Quote:I think you should trust your guidance, to be where you are are guided to be.
But, did you know that the food can also come to you? to where you are at?
Moving isn't feasible for us, so we are bringing the food to us. We have a verrrrrrrrrrrry tiny yard. At first, I thought we had room for only about 5 fruit trees, max. So we planted them. But then I learned about permaculture. Did you know that if people became vegetarians, and planted food crops instead of green lawns, the planet could sustain 100 times more people? (maybe more)
So, following principles of permaculture, I have just realized I can fit a LOT more fruit trees on our tiny property!
If all the fruit trees are even mildly productive, we will have fruit coming out our ears! I will have to run our dehydrator 24/7! And I'll probably still have plenty left over for the neighbors!
Moving to a tropical island is wonderful, if it's feasible for you. But there is a lot you can do with the land you're already on. I continue to be amazed at how much we can do with this tiny piece of land.
Good Greetings All:
For the last 5 years I have been learning about Permaculture, Anastasia/datcha movement and the Ancient Wisdom of Plant Guilds and tree guild
These 3 approaches when applied to a small plot of land and to every possible surface that can be cultivated through raised beds (such as roofs and vertical gardens) less than 1/8 of an acre in a 4 season climate can indeed produce enough food to subsist on for the whole year. It is not how much one plants--- instead it is what one plants and how one organizes the plants. Plants have friendships just like personality types do.
So for instance: A guild for an Apple Tree would go something like this:
Two apple trees are required for cultivation-- of two different varieties. Such as a Macitosh with a Pipin etc. Check with an heirloom nursery for more detailed instructions.
Plant the Apple tree (if you need fruit in the first year plant dwarf apple trees), around the base of the apple tree plant a ring of Chives or small onions in a raised bed) around that ring plant strawberries in a raised bed. And around that plant more chives, small onions--- and then place a small walking path--- then plant a another apple tree. This time plant chives around this apple tree in a raised bed followed by Roses, followed by lillies (the bulbs are delicious and the flowers edible and the beauty inspiring, followed by more chives or small onions and finally strawberries. Tbhe flowers of the rose are highly nutritious, beautiful, and antimicrobrial. As well as the rose hips are highly nutritious as well and can be preserved in the full nutritional value by naturally pickling (no vinager required). Drying them destroys all the nutriments but the dried rose hips will still taste good as a tea...
For a highly nutritious famine food collect berries and encase them in rendered lard with dried powdered protein. Store in a glass jar or rawhide bag in a cool dark place or bury in a root cellar) This type of famine food will preserve for over 20 years. It is called Pemmican
I routinely allow volunteers to stay: some excellent volunteers to encourage taking root are dandelions (the whole plant is edible and nutritious), yellow docketo (the root is highly nutritious and very high in iron, Cattails, raspberries, blackberries, and the full range of clovers. There are others that are highly nutritious but for the sake of the common USA front lawn--- it is a foragers feast...
Potatoes are excellent to grown in a small space are are excellent food for starch and vitamin c as well as a source of vitamin B12 (its all in the dirt)... The amazing thing about potatoes is one can get almost 50lbs from one eye that grows into a plant. Just keep burying the bottom most leaves and you will foster more potatoes! Yum!
Climbing vegetable plants can be on a north or southeast wall of a a house along a trellis. A trellis can be made from an old bed spring, wire fencing, anything with lots of little openings for the plant tendrils to grip around. This is also a good method for blackberries and raspberries--- trellis them to cultivate larger berries from the original volunteers--- blackberries and raspberries send out runners that then root to the ground this is how the plant creates a thicket for itself. The idea for the plant is it will protect the core root stock... but in a cultivating environment where the gardener is protecting the root stock it is unnecessary to allow the plant to become a thicket (impossible to harvest all the berries from as well). These plants can also be used medicinally--- blackberry root and rapberry leaves for instance.
cool video on vertical urban gardening
Nature wishes us to be successful and when we are harmoniously cultivating food producing forests EA(rth) is very receptive. She is most gentle and very sensitive to all forms of LOVE. LOVE is truly a science of Light.
I was recently reading a book written by Laura Ingalls Wilder who was well known in Missori for her gardens during the Mid-20th Century--- she used every inch of her garden and to avoid weeding she planted potatoes between her rows... Such wisdom to be gleaned from our Grandmothers and Great-Grandmothers and the Ancient Ones with the Fairies.
Bright Blessings--
fairyfarmgirl