I loved this. We’re in zone 5a, and we just completed our year of “see what this land does naturally” before we start making changes. We naturally have an abundance of elderberry and mountain mint, plus some edible mushrooms depending on the rain/sun combo, but this was inspiring to read. Similarly to her community, we have a shared water system in our town, coming from our local waterfall. Many people have hoop houses but there’s also a community greenhouse that’s take-what-you-need. I can’t wait to follow her Instagram. I’ve been a fauna girl all my life but flora is calling.
Sep 4, 2022·edited Sep 4, 2022Liked by Anne Helen Petersen
How delightful! I didn’t expect to start this smoky day, which opened with me wondering over coffee whether I should go find some seed for cover crops and move compost despite the poor air quality, with such a joyful and hands-on read. And the Parable books too — they didn’t push me to start gardening, but they’ve formed a lot of how I think about how climate and societal collapse intertwine, and what mutual aid and community and sustainability actually mean. Thank you both for this!
Also: nasturtiums! Though ours don't grow nearly so large and rampant (zone 5a and also I think they hate our soil but we're working on it).
Absolutely wonderful!! As a former farm kid, I'm so happy to read about raising chickens and rabbits for meat as well as for the eggs and provision of fertilizers. I wish more people were more aware of and integrated in their food systems. I feel such gratitude for the plants and animals I eat, for the hands that raised them and finished them and provided them to me, and for the land and water and sunshine that nourished my food.
This essay is so aspirational to me. Thank you for giving me beautiful ideas for what I want to do with my life and my energy; I'm not there yet, I won't be there for years, but this has made me want to start researching the kind of container gardening I can do at this time of my life. These changes start somewhere. I should (and will! I will!) start right now. And not wait until I'm, I don't know, retired (yet still physically quite fit and able-bodied...?) and have moved to the "perfect" place where I can have a "real" garden that meets my aspirations.
I am a lifelong gardener and acutely aware of what is happening with climate change. Water bills in many parts of the country are skyrocketing, and water infrastructures are crumbling at the same time. We simply cannot create any more lawns and gardens that depend on regular use of our municipal water systems. We have to be as judicious as possible. You may flood one year and be in a drought the next (I have lived through both). I doubt people will like changing their behaviors, but they also won’t like being without water for days.
This is awesome! I had no idea Ifeoma was a permie, and will follow her insta promptly! I love hearing about permies who can escape to out-of-suburbs spaces, and also recognising that not everyone has the resources to do so. My thought on permaculture is that it's a way of looking at the world that recognises the damage unfettered capitalism does, and seeks to change the way we interact with the world, both at individual and community levels. Solid permaculture also recognises that the greatest damage to society is caused by organisations backed by government policy - or lack of it - and so promotes political involvement. We are not "every individual for themselves" but "every community for each other community". (Also, I am 1000% with her that chicken manure is indeed utterly disgusting, but yes amazing when composted in gardens.)
Rabbits! We are in a similar climate/altitude in S Utah. I so want to add rabbits to the garden/livestock program here (ducks, chickens, pet goats now, have dabbled with turkeys and geese in our orchard). Any good resources you can recommend to learn more?
Which fruit varieties are you having success with? I have lots, will not blather on about it. And we to are transforming everything over to metal beds this year. Last thing is if you have a chance to meet Reagan Wystalucy, do it. She’s fabulous. She’s out of Blanding right now, but I’m sure she gets all over the four corners area these days. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/navajo-peaches. She gave a great talk here last year.
Yes!! I’m happy to share anything you want to know about my own rabbit raising if you want to reach out to me on IG. For food specifically, I wanted to grow as much of my buns food as possible and so the bulk of their feed is lentil or barley sprouts that I grow, with a daily topping of Black Oil Sunflower Seeds for added protein and fat. They also get tons of mint, nasturtium leaves, bean leaves, raspberry leaves and young canes, and other greens from my garden. It’s so fun figuring out what they like and what they tolerate and making the entire cycle as sustainable for us as possible. I also have them in a retrofitted two story coop since I wanted them to have lots of space but still be protected from the many predators we have. As always, happy to share more!
I'm late in reading this but just wanted to come here to say thank you for this! I love, love, love seeing what others are doing to turn toward permaculture, and I love hearing how Ifeoma has worked through this with her property. I've also bookmarked some of her recommendations to follow up on as I continue the work with my own garden!
