a good example of an ecovillage’s purpose with their Vision Statement below (www.abundance-ecovillage.com).

Abundance EcoVillage is a place where village design, energy, shelter, water, gardening, farming, waste recycling, and landscaping are done in a way that is in tune with natural law. In tune with natural law means, at a minimum, that the systems we use to obtain the services listed above do not destroy or damage the larger systems of the earth that maintain a hospitable environment for life on our planet. Wherever possible, these services are provided in a way that not only sustains but enhances the ability of the earth to clean our air and water, maintain the balance of gasses in the atmosphere, and in general provide a beautiful and safe place to live.

“Accredited” ecovillages are those that have met criteria set by Gaia Trust Education in Denmark, a charitable entity supporting sustainability projects, especially the ecovillage movement. The major categories Gaia uses in assessment for accreditation are Habitat, Economy, Natural Resources, and Culture and Society.

The 6 Defining Characteristics of Cohousing

There are many, many types of cohousing communities: rural, urban, new developments, retrofitted neighbors and homes, ecovillages and non-ecovillages. However, nearly all cohousing communities ascribe to the Cohousing Association’s “6 Defining Characteristics of Cohousing”. These characteristics provide an excellent overview of, and add clarification to, the multi-dimensional concept and practice of cohousing.  They are:

1. Participatory process. Future residents participate in the design of the community so that it meets their needs. Although some cohousing communities are initiated or driven by a housing developer, a well-designed, pedestrian-oriented community without resident participation in the planning may be “cohousing-inspired,” but it is not a cohousing community.

2. Neighborhood design. The physical layout and orientation of the buildings (the site plan) support a sense of community. The private residences are typically clustered on the site, leaving more shared open space; the dwellings almost always face each other across one or more pedestrian “streets” or courtyards, and cars are parked on the periphery. The intent is for the design to be one important factor in creating a strong sense of community.

3. Common facilities. In cohousing, common facilities are designed for daily use, are an integral part of the community, and are always supplemental to the private residences. The common house typically includes a common kitchen, dining area, sitting area, children’s playroom, and laundry. It perhaps also has a workshop, a library, an exercise room, a teen room, a crafts room, or guest rooms. Except in the case of very compact urban sites, cohousing communities usually have playground equipment, lawns, and flower and vegetable gardens, and occasionally they have a few acres of open space.

4. Resident management. Cohousing communities are managed by their residents, with regular-usually monthly-meetings, where the whole group, supported by a number of committees, develops policy and solves problems. Residents also do most of the work required to maintain the property, each community creating a work-share arrangement unique to itself. More and more cohousing communities are learning what works and what doesn’t from others who have been down the road before.

5. Non-hierarchical structure and decision making. Many groups start with one or two “burning souls” but as new people join the group each person takes on one or more roles consistent with his or her skills, abilities, and interests, and leadership broadens. Most cohousing groups make all of their decisions by consensus, although many groups have a policy for voting if consensus cannot be reached after a number of attempts. It is very rarely, if ever, necessary to resort to voting.

6. No shared community economy. As a group, the community does not engage in any income-generating activity. Occasionally, a cohousing community will employ one of its own members to do a specific (usually time-limited) task, but more typically the task will simply be considered to be that member’s contribution to the shared responsibilities.

It stands to reason that the key to the success of a cohousing community is the commitment of its members to make it work by fully engaging in the lifestyle of the community.  To set the appropriate expectations, Higher Ground Cohousing in Bend, Oregon includes both a page entitled “Are We a Match?” and a Vision Statement that reads, in part:

AT HIGHER GROUND, we intend to learn how to live lightly on our land through day to day choices of resource use, recycling, and sharing of vehicles, appliances, tools, food and space;

We encourage friendships between neighbors and integrate work and play by building and maintaining common facilities for preparing food, sharing meals, gardening, spiritual renewal and relaxing in the natural beauty of our neighborhood;

We intend to build and sustain a vibrant community by organizing social, educational, and physical activities that meet the varying needs of the community’s residents…

Read the entire Vision Statement and more about Higher Ground Cohousing in Bend, Oregon here:

So what does all this mean for Iowans?

