Living Farm! The Self-Reliance Cash Crop Organic IdeaBank

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.

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!

PLEASE NOTICE, THAT THERE ARE PDF RESOURCES ATTACHED, FROM TIME TO TIME IN THE COURSE.....hopefully this/these will help you save time and effort.....

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

WE BEGIN our delve into farm business SimPLy by looking deep into one small farm,
5EOB Farm in Panauti Valley, Nepal - the site of several SimPLife farming videos in past years.

HERE WE have a chat with 5EOB owner Charlie Baba, which Points out a dark reality, witnessed and felt by all in Rural Earth these days,

YET A SOLUTION, proofed by current experience, is offered, and All is Not Lost. And more to come when we CounterPoint in the next chat.....

AS A RETORT to The Point,

the layout of a simpl farm Field and Business is here analysed,
by crop types and techniques, to 'counterpoint'
the ways by which a farm will retain, and increase, value over time-

- and thereby be not only a sensible, creative source of income now, but something to pass down to the progeny, as we ponder the long-term, with a Futurist Heart.

Another Title to this could be:
"What To Do When Someone Dumps All Over You?"

...and the answer would be-
WHY, you Build a House, of course! in here, see the rather impressive fallout which resulted from a governement road project dumping hundreds of ROCKS upon 5EOB Farm...

SOMETIMES TRUTHS, occasionally hard ones, are expressed privately between friends and associates yet never reach the ears of those who might be best served to hear it.

PERHAPS our human world, in the delicate superficial, is made up not of Truth, but of the acceptable subsets of information which is allowed to exist in public discussion. And we see it going on everywhere...

SAVING FACE, maintaining political correctness, being constrained to play in another humans' reality frame or cultural beliefs however narrow or distorted, often has us living double lives- one which is OK to share publicly and the other- whispered quietly, out of earshot.

THIS is a human dilemma I have NEVER been OK with. SAY the 'wrong' thing, and lose your keys to the kingdom with friends and working associates. PRESENT the 'wrong' info on a course platform- poof! your income and lifestyle, gone in a flash.

WHY I- not even a hard-case of abrasive protest over time- am not languishing in someone's jail somewhere, or cast to the street and completely blacklisted is a mystery.  Then again,  I've just gotten started in this latest global round of insults to my truths, and the day aint over yet....

so. this video. toning it waay down but on the same thought-bead:

ADDRESSING here some hard realities which all foreign volunteers must be aware of, presented from personal experiences and perspectives of my own foreign farming efforts over time. Filmed at 5EOB Farm, Panauti Valley, Nepal.

THIS QUICK VID OVERVIEW focuses on a worst-case set of factors, fashioned as a mini-guide that would-be volunteers are best to keep in mind, when considering doing farming work in a foreign region.

CHARLIE has said it best though, that when we present ourselves honourably enough over time, of course people will warm to you, and that long hard road of mutual respect can host our journeys.

or, words to that effect.....

WHAT'S IT LIKE, BEING A FOREIGN CELEBRITY FARMER?

Part of this overall farmbiz series is the continuous theme of being
the foreign social buzz in a farm setting- yet is that really any
different from what we all experience, just BEing in a new place, new town, new company?

Interesting and logical viewpoints here...

FASHIONED as a sort of mini-guide for farmers who are considering hosting volunteers-

As recounted by Charlie Baba, a result of a Q&A which I subjected Charlie to, and captured on-site in Panauti Valley, Nepal.

CARRYING ON with the volunteer and labour theme, here
Charlie Baba goes a bit deeper into his experiences, what factors are most important, and what has worked best at 5EOB Farm over time.

Something to consider, for anyone doing the heavy work and needing assistance, out there...

THESE FIELD Analyses Take A Fair Look at what 5EOB has now,
and then maxes out what it COULD BE, where we to aim for
MAX outputs, MAX use of the land, and MAX FUN in the fruits of it all.

STARTING out with the upper field, moving downward and pitching various bright spots as they arise in the tour....

DOES this help you get  to where you're going? Feedback, farmies!

- (smileys) im

STARTING OUT at the beautifully-erected RiverHouse, and then interrogating every scrap of useable turf up to the 5EOB Dome,
this scrutiny goes a bit manic in the end -

NOT TAKING of feeble no's for answers, we Seek and Demand
the very best our Dear Mother can birth, unashamed for our dutiful and caring stewardship of Her Majesty's pleasure - and fully expecting those outputs exceeding our Dreams....

why else farm?

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

REVEALING the SimPLife Farm Schema. i KNEW those guys were up to something...

Begs the Question:
DO CITIES NEED TO BE SO UGLY??

well, of course not. and we can offer and inspire as we
go along.

EXAMPLES ABOUND, of people helping people learn of
farming, loving earth & Earth, and taking home some beautiful food.

WANNA join in?

HERE is a lovely piece of protected ground,
for a family that lives across the street.

Just the sight of this much GIFT and POTENTIAL,
to me is just Inspiration for what Results for You,
and for the Community
when Good Action gets put to Divine Ground.

THIS CAN BE Anyone's BackYard.
OR, Front Yard for that matter.

HERE is one example of what one Nepali family does, to add Bounty
and a pointing towards that oh-so-satisfying feeling of
Being Self-Reliant...

njoy

Part Two....

HERE WE SEE Panpa Pahari planting post-monsoon radish- quick 45 day variety,

also a bit on SEEDS,
TOOLS,
TROPICAL ROOT crops,
harvesting COMPOST....

yep. and it aint over yet-

im

PART THREE...

HERE we look at

TREES as raised planting platforms,
MultiStory backyard farming,
COLOURIZING the farm....

and a gander at the neighbours, just for fun.

Let's Say......
YOU Don't Have a grow space, or even enough balcony room
in your hi-rise apartment to put buckets with tomatoes in them...

Whaddya DO??

HOW ABOUT CONSCRIPTING PARKS AND PUBLIC SPACES??

You know EXACTLY what and where i am talking about-
those plush, beautiful little spots that mostly nobody uses anymore (if you are in most cities nowadays)

please watch, because we (the planet) NEED you out there,
to grow, to share, to ACT!

ok. i'm done here.
im

THE OUTPUTS here 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)

Acacias exist in a plethora throughout the world, and are one species that SimPLife considers as a 'Great Saviour' - that is to say, can make a dramatic difference 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 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 beautiful display of

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 and 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,

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

GROWN HERE to offer an alternative to the local variety, we find that this species produces a large fruit,

yet not quite so tasty...

a long term slow-grow investment, chestnut is nevertheless a valuable hardwood, offering good erosion control

A NEPALI STAPLE , 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 moving to view one use of mulch here.

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

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 building
a 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.

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 in spite of everything