Comments on: How expensive is it to live as you do, once you are set up? http://eveningrainfarm.com/2009/12/how-expensive-to-live/ Big island hawaii Thu, 20 May 2010 21:06:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Jon http://eveningrainfarm.com/2009/12/how-expensive-to-live/comment-page-1/#comment-459 Jon Thu, 01 Apr 2010 01:45:08 +0000 http://eveningrainfarm.com/2009/12/qa-how-expensive-is-it-to-live-as-you-do-once-you-are-set-up/#comment-459 I was wondering if you could go a bit more into where your $700 a month income comes from, and how the monthly expenses changed over time. I was wondering if you could go a bit more into where your $700 a month income comes from, and how the monthly expenses changed over time.

]]> By: Leigh http://eveningrainfarm.com/2009/12/how-expensive-to-live/comment-page-1/#comment-280 Leigh Tue, 16 Feb 2010 22:42:03 +0000 http://eveningrainfarm.com/2009/12/qa-how-expensive-is-it-to-live-as-you-do-once-you-are-set-up/#comment-280 My fiance and I have been discussing the path of our future together, and the recurring theme seems to be living a sustainable life, and becoming self-sufficient. We recently (yesterday, actually) decided that Hawaii would be an amazing place to try it. A lot better than the cold climates we're used to anyway....no need for a second wardrobe for winter, no need for heating fuel, a growing season that is longer than 4 months... When I googled "sustainable living in Hawaii" your website was the first thing to pop up, and I'm so glad it did! Rejecting the conventional modern life is a little daunting, no matter how appealing the idea of living simply with the earth. However, you not only make a daydream seem do-able...you make it seem completely rational. Thanks for the inspiration! My fiance and I have been discussing the path of our future together, and the recurring theme seems to be living a sustainable life, and becoming self-sufficient. We recently (yesterday, actually) decided that Hawaii would be an amazing place to try it. A lot better than the cold climates we’re used to anyway….no need for a second wardrobe for winter, no need for heating fuel, a growing season that is longer than 4 months… When I googled “sustainable living in Hawaii” your website was the first thing to pop up, and I’m so glad it did! Rejecting the conventional modern life is a little daunting, no matter how appealing the idea of living simply with the earth. However, you not only make a daydream seem do-able…you make it seem completely rational. Thanks for the inspiration!

]]> By: Karin Payne http://eveningrainfarm.com/2009/12/how-expensive-to-live/comment-page-1/#comment-265 Karin Payne Wed, 10 Feb 2010 07:36:21 +0000 http://eveningrainfarm.com/2009/12/qa-how-expensive-is-it-to-live-as-you-do-once-you-are-set-up/#comment-265 Hi Ella, A friend who was an intern on the farm a few years ago mentioned recently that she was torn between spending her time working with a local food security organization versus spend time setting up her own food security. Its a tough question, whether to focus on your "own back yard" versus supporting other people to focus on theirs! There seems to be no shortage of books and websites describing how to plant food for any climate. What I think is in short supply is the honest dialog between people already experimenting and those who are anxious to try. There is so much to learn from actually doing the process. We seem to be having have farm tours more and more frequently lately and it seems as though the real gift we can offer is not to SHOW our farm but to TELL about our process. People what to know how to take baby steps, they want to hear about the hardships and setbacks as well as the successes. People want to know the details of what works locally. Of course we tell people about great tropical food growing books/sites but they seem to light up when we share the insights we've had, the funny embarrassing stories, the changes we've made especially in our thinking and expectations. People get such a kick out of hearing all the ways we "cheat" and buy fig newmans when they expected us to be eating homemade breadfruit cookies with surinam cherry compote and coconut cream frosting; or that we watch dvd's from netflix more than we would like to admit: or that I lust after an iphone. I think the personal stories make it seem doable or at least more realistic. Maybe it gives them permission to lower their own unrealistic standards just as we have lowered ours. Bridging the gap between the doers and the want-to-be-doers seems to be a critical factor. Aloha, Karin Hi Ella,
A friend who was an intern on the farm a few years ago mentioned recently that she was torn between spending her time working with a local food security organization versus spend time setting up her own food security.

Its a tough question, whether to focus on your “own back yard” versus supporting other people to focus on theirs! There seems to be no shortage of books and websites describing how to plant food for any climate. What I think is in short supply is the honest dialog between people already experimenting and those who are anxious to try. There is so much to learn from actually doing the process. We seem to be having have farm tours more and more frequently lately and it seems as though the real gift we can offer is not to SHOW our farm but to TELL about our process. People what to know how to take baby steps, they want to hear about the hardships and setbacks as well as the successes. People want to know the details of what works locally.

