A Mosaic Life

Moving is like smashing a mirror of your life then placing them back together as neat as possible.

I think when you move think of it like a mosaic art project.

Why not make the pieces in your life an art piece?

For a kid, its devastating to leave friends, yet invigorating to make new ones…….
…..adults, its new work, home settling and neighbors…….
....For a dog it would be difficult to conceptualize the complexities of say' Agadez the Super Pups thoughts but…….they would probably be something like……
Squirrel!!, squirrel!!!, squirrel!!!

Alas for me.

It means rediscovering everything I own in the world and functionally packing a 91 Chevy step-side/short bed truck with a custom wood box encapsulating my life along with a 60 lb puppy and enough bedding to bundle up in the truck on cold nights.

Like a Transformer "Autobot" when all packed, my truck "Red Fred" metamorph's into a brutal road assault vehicle aptly named "The Hobo Hatchback"

The cargo bay is packing bicycles (2), computer, tool box, farm tools, clothes, books, instruments, desk, office chair, 50lbs of dog food, cooler, kitchen ware, and various automotive fluids.

My arsenal for survival is my bow and arrow from childhood, a big harvest knife!, a 30-30 lever action rifle, and 6 quilts my grandmothers have made for me…..I even have two collections with me…all my rocks and minerals, along with my xmas ornaments since childhood. ……
………...just incase I have to hole up in a Cave and spruce it up.

I had no Idea I had so much stuff!
Yet it all packs down so nicely.

Currently I am in Minnesota to pick up more stuff, (mainly winter gear), recharge, and start the westward trail Thursday morning towards Nevada.

Seems I am going to farm in the desert once again.

Minnesota didn't pan out, right people, right project, wrong timing.

Starting a farm at this stage was unfeasible in timing and funding.
No, no…No spilled milk, the project is moving forward, will open, but the funding and timing just didn’t come along at the same pace.

Bummer.

However, I am signing up for a project equally exciting, challenging, funded, and actually up and running.

The farm is called Hungry Mother Organics based out of Carson City.

This is the 3rd year of production and is operated by a former Peace Corps/Army/Farmer Veteran on a 5 acre farm inside a prison. The farm produces plant starts, fresh veggies, and uses incarcerated inmates for a little work. They depend heavily on greenhouse and high tunnel production.

This year they are starting a retail center for produce, plants, tools and such and are working to make this center both substantive in food production as well as educational.

The farm on the prison has a river, Sierra Nevada mountains, and a herd of wild mustangs roaming the vast terrain. Not bad for a back yard eh?

Hungry Mother also has access to another wonderful 200 acre farm about 15 minutes out of town that is planned for village-farm development; complete with housing, organic land, good soil, unlimited water, mountains, trails and huge herd of deer…hence the rifle!

Best case scenario this year I get a grip on production, marketing, and overall farm planning, next year I really lay into doing exactly what I was going to do in Minnesota.

Even better case scenario is I put my wanderlust to rest.
My 3 year Omnivore's Odyssey is finally coming to an end.
A chapter of my life is closing, a new one begins.

My new life will be in proximity to Tahoe, Reno, the Mountains, and 2 hours away from the FVC Davis office.

One could say all the perks of California, without living in it.

Perfect.

A most rewarding opportunity to end my global farm and food apprenticeship.
Now its time to start putting the lessons to work.

This is cross country trip number 2 in less than two months.
Ah, Life.

Agadez says hi.