Choosing Home

Moving has never been easy for me but this move was probably the hardest knowing I was picking a new place to die and leaving behind my first choice was hard enough.  Though the when is never certain with death, I’d like to think I may have a choice of where.  The home is humble and warm, the acreage is enough to roam on and the trees are big and beautiful.

I love creating home, hanging century old pictures on walls that have shared so many other lives, no matter how temporary.  We plant roots wherever we live and recently we planted our 37 fruit and nut trees.  The orchard fencing was finished in less than a month of moving in.  Though we many never enjoy a harvest from the trees, their roots like ours will stand firmly on and in the ground until we/they can’t anymore.

We consider ourselves lucky to still have a roof over our heads as our chimney caught fire while we were relaxing after a hard days work shortly after moving in.  In less than five minutes I went from enjoying a warm fire to standing outside in the cold, thinking about what I need to retrieve from inside. 

The Sykes Creek fire of 87 was a strong reminder (one we were evacuated from), and I quickly gathered my thoughts around necessities.  Instead of calling the fire department, we called our closest neighbor who came over to watch the thick black smoke turn clear as the fire got hotter and the flames started shooting up and out of the chimney.  With ladder and hose we soaked the roof for over 20 minutes then sat back and had our first beer with the neighbor, a memory we will hold dear in the
future I’m sure.

Pretty scary looking

We were lucky to have been home and awake.  Seldom do we burn a fire all day but the previous owners often did and the creosote had built to the point of combustion.  We felt it our responsibility to tell them, and were glad that it happened to us rather than them as they were more likely to be sleeping with a fire going. 

Looking down the chimney at the terra cotta lining

The next morning after the cap was cool enough to remove we discovered the terra cotta lining had collapsed down inside the chimney and proceeded to get the repairs done.  The pictures of the damage made me realize how a little maintenance can prevent something we seldom see.

We were sidetracked for a few days while repairing the chimney and making sure the stove was safe to heat with again, but continued to move ahead with the garden amending the soil with sand and compost and replacing the roof of the greenhouse that was here.

Old Greenhouse

As the roof came off the walls came down and we discovered the rotten corner posts that were holding it up.  Our saved seeds (some of which have been started) are in a small hoop house that was built to serve the purpose for this season.  Dismantling the greenhouse was not something we expected to do but we took it down to the foundation leaving something else to rebuild.

New temporary greenhouse

Seems like we have always had to start small, much like walking before running, we take it all in stride.  It reminds me of where we started years ago as an “us”.  When we focused together on a goal, we started simple and worked upwards.  Our steps were small and incremental and we learned as we built one foundation after another.

It’s been nice to focus on building a different vision as it’s become clearer to us now after a little fine tuning.  Not much matters anymore about what is said whether it’s about climate, political or economical crises.  We know we’re screwed and the redundancy of what’s been said and said again doesn’t help the motivation, usually it stifles the ability to do meaningful things.  As we put one foot in front of the other we move in a direction that will better suit our needs and we don’t feel bad about it. 

We’ve tried for years to educate, listen to, debate with and even feed those who had an interest in what we were trying to do.  Now the time has come to stroll casually through the garden of life, enjoying the fruit of our labors.  We don’t own what we have because of luck, we’ve only asked for financial help once and were declined (this was for a small amount of the down payment on our first home), and we BOTH have worked hard (though a choice of ours), giving up having fun like many others our age.  We work more than we play as long as there is work to do and we play when we can.  It’s kind of like spending money, the less you have to spend the more you appreciate what you buy.

Having read about many different aspects of collapse years ago, we embarked on a journey of hoping, though we know it’s not a strategy.  Then we began to share our message with those we cared about and hoped once again it would be heard.  We built what was needed for 6-8 people and began to market what we had. 

Many times we’ve said what I’m about to repeat but it’s worth hearing again if you’re in the business of building community.  Don’t let yourself get overwhelmed.  Communicating has to take place and talking things over is a good place to start, but taking action and working together will prove that it can be done.  Just being aware of what is going on around you is only the beginning and it takes much more than talking or listening, it takes time and energy to put a plan into action and make it work.  In trying to communicate this with others, we never got past the common goal part, so very little got done. 

There are some who are dependable, responsible and communicative but primarily every idea is based on a market economy as they don’t see the future the same way we do.  Or, there are those who know where we’re headed and are right and ready to discuss it…but when it comes to taking action, they are still clinging to the old paradigm of making money and have little to no time to invest in a very different future.

