The Dominican Sisters of Great Bend, Kan., for example, built a diverse community on the high plains that combines traditional religious community with innovative enterprises and outreach. Their mission statement mandates that they bring the gospel to life in mid-America. So in the heart of wheat country, they offer a holistic health center that provides massage, reiki and reflexology therapies, with a staff trained in alternative healing. Their center for spirituality offers workshops on prayer and directed retreats. The community purchased an 80-acre parcel of land in 1987 to make a statement about their concern for small farmers and for ecology.
Interns come to learn organic farming techniques.
The farm has been certified organic since 1994. Twenty acres are planted in alfalfa, which is sold to local farmers for feed. A large vegetable garden supplies the community and the nearby motherhouse. Recently an energy-efficient hermitage was built from straw bales for retreatants who come to the farm for solitude and prayer. Gonzalez and another sister moved in.