Come visit the Wheaton Labs: The Seppers Program!

Note: Unfortunately I don't have a Costco card.

I think they normally do their shopping at different stores than Costco, and those store probably have better options? In the What to bring when coming to Wheaton Labs thread, Ash mentions these grocery stores:

Ash Jackson wrote:The Good Food Store or The Natural Grocers on Reserve

There is no head cook.  Technically, I provide staples and each person does their own cooking.  But it does seem that they have a system of trading cooking chores on different nights.

Ok. What's a "staple". I'm guessing not pop tarts but that's only a guess.

I'm trying to avoid work and cooking 🙃 (though glad to help the kitchen an hour or so a day if I can be of use). So trying to find a foodish contribution that will get me fed and actually make the boss and the cook both happy about it all.

Eg.: 20# white rice? Black beans? Pasta? Whole wheat flower? Carrots? Green beans?

Remember that I'm not buying for myself and it's a little dicey when one is not shopping for themself but trying to provide stuff that the cook will use as usual. And hopefully I can get some nice meals out of it.

Maybe put cook online here for a moment?

Regards,
Rufus

I think staples are things like eggs, pasta, flour, beans, rice, veggies, etc. Everything is organic or better. I know the staples are generally things that are vegan/vegetarian. Maybe bring organic cheese and eggs and some meat and chocolate?

I think Paul pretty much lets the Boots figure things out for themselves as to what they're eating and who's cooking. It seems like it's someone different every day?

I'm thinking that once you've paid (if you haven't already), Paul will probably get you in touch with someone in Bootcamp who might know what would be good to have picked up on your way in?

Looks like we're talking crosswise. Perhaps this may not be a good time or fit. I'm going to proceed on west.

Thanks Nicole for your help, Paul for your responses. Some other time maybe and work things out ahead rather than ad hoc.

Best to all.
Rufus

Hi, I just sent you 120 bucks via pay pal for a tipi rental for October 16-17 2020.
Lets see if this works!

Sam Graham wrote:Hi, I just sent you 120 bucks via pay pal for a tipi rental for October 16-17 2020.
Lets see if this works!

Funds received.  

Email sent.

Mike Livermore wrote:Thanks Paul for the quick reply - I'll check back monthly or so to see if you can start doing SEPP again - I still have 3 months before I'm there so hoping you start it up by then.  If not, I'll keep an eye on the bootcamp forum to see if you have a spot open for a 1-week stint.  

Hey Mike,
Guess what? I'm taking on the rental manager position this year. Please reach out to me if you're still interested in coming out! This summer is packed with great events and we're all working hard to get the structures into good shape for inhabitants. We'd love to see you participate in bootcamp or the SEPPer program, and you'd probably love it even more once it warms up a bit.
Cheers! Lara

Edit: I was on the first page of 3 on this thread when I wrote that, my mistake. Did you ever make it out last summer?

Hi Paul
Just finished the Kickstarter book. I love it! Is this rental program available in late July for my partner and I to come visit? I'm a level 2 permie (sawdust toilet, large permaculture-style orchard, animals (goats, chickens, ducks), and garden, but my goal is to build a wofati house (we live on a forest) in a community out that way in the next decade or so.

I too am traveling in a small home with my family. Could we come for a week to work on and off? I have two kids who would love to learn!! June? July? We are flexible.

I'll need to double-check with Lara. but I'm pretty sure all the rentals are reserved due to the summers three events (Permaculture Design Course = June 13-26, Permaculture Technology Jamboree = June 28-July 9,  SKills to Inherit Property = July 11-24,  2021). There might be tenting available, but I don't think Paul usually has the SEPPer program running during during events, because it's hard to make sure people aren't joining classes they haven't paid for, etc.

If you'd like, I can ask Lara about the end of July and see what rentals are available!

For those of you who are considering visiting the Wheaton Labs, below is a 9 minute long  video, a snippet of a longer movie that's in the works, about all the things that are  on a tour. To pre-order the full movie, go here

hi Nicole - I reached out to you with PM to book for January !

from my email

I am confused which buildings are bunk space vs the whole space and which ones have internet.  

We rent just bunks via the sepper program in the bunk room only.  During events we will rent bunks in cooper cabin.  

As for internet:  we now have starlink in the library.  DSL reaches the library, the fisher price house, the classroom and the red cabin.  We used to have a relay in the red cabin that would then provide internet to the love shack.  We could get a relay again if somebody wanted it.  

I just forked over $500 for the Tipi rental, I was kinda thinking there would be some kind of scheduling built into the transaction.  Whoops.

I was planning on arriving mid January, let's say 15 to put a number on it.  I need to be back here in early March.  Hope its not already rented through then!  Thanks

Hi John!

I believe Liv Smith is handling rentals right now, and will be contacting you to coordinate your rental. Keep an eye out on the email your paypal account is tied to, for an email from her!

I have rented the Tipi from the 8th of Jan for a month , but Im sure there is plenty of other places to stay at WL :)

John Hutter wrote:I just forked over $500 for the Tipi rental, I was kinda thinking there would be some kind of scheduling built into the transaction.  Whoops.

