Our Mother's Embrace
Who we are and why we are doing this.
Why would you do this?
So, you have an interest in some deeper meaning. Welcome.
A few years before I retired from the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, I started believing that a lot of the things I was watching come to pass were leading us down some very dark and twisted paths. I wish I was only talking about the news, politics, and the state of the world today, but there is so much more. Yes, there are problems everywhere you look, from politics to the environment to whether or not you have the right to self-identify. So many things that have happened to me since 2017. Not going to get into all the details here but, understand, it has all lead me to the decision to step beside (not back from) society. To live in the way that I intend to live. In researching such things, I discovered uber-prepping... No, that's a joke. Well, not really. There are uber-preppers out there, but that is not what I wanted. I wanted to homestead. I wanted to invite friends, family, loved-ones, complete strangers to come and live along-side of me and help to live the life of simple earth compatibility. I am not saying check out of the modern times. I am just saying there are ways to live a relatively
modern life without hurting our Mother Earth quite so deeply. It is my intention to re-discover how to do it.
My journey started when I was at a gathering of like-minded people, and I happened to mention that this was my thought. It was then that someone I barely knew said that it was her dream since she was a litter kid and that she would love to follow and help out if I ever decided to make it happen for real. Well, that was to become the true starting point in my journey, turning it from thoughts and aspirations into planning and logistics. I spent the next 3 years looking for properties that would work for what we wanted. Looking into what animals would work out the best. Looking into building styles, alternative energy, beekeeping, water gathering and purification, hydroponics- which grew into aquaponics, fermentation, lumber milling... needless to say, I followed many a rabbit hole. And sometimes, my head positively hurt! In the end, I found a wonderful place in West Virginia where we can all get together and work, learn, play, and believe in friendship and community.
What's it all for?
It is my intention, with the land I have purchased, to build a place where people can learn about sustainable living, conservation, carbon footprint minimalizing, and any other Earth friendly /assisting practices. To accomplish this, I want to utilize practices such as strawbale construction techniques to build rentable cabins and small, more permanent living structures, hereafter called apartments. These structures will utilize off-grid techniques for energy and water until/unless modern types of facilities can be implemented. Things like solar energy, rainwater harvesting, shallow well drilling, passive solar heating, etc. From these, classes can be afforded, and the property development can continue.
To increase the habitability of the community, I intend to have extensive gardening, small scale farming, permaculture, livestock/animal husbandry, aquaponics, beekeeping, and more as the ideas present themselves and prove feasible for implementing. From this I plan to offer a farmer's market where various produce, animal, honey, artisanal products, and many other craft items and services can be sold. As the venue continues to grow and develop, more space will be amended and be available to rent as large venue space for organized gatherings and/or events.
Finally, from the very beginning, offerings of community and outreach will be available. I will be allowing like-minded individuals to live in the apartments for longer term in exchange for assistance either financially or through offerings of labor or education.
Through these ideas, I plan to grow this venue to be able to allow year-round gatherings in comfort, community, friendship, and education, while living sustainably on the land myself.