Free-Range Living

 'Small-scale freerange life ---- '

 Summer here at the organic eco micro-holding (small smallholding) in the UK midlands lasted well - right to the end of September in fact, the driest and warmest September on record, it seems. As a result, everything's grown on - the winter veg (purple sprouting, spring greens regrowth and curly 'cottager' kale) looks vigorous, although the swedes, as usual,are not up to a lot - their leaves, though, if included in a winter greens 'mix', add a tangy bite. Runner (climbing) beans have kept going, now though, erm, on their last legs, as have tomatoes, of which there's a rook in the fridge to try to delay over ripening to extend their use period. Freshley picked homegrown tomatoes are a taste sensation, unlike often those shop-bought, which seem at times to be 'taste challenged', and  home made delicious tomato soup has been prominent on the recent menu.

Now, though, early  October, the temperature's dropped and autumn 's arrived, with the trees changing colour and starting to drop leaves - good to have the differing seasons adding to the spice. A curious feature of this growing season has been the dearth of caterpillars - normally 'caterpillar genecide' has to be carried out regularly, otherwise no winter veg (a few plants being sacrificed to the wee beasties) but apart from a few green 'uns, virtually none - normally loads of the yellow and black variety. Same with wasps - a few early on but then none - the plums that fall onto the veg patch normally attract quite a few, but not this year - ? Due probably to the late 'Indian summer', the swallows were late departing on their amazing epic 6,000 mile journey to South Africa. They left at least a week later on the 22nd September, now to be replaced by more resident birds coming into the garden and surrounds more now that the weather's turned.

National freerangin' --- not

The major 'freerange' event that was the Scottish independence referendum has now been and gone, with quite a few hereabouts surprised at the 'No' result. On a recent train-based break to the Scottish Western Highlands and Sky, travelling the scenic West Highland line from Glasgow to Mallaig (taking 5 plus hours), finishing with the acclaimed Fort William to Mallaig stretch, then short-passage ferry to Sky, it was said that when Sky was linked to mainland Scotland by bridge, some Sky residents decamped to islands further west, feeling that the bridge had compromised their island independence. Living on a relatively remote Scottish western isle  presumably fosters independence both in thought and in practice -islanders then being 'natural freerangers', and certainly not 'mainstreamers' - ?

 Wagon banding ---- ?

  Can a 'freerange' lifestyle be lead in any other fashion than on 'small scale' - ?  Once any current 'bandwagon' is joined, then that presumably means joining the 'mass flow', the 'main - stream' - ? The modern times bandwagon seems here in the UK to have followed the American model of 'super competitiveness', strong focus on material gain, and by default weak focus on social priorities, even though  society is the 'norm' form of collective life. John Muir, the founding father of the modern environmental movement, an imported Scotsman who became and remains famous in America, had as his mission 'the saving of the American soul from total surrender to materialism' , maybe achieving mixed results - ?

 For those able to withstand the force and pace of the mainstream materialistic on-flow - possibly mainly the younger and the 'insulated-by-wealth' portions of society - ? - a fast materialistic pace of modern life may well suit, with its promise of change/excitement. For others, though, such a fast-pace, relentlessly 'change, change' culture may not always totally suit, and there is also the thought that ever-onward motion and change may not be a particularly healthy environment in which to operate- aren't, for instance, periods of respite, of taking stock, of reflection, even, needed - ? 

Wagon un-banding --- ?

 Easy maybe, to come up with such reflective reservations from the backwater eddy that is the organic eco micro-holding(small smallholding) here in its 'green oasis' setting - many may well have little choice but to eternally 'mainstream', paddling away (although there is quite a bit of anectodal evidence of people opting out of 'the fast flow' - downsizing and so forth). Such a fast-paced relentlessly 'ever-onward' type of culture (Schumacher, of 'Small is Beautiful' renown, called for a thoughtful 'stop and think', for instance) also appears to have other dynamic effects of its own, such as 'anonymous authority' as one writer put it (Michael Foley ' The Age of Absurdity'), which apparently happens via the unstoppable huge forward 'collective' momentum, giving what some might call an illusion that any resistance is futile and that resisters are then 'recidivists' ( the 'if you're not with us, you're against us' syndrome -? Where did fuller 'without fear or favour' debate disappear to - ?)

