Rachel Lindsay

Justin Mikkola wrote:Hey Ashley. I do know about Wheaton Labs. It looks like a great place to visit, but between my job and other responsibilities I don't have the money for the jamboree, boot camp, etc. and definitely don't have the chunks of time. Have property myself, so would love to tour and talk and get ideas, but am looking to connect more individually with people outside of a course structure. Like saying, "hey, mind if I bring over some stuff to make sandwiches and chat about what we could do to help our area by improving our communities?" Or, "Ashley, I have no clue how to start asparagus, could I come over, help out in your garden, and see what you're doing?" If life slows down and my finances can go to the boot camp or jamboree, definitely an opportunity I'd like to take.

It's easy to forget sometimes that people are a huge part of Permaculture, that it's gardening and--MORE. I know you said it would be hard to make a visit to Wheaton Labs happen, but I want to urge you to pause just a second to think about how very very important knowing local Permaculturists is. They are so rare. Making human connections is a huge part of ecological and economic restoration, so I hope you can design some way of meeting the folks there and getting involved with some what's going on at Wheaton Labs. I'm sure everybody would benefit from the connection!  You're so lucky to be in that area--best wishes for your projects and efforts!

I cannot wait to hear some ideas on this, because this is a big factor in my family life. My husband commutes almost an hour and a half to work, so that he can drive an 18-wheeler for ten to twelve hours, and then drives home for an hour and half again.

This absolutely scrambles my mind, and I make comments on this to him--frequently!

Getting a local job is what I see as the best possible decision, but not all people see it this way, as you have pointed out, including my dear husband.  Our family will be pretty dependent on a certain dollar amount of wages until our household isn't so dependent upon federal currency to provide its needs--if we make changes to our lifestyle through homesteading, foraging, radical alterations in energy consumption, etc.--the purchasing power of a dollar won't matter so much to us, and he could have a part time job, in town. That's another reason why I want to buy a homestead place so much!  

Greg Martin wrote:Rachel, do you have all of Sam Thayer's books on foraging?  They are amazing.  

Just found out that 2 of the 3 are at my library. I'll be going there tomorrow, thank you!

You are all hereby dubbed my "accountability partners" as I seriously begin to build a more resilient way of life in the city. Some call it "Prepping," but I want to do this even if future years are an infinity of sunshine and roses. If I have a thread going to share what I'm trying, I am sure I will get tons of ideas and good advice, and it will encourage me to my efforts and projects in motion.

As of today, I have

about 3 months' worth of nonperishable food for my family

I also have a Berkey water filtration system (it will need a new filter this year, so I should order another very soon).

In the small yard I have a little tiny herb/annuals garden

A HUGE personal library of permaculture, gardening, hunting, foraging, and cooking books

(And I also have two vacuum-packed seed kits, for the future, if I ever get to a situation where I can have a big garden.)

There's lots more to be done, but at least I know that we have food and water for a little while, even now.

Upcoming projects I will soon be starting include: learning how to store and prepare the acorn deluge falling (literally!) in about six months, obtaining tons and tons of free wood chips to improve my front yard's hard clay soil, and foraging mushrooms at my parents' forested property.

I can prep for some of what's on the horizon by food storage, although I know that's not going to be possible or useful long-term. So I'm reading up on foraging right now, because that seems like what will be one of my family's best options. (We live on a small city lot, so can't grow much food here.)

Acorns are beyond plentiful in my area, and the acorn harvest will be coming right before the winter, when it seems the (reduced?) harvests in the USA will be all in. So I've got this particular book on my to-read list for soon:

https://permies.com/wiki/73585/Acorn-Foraging-Alicia-Bayer

Eating what is already growing wild will help my family have a tiny bit of similar resilience to all the fortunate homesteaders out there who can produce their own food!

My small city (pop. 20,000) has a bunch of chain grocery and big box stores, and more moving in all the time.

But--locally-owned shops are also opening here several times a year, including, just down the street from me, a local market. They sell a small variety of local products there, but particularly a two-miles-away-farmer's grass-fed beef--all cuts, labelled and packaged and ready-to-go.

Obviously this is going to be my only source for all beef products from now on--but my purchases are going to run to only $20 or so per week. I can't spend $100s there to keep them open long-term, but I would like to do more for their business.

What are other ways to help keep them open?

Holy mackerel--I was just wishing for something like this while making lunch today. How excellent.

(Permies.com, the place where so many of my wishes have already come true!)

Douglas Alpenstock wrote:People are fearful. They mask it by attacking....But persistent calm demeanour and genuine good will can win over many a fearful dog.

Trolling and ugly behaviors in fora (I'm a Latin teacher!), etc., are just like honking at rush hour: a stressed driver lets out impatience and anger by laying on the horn, and then not only is he now more upset, but several other people are, too. The badness multiples instantly...yuck!

(Aside: I have never used my horn in frustration, even to beep at folks daydreaming at a stoplight that has turned green, because so often I have been that daydreamer. It feels good to not embarrass anyone, and I have a few seconds to pause and be grateful for many things while waiting for my turn to go. Someone else will always beep, in the end!)

Modelling civility and generosity can be similarly, but more subtly, contagious to angry outbursts.  This is of course particularly seen with youth, who are looking to see how grown-ups behave as a guide to what to do (I see this again and again through motherhood, every time I forget that someone is watching my every choice!). Online and offline, moments of generosity, patience, and good cheer are even more powerful when they have just become part of who you are. I'm working on that one!