Belly Acres part III - Work Trade

We worked three hours a day, Monday through Friday. Belly Acres is a 12-acre parcel of land that was missed by the lava flow in 1955, therefore, it has dirt and trees and plants while on either side of it is solid rock with only the beginnings of growth and neighbors have dirt trucked in if they want to grow anything. Most of the power is solar (all of it once new panels get installed at SPACE) and water is all collected in catchment tanks from the copious rainfall. Food is grown and chickens are raised making it the most self-sustaining community I've ever visited.
The work we were asked to do was varied and kept things fun and interesting. My jobs included stripping the bark of of felled trees; moving logs to dry areas; picking fruit and rescuing coconut trees from the clutches of strangling vines; moving good, rich dirt from under giant mango trees to the green house; catching just hatched chicks to cage them away from mongoose consumption; and building a new roof on the community kitchen. I was also asked to barbecue chicken for another party as my work trade. I developed a reputation as a grill master of sorts. Not a bad way to spend time in work trade... with a beer in my hand.
We also spent a good amount of time flying around the property with Graham in his golf cart, checking things out and listening to stories of times before and plans for the future. There is such a good energy to that place and the work barely ever felt like work. More like satisfaction.