So I've been thinking:Over the next 12 months, I am going to be documenting the planning, preparation and implementation of my family's one-year experiment- To consume only the food we've produced ourselves here on our little farm on Vancouver Island, B.C.
I'm doing this because I'm interested in discovering whether this can be done at all; as a bit of a challenge for myself; as a way to learn some new skills, obviously as an exercise to consume fewer global resources, and also, in the event of a massive viral outbreak or a zombie infestation, I'd like to know that I could last at least a year, feeding my family, and keeping them healthy, even though all the local supermarkets have long since been burned to the ground and the nearest shopping mall is occupied by biker gangs.
Throughout this experiment, I am going to try and enlist the help/commentary of people with specialized knowledge of some of the subjects I'll be approaching over the next few months: from power and water management to gardening and animal husbandry to greenhouse construction and food preservation. I think what I'll do is try to post 5 "meta-projects" which I'll need feedback in order to move forward with, while at the same time I'll also post projects that I can sort of figure out on my own.
I'm not going to be afraid to ask for help throughout this project, for I'm starting out with a big handicap: I'm a bit of an idiot. You know how there are those people in the world who are kind of wise/knowledgeable about a whole host of subjects? Well I'm not one of them. I'm a really hard worker- I'll put in tons of hours on a project, but usually because I have to do things twice.I am originally from Sonoma, California, which is one of the most beautiful and temperate places on Earth, but I think maybe for my adult life I wanted to live somewhere a bit wilder, with some weather and some snow, so I moved to Eugene, Oregon for University, where I got my degree in Fine Art, then moved to Portland, Oregon where I worked, made some paintings, and met Natacha Lesage, a Canadian veterinarian who was on a working visa in Portland. Natacha and I took a year to travel around the world before getting married in her small hometown of Notre Dame de Lourdes, Manitoba, and then, after a couple more adventures, moved here to Vancouver Island, bought this really run-down ten-acre farm, had a little baby boy and now we're ready, with Spring almost here, to put some sweat and tears into our hobby farm, and get it producing some sweet sweet milk and honey.
Each and every one of these posts is meant to invite discussion, so feel free to post your comments below.
David I see you are truly nuts and I am fascinated. What a huge endeavor! I trust you are allowing some variance with your self sufficiency. Can you live without coffee? Who needs it with sweet milk & honey eh?
ReplyDeleteSorry I don't have much expertise in all that, but do wish you all the best with it.
Looking forward to seeing your show.
cheers
Beth
Thanks for the post- You know, this whole thing precipitated in part by the raw food potluck we went to. I mean, aside from being absolutely starving two hours later, all that stuff can be grown in a big enough garden/greenhouse... And coffee? Our well-water on its own provides all the manganese, calcium and iron I need to really kick-start my day...
ReplyDeleteWell, I was going to ask you to go have a beer and some fish and chips at O'brians on 21st for old times sake when I come to Portland later this month, but I see you have an amazing adventure ahead of your self. WOW Dave! How is the soil there? Fertile. I guess you'll be composting and the like, eh? What are you going to do for Canvas?
ReplyDeleteOn a more positive note, people have been 'living off the land' for thousands of years, so if anyone can do it, you can Dave. You are pretty resorseful. I just can't shake the image of Mr. McGregor chasing Peter Rabbit away from his garden with his rake in hand.
ReplyDeleteIn the 5th grade, my family had a pretty big vegetable garden in the back yard. We were on the edge of the forest(the last house in town). Our biggest customers were the deer. People have gotten so used to the convenience of dropping by the grocery store, it is scary to think of doing without. I hope you succeed and this turns into something more than you imagined when you started. Good luck.
Boy, I need to check my spelling above...
ReplyDeleteUh, your only spelling mistake, by my watch, was "resourceful," and that's not a big deal at all. I, myself personally, cannot spot the difference between "fountian," and fountain." My eyes simply cannot focus on the two words long enough to spell it right, and I don't even know the correct spelling anyway.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm not going to try and weave my own canvas or whatever. I'm just going to try and freeze/store a bunch of vegetables and avoid Pizza Pops. Which, by the way, in the States are called "Pizza Pockets," and I don't even want to know what they're called in Japan.
No pizza pockets, but lots of Giyoza. Yum!
ReplyDelete