About Self-Sufficient Farming™

What the heck is Self-Sufficient Farming™?

It's a term I came up with independently but on further investigation had been used before. I guess though my definition is different to that used previously.

My way of Self-Sufficient Farming™ is where we farm for ourselves first, that is, we provide for our own needs first (because if you can't provide for yourself and your family what is the point of having a farm?). The benefits of this approach are great and many.

1. By providing for our needs first we save having to go somewhere else to get what we need. We save fuel, energy, money and time (and the Earth and future generations may thank us).
2. As we wean ourselves off the agrobusiness/agro-industrial state machine we don't have to work for them.
3. We don't have to buy off them. The oil companies, mining companies, petrochemical, agrichemical, power, pharmaceutical and sick scientific agricultural 'food' companies (who employ people who pretend to be farmers but are really just agribusiness slaves) don't make much money from us and they go down while we thrive.
4. Heartless scientists doing unethical experiments on us and nature without our knowledge and company directors knowing they are doing the wrong thing lose their pay packets just because we choose to grow for ourselves first. It's very powerful. That's why they don't want us to do Self-Sufficiency.
5. Corrupt governments (the law-makers of the multi's) lose their control over us
6.  Our health benefits by eating good, clean organic food that we have grown rather than the chemicals that they sell disguised as food in the shops. If we don't contaminate our land then we know what is in our food. We don't need chlorination, fluoridation, vaccination and antibiotics. Our mental health is better. Has there been a secret eugenics agenda since WWII to keep the population dumb and sick? I am sure my forebears didn't fight wars to have the government of our country let us be poisoned and misled. Chemicals in the water, chemicals in the food, poisons on the land, drug dealing doctors, corrupt politicians, megalomaniac billionaires controlling our food supply - I am sure I didn't vote for that.
7. We go forward to a new way of living incorporating the best and most honourable parts of farming from the past. Let's just expand on this a bit - we look after our family, our animals, our soil, our land, our neighbours, our hearts and our souls.
8. The kind of farm I envision is a healthy mixed farm with all different kinds of domestic and wild animals, abundant vegetables, fruit and nut trees and pasture. Maybe a stream or a pond. Apples and berries, chickens, maybe a pig and a cat on the fencepost. Birds in the trees and children playing. Part wilderness left for nature; beautiful beyond compare. This land is called 'Land in Good Heart' an old farming term for good land. Ready to grow. These I know exist, or with honest work, can be created. I've made three of them myself. I know it can be done.
9. There's no place for poisons on these sort of farms. I've grown organically (up to now uncertified by governments) for over 40 years. If  I'd sprayed half the things the ag departments and government-backed garden magazines said to spray I would have died years ago. You don't need to be certified organic by the government.
10.  All sorts of business will abound. Many people have the capacity to work for themselves. There will be more people employed (multiple part-time jobs or businesses are more interesting) if we do Self-Sufficient Farming™ rather than aiming to do just one thing, having just one income stream. The lie that governments and political parties tell us that big businesses are the only employers is nonsense. I believe we can create a new economy and new farming industry. It's not as simple, it might take longer to set up, but it's truly sustainable. I earned the money to buy our first farm - Australia's first Sustainable Small Farm™ ( I paid cash - no bank) by running my own business and I kept the farm by doing multiple part-time jobs and small on-farm and off-farm businesses. I am no smarter than most, you can do this too. There are many good ways to earn an income without selling your soul. What we really need to do is control our greed but make an honest living.
11. We really live. We experience all nature has to offer, the good, the bad, life, death, sadness, compassion and joy. We live in nature, surrounded by her and trusting in her. By our hands and our hearts we have enriched her and she us, for once we have started to really live in nature we will never be the same.
12. We work to do good in the world. It's not enough just to look after our own little patch but we have to strive to educate and help others discover their potential to use the good in their hearts and to protect them while they find it.
13. Eventually after helping the next generation of farmers to take over, nature takes us back and we enrich her one last time. It's the final honour we must do her for providing us with life, the ultimate respect we pay to her. We're probably not ready to go just yet. though.

  Gavin Edwards 7th July 2015

 

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© Gavin Edwards 2015 and forever on. All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced without prior permission from the author.