The main thing is to just do it. You don't learn very much by reading about it compared to actually doing the work. Even people who live in cities can grow much of their own food if they are resourceful. When the economy collapsed in Cuba, the Havana residents started growing food in every nook and cranny!
On Self Reliant Communities
Visit Billy and Anuttama's Blog: Adventures in learning to live locally
About 4 years ago, Billy and I (Anuttama) set a goal for ourselves to learn to be more self reliant. After reading an article in the Eatonville Dispatch about a group in their area that has similar goals, we became active members of the Self Reliant Community in Graham, WA. We are now growing most of our food and are developing ways to store food as well as grow winter crops so that we can have a year round supply of delicious, nutritious meals produced mainly from our 3 acre farm. We have a jersey/holstein cow, Dhana; a baby jersey bull, Makani and a heifer, Lani Moo. With a goal to develop alternative methods bee keeping that maximize bee health and happiness, we currently have 5 hives including two top bar hives and 3 Langstroth/top bar hybrids. One of the most useful discoveries we have had lately was when we converted the entire south side of our house into a greenhouse. It is amazing how well this greenhouse heats our home, decreasing our need for fuel to stay warm.
The Bhaktivedantas World Sankirtan Party and Inside Nam Hatta are hosted by Hansadutta das, a senior disciple of Srila Prabhupada and trustee of The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. Participate or learn more about World Sankirtan Party.
Our farm projects are an extremely important part of our movement. We must become self-sufficient by growing our own grains and producing our own milk, then there will be no question of poverty. So develop these farm communities as far as possible. They should be developed as an ideal society depending on natural products not industry. Industry has simply created godlessness, because they think they can manufacture everything that they need. Our Bhagavad-gita philosophy explains that men and animals must have food in order to maintain their bodies. And the production of food is dependent on the rain and the rain of course is dependent on chanting Hare Krishna. Therefore let everyone chant Hare Krishna, eat nicely and keep their bodies fit and healthy. This is ideal life style. We do not condemn modern civilization but we don't like to get it at the cost of God Consciousness, that is suicide. more
Regarding water, I think it is imperative to have a back up water plan. We have an extremely high water table and hit water often just digging a fence post. So our back up is a hand pump (bought from Lehman's) and a shovel to dig a shallow well. Drinking water can be purified in a number of ways and we do have back up filters. We also live on a stream with beaver dams:)
You can increase the water holding properties of your soil in a number
of ways, but writing about this could fill volumes of books.
There are a number of ways to catch water from roofs and store it in
cisterns/ponds etc. which work in some circumstances. When we lived
in Hawaii, all of our water was catchment, but the rainfall there on
the wet side of the Big Island was about 150 inches/year.
Most vegetables need more sunlight than is available in the winter to
grow. If they are already grown, however they can be kept alive for
fresh carrots, beets, cabbage, kale, lettuce etc. But even in
California, it is best to grow most things during the spring-fall.
Regarding devotees and self-sufficiency, the only ones who are
advanced that I've encountered are Varaha and Nrsmha in Mississippi,
and they don't have a website. I do correspond with them, but their
climate has much different challenges from ours, so we're best off
learning from people in our area who are doing similar projects.
Unfortunately Billy and I are about the furthest along towards self
sufficiency from anyone I've met in our area, which is a sad
commentary on life.
Some permaculturists try to become perennial-purists, and even try to
develop perennial grains. It is a good idea, but for now we have a
mixture of plants.
The main thing is to just do it. You don't learn very much by reading
about it compared to actually doing the work. Even people who live in
cities can grow much of their own food if they are resourceful. When
the economy collapsed in Cuba, the Havana residents started growing
food in every nook and cranny!
Good luck and have fun!
Anuttama
On Jul 31, 5:00 pm, lakshmi kary
> Hare Krishna
> Dear Anuttama,
> Do you have sources for importation about water distribution,
> when/if there is no electricity, no pump service, no gas, etc.This year I
> want to try and make a winter garden with summer vegetables, trying to
> figure out how to do it,... yellow crookneck squash isnt in season long
> enough..want to find away to grow it and other things year round without the
> expense of electricity. Do any devotees have a gardening and self sufficient
> website.
> I might be willing to help sponsor one, and everyone can contribute.ive been
> in the process onhaving one for cow care, training etc. so if you or anyone
> has any articles or experience you would like to share send it along.
>
> I ordered some TREE Collards from Bountiful Gardens recently..
> I heard these are really nice plantsto have in the garden from a neighbor
> who has had them in the past.http://www.bountifulgardens.org/prodinfo.asp?number=VCO-3250
> All the best.
> Lakshmi
>
> On Sat, Jul 31, 2010 at 4:18 PM, Anuttama devi dasi
>
> > Haribol Prabhus,
>
> > PAMHO. AGTSP.
>
> > This morning our Self Reliant Community group toured some local
> > permanent agriculture projects. I've posted an article with pictures
> > about our experience on our blog:http://billyandanuttama.wordpress.com/
> > It is a very interesting concept for growing food, introduced by Sepp
> > Holzer based on his observations of nature. Please comment if the
> > article interests you.
>
> > YS,
>
> > Anuttama
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Sri Guru and Gauranga
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