“I believe that it is better to tell the truth than a lie. I believe it is better to be free than to be a slave. And I believe it is better to know than to be ignorant.” - H.L. Mencken
I keep delving deeper into permaculture communities in Los Angeles, and they are very welcoming to anyone and everyone who wants to be a part of that world. Its almost to be expected that these people are kind hearted and loving- who else but loving, compassionate people would give up the conveniences that come from our overly processed, pre-packaged, convenience crazed culture in order to compost, grow food in micro-farms in their back yards (or front!), keep bees, raise chickens, and endeavor to live by sustainable practices in terms of upcycling, recycling, and uncycling- which is not using things that would eventually need to be recycled (for example- using a re-usable bottle rather than purchasing single use water bottles). I am thoroughly smitten with people who care.
Ashley Dane, aka Shake the Hive, at GardenerD headquarters
Micro-Farming, Chickens, and Urban Beekeeping, oh my!
I got to see yet another example of that this weekend at the home of Christy, who is a Master Gardener and owner of GardenerD (that's like garden-nerd, for weeks I was called it Gardener- Dee)- she has a really informative and cool website with tips and information, newsletters, blogs, and all kinds of cool gardening stuff- CLICK HERE TO GO TO GARDENERD. Christy had a gathering at her house, which she called the Holiday Trifecta party- the trifecta being urban farming, beekeeping, and chicken rearing. I was eager just to go be around people for whom this was a lifestyle- it just feels clean. It feels like the usual agendas you encounter in LA are completely insignificant- because, in truth, they are. There is depth and concern and authenticity in these people, and its palpable. And a good looking bunch of people, too! Holy moly. There is a lot to be said for clean living!
Chickens can easily be kept in small spaces!
One of Christy's chickens was in the process of laying her first egg, and was having some anxiety for most of the party. Then suddenly she was quiet, and a few minutes later, there was the egg. I gotta say, I've never been at a party where everyone was cheering about the laying of an egg before- it was a little surreal! I've been asking a lot of questions about chickens lately- I fully intend for them to be a part of the Shake the Hive Urban Farm, when the time comes. When my friend Dawn won a raffle, she selected a Chickens For Dummies book, which she promptly gave to me. One of these days!
Urban beehiving at GardenerD
Christy's beehive was off to the back of the yard, bees busy as, well, bees- you could see the industriousness but they were not interested in anyone. That's something people should know about beehives- they do not bother people, they have a lot to get done in a day. They won't seek you out to sting you. Having a beehive does not mean you, your family, or your neighbors are going to be attacked by a swarm of bees.
The urban farm at the GardenerD headquarters. Thriving!!
And of course, Christy has an amazing garden of food! Behind her micro-farm is her compost bin. She has a lot of good tips for composting in her book Gardening for Geeks. There are ways to maximize the nutrients of compost- which is important. The plants which one grows to eat need to get their nutrients from somewhere, and dirt is only dirt unless it has nutrients- only then is it soil. Soil composition is really an interesting science, and is often neglected by neophyte gardeners. And new composters as well don't realize that simply throwing their old food in their gardens isn't providing it with what they need.
Composting is cool
The husband and wife team Rob and Chelsea McFarland, who founded Honeylove were also there. I really love what they have done to educate people about bees and to help people become beekeepers. (In fact, I took my 17 year old daughter and her friend out to meet the bees the next day, which was AMAZING)They recently acquired some chickens, and now belong to the growing numbers of people who have an urban farm, chickens, and beehives in their backyard. It goes to show you that its do-able, its being done, and it allows for a new sort of liberty that we as a consumer culture have lost along the way. Its not going off the grid, but its taking measures to live in ways that are in alignment with the wellbeing of our planet. The more we do it, the less we tax the planet, the less we participate in consumer madness, we are healthier (and therefore 70% less likely to end up with chronic diseases- which puts you in the relentless grip of the Big Pharma) and we are happier, (there is nothing quite like a fresh egg from your own backyard, scrambled with basil and tomatoes you grew) because you can't be miserable, shallow and materialistic AND grow your own food- you simply can't.
Rob and Chelsea McFarland, founders of Honeylove
If you want to know more about Honeylove, CLICK HERE. If you are in the LA area, they have beekeeping mentoring workshops the third Sunday of every month.
If you want to check out the GardenerD website, CLICK HERE
There are a lot of movements going on in the world.
Protests, marches, and rallies, groups like Anonymous fighting the good fight on terrain where no blood is shed and justice is served in a different way, more people looking into ways to live sustainably. I am reading more and more about people who go off the grid and homestead- in a new sort of way. Not as in squatting on some land and claiming it- homesteading today means being as self sufficient as possible, and using recycled or reclaimed materials as much as possible. Creating alternative energy sources. Micro and urban farming, beekeeping, and alternative irrigation systems like aquaponics being employed.
