Getting to grips with the permaculture dream

In the mornings the view from the farm house is breathtaking.  The clouds often settle in the valley below, leaving us perched up on the mountain, separated from civilization by a blanket of white.  Across the valley, the cloud cover leaves only some mountain peaks exposed, as though we are staring across at a massive campsite full of  A-frame tents at a giant music festival.  Though this is an illusion that perhaps emerges in an attempt to deny the apparent solitude of living up here. 

 

The isolation has the effect of slowing down time, even to a stand-still.  I sometimes wonder if the entire world hasn’t been paused, even ceased to exist.  It feels so natural to lose track of time up here, as there is no real need to know the day of the week, the date, or even the month.  I am vaguely aware that it is 2009, but this fact doesn't seem to have any great significance. 

 

 

This farm, and all it stands for, is remarkable on so many levels.  Increasingly, day-by-day, I am learning a little more of the vision that this place stands for, and all it is capable of.  We are supporting all attempts to nurture the land, forming it not only into a comfortable living environment, but also one that offers a variety of exciting potentials. And most importantly, it is these potentials that are being born out of an extremely noble philosophy of existence. 

 

For instance, there arises the obvious need to adapt towards forming a symbiotic relationship with the jungle.   It is vital to bear this fact in mind, as holistic symbiosis with the environment becomes something of an art that requires creativity, intuition, and an emotional connection with Mother Earth.

 

There is a relationship that we need to establish with the available water.  There is an ample supply of fresh water surrounding the farm house, the largest of which comprises of a small river that runs directly past the house.  In fact there is a small area where we are able to paddle in, much like a small jacuzzi.  There is no greater way to start the day than a plunge in this enchantingly private jacuzzi after working up a sweat walking the dogs, feeding the poultry, and taking the goats out. 

 

But, more importantly, is the energy that water can offer.  Not only does it offer a supply of bathing and drinking water, but it also offers the potential for the generation of hydro-power, which we are trying to harness in order to convert into electrical energy. 

 

 

The couple who started this farm about a year ago did so with the aim of developing the land in order to sustain their existence, whilst also farming and producing organic permaculture.  This involves farming a variety of herbs both for medicinal   and for culinary purposes.  They are also developing a 'homestay', which is a 3-bedroom cottage for visitors, as well as larger sleeping quarters for longer-term guests and volunteers.  In the future, hopefully, there will be something of a commune here, with all members contributing their different skills and aptitudes.

 

There are also initiatives to farm fresh fish, and poultry such as free-range chickens, turkeys, ducks, and quails. 

 

 

 

Although the farm boasts a multitude of potentialities, its full capabilities have not yet been realized.  However, it is clear that the owners’ never want to exploit the land nor the people on it.  Instead they are looking towards a peaceful existence, living harmoniously with the environment and the people who reside here.  They don't want to get rich, nor do they wish to commercialize their home.  Instead they hope to live modestly, in a sustainable manner, minimizing their carbon footprint and their ecological impact.  

 

When developing a symbiotic relationship with nature, it is important to try to think like nature. Or rather to predict it, to know it, to intuit it, even to become one with it. 

 

The nurturing of this relationship is felt as magic. It is as though 'normality' ceases to exist, with all its conventions, expectations, and familiarities.  Reality is so easily fused with what is around us, including our environment, our friends, family, jobs, houses, and responsibilities.  These condition the way we think, the way we perceive our world, and the way we form our concepts.   And it is as if by magic that being here gently lifts one out of what was before a perfectly normal and fully acceptable reality. 

 

And it is as if an important facet to living in this manner and nurturing these new relationships is the dissolution of certain aspects of oneself that are entwined with a normality previously known.  This is an extremely liberating experience.  It reminds one of what it is to be human, and even brings to awareness the purity of simply living.  

The farm is open if anyone should wish to visit, either as a guest or as a volunteer.  Their website is about to go live, and they can also be contacted through this website.  Send me an email for more information:  jip.neilson@gmail.com