I was planning on arriving mid January, let's say 15 to put a number on it.  I need to be back here in early March.  Hope its not already rented through then!  Thanks

Hi John, I sent you an email, please let me know what you decide.

Hello SEPP Team!

Just mentioning here a brief note to re-up my request to be a SEPPer this coming May. To sum things up:
- I'd contacted staff back in late 2019 to set up a month-long stay in the Shann-delier for May 2020. I paid for the month's stay in full well ahead of time.
- The trip was postponed because 2020 sucked. 2021 was also not too good in my neck of the woods.
- I'm 100% ready to visit Wheaton Labs in May 2022 via the SEPP program, and hope to stay longer as a Boot provided I am a good fit with you all. I'm currently on the Boot Waiting List.
- I have an old email record or two that details the conversation noted above, should someone need to see it. I was in contact with a few different staff while making arrangements.

Please let me know what else I need to do to make it easy for you all to approve all of this and accept my requests. Thanks!

Stephen B. Thomas wrote:Hello SEPP Team!

Just mentioning here a brief note to re-up my request to be a SEPPer this coming May. To sum things up:
- I'd contacted staff back in late 2019 to set up a month-long stay in the Shann-delier for May 2020. I paid for the month's stay in full well ahead of time.
- The trip was postponed because 2020 sucked. 2021 was also not too good in my neck of the woods.
- I'm 100% ready to visit Wheaton Labs in May 2022 via the SEPP program, and hope to stay longer as a Boot provided I am a good fit with you all. I'm currently on the Boot Waiting List.
- I have an old email record or two that details the conversation noted above, should someone need to see it. I was in contact with a few different staff while making arrangements.

Please let me know what else I need to do to make it easy for you all to approve all of this and accept my requests. Thanks!

Hi Steven; I'm Purple Mooseaging you in a moment or two re: this.

Just sent a payment in for the SEPP program.  Looking to come over and check things out and get some space for clear thinking.  Can't wait!  THANK YOU for offering this!

We recently had someone enquire about doing half days at the bootcamp as they have a remote job and need to be doing their own work for a few hours a day, which I can empathize with, however, the regular bootcamp route is only for those able to commit full time whereas the SEPPer program is a better fit and can be dipped in and out of, so I will direct her here to learn more

She was going to come in her own campervan, needs internet (which looks like it's available at various spots around base camp, where she would be parked) plus would like to hook up every now and again. I understand there are no RV hookups at this time though - perhaps she has alternatives for power (i.e. solar). It also looks like the willow bank (toilet) and shower shack are available for her to use as a camper van person: https://permies.com/wiki/sepper#Base%20Tent

Lastly, she is bringing her well-behaved dog, which is absolutely fine as long as the things Paul has listed here are understood:
https://permies.com/t/100667/permaculture-projects/dogs-wheaton-labs

Great page - thanks for the information!

So food... if you're doing a lot of work with the boots, can you take advantage of the same samples as them? Or, as a sepp, are you providing all of you're own food?

Thanks!
(apologies if already answered... I can't look at the screen for very long)

If you help in the bootcamp half of the day (4 hr shift) you get one meal with the boots.

If you help a full day in the bootcamp you get three meals with the boots.

Outside of that you need to provide you own food.

Enjoy a YouTube tour of the love shack, from one of the boots It is tiny, but perfect!

Here is a current photo of SEPPers, boots and residents at Wheaton Labs including kitties!

Picture courtesy of Stephen (a current boot) - and you can read/view more about his bootcamp experiences here: https://permies.com/t/375/181512/SEPP-Boot-Stephen-Experience-BRK

Eager to visit the land & learn more about the SEPPers Program. I'm a guy in my late 20s living in Missoula with a typical 9-5 & I'm a little busy with commitments, but I'm eager to live more in touch with nature & learn more about permaculture in my free time.

Let me know if anyone is free to give me a tour sometime! Thank you!

have you seen the tour movie?  

Coming for a visit is on my bucket list for things to do. The hubby and I hope that my health will improve enough to make the 19 hour drive to come visit. Its incredible what you are all doing up there.

Hey Paul, I'm seriously interested & want to start in the seppers program this coming spring. I did watch the tour & reviewed a lot of your youtube, podcasts, etc. over the past several months. This is the place I want to learn & contribute to! Any information on how to apply or enroll would be greatly appreciated!

John Hartung wrote:Hey Paul, I'm seriously interested & want to start in the seppers program this coming spring. I did watch the tour & reviewed a lot of your youtube, podcasts, etc. over the past several months. This is the place I want to learn & contribute to! Any information on how to apply or enroll would be greatly appreciated!

If information on SEPP (Seriously Excited About Permaculture Pampering) is what you are looking for, please look at the first post of this thread as it lays out the different arrangements for renting sleeping space.

If information on the Bootcamp program is what you are looking for, here is the website link. - https://wheaton-labs.com/bootcamp/

There is also a Bootcamp program discussion thread here. - https://permies.com/wiki/bootcamp

I hope this might help!

