Greetings folks,
October was a full and fulfilling month for us at ASPI. We hosted our monthly Homesteading Series Event on Oct 18th, then we jumped straight into hosting our Notre Dame Service Learning Group from Oct 19-25, a group with which we are always grateful to share space and time. Within all of the remaining time, we’ve finalized our Simple Living Calendar and have been continuing to work on our online store. Below, you will find a link to purchase our calendar.
Welcoming the 2026 Calendar
This month we excitedly welcome our 2026 Calendar! We thank Mark Spencer and Timi Reedy for piecing it together, and all of the other wonderful people who have contributed to our annual collective masterpiece, along with all of the folks who have helped get our digital storefront ready to make this and other items more accessible. We are still working out the technicalities as we step foot into a whole new territory, but we are so excited to get started and share these wonderful things with you.
Get your 2026 Simple Living Calendar Here!
Current option is through Paypal but we will soon have our square store up and running!
New Logo and Store Updates
As mentioned in the previous month, we will feature our calendar, cards, ASPI merch, and nonperishable local farm products in our online store. We work with Berea College Printing Services for our calendar and cards. For the current ASPI merch listed, we use an organization in KY that uses solar panels and recycles waste materials while producing quality clothing, Custom Printed T-Shirts | Print My Threads and the local farm products are sourced from folks right in the Mount Vernon/Berea area. |  Our new logo – the old logo will continue being used, but this one will be on our ASPI merch and buttons! |
Birdhouses
 | Ron Owens, a local craftsperson has been making these unique birdhouses for several decades. They are created with repurposed materials, such as license plates and old pots. We’ll gladly offer customization if you mail in your preferred license plate. License plate birdhouses have a smaller hole good for wrens, chickadees, and smaller birds. The cedar birdhouses are for bluebirds and work better on a T-post to avoid predators. |
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Our other store items Our first available products in the store will feature calendars, notecards, buttons, soaps, healing salves, and various apparel options. As things move forward, we hope to continue expanding our store inventory. |
Local Nonperishable Farm Products
Vertical Divider Hallow Springs Farm A family run farm of 98 acres in Rockcastle County. James and Holly, the owners and farmers, tend a 20-30 head cow-calf operation with rotational grazing. They have a small herd of goat used for milk and weed control. They also tend the market garden, terraces, and high tunnels with organic practices. Goat Milk Soap
Hallow Springs Farm goat milk soap is made out of the most minimal ingredients possible. Each bar contains only therapeutic grade oils and no extra dyes or chemicals. This soap is made with a cold process limiting the harsh effects of the lye used to make soap. The packaging is minimal and 100% recyclable. | Reedy’s RemediesHealing Salve A family-run business dedicated to improving community health through organic plant- and fungi-based topical products. Inspired by their own family’s search for natural remedies, they set out to create affordable, effective, and locally sourced solutions with proven results. Their mission extends to supporting local farms, creating jobs, and producing all products sustainably with renewable energy and a strong commitment to carbon-conscious practices. |
Homesteading Events
Photos from our workshop from September! We had a great event in October but forgot to take any photos. Next workshop is November 22nd: see flyer below for details.
Notre Dame Visits
Students from the Notre Dame Service Learning Program joined ASPI in mid-October for a week full of adventures and service projects. The students will create a detailed post of their experiences and thoughts of the week they experienced with us (similar to that of our recent intern Blayne). Until then, enjoy these beautiful photos and a brief summary of their visit!
Sunday | Arrival. Visit to Climax Springs for drinking water and thoughtful water discussions. |
Monday | Half work day at the office, transplanting plants with Timi. Half workday at the wilderness site, doing trail maintenance and painting with Loki and River, followed by a group meditation led by Sacha, and concluding with a bonfire. |
Tuesday | Collecting roadside waste with James Renner, and a visit to the limestone mines! |
Wednesday | Trip to Colson Civic Center – organizing holiday rooms, painting walls, and installing lights With Josh. Dinner at Benham Schoolhouse Inn. |
Thursday | |
Friday | Berea Day! Planting trees at the ecovillage and hiking the Pinnacles. Last group dinner with paper plate awards. |
Saturday | Departure – farmers market visit. Until next time, new friends! ♥ |
Donations
This month, ASPI donated $100 to the East Ridge Community Garden in Berea, Kentucky. They have a donation goal of $600 to get a new shed. This garden produces food for the local Food Bank, free community meals, and neighborhood food pantries, in addition to providing food to the members’ families.
Walk + Thoughts in the Office Orchard
By: river from the river |
 | Stepping into the orchard, a tree will immediately catch your eye: the trifoliate orange. Its angular branches give a lively and sculptural energy. Looking closer, the vibrant small oranges of this temperate tree pop out from protective thorns. |  |
After getting a mouthful of vitamin C (and perhaps more seeds than we bargained for), we notice a tall welcoming friend watching over us – Fig! Did you know that every fig once hosted a tiny wasp inside it? Don’t worry though, this is no spooky orchard tale. By the time the fig becomes the soft, sweet fruit we eat, the wasp has long since completed its part of the story. Their timing and lifecycles keep us from ever encountering more than the idea of a wasp. |  This is a rather magical tale of a mini partnership of pollinator and tree, perfected over ages. It’s a delicate synchronicity, hidden inside a fruit we casually snack on. |
Now, wondering our way to the trellis and raised beds, we will find ourself under a dreamy arch crawling with tendrils of grapes, kiwis, and hopeful loofas. Between our feet are even more vines hiding surprises – pumpkins!
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We began our little wander beside the tough thorn-armored orange tree – a tiny citrus knight guarding the orchard gates. From there, we meandered to the tall and welcoming Fig, with its broad fuzzy leaves hiding a secret partnership woven deep within each soft fruit. A few steps later, we found ourselves surrounded above, below, and all around by adventurous vines, crafty enough to tuck away loofas, pumpkins, and whatever else dares sneak into their leafy labyrinth. And now, here we stand before the resilient gojis, those tiny ruby blobs packed to the brim with nutrients. They’re best harvested with a pair of helping hands (or two, or three), because collecting them without help can be a lonely and tedious task. In a way, one might think they’re encouraging us to connect more. |  |
All of these plants are wildly different in character and temperament, yet here they are, side by side along our short path, each one soaking up these final warm days in its own peculiar, charming way.
As mentioned in the previous month, we will feature our calendar, cards, ASPI merch, and nonperishable local farm products in our online store. We work with Berea College Printing Services for our calendar and cards. For the current ASPI merch listed, we use an organization in KY that uses solar panels and recycles waste materials while producing quality clothing, Custom Printed T-Shirts | Print My Threads and the local farm products are sourced from folks right in the Mount Vernon/Berea area.
And now the trees have let go of their leaves, offering nutrients for their future selves and all those nearby, while also offering a protective layer throughout the cold. They’re letting go of things now to nourish the future coming.
Thank you for reading along, ASPI team
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