Not everyone that shows up here on Stephen Bennett's farm sees the vision of Indigo Crossroads. Folks do their best to get by out here in the forest of the Ozark mountains. Raising Lakeland Terrier pups is our family's economic engine at this step of our path. It is rewarding work and running the marketing end of it sure has taught me a great deal. The core group of Indigo Crossroads, (Tab, Bri, and myself), currently cover guidance, management, and final decision making as to community affairs. Needless to say, raising pups here at Theodosia Lakeland Kennels is great , but it gets even greater as the dream we hold as a community expands much farther than the horse fences.
THEODOSIA LAKELAND KENNELS
http://www.lakelandpack.com
By learning to raise, train, and breed Lakeland Terriers we have stepped out in front of our profession and field of knowledge surrounding the breeding venture. Breeding Lakies is not the simplest undertaking in the world. The Dames are very excitable and protective of their pups. It takes a very calm environment before, during, and after a birthing. We have other breeders and kennels ask for our guidance as to what we do here.
Lakies were bred back in England to hunt and kill rats, fox, rabbits, and other burrowing animals in their den. The origins of the word terrier is:
"terrier (n)
kind of dog, early 15c., from Old French chien terrier "terrier dog," literally "earth dog," from Medieval Latin terrarius "of earth," from Latin terra "earth" (from PIE root *ters- "to dry"). So called because the dogs pursue their quarry (foxes, badgers, etc.) into their burrows."
Etymology found at: https://www.etymonline.com/word/terrier
INDIGO CROSSROADS
http://earthnation.world?affid=paul-stevenson-jr-
INDIGO CROSSROADS
http://earthnation.world?affid=paul-stevenson-jr-
So, into the ground we go, taking an inside look at some of the core steps it takes to see an Indigo Crossroads's dream come to pass. What we find first is Mycelium.
plural mycelia -lē-ə\ the mass of interwoven filamentous hyphae that forms especially the vegetative portion of the thallus of a fungus and is often submerged in another body (as of soil or organic matter or the tissues of a host); also : a similar mass of filaments formed by some bacteria (such as streptomyces)— mycelial -əl\ adjective.
From: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mycelium
Though the greenhouses we have planned using aquaponics will produce most of the food for the farm, the soil that we grow in seasonally will need nourishing and care. Choosing not to till our garden areas will allow much healthier soil and with healthier soil we will have much healthier edible mushrooms and plants for eating.
"Life as we know it would be much different if it weren’t for the mysterious and miraculous mycelium. Such an impressive entity, so different than most life on earth. This fungus can destroy and give life simultaneously.
I’m no expert on mycelium, but I love my soil and mycelium helps my soil by breaking down organic matter, keeping moisture in the soil, and helping to prevent erosion. I’m sure mycelium does much more than those three things, but this is how it affects me and all life in my garden.
I’m an organic matter fanatic. I like putting all sorts of natural products on my soil. Wood chips, leaves, straw, and my rabbit manure all feed the mycelium. After a year of putting down these types of ground cover, I have a really nice mat of mycelium. It’s more than one type, all wild strains. I would say that I put out between 4”-6” of organic matter every fall and by the spring almost all of it has been transformed into soil."
From a wonderful article at: https://permaculturenews.org/2017/01/06/mycelium-and-soil/
Using multiple symbiotic relationships and multiple species on a permaculture based, off-grid farm setting our community farm will quickly begin to produce much more organic food and funding than it will use. It will also create jobs for people of like mind and intention out in this rural area.
Besides the five planned aquaponic greenhouses, the cycle then moves to the horse, cows, pigs, and chickens etc. The animals' waste then goes into compost and then eventually back into new gardens. Wood ash is another great thing for gardens and we know that fuel can be made from wood. The generators running on this fuel along with the solar panels in the greenhouse design will easily power the farm.
Once the bunkhouse is built and the greenhouse village is all up and running we then will be focusing on a large community building and surrounding it some sweet little guest cabins. This will accommodate classes, events, meetings, and a stage for multiple functions for an assortment of associated groups.
With the funds from the farm's production and the upcoming success of our relationship with Earth Nation and our steemit guild we will then move to create a Tinker's workshop village. This village will be made up of arts, crafts, potter's wheels, music studio, forge, bee keeper, and wood shop etc.
EARTH NATION
http://earthnation.world?affid=paul-stevenson-jr-
EARTH NATION
http://earthnation.world?affid=paul-stevenson-jr-
Having completed these three steps; the greenhouses and food forest, the community building and cabins, the Tinker's workshop and village, we then move on to create a full sized village. A village of about 144-150 people is as big as suggested. When we move to this step I plan to apply much of what is found here in this amazing set of books called "The Ringing Cedars of Russia Series". The old Vedruss really knew their stuff. I have done some calculating and came up with 1,000 acres per community, or tribe as I like to call it.
https://www.ringingcedars.com/
I vision festivals that are set up on newly acquired 1,000 acre sites. Leaving behind the start up needed to fund the rest of the new community's vision. From the Tinker Camp will emerge an epic band, with an amazing vision, supporting a global network of tribal eco-villages and travelers reproducing a win-win-win for humanity!
June walked into the office and said, "This is no community.". I turned to her in amazement. I thought for a moment and answered, "The world is a dog kennel. We may not function like a full blown community yet, but we're on our way.".
This takes commitment, faith, compromise, patience, and vision. I say "Watch out all, my hair's on fire and I'm headed to the lake!".
This is the attitude of the happy doers, the movers and shakers. Those that gitt'er done.
May you be happy and well.
~ Four Eagles
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