Free-Range Living

 'Middle-for-diddle ----- '

  'Middling ---- '

  That's the weather right now just after Xmas here on the eco organic micro-holding (small smallholding) in the UK heartlands, not too great but not too bad, after a freezing cold snowy two weeks in December, during which the woodpile reduced at quite a rate. Some sawing the other day replenished supplies somewhat, just as regular micro-holding work was thankfully completed before the harder weather and Xmas, leading into a week or two now of semi-hibernation, 'hole-ing up', resting body and spirit.

The harder weather hit the winter greens, especially the purple sprouting, but it seems to have survived and with luck and a prevailng wind, should produce delicious small brocolli-like shoots from February onwards - food fit for Kings --- and micro-holders ---- . The curly kale, otherwise known as 'cottager kale', is probably just about the toughest winter green, in terms of its resistance to frost damage. For some reason it always had a pretty low profile, maybe due to its link with the lowly 'cottager' (historically, someone who lived in a cottage --- ). Paradoxically, though, it is apparently the highest ranking veg in terms of being packed full of nutrients, vitamins and minerals, so there you go, you can't always judge a book by its cover, or apparently a variety of vegetable from its reputation. Maybe partly due to its nutrition-found eminence, kale has now seemingly become a fashionable item in upmarket eating places - maybe part of its previous 'lack lustre' appeal was due to the fact that fields of it were grown as winter fodder for cattle (and maybe in the odd situation still are). Kale as cattle fodder - maybe not quite the image to suit those high-class diners  - ?

Other livestock such as sheep eat 'in situ' winter crops in this area - in this case a fast-growing crop called 'stubble turnips' sown into cornfields after harvest, the sheep then eating the green turnip top and then the turnip itself.

 'Intermediate ---- '

 The modern penchant for 'technology trend' can mean at times that previous levels of technology get automatically 'binned' as 'old hat', 'out of date' methodologies, with the new-est technology systems then driving the current culture and its practices - and then values too, especially if there's a fairly strong 'social norming' flow within the culture (the 'if you aren't with us, you're against us' syndrome, as against, say, the 'let's hear it for human bio-diversity and individual self-determination' position). Here in the UK the government is taking the universities to task for suppression of views people don't like, or  'suppression of free speech' as it is known ---- If debate and the chance to put forward views without 'fear or favour' can't exist in the university sector, then presumably there's not too much hope for the rest of society - ?

 Running a miniscule 'eco lifestyle enterprise' such as the micro-holding here, virtually automatically implies using technology 'out of the ark', much of it coming under the umbrella term of 'intermediate technology'  It's good in a way that it is, as then there's plenty of scope for human active participation, which can help for instance in the process of getting close up to and connecting to nature (which in turn for those interested it's said can help realise consciousness of tao - 'universal life energy sources' - ?)  The wheel, for instance, still plays a pivotal role in the intermediate technology involved in running the micro-holding in the form of the three 'acquired for free' wheelbarrows and likewise the hand-truck, plus of course the invaluable sacktruck - for which money was parted with - all involved, as well as manual effort, in the 'shifting' side of things. Hand tools are of course mainstays of the intermediate technology micro-holding approach, with the bare minimum needed to proceed being a garden fork, a spade, a hoe ( the loamy ground here is easily worked ), a small pruning saw, a bow saw, a hand scythe, and a lump (heavy) hammer. Not an awful lot of equipment but which could help to produce and process quite a bit.

In practice of course, and over time quite a bit more equipment is accumulated from here and there and it could be argued that 'repair and build' tools such as pliers, wire cutters, screwdrivers, hammers, spanners and so forth are also essential equipment. A degree of power help in the form of chainsaws, power mowers, drills, and the like is also useful in practice - it can be surprising how much work and how many activities are involved in running such a small smallholding of only half an acre (a fifth of a hectare) in area. Where possible the sun's energy is used via the solar panels to run the power tools such as electric chainsaws and electric mowers, it not neccessarily having to be a blazing hot day to get solar electric production - often on a day with some cloud, for instance, there'll be enough solar electric production to run such power tools.

Intermediate technology - the joys of ----

It was recently reported that there's been currently a surge in interest in self-reliance/self-sufficiency here in the UK, a situation presumably shown by the resurgence in having an allotment (piece of ground to rent for growing stuff on) - waiting lists now rather than vacant plots. Maybe it's 'press button' life that's palled - ? Or is it that people want more 'real reality' rather than virtual reality? People could be getting cheesed off with being 'the fodder' in the consumerist-centred culture, along then with wanting a more meaningful life - ? (some have suggested for instance that the 'shopping pandemic' (one third of the adult UK population at shops on Boxing Day) is to do with being a 'palliative' to compensate for lack of real life meaning in the 'consumer culture' - ?)
 