Of course we tell people about great tropical food growing books/sites but they seem to light up when we share the insights we’ve had, the funny embarrassing stories, the changes we’ve made especially in our thinking and expectations. People get such a kick out of hearing all the ways we “cheat” and buy fig newmans when they expected us to be eating homemade breadfruit cookies with surinam cherry compote and coconut cream frosting; or that we watch dvd’s from netflix more than we would like to admit: or that I lust after an iphone. I think the personal stories make it seem doable or at least more realistic. Maybe it gives them permission to lower their own unrealistic standards just as we have lowered ours. Bridging the gap between the doers and the want-to-be-doers seems to be a critical factor.
Aloha, Karin

]]> By: Karin Payne http://eveningrainfarm.com/2009/12/how-expensive-to-live/comment-page-1/#comment-264 Karin Payne Wed, 10 Feb 2010 07:03:02 +0000 http://eveningrainfarm.com/2009/12/qa-how-expensive-is-it-to-live-as-you-do-once-you-are-set-up/#comment-264 Hi Loren, A year or so ago we increased the size and variety of plants in our little farm nursery and started to sell what we considered to be the food and utility (mostly clumping bamboo) plants that are our favorites, grow well here and can be grown from seeds or cuttings. We also sell bare root banana plant that Scott digs up for customers from the many clumps on the land. Those two sources have provided us with all of our income for the past year, just $5-$50 at a time. Over the years we have used the skills we learned creating this lifestyle (chainsawing weed trees, teaching workshops on propagating bamboo etc.). As the farm trees mature, the flock of chickens grow and the hives get established we are beginning to not only feed ourselves and the other residents but start to barter with neighbors. We could sell our eggs, honey or fruits but its more enjoyable to trade within the neighborhood. But in a pinch we could sell these farm products. We also have many clumps of several varieties of bamboo that are mature enough to harvest and process for timber. We have an oil expeller that we could use to press exotic tropical oils, we make tinctures from local medicinal plants, we have a grain mill that can process cacao, coffee, and turn dried tropical starches (peach palm for example) into flour, and the list of options goes on. We have no shortage of opportunities for creating value-added income producing products on the farm! The real question for us is simply: "Why would we want to start making our lives on the farm seem like 'jobs' when we are already earning enough?" Scott likes to tell the story of a guy sitting under the shade of his row boat on the beach. A businessman comes up to him and asks "Why aren't you out there fishing?" and the guy asks "Why?" The businessman says "You could make some pocket money and fix up your boat, make it real nice" to which the guy responds "Why?" "Well, then you could get yourself a bigger boat, hire a crew and bring in a bigger haul." When he asks "Why?" again the businessman says "Once your crew starts catching a lot of fish you could hire a captain and then you could just sit here on the beach and enjoy yourself." That pretty much sums up how we feel. Hi Loren,
A year or so ago we increased the size and variety of plants in our little farm nursery and started to sell what we considered to be the food and utility (mostly clumping bamboo) plants that are our favorites, grow well here and can be grown from seeds or cuttings. We also sell bare root banana plant that Scott digs up for customers from the many clumps on the land. Those two sources have provided us with all of our income for the past year, just $5-$50 at a time. Over the years we have used the skills we learned creating this lifestyle (chainsawing weed trees, teaching workshops on propagating bamboo etc.). As the farm trees mature, the flock of chickens grow and the hives get established we are beginning to not only feed ourselves and the other residents but start to barter with neighbors. We could sell our eggs, honey or fruits but its more enjoyable to trade within the neighborhood. But in a pinch we could sell these farm products. We also have many clumps of several varieties of bamboo that are mature enough to harvest and process for timber. We have an oil expeller that we could use to press exotic tropical oils, we make tinctures from local medicinal plants, we have a grain mill that can process cacao, coffee, and turn dried tropical starches (peach palm for example) into flour, and the list of options goes on. We have no shortage of opportunities for creating value-added income producing products on the farm! The real question for us is simply: “Why would we want to start making our lives on the farm seem like ‘jobs’ when we are already earning enough?”

Scott likes to tell the story of a guy sitting under the shade of his row boat on the beach. A businessman comes up to him and asks “Why aren’t you out there fishing?” and the guy asks “Why?” The businessman says “You could make some pocket money and fix up your boat, make it real nice” to which the guy responds “Why?” “Well, then you could get yourself a bigger boat, hire a crew and bring in a bigger haul.” When he asks “Why?” again the businessman says “Once your crew starts catching a lot of fish you could hire a captain and then you could just sit here on the beach and enjoy yourself.”

That pretty much sums up how we feel.

]]> By: Loren http://eveningrainfarm.com/2009/12/how-expensive-to-live/comment-page-1/#comment-263 Loren Wed, 10 Feb 2010 05:49:35 +0000 http://eveningrainfarm.com/2009/12/qa-how-expensive-is-it-to-live-as-you-do-once-you-are-set-up/#comment-263 You are very inspiring and personally I am thinking seriously of following suit. I have one question however. Where does the little money you do use come from? You are very inspiring and personally I am thinking seriously of following suit. I have one question however. Where does the little money you do use come from?

]]> By: Ella http://eveningrainfarm.com/2009/12/how-expensive-to-live/comment-page-1/#comment-242 Ella Tue, 26 Jan 2010 02:16:45 +0000 http://eveningrainfarm.com/2009/12/qa-how-expensive-is-it-to-live-as-you-do-once-you-are-set-up/#comment-242 I really appreciate you for so honestly sharing the details of your process. I'm sure this transition has been challenging, and you are gaining so many more treasures than you could ever amass with money. It really creates a delusional sense of entitlement to resources without having to invest the sweat equity that produces appreciation- the true currency of exchange. I really appreciate you for so honestly sharing the details of your process. I’m sure this transition has been challenging, and you are gaining so many more treasures than you could ever amass with money. It really creates a delusional sense of entitlement to resources without having to invest the sweat equity that produces appreciation- the true currency of exchange.

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