Discussion about this post

User's avatar
Monnina's avatar

The only assurance that any of us can hope from life is to dance with the perpetual transformation of its creative force ? To try and control or direct it will lead to tragedy and madness. Could the fashionable instrumentalist canon of the 1960s, the self chosen use of drugs, sex n rock n roll for quick enlightenment have been predicted to invoke to the many tragic episodes for those involved ? Carrying the mistaken notion of freeing their souls they were instead invoking bloody chaos. This brings to mind the old adage: When you knock upon the gates of Heaven, the gates of Hell open first.

Expand full comment
Carol's avatar

Hello Dr. Martin - This comment is off topic, but it's informative, I hope you don't mind...

I've stumbled across a lovely Substack, "House of Green" by Alexandra Fasulo, who writes about her experiences as a beginning farmer.

Just scrolling thru her "Notes" page - link https://houseofgreen.substack.com/notes - provides some fascinating, entertaining, & highly useful information for anyone who either is new to farming or has been harboring a dream of becoming a farmer.

Among her ecology, logistics, financing, & etc. "Notes", the author also has such useful items as:

from Sept. 9 -

"Through the USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), farmers can set aside portions of their land for conservation protection/work and receive a payment from the government for 10-15 years at a time."

from Sept. 5 -

"I looked up filing a new agricultural space with New York State. What I found shocked me! (Image attached below)

Once I register the space with the state, I will be exempt from property taxes for a decade. But this is where it gets even more interesting…"

And I esp. wanted to share this from Sept. 4 -

"The average American farmer is over the age of 60 currently.

They are going to age out of the farming industry soon (thousands are right now). They are tired of working 18+ hour days and managing hundreds of acres of land.

They don’t want to sell their farms to corporations or developers. They love their land. Many try to pass the farms onto their kids. This isn’t always an option.

These farmers are actively looking for millennials and Gen Z individuals who are willing to work hard and do right by their land.

The farmers are willing to:

* lease/rent acres so you can get experience

* sell off parts of the farm to people who promise to do right by the land

* engage in seller financing so you don’t need to call up the banks

* take you on as an apprentice for a year before they retire....make anything work

Trust me… these people are exhausted. Make it easier for them to retire and preserve their farms. No one wants to watch a family farm turn into 50 unaffordable apartment units."

I'm sorry for the length. I am hopelessly 'tech-illiterate' and couldn't figure out any other way to provide pertinent 'samples' to share here.

And I know it likely seems odd to post all this here - I promise I have absolutely no affiliations with Ms. Fasulo! I just happened on her stuff and felt it was an amazing 'resource' and, being me, thought, "Who can I 'give this to' that might pass it on to any others who might benefit from the info?"

So, I hoped you might, at least, have ideas for good 'places' to share the "House of Green" Substack, especially the "Notes" page (she has a lot there, which hasn't made it to the newsletter pages)

Thank you! P..S. Am currently re-reading "Sophia in Exile" and attempting to catch up on the many podcasts you take part in - particularly enjoy the "Grail Country" ones.

Expand full comment
7 more comments...

No posts