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Are Small Farms, Cooperative Communities and Victory Gardens Part of the Great Turning?

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(@nelysthealchemist)
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@jeanne-mayell thank you for starting this thread. I really love the thought of moving towards smaller, more close-knit, self-sustaining communities. I feel it’s the best way forward, and I can see these things starting to happen already. During my lockdown (I live in the Capital District in NY) I keep having very strong urges to start a garden, although I have no idea where to start. At the very least, I need a basic gardening tool kit and some things to plant. :) My mother wants to help me but she is stuck in her own house and I’m stuck in mine until it’s safe to come out and spend time together again.

I struggle to suppress my fears around these visions of the future- mostly the fear that there isn’t a place for me and my family. My husband is IT support and has really enjoyed our time in quarantine, but if everyone is farming and going towards natural living, where does that leave technology? I just started a position with the State involving data analytics for audit investigations and I’ve been very excited about the new career I’ve started (despite everything that’s happening), but where does this kind of career fit into these visions of the future? I find myself torn between knowing it’s the right direction for society and wanting to participate but worrying about where me and my family will fit in. Does anyone else have these worries or is it just me? For now, I’m doing my best to turn these worries to Spirit and keep my mind open.


   
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(@allyn)
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@stargazer

Actually, we do have some honeybees on our property.  Besides food, we grow a lot of flowers, such as lilies and roses (hence my never ending battle with the dreaded Japanese beetles, who live to make my life miserable from May through September).  But five years ago, a colony of honey bees moved into a tree on our property that was damaged by lightning.  We leave them alone, except for the occasional honey gathering, which we done twice since the bees came during years when the weather has been good in order to ensure the bees have enough food to last the winter.  This is done courtesy of my uncle, who actually keeps several bee hives for a living.  If the year has not been good, then we let them keep all the honey.  In return, the bees pollenate our flowers.  Again, everyone wins.

We have been extremely hesitant to move the bees from their current location, though.  After all, they picked the tree, and they aren't hurting anyone.  Also, we fear that if we try to move the colony, we may accidently kill the queen.  And with honey bees suffering a huge population drop in recent years, we feel it is best not to risk it.

As for the butterflies, they come as well, and we ensure that they are left alone so that they can continue to live and pollinate our flowers too.

The local Fauna and Flora can take care of themselves, for the most part.  So long as we respect them and keep a healthy distance, they will continue to survive long after we are gone.

 


   
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(@stargazer)
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@allyn

You have my deep admiration and gratitude Allyn ... it's perfect the way you have attracted the bees and butterflies by allowing them the space to thrive in the beautiful eco-system you are surrounded with... sometimes less (or no?) human 'management' can promote nature's way to balance the whole ...?  

I have a young friend here with a honey business, and she is very active in promoting all the wonderful benefits of organic honey... she has been blending alot of different formulas also, like Moringa, Osha, and many other herbal and spice concoctions...it's awesome! The ongoing Bee Defense is a big topic of concern with her right now ... they may be bringing cellular 5d into the community, which could decimate the bee pop. ? Not good!!

Hope you all are staying safe there, and I will keep you in ? light, Allyn.


   
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(@stargazer)
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@nelysthealchemist

 Nelys ... you have really braved an avenue of concern for many I feel, and it will be a journey like no other for us all to come out on the other side into this new paradigm.....

We all have unique gifts and talents to bring into this uncertain future, and though it may seem a bit overwhelming now, we can trust in Spirit within to guide us ... as you said, keep an open mind (and ?)

 


   
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(@jaidy)
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I live in the twin cities and veg garden, but my parents live on 60 acres of farmland that they do not farm - they bought it for hunting but the neighbors are all farms. It is on a river. I had hoped to move there when my kids graduate and scale up their garden, add chickens Etc. I am a single mother and a teacher. I cannot leave this lifestyle without health insurance. During quarantine I started reading the little house series to my daughters- this was a hard, insecure life and many homesteaders were lied to by the government (that the dakotas were farmable) and most devastating- the land was stolen from native Americans and decimated animal populations. There are so many parallels to now. I like a simple, quiet, life- like Jeanne I don’t worry about opening up the economy- more lies told by profiteers. But these visions require a systematic change in the structure of society. I welcome this- but I don’t see the path forward- I don’t dislike Biden so much as I don’t see him pushing for this. I look at society now and don’t feel like we have the political power or will (state or federal)to make the foundational changes needed to support these visions. Don’t get me wrong, I am not pessimistic, I am hopeful, this is the life I want to take on- but the path forward to laying this groundwork is not apparent to me. And I assume, this will take a lot of time- my wondering is- will any of us be here to take part in it (as opposed to building it)?


   
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(@allyn)
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@jaidy

You are right that it will take a long time for people to move to a "simple is better" lifestyle and get more conscience about living side by side with the environment instead of trying to overcome it.  But these next years will be pivitol, and the groundwork may actually be hastened in part due to the coronavirus.

