SimPLife: LIVING FARM! The Self-Reliance Ca$h Crop IdeaBank for Growers

IF YOU ARE AN EXPERIENCED ORGANIC FARMER,

or someone who likes to grow the high-value food-

then you've come to the right place.

IN HERE, are interviews and interpretations of farms and growing spots in various places on our Planet, to focus on possibilities for adapting these ideas, crops, or techniques at home, in our own growing places.

THIS COURSE is GROWING.....that is to say, i am always out there, armed with camera and loads of questions, to see what value can be gleaned from each gracious farming participant-

as we often must traverse barriers

of language and culture, to arrive at their stories.

so, WELLCOME! and for darned sure please contact me, im,

if you have questions or would like to see something different.

we're all here for one another, the way i see it-

Organic Farming and Food Production now, is finally through necessity, ready to rejoin the stage of All Things Sexy and Cool.

yep. This Human World is Finally Tired of the Global Food Scam-

just sayin.

let's DO this RIGHT!

im

A little note on our Curious Little Reality, April 2020.

YOU, as ORGANIC FARMER, now stand in FoodWorld Center Ring.

That is to say,

the people are with you,

demand is with you,

the FUTURE certainly is with you.

Because aspects of this artificially-processed decaffeinated Life we've all been putting up with,

this unnatural chem-world which has so craftily insinuated

itself up society's backside,

is now in appreciable danger of imploding.

Curious sometimes, isn't it, when the best-laid plans come around to bite those who've laid them.......

never mind, just venting.

enjoy The Accidental Paradigm!

im

Food for Thought, in the human-to-nature struggle for supremacy

whatever does ORGANIC mean, anyway?

this is one abused & overused word in the English language nowadays. and mostly it gets,well, lost in translation.

poor 'organic' our friend, is at once a buzzword, a branch of chemistry, delineator of certain behaviours, and the flagship of a global cultural movement.

and i wonder how many folks really have the right word, when they use this tired & over-wrought label.

then again, in this human world how much that is going on, is going on correctly?

AN OFFERING on changing the heavily-controlled "organic" label, to put responsible, high-quality food production back in the hands of farmers.

(something quite valuable that i learned, is brought to mind here- NEVER bitch and moan UNLESS you can offer a way out, a solution or something which HELPS the situation.)

This Session:

A Review or Summary of the Basics any Organic Farm Needs to be Thrival, in This New World Disorder

------------------------------

NOW: DIVING HEAD FIRST into Self-Reliance, the essential requirement that all intelligent Organic Farming operations MUST be rooted in:

- to BE in the market

- to stay ALIVE

THIS IS a touch-up on what farms want to have on-board, up-front, prior to attempting engagement with a fickle and demanding market economic,

and with Earth's Nature- far more fickle, far more demanding.

A REFRESHER, before we go on to Question FarmWorld- by the Interview/Investigative style of Farm Fact Reporting, coming up later...

The SECOND installment on what farms want to have on-board, up-front, prior to attempting engagement with a fickle and demanding market economic,

and with Earth's Nature- far more fickle, far more demanding.

The THIRD installment on what farms want to have on-board, up-front, prior to attempting engagement with a fickle and demanding market economic,

and with Earth's Nature- far more fickle, far more demanding.

PERENNIALS as preferred Crop choice, the Majic of Trees, and AgroForestry as the target self-reliance design

BioIntensive - not only about plantforms in soil, but how about YOU, dear farmer?

have we humans entered into practical lack, a tradeoff with the devil who threw isolation and moneygrabs our way these last decades,

and can we now see to integrate ALL the good things together, in

one WHOLE gorgeous bliss sandwich of diversity.....

hmm. kinda wish i said this during the lecture.

continuing......

BioIntensive - not only about plantforms in soil, but how about YOU, dear farmer?

have we humans entered into practical lack, a tradeoff with the devil who threw isolation and moneygrabs our way these last decades,

and can we now see to integrate ALL the good things together, in

one WHOLE gorgeous bliss sandwich of diversity.....

hmm. kinda wish i said this during the lecture.