Very little now spoken or written have we not heard so we read less and do more.  I must admit though we still like being entertained and without television we turn to the online tube to watch video’s of Gerald Celante and Jesse “the body” Ventura.  Abby Martin is also worth watching occasionally on RT and we enjoy the education we get from Paul Craig Roberts.  His hair seems to be on fire these days with the mess in the Ukraine.

Like the blog Survival Acres, I too have thought about giving up this blog. Sitting behind a screen typing is too much like work for me and I would rather be handling the month old chicks,

 Australorps and Barred Rock Chicks

planting in the garden or just sitting outside watching the chemtrails mark up the sky like a tic tac toe board.  It’s a challenge we play trying to decide where the next one will be as well as guessing when it will rain.

Speaking of rain, sure is interesting weather we’re getting.  I’ve never seen wind pick up so fast and become calm so quickly before in my life.  And what was that all about last week in the Dakota’s with both tornado and blizzard warnings, really?  Is there anyone still doubting that our climate is changing?

I enjoy walking in the rain as I did the other day and I love to stay dry while doing so.  Being part of the uniform program at work the last eight years of my career awarded me some bitchin outdoor wear, (though I was never an outside tech, all my wiring was done inside).  I stayed completely dry in my 4 mile trip though I appeared drenched on the outside and a kind gentleman must of felt sorry for me when he offered me up a ride.  I smiled and replied, “no thanks, I’m enjoying the walk”.  I laughed out loud to myself thinking about being branded with a telecommunications logo, maybe I should wear some Kevlar underneath just in case.

I notice many things while walking, that I don’t see while driving or sitting in the passenger seat.  I marvel at the signs posted, mostly religious.  Some say, “Prayer, America’s only hope”, or “Pray for America”.  The latter has a quote on it, “I will heal their land” and below in red, Signed, God.

Looking past these red, white and blue signs as well as the flags flying high, I noticed the soft pink blooms on the manzanita bushes and the brown mustard colored trunks of the madrone trees appearing like gold in a bright green forest of cedar trees.  As a cement truck passed me, I could feel the spray on my lips and it brought me back to reality and the road I was walking on.

My thoughts traveled quickly beyond the gates of the homes boasting these signs to the lives of the individuals who live there.  How does religion affect the way they live?  What things do they do to protect nature?  One home I passed had a prayer sign out front and I noticed the new fencing that was up as well as the two strands of barbed wire strung above it.  I PRAY that a animal doesn’t get hurt by their lack of concern for other living beings.  I know there are some wonderful people who live by these scriptures both in and out of church, I’ve met them, but I’ve also met those who live a life much different than what is preached about.

I enter my church when walking our property under the cathedral of oak trees.  I’m humbled by their size and age. I can’t wait to identify the herbs that grow naturally in this region, which reminds me of the other signs along the road like the “NO SPRAY” ones.  Very seldom do I see these and the religious ones together.  The best one is just a few driveways down from us it states:

  No Trespassing

      Survivors will be prosecuted

It’s fun to read while walking and I find it very entertaining at times.  With the amount of work to be done in preparing for a season, I try to smile when I can. 

We don’t allow ourselves to get overwhelmed.  Our last blog mentioned the fencing of the orchard and the fruit trees that needed planting, now a thing of the past.  We dug a hole, planted a tree and moved to the next one.  The deer watched from the outside.

New orchard

We even managed to find Pinot Noir grapes at a 40% discount that were nicely placed in the orchard along with the trees and much of what we brought with us.  The elderberries look healthy with new spring shoots as well as the raspberries, thornless blackberries and hops.  One of the hops is already up about 6”, maybe this will be the “year for beer”.

Elderberries we brought with us

Obviously we’ve always focused on living more than dying as it gets the work done.  But we also know that many species are dying every day and without them we will cease to exist.  When asked now, “what can I do?”, our reply is, “live simply, do no harm and be involved in our basic needs such as food, shelter and water.”  Time is short, find a purpose and make your life meaningful.

Our first rainbow on the property March 2014

...and the water runs through it

Before the rains came we had beautiful clear skies that allowed us to dig holes for the fruit trees that will soon be on their way from up north.  Still operating with the connections we had in the Eugene area that were built over years of doing business with people and friends there, we hope to find them here also.  We worked in our sweatshirts under sunny skies and after a few holes were dug, we were down to our tee-shirts.  The rains soon came and the Oregon that we know and love made us feel at home again.

