Free-Range Living

Busy micro-holding activity taking place in the newly-emerged spring countryside has been the order of the day here on the organic eco micro-holding (small smallholding) in the UK midlands, varied though due to weather influences, especially the spells of cold air. A mild winter has mean't a significant slug/snail problem with quite a few seedlings eaten right off. Quite a number of jobs of various types and hues have had to be undertaken, with still quite a list to complete.

Maybe 'competitivism' has its potential problems if overdone - ? Many TV programmes appear to include the competitive element these days, even some seemingly geared originally to 'r and r' activities - ? The 'get rich' message seemingly apparent from various angles these days, could presumably fuel competitivism to the 'overdone' level, although there is evidence to suggest (as ever?) that wealth is not necessarily the precurser to 'automatic' health and happiness - ? Some appear to be able to successfully combine competitiveness with sociability -----

In a fast-paced world it might well pay to take 'antidote' measures to counteract, for instance, stress and tension. Meditation, for instance, is said to be 'non-competitive' and so can be effective 'time out' to allay stress and recharge batteries. Then again, so can hoeing the leeks -----

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Cold  March has delayed sowing and planting somewhat, although some stuff has gone in the ground under plastic. The useful crop that are the broad beans should be in the ground sometime soon. Even at the end of March the countryside hereabouts still has winter's clothes, in spite of the mild first half of winter.

The latest 'eco' addition - a cheap electric bike - posed some initial problems , now overcome, and proving to be a more than economical form of transport, especially as the solar panels mainly charge it up. It's useful too as a reserve transport form - no public transport in these rural parts of the UK midlands, where th eco organic micro-holding sits.

One local 'frugalist' was well able to 'cut his cloth', solving quite a few life situations creatively and economically, as well as helping otheres in the area with his formidable array of practical skills. He certainly wasn't on the 'more, more', wagon, preferring to follow his own route, and finding creative answers to living within a budget. There's something too about turning spare recyclable materials into cost-effective useful edifices or contraptions, giveing an extra frisson of satisfaction ---- ?

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Stirrings are afoot for the new growing season, with the woodash and the compost going on the veg ground towards the end of February, which has also at last given some good, cold blue-sky days. Various early seeds have been sown, alongside the normal winter activities such as wood sawing.

The wild birds seem to be doing ok, surviving without mod cons, but with the benefit of supplementary feeding - good to be giving them some support. Trees too are admirable 'survivors', giving a stoic and reassuring presence, in an un-reassuring world -? Taking in CO2 and giving out oxygen makes them pretty vital entities.

There's been quite a bit in the papers lately expressing concern that in modern western-style 'power and control' cultures, real democracy could be under threat - not necessarily the best news for 'freerangers' - ? Traditionally self-motivated and responsible sections of society seem not to be too trusted too in such times, as the uk's junior doctors seem to have been experiencing. Maybe though, if internal self-motivation energies are stymied, a longer-term sustainable source of productivity is foregone - ?

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Time to think now of the coming growing season, to get the woodash and compost  on the growing area and the early broad bean seed shoved in under glass, to be then planted out as plants later on. Potato seed ware buying has been on the agenda with mixed results. One strong need is to be able to try to combat the organic grower's common foe of blight disease and to this end a local potato event proved to be useful, as well as interesting.

Older people these days appear to have often attracted the 'grumpy' tag, but is this because of their varied life experience, no longer have a need to see things in just a positive light, thereby being better able to be in touch with reality - ?  Looking at possible negative outcomes within business planning processes certainly used to be seen as a useful 'positive' exercise -if the plans could then show a still viable business journey, then comfort and confidence not only to the entrepreneurs themselves, but also to their lenders.

A rural case-study describes how one operator reacted to a 'reverse'.

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Shortage of sun has been the feature of the last winter period here in the UK midlands, along with some stormy wet weather causing flooding problems for some. Climate change seems to be a more generally accepted factor in the weather, and some scientists are suggesting that quite a bit more needs to be done to prevent/limit potential damage. Micro-holding life has continued at a subdued pace, with some  opportunity for 're-charging the batteries'.

Personal debt problems have once again hit the headlines, reminding that it may be a good idea for individuals to 'go freerange' on this, working out their own debt strategy and setting their own manageable levels of debt - ? Interest rates represent a considerable on-cost to personal borrowing, putting potential pressure on the household economy and at times resulting in longer-term problems. Interest rates for, say, plastic credit, which could be a large part of personal debt, do not seem to take risk levels too much into account, with  seemingly no cheaper plastic credit opportunities for very low risk individuals - ?