Session:

WHY CAN'T We All Earn a Decent Living as Farmers? Suggestions and Strategies for High-Value Crops Which Enhance Your Health AND Wealth

NOW:

I HAVE NO CLUE , why more farmers are not producing the higher-valued , more market-precious crops- called Ca$h Crops.

GOOD! advantage for YOU, no?

I say, Nature abhors a void, so fill it!

BERRIES! are an anti-oxidant perennial powerhouse bursting with flavour, fun to eat and helping to assure robust health.

AND, if we are good strategic farmers- berries can rightfully reclaim their place as high-value yet affordable daily staples in our communities.

A bit o' chat, and Ways to get those berries ON your farming lineup, with an emphasis on economy and frugal methods to start out-

while knowing that this could easily become the epicenter of your farming notoriety and income....

Continuing a bit o' chat, and Ways to get those berries ON your farming lineup, with an emphasis on economy and frugal methods to start out-

while knowing that this could easily become the epicenter of your farming notoriety and income....

Of course, the famed, beloved blueberry. if you're not aware of the market power these purple jewels wield,

GET AWARE

is my message here...

More on the famed, beloved blueberry. if you're not aware of the market

power these purple jewels wield, GET aware is my message here...

OF COURSE Coffee! the age-old addiction, upheld proudly

by those of us who simply ADORE that morning aroma, and

needed kick to get out and do what the day presents

At the government-sponsored Horticultural Research Station

in Pokhara, Nepal- here is an assembly of facts and factors

needed for getting on with coffee production

AVOCADOS , or aguacates, are my favorite ca$h crop subject, due to the great dynamics they bring to the table.

Avos are first, currently sweeping the planet like a wildfire of desire, prices are unreasonably high in the market, and folks just can't seem to get enough of the avo experience.

EUROPE for example, has doubled their demand for avos from 2017 to now- an incredible onrush- and the USA with it's sports-consumer traditions, can consume over 70 million TONS of avos over one Super Bowl weekend alone.

that's demand.

HIGH in phytonutrients, antioxidants, and HDL (good) fats, avos are officially a fruit but have a decidedly vegetable taste and texture. When ripe, they spread easily over toast, and are sometimes referred to as "poor man's butter".

IRONIC that label is, now that avos are often more pricey than butter in most markets....

this 3-part minseries touches on different aspects of the avocado experience, and how to jump in the game yourself.

Mexico and Ecuador are two notable Supers in the avocado game;

Mexico the ancient birthplace, and both having already ancient markets and an impressive species diversity for aguacates.

HOWEVER, in this modern world's market, we are much better served to focus on our locally evolved species for overall health and well-being of the local environments involved.

AGRO-FORESTRY is the key, for making avos the center of your growing operation- or as part of a diversified edible habitat.

For what we know to be truths in biological sharing and symbiotics

(at least from the viewpoint of this course),

it is nearly inconceivable that we ever plant any edible species-

without first imagining how our efforts can be duplicated & magnified by the energetic interactions created

in the combined BioDynamic, AgroForestry & General Environmental landscape.

AND THAT, is multiplicity pure and SimPL.

Sensible

integrated

multiplicity for

Practical

Living

- im

PONDERING Produce Pricing, balancing the farm crop outlay, and what do we DO with This Crazy World...

REVEALING the SimPLife Farm course Schema, with reasons.

with feeling.

i KNEW those guys were up to something...

THIS IS a government-sponsored research facility of ORGANIC, or mostly organic, vegetable and perennial fruit tree fields and orchards, which investigates various ways these crops may be farmed and improved, including more than one type of composting.

The outputs include not only produce for local consumers, but SEEDS for local farmers, and knowledge on the various diseases and pests farmers might watch out for- and what should be done should these events occur.

