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market-farming - Re: market-farming Apprentice Update

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  • From: Joan Vibert <joan AT windwalker-farm.com>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: market-farming Apprentice Update
  • Date: Thu, 03 May 2001 08:34:14 -0500


Dori - after having read many of your posts on people I have to finally
comment. We have had the intention of a community now for several years
with very similar disasters.

The final blow was last year when a delightful (we thought) native American
couple with a baby came to live in return for working in the gardens and
doing one of the markets every week (they could take half of what they
sold). I carefully explained that when an expansion like this is planned it
has to be followed through. We'd already paid for one market and a big
deposit for the other. They wanted to learn how to grow food, etc. and the
guy was a hard worker.

The week we were due to put in 1500 tomato plants for the salsa project they
decided they didn't "like" Kansas and wanted to move on to Washington. (It
took them another two months to leave). Thankfully I have a great husband
and very good friends who organized a work party on Memorial day and we got
in 1250 tomato plants before running out of room. We also got the 1000' of
potatoes mulched and I was left with all the weeding. NEVER AGAIN!

This spring a couple from Arkansas began communicating and then coming for a
visit with the intention of moving here and joining the community. However,
once again they were good workers in the gardens, etc. BUT they have no
money and were becoming anxious to move along the get acquainted process so
they could get here sooner. This rang a big bell and we've called a halt to
the visits for the time being.

Unfortunately I've begun to think that these are the kind of people we will
continue to attract because we have the land and the houses and they don't.
We keep saying we want people like us - but people like us are probably
already doing what we are doing - are settled somewhere and are hoping for
people like themselves to join them. I don't know if there is an answer!

We'd love to have a community of like-minded people and we have room, 100
acres. Our daughter and son-in-law have built a strawbale house that's off
the grid. We've undertaken many sustainable-type ideas and are continuing
to do so. But right now all I see are more parasites showing up. I don't
know how to change this. We continue to visualize what we want - and
continue to believe!

enjoy your spring

joan
windwalker farm
ottawa, kansas






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