Blogging. As if anybody wants to read my ceaseless prattle. Such a vain thing to do. My facebook posts are mostly environmental doom and gloom, but I'm trying to mix it up a little. I have been asked to join forces with an anti-GMO group in my area, but I don't want to have to worry about sticking to their narrative. I have my own stupid, uneducated, nutty opinions about things. That said, please oh please let me know if you think I'm incorrect about something.
I'm not sure what one uses a blog for, but I have a feeling it's going to be a mix of politics, activism alerts, things I think consumers should know, who's doing what where in the world of sustainable agriculture, nanotechnology, veteran health/PTSD, biotech, heirloom gardening, sharing ideas about how to solve the coming global food crisis, and whatever else I might find interesting on any given day. Randomness. The nice thing about being mentally ill is that people expect you to act crazy, so I tend to use that as an excuse to throw some weird ideas out there.
My current obsession is the idea of creating a micro-farm in my mom's backyard. As organic as possible, but not certified, of course. I've got plans, maps, schedules, a shitload of books and articles on everything from bio-control hedgerows, permaculture, food history (my dad is an expert on the subject), etc... and I have NO idea what I'm doing. I barely know how to garden and I have zero actual experience with bees. This could be a total disaster. I'll never know if I don't give it a whirl, right? There's a community garden across the street that has lots of excellent gardeners I can bounce ideas off of (I'm looking at you, Joanne).
The micro-farm is not intended to make money. I'm thinking I can cover costs with a series of monthly garage/heirloom seedling sales. Do you think people would show up? Would they buy seedlings at a garage sale? I could even throw in a free packet of bee-friendly wildflower seeds that has my anti-gmo rant on it, like Dr. Bronner's soap...'cept less nutty. I want produce that doesn't get eaten, sold or preserved to go to Julian Street Inn, a homeless shelter for the mentally ill in downtown San Jose. Actually, I think a certain amount of the harvest should be set aside for donation. Heh. That's if I get anything to grow at all.
Am I crazy? After hearing all the incredible ideas coming out of the Eco-Farm conference, I'm feeling like it's not completely loony. Other people are already micro-farming in their back yard. I need some feedback though. Blog ideas would be nifty too.
Peace,
-nanda-
Vilmorin Seed Company: http://www.saveseeds.org/company_history/vilmorin/index.html
Micro Eco-Farming: http://www.microecofarming.com/
Micro-Farming: America's Next Big Growth Industry:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/800925/micro_farming_americas_next_big_growth.html?cat=3
Is Starting a Micro-Farm in your Future? http://www.new-terra-natural-food.com/micro-farm.html
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds: http://rareseeds.com/
Seed Savers Exchange: http://www.seedsavers.org/
