On Losing Land

This is my first post, but having been doing permaculture work in the US and internationally for several years. Today, at our home farm in the US, it became clear that we will most likely lose our land. We've had some lessons. Read about our experience here - http://forestvoices.org/farmblog/2013/9/7/bracingforflood

In getting some feedback, we wanted to be clear that in our case, we are working hard with the landowner to find a solution. But, especially with high land values, this is a situation that effects so many of us. We have updated the article and added comments in response to questions to reflect this.

http://forestvoices.org/farmblog/2013/9/7/bracingforflood

Noah, tough story. Hoping for the best outcome for you guys.

I like your website. How far are you from Paul Wheaton's farm?

Thanks, Bill. Paul hasn't given us his location, so we can't say for sure but we are probably 30 minutes apart. We had an intro to permaculture workshop last fall. It went well, but we are busy, like Paul, mostly getting our systems up. We'll continue the blog posts, with another one today, on our growing space and food production - even though the security is in flux. I'm a certified permaculture designer and storyteller and have moved back to Missoula after years working for conservation organizations in Asia and Africa on sustainable farming issues.

Best wishes,
Noah

Bill McGee wrote:Noah, tough story. Hoping for the best outcome for you guys.

I like your website. How far are you from Paul Wheaton's farm?

For many of you who have followed our potential loss of land, and our search, we wanted to give you all an update. Comments on our blog are especially welcome. We'll continue to post updates, but are trying to limit this story of struggle and heartache - about land - to just one post a week. Here's the latest -

http://forestvoices.org/farmblog/2013/11/5/land-search

Just breezed over the article, stopping here and there to read.

Inherent in what I call the 'sociopathic banker' syndrome*, is the taking of an agricultural lifestyle away from people (or rather them giving it up through their own ignorance - /disclaimer: not a personal comment/ - of the same), and replacing it with the idea of 'food supply' as distant from where people normally habitat themselves. Replacing an agricultural, as in culture, as in living, with dead, or so-called mono-'culture'. {I feel so strongly your natural resistance to moving (farther away from the population centre) is commendable, respectable}.

... Hence the property (not land) price increase not in line with actual value (sunna, or substance). Because the so-called 'money' is not a barter (substance-for-substance), it is just made-up on a computer (which is why hamburgers cost 20USD minimum around the NYC area).

Good luck with the land search. I remember a Joel Salatin comment about being a portable farmer, that if one is 'good' enough, productive enough, it can be replicated anywhere. Let this be a mistake and a lesson wherein ye benefit by making it the one and only time **it happens. Maybe have to sacrifice the permanence of a place for the productive portability (and reproduceability) of a growing agriculture; that'd be hot!

* not using the phrase as a diminutive or personal comment; only a technical description... as it all comes down to an understanding of natural law. Some have it more clearly than others...