The path of least resistance

This past week we welcomed the first full moon on the new property, moving in and out of the clouds while appearing to be so thunderous.  The few stars that displayed their light were bright in the dark sky and the sound of running water made us feel secluded on our very own island.  While feeling a little more remote on more acreage, there is an open feeling of a broad valley with big green pastures off to the side.  It is very quiet and peaceful.

I don’t miss the sound of planes like rockets going off overhead and have heard very few since living here, instead we wonder if we’ll ever hear the sound of crickets over the frogs singing.  They sing to us all through the night off and on for what we think is no reason at all.  Sometimes singing in harmony than other times they sound like lost wanderers coming together to form some type of synchronicity.  Our beautiful fountain built by the previous owners, provides their living habitat and they sound so happy to have a home.

Home for singing frogs

Braying is something we never heard at our old address but now we have a donkey behind us (can’t remember his name) and one to the side of us named John Boy.  The neighbors tell us that there has been cougar problems in the past and the donkeys are protective to the sheep, horses and other livestock that they roam with.

BIG TURKEYS

We’ve seen plenty of wildlife in the three weeks we’ve been here.  Deer frequent the property every day and they don’t disappear when the flash of the camera goes off, instead they seem to pose for the attention.  Turkeys lined the front lawn early in our move and they looked much bigger than the ones that visited our old property.  They appeared big enough to carry away small children!

Acorn woodpeckers frequent the feeders out front that the previous owners left full of seed.  Their bright colored heads are more orange than the ones we were use to seeing.

Acorn Woodpecker (picture taken out the window from where I sit)

We have a black cat named “Blackie” that we inherited.  We feed her but have yet to see her around except for the night we moved in and our dog barked before he got out of the car.  Seems like our black shepherd has kept her at bay and she has yet to make herself noticeable during the day but the food is gone every morning when I go to look.

I still miss some of the familiarities with the old property, but I have enjoyed discovering new things where I live today.  It’s so nice to have almost 14 acres to roam.  We both look forward to discovering more about what the property has to offer and graciously accepting the benefits.

We hope to get chickens this spring and sometimes I feel like I've forgotten to collect their eggs or shut them up for the night.  I really miss Dolly and Leigh Leigh our Ancona ducks.  I bet they had fun in the latest snow storm that hit the Eugene area.  I still remember the one in December when they barely ventured out of their house then once it started melting they were in worm heaven.

It was hard to imagine having sheep where we use to live.  The land was so sloped (thus the name Slipperyslope) and would of been hard to keep the pasture area green.  I look at the three fenced areas we have here and can imagine them in any of the three.  I can’t wait to harvest my own fleece to spin and learn some animal husbandry skills.  My homespun will take on a whole new meaning.  We also hope to have cows that will feed us and those close by who want to partake in the raising of beef that is grass fed.  My hands long to harvest herbs from the plants that came with us on our journey.  I was reminded of them while unpacking the brightly colored jars of dried Calendula, waiting to be made into a salve or lotion. 

Once again I look to nature to heal me and protect me.  I cannot give enough of myself to make up for the destruction that I’ve caused to this once well tuned planet, but both of us can and will provide the nutrients to the soil so that we can grow once again the good food that nourishes us.

Beans and things

Our drying beans are displayed openly in our kitchen in different size jars noting the diversity of all the  varieties we grow.

In just the few weeks we’ve been here our home inside looks as good as most (if not better).  It’s so nice to use a broom and mop over running a vacuum cleaner and the solid oak floors show years of character with some bumps and bruises.

Living Room

All the rooms are in order and we’re now beginning to look outside as we begin to dig holes and put up fencing for an orchard that will include the 35 new fruit trees that are waiting to be buried.

Digging holes for fruit trees

The garden that is here, is already alive with perennials and beautiful ornamentals.  Everywhere I look around the home, bulbs are beginning to burst out of the ground looking for light.

Spring in the air

Good eats

Though it still seems early for Spring to be here, we are so looking forward to another growing season.  Much of what we moved was food and though the jars are sealed tightly for storage, we’ll need to continue to build our arsenal of good eats.



It will be awhile until we’re once again acclimated to the area and can feel comfortable with the landscape.  In some ways it seems like we never left this valley and had it not been for "re-engineering" we probably wouldn’t of.  All the places we frequent now, we see familiar faces and think about how our journey would of been different if we had stayed.  We probably wouldn’t be sitting on this beautiful acreage adoring the nature that is so abundant out of every window of this old home.  Right now I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else but on this piece of property where the water runs through it.

