My Happy Place, Part 4

Now the question must be answered from viewing the previous posts...it is all a nice dream, but what kind of plan do you have to achieve your dream?  To be honest, we have a long way to go, but we are working on the little bits that we can right now.  The first priorities are eating healthy and getting out of debt.

In choosing to eat healthy, I have undertaken alot of reading and research.  Growing up in my family they were all about consuming all the wrong things in very large quantities.  This is a habit that for the most part I have broken and by the time my children are old enough to live on their own, I would like to see them making great choices without me there to guide them.

The healthiest foods that you can eat is what you grow yourself, organically without chemicals or pesticides and then picking and eating when ripe instead of the cardboard you buy in the grocery store.  For the moment I have two little bitty raised bed gardens.  In them we have three butternut squash plants, five tomato plants-two different kinds, six zucchini plants and two pepper plants.  Even with the drought and extreme heat, they are producing and doing just fine.

I have started my seedlings for my fall garden which we will expand into containers on the patio (our soil in the yard is extremely poor).  For the fall I have green beans, cucumbers, eggplants, squash, three kinds of peppers, two kinds of tomatoes, and pumpkins.  They will all be going into self-watering containers that my husband and kids are making!  I am very excited for this as it will be my first time container gardening.

For this spring, we have plans for at least ten more raised beds (small...only 3x3) and more containers.  I have a fenced in yard and will get the soil ready for some climbing vines to attach to the fence as well as a huge tree in the front yard that we can use for vines to grow up.  I have a desire to grow some unusual varieties (at least from where I come from up north) I am looking at the possibility of Kiwi and Passion Fruit vines as well as Goji Berries and the Dwarf Pomegranate.  I have a couple of shady areas and will plan on some veggies that are ok with shade such as collards and Miner's lettuce.

Growing as much of our own food as possible will not only be healthy, but also save us alot of money.  There are some things we cannot grow yet such as wheat, flax, oats, barely and large fruit or nut trees.  What we can grow though is a step in the right direction.  Every little bit helps!


While saving money is a good thing, making money to get out of debt is good too.  Next week I will share some steps that I am taking to climb out of the hole.  I don't believe in leaving it all to my husband, instead, I want to help make a difference in my families lives on top of home educating, gardening, and keeping up my home as well as cooking and baking practically everything from scratch!  See you next week, until then check out these books from our affiliate...it is my recommended reading list for gardening! 

My Happy Place, Part 3

Everyone needs dreams and goals.  Life is just no fun without them.  But, usually really good dreams take alot of work and planning to see them come to life.  That is what the American Dream was all about and what I am instilling into my children.  Have a dream, have a goal, plan for it and make it happen!  If life throws you a curve ball...regroup, reorganize and get back on track.  Set backs are a part of life, how you deal with them proves what kind of a person you are.

Last week I finished sharing about my Happy Place or my (also my husbands) dream that we are working towards.  Literally...working.  As mentioned earlier, no good thing happens without hard work, a plan and determination.  Motivation also helps.  The motivation for our dream is not easily defined.  It is a complicated spectrum that I will attempt to outline a bit, but realize that these are all interconnected.

Cultivating a Piece of G-d's Planet...His Way

I always get a kick out of it when Christians try and justify their actions to deplete the soil or abuse the planet (as well as their bodies) with the dominion doctrine.  That really is all it is, doctrine.  Then you have the other side of those who believe in HaShem and they take His commands about the earth seriously, but do not realize that everything G-d said has evidence to back up what He was saying.

A good way to view the Torah is, "The manual for life."  HaShem created and manufactured this planet (and our bodies) like Dell creates and manufactures computers.  Logically, He would have given us a manual or "how-to" guide so that we didn't screw up what He created.  Naturally, as most people do not read the manual for any appliances they purchase...or take someone else's word for it to get out of reading, so goes with the Torah.

Interesting thought:  Based on the above two paragraphs...can you imagine the amazing conversations that G-d had with Adam in the Garden of Eden?  Do you think that G-d would have told Adam the real meaning behind Genesis 1:28?  Do you think that man has corrupted what G-d really meant?

Thus comes in the idea of Torah Farming, click here.  That means cultivating our future plot of land His way.  I have talked with my family of farmers and asked them about the practices outlined in Torah.  They are much better than pumping the land full of chemicals...trust them on this, we are talking multi-generational farmers, they know their stuff.  To be honest, only my maternal Great-Grandfather did organic farming (closer to Torah farming than chemical farming), but still, everyone agrees that the Torah holds the information that is best for taking care of the land.

With Torah Farming, you then must rely on G-d for an income.  That seventh year can be interesting if you are farming for profit or a food source, or both.  Chemicals and harmful pesticides make farmers dependent on themselves instead of on G-d.  They do not have to seek Him for blessing or guidance because it is all in the bottles of harmful spray.  I do firmly believe that at some point they will have to answer to HaShem for knowingly destroying the soil (a living organism) and willingly making people sick (pesticide related cancers, etc.).

