Long-time practitioner and friend of Green Gulch Farm Julian Orr arrived in February with his hard hat, chainsaw, and tractor. He was there to help Safety Officer Kogen Keith remove a dead 40-foot cedar, the top of which had crashed onto the pump shed, leaving behind a dangerous tangle of trunk and branches. The cedar had rotted and needed to be removed.

Tree work can be costly, often incurring several thousands of dollars per tree. While Kogen oversees a substantial amount of tree work at Green Gulch Farm and Tassajara (in 2021 he was promoted from an A faller to a B faller trainee in the federal fire service) this was a job for more than one person. Julian grew up on farms and has decades of experience clearing and cutting trees, including on his sheep farm in Santa Cruz where he lives. “Julian’s help made this project happen,” said Kogen.

Julian’s tractor was indispensable in pulling dangerous snarls down from the fallen cedar. Julian and Kogen wore personal protective gear and the tree reached the ground safely. The 50-inch wide stump was cut at ground level and the wood will be salvaged for firewood.

Julian Orr at GGF

Julian is a Zen student and has participated in many practice periods and intensives at GGF. His Dharma name, given to him by the late Daigan Lueck, is Daishin Gensei, which Daigan translated as “Great Heart, Original Silence.” He is a frequent volunteer and has donated precious farm equipment to GGF over the years.

Kogen expressed his appreciation: “Mountains of gratitude to Julian and his willingness to get his hands dirty over all these years of practice and volunteering.”