...where the water runs through it

A New Year, A New Home

December storm at home 2013

Life has been quite the roller coaster ride for several months and even now I sometimes feel like I’m on sitting on top, holding on tight, for the ride down.  I would be lying to say everything is going well as I know even with a new year, we still have old problems, problems that we as human beings will no longer be able to fix. I wonder how I manage to climb the next hill, and I’m humbled by my strength to keep climbing.

We’re now renters in our home of 13+ years thanks to some very nice buyers who didn’t need to occupy the property right away and have allowed us to stay in hopes of finding what they have found, a new beginning, a newer end or just a fresh chapter to an old tale.  We feel lucky to be turning this property over to those who are able to take it to the next level and the enthusiasm has been contagious.  This has been a welcomed relief with the stress of moving. 

We have often said that “communication” is the thread that we have available to us right now and we should be using it to the best of our ability.  For too long we have met those who are wanting something else out of life but they only end up saying more, communicating less and doing nothing to change the situation they are in.

Our home was listed by owner and we advertised on sites where we knew food was important.  We contacted sites like friendsoffamilyfarmers.org, tenriversfoodweb.org and the local permaculture group. We knew it would be hard to find the right buyers but we were willing to risk not finding them as we knew the value was in the land and the infrastructure in place to move in and grow. 

We’ve worked with realtors before, this being our 13th home in 36 years and we know how impersonal they can keep the transaction between the buyers and the sellers. Our agreement was to advertise until the middle of November and if it didn’t sell by then, we would stay and downsize the garden space.

When realtors called saying they had buyers, they asked how much commission we were willing to pay.  Usually this was a stopgap as they always wanted more.  We had already dropped the price of the property 50k prior to their calls and didn’t feel a whole lot of wiggle room left. 

Then came a call from a realtor asking us if we were willing to work with one.  “Yes” we said, though it was never discussed until the offer was submitted what exactly that meant.  The realtor brought the buyers over and we did all of the work showing them the property as we expected to do.  Needless to say it was a horrible meeting and we didn’t expect to hear back, but we did.  The second meeting was a little better as we had more conversation amongst ourselves as buyers and sellers.  We even explained our future plans of having a small micro community to not only help with the work but share in the resources.  We spoke with compassion about the blood, sweat and tears.

When the offer was presented, the commission was set at 6% and mind you this was done online through an email.  Needless to say we declined the offer without a counter as we were so disgusted that her communication was so bad.  She then encouraged us to counter so she could at least present something to this young couple who were purchasing their first home together. We then wrote up a counter with a $3500 flat rate commission.
 

****side note both sales totaled $585,000 so if we were to have paid the going 6% commission, it would have totaled $35,100****

The commission we felt was fair as there were no advertising fees for the real estate firm, nor much of anything else except bringing a buyer over that saw our ad on Craigslist.  We couldn’t understand why this couple didn’t contact us directly to save us both some money, but later learned that they were out of state and thought it would be easier working with a realtor.

Hopefully this experience taught them the difference between having one or not, especially when buying rural property.  We’ve found in our transactions that most realtors would rather the buyer and the seller never meet.

I remember closing on our first home in the late 70’s when we sat across the table from the sellers with a stack of pens in the middle, passing the papers from one to another.  Even with both realtors present we were still able to look each other in the eyes and shake hands after.  Most of our recent sale was done online.  Had it not been for us contacting the buyer directly, we may of had a whole different experience.  Good communicating usually serves a purpose. 

After things went awry somewhere between the home inspection and the wood stove inspections, we decided to take things into our own hands (as they too had served us well) and call the buyer directly to see if we could sit and discuss some of the concerns each of us had together perhaps breaking bread, which has always been our specialty.
“Come on over, take your shoes off and lets talk.”

Well our phone call ended up binding the gaps and leaving all parties happy and content.  Who would of thought that two parties could come together and mutually agree to do their part in making this work?  We don’t have many examples in our two party government anymore and they won’t even begin to talk to the 3rd.  What would we do without realtors and where would all that money go if we didn’t have them?  Hmmm….

Fast forward to this past week, one of the buyers friends who lives in the area came over to dormant spray the fruit trees, using our sprayer.  We shared what worked for us including the product we used and he purchased it to do the job.  My husband spent a few hours going over the types and varieties of the trees, 39 in all.  This was just the natural thing to do for us, why wouldn’t we want the new owners to succeed after all our hard work, won’t be on us if they don’t!

