So five years into building our farm and working outside to afford our farm. Plus living a self sufficient life, living off grid while doing this. Growing the majority of our food year round . Wildcrafting for local fruit; blackberries, huckleberries made into jams and frozen for mid winter feasting. Bartering and trading for anything from salmon and local rock fish, even abalone to lamb and goat cheese also lemons and wine. Our half a beef and the wild pig Dennis shot carrying us through. I find our meals to have become more and more gourmet and inspired. Needing abundant creativity and a very diverse garden to keep the meals interesting.
More and more I read and think about traditional lifestyles in rural France and Italy. How local food markets were based on a high standard and a reputation you didn’t want to ruin by offering a lesser grade product. Our tastes here in America have been ruined by old food overly processed, too much sugar and salt, not to mention mold . It will take careful eating practices to regain our taste buds in favor of fresh foods. I noticed I wasn’t that interested in vegetables; they didn’t seem to have any flavor. My kids too now love vegetables because they are fresh and flavorful. Growing traditional heirloom varieties of vegetables and fruits, brings back subtle flavors lost in our current market produce, grown for shelf life and ship-ability.
The work day is long and hard but the richness and integrity of living this type of life is so abundant . The pay is little for what we are producing but what we need is coming and a feeling of working within a community is developing. Doing good work trying to be kind to each other is bringing us closer and we all help to make this vision develop .