Useful and motivational websites:
- http://mofga.org/Publications/MaineOrganicFarmerGardener/Spring2011/SmallFarm/tabid/1866/Default.aspx
- http://rodaleinstitute.org/our-work/organic-no-till/
Ideas:
- Homestead for-profit business vs. self-sufficiency non-profit
- No-till cover crops
- Making $40,000 profit per acre per planting vs. per year;
Plan:
- Be frugal and a minimalist in the beginning--don't go into debt as much as possible
- $10,000 budget?
- Start small
- If every adult spends $15/day on healthy meals = $5,475/yr; To feed 10 ppl = $54,750/yr; 100 ppl = $547,500; 200ppl or 100 families = $1,095,000
- Poultry in 1 acre land? for eggs and meat? organic feed? cost effective/ profitability? 6 months to lay eggs, 6 weeks to meat; CAS--Controlled atmosphere stunning-- for no pain slaughtering (http://www.hsa.org.uk/downloads/technical-notes/TN12-gas-killing-of-chickens-and-turkeys.pdf);
- Goats to graze the land and control weeds? 1 acre housing? profitability? CAS slaughtering?
- Bamboo for lumber? 1 acre
- Fruit trees (avocado, apples, oranges, figs, peaches, nectarines, blueberry, raspberry), melons, strawberries
- Compose and recycle and reuse
- Flowers? profitability?
- Employment? Individuals interested in grass root movement, environmental/ecological impact; 2 acres per employee--$40,000 to the company; >=$40,000 to the employee
- Reduce fuel use, waste, or environmental impact
- Produce fuel?
- Straw and goats for weed suppression
- Beneficial insects, row covers/ tunnels/ green houses, companion planting for pest control
- Grow complete food groups (wheat/oats, leafy greens, carrots/yam, tomatoes, potatoes, chickpeas/soy beans/ eggs/ poultry/ goat meat, fruits)