One basket of apples during the harvest of 2013

Community building has always been a part of our lives, but now especially we recognize the importance of talking, sharing and working together whether it’s with our neighbors or joint owners on our own property.  Some we met early on in our endeavors have told us how hard it is to “go it alone” and we know what “burnout” feels like.  Our previous blogs have addressed these issues.  There will come a time before long when it will be necessary to “buddy up” in order to live, and while we wait for this time we’re learning and saving.  What could possibly be wrong with that?

Helping new occupants with dormant spray December 2013

In searching for properties, we have looked with the intent of trying again to find others to join us though our main focus this time was finding another property that could generate a small income as well as provide a comfortable shelter to take refuge in.

In our years of trying, we haven’t met many we felt we could live with.  Either work ethic, different philosophies and/or communication along with trust, honesty, and dependability prevented us from making it work.  We realize we’re asking a lot, but it’s no more than what we expect from ourselves. 

With time running out to find a place, we were packing one night to make another trip south to look at one last possibility as well as some rentals, when we received a phone call from a couple we met online.   

We’ve known each other for over two years and have met face to face twice.  They said that it was just a wild card they were throwing out, and voiced their interest in sharing property with us as they knew we were looking.  We always felt like they would be a good match considering all of our skills and they had already lived a life of frugality (mostly out of the system) and amazingly grew lots of food in a very harsh climate.

After getting their phone call we left with enthusiasm and new energy thinking of the possibilities.  We came home with a property in mind for all of us and worked out the details of the purchase.

Beautiful oak trees on our new property 2013

Since it is also a FSBO, “for sale by owner” we have managed to type up our own purchase agreement/offer and negotiate closing as the owners also need to find a new home.  Most of these forms can be found online or picked up at your local title company.

Last week we made a quick day trip south to sit down with the sellers and go over important property information that only a homeowner would know.  It was great to sit down and have lunch together listening to them sharing memories and what worked well for them.

Looking each other in the eyes when talking has been the greatest asset; that wonderful thing called trust and so far it’s worked for all of us.  Maybe it’s the fact that we’re all good stewards of the land and believe in what we’ve done and are looking forward to doing.  Torches have been passed without the flame ever flickering.

No, we were not able to accomplish what we planned for this property, but the new owners have wonderful ideas and lots of enthusiasm as well as help.  We on the other hand, have discovered a new world in a place we once knew and have met those who may help us accomplish what we were unable to do here, who knows?

Recently a dear friend said, (paraphrasing), “you’ve both been pushing that huge rock up that steep slope for so long and it keeps coming back on you, sometimes when one stops forcing it the stones just tumble in place”.  Thank you Zoe for listening all these years and trying to help in whatever way you can, you too are a bright spot in our journey.

Always looking for the "bright spot" 

Speaking of good people, we met Olivia and Michael from thefarmingfish.com, while visiting potential properties.  The amount of work that’s been done on their farm in just a couple of years shows they know how to take action and are committed to changing our food web.  We look forward to a new found friendship and helping each other grow into a bigger vision of what that may look like.

Just because our vision didn’t work here, there is nothing to say that it can’t work somewhere else, it’s the relationships of people working together that will make or break it.

Recently we had a taste of our Rattlesnake Pole beans in a wonderful pasta salad that we shared with the owners of our new property.  Not only did we grow them but the seeds came from more good people in Alabama that we had the great opportunity to meet online.  Thank you Kathy C. for sharing in our meal.

We only go forward into this New Year because that’s all we know how to do, go forward.  Still trying, still searching for a new something or should I say an old style of life that others before us knew.  We thought we had a new world order but come to find out, it didn’t include 99.5% of us.  Just a new year with the same old shit.

When I’m sad, crying or angry, I know I can go outside and walk in nature to gather my thoughts and put things back in perspective.  I watched the turkeys and peacocks the other day eyeballing the fresh straw that covers the new garlic bed just planted.  We bartered with the new owners so we’ll have garlic next year for all of us to split.

New garlic bed planted December 2013

Roughly 10-12#’s were planted in two beds (one in the main garden and one up front).  This should roughly yield 120+ pounds next summer.  Browsing through the new Territorial seed catalog that just came, I realize once again the amount of money saved from growing your own.  Garlic seed is priced between $14-28 a lb.  Anyone can do that kind of math.  We haven’t had to pay for garlic seed in ten years.

