What is sustainable farming, and why is it becoming such a huge focal point in the United States and throughout the world now? There is a Huge need for more jobs, as well as healthy food throughout the world. Locally grown Organic food is the best that your money can purchase. There is usually no middle man, and you can build a relationship with your local grower, or grocer if you so choose to.
The great thing about our country is the ability for us to choose the life that we want. Living a healthy life eating healthy foods and enjoying the outdoors is what most people think of as a healthy enjoyable life. Americans spend a huge amount of time outdoors bicycling, motorcycle riding, writing, playing sports, all types of sports and of course eating.
So my question for you is this:
- What does sustainable life mean to you
- When you close your eyes what does your dream life consistent
- What food do you eat
- What do you drink, water, wine, soda pop, beer, or other drinks
- What does your environment look like all around you, is it rural, urban, remote or a mix of all three
- Now the big question, how did you make the life you dream of sustainable so that you and your family can live the life that you dream of without having to leave the property.
For a lot of people this may seem kind of strange. But when you think about it, that is what the family farm used to be like. Generations of the same family would live together on the same farm producing products for their neighbors, community and friends. He would work to use the land to the best of your ability and take care of the land so that it would continue to take care of you and your family.
So let me give you the definition and the meaning of what sustainable farming means to me. Number 1. Sustainable farming to me means the ability of the land and the lifestyle I live to pay for the property, food, equipment, marketing as well as vacations and medical as well as dental needs. It also means that everything we need to eat a healthy lifestyle self reseeds and grows continuously. The lifestyle also allows us to purchase after research and technology that makes our life simpler and more profitable.
2. When I close my eyes what is my dream life look like? I see our home which is a great ship, very energy efficient, right outside our kitchen door is a 1 acre garden. Inside her home the southern facing section of the home as a vegetable garden growing year-round also, with seven guest rooms as well as a central swimming pool with a water feature that aerates the swimming pool to keep it well oxygenated and fresh. There is a large shop on the property that maintains all of the equipment as well as manufacturers reverse trikes, which are three wheeled vehicles with two wheels up front and the drive wheel singular on the rear. This provides extra income and the reverse trikes can be either electric powered or small diesel engines that provide up to 125 mpg. There is also a hanger and a small runway that allows helicopters and small planes to land and take off. Because of this the property also is a bed and breakfast. There are horses for writing and providing horsepower for some of the work that needs to be done on the property.
3. Now that we have the garden healthy food we eat organic fruits and vegetables as well as have eggs available from the chickens. We have avocados, tomatoes, corn, squash, etc.
4. What do we drink. First and foremost we drink clean filtered water. For our guests we have fruit juice, freshly squeezed of course as well as wine and beer for those who like to drink that. All water is filtered naturally or with activated carbon to maintain the mineral content of a healthy water environment.
5. So what does environment look like for us? We prefer a more rural to remote type of property, which allows for more opportunities to enjoy nature and animals that live wild in the area. We leave a lot of the property natural and look for ways to use the naturally growing plants as part of our food supply.
6. So how do we make this property become sustainable in and of itself, so that we don’t have to leave the property unless we want to, to provide for all of our needs?
The answer to this question is dependent upon choices once again. What do I like to do, what does my wife like to do, and what does the area and my customers want and need that we can produce that will provide the income we need to make the property self sustaining.
This is where the most important aspect of managing your estate, farm or garden comes into play. The answer is one word: Mindset.
In the next section of this book we will talk about mindset and I will interview some very informative people.
For right now if you like what we have given you in this chapter so far, sign up here now to receive future posts regarding sustainable living.
Turning your dreams into the Life of Your Dreams
Chris Downs
The Caretaker
Hisfarm.org