 ' Nowadays we live to shop. It's the only thing that holds us together.  There's no such thing as society, said the blessed Margaret (former UK Prime Minister), only shoppers'.     (Alan Bennett, English writer)

Working with basic tools certainly gives opportunity for a strong human input contribution, then leading to satisfaction areas such as personal creativity and achievement, as well of course the chance to undertake low-cost operations which then can contribute valuable produce to the household economy (here it's organic veg plus fruit plus home-produced eggs. along with lowcost fuel (wood), which in all it's estimated lowers cash food and energy outlay costs by about a third - quite a reasonable contribution then to household living costs). Then there's a plethora of 'intangibles' - pleasure from active involvement with life  -needs satisfying, along of course with the physical benefits of the active life -not too much opportunity of piling on pounds here - also from that ineffable feeling and satisfaction of self-reliance and independence, from the feeling of security not being overly reliant on suppliers due to the degree of insulation the self-reliant lifestyle can give, and from, as above the feeling of 'connection' with nature, and with a wider, bigger 'view' ----
 
 A well-known case-study from the past can illustrate the 'human involvement' angle :

   In the midland manafacturing heartlands of the uk, toolmakers were a key skilled section of the workforce, using their training, experience and skills to set and work their machines to make valuable parts from metal. Then, though, technological progress, the new wave of machines were computerised, with the computers now doing the bulk of the skilled work, with the toolmakers then relegated to 'machine minders', such a change  in effect 'downgrading' the toolmakers and their skills, causing maybe not unaturally considerable dissatisfaction and unrest.

The above could act as a cautionary tale for would-be freerangers, who are likely to be amongst those seeking a more self-determined life and to be able to run their lives with a certain level of independance (headlines in a paper a day or two ago 'the nanny state strikes again'), and in self-reliant and self-responsible mode, and with opportunity to use their skills, knowledge and experience -----

The middle way -----

 A well-known figure from historical times, Buddha, advocated pursuing 'the middle way', apparently 'a narrow path' between self-indulgence and self-abasement (eg. 'beating the self up'), yet at the same time advocating the 'sort itself out yourself' approach ( 'sort out your own salvation - don't rely on others---- (Buddha)), (although there are no doubt times when some help might be needed).  Quite a bit of modern (and older) self-development stuff advocates 'direct experience' leading to self-knowledge and self-growing, highlighting then a potential problem with advice --- i.e. no matter how eminent the giver, it is second-hand and therefore not automatically internalised - ? This could have been something Will. Blake was driving at when he stated 'the road of excess leads to the palaces of wisdom', presumably meaning that to get a full take on life, the individual has to find 'the boundaries' for themselves, with the possible implication that they could vary for different individuals -?

Another barrier is said to be 'fixed notions' presumably because then there's a lack of freedom to take on board any fresh, new stuff - ? So in plainer terms, the (freerange) individual needs to trust her/his internal guide system (and by inference keep generalised cultural norms somewhat at bay? - 'to generalise is to be an idiot' said Blake again) , keep a reasonably open mind, and progress through life in learning mode  (good freeranger stuff) - ? Cultural norms anyway can tend to be of the 'movable feast' variety, driven as they tend to be by ruling political parties, which may though be in power via a minority vote ( i.e. of the whole population). 'Moderation in everything', as the saying has it, but with the proviso that the individual has the right to find out for themselves - ?

'Centred ---- '

 Actually,  right now on feeding the birds, doing a little bit for the environment. Not for them the cosy sun-heated (via the air-source heat pump) day living rooms of the cottage here at the micro-holding - these amazing little freerangers  are surviving today in the bright coldness of mid-winter. A bright day in winter means useful solar electric production, enough to run the heat pump heating system and then via a specific device to put some electric power into the hot-water tank resulting in good supplies of free hot water. Not to be sniffed at, and a useful practical example of where not being bang up with the techno times (i.e. having the more modern combi boiler which can't store hot water) then actually gives a more benficial result --- Crikey, can't be bad, maybe even calls for a celebration, say, a nice bottle of Bank's beer from Wolverhampton, where the Bank's motto is 'Unspoilt by Progress' -----

   ' Progress is ok ---- but you can have too much of it ---- '    ( American commentator, name escapes --- )