What type of life are you creating?

Ben takes the time to walk you through his 10 acres in Northern Vermont, what works, what doesn’t and why. The world is in sad shape, we each consume more and more, but what if we gave back and created a small slice of something better rather then just taking and consuming.

He tells about the ancient practices that worked in Spain and North America, the nurtured haven of food and wildlife. The perenial trees producing the nuts, fruits and resources while understory pasturing creates a renewable food source on the land. Vs what happened in the fertile crescent and what is happening with industrial agriculture.

Spend time walking the land, envisioning all the pieces and plan out your living space, where you will put down roots and create a place that will be successful for generations vs building, then selling. Realize your plan is an outline and will need to change according to circumstances. Be flexible and find what works in your life and with your family and community.

We are overloading the world and our bodies with toxins, don’t clean your home with toxic chemicals, don’t put it on your food.

Use your landscape to it’s benefit, create swales, ponds and contour the land to capture the moisture and allow it to sink in. Situate your home to maximize solar energy and views, seperate your homestead into zones, plant things closes to the home that will need attention the most and those needing the least further away.

The book could have been called the empowering lifestyle. Inspiring to read.