There is currently a movement lead by a number of interested Iowans to develop a cohousing community in Central Iowa and in the Iowa City area. In general, Iowans are an independent lot. Our cities have maintained the small town feel associated with farming communities. However, today we are much more urban, individualistic and isolated…just like the rest of the country. The need for more of a community-based living combined with a real desire for affecting sustainability has fueled interest in the concept of cohousing in Iowa.

On July 14 there is a prime opportunity to learn more about the future of cohousing in Iowa. Charles Durrett, an award-winning architect and leader in the North American cohousing movement, will be leading this discussion with his wife Kathryn McCamant, who together introduced the concept of cohousing to the U.S. in 1988 with their book Cohousing: A Contemporary Approach to Housing Ourselves.

Read the press release here for all the details of Charles’ presentation “Cohousing, Community and the Value of Custom Neighborhoods“, on July 14 in Des Moines.

Next month, read the discussion concerning Turtle Farm in Granger, Iowa.

– Ann Wilde is a Des Moines marketing strategist and writer who also has a special interest in preserving and creating sustainable communities. She likes sitting in the backyard shade after summer yard work.

Charles Durrett

Charles Durrett, an award-winning architect and leader in the North American cohousing movement, will present an overview of the cohousing concept of building community at 7:00 pm on Thursday, July 14 in Des Moines, IA at the Windsor Heights Community Center. The presentation is open to the public and is located at 6900 School Street, next to Colby Park (69^th Street south of University Avenue). It will be of particular interest to community builders, neighborhood associations, architects, green builders, city planners and community-conscious people who want to create better neighborhoods. This presentation is sponsored by Turtle Farm Cohousing Community, Indigo Dawn, Silent Rivers and RDG Planning & Design.

In addition to gaining general knowledge of cohousing, attendees will learn about a current local initiative to build such a community. Those interested in being part of this initiative, the Turtle Farm Cohousing Community, will be invited to view the property at an upcoming open house.

What is Cohousing?

Cohousing is “intentionally building community.”  Cohousing neighborhoods are composed of privately owned homes clustered around shared open space and common facilities. The common house is the heart of the community, designed for events such as group dinners, children’s play, fireplace gatherings, guest lodging, gardening, and yoga. Cars are kept to the exterior of the site, making the neighborhood pedestrian-friendly and safe for children. The future residents are involved in the design so that it reflects their needs and priorities. Environmental sustainability is a core value in cohousing projects.

What is Turtle Farm Cohousing Community (TFCC)?

Turtle Farm is a 20-acre, privately owned, certified organic fruit and vegetable farm in Granger, Iowa. Owner Angela Tedesco has been operating this farm as Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) for the past 13 years. Others have joined her in forming TFCC, LLC to support this cohousing project.

The Turtle Farm Cohousing Community envisions a new model for urban agriculture that places cohousing on the non-farmed portions of the land. The community owns the farm in common, so that it can continue to exist as a farm to feed the community, or to remain as an income-generating resource, serving residents of central Iowa.

About Charles Durrett

An architect by training, Charles Durret brought the idea of cohousing to the United States about twenty-five years ago from Denmark.  While living there and attending the Royal Academy of Art and Architecture, Durrett and his wife Kathryn McCamant were intrigued by distinctively friendly, inviting, active neighborhoods called “living communities” and began studying them.  McCamant & Durrett Architects have since designed and consulted in 50 cohousing communities.  Now there are 120 cohousing neighborhoods in the US and Canada and almost 100 more in some stage of development.  They are the authors of the recently released bookCreating Cohousing: Building Sustainable Communities (third edition).  Durrett also wrote Senior Cohousing: A Community Approach to Independent Living—The Handbook (now in its second edition). Find out more at www.cohousingco.com.

