The Earth Stewarding Mentorship Program, initially launched in Fall 2006, is a unique opportunity for children and teens who have a deep love for the earth and the homesteading experience to get the chance to live closer to the land in a nurturing and wholesome environment. Our experience working with children in our summer camps has shown us that there is so much about life at Ekone that touches the hearts and minds of many children, and that these children would greatly benefit from being able to connect to homestead life in a deeper and more meaningful way. The Mentorship Program is a blend of different activities and projects which are all designed to offer young people a wide array of experiences, learning opportunities, and chances for personal development. Mentorship Program students are involved with every aspect of ranch life on a seasonal basis, including making biodiesel and learning about alternative energy, permaculture and other alternative building techniques, mending and taking down barbed wire fences, working in our organic garden (and eating the delicious fresh veggies!), cooking and preserving some of our fresh produce, participating in our full-spectrum eco-forestry projects—from harvesting the dead and dying trees and milling them on our bandsaw mill, to creating beautiful and unique blue pine furniture—as well as putting in firewood for winter and learning about heating with wood…and of course, advanced riding and horse training!

While every part of life at Ekone during the year is a wonderful opportunity to learn new skills, horses have always been, and remain, our primary focus. We begin our fall Mentorship session with a ten-day pack trip on Mount Adams, where we eat, sleep, and breath horses! During the pack trip, students have the chance to form a deeper connection with the horses; grazing them in lush mountain meadows, watering them in clear flowing streams, and just hanging out. We spend every day riding in the high mountains, picking huckleberries, taking in the magnificent views, camping out under the stars, and relaxing around the campfire at night singing campfire songs and playing music. During the rest of the program, students are able to build on this experience, further developing advanced riding and training skills. We are also able to offer a variety of other horse-themed excursions and field trips based on each student’s ability and interest, as well as other field trips, such as picking apples in a local orchard, visiting the Gorge Interpretive Center, attending a Peace Day celebration, or visiting a nearby Lipizzaner barn.

Mentorship Program sessions are seasonally-based; we offer fall, winter, and spring sessions, although we strongly encourage new students to begin with the fall program and stay for one, two, three, or more sessions. In addition to all the various aspects of ranch life, students will also work with our staff to research and write several independent projects and/or essays a month, tailored to the student’s interests and capabilities. In these projects, we emphasize and teach self-direction, critical analysis, and social awareness. The small and close-knit nature of the Mentorship Program (no more than four students at a time) allows us to work very closely with each child, helping them to grow mentally, physically, and emotionally and to reach their potential.

Message from Fall 2006 Mentorship Student

Just imagine… Co-existing with animals, gaining knowledge of the ranch life, while also contributing to the restoration of Earth’s bountiful, natural gifts through working with the land, all on a daily basis! Well if you’re in love with the Ekone life as I am, this is the dream you have been waiting for. It’s a dream that I’m fulfilling by attending Ekone’s stewardship mentoring program. My abundant experiences are those that alter one’s life and penetrate the mind to be stored in a time capsule, never to vanish.

            We are avid environmentalists here at Ekone; we realize the Earth gives us life and therefore we must give life back. In pursuing our commitments to strengthen the land, eco-forestry comes into play. Already I’ve witnessed and assisted with the process of thinning dead and dying trees, and milling the timber to create beautiful, advantageous wood products, or sawing the wood into logs to keep us warm. It is vital to prune the forest for if the population becomes excessive trees are more prone to disease. Overcrowding may also result in wildfire and stunted foliage. Ekone’s alternative energy also supports the environment as we live off the grid and use solar and wind powered energy. We make bio-diesel here too as a way to reduce pollution. The movement towards a healthy, sustainable Earth needs to happen now!

            Besides eco-forestry I’ve also been involved in other developments here at Ekone. For example, just recently I’ve helped fix up the corral that is home to Ekone’s 26 amazing horses. We stabilized the footing for winter by loading rock inside and near the feeders. I was able to lend a hand in fixing a broken feeder too.  Tending the organic garden has been another project I have been included in. We’ve done everything from harvesting to planting and transplanting greens into the greenhouse. Maintaining the remarkable infrastructure is a top priority, but we also manage to take field trips.

            Already, we’ve been on two unforgettable expeditions. To commence the mentorship program, we went on a week-long Mt. Adams pack trip where we took eight horses! I learned advanced riding skills such as leading a horse while riding another in conjunction with gathering new knowledge of nature. Horses continue to be a main aspect of the program as they are the heart of Ekone. The Barter Faire was another trip  

I took part in. I learned about trading as an efficient method of commerce and was exposed to inspirational, diverse music as well. We know how to have fun at Ekone, while still learning something new everyday.

            Ekone is a special place, whether it’s because of the unique horses or its nurturing environment—or both.  When I came to Ekone at camp I found that I could connect with everybody and everything around me, as I had never experienced before. I jumped at the chance to attend the stewardship-mentoring program, and wouldn’t let go of it until I was finally here. I believe it is crucial to listen to your heart and manifest your dreams; follow your passion so to speak. I’ve found that many people my age, and even older, are at a loss of what they want their future to hold; perhaps that is because they are unable to pursue their ambitions while they have them. I continue to learn with each passing day as each new experience holds a teaching. So, come join me, along with the rest of the Ekone crew, for the stewardship-mentoring program!

-Julia Friton-