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Get to know your local farmer and know where you can find a source of water https://findaspring.com/locate/

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We're out here...And, so is the FDA, ATF and others trying to shut-down the Farmers and Ranchers. Very harsh with the Amish owning everything outright and practicing natural methods to produce food.

Increased herds by 100% and flocks by 200% last year; all grass-fed and option to finish with grain as desired. Have a local facility to process meat.

Allocated 10 acres for gardening and rent area for neighborhood Gardens...Providing tools and natural fertilizer in fall to cure/ferment over the winter. Only rule is to keep weeds down...Using mulch in rows.

Home School Families and others in neighborhood who are not Amish have increased significantly this year.

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good for you. In CA i see 'sustainable farmers' using sheeps (lol) and goats to keep the weeds down :)

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😲Don't tell anybody...Sustainable Farming is the ONLY way to go. We're in 'B.F-Egypt' here in the Midwest in some places still. Have windmills...NO, not those huge eye sores. Placed Solar Panels on and in every building; with Batteries for storage. All the herds and flocks are increased by 100% for 3 years running and increased isolation facilities for the births. Updated Orchard 3 years ago...As have many others around here. Began to get fruit on many of the seedlings this year and it's only going to increase.

Truth is; we consider the goats part of our herds and the neighbors have sheep. We milk...Both goats and 3 cows to make cheeses. TAKES FOREVER TO MILK BY HAND and time to build-up hand/arm strength to do more.

We have horses here on this farm; riding, cart and draft since we never know when fossil fuel may or many not be available or rationed and they'll be needed for the farming which the Amish have taught us once again to do these last years...IT'S HARD WORK, BELEIVE ME...BONE CRUSHING. Much prefer tractors. We're still buying tack...It's expensive.

The truth is that goats EAT EVERYTHING and not merely weeds. They'll not get near our berry and Asparagus Patches, the Grape Arbor and melons at the end of the fields of wheat and soy beans; or near the tomatoes, cruciferous vegies or other people's gardens. Mulch is a personal preference and we save all the grass from mowing 3 acres around the house as well as the ground-up corn stalks from last year's harvest. Squash, Sweet Corn and Beans do well when planted together as the Pilgrims were taught to do...To avoid weeds. Some herbs can be great to prevent weeds, fungus and pests. Flowers like Borage and Chrysanthemums are great to keep gardens weed free and pest free while Bee Balm and Echinacea Flowers provide some protection and also attracts Beas for pollination...Besides making things neat and pretty.

Neighbor has Bees making great Honey. The piles of mulch at the end of the garden rows are pretty high and growing even though being used for rows of small plants. This year it's time to build a store for people to weigh and take care of the harvest. It's legal here to have 'Farmer's Markets'.

There are lots of tricks to garden effectively in healthy ways. We'll allow the goats out if we can't find fossil fuel to mow. Just can't handle 'out-of-control' environment...Family always keeps everything manicured around buildings and trees. The Grandkids, Great-nieces and nephews LOVE using the wackers and trimmers. We all weed the gardens, herbs, flower beds which have barriers.

Our pastures are well kept and manicured with the herd/flock rotation. The goat pens MUST be well managed to keep the bucks away from the does. Bucks can jump as high as 10-12 feet to get out of an enclosure when a doe is in season. A male goat has an organ capable of being controlled and aimed as a defense mechanism and THIS makes goats more work than most sustainable farmers will relate. STENCH IS AWFUL. We've transitioned over the last 8 years and never had goats before 4 yrs. ago. Though cute as buttons when babies and the females are sweet...Not very hooked on the adult males. Don't know how God blessed us to change when we did.

Community has two new mills and Cider Press...Used by all according to schedule when the time arrives. There's now a facility for storing heirloom seeds and grains which is growing every year. We've also built and now have two meat processing facilities. Another neighbor is planting stevia to make into sweetener to cover for sugar...He also makes Maple Syrup and Stevia needs processing in opposite seasons...Fall, instead of spring and summer. Many around here make wine, beer and alcohol for use in drinking and medicinally...Which requires sweetener at times. We also know how to render Animal Fat instead of using Olive Oil, if we must.

Only problem is; the FDA, ATF and others are out in the rural areas; canvassing. They're beginning to harass the Amish pretty heavily in our area and our Sheriff is deputizing quickly to prepare. We know who provides what in the community of about 20 square miles...No more than could be walked in a day. It's impossible to express how REALLY HARD it's been.