I loved this. We’re in zone 5a, and we just completed our year of “see what this land does naturally” before we start making changes. We naturally have an abundance of elderberry and mountain mint, plus some edible mushrooms depending on the rain/sun combo, but this was inspiring to read. Similarly to her community, we have a shared water system in our town, coming from our local waterfall. Many people have hoop houses but there’s also a community greenhouse that’s take-what-you-need. I can’t wait to follow her Instagram. I’ve been a fauna girl all my life but flora is calling.
How delightful! I didn’t expect to start this smoky day, which opened with me wondering over coffee whether I should go find some seed for cover crops and move compost despite the poor air quality, with such a joyful and hands-on read. And the Parable books too — they didn’t push me to start gardening, but they’ve formed a lot of how I think about how climate and societal collapse intertwine, and what mutual aid and community and sustainability actually mean. Thank you both for this!
Also: nasturtiums! Though ours don't grow nearly so large and rampant (zone 5a and also I think they hate our soil but we're working on it).
Absolutely wonderful!! As a former farm kid, I'm so happy to read about raising chickens and rabbits for meat as well as for the eggs and provision of fertilizers. I wish more people were more aware of and integrated in their food systems. I feel such gratitude for the plants and animals I eat, for the hands that raised them and finished them and provided them to me, and for the land and water and sunshine that nourished my food.
This essay is so aspirational to me. Thank you for giving me beautiful ideas for what I want to do with my life and my energy; I'm not there yet, I won't be there for years, but this has made me want to start researching the kind of container gardening I can do at this time of my life. These changes start somewhere. I should (and will! I will!) start right now. And not wait until I'm, I don't know, retired (yet still physically quite fit and able-bodied...?) and have moved to the "perfect" place where I can have a "real" garden that meets my aspirations.
OMG. Exactly what I needed/wanted to see this morning. This is the way.
I am a lifelong gardener and acutely aware of what is happening with climate change. Water bills in many parts of the country are skyrocketing, and water infrastructures are crumbling at the same time. We simply cannot create any more lawns and gardens that depend on regular use of our municipal water systems. We have to be as judicious as possible. You may flood one year and be in a drought the next (I have lived through both). I doubt people will like changing their behaviors, but they also won’t like being without water for days.
This is awesome! I had no idea Ifeoma was a permie, and will follow her insta promptly! I love hearing about permies who can escape to out-of-suburbs spaces, and also recognising that not everyone has the resources to do so. My thought on permaculture is that it's a way of looking at the world that recognises the damage unfettered capitalism does, and seeks to change the way we interact with the world, both at individual and community levels. Solid permaculture also recognises that the greatest damage to society is caused by organisations backed by government policy - or lack of it - and so promotes political involvement. We are not "every individual for themselves" but "every community for each other community". (Also, I am 1000% with her that chicken manure is indeed utterly disgusting, but yes amazing when composted in gardens.)
Rabbits! We are in a similar climate/altitude in S Utah. I so want to add rabbits to the garden/livestock program here (ducks, chickens, pet goats now, have dabbled with turkeys and geese in our orchard). Any good resources you can recommend to learn more?
Which fruit varieties are you having success with? I have lots, will not blather on about it. And we to are transforming everything over to metal beds this year. Last thing is if you have a chance to meet Reagan Wystalucy, do it. She’s fabulous. She’s out of Blanding right now, but I’m sure she gets all over the four corners area these days. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/navajo-peaches. She gave a great talk here last year.
Yes!! I’m happy to share anything you want to know about my own rabbit raising if you want to reach out to me on IG. For food specifically, I wanted to grow as much of my buns food as possible and so the bulk of their feed is lentil or barley sprouts that I grow, with a daily topping of Black Oil Sunflower Seeds for added protein and fat. They also get tons of mint, nasturtium leaves, bean leaves, raspberry leaves and young canes, and other greens from my garden. It’s so fun figuring out what they like and what they tolerate and making the entire cycle as sustainable for us as possible. I also have them in a retrofitted two story coop since I wanted them to have lots of space but still be protected from the many predators we have. As always, happy to share more!
I'm late in reading this but just wanted to come here to say thank you for this! I love, love, love seeing what others are doing to turn toward permaculture, and I love hearing how Ifeoma has worked through this with her property. I've also bookmarked some of her recommendations to follow up on as I continue the work with my own garden!