John Hartung wrote:Hey Paul, I'm seriously interested & want to start in the seppers program this coming spring. I did watch the tour & reviewed a lot of your youtube, podcasts, etc. over the past several months. This is the place I want to learn & contribute to! Any information on how to apply or enroll would be greatly appreciated!

Hi John, wonderful to hear you are interested in coming to Wheaton Labs!

Timothy has given you great information!

I'm just going to add the next steps for you:

The next steps:

If you want to come as a SEPPer (rent a bunk), you can choose a lodging option from the first post and pay through one of the links, after that you will be sent an email to figure out the details.

If you want to join the Bootcamp, you need to pay the $100 bootcamp fee and after that we will start process with questions like "when do you want to come?".
You can find the payment link from https://wheaton-labs.com/bootcamp/

SEPPer questions: this thread we are currently in (or if it's about private stuff, bunks ( AT ) richsoil DOT com)

Bootcamp questions:  this thread

Hi! I am an organizer at Estate of Mind, a coliving community in Massachusetts focused on creative colaboration. Between March 15 and April 1 of this year I will be driving across the country with at least a few other people. Our shared interests include coliving, cohousing, intentional communities, permaculture, makerspaces, and other related topics. We plan to stop and visit as many communities as we can along the way. Our route takes us near your location, and I'm intrigued (and a little overwhelmed) by the variety of options you offer(ed?) for people to visit and/or be part of the community. Would you be interested in having us visit? We could stop by for a few minutes or hours or overnight, at your discretion. We would love to have a tour of your property, meet your organizers and residents and other involved folks, share a meal with you, swap stories and ideas, etc. I don't think we'll be prepared to do the sort of work your boot camp entails, but hiring one of your residents to lead a tour could work for us. For an overnight stay, one or more of us might want to book one of your accommodations, but we'll also be equipped for tent and/or vehicle camping.

I would also welcome a conversation with anyone from your community who would like to join us for part of the trip. My friends and community contacts have planned to fill about half of the 12 seats on our bus, so we have plenty of room for other interested individuals or groups to come along.

Thank you for your time.

Sparr Risher wrote:Hi! I am an organizer at Estate of Mind, a coliving community in Massachusetts focused on creative colaboration. Between March 15 and April 1 of this year I will be driving across the country with at least a few other people. Our shared interests include coliving, cohousing, intentional communities, permaculture, makerspaces, and other related topics. We plan to stop and visit as many communities as we can along the way. Our route takes us near your location, and I'm intrigued (and a little overwhelmed) by the variety of options you offer(ed?) for people to visit and/or be part of the community. Would you be interested in having us visit? We could stop by for a few minutes or hours or overnight, at your discretion. We would love to have a tour of your property, meet your organizers and residents and other involved folks, share a meal with you, swap stories and ideas, etc. I don't think we'll be prepared to do the sort of work your boot camp entails, but hiring one of your residents to lead a tour could work for us. For an overnight stay, one or more of us might want to book one of your accommodations, but we'll also be equipped for tent and/or vehicle camping.

I would also welcome a conversation with anyone from your community who would like to join us for part of the trip. My friends and community contacts have planned to fill about half of the 12 seats on our bus, so we have plenty of room for other interested individuals or groups to come along.

Thank you for your time.

Hello Sparr!

Sounds like a really fun trip!

It would be great to have you all visit this spring.  
We do have a bunch of options for being here, trying to make it work for everybody's schedule and their needs.

It sounds like the sepper program would be perfect for your group!

Tuesday is our community night when we all get together.  We share a meal and talk about community business.

Boot camp:  The work here is pretty easy going and at the pace folks are comfortable with.   We encourage people to take breaks and have a great time.
When someone is here as a sepper they can jump into the boot camp projects if they want to.



If you rent Cooper Cabin your whole crew could stay there together.  It is big, has lots of bunks and is right near the sauna!




Come on out and play with us!

Hi there, Is the Seppers program still something you offer? If so, where can we reserve a spot?

Meme Loftin wrote:Hi there, Is the Seppers program still something you offer? If so, where can we reserve a spot?

Hi!

Yes, SEPPer program is still up and running! You can use the payment links in the first post to pay for a bunk or a cabin rental.

If you have questions, you can ask here. If you have a personal question, send email to bunks ( AT ) richsoil DOT com

Hey! Which would be the best accommodation for a family of five for a week starting mid June if you have availability?

Thanks!
Maria
Tucker.maria@yahoo.com
231-620-6230

Maria Tucker wrote:Hey! Which would be the best accommodation for a family of five for a week starting mid June if you have availability?

Thanks!
Maria

Hi Maria!

For a family of five, the options would be the Cooper Cabin up at The Lab and the Fisher Price House Bunkroom and the Solarium at Base Camp.

Cooper Cabin is an actual cabin, a wofati, while Solarium and the Bunkroom are just spaces to sleep. Cooking is possible at the Cooper Cabin, and it has a really nice indoor willow feeder style toilet.

If you click here, you will end up to the description for the Cooper Cabin. The description has some links in it you can click for more information!

Let me know if you have any other questions!