A good peruse of information, to start us out

We begin our journey throughout the projects with the local pomologist, Shyam Poudel, who describes the care and growth of normally-tropical macadamias in himalayan Pokhara, Nepal.

We spy mac prunings and lychee tree prunings, due to over-shading of organic coffee trees...

personally, these days if i see a pile of sticks, bamboo or branches like this, i would arrange it in loose rows on the worst bit of back-acre soil around, and plant vine seeds (pumpkin, cucumbers, beans, berries or peas)

all around the base of those rows- mixing some cowshit or compost under the planting, of course.

then let those vines just grow over those piles-

a GREAT way to keep the fruits off the ground, easier to harvest, more yield- love it!.....(re: Meaw Farm Intro, Farm2 below)

Acacia exists as a plethora throughout the world, and are one species that SimPLife considers as a 'Great Saviour' -

that is to say, Acacia can make a dramatic turnaround in how we care for our Earth, and how we farm and produce food.

The humble Mustard will fool you- easy to grow, easy to harvest and obtain oil-

but also is an important, spicy-good high-value green for the table.

Not well-known in the West, here's a large-weight root produce, super easy to grow, good nutrition- and valuable also for those early large-leaf greens that come up in droves.....two harvests, one crop.

An important staple in India and Nepal, this legume also nitrogen-fizes, as well as gives a bountiful display of

flowering colour in the field.......highly recommended as a fence-climber and vertical border crop

A favourite brassica throughout the world- prized for its unique texture, taste, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, anti-cancer agents

& other health-affirming properties.

Using vermicompost (worm-consumed organics) vs. a regular compost, one can see the staggering difference

in the case of the cauliflower field planted here...

A favourite, vitamin mineral powerhouse enjoyed worldwide, 

great in cool or mountain weather,

we see it here in a highly intensive planting for seed production.

Grown here to offer as an alternative to the local variety, we find that this species produces a large fruit,

yet not quite so tasty...

A Nepali staple food, 28 sub-species are being studied here, as an assistance to local growers.

as seen, they vary greatly from one type to another.

A view of large composting chambers used here at the Horticultural Research Center Pokara,

then touring along, to view how one naturally-occurring mulch is re-directed for use in the farm.

another large COMPOST CHAMBER at this Station, where is used Effective Micro-organisms to hasten the process...

A wander through some of the plots under study at the Station,

to give you some idea of planting configurations for several crops, a few tips & preferences

LEARN How Farmers Here Grow Food Simply & Organically- with some very Useful Techniques

We are at Tapa's Farm here, and unfortunate because her English is not too much, and my Nepali really sucks. instead, i just tool around with the camera, and show what's there

THIS IS A BRILLIANT, and rather curious method of storing lifestock feed or bedding grasses, without having to build infrastructure. one spies these all over Nepal....great especially if you're just starting out!

GREENHOUSES ARE A MAINSTAY of the practical farming scenario- here we see a very simpl method of buildinga greenhouse, sunshade or nursery, as you like-

without having to use any hardware and very little tooling.

no screws, nails or even modern materials are necessary-

except........plastic as covering. a nice idea.

well, not an ACTUAL BBC moment, i'd be fired on the first day if i was hired to be their camera guy........just a meandering view of some nature nearby Pokhara, and we see a common bridge- commonly used by people and motorcycles & scooters, another brilliant low-tech innovation to grace the Nepal experience.

Despite aggravating wind in the microphone and lousy camerawork, all farmers are invited to this visit to Meaw's Farm, on the island of Saipan, Northern Marianas.

Meaw has a meandering bit of land nearby the main road, with jumbling discards strewn about: old cars, piles of used tires (being re-used by her), an overturned bus, and hundreds of lovely nursery plants available for sale.

tucked in here and there, between all that, are her edibles. explore with us in this joureny of 12 videos- hopefully well worth your time for Meaw's unique planting techniques and tricks.

