hello paul. let me start off my forwarding a big "thank you" for creating such a wonderful, easy-to-use forum for people to share ideas. great job!
how fortunate you were to have spent some childhood years in such a pristine setting as wallowa county, largely removed from societal ills. i came here 6 years ago very sick, busting at the gills with heavy metals and over 20 species of pathogens, some very dangerous (as revealed by live-blood microscopy). i was looking for an environment with clean food, water and
land. the exceptional people were only a bonus beyond belief. your town of lostine holds a special place for me. i can see why the river valley was proposed for national park status way back when. for 2 seasons, i grew vegetables in the greenhouses at little hill farm until the 60-mile commute became excessive. i did not take the harvest to market (all that annoying washing and prepping), but bartered it for
beef, elk, lamb,
milk and eggs. loading up my truck on a friday evening and making "deliveries" was exhilarating, especially after september's frosts took outdoor gardens and made my loot all the more valuable. i currently grow cool weather crops here in the forest, but am rewarded more than i expected from foraging. i maintain a
native plant nursery.
it would be great to meet up with you when you visit here. i welcome other's perspectives and experiences. things are developing rapidly here for this property, largely due to the hydro potential, which i have mixed feelings about. i really need to focus on just a few ideas as a starting point and prioritize the dozen or so that i feel will work. certainly having too many options is better than too few. my background is in plant ecology, immersing myself in academia and habitat restoration, having a ball completing over 50 projects as a contractor.
regards,
Brian Fink