Free-Range Living

It's the time of year for white and semi-white landscapes adjacent to the organic eco micro-holding (small smallholding) here in the UK midlands, it's almost 'shut-down' in the countryside here.

Modern cultural life, though, is a wee bit faster-paced, not many perhaps getting the restorative and reflective benefits of semi-hibernation. One older widower did reflect, and decided not to join the 'affluent' society, even though he could well afford it. One effect of a 'change, change' culture could be that hard-won knowledge and experience from the past gets to be 'downgraded', but maybe at times to detrimental effect     - ?

An unusual farming family 'ploughed their own ('freerange') furrow', again not following the 'norm' trend, but with great effect in terms of their own job/life satisfactions. Cultural fashions change, though - a year or two back not so many were after wood as a fuel and allotments laid empty. Now there's waiting lists and the woodstove fires are burning, with self-sustaining activity more in vogue, maybe helping 'connectivity' with natural patterns - ?

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The colder December weather here on the eco micro-holding (small smallholding) in the UK midlands has brought on the winter bird feeding, and apparently, according to the news,  the slightly startling news that there's been quite an increase in the number of people in the UK who have to choose between 'eat or heat'. Various solutions have been proffered, but maybe the problem could just lie in having only a few  large powerful suppliers - ?

British dairy farmers have also been facing 'large-scale' power, protesting at the below viability milk prices they've been getting. One concern in the UK rural sector is that the current exodus of small-scale independent dairy producers will inexorably then lead to the establishment of very large industrial-scale indoor milk production units, to the detriment of the smaller independent producers unloved by large-scale operators, and possibly to independence within society itself, and of course to the ability of animals to lead 'natural behaviour' lives.

The emphasis on 'large' and the seemingly growing number of large, powerful commercial organisations, and governments seemingly keen on having 'high-control' roles in society could have threat implications to the power-bereft microcosm that is the individual, even though eminent writers have over the years warned against the limitations on 'giantism', and supported the notion that individuals are the source of 'quality values'. The individual may well need to seek to counter some of the modern cultural effects, the use , for instance of, solar generated electric being a possible way of limiting if not negating continuing rising costs.

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Maintenance and renovation work are the order of the day right now here on the eco organic micro-holding (small smallholding) in the UK  midlands, both of which can give their own brands of satisfaction. Clearing end of season produce and plants such as apples and runner beans away, often onto the compost heap, is another current 'labour of love' - no such thing as 'waste' in a biologically-based 'permaculture' (self-sustaining soil fertility) system.

With 'size nearly meaning everything' these days, does it mean smaller operations and entities (eg. such as individuals), get by default 'shorter shrift' - could hard-won individual human rights even be under a level of threat, with the government here in the UK apparently planning to offer employees inducements to part with some rights, and some larger firms being  charged with aggressive mis-selling to people - ?

A level of individual independence is still likely to be of importance to some - freerangers? -and people can make their own decisions and take their own actions, as a 'freeranger' case-study illustrates.

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Scientists now say the arctic ice cap is melting even faster than previously predicted, although there seems to have built up a growing band of global warming deniers, who presumably for their own reasons are not keen to take on board the results of the boffins' research.

The season here (UK MIdlands) on the organic eco micro-holding (small smallholding) has been pretty late due probably to lack of summer sun. Even the swallows were late away on their epic 6000 mile migration, and many of the usual micro-holding crops have been late maturing, which seems to tie in with farmers' experience this year.

Reflecting on man's relationship with nature, it seems evident many individuals have strong connections with it, which presumably come from an internal source, maybe connected to David Attenborough (well-known UK naturalist) 's assertion that all animal life is related having common single-cell ancestors. Maybe this could help explain the aversion some people feel to 'exploitive' systems of animal keeping over-geared to man's needs at the expense of animals' natural needs and behaviours, the observation of which can then give a 'reflective glow'.

