Henry Paine

Hey everyone. This is my sixth year farming, I've worked on a wide variety of organic farms and have studied and practiced permaculture techniques along the way in personal gardens. I have experience with vegetables, fruit trees, greenhouses, irrigation, tractors, animals, field and labor management, etc. I've been growing in Florida for almost three years. Currently I have a 1/4 acre garden and have been selling produce to some local people and a great ape sanctuary. I had plans to increase production for the sanctuary as I have an easy and reliable arrangement with them, but found out yesterday that the owners of the land I am growing on are unfortunately selling it within the next three to six months. I am hoping there is someone out there in the Hardee County/Lemon Grove area that either own some land (I just need 1/4 acre or less and access to irrigation), or have a farm job available within the next few months. Both would be ideal but I am interested in any opportunities that are out there. I'd be grateful for anyone in the area who could help my search, it is hard to find like-minded farmers and land owners out here. Feel free to send me a private message and I'll get back to you. Thanks!


Eric

Howdy.

I've been traveling around the country for the past several years while working on organic farms, so trying to create a relationship with a solid foundation isn't easy. As many wonderful connections as I've made, so many are hopelessly fleeting due to geographical circumstances.

One day while I was contemplating this dilemma and pulling sweet potatoes out of the mud, I heard Paul's podcast mention this section of the forum and figured it couldn't hurt. I think the one connection I would really prefer to have with a lady is through farming/gardening/permaculture. Someone who enjoys spending all day outside playing with plants. It's pretty simple, really, but difficult to find in real life. Especially since none of the farm girls I meet are single.

So uh, I guess I should do the "about me" thing,...

Like any sane human being I enjoy hikes, campfires, swimming in the ocean and all that. Traveling and seeing beautiful things. I enjoy philosophical conversations but not necessarily philosophy. Both premeditated and spontaneous musical collaborations. Reading books about agriculture, nature, religion, psychology, sometimes politics. Shooting pool, playing cards, super nintendo, hockey. Spending time with people I love and laughing until tear stained. Drives into the country while listening to good music. You know.

I spent many of my younger pseudo-adult years (I am 27 now) simultaneously pursuing the ultimate pipe dream of an income generating but non-creative-compromising writing, visual art and/or musical career while traveling aimlessly, working random crappy jobs and searching for whatever it was that would truly inspire me to conjure the ideal sound and imagery I had wanted to experience and share with others-- an intangible urge every artist strives to satisfy but never can. Predictably this led to becoming a starving artist of sorts and seeing what the other side of the fence was like. After getting into farming and planting my own gardens -- releasing my ego into the soil -- I realized that was what I had been looking for and a way to help all of these poverty stricken, malnourished people I have met from city to city and rejuvenate wastelands. T'was something like satori. And as much as I still enjoy artsy shit, it's not my end-all.

I have hippy tendencies, certainly, but don't subscribe to any dogmas, including dogmatic views on agriculture. I don't take myself terribly serious, but serious enough to do something and politely proselytize when given the opportunity. It's no good to read a Derek Jensen book, realize how screwed we are, and then just throw in the towel. It's also no good to feel solely responsible for saving the planet and losing one's mind.

This spring I am going to assist in running a farm in North Carolina. They're doing a ton of awesome permaculture and biodynamic stuff. We'll be taking in wwoofers. So yeah, anyone else who is in a similar predicament as myself and wouldn't mind making a new connection, send me a message!