I definitely would encourage you on the nursery and perma design company – will be demand in future and your region has special challenges!

Just sent you an email re: transition towns

I know from your posts here that you are facing the possibility of that massive change in reality. I can only imagine what it must be like to be in such a situation with so many lives in your responsibility. Yet, what I had meant was, you are in better shape facing such a change, having both your homesteading and 21st century skills than not having them…I hope anyway.

For myself, it has always just been me so getting by on nothing is not really so worrisome. This is starting to change now as I have realized my parents are aging and I am aware of how soon the support system may crumble, leaving children to eventually care for parents as things used to be. I do not think that either my brother or sister have accepted the reality of or started to prepare for the world that is coming soon.

I suppose that in the back of my head has also been a knowledge that I could always go back to the farm. But you are right, times are very different from the 70’s and 80’s when I was growing up there. In addition, due to the land sale we only have access to the lion’s share of field land for another 2 years after this one. This means planning a significant shift in operations in order to recoup lost income. Not that they have been farming that land heavily for a few years anyway, but I could have gone back to increased acreage sown or more head of livestock raised. However, due to location I think there is good potential for intensified production through starting a diverse nursery/permacultural design company. The nursery would mean some debt tho, but I think food production debt is going to be worth it.

I wish I had a job to offer!

The pathway to some sort of financial solution is completely obscured to me. Back in the “olden days” people passed their farms down and added a bit at a time (likely like the farm you are trying to save).

This meant that there was not an enormous debt to be managed (but there was still debt, new debt in the 20th century as farmers were forced to mechanize and not save seed and hyper-farm in ways that only made the bankers rich).

Before the time of the later industrial modern age of Big Ag, one could balance on farm productivity with possible off farm supplementation..

Its really honestly difficult to see how that can happen now without a massive change in the realities of our lives (eg: relocalization so that my goat cheese is not competing with Big Ag cheese from California, and other ways I find hard to visualize).

We are not a farm, we are a homestead. I dont expect to make profit – just wholesome food for us. It doesnt work without my working tho.

When I was referring to skills I wasnt actually thinking about my ability to trim goat hooves or midwife a kid or garden. Those are labors of love for my family and the animals.

I have lots of 21st century skills (like writing, photography, graphics, speaking skills, knowledge of a broad array of sciences, etc) that do not add to my CV as a PhD cell biologist.. this is what is frustrating.

I had been hoping to find a “green job” but I cant seem to find any that would find my CV attractive.

Ok, there you go, way too much info!

I also share the lament of a horribly short growing season. We had frost last week…

Peace and comfort to you and yours.