Charlottesville Newcomers Club Tours Innisfree

Happy Newcomers Club Members during tour.

Yesterday members of The Community Outreach Committee of the Newcomers Club of Greater Charlottesville took a trip out to Innisfree Village in Crozet, Virginia.  Innisfree is a wonderful 550 acre community where intellectually disabled adults (coworkers) live with full-time residential volunteers and support staff.

The Community Center

Even though it was a sweltering day, it's just a little bit cooler at Innisfree which is located near White Hall in the foothills of the Shenandoah Mountain range.

Herbal Soaps wrapped in felted Lambs Wool.

We were greeted by Nancy who took us on a tour of the village and introduced us to some of the residents who were busy weaving beautiful blankets, placemats, and scarves or preparing to plant 1,000 Sweet Potato starts.  It's not all work and no play, there is a really nice pool and many residents were preparing to jump in to cool off.

A cooks dream, Bloggett Ovens.

We visited the Bakery where Granola and Bread is baked.  It's complete with two massive commercial pizza ovens.  We also toured the wood shop where beautiful handmade wooden utensils and cutting boards were being assembled.

I'm always drawn to farm animals and herbs so I enjoyed seeing the free roaming Lambs and Chicken Coops complete with lots of Chickens.

Eggs and Granola can be purchased at Rebecca's Natural Food in Charlottesville.  We toured the Herb House were soaps are made and cut flowers are bundled to resell at the local Grocery, and the smell was divine.  Residents grow crops and flowers to enjoy and also to sell (some items can be purchased online).  Innisfree is quite a busy place.

Beautiful Peonies ready for the market.

The organizational purpose at Innisfree is "...to acknowledge the reciprocal relationship between human and health and the natural environment."  I guess that's why I'm so impressed with Innisfree, the environment is respected as are the human beings.

-Rebecca