I was hired by the Down Home Project to speak at universities about genetic diversity in cultivars in 1984. My wife Sue and I had our first child at MUD. She was raised in the organic nursery we operated there. It has always been a magnet for fascinating people who are actively experimenting on ways to live better while consuming less. In addition to the usual suspects of hands-on workshops from everything from solar water heating to tofu, MUD has is a place where societal, intellectual and spiritual ideas are freely shared. Here’s to the current crew of brilliant and visionary staff and volunteers that are continuing old traditions and breaking new ground.