I am winding my time down on Dianne's farm as I prepare to leave next week. This has been an amazing adventure, culture shock, and wake up call. I have grown soooo much spiritually, emotionally and physically. In 7 short weeks I have witnessed and participated in a farm that IS becoming the change they want to see in the world: sustainable lifestyle, forest farming and permaculture being practiced and taught. Dianne and her family are a fast growing population all through world as they gear up to the 100 mile diet and post carbon world.
I hope I can write more often as I process what I have learned to pass on. My culture shocked brain could only absorb so much as literally everything is new to me!



My first lesson has been living in a permaculture environment:  Permaculture is a design system based on ethics and principles which can be used to establish, design, manage and improve all efforts made by individuals, households and communities towards a sustainable future. How that  shows up here is we recycle almost everything.  We took the trash to the dump yesterday and for a family of 5 of us we filled one tall kitchen trash bag (cornstarch plastic) for one month!!!  There is a no new plastic rule so when you buy at the market you take your own containers and refill using the bulk bins.  We don't buy anything that's not in a 100 mile circumfrence from here.
Her organic garden grows most of the food for the year.  We have been collecting seed for next year (Heritage), canning and freezing for winter.  She barters some of her food and medicinal herbs for local organic turkey and beef.  She does buy grains and dairy.  Her garden is grown in permaculture, forest farm style.  Forest farming is an agroforestry practice characterized by the four "I's"- Intentional, Integrated, Intensive and Interactive management of an existing forested ecosystem wherein forest health is of paramount concern. It is neither forestry nor farming in the traditional sense. Forest farm management principles constitute an ecological approach to forest management through efforts to find a balance between conservation of native biodiversity and wildlife habitat within the forest.  We wild craft into the forest for many medicinal plants and roots also.
If any of you have questions please email me!
 
Fare thee Well,
Janet

Laird Creek Farm 1

Hi from Nelson, British Columbia!
I am wwoofing on this amazing medicinal herb farm in Kootney Lake Region.  The Kootney region is part of the Columbia River running south to Spokane, Washington.  On the pollution global maps this area boasts the cleanest water and air in the world!
The farm is run by Dianne Luchtan.  She has lived in the region for 40 years.  She is a true medicine woman, women's rights activist, and revolutionary.  She is on the cutting edge of sustainability and environmental issues. Her land is 30 acres, most of it still forest and Laird creek runs through it.  Her 2 sons and their families live here in their separate homes (one son lives in his converted very cool bus!) Her sisters also live here.
Her business, Laird Creek Essentials, is medicinal tinctures, creams and salves.  She also sells heritage, organic seeds.  Along with the growing of some medicinal herbs, she grows all of her own fruit and vegetables for the year.  Which means right now, being fall, we are picking for freezing and preserving for winter and harvesting seeds for spring seed sales.  She also participates in 2 local festivals at the end of the month.
Her water comes from an artisan well and they just hooked a pump to the Laird creek.  She is in the process of researching water power alternative energy to eventually live off the grid.  We recycle everything!!!!  I mean almost everything!!  She only takes 1 large trash bag to the dump once a month!  This house also practices "no new plastic" and everything she buys is local with the exception of coffee (and that is fair trade organic)! 
Fare Thee Well.....more photos to come!
Pioneer Janet

        Lola's House

Ashland, Oregon

July 24, 2010-July 27, 2010
I spent time with my friend Lisa in Ashland, Oregon. We had a great hike in Lithia Park. The park has natural lithium springs so everyone is really mellow!  The beauty and park trails are superb dotted with the the characters from "hippydom".  I love this town and I love Lisa!  Thank you for showing me such a nice time.  We also saw the movie Inception.  Wow, great movie, a must see! Russel, Scott Bush's son came and joined us for dinner.  He has moved to Medford....you go Russ...you broke the Orange Curtain!
Ashland is rapidly becoming a sustainable town.  They boast a huge local food co-op .  Most people here are very eco aware and the town offers numerous classes in sustainability from food growing, herbalism, and alternative power.  You see local food growing everywhere.  Alternative health care is in abundance and solar panels dot the roof tops.  This is definitely a town worth considering based on it's beauty, it's character and mentality.  I was reminded of Laguna Beach without the ocean....Lithia Park makes up for it and the lack of people!
Fare thee Well!
Pioneer Janet 

The Mystery Community

July 23, 2010   Do you see the black hole on the left here?
That's what it looked like I was going into!  No return.  I started to climb this mountain in the redwoods and thought to myself....where in the **** do I think I am going and doing!!!  I was planning to visit an intentional community (sort of a commune) in Northern California.  They said it was remote.....they were not kidding.  I drove 1 hour on a small single lane paved road then I drove for another hour at 3mph to go 3.5 miles on a dirt road.  Deer were jumping in front of me and I saw a cougar.  (that's Lola's response to the cougar below!)  I got to the yellow gate at the appointed time and it was locked.  Relief filled my body!!!!  Fear dissapated as I drove 3mph back down the mountain!  I am NOT ready to live this remote YET!  PS... the people did call, text and email me with apology for standing me up.  I might visit later in the year and maybe I will have a 4-wheel drive!
Fare, Fare thee Well!!!
Not so Pioneer Janet