Self-Reliance Center

My dream is to create a Self-Reliance Center. In my classes there is an over-riding theme that I hear from participants both young and old for a need to return to skills and knowledge of the past. As one 82 year old person put it, "We have no where left to go but backwards." There is a desire to get away from the negative effects that large corporations have on our society when they have no regard for the health of the people they serve. There is a desire to become more self-sufficient and community oriented where people do care about each other and help each other to live fuller more meaningful lives. There is a press even in very urban environments for the knowledge to grow healthy food free from pesticides, herbicides and GMOs.

The center would be an all-inclusive environment to teach homesteading skills, permaculture, vermiculture, aquaculture, solar power, the latest wood stove heating innovations, bee keeping, chicken raising, edible plants and preparation techniques, herbal remedies and bushcraft/survival skills. The Center will be a modern facility that would combine the knowledge of the past with the innovative technology of the present. There would be comfortable housing for a week long stay where participants could immense themselves in the environment and learn from the very best in their field. They would go back to their homes feeling empowered with the knowledge and skills to move further in the direction of self-sufficiency. Once a part of the program, we would always be available to assist them in any way we could.

This is my dream and I believe there is a strong need and desire for these skills. There is no better way than hands-on training to learn new skills and no better way to reach a larger audience than to create a center dedicated to just that.