How, some may ask, can an institute hope to contribute to creating a culture? An institute seems so formal and lifeless, while a culture is a living thing. Let us explain. The word institution originally meant “a summary of principles,” and its root meaning is “to cause to stand in or towards” something, and we do want to “cause” something—even certain “principles”—“to stand.” But, again, we are more than an institution, we are a people. So we are unique in that the “classroom” is a life. Our goal therefore is to transmit a vision for a cohesive, integrated agrarian way of life, but one that aims toward bringing forth complete individuals and whole families in a supportive and tangible context, a context respectful of the natural environment. The “principles” that ensure all this are what we want “to cause to stand,” in both individual and community life. Read more...