Health Benefits

With our own plot of land, we will be able to grow nearly everything we can consume on top of making a profit.  While eating raw is the healthiest way to go, depending on the climate we are able to get our land in, home canning and preserving is still more healthful than purchasing store bought cans with possible BPA.  Not to mention that I will be able to name all the ingredients!

Think of the possibilities with salad, vegetables, fruits and nuts available from your own hard work.  That is really something to think about!  I am overwhelmed at the possibility of nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and so much more! 

Giving of Our Bounty

Even though we want to farm for profit, that does not mean we would not give back.  No, I want to take the Torah seriously and adopt a few families of widows and their children to grow food for.  For those that do not know anything about canning or growing their own food, I want to teach them, even simple container gardening...anyone can do that.  I have always loved the saying, "Give a man a fish and you can feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and you can feed him for a lifetime!"  In our case however it will be, "If you teach someone to farm..."

A dream that we have for "someday" is adoption.  We really want to adopt more children and give them a home.  Right now we are unable to do so, but there is a "someday" dream that I take off the shelf and dust off now and again.  How fun to be able to teach more children how to garden and preserve their bounty not to mention all the other benefits that come from having a family! 

Legacy

When I pass on someday, I want to leave a living legacy.  Through everything that I learn and study, I want to pass this on to my children.  Eventually, this land will be a realization of planning, goal setting and hard work.  What we learn, grow and plant together will become a reality for future generations to pass on to their offspring.  I do not want to leave the legacy of, "look what I did!"  But rather, "look what YOU can do if you work hard enough!"

"grit your teeth" and make it happen kind of way.  It takes time.  It takes determination.  It takes motivation.  Sometimes, it takes an act of G-d, but that is very rare.  I hope you have been enjoying this so far!  Next week you are going to get a sneak peek at some of the steps are are taking towards the BIG GOAL!

As you read through this, are you motivated to plan and work hard for the future?  Do you have dreams or goals you can share in a comment, or do you have a blog post that you can link in a comment?

My Happy Place, Part 2

Last week I left you with the tempting idea of Tree Collards.  My dream began to unfold for you as you saw ideas involving an English Cottage and Espalier grown fruit trees, raised bed and vertical gardens.  Are you sighing at the thought of such a utopia?  I am, at least for now while I am sitting here writing this post.  Then I have to get outside and take care of my plants.  But for now, I do want to share a bit more with you!

Strolling between my orchard of Espalier trees, is where you will find my raised beds with a variety of heirloom vegetables.  Oh yes.  No normal commercial produce is going into my Utopia.  Eat the rainbow and live healthy!  Everything from indigo sweet corn to purple potatoes, fuchsia chard and red eggplants!  These are not things you will find in your grocery store, but these are the things that our great grandparents may have eaten and found perfectly normal.  A great place to find these heirlooms are the Seed Savers Exchange.  Check it out, you will love it!  If all your kids have ever known for produce is what is bought in a store, I would suggest trying to grow one or two new plants a year, just to broaden their horizons and their palette!

I have no doubt that there are people that only like to flower garden.  Who wants productive plants when you can just sit and look at them?  Well, don't worry, I will have some pretties too.  And I will eat them.  Yes, edible flowers are excellent sources of anti-oxidants!  Capers are my favorites, they are unopened flowers or buds.  SO good in pasta salads!!!  Pansies, honeysuckle and even the squash flowers are edible.  These will be excellent in a green smoothie!

What is a utopia without herbs?  Spice is the flavor of life!  I love to add flavor to whatever I am cooking whether it is actually cooked or chopped and served raw.  Some of my favorites to work with are cumin and chili powder.  And even though chives, onions and garlic can technically be classified as vegetables, I use them nearly everyday for flavor in something or other.  I think it would be lovely to attempt to recreate a plot right out the kitchen door reminiscent of an English herb garden.

I mentioned in last weeks post that I am interested in learning spinning and weaving.  I would love to grow flax for that purpose, but also flax seeds are so versatile!  They are an excellent source of Omega 3 fat that our bodies need without the harmful side effects that fish or red meat can bring.  Linen cloth (made from flax) is an amazing cloth!  Many people claim that it has healing properties and of course the more it is worn the softer it feels.  Another plant that I am interested in growing for spinning and weaving purposes is cotton.  I have loved cotton since I was a little girl!  I love the texture and my whole family loves to sew with cotton.  It also is SO versatile!  Both can be made into clothing or bedding or whatever you need it for.

These flax flowers are just glorious!

Doesn't this cotton field look happy?

At the end of a perfect day filled with productivity, when the temperature is just right and there is a slight breeze, somewhere, tucked away on the property there will be a hidden getaway, my little retreat.  A place to call refuge that will offer a calm atmosphere for reflection.  In the distance perhaps there will be the sounds of a bubbling brook, or even the sweet singing of birds to add peaceful serenity.  This would be the place to open and read a treasured friend such as Jane Austen, L.M. Montogomery, Louise May Alcott, or even Elizabeth Gaskell.

How do you feel about what I have written?  What are your thoughts about people who are willing to do the hard work and take the time and effort to build a dream?  Are you one of those people?  Are you willing to work hard to make a dream come true? 