Beware predators --- ?

 One of the 'unstoppable' occurences could be the rise of large-scale organisational power, both via business and governing organisations, the large predators in the de-regulated 'free market' type of culture, then exercising their power, often seemingly against the micro powerless organism that is the individual, to then render conditions to be the 'un-free market'- ? Mis-selling of insurances, expensive unaffordable loans to impoverished individuals, hidden charges on pension pots - the list can at times seem lengthy. The individual ('David') is defenceless, at the mercy of the powerful predators ('Goliaths'), and has little ability to stand up to such a fastflow on-surge acting in the interest of large scale interests. At least now in the UK there seems to be at least some legislation aiming to curb exploitation of people, - a recent piece argued though, that government should have been more concerned with protecting its citizens, and less with promoting the interests and needs of the 'larger entities', particularly maybe, those within the financial sector. In the face of large entity' (including government) power, the 'smaller scale' end of things gets inevitably, shorter shrift, and the art of 'freeranging', for instance, seems not to be generaly over- admired or over- encouraged - the UK business guru Charles Handy's 'honourable individualism not particularly in fashion.

Saving self --- ?

 The freerangers who applied their own values and safeguards, as freerangers tend to do, and. for instance, didn't follow the 'mass' trend of borrowing a lot, or quite a bit,  thereby keeping, say, a roof over their heads, must have felt at least to some extent vindicated for 'going against the trend', not falling for the 'siren call' of 'easy money'- ?  Whilst some -many it seems - have promoted the 'have now, pay later' 'instant gratification' approach, maybe not so many pointed to the fact that there is generally 'the day of reckoning' where borrowing is concerned. This is not to argue that borrowing is per se 'bad', rather that excessive and unsubstantiated borrowing can lead to problems for individuals further down the road (recent headlines in UK : 'individuals owe trillions'). The rise in personal credit could be a good example of a 'mass' trend, against which some personal strength and independence would be needed - ?  Maybe high cost credit card loans should be written off, as some payday lender loans have been - ?

'Small watch ----- ' 

With such an emphasis on personal wealth accumulation that there's been and still presumably is in the current culture (recent headlines : 'Uk's top echelons grabbing more than any other European country', 'top executive pay now 120* that of the 'ordinary' employee' (under 50 * ten years or so ago), ' over the last year, executives awarded themselves 20% pay rise, whilst ordinary employees lucky to get 1%'), money and its accumulation take on centre roles. Shouldn't there though be 'more to life than money', even if in a strongly pecuniary culture, money is obviously important? (as a 'means', rather than an 'end' - ?) Maybe such  inequality won't necessarily be though good for business in the longer run - ? Whilst the emphasis on short-term mega money making has been undoubtedly strong, possibly a representation of a 'youngist' type of culture, it was good the other day to meet an older man of some considerable business experience, running a building supplies outfit, a man of a seemingly sane 'longer-term perspective' :

 'It's ok going for the big profit, but there are dangers' he said. 'If people feel they've been ripped off, they feel exploited, and no-one likes that, so they won't come to you again, and so over time you'll struggle with sales.  In our book, it's better to give good service and value for money, settling for the smaller profit margin via reasonable price levels, then getting satisfied customers who'll not only come back to you, but will also spread the word - no better form of advertising'.

 He practised what he preached - three OSB reconstituted boards cost £37 from him - down the road his competitor wanted £52 - that's around 40% more -not too hard to see where customers might choose to go in the future. - ?

Satisfying small-scale stuff ----

'What goes around, comes around', as the saying has it. Talking of which, those micro-holding hedges won't clip themselves, so back to low tech tools and 'on with the job'. Some satisfaction to be had, though, in undertaking work where the effect is apparent, hopefully for the better, and know that 'progress has been made'.
 A last word from Mr. Muir, a man who appeared to have his own values, not travelling the 'wealth and riches' highway :

 'I could have been a millionaire - instead I chose to become a tramp'.