Free-Range Living

The ‘big’ free-range idea is to give animals such as egg-laying chickens and dairy cows a natural (to them) environment which then allows them to express their innate, unique behaviour patterns, for their own sakes, and to facilitate their natural proclivities and productivities. The ‘spiritual’ foundation to this appears to be a feeling that as ‘top animal’ man should be working ‘in partnership’ with them and recognising their needs, rather than just trying to dominate and control them; husbanding and caretaking rather than merely exploiting, paradoxically though often leading to good sustainable levels of productivity. There’s just something so satisfying, too, about seeing those chickens scratting busily and contentedly about in the paddock.

'Sub-culture’ man, Z, also exercises his free-will in the free-world, by freeranging extensively, choosing his own route through life. Whilst he is very keen on exercisising his personal sense of self-responsibility by leading it in a low environmental impact fashion, many of his needs being supplied in a re-cycled form, another key interest is computing. He is highly skilled in this area, and he uses the latest technology, particularly to follow his passion to use technology for beneficial ends. He creates usable software for social groups unable to afford it otherwise, for instance, and takes particular pleasure in providing in his spare time his highly skilled services free to these disadvantaged groups, as of course many others do, freely engaging in voluntary work, which may have taken on enhanced ‘freerange’ value in the current money- orientated materialistically-geared culture.

Lone ranging------?

One of the options open to the individual in such circumstances is to exercise the individual right of self-responsibility and take their own measures to counteract any perceived negative cultural ‘batterisation’ effects, either within the parameters of their current lifestyles, or by a more drastic change of lifestyle – that is, become ‘freerangers'.  Of course, many do, particularly maybe those with significant experience to aid them gaining an ‘out-of-culture’ perspective, which might be more difficult to gain if experience is essentially limited to within the culture.
 The fact that the individual in such a situation is accepting and exercising responsibility indicates that such a strategy may not be an adoption of an over self-orientated lifestyle, as maybe perceived, but  rather the adoption of self-responsiblity and self-motivation which could ultimately prove to be more productive all round. This hopefully can be illustrated by the live examples of freeranging described later, including some of the freerange efforts here on the eco ‘micro’ holding (small smallholding), definitely a ‘work in progress’ rather than any polished finished article, ‘perfection’ being taken as an over-expectationary target (see ‘perfect specialisation’ section).

Range finding-----

It’s probably unlikely that a ‘freerange’ approach is necessarily for everyone, but for those for whom a degree of independence is a life need, then to exercise and practice their rights to freewill and self-determination could well be important. Some of the case-study ‘freerangers’ reviewed later in the series illustrate both the need to keep perspective and the adoption of responsibility to and for themselves, to cater for their own needs, as well, of course, exercising their natural wider sense of social responsibility.

For example:

A free-range couple took up what some might see as a relatively extreme approach, rearing their family in a semi self-sufficient manner on a small smallholding without any services attached, nor the use of any machines. They sought a ‘small’, quiet, unbustled life working with and close to nature, a love of which has also transferred to their children, who although not having as many material benefits as many, still seem to have enjoyed a fairly idyllic childhood.

A ‘new’ breed called ‘philanthropreneurs’ has apparently arisen, who make their ‘pots of dosh’ then satisfy their social needs by helping less fortunate members of society. A further new breed called ‘antipreneurs’ is said to have emerged as a reaction to the heavy entrepreneurial emphasis of the recent and current culture.