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Already now in mid-Sept, anticipation of the up-coming autumn and winter seasons is rife. Current eco micro-holding (small smallholding) tasks continue unabated : picking runner beans, collecting apples, digging potatoes, drying and storing onions, for instance. Seasonal differences seem to act as a base for being able to lead a 'vive la differance' sort of life, with other changes and 'freerange fightback' measures within the year adding to the effect.

One of the casualties of the modern-type mass 'consumer culture' may be that with such an accent on money, non-monetary values can get less of a look in, as a recent book entitled 'Dare to Care' implies, and it can at times seem that 'social' has become the 'no-no' word. Money, and preoccupation with it, may have inhibited wider 'life exploration', maybe then prompting 'freerangers' to take a 'non-mass' route - ?

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A surprising number of jobs have arisen here on the UK midlands organic eco micro-holding (small smallholding) in this normally more languid month of August. The varied array of produce available repays the efforts, and the season of gorgeous-tasting fresh, young runner beans has arrived.

In spite of a pretty soggy summer, the harvest of produce hasn't been too bad, peas being an exception, and the resident bird population seems to have done ok, helped no doubt by the availability of supplementary feed, which they noticably hit quite hard in the worst of the weather.

More freerange-type 'frugal living' pieces seem to be appearing in the more mainstream press, helping people 'strike back' in times of 'squeeze', with one or two locals hereabouts leading the way. Such times contrast with the much-lauded public olympic spirit, which in part could be a reaction to the 'greed is good' culture - ? Maybe the business world could take note of such spirit and find a way (via humane motivationary managment-?) of harnessing it to the benefit of all - ? Such a modern, competitively focused culture places a strong emphasis on 'winning', but, sometimes, could 'losing' actually be winning in the longer run - ?

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June and the first half of July have been virtually continually wet here on the eco micro-holding in th UK midlands, with such conditions resulting in flooding in many parts of the UK. The organic veg has struggled under such conditions although broad beans and potatoes have done ok.

It's been a relatively quiet time for micro-holding jobs, cleaning out the septic tanks overflow soakaway channels being one of the main operations, whilst other needed events such as wood drying have hopefully continued unabated.

Wildlife must have been having a hard time too - the effect of the wet weather on the birds and the bees, for instance ,has been noticable.

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Taking the longer view may not be quite so fashionable in these days of fast-pace change and aggresive drives for quick profitability. And yet 'now' is still part of an on-going process and sometimes it could perhaps be useful to use that perspective-?

Ten days of warm sunny weather has brought some 'catch up' growth here at the eco micro-holding (small smallholding) after the cold and wet weather here in the UK midlands in April and early May, but with potatoes and beetroot still hit by partial germination, and reparation measures needed.

One couple of 'wayfaring freerangers' have found an effective and relistic way of escaping their own money-making treadmill by developing a slower, semi-nomadic way of life no longer reliant on 'chasing the dollar', with particular benefits to themselves.

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April here on the Uk midlands eco micro-holding has been cold and pretty wet - not a very good growing spring with patchy seed germination.

Next winter's fuel in the form of logs now resides on the driveway, waiting to be put away to dry in the purpose-built logstore in the 'micro-holding logistics centre'.

CEO's seem to be falling like flies with patience with what seems to be incresingly called the 'fat cat' culture wearing thin. Has the recent cultural emphasis on 'competitiveness' caused 'imbalance' in multi-dimensional realities, particularly maybe in the 'caring' area? The Rev. T.B. Hardy provides an historic shining example of the latter.

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The basic resource of the organic eco micro-holding ( small smallholding) here in the UK north midlands is the land itself - true for most growers. Thirty odd years of compost and ash applications have left it fertile and with fewer pests and diseases. This season's planting and sowing is well advanced, but it's quite a lean time for produce to use.

Land can be valued financially but its intrinsics 'real' values are diverse: from acting as an 'anchor' in stormy economic times, to fulfilling survival and survival plus needs, and of course, providing a strong link to nature for people. 

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