Season 1
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=246x5729Season 2
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=246x7979The above is limited to the garden (since it is posted in The Garden Forum.)
We are also improving the land, reducing energy use through several
passive projects, planting clover and other nectar producing crops for the Bees (Ligustrum, Mountain Mint, Vetch), and more fruit trees.
The first two seasons were mostly experimental...to find out what grows well, what problems we would encounter not using pesticides or herbicides, developing efficient means to preserve and store our produce, and learning
BeeKeeping and Keeping Chickens.
This year we are expanding the garden size, growing fewer tomatoes, and more leafy vegetables, squash, beans, berries, and herbs. We planted a few things in the Fall that are doing OK, and will expand our Winter Crop for next year. We would like to have a grain crop besides corn, but that is still in the research phase. There is a
Green House and worm farm somewhere in the future....maybe next year.
We have plans for a few goats, but we need to build shelter and goat proof fencing before we put any goats here. Goats and gardens/fruit trees don't mix well.
Our "Community" is isolated. Most people in this sparsely populated area enjoy their privacy and isolation. There are no churches, stores, or any other structures within 10 miles that would serve as meeting centers.
WE have met a few other people who have moved into this area for the same reasons we did, and more are coming. Another DUer has bought property in this area. We often discuss "community" with this small group, but we are separated by too many miles to be a resource for each other if transportation/energy becomes a REAL issue.
There is another group in these hills, "Survivalists", who are stocking up on guns and MREs.
They are praying for the
End of the World, and gleefully fantasize about a time when it will be OK for them to shoot hungry people. These people scare us, and we avoid them.
Then there are the people who have been here forever.
We actually have built a good inroad with them. It happened by accident. The FireHouse for our rural district is very close to our house. We are both healthy and athletic, so we joined. Since the firehouse is so close and we both have good mechanical skills, we quickly became indispensable for maintaining the equipment, and driving the trucks to the fires. After a few months, the other firefighters (mostly locals who had been here forever) decided they could trust us (something that usually takes a generation). Politics, religion, and family tree are secondary when developing the trust it takes to go into a burning house with someone.
After 2 years,
Starkraven was elected as the "Administrator" of our RVFD, and has a county badge. She is also the 1st Responder for medical emergencies in our area. Most people drop their inhibitions/prejudices when you show up at their house to help them during an emergency.
As far as "Community" as in a
Sustainable Community, there is very little active interest among the locals. Most of them drive the 20 miles to the nearest town for their needs. When gas was at $4.00/gal, I talked to some about a basic
car pool or
bulk buying, and there was some interest, and the acknowledgment that there may be a time when we will have to
work together, but with cheaper gas most of the attention has returned to immediate personal needs.
If the necessity arises, it will be the motivating factor, and our
Community Contacts through the Fire Dept may serve as a vehicle. But I don't see a spontaneous
Sustainable Community Movement arising without external motivating factors.
We don't consider ourselves "Survivalists". We came here because we are attracted to this lifestyle, not because we feared the future. We were and are disgusted by the
one party political situation in the US, and have decided to actively withdraw economic support for the WARS and WalMart-ization of America, but again, this was a decision made out of love and respect for ourselves, not anger at the system. We sincerely hope "The Crunch" doesn't happen because it will make things harder for everyone, including us. We will keep doing what we are doing because we love doing it, regardless of what the rest of the World decides to do.