It is hard leaving our food supply and lately I’ve cried a lot.  It’s not like other moves we’ve made.  I’m not looking at where the sofa will go or if the kitchen has enough room for my dishes.  No, this move is about finding some level property which at our age is easier to work, good water and a shelter that is comfortable enough where I can spend the last of my days enjoying our time left. 

However sad it is leaving, we rejoice in the little things that count.  These things we cherish, whether it’s building foundations of a relationship or passing on real wealth to those who aren’t kings and queens, but just worker bees doing a good job of preserving what we have left.

Well here we are nearing the end of our relationship/friendship/kinship with the property that has cared for us, as we it.  A mutual understanding from the beginning and both sides know that it wasn’t because we didn’t try or it didn’t give back.

We know the New Year will bring more hardships with economic pressures as well as climate chaos, but as always one foot goes in front of the other enjoying what we can and doing everything possible to protect the nature in our own backyard, happy new year.

Felted slippers made from homespun, one foot in front of the other

The Home Team is Moving On

"Slipperyslope", looking up from the main garden

Some of us woke up years ago and decided to redefine what it is in our lives that truly sustain us.

Before I retired in 2008, we both realized our dream of owning and running a small restaurant together was in fact a dream and we decided to incorporate the property we owned in helping to generate a small income where others could join us in the "good life" of owning how we live and sharing what we have.  David grew the garden space to feed 6-8 people and we worked on the existing infrastructure  in hopes of building a small community.

More than 10 years later we've learned that most of whom we've met don't want to share, don't want to work for their food and instead would rather have fun since time is running out, or to simply deny that our future will be any different than it is today and continue living the way they always have.

After failing at building community, we thought we would be able to find "business partners", someone(s) looking to team up with us to generate a farm income from fruit, as we fenced in a large area of the pasture and had hoped to put in drip irrigation from stored water at the top of the property.

Because we hoped that "they" would come and "they" never have, and because the property is too much work for just the two of us; we decided to market it ourselves hoping to find some youthful interest who can/may take it to the next level and prosper from the work we've done, and maybe we succeeded in that, we hope so.  With inspections happening this week, we should know if the deal is real and if everything goes well, we will be moving on before the winter solstice.

It's a bittersweet time for us, the longest we've ever been in one home, the hardest we've ever worked on one property and the most tears we've shed under one roof.  Someone once said, "the pain intensifies the joy" and we've certainly experienced joy while living here.

We believe that no one is exempt from working for what sustains them, especially food and water.  If you are not working for what you eat, then someone else is.

A great read by Walter Haugen, The Law of Physics Are On My Side, explores the fact that slavery still exists and states:

"Consequently, we pat ourselves on the back and think we have somehow slipped the age-old pattern of enslaving somebody else so we can have a good life.  However, this is just a delusion.  Instead of human slaves, we have energy slaves." 

We know we have worked for others in our lives and can say that it hasn't destroyed us.  In fact it's made us stronger in body and healthier in mind, all of nature works for food and we're no different.

Who we are:
David and Elaine married young at ages 21 and 19, been together for 36 years.  Not only do we still like one another,  we work well together and have always dreamed about having our own business or helping others to maintain/keep theirs.  Elaine retired from the telecommunications industry after 30 years in 2008 working from the lowest paid title of “operator” to the highest paid craft job of Central Office Technician.  David provided security for our two daughters teaching them “hands on” skills and spent time volunteering in classrooms and gyms where he coached basketball as well as mentoring as a “Big Brother.”  He held numerous job positions once our daughters were older such as Campus Supervisor,  Fraternity Cook, Sorority maintenance and Building Warehouse Supervisor for a major lighting company.

What we’ve done since 2001:
While I worked full time,  David built 1.5 acres of garden space where we grew the majority of our vegetables, fruit and herbs.

Our ad for selling stated this:
Secluded, small, productive farmstead on 5 acres 10 miles west of Junction City, Oregon
Land is gently sloped with southern exposure.
Soil is loamy, well-drained, balanced pH. Irrigation from 39 GPM well.
Ability to catch rainwater off buildings and slope of property.
No Chemicals or sprays.
Updated 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 1488 sq. ft ranch home built in 1978.
Attached 2 car garage converted into recreation room
Separate 3 sided carport 33' x 36'.

Much has been written about our endeavors on our blog, specifically here:
http://embracingcollapse.blogspot.com/2013_07_01_archive.html
and here:
http://embracingcollapse.blogspot.com/2013/08/homesteading-not-just-way-of-living-but.html

We enjoy processing the food we grow and cooking with fresh ingredients during the summer season as well as stored in the winter months.