Hafa Adai!

curious tips on growing Mango, Pumpkin, Greens, DragonFruit

Discussion on Farm Diversity, Thai Basil, Dragon, Companion Plants found at this farm

Discussion: Repurposing Materials, Tomatoes

Discussion: Thai "dokae"- fast growing flowering acacia, bitter melon, winternsquash or pumpkin & the everpresent farmers push.

Pumpkin Seeds- the direct easy way to grow MORE pumpkins

Discussed: Outdoor Living Room, Flowers, Using Junk

A Stroll Through the Nursery, ideas on plant containers, growing ornamentals as side/backup work.

Nursery2- Moringa, Dill, planting diversity

discussed: Aquaculture mini tank- selling tropical fish that are raised in an old metal box.

discussed: VISIT another farmer! LEARN from them, TEACH them, share...

and finally......the market, the final destination of farm produce and efforts,

and the connection point from farm-to-public.

here we see Meaw casually minding her selling spot at

Sabalo market, Saipan.

THIS VIDEO records my actual first meeting with John McGuire, owner of the hand-planted-by-seed fruit tree farm-

that ended up becoming of becoming a collaborative steaming, sweat-soaked labour of rejuvenation that both of us were immersed in for the next SIX months.

some farmer's insights and local lore are shared here- and in the next few chats as well.......hope this does some good for your own knowledge.....

SO......everyone is Saipan is connected, and im is the last to know.....

John McGuire Works sometimes with MEAW, from the first installment of The Living Farm! and in this video we look more at goings-on in John's farm setup

THIS FINISHES up the initial Chats with John series,

and launches subsequently into our 6-month farm rejuvenation effort. stay tuned, as we pick up the vids SIX months later, and tour you thru the aftermath of what we've done......

we havin' fun yet??

THIS IS RAGGED, GANG.....lousy camera work coupled with blowing winds to the mic, makes this NOT the studio polish some of you demand.

so....moving right along.....this isme, SIX months after meeting John McGuire (previous chats), and summing up our results thus far.

HERE we take an in-depth tour of how we attempted to bring back an area of fruit trees that have been snapped in half, and overall savaged by a typhoon-

a 200 mph wind kind of typhoon-

in Saipan, in the tropical Northern Marianas Islands, on

the hand-planted farm of John McGuire.

an idea of how to modify trees for the local environmental realities is discussed here....

OK! the big walkaround, of the McGuire land area, chatting up quick stories for each tree, giving suggestions when i think of it.....it's a real tour, folks....

rounding up our walkaround, with the hopes that any of you can be inspired to plant your own diverse grove of beautiful lifeforms-

the earth will certainly love you for it, if nobody else!

John's east side property is particularly interesting to me, as not only do we have ready-to-eat fruits, but a lot of ladakhi farmplot space for local vegetables, nearby the house.

finishing up, rounding out to John's house frontside, so you now see all what has happened, what gets annhilated, what is bulletproof, and what flourishes despite everything

WHY LOCALIZE? well, mostly because Globalization just aint much fun........

LINKS are provided here, to check out free webinars now being put out there by Local Futures and Helena Norbert-Hodge - and Russell Brand.

let me know what you think?

HISTORICAL FARMING VIDEO COLLECTIONS!

WHAT AN EVEREST of invaluable, old-school documentaries- all on YouTube, and pilfered from the permies com community website.

i recommend them, to provide so much more education and ideas for your growing.

i just can't drool enough over the wealth offered herein- caution! this is literally HOURS of wealth.....take it in as you can-

but if you're like me, you'll see nothing nothing but value upon value~

enjoy friends!

THIS EXCHANGE with David Allen was done via back-and-forth correspondence, yet resulted in some valuable insights and options you might consider.

David is a homesteading organic farmer and instructor in AirCrete Construction. Catch him on the web, to learn more about what he does!

What happens when a nearby property threatens your ability to live clean and healthy?

Here, ideas are not offered so much as just a story from Italia - and about being careful to choose- and protect- our paradises on earth.