Is a future seemingly sustained by rising debt level and rising property values , as some reports suggest, a sound basis for longer-term security, throwing in also the longer-term resource potential problems implicit in the 'planet degradation' current scenario - ?  Maybe more freeranger 'frugal' type of consumption patterns will be needed , along with the geo-engineering measures currently being mooted - ?

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Not much in the way of sunshine over the last few weeks to report here on the organic eco micro-holding in the Uk heartlands, and parts of this country have been awash and flooded, in spite of flood defences in place. Thankfully no destructive flooding hereabouts bar in the chicken's pen which has had to be repeatedly cleared and supplied with fresh dry straw - c'est la  vie 'microholding' , n'est-ce pas?

There's not too much seasonal work on the go at the moment, apart from a bit of wood sawing and collecting the not over-plentiful produce from the veg growing ground , with stored produce  running out apart from onions.

The recent Paris climate control agreement has lightened climate change 'gloom and doom' - it probably remains to be seen whether the appropriate level of actions to combat global warming can occur - presumably there needs to be a cut back in consumption from the 'materially advanced' countries - ?  Maybe, too, 'large' governments need to take into account more the findings of 'smaller' entities, as one example could indicate.

'Mad, Black, Jack' was a character who also brought a few 'rays of light' and did quite a bit to raise spirits ---- .

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Late autumn can be a beautiful time to be abroad in the local peaceful countryside, with  its array of stunning colours, helped presumably here in the UK midlands by an exceptionally mild autumn. Produce on the micro-holding has then lasted well, and seasonal work such as sawing and hedging has gone pretty well.

The woodstore in the 'logs-istics' centre was filled 'fit to burstin' to give good 'fuel security' type feelings, added to by winter preparations such as laying in reserve supplies, and other 'reserve' activities such as commissioning the new diesel stand-by generator. Several back-up heat sources to the daytime living area of the cottage hopefully ensure on-going heating in the cold weather to come, not forgetting too to cater for the wildbirds that live on site.

One paper report highlighted 'non-care' aspects to modern western-style competitive cultures, questioning whether they might not yet be the most effective societies over the longer-term and pointing to the success of inclusive Sandinavian-type cultures.

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Heat is now necessary in the cottage here on the UK north midlands eco organic micro-holding (small smallholding) now that cooler autumnal mornings and evenings have arrived, although there's still recently been quite a bit of daytime sun powering the solar panels nicely.

The organic veg harvest has been non too bad with the beans lasting well and the winter greens veg plants coming on, together with useful beetroot, onion and potato harvests. Nature's harvest of damsons, blackberries and sloes have also been reaped, with 'natural' andd delicious products such as preserves and liqueurs made out of them.

Independent self-reliant-type of living may well be good for 'human spirit' levels, along with facilitating 'freerange' type of 'open-minded' thinking - ? And, of course often good in terms of helping the micro-small domestic economy, as well as providing sources of personal achievement and satisfaction. Two mini case-studies help to illustrate  ----- .

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Crops have gown on ok in the changeable month that's been August, needing though more protection than hitherto. The potatoes have had mixed results with lessons for next year, but the onions have come out remarkably well, considering they had a nasty attack of the 'aliums'.

This year's building out of spare re-cyclable materials project has been to addd a 'converandory' onto 'The Retreat', which was last year's project, and is just about finished now -a bit of extra motivation needed for the final push.

Motivation, though, almost seems to be a thing of the past, in today's 'control' type cultures in the west, with even traditionally self-motivated souls such as the professional classes not these days seemingly trusted to self-responsibly 'get on with the job' - 'carrot and stick' management styles ruling - ? There's some evidence too, of the very wealthy having some motivation-type problems ---.

H's rural motivation case-study looks at a 'heart v. head' conundrum situation, whilst Bob Dylan gets nearly the last word -----

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The 'lazy, hazy month of August is here, bringing a bit of a slower pace. The organic micro-holding crops have been their usual mix of good and not quite so good, with broad beans and potatoes doing well, and still plenty of produce with  which to make lunchtime stir-fry's.

The 'Wild Bunch' hen flock got depleted by the fox -probably a hungry vixen with cubs to feed, and extra fortifications have been the order of the day, to protect the replacement birds, which are proving to be just as lively as their forebears.

Growing via the organic method without chemicals dictates to some extent the pattern of farming/growing and needs carefully worked out rotational land use planning, still based on farming systems in use before the advent of chemical farming systems. Small-scale organic growing is basically similar to organic farming, just with one or two differences.

The word 'organic' can also signify 'natural', and many rural businesses, for instance. started small and then grew 'organically'. Some sort out their housing 'organically'. The work on the micro-holding here could be said to proceed 'organically' ---

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