Fresh peppers stuffed with shredded zucchini and topped with homemade Ricotta cheese and cherry tomatoes

Green beans from the garden 2013

We both enjoy gardening, hiking, and reading. Elaine loves any type of craft including knitting and spinning as well as writing.  She has been a hospice volunteer for Signature Hospice in Eugene since 2010.

Shetland fleece from the Black Sheep Gathering 2013

Knitted and felted slippers made for David 2013

Here is some of what we had to offer (before selling):
• Fifty 4 x 26' raised beds.
• No till for the last seven years.
• Utilizing cover cropping, composting, companion planting, and crop    rotation.
• Maintained using hand tools.
• Well-established medicinal and culinary herbs.
• Young orchard, 40+ fruit and nut trees, 25 blueberry plants, 150' of cane fruits.
• 20 HP diesel tractor with front-end loader.
• Breeding pair of Ancona ducks.
• Chicken house capable of housing 25 chickens with fenced in run (90' x 45').
• 10' x 14' well insulated greenhouse.
• Framework installed for a 20' x 65' greenhouse with cover crop growing in it.
• Approximately two acres ploughed, tilled and deer fenced.
• Beehives.
• No Chemicals or sprays for the past 10 year

Eight beds of drying beans in front garden May 2013

Drying Beans in front garden July 2013

 

Taking down one of the bean trellises August 2013

What we’re looking for:

• To possibly join others who would like to share resources and/or living expenses while helping with a business operation.
• Help work/manage a small farm operation where our combined hours a week would be in exchange of food that we can process/store for ourselves.
• Possibly opening a small business with the help of others where food can be processed and sold.  Perhaps incorporating a commercial kitchen onsite where we can all benefit from the profit as well as the food shared.

What we have to offer:

• Financial Resources
• Familiarity of using hand tools
• Knowledge of processing fruits and  vegetables by using methods of drying, freezing, canning, fermenting and long term storage
• Experience with doing starts in a greenhouse, seed saving, composting and vermiculture
• Skilled in using herbs for cooking as well as making lotion, salves and tinctures
• Some plumbing, electrical and carpenter skills

Along with some of our better attributes such as:

• Organized
• Physically in good shape
• Dependable
• Trustworthy
• Ability to think “outside of the box”
• Adapting and dealing

Homesteading: Not Just a Way of Living, But an Act of Resistance

Time passes, things change and shit happens, so now what?  We come to terms with what we know, what we “can” do and how to take action, at least that is what we do.

Guy McPherson say's, "birth is lethal"; so every moment we live.  Moment by moment, hour by hour, day by day, some better than others.

Homesteading can be hard work but the energy invested is usually well worth the effort.  As a pacifist resists war, you might say a homesteader lives to resist giving up.  The more we learn about societies collapsing through economic fraud, resource depletion, population overshoot and climate change, the more we realize that NTE (Near Term Extinction) is not a disease but an ultimate death that we have allowed to kill us.  The choices we make today will not save us but will perhaps make the time left more bearable.

We don’t believe in hunkering down or living in fear of what inevitably will happen as death to us will come soon enough.  Instead we awaken to each day with chores in hand and a mindset of making the best of living.  This is not done without the help of nature to grow our food and/or the support of others who compliment our way of life.

We’ve found differences amongst us in our crowd of doomers that have prevented us from sharing, caring and helping one another and we have found commonalities with those who believe Revelations is all about collapse.  We laugh at our ability to get along with others and we rejoice in the overlap of the circles.  We're thankful to have some we can talk to, that will at least acknowledge how we’ve messed up our living arrangement with the earth.  We won’t ever see all things in the same light but we can agree on what is wrong even though we may not agree on what is right.

Knowing what is wrong can become so overwhelming that it prevents us from moving forward or should I say living.  Our lives are controlled by institutions such as our food system, banking businesses, military industrial complex, sickcare, education, info-entertainment (including the sports industrial complex) and the so called technology that will save the day.

Recently we read a report that stated on average people watch 34 hours of television a week.  We wonder, what if those people spent half the time securing their food source cutting down on costs and helping/supporting their small local farms?  So lets discuss food since it's something we need and it directly affects the health of us as well as the living planet. 

We've never been completely self sufficient as far as food goes and have learned to focus more on how close to home we can obtain it, either by purchasing outright or bartering.