Its an exciting time. There is probably only 1 person per 10,000 who is taking on the mantle of living more harmoniously with the planet, and choosing not to exist solely as a consumer of products, food, energy and resources. But for those people, its an exalted state of being and living.
Like these guys-The Urban Farming guys- I love them. Here is their mission-
You can find them by clicking HERE. There is some great information there about permaculture and sustainability.
You've heard about aquaponics but don't really know what it is? This is a pretty comprehensive diagram. It is a way to raise both edible plants AND fish, both of which sustain the other. To learn more about aquaponics, click HERE.
There are all kinds of great housing ideas for living off the grid- some are surprisingly attractive, while some are rustic and cute and practical. But suffice it to say, there is something for every taste.
Even right here in Los Angeles, there are people living in your neighborhoods who are operating micro-farms, right under everyone's noses. The Dervaes family operates a micro farm near downtown that grows 6 tons of food in a year's time. They have chickens for eggs, and goats for milk and cheese, they can and preserve what would otherwise go bad, they sell to local restaurants, their home is powered by solar and their cars are diesel, and they make the bio-fuel for it. I freaking love this whole operation- these people really inspire me to create a scenario like this for the Shake the Hive non-profit for teens. It would keep overhead low, and maybe even draw in its own funds. Click HERE to find out more about the Dervaes Family, and what they call (and rightly so) The Path To Freedom.
There are also even more modest micro farming efforts are underway all over the city. I recently met a woman, Kirsten, through a mutual friend, who insisted I come meet her and see her house. It was just an unassuming Spanish style home in the Valley, but its also a little urban farm. Kirsten had a couple of beehives tucked away in her yard. She said was still learning how to work the hives, and her second hive had angry bees. she was pretty offhand about it- some people get sort of obsessive, but she was casual. It was part of her life, and it had woven its way into the ebb and flow of a normal life in the city.
One of Kirsten's two beehives
She then took us out back to see her chicken coop. Well, I asked. She isn't a show off-y person- for her it was like someone saying- "Hey, can I see your washing machine?" This is just her life, her normal life, and if its exceptional, its seems to be lost on her. She said she didn't really want chickens- a friend of hers had said- "lets go rescue those chickens at the pound," to which she said- "I don't really want chickens, but okay." I really liked Kirsten- such a laid back person. She just flowed into being someone with a chicken coop, and now she has fresh eggs every day. She says the eggs are all kinds of different colors. She lets her chickens roam around the yard all day, and when they are ready, they go back to their coop on their own.
Chickens!
When we visited, her micro- farm was in between seasons. She had just planted seeds for her fall crop, so there isn't much to see here except for dirt. However, you can get a sense as to how she used the available space to create an urban farm, right next to her driveway.
Kirsten's micro-farm, just seeded for the fall season
You wouldn't expect that- but how cool is it? To have honey and eggs and produce- she also had fruit trees. Its a dream of mine to be able to eat so local that its from my back yard.
And finally, here is how one single mom built her own shipping container house on a shoe string. its pretty cute, and it isn't like she is going without anything. Its super cute, and it allows them to live partially our of doors. I recognize that one can't do this in most places in the US- but there are ways around the weather.
Next year, when I start fundraising for Shake the Hive, these are all things we want to explore. Permaculture, sustainability, farming, beekeeping, raising chickens and aquaponics. Building shipping container homes, composting, and building solar power panels that work. The teens who are part of the non profit will learn how to do these things (As will I; as will the community during workshops hosted by Shake the Hive) and will blog about it on the websites they will build, which they will post on the facebook pages they will manage. They will create their logos for their own organization, they will create a presence and build a community of their peers. They will do video blogs as well, short documentaries- they will create a t shirt or shopping bag with their own logo to fundraise for their own endeavors. They will learn how to change the world and to inspire others to join them.
OCCUPY YOURSELF!
In all the many movements taking place, I find the revolution that starts with our own personal consumer and lifestyle choices to be the single most relevant thing one person can do. Because we ALL can do this. By doing so, we take money away from those who seek to compromise our health for their profit. We make a stand that there are more of us than them. We become responsible stewards for the planet and for the future. We show our kids the art of living gracefully. Maybe we can't all go live in a shipping container and raise chickens- but there are so many things to do at so many different levels- I have seen small tiny urban farms on fire escapes, for cryin' out loud! It can be done. In NYC they keep bees on rooftops. Chickens too. We can buy local- not just food, but to support shops and artisans in our neighborhoods and boycott major chain stores. We can find groups in our communities that are striving to make a difference locally. As consumers, we are occupied by branding, by products, by convenience, by our craving for food (many of which are manufactured for the sole purpose of creating cravings), by our desire for things. Shake the Hive proposes the Occupy Yourself movement- which is when you re-evaluate all these things, modify your choices, and change your lifestyle in ways that suit your well being, core values, and the sustainability of the planet.
Shake the Hive's Ashley Dane, showing off a mobile solar panel at the Green Festival
