I farm my own foods, the only think I have added to the soil was lime to balance the PH. After harvesting my foods, I till the plant left overs back in to the ground. In two years I will need to plant Alfa to replenish the nitrogen in the soil, but that will get planted either before planting or after harvest. Then the Alfa will get tilled in to the soil.
My foods are healthy, even more so than the organic section of the grocery stores. I do not fuel my tractor or service it any where near the ground that I plant for food, so there are no petrol chemical contaminations in the soil.
For irrigation I use a combination of well water and cistern stored water. So there is no chlorine or iodine going in to the ground.
Even my meats, which is venison, are better, because my deer wild deer are all corn fed, they eat my corn.
I raise corn, lima beans, tomatoes, peppers and a few other veggies. I use pungent plants as my deterants for the creatures that eat my crops, such a lilac.
Eat healthy, move to the country, the city people pay top dollar for quality organic foods.
Jerry
__________________
I do my craft well,
But I do my art better
We don't have any open range in my area. They eat my corn, so they area corn fed. In some areas west me they eat the stuff that people put out, so they are cookie fed in those areas..
Just today, which is out of season, I saw 11 deer that were road kill from the last 24 to 36 hours, so they are plentiful around here.
Jerry
__________________
I do my craft well,
But I do my art better
Oh, you make me sigh. I am envious.
Tell me, though. How many hours a day do you spend being productive? (I'm not too fond of the word "work.") And how many of those are physical labor?
Just curious. Well, actually, I need more to be envious of.
How's the mom & baby, btw???
__________________
~~~~Becky
~ ~ ~ "And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." ~ ~ ~ Anais Ain
I spend 3 to 4 hours a day working the fields and now that will slack off as that the planting is done. I may have to go thru with a hoe once in a while, probably once a week.
I am productive all of the time, it is just I do many different things, so times it is naping while watching a movie.
I am still looking for a decent woman to be my, and I hate to use the word, wife, how about partner?
Jerry
__________________
I do my craft well,
But I do my art better
Have you tried "church"? We went to a Unitarian type church for a long time, and there were fabulous single ladies there. Confident, independent, very into, what's the word, eco-awareness, etc.
Religion is a touchy subject that I would rather not talk to much about here. But to me, Religious Science, Unitarian, etc, are pretty non-religious. But very spiritual and kind.
I could introduce you to a bunch of great ladies if you were here!
__________________
~~~~Becky
~ ~ ~ "And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." ~ ~ ~ Anais Ain
I live in an area that is basically fundamentalist. When your Baptized, you are down at the river, sumer or winter.
I am conversing with a lady in Canada at the moment. let me brag for a minute. I am at 153 pounds, 5' 7", BMI of 24, and active. I worked in the fields today, mowed the yard, worked in my butterfly garden and a few other things today. Most of my friends say that I am really good looking for a guy my age. I am still working on my abs, but I handle 40 to 60 pound bags regularly with no trouble, work steel in my smithy and do many things that we have lost the knowledge to do. I need to weld up a piece on my mower attachment for my tractor. The attachment weighs 1200 pounds and I do shove it around some, sometimes with a little help. Some where around here I will have to move a couple of cubic yards of dirt up to my butterfly garden, cut a couple of pine trees down and lot of other stuff.
I am not saying my choice of life style is for everyone, but it works for me. I still have a rock and roll heart, but country living is for me. The cheese on my sandwich this evening was made up road from me, it is really good. Not too far away from me a commercial kitchen is opening up, that is state and federally regulated and they want to buy tomatoes, beans and corn from my little farm, because I'm an organic farmer.
A lot of ladies around here don't understand what I am all about, but some of the younger one (30 somethings) wish their other half's would loose the beer gut and clean up. They say I make this look so easy, of course the guys don't like to hear me being used as example. Plus I don't value the toys that people around here do, I don't have a pickup truck, I have a Honda Element.
But farm living is the life for me, good food, no rat race, low stress and just trying to be happy, and succeeding at it.
I do all of this farming work, still do my artwork, find time to help my community and teach the young. I want to make my barn a Picasso barn, instead of the quilt barns that are all over the area.
Tomorrow I have to add on to my grape trellis, work on a couple of small projects, figure out how to turn my mowing attachment upside down to work on it, there is always something to do, but when I am done for the day, I know I have accomplished something.
Just wait corn on the cob from my fields, good steaks, and maybe good friend to share this all with.
Jerry
__________________
I do my craft well,
But I do my art better
Well, if I was single...
Too bad we're on opposite sides of the continent.
And too bad about the density of conservatives there. For you. Not for them.
I'm sure you know all the tricks for meeting people. But I'm bossy. Have you tried maybe conventions or gatherings of organic farmers? Are there publications that you like that you can contribute to or get involved with in some way so you can get to know some folks? What about trips into a city to a farmer's market?
You inspire me. I want to read more.
Oh, and I've seen your pic. You look fine to me!
__________________
~~~~Becky
~ ~ ~ "And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." ~ ~ ~ Anais Ain
WE have a local farmers market, where people from the cities comes out and buy produce, but I am a member of a cooperative farmers group, so my produce go to a large farmers market in Pittsburgh.
Jerry
__________________
I do my craft well,
But I do my art better