About Indigo Dawn

Indigo Dawn, LLC is a development company that generates progressive community-wide solutions, promoting and encouraging sustainable lifestyles. Indigo Dawn collaborators include: historic rehabilitation experts, business strategists, sustainability educators, communication specialists and event managers. Our mission: to create sustainable communities and to teach others how. Indigo Dawn – Developing a New Way, 735 19^th Street, Ste 2, Des Moines, IA 50314

About Silent Rivers Design + Build

Silent Rivers, Inc is a design and construction firm that specializes in authentic well-managed residential solutions. Over 18 years strong, Silent Rivers has received national awards for best practices in design, renovation and business stewardship. Building Inspiration – Bringing People Home, offices located at 9205 Swanson Blvd, Clive, IA 50325

RDG Planning & Design.  RDG designs spaces that fit the way people live, work, play and learn. Our core values are building relationships on respect and trust; bringing passion, energy and creativity to every project; leading the way with technology and sustainability; and being actively involved in the communities we serve. We’re architects, landscape architects, engineers, artists and planners with a passion for design and a drive to make a difference.

– Tizzy Hyatt is a grant writer and event planner for Indigo Dawn. She does not appreciate long Monday meetings.

Chaden Halfhill speaking with Tim Reinders, Design Consultant with Main Street Iowa.

The National Main Streets Conference

The National Main Streets Conference opened earlier this week in Des Moines. Events ranged from tours to evening outings while the central meet-up point was the Polk County Convention Center where 1,300 people convened over a four-day period.

Sunday offered a free session on the Main Street Four Point Approach, created through the National Trust for Historic Preservation in Washington D.C. The Four Point Approach is characterized by Design, Organization, Promotion and Economic Restructuring. It is a very specific template to follow in order to be considered a Main Street Community through the National Trust’s program.

A pilot project began in 1977 through the Chicago office. Three communities throughout the Midwest were chosen and the Trust pledged to work with them for three years to assist with strategies that identified assets and impediments to ultimately leverage the good stuff for downtown economic revitalization. A book grew out of this experience and currently 40 U.S. states have active Main Street programs and communities, the direct outcome of which is new business, physical improvements and community vitality.

Banners representing Iowa’s 45 Main Street communities as displayed at the National Main Streets Conference.

What is a Main Street Community?

So what is a Main Street Community? As over a hundred of us sat in a large conference room, we learned it is a shared vision with a tremendous amount of work. The outcomes, however, are incredible and far reaching. There are 45 active Main Street Communities in Iowa, including Woodbine, Spencer, West Union, Marshalltown, Ames, West Branch, Central City, Burlington, Osceola, Iowa Falls, West Des Moines and the 6th Street Corridor in Des Moines.

In 1985 the Iowa Legislature adopted the program and placed it within the purview of the Iowa Department of Economic Development in order to

…improve the social and economic well-being of Iowa’s communities by assisting selected communities to capitalize on the unique identity, assets and character of their historic commercial district. Main Street is economic development within the context of historic preservation.

The National Main Street Community Criteria that is followed are ten-fold:

1. Have broad-based public and private support

2. Vision and mission statements

3. Comprehensive work plan

4. Historic preservation ethic

5. Active board and committees

6. Adequate operating budget

7. Paid, professional program director

8. On-going training for staff and volunteers

9. Reporting of key statistics

10. Current member of National Main Street Network

Economic & Cultural Development presentation.

Volunteers & Community

The formula is comprehensive and community-driven. It seeks to flesh out and leverage traditions and expertise of a town or region meeting needs for economic stability, growth and solid expectations about a vital future.

There are an untold number of volunteers around the state who see that their future will one day be somebody’s present. These are motivated people who want their extensive efforts for the cultural and economic revitalization of their communities to be a solid footing on which many others can learn, grow, contribute and thrive.

– Jean Danielson is director of operations for Indigo Dawn. She likes sidewalks and walking down them while window shopping. And then buying things.

Steve Wilke-Shapiro

More often than not, when I don’t see Steve Wilke-Shapiro at the Indigo Dawn office, I see him at Mars Café in the Drake neighborhood. When he mentions to me, as he did this morning, that he hasn’t seen me lately, it means he hasn’t seen me at Mars. And today he looks a bit different—he’s growing a beard. In true rehab fashion, Steve takes a seasonal approach to his temperature control needs, adding insulation layers on an as-needed basis.