Consider this-what has been the Republican rallying cry for the last decade? (Besides "let's build a wall," "stop the EPA," "kill the gays," "silence the women," and "own the libs")  It has been to kill Obamacare.  Now, Obamacare isn't perfect by any means, but it relies on the premise that no one should be denied health care.  After the law was passed, Republicans have systematically tried to repeal it and destroy it.  Why?  Several reasons.  First, many of them are deeply racist.  Yes, we can say it instead of trying to make excuses for them and calling them "reasonable" and "good" people.  In my humble opinion, if you are prejudice against someone because of their race, gender, etc. (aka-something they are born with), then you are saying that God made a mistake with that person, and thus you are questioning God's creation of that soul.  Hence, you follow Satanic beliefs.  That is my opinion, of course, and everyone is entitled to their own opinions.  But the fact remains that if Obama was white, many Republicans would not try to get rid of Obamacare, as the policies in Obamacare actually help many Americans.  Second, many Republicans are supported by Deep Money (aka-Pharmaceutical and Insurance Groups).  If healthcare became universal and affordable, then they lose money.  So they have a vested interest in killing universal healthcare.

But now the tides are shifting.  Thanks to the coronavirus, people can see just how terrible our healthcare system is.  We are supposed to be the best nation in the world, and the only thing we are leading on right now is the total number of deaths!  Yes, I am aware that other nations have underreported their own death toll, but the fact that the US is in the top ten no matter how you look at it is absolutely deplorable.  But people are seeing that healthcare is important.  If Democrats come up on top in November and take control of the Senate, the Presidency, and retain control of the House, then you can guarantee that healthcare will become a priority, because it is already a priority in the majority of America.

Why is this important?  You said yourself that a barrier for you to live the simple life is due to health insurance.  But that could change, and probably sooner than we think.  Further, people are becoming more self-reliant, given how our government has failed us.  Kindness is starting to become the desired way of communicating again, and not the insulting, evil ways that have ruled our country for the last few years. 

Sadly, there is a downside to the "simple life."   You will probably be a little less optimistic and definitely be less trusting of the system.  As a farmer myself, I plan every year as though there will be a famine or drought.  All the things I have talked about earlier in this post (farm multiple types of crops, learn about the environment you are farming in and use it to your advantage instead of trying to change it, etc.) are based on the fact that I never know what the future will bring.  By planting different types of crops, I can ensure that at least some will survive and help with my food supply. 

Like Jeanne, I am not worrying about when the economy will open.  Unlike Jeanne, my reasons are far less noble.  Due to my own personal experiences growing up (due to recessions, my parents not being able to work due to cancer treatments, etc.), I always keep emergency funds around to take care of my financial needs.  This money was set aside to pay my bills and emergency expenses in the event that I myself became sick or if an emergency occurred (such as a tornado or other natural disaster.) 

Am I better off than my neighbors and friends right now?  Absolutely!  Because while they are wondering how they are going to buy groceries or how to pay their bills, I am silently planting my crops and sending them baskets of tomatoes and berries.  But the price for this is that I have always planned for the "worst case scenario."  I have never let loose and bought something "because I could." I admit I buy things for myself and indulge in luxuries.  But I have always, always made sure that my emergency fund was kept up before anything else, which has often led me to forego or delaying the purchase of certain things even if I had the money to do so, because to do so would mean dipping into that precious emergency fund. 

This may seem silly to some people, but I think that it is sad that we, as a nation, will probably come out of this crisis with less hope for the future than we did before.  While I think it is important that our children learn how to care for the environment and to watch their finances more, I feel that it is sad that the need to do so is due to necessity and not out of choice.  Because by the time this is all over, people will go to the simple life more as a necessity instead of a choice.  So while the simpler life is better overall, I find it sad that it will be brought about because we were forced to adapt as opposed to choosing to adapt.  I hope you understand what I mean.


   
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(@jaidy)
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@allyn I too save for the unexpected and live well within my means.

I think your last point is interesting Bc I think for some it will be An acceptable shift that they naturally make- I Didn’t always want to live on my parents land but over the years I have shifted my perspective. For others who are less able or willing to adapt- perhaps this new way of living will be a difficult change to adapt to. What you also say reading between the lines is your acceptance of not being in control.

Although my dad is a hannity fox guy he is also an Eagle Scout and spends a lot of time in nature- I admire his ability to see shifts and changes in animal And plant behavior. This is one sensitivity I hope we all regain: this connection to our planet and all whom we share it with.


   
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(@grace)
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@nelysthealchemist

I totally understand what you are saying and can relate. My husband is a software developer, I'm a writer, and my kids run an escape room we've built as a family business (which of course, is currently closed). When things reopen, I want all of us to be able to continue doing the work that we enjoy and that brings joy and benefits to others. We also grow our own vegetables, eat vegan, and cook the majority of our food vs. eating out. We downsized to a more manageable, modest home some years ago, and we've planted a number of trees (including fruit trees) in our yard, and in the future, after we've saved some money, we will build a greenhouse. I very much hope that the world (and individuals, families, and communities) can find the right balance between living a simpler, stress-free life, being more connected to nature and the land, helping each other out as healthy, thriving communities, and using technology in beneficial ways without hurting the planet or ourselves. I hope we keep the best of how far we've come in terms of global connections and information at our fingertips, medical advancements, and knowledge overall, while doing away with pollution, greed, isolation, wasteful operations, being overworked, the rat race, keeping up with the Jones's, and all the ills of society that hurt humanity and the world. Striking the right balance would be ideal, in my view. Driving fewer cars, eating more plant-based, filling out fewer forms, spending less money, holding on to clothes and other items longer (instead of rushing out to buy the latest fashions, which I never do), and just being happier with less, while still being able to do the work we've been trained for and enjoy, would be nice in the ideal future we're all trying to build :)


   
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