Last Saturday at the Riverbed Ranch, there was a great deal of excitement. Families were there to make their final walk on the property before choosing the parcel that would become their homestead. Three additional families were there to complete the process for joining the Utah OSR Land Cooperative. Other visitors that day included Stake President Fred Tasker of the Delta Utah West Stake and his wife Nancy. Both were warmly welcomed by shareholders of which many are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. In addition, Eric Cleaver, a shareholder, had organized and oversaw the first seven of what will be many perc tests in preparation for obtaining permits to install septic systems. All in all, it was a great day.

Today, “HughesNet,” the satellite internet company, is scheduled to install the first satellite internet and phone connection at the Welcome Center, providing service until the fiberoptic cable permitting and installation project can be completed. This addition, along with the office and bathroom makeover coming to completion, will add to the establishment of a fulltime presence at the Ranch, where we currently have five people in residence. Another four families are scheduled to arrive and start the construction of their outbuildings and homes within the next three weeks. I am happy to announce that my sweetheart and I are one of those families. There are another dozen families that are currently preparing to make their transition shortly. 

In addition, Dr. Yorgason will announce later this summer the addition of some exciting new resources being added to the Academy of Self-Reliance website, “academyosr.com,” to help families with their online education needs for their children K-12. The Academy has been working with Peter and Tammy Jensen, two amazing educators to bring these resources forward.

Moreover, the Academy received word that a very generous donation in kind will be delivered to the Ranch next week. Stay tuned for more updates in this “The Next New Frontier.”

God speed,
Philip J. Gleason
Director

Currently, there is a need for those with construction skills.

Compensation is commensurate with experience and ability. Consideration for these employment opportunities will first be offered to the Utah OSR Land Cooperative shareholders and their family members. If you are interested, please, send a brief introduction of your skills and availability to philip@osrgreen.com for consideration.

Webinars will resume in August. See you then!

Do you have a gift, talent or experience with being self-reliant that you could share among us?

If so, we invite you to submit an article to be published in the Academy Newsletter. To help you submit your article, Coleen Gleason, one of our editors, will be happy to assist you. You can contact her or send your articles to her at coleen@academyosr.com. Upon review and acceptance, you will be notified when your article will be published.

Thank you for sharing!

Here's what we've got going on!

Want to learn how to achieve greater self-reliance in our 250-family modern homesteading community? Then check out our Intro Meetings where we discuss what you can do, and where to start!

Would you like a personal tour of the site of a 250-family homestead community being built on the Utah OSR Land Co-op's 1,245-acre Riverbed Ranch in Juab County, Utah? Then join us for our Munch & Mingle Tour! We'll show you what we're doing now, and what we have planned for the future!

For more details and information about each of our events, click the button to visit our Events Page.

Save the Date for our very first tree planting event on 
September 12th! 

There are several projects happening at the Riverbed Ranch involving planting trees and shrubs to begin regenerating the soil and providing forage for bees in areas around the Welcome Center, the 40 acre Special Projects Center (The Academy Campus, Rescue Home, Therapy Barn, etc.), and eventually the future Green Belt/Waterway. Initial planting projects will begin where water is already available to keep plants alive, and many plants and cuttings are already being gathered to get this started! 

On September 12, 2020, we will be inviting OSR shareholders AND the interested public to come to the Riverbed Ranch for a 1-day mass tree/shrub planting event. The primary goal of this 1-day event is to plant 2,020 trees and shrubs in one day, and of course, the secondary goals include socializing and gathering public interest in regenerative agriculture and the mission of the Academy of Self-Reliance and Utah Land Co-Op! 

Crowdfunding and Advertising campaigns are ongoing to gather funds and participants. There is additional help needed, of course! 

Please contact Sarah Vezzani at loftium4@gmail.com if you are interested in helping out with the planning and/or execution of this event.

HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

Have you heard? We're building a ropes course!

The Academy OSR Ropes Course will offer a unique series of team-building exercises that will have a variety of activities and programs that will challenge you, your friends, family, coworkers, and teammates to master challenges and conquer fears.

This state-of-the-art facility incorporates a continuous belay system that provides for maximum safety as participants learn and internalize concepts such as:

• problem-solving   • leadership skills   • communication   • self-confidence

. . . and so much more! We truly believe this will bless the lives of the young, and the not-so-young. 

GRANT UPDATE: We have completed the preliminary two steps necessary to qualify for committee consideration for a grant from the State of Utah for the Ropes Course. We finished the application and the final committee will meet May 6-7 to determine who will be awarded for this year.

Are you on social media? Then let's connect!

We'd love to have you join our Facebook Group, where we post about upcoming events and meetings where you and your friends can learn more about what we're doing! It's a great and easy way to help spread the word!

We are in the process of providing a discount for solar-energy equipment.  We have selected Sol-Ark as a supplier.

To increase our discounts, we are needing to combine our purchases.  We can get improved discounts if we place an order for 10 or more units.  And at 20 or more units, we receive an even larger discount.

If you are thinking of purchasing solar-energy equipment, whether for your new home, existing home, friend’s home, camping, etc…, please fill out our online questionnaire so that we can combine our orders and get big savings.

This is not a commitment to purchase at this time.  We are only getting a list of potential buyers.