A couple of years ago Steve started the Des Moines Rehabbers Club, and this year his group is offering their first Renovation Boot Camp. “The idea,” Steve says, “is to take people who start at a basic level in approaching their house or individual rooms and give them a good foundation in the renovation process.”

The goal of the Boot Camp in specific, and with the Rehabbers Club in general, is to help people view renovation as a viable approach when considering building maintenance and improvement. “We want to promote renovation as not only a possibility, but a doable choice. Renovation should be something people consider when they are looking for someplace to live, that renovation can actually be a better choice than purchasing a new home.”

The Des Moines Rehabbers Club is a sister club to one in St. Louis, Missouri, which Steve helped organize about eight years ago. “It was fabulously successful,” Steve says. “There were classes that had upwards of 50 people and there was great energy. People could trade advice or war stories.”

Why St. Louis? “I went to school in St. Louis at Washington University,” Steve reflects. After about two years there, he began exploring and found an entirely new world that struck a chord with him. “It was a world of old buildings and historic neighborhoods that were upwards of a couple hundred years old. It was an amazing built environment.”

Steve is a wealth of information, from talking about the Da Vinci exhibit at the Iowa Science Center (his wife, Rachel, works there with pre-schoolers) and why the Mona Lisa doesn’t have eye lashes to answering my questions about what free website operating system is best (“WordPress is good, but Drupal really is great for content management.”). Having a dual degree in social work with an emphasis on community development and architecture keeps him hopping, as well. What do you do in your downtime, I asked. “Down time?” he responds. “Well, the biggest thing is the Wii. We have some insane family competitions between us and our two kids.”

I tell Steve I have one more question, as I know his laptop has been growing cold. What do you like about Des Moines? Steve jumps right in. “When I left the area years ago for St. Louis, downtown Des Moines had a lot of potential. And now, eighteen years later, I almost don’t recognize it. There is so much investment and collaborative energy downtown and it is great to be part of that process. Des Moines is a very forward thinking city—and you see that in all the “Best Of” lists it has made—and that kind of energy and investment makes a difference in how people see the city.”

The Renovation Boot Camp begins on March 21, 2011, and meets each following Monday night for a total of eight weeks. For more information, please visit here.

– Jean Danielson is director of operations for Indigo Dawn. She likes drinking way too much coffee at Mars Café.

Chaden Halfhill

I prefer looking forward over staring backwards. Driving is generally easier this way and so is piloting a new vision. As a pilot project celebrating high performance Main Street renovations, the Green & Main pilot project is definitely no exception. We have entered our fifth year developing this vision and are now just breaking ground. Challenges still remain, but the familiarity of construction and the sheer excitement of seeing physical change help replenish the spirit after so much effort has been put into pursuing supportive financial solutions for our initiative.

We have spent the past four weeks deconstructing the interior of the commercial space, restoring rotten floor joists and preparing to insert four thirty-five foot steel beams that will bolster the second story load-bearing walls. The installation of these beams will occur just after the new year begins and will set the tone for 2011. This new year will be dedicated to rehabilitating this depression-era building that originally hosted H&H Grocery and three apartments and will now experience a renaissance as a holistic health center and an individual upstairs residence.

So here we stand mid-winter with six inches of snow above ground and six inches of frost below. We will finally excavate for our addition in January, thus providing exterior access to the lower level. Timing for this project has never appeared to benefit speed or cost, so I remain committed to its vision as a catalyst for change and simply hope that the resulting retrofit and its research will have uncanny impact upon its completion.

We recently discovered that the existing concrete masonry walls lack footings, so we will certainly be required to underpin the walls and provide necessary structural support to carry new loads generated by our planned vegetated roof. The steel beams also honor the effort to incorporate green technologies within the historic fabric of this quintessential mixed-use building, as they serve to help transfer the additional weight of six inches of soil and plantings to the basement. Therefore, much of January will be reestablishing the basis for our foundation and preparing the site for masonry construction in the heart of an Iowa winter. There will certainly be plenty of activity and visual interest for our historic residential neighborhood, Sherman Hill.

