When going off grid, you need skills and lots of them. This is the reason we’re going partly off grid in our current house on 1 acre. It won’t serve us to buy some land and then figure it out. We’re studying, experimenting, learning and growing into our place as off gridders. One of the most important skills anyone can have…off grid or not…is growing, storing and cooking your own food.
Commercially grown and processed conventional food is full of toxins which keep the medical system busy giving us even more toxins to deal with the dis ease our toxic food causes. It’s a sick cycle fueled by suppressed science and money that we need to break as a society. It’s literally killing us. I’m a strong believer in personal responsibility and our ability to govern ourselves, which I live by. A big f*** you to the ones profiting on the dis ease causing toxins is taking control of your own health, you food, you life. A doctor is a drug and surgery expert, they get little to no nutritional training, which can actually cure. Their not bad people, they are people who devoted many years of their lives to learning their craft and their not even respected with modern science or the fact that there is a natural cure for everything. They are better than what their taught and certainly deserve better, we all do. They are not health experts. They are drug and surgery experts. When was the last time a doctor prescribed herbs, yoga, sunlight or organic veggies? Their not taught about those things so we can’t expect them to treat us with them. Some of the best herbalists are former doctors and nurses or those who saw through the Matrix and left medical and nursing school to enter the wonderful world of herbs. The people are wonderful, the systems are broken.
When you grow your own food, you have all the power. You decide what goes into it and can choose to use only what nature gave us. Your food will be cleaner and healthier. It will look better, smell better and that taste. Oh the taste! How do you describe the taste of home grown tomatoes, cucumbers or herbs? Their much more delicious, much more nutrient dense and it’s so rewarding to eat something you didn’t depend on someone else for. You don’t have to take someone else’s word for the quality and cleanliness of your food, you’re not dependent on the man made systems to provide you with food. You won’t go broke as growing your own food isn’t expensive. A garden is beneficial to those who like organic and non-GMO food but may not have the funds.
When living off grid, and on the grid, some of the food grown can be a source of income. Farmers Markets and restaurants, stores and online are great places to sell your produce. People are waking up to the issues around our commercial conventional foods and seeking cleaner, healthier foods as Gaia intended. We do this on a small level right now and will expand when we buy our land. Most of my food grown for sale or to make medicine in my apothecary are dried herbs so I can sell them in my online shop. I’ve also seen people sell them on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist and other local outlets. You don’t need a farm to do this. You can grow a lot of food in a small space. I plan on selling fresh fruit and vegetables to my community. I organically grow everything and want to help those who can’t always afford the expensive organic produce in the stores.
I love the connection to Gaia when gardening. I feel the energy of the plant, and the plant feels mine. Quantum physics has proven that we’re all connected, the plants know this as well. All is one in the Universe. The studies on this are amazing. Plants let out different energies depending on what their experiencing, they communicate with each other, respond to their environment and some dance to music. They are directly connected to the divine essence of the Universe. Herbs grown myself tend to be more powerful magickly as I created a connection with them. The energies are a bit different than herbs I buy. They help keep me grounded and focused. Growing these powerful beings is a blessing that I, my mind, spirit and body, are deeply grateful for. They are magnificent gifts of medicine, wellness and connection, they bring independence, amazing health and healing and a connection that is that simply can’t be properly described in words.
Growing you own food can also be described as growing your own medicine. An herbal medicine garden can keep the doctor away and give you even more control over your state of being and your life in general. Gaining knowledge will make you less dependent on the medical system which is more freedom and less medical bills. You’ll be able to treat many ailments yourself from colds and flues to wounds to UTI’s and even pet ailments. This saves so much money. Basic herbalism is easy to learn and can be found on the internet on reputable websites or in thousands of beginner herb books. One of my favorites is Rosemary’s Gladstar’s Medicinal Herbs – A Beginner’s Guide is a great place to start. She does a real good job going over safety, what to look for, how to make medicine and her personality comes through. She’s one of my favorite herbalists and I consider her a mentor. I really enjoyed this book.
On the flip side, you want to waste as little as possible. Part of living off grid is handling your own waste. A compost pile or drum for kitchen scraps is great for this and your garden will love it. Compost is fertilizer so you won’t have to buy it or won’t have to buy as much. Saving more money!!! Compost drums can be used at home if you don’t have the land for a pile.
Another way to not wast is to grow your kitchen scraps. I typed that right, GROW your kitchen scraps. This can be done with organic store bought food. If yoy cut the bottom, where the roots were, off celery or a lettuce head and put it in water, it will grow more celery and lettuce. Plant the bulbs of green onions and they will regrow their green stalks. If you plant carrot tops you won’t get carrots, you’ll get greens that are delicious. Many herbs can be propagated easily. There are lots of plants you can buy and regrow. The book “NO-Waste Kitchen Gardening” by Katie Elzer-Peters was what got me started on all this regrowing. It’s good for small and big spaces and can save lots of money.
Good quality, clean food is important to every living being, plant or animal. We’re not educated about what good, clean food is, that knowledge needs to be acquired on your own. Once you get the basics down, you’ll find yourself making better food choices AND saving money because you know better. Not because a doctor said to, not because some government owned scientist on the MSN said to and not because you’re on some diet. You’ll do it because knowledge applied is wisdom and you’re much wiser. As far as that diet…when you’re eating right, truly eating right, weight isn’t an issue.
Growing food is a family affair as the entire family benefits. Get the kids and spouse involved. Hell, get the in-laws and your drunk uncle in the garden with you. You’ll be passing along knowledge with that good, healthy food. You can have family time that costs very little and has so much quality. If you garden is your escape from you crazy family, make it a sanctuary for you, a place to meditate, read, do yoga, doodle, do a bit of magick or whatever you like to do. Being surrounded by the prana, the magick, the plants you helped to breathe life into, is calming to the mind, body and soul. Everything in nature has a symbiotic relationship with everything else in nature. Nature is based on cooperation, becoming one with her again in our garden sanctuary raises the vibration of the planet which benefits humanity and Gaia. There is so much power in plants.
I’d love to hear about your gardening experiences, ideas and please, share your resources 🙂
Love of Lotus Apothecary and Farm 