Many are coming from the towns and cities seeking options for fresh food. Many begin to garden for the first time and then find it's hard work. Some are willing to learn and do the work and many are not. They hire others to do the work...Or, let it go to seed. I give them a month to let things go before I plow it under.

NEVER IMAGINED THIS COULD HAPPEN IN THIS WORLD OF THE MODERN DAY BUT HERE IT IS. Can remember as a small child...We had terrible tornados on 'Good Friday' and the whole area was totally demolished for years. Recall how Grandparents/Parents and everybody came together to be sure all the family in town/city and in area were cared for with both food and clean water.

WE ARE NOT CERTAIN WHAT TO EXPECT. THINGS COULD BECOME WORSE SINCE BANKS/CORPORATION/GOVT. IS NOW THE ENEMY ATTACKING/MURDERING US. We barely finished the Community Co-Op Home School in time to begin the Spring processes all over again.

Many communities are doing as we've done around here and most are 'Old School' with down-home values and morals. Everybody now knows who does what from at least three states over and most farmers have business acumen. We have Chemists, Pharmacists, Doctors, Nurses, Vets, Mid-Wives, Millers, Butchers, Seamstresses and Attorneys capable of establishing local govt. if necessary. My sister is among a group of women now spinning yarn and processing cotton. They wish to learn to weave next. Many young men were in the Military and all around here maintain order and insist others do the same. We have all the skills necessary for a functional society. There is a distinct possibility the whole world COULD come out better, stronger and more free than ever before if we can end the evil and their hellish plans. God, IT'S SUCH HARD WORK. Never imagined such hard work when a Grandma as a younger career woman...WOW!

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This was lovely to read. Fascinating + so far removed from my life here in Bristol UK. God bless you, your communities, incl Amish friends + the fruits of your labour. Thank you for sharing.

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Bristol, U.K. on the sea just south of Wales doesn't sound bad to me...Might get some rest and love the Ocean. Ever want to come to the states and work your tail off; this is the place.

Yes, the Amish are unbelievable. Been such help for we CIVILIZED folks, ya know...Never realized exactly how hard they worked though I've been on the farm all my life. Retired early 2 1/2 years ago from a stagnant career in a field now so corrupt it's impossible view it seriously. Don't regret being on the farm now...Even with the amount of work.

YOU KEEP YOURSELF SAFE IN LOVELY BRISTOL...It's beautiful; simply lovely and appears to be a place where clean food is nearby.

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Sounds like a great life to be honest, minus of course the harassment. Well someone with a concrete garden turned me on to this, it's called electoculture and goes back to the early 1900's at least the pdf book does, and of course it's been buried like many other discoveries. It may be something of use and the guy who's trying to bring it back want's it to be shared freely. The PDF is more for large farming, the website shows how it works and can be used on apartment patios.

https://cultivateelevate.com/electroculture/

This talks about how it's being used by many people on small scale use with amazing results depending on how big you make the conductor.

https://cultivateelevate.com/content/Electroculture1927.pdf

By Justin Christofleau

Knight of Merit of Agriculture, Gold Medalist of Society of Encouragement for National Industries, Member of Society of Scientists and Inventors of France, Foundation Member of National Society of Agriculture, Member of Association of Manufacturers and Inventors of France.

This is his appeal to agriculturists, Viticulturists, and Horticulturists of the World.

I come now towards you to raise my voice in favour of a great invention which will be, if you understand me, one of the great factors of the resurrection and prosperity of the whole world, as it means the intensifying of the production of the earth, the increasing of crops in considerable proportions, and minimising as much as possible the manual labor appertaining to culture and the economising of the immense sums of money which are being spent annually for fertilizers and replacing them by this new apparatus wherein are condensed all the forces of nature. That is to say: The land magnetism, telluric currents, the electricity of the floating air and that carried by the clouds, the sun, the wind, the rain, and even by the frost, forces which are captured and transformed into energetic electricity by this apparatus which carries them to the soil in a feeble and continuous manner, and which renders it free from the microbes which attacks the seeds and plants.

(copied verbatim intro, the pdf won't let me copy/paste)

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thanks for all the tips. the goats I see have a Goat Herder. Staff plus whip on end, with a hoard of leashes (20 or so animals). I don't know how he does it.

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Me either...They're pretty difficult. Goats aren't too far away from being as the wild Mountain Type, it seems to me. MAN!!! No time for being a Herder and my Herding Dog, Zippy, now has a broken leg and is being babied in the house.

SORRY FOR THE RANT...GLAD IT'S RAINING TODAY. Break-Time to chillax and NO MILLER BEER.

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