Finally, though, in keeping with the passion and spirit of artists, we forge ahead with construction centered on a vision for a bright future, a future that we help define through the recreation of this building and its educational outreach.

– Chaden Halfhill is an entrepreneur and visionary of the Green & Main Initiative. He makes complicated to-do lists involving green algorithms and bamboo.

Christmas cookies from Iowa bakery Larita’s Cakes N More

During the holidays, eco-minded individuals may find themselves overwhelmed with the environmentally wasteful customs of the season. Recapture the magic by creating new traditions that make meaningful connections for you, your family and friends.

Rethink the tree. In the world of tree buying, the question “real or artificial?” is going out of style as quickly as “paper or plastic?” It takes 7 to 10 years to grow a Christmas tree and artificial trees are manufactured outside of the U.S. and made with PVC. This year, consider a potted tree from a local nursery or a rosemary plant. Recycle the traditional bulbs for LED lights or make a bigger impact by illuminating your home with soy-based candles from local vendors. If you’re willing to give up the tree, use household items and natural foliage to turn your holiday green.

Open your doors to new friends. Create community by hosting a sustainable holiday party. Invite friends and neighbors to bring an interesting person that is new to the group. In addition, ask everyone to make a dish featuring locally sourced ingredients and include copies of the recipe to share. This is also the perfect time to use the “real” plates and bowls and educate guests on recycling and composting.

Bring back the stocking. Set expectations for sustainable gift giving and others will follow your lead. Start by asking yourself if the gift supports local businesses. Is it meaningful, useful, or consumable? Will it fit in a stocking? Food or wines are great gifts because many are produced and sold locally. Also, consider gift certificates for local entertainment, dining, and memberships to green organizations and CSAs.

When buying for children, purchase only what will fit in the stocking with the exception of one gift. In addition to buying local, avoid toys made with PVC plastic, and look for recycled and battery free items.

More information on local resources can be found at Urban Ambassadors and at Buy Fresh, Buy Local.

– Suzet Nelson is on the board of directors with Urban Ambassadors.

Sustainable Thought Leader Suzet Nelson will be sharing her thoughts on sustainability with the Green & Main Community

One of the goals of the Green & Main Pilot Project is to increase discussion about how we can live more sustainably, not only in our business practices but also in our community. To highlight members of the Des Moines’ sustainability community, the Green & Main Team has asked sustainability experts from across various disciplines to share their thoughts. These experts will be sharing their thoughts through our blog and upcoming Green & Main Monthly E-Newsletter.

Our first sustainable thought leader is Suzet Nelson. Suzet is currently a teacher at Des Moines’s Alternative High School, Scavo.  At Scavo, Suzet has created classes such as ‘Neighborhood Revival’ to encourage teens to honor and renew the communities in which they live. Community art installations are a prime example of her students’ work to beautify these communities. Scavo students recently completed panels focusing on sustainability for the Green & Main Pilot Project. Be sure to check out the students’ work in our photo galleries section.

Suzet’s commitment to sustainable communities does not stop there. She is also a board member and current secretary for Urban Ambassadors, a Des Moines 501(c)3 non-profit focusing on sustainable living. Urban Ambassadors seeks to clarify sustainability goals through seven key areas:

• Money
• Service
• Food
• Waste
• Commute
• Home
• Energy

In regards to sustaining communities, Suzet hosts ‘Your Home in Iowa,’ a local TV show on KCWI that began as an effort to help local businesses succeed in the community by setting them apart from competitors. The show contains interviews with a wide range of local businesses featuring home, health and self-improvement. ‘Your Home in Iowa’ is currently in its third season and airs Sunday mornings at 10:00 a.m.

Suzet’s interest in sustainability began early while growing up on a farm within the Omaha Indian Nation in Nebraska. This experience nurtured her desire for preparing and eating fresh, local and simple food. The landscape informed her childhood and continues to do so in all her work today. Suzet hopes to educate and inspire others to live simply and generously. Suzet holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education from Briar Cliff University and a Family and Consumer Science Degree from Iowa State University.

– Sara Crouse is a writer and marketing strategist who lives in Des Moines, Iowa.