We grow a variety of vegetables and fruit which we process and store.  What we don't grow ourselves, we purchase from small local farms or barter with honest, hard working folks.  This supports our local community, cuts down on packaging such as styrofoam, plastics and aluminum tin cans that are harmful to our health.  It also eliminates the middle person who mostly shuffles paperwork and makes money doing so.

Last year we had a surplus of 40#’s of garlic which we sold at $3 a pound to a goat farmer who wanted it not only for himself but as a booster medicine for his goats.  The $120 paid for 300#’s of hard red wheat that we purchased from an northeastern Oregon organic wheat farm.  We grind our own wheat to make bread.

Home made whole wheat bread (I now use the whey from the ricotta cheese, which gives it a springy texture)

Home made whole wheat bagels, not very pretty but they tasted good!

We have also purchased beef from the same person for the last four years, he lives within 25 miles of us and raises two cows a year that are grass fed. We pay $2 a pound hanging weight plus .50 cents a pound cut and wrap.  Experimenting with the different cuts of meats have made for some interesting meals, we hardly ever go out to eat, why would we when we can eat better at home?

T-bone steak and turnips, served with salad of lettuce, spinach, radishes, cauliflour (all veggies fresh from the garden)

Our milk comes from owners of six goats which we make our own cheese with. These connections have built relationships where I have taught spinning in exchange for sewing lessons.  Since our walnut trees are still young and not producing yet, our yearly supply of 100#’s (yield after cracking and shelling is about 48-50#’s) has been purchased from the same farm for the past four years less than 15 miles away from us on our way to town.

We purchase in bulk when possible.  I remember years ago buying granola, now we make our own.  Oats we purchase in 50# bags and cinnamon, pumpkin seeds and flax in large quantities.  Our dried strawberries are a nice addition or frozen berries left to melt in the bowl with the milk also tastes good. 

Here are a couple of examples of local meals we've had using our dried veggies as well as fresh when we have them.

Breakfast omelet made with re-hydrated tomatoes, peppers and dried zucchini, topped with canned tomatillo sauce

Dinner-

Our frozen spaghetti squash mixed with canned sauerkraut
, dried tomatoes, garlic, green onions
 and local chicken sausage
.  Served with a fresh salad made of lettuce, spinach, radishes, green onions and Amish peas (all fresh from the garden), tossed with our own herb vinegar and olive oil.

Local sausage fried with garlic and green onions, turnips, broccoli and cauliflour from the garden

Raw Pepper stuffed with scrambled eggs made with garlic and onions, ricotta cheese and cherry tomatoes, served with homemade bread

In keeping local we choose who we purchase from usually after chatting on the phone with them or visiting their farm/homestead.  Like Barbara Kingsolver said in her book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle there isn’t anything better than a farm visit as even labels that say “organic” can be grown not far from GMO crops and we live to see words backed up by actions.  We’re kind of funny in that way.

Many things can be done on the homestead to keep costs down.  We incorporate new things all the time and recently have found time to make our own toothpaste.   I’ve enjoyed learning how to infuse oils with my rose scented geraniums, calendula and lavender which I make lotion and healing salves from.  We had hoped to have our own beeswax to use in our salves but have found many local beekeepers have lost their hives recently.

Calendula from the garden

Herb vinegar, and infused oils

Chickens seem to earn their keep on the property and we love their eggs and so does our dog!  

We make his food also.

Buckeye Chickens

Our Ancona ducks mostly forage though they gotten quite spoiled with leftovers from the garden, the main reason we have them is to clean up the snails and slugs in the winter months.  Our hen don’t lay much but we sold four ducklings that paid for the pair.

Leigh-Leigh, Dolly and her four hens

As most homesteaders, we are very frugal and waste very little.  Our egg shells go back into the organic chicken feed as well as the worm bin and our compost is heaping this time of the year.  Sometimes it gives back in more than one way and we’re honored with squash, zucchini or pumpkin growing in it.

Black Beauty zucchini flourishing in the compost

                                                                                                                                                              Our hops look promising and we may get a chance to brew on own beer,

Waiting for a good brew!

and this year’s elderberries may give us a fine wine to drink on the solstice when we can celebrate once again the gift of our garden.

Elderberries wanting to become wine

I can’t imagine had our plan for a micro community worked out.  Homesteading is not for those who are lazy, but for those who don't mind a little hard work, the rewards are gratifying.  Contrary to belief, we still have fun while working.  We save money and get to see where we do spend it, and the challenge of living differently keeps us motivated.  There is no better way to live for our body, mind and soul...not for us anyways.

Moment by moment, hour by hour, day by day