For some time now I have been an avid health food nut. I did not grow up living in a household where organic food was served. I’m not sure many of us generation X’ers did. Well unless you were raised by hippies. That is the term my family always used. Not counter-culturalists or naturalists, just plain ole hippies. I was raised on a diet of home-grown or farm raised food-especially meat and canned garden vegetables, but they were always fried or served with copious amounts of butter. Seven-dust a deadly pesticide/insecticide was and is still used by my parents and extended family. I was told just last week by my mom that the government would surely not allow a company to sell us products that would harm us. Ah, I reveled in her innocence. The idea that our government really is looking out for us and protecting us is a wonderful idea, but it is as far from reality as is possible. Our fair and wonderful country has been taken over by politicians and lobbyists and their only concern is how much money they will line their pockets with. I am an independent and I vote for whichever candidate is the least offensive. I am finding it harder and harder to vote. Okay enough on the politics, let me reel it back in here.
I have decided to take matters of my health and that of my family’s (as much as they will allow) into my own capable hands. I was raised on a farm, we have 40 acres of very steep very rocky ground, but it is good enough to raise animals on. I plan to construct my first greenhouse and I am reclaiming a barn that nature has almost completely taken over. For one year/season (raising season) I will grow a beef, a pig and some chickens. They will be fed organic or at least non-GMO feed. They will drink rain water from the new cistern or water from our free-flowing spring. I will raise as much of our veggies as possible and use absolutely nothing but organic methods to do so.
So there it is, “the plan.” You may find me huddled in a corner many times before this adventure is over. I will chronicle daily events and projects here. I hope that my endeavor will inspire you to make as many changes to your way of eating and thinking about food as possible. If I can do this, anyone can. I have never in my life butchered a chicken-which my mom finds amusing and disgraceful all at the same time. Some of this will be very difficult for me, but I have had this idea rolling around in my head for quite a while and recently a friend has brought my attention to how fortunate I am. I have the ability to do this. I have the means (no monetary-but land wise) to accomplish this. I have to give it a try. It may last one round and that is it, but just perhaps, it will take off and grow. Hopefully my few raised beds of garden will grown into a full-sized garden. My one beef will grow go a small herd and my pig will have friends to play with. We shall see. I firmly believe that vast disconnect with our food is the very link to the growing numbers of obese people in our country. If we decide that quality is more important than quantity I truly believe will be a healthier happier nation.
The planning stage is still in it’s infancy. There is much to do and I will post as I can. I will include lots of pictures and I’m working on customizing the blog, so please bear with me. This farming idea is as new to me as becoming an astronaut. I have a lot of learning to do and stacks of books to read & people to visit with. I am above all else a very efficient planner, and if I rush things, I’ll surely screw something up.
Hippie Defined (Photo credit: Tobyotter)
Our Green Acre Blog 