Fall greetings from Prairie Hill

Dear Friends,

Fall is in the air—time to start thinking about breaking out sweaters and comforters and other cozy October gear. At Prairie Hill we're still busy putting up summer's garden bounty—tomatoes and beets, peaches, pesto, and apple cider, too. We're taking advantage of the great fall weather to gather outdoors as much as possible before the cold drives us back inside.

Come join us!

If you're curious about cohousing, we encourage you to come to an information meeting via Zoom (see info below) and then arrange for a tour of our growing neighborhood on the hillside. Drop us a line at iowacitycohousing@gmail.com. Hope to see you soon!

Upcoming events at Prairie Hill

Information meeting
Wednesday, Oct. 6
6:00-7:30 p.m

Find out about cohousing. How does it work? Do you have your own kitchen? How is it different from owning a condo? To get the link text Val Bowman at 916-751-9188 or write to us at iowacitycohousing@gmail.com.

Weekend Meet and Greet
Saturday, Oct. 23
10-11:30 a.m

Come meet people who live at Prairie Hill. Find out what they like about living here. To get the link text Val Bowman at 916-751-9188 or write to us at iowacitycohousing@gmail.com.

Collecting native seeds

It's the time of year when energy is flowing back into the earth. Life-bearing seeds are freely dispersed by wind, water and creatures. This fall, we are collecting many types of seeds so we'll be assured a diversity of native, pollinator-friendly species to spread or grow as seedlings.

Every year we become more purposeful in the plantings on our land. We want to be sure to provide a full buffet of choices for the birds, butterflies, pollinators and humans.

How lucky we are to be stewards of this land—learning from and growing with ALL living things here...all starting with a seed.

Jeanette Corley joined a Prairie Hill contingent that went out to Kent Park to collect seeds as part of a Johnson County Conservation Board initiative. Another Kent Park seed collecting event is planned for Thursday, October 14 from 10 am to noon. See more information here.

Prairie Hill "Women Imagine" project

Our long-term building plans at Prairie Hill call for the creation of outdoor gathering spaces we all can enjoy. This summer, a group of Prairie Hill women gathered to brainstorm ideas about what those spaces might look like and also, how we might fund them and build them.

Summer "pop-ups" lead to pergola design

We had fun staging some "pop-up" gathering spots in various locations around the site to see which spaces attracted the most use. One of the most popular spots was a swing staged under a temporary shade structure near the upper entrance to the common house. We decided that would be the perfect spot to build a vine-covered pergola for small groups to enjoy. After considering several options, we presented a classic design to the community at large and received approval to build.

Learning all sorts of new skills

As the project progresses, we're learning new skills, finding new abilities, and getting to know each other better. Digging footings, pouring concrete, and using a chop saw—these are new experiences for many of us. It's empowering to learn them with friends. We are grateful to the Prairie Hill men for their hearty support of the project.

New York Times features article on cohousing

Be sure to read "Where Home Blends With Community" published in the New York Times on September 2, 2021. The article, by Ilvy Njiokiktjien, covers ways in which cohousing is helping people in Belgium and the Netherlands find community and live more sustainably. Here's the link. The article is behind a pay wall, but if you have an Iowa City Library card you can access it by searching for "New York Times" on the library site.