This week, I arrived at my LiA location! I am at Abbaye Notre Dame des Dombes, located about one hour outside of Lyon, France and about 4 miles from the nearest small town.
The Abbey is situated on a large farm: the community has dairy cows, sheep, an orchard, and a fromagerie (they make cheese using the milk of their own cows!). So far, I’ve been able to help with projects around the orchard and with the cows. The farm at the Abbey is certified organic (bio, in France), and I’ve gotten to learn about what exactly that means for those who work here. For example, rather than using pesticides or rat poison, we made wasp traps from empty plastic bottles and spent a morning searching for underground holes where we could place rat traps to protect the growing trees.
Working together is a huge part of life at the Abbey, from all the daily farm work to the small tasks like washing up after meals. I’m excited to continue working with the frères and sœurs, who come from all over the world, and am continuing to learn more about their way of life.