I was raised on a small farm outside a small town in NE Michigan, but now live SC. I have worked a variety of jobs, mostly outdoors, and have skills ranging from animal husbandry, to construction, to gardening and beyond. Job experience includes everything from farm and factory work to my current “job” as a massage therapist. I put the “” around job because when I hear other people talk about their job it is usually to complain. I love my “job” and would do it for free. Sometimes I do:)
My experience with permaculture all started because I am sick of living with my mother-in-law (and sometimes my husband for that matter j/k) and I kept seeing on the news stations and in the papers that the housing market is terrible and property prices very low. I had one of those moments where you somehow solve everything, or at least find the thing that leads to the solution to everything. I immediately started looking for land on the internet originally intending to find a few acres with owner financing. I ended up with .3 of an acre but I paid cash. 7-2-12 was the closing date. While working to put the money together I started looking into ways to build my own home for really cheap. I started seeing tiny homes built by individuals, families, and communities. The natural homes really stuck out in my mind so I started exploring it more. The more I read the more I started thinking about what other things I could do to live better with less money and also have less of a negative impact on the world and on my little plot of land. I learned about colony collapse disorder so I studied beekeeping. I learned more about chemicals and GMOs so I studied growing food. I liked the idea of building my home with the help of family and friends so I studied architecture and building. I liked the idea of going off the grid so I studied sustainable energy. All of those things led me to permaculture.
I consider 7-2-12 the start date for this project because that was the closing date on the land. Since then I have been working to transform it, my life, and hopefully the lives of others. So far I have been working alone for the most part, but that is starting to change as different neighbors drop in to see who the lady in the woods that their kids keep talking about is. Please take a look at the blog or look for revivalnatural on facebook, twitter, and youtube to see what’s already been happening. I am new to tweets, blogs, and making videos so please be kind 🙂
As of right now I am getting plans together (with local architect and natural builder, April Magil) for a natural timberframed cordwood and cob off grid cottage. I am also getting everything in order to go non-profit and start raising money to help hold workshops and then go to the people’s homes and help them build their own gardens, food forests, solar arrays, chicken coops, etc. I also want to introduce a barter system so people with more time than money can get fresh produce or massages (since I’m a massage therapist) in exchange for time spent helping in the garden with the goal of growing it into a community wide bartering program involving both individuals and local businesses.
Revival Homestead facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/revivalnatural
Please connect 🙂
Revival 