If so, you will love next weeks post!

My Happy Place, Part 1

This last week I have been battling allergies, as well as my oldest son and now my hubby.  Maybe it is the cacti blossoms?  Could be, I have never had a problem with allergies in July or August before.  Of course with my background, it then turned into a sinus infection...how gross, complete with those horrid sinus headaches (ugh)!  Needless to say, we have been consuming alot of honey, tea and healthy produce to fight back for our health.  Not to mention our peace of mind.  After this last bout of nastiness, I had enough and my husband and children have agreed to go to a 100% plant based diet from now on since I no longer want to deal with this junk.

During a few of those horrible sinus headaches this week, the puppy would decide to start barking or the boys would start bickering or something would happen.  I felt like the starfish in this little clip from Finding Nemo:

So what is my happy place?  For those people who are avid gardeners, who love their fruits, nuts and veggies and for people who love health in general...your going to love this!  If you are already eating a 100% plant based diet, you are going to fall in love with my happy place...but you will have to plan for your own.

First off, my happy place starts with land.  It would be nice to have cleared land with no trees growing on it, but I will take what I can get.  What is a little hard work in removing existing trees to grow your choices?  I am thinking that I will need a minimum of five acres.  The house itself does not really matter, but here are a couple of ideas that I would be happy with...something large enough to accommodate my love of cooking and feeding people (love having people over for dinner!!!) as well as a sewing room (plus, I want to learn spinning and weaving later on), and of course accommodate my grandchildren and great-grandchildren someday, but small enough to feel cozy.

Obviously my happy place will not have a common street in front of it, no, perhaps something like a cobblestone drive.

The water and the little bridge are a very nice touch I think!

On to cultivating the land.  I would like to make as much of the land as possible while doing two things...making a living and helping as many people as I can in the process.  This will not be as difficult as you think.  It will take hard work and effort, but it can be done!  Here are some words and phrases to know for a bit later: Torah Farming,  Bio-Intensive Gardening,  Espalier, and Vegan Organic Gardening. 

I would start off with the trees that I would like to plant.  They would need to be spaced out accordingly and then I would have them trained to grow flat (Espalier), or some may be trained to grow ornamental.  Trees that I would love to grow are Hazelnut, Cherry, Nectarine, Peach, Plum, Pear, Pomegranate, Figs, Olives, Grapefruit, Lemon and Orange.  I am sure my kids would love me forever if I included banana trees, but this is my happy place...they can grow bananas on their land.

Here is a very ornamental walk through.  Isn't it beautiful?

Here are flat rows which are really great for saving space.

Next, let's get the berries going!  Strawberries are an old favorite.  My Grandma taught me that when you plant the strawberries, for the first year you pick off all the blossoms to promote a healthier stronger plant that will yield more later on.  To feed one person, you need about twenty-five strawberry plants.  If you are like me and want to can jam and freeze some for use during the off season...you will need more.  I prefer to grow the strawberries in containers.  My favorite container gardening book is, "McGee and Stuckey's Bountiful Container," by Rose Marie Nichols.  I found these planters and I think they are my favorite strawberry planter to date!

These can actually be stacked quite tall and look lovely as an ornamental when the plants start growing runners.

 

For the rest of the berries, I will be choosing raised beds and the Bio-Intensive/Vegan Organic Gardening Methods...not to mention incorporating the Torah Farming methods as well.  Berries other than strawberries that I would like to plant are Currents, Blueberries, Lingnonberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, and Huckleberries.  Some of these can get pretty wild, so I would like to train these just like training the fruit trees.

For me, vines are essential!  I have read Proverbs 31 over and over and over all of my life.  Verse 16 always seemed to be highlighted...she plants a vineyard.  Of course Grapes are the first thing that people think of with a vineyard, but there is so much more!  Melons, Squashes, Pumpkins, Beans, Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Kiwi, etc.  In a small space I will need to again do raised beds and vertical gardening with vines.  Vertical gardening is healthier for the plants rather than letting them sprawl on the ground to be eaten by ground dwelling pests and bugs anyway.  My current book of gardening awesomeness is, "Vertical Gardening," by Derek Fell.

Those squash and tomatoes look not only appetizing, but also lovely grown like this!

 

Greens are going to be a big deal for me.  I recently read, "Green Smoothie Revolution," by Victoria Boutenko and I now have a renewed appreciation for greens.  In fact I realized that many things that have been sent to the compost pile such as squash and pumpkin leaves can actually be eaten for their nutrients!  Growing up we grew lettuce and spinach and that was it.  Eventually we stopped growing that as the cheaper processed food was loved by the family more than salad.  Bad choice, but we can't change the past, right?  So now, I am getting introduced to new things like Kale and Tree Collards, Cilantro and Parsley.  I am very excited about the idea of growing Tree Collards!

I am going to leave you with this little bit for today and continue with Part 2 next Tuesday! 

I would love to hear from you!  What do you like about my happy place so far?  Is there anything that makes you happy too as you read this?  What is your happy place, your paradise, or your dream?  If you choose to write about your happy place, please link back in the comment section so that I can read about your dreams too!