Alan Staley

Hey Christopher
I did visit the Forest Food Farm over Memorial Day weekend. The garden was inside a city lot and yet it offered a whole host of Northeast edible perennials. The greenhouse they built was constructed from furring strips made into trusses with two by four blocks. Very inspiring! They had plants on sale. However I am waiting to get my design in place before I purchase any plants.

I did try your email address but it came back as undeliverable. Hope the planting season is going well
Alan

Christopher
My Cabin is 3 miles south of VT border near Greenfield MA. It is my labor of love and has maple syrup processing and the native plants I've found are wild leeks, fiddleheads, Sunchokes and nettles just there waiting. It is quite fascinating actually how prolific the gifts of nature are.

Interesting how you had a vision in '82 to make the move to simplicity. I have had similar experience. I visited The Farm in Tennessee when I was in college and also Sirius in recent years. Now the kids are grown and I'm finding my own expression of a well lived life. Permaculture seems a natural for me. Woods and good food.

My teen hero was Gandhi who was deeply impacted by Thoreau's economy and civil disobedience writings. Gandhi's commitment to truth and always telling the truth is also very rare in people. His vision of self sufficient ashrams has always intrigued me. To be around a like minded people is a source of momentum. I will do things with others and in that doing find a common good and the joy of living.

Most excited about visiting the Forest Food Farm in Holyoke over memorial day weekend. Are you familiar with it? They took and Urban lot and turned the property into a forest farm here in MA. Can't wait for that.

Thank you for the reply and the thoughtful way you communicate with all the opinions on this post.
Alan

Christopher
The thought of a polyamory permaculture group idea and your tractor analogy are very much an embrace of the love of living. This is very rare in people. I have just finished planting some Sycamore seedlings and am enjoying the beautiful New England wild flowers in the Spring weather. I too am new to permaculture but the fascinating thing is as I research more all the native plants recommended are all around our cabin.

I believe that love is the catalyst that makes joy in work and the World. How did you come to be interested in permaculture and polyamory? It would be great to see your land sometime and discuss your vision. I have always been hesitant about intentional communities because of our self sufficient nature. I like to chop wood and be in nature and enjoy being with people too. If there were more people interested in loving the land and working to a better environment the world would be a different place.

Companionship always makes the load lighter and work much more fun. To be in a loving community would make all the difference. Thank you for this post. It is a joy in the technical distance of the internet and inspired me to join permies and post.
Alan