*rambling ahead* So I've spent over a month now on this small permaculture farm in South Africa ( http://scottsnextadventure.blogspot.com/2012/06/living-good-life-on-ikhwezi-lokusa-farm.html ) and I am really starting to enjoy the lifestyle. Lucky for me, I have a friend with 40 acres ( here: http://scottsnextadventure.blogspot.com/2011/07/independence-day-on-shaw-island.html ) on an island outside of Seattle that wants to start a farm. That property is really in its early stages, but talking to my friends back home it sounds like a lot of work is being done right now, including two of my friends spending 3 days a week up there. Within my friend group, there really seems to be a few others who are really working to build up this property as well, which is awesome. Out here, it is basically three good friends who bought the property and work it together. I can see us forming a co-op or something so we are all officially a part of taking care of the property and doing something similar. The more I think about it, the more I think I'm going to end up living in a little cabin on the island and become a farmer. I can see it now: wake up at first light with a cup of tea, start the morning by playing on a slackline, spend a few hours doing work on whatever I feel like needs doing, make lunch of food we grow, take a break, work some more, go for a sunset kayak, cook dinner, take a sauna, go to sleep, rinse and repeat. I know for a fact, if I wanted to live up there, my friend would be happy for me to do it. The only thing I'm really struggling with right now is how to find a way to live on the farm, travel the world and make money. I can only do one at a time.... I've always thought about traveling partly as something to do because I wasn't sure what else to do with myself, but maybe I might be able to find out what I want to do with my life. I can't say for sure that I've found my life's calling or anything like that, but man it seems good right now.
Sounds like a decent plan actually. The travelling bit is definitely going to be hard. The only thing I can figure is during the off-season get a job on-shore, but then when would you actually travel? If you have responsibilities on the farm you wouldn't really be free to run off during the growing and harvest months. It would almost have to be a 2 year cycle: Off-season 1: Earn travel money Off-season 2: Travel Wash, rinse, and repeat.
Never underestimate what rich or even middle class people are willing to pay for. You've had the opportunity to travel, you've catalogued your travels fairly well and I'm sure you've been alerted to or been shown the places to go. Tour guide it up and get paid to travel: "Scott's Totally Tubular Tour of Thailand", "See the Sustainability Side of Sudan", etc.
It gets into your blood (farming) and the health benefits cannot be discounted. I look at what's on the table and what's growing outside and get satisfaction knowing that it is all because I was willing to get my hands dirty and accept the labor trade to grow the eats, rather than the labor trade to buy the eats. Sitting back at the end of the day, when the shadows are long, just watching all that food growing knowing exactly what's in it is a satisfaction few get to experience. There are going to be very few times that can be counted as "down time". In the off season, it's all about making sure that everything is accounted for to get through until next season. There's soil to ammend, nutrients to till under, wood to put up, fuel to procure and store, meat to appropriate and keep, food to can and this doesn't account for the inevitable emergencies like flood control, downed trees, roof repairs, and equipment repairs. Whatever time is left........ then it's about rest. Kind of like being a family man and homeowner in the suburbs, only difference is time allocation goes to different things.
I am cultivating some connections to 'herbal farms' where I might be able to make some decent money over a short (two month) period. That would more than cover the expenses of farm life easily, but I'd need to make some other money on the side to do much travel. My friend who owns the property is the head produce buyer for an organic grocery store and the plan is to become a supplier. He knows all about what rich people are willing to pay for groceries As for becoming a tour guide, honestly that sounds awful.... The farm IS a little isolating. Being on an island, you obviously have to take a boat to get there, and there isn't even a single store on the island. All supplies must come from other islands or the mainland. That said, it isn't too much work to get back into the city when you want. Wiskas, I should hire you to help me build some stuff
Does FexEx/UPS even deliver to the island? If I could get Amazon/Walmart delivery I could manage in a place like that.
You know, I have no idea. There is a post office at the ferry dock, and the other islands have plenty large populations, I don't see why they wouldn't...
is there a UPS and/or FEDEX logo at the docks anywhere? Seems to me there's be a pickup point if there was delivery available.
Do you have an address on the island you can forward me in PM? I have a FedEx account and see if it'll let me create a shipment for it.
just let me know when and where, and i'll get that one way ticket. i'll make myself useful. still admiring your just do it attitude.
Nah, I don't have an address. I've been trying to find a directory or something for the island but it's not happening. I was chatting with another of my good friends this morning. He is also getting pretty serious about the farm. Man, it really sounds like if we come up with a long term plan, things will really come together up there. And Torx, I've been telling you to come out to Seattle for years, it's finally a small shack on a little island that gets ya goin?
UPS does the Smart Post thing where they ship it to the nearest post office and then USPS takes it to the residence. Which is part of the reason USPS isn't as profitable as it should be... But, you might be able to get in on something like that for your package needs.
So here is why I hate the US Post. Years back they broke one of my computers in transit. It took months to get the insurance sorted out. Recently, my mom shipped my netbook from Seattle to South Africa and it came broken. Here is her email about how to try and make an insurance claim: I wish this was a joke.
I guess they'll be doing a "Formal" investigation! It's probably not worth the hassle to get your money back... which is probably the idea...
