First post for 2012

All those who come to this site, please read posts in 2011.  Specially during August where we only ate what we grew on our own land.  Each day that month is documented.  Fresh, very fresh, naturally farmed produce, it changed me in so many ways.  I learned so much about myself last year.  The most important lesson wasn’t that I could feed our family, but the spiritual connection with the “aina” that comes from depending on the land and the good earth to provide your next meal.

So moving on in 2012, my goals are two fold: to personally be “in health” and for the property, to put in the remaining infrastructure in place to support our family from the land on a sustained and ongoing basis.
We are now building two more detached bedroom units in addition the one Drake currently is living in.  There will also be a central shared kitchen and living area, big enough to host small groups interested in learning about natural farming.  On the far side near the Hanawai river, we are building a 36’ by 72’ shed for animal production.  All the construction should be complete by years end and fully functional.  As those who have followed know, I think a big shift is coming to our economy and way of life because the world has reached peak oil.  Although the media tells us things seem to be recovering as I write, this is only temporary.  The math says the old ways cannot go on indefinitely.  The dollar too will crash, as the reality of a debt larger than GDP takes its course.  So why hold onto savings?  I’m spending ours on tangible infrastructure.

Personally, I’ve come a long way toward being “in health”, but have a long way to go.  At least now I am conscious of what I put in my body.  Before putting only fresh naturally farmed food into my body, I didn’t even realize that it mattered.  I stopped drinking alcohol this past February, cause I had trouble limiting my intake to the doctor recommended maximum of two a day.  Easier just to put it aside, avoid temptation.  I read a life changing book, “younger every year” that speaks to people my age, those entering the last third of their life.  Says that 70% of ALL diseases can be avoided by simply exercising 45 minutes per day 6 days per week and recommends strength training 2 to 3 days per week to eliminate all the aches and pains of old age.  I want to really enjoy the last third of my life, so I’ll be doing this every day for the rest of my life, my new job.  I may be getting older, but I don’t have to feel older or accept the aches and pains that our society claims is ‘normal’.

I've downsized our gardens, trying to minimize the size and time for upkeep.  Still, we have lots of tomatoes and salad greens.  Our fruit trees and sugar cane keep going regardless of human energy output.  We lost one cow during childbirth but she now fills our freezer, and is some of the best grass fed steaks ever.  Our other cow birthed a healthy calf so we still have two.  Our chickens give plenty of eggs.  So despite minimal effort, we still have lots of fresh naturally farmed food.