One More Step!

[Carey Ma]

Maybe dreams really do come true. I’m only in initial negotiations at this time (as of yesterday), and there will be a thousand and one hurdles to jump before I can actually claim the existence of my concept institute, “Ma’s Greensmart Institute”, but it finally has a glimmer of hope.

 

It seems that both ladies, Fate and Destiny have kissed my cheeks. My new farm will be located in the same village, no more than a quarter mile from my experimental garden. It is a fifty-acre parcel with fifty-three, two story homes that range from two thousand sq ft to thirty-six hundred sq ft, one quarter of which is covered in Aspen trees. Under these Aspens I will raise free range pigs (ten to start) and fowl (chickens egg hens 600/ cockerels 600, turkey 20, black skin chickens 200 and guinea hens 30.

 

This hidden community will operate in the guise of a restaurant/ Bed & Breakfast; country living with all the perks. Guest can choose to stay for one night or stay as long as they want. Each house will be themed with an attached sunroom featuring an AP system, from which guest are fed. Seasonal crops will be featured in wonderful, exciting ways; all with the purpose to educate and demonstrate a better way to live and eat. Guest, not only get THE most wholesome food available in Beijing but they will know why our food is so different.  In the summer, guests are invited for a two o’clock check-in and at three o’clock, start a two-hour tour. Guests can see for themselves what goes into producing truly wholesome foods.

 

Once guest go through our tour, they then have a right to preorder next seasons harvest and book their next stayover. It is our intention that everything we sell be consumed on premise. Only CSA members can buy and take fish, eggs and chicken off premise.

 

This labor-intensive eco-farm will bring city scale pay to at least one hundred and fifty villagers, giving local young people a reason to stay in the countryside. These young “apprentices” will intern for a minimum of two years, learning valuable, applicable skills, which they can transfer home to make an independent living or cooperate to form a greater supply chain.

 

Aquaponics would be a major focal point in demonstrating urban organic harvesting. Each house would have both an indoor and out door AP system. Guest are welcome to buy systems for home use. Our first fish will be Carp and Koi in conjunction with ducks. As we expand we will add tilapia then trout, sturgeon and shrimp to our menu.

 

Grains produced on premise are reserved to demonstrate how we grow sprouts as fodder, especially in the winter for our fowl, sheep and rabbits. External organic grain is grown in another field in the village.

 

More to come…..

Please critique. I really need to know if I left something out.

Cheers

[Carey Ma]

Thank you Steve for your comment. Yes, normally I would agree but I figure I want privacy (to experiment, perform ceremonies skyclad or simply pee under the stars) so that is why I put my personal walled yard up in the corner, beyond the orchard, away from the guest and animals. My time is private-time. I will be making several rounds a day and I'll have care-takers and interns doing most of the daily work and I'll be only a few minutes away if needed, so no big deal.

[steve]

The Carey house needs to be in the center. Not way off in the corner. Nice try though!

[Sahib Punjabi]

Wonderful news my friend.

Yes it helps to be the crazy one, the visionary, the maverick who is willing to challenge the status quo for the better. You certainly are all of these Carey :-) 

See it just take "One" to make a huge difference to our way of life...naturally you need "Lady Luck" on your side to help you make your vision a reality. The Supreme one knows and helps illuminate the path and open the right channels when you are ready...as they say in Sanskrit "When the student is ready, the Guru will appear"" is ready.

Good luck....looking forward to news on your progress :-)

God bless 

[Oscar Olivera]

Wish you all the luck, and I really want to know more about your project. 

[Philip Vanderhoofven]

Great Dream that you have in Starting "Ma's Greensmart Institute." I like it a lot. I know you have an extensive back ground in consulting for designs such as these and it shows in your plan here. I researched communities in college and still have a passion for establishing green communities and networking them. This is a worthy dream. If you are well organized as an institute first then you will have the framework from which to build your community. This could very well spark into something perpetual that will live on beyond you.  I would recommend putting more emphasis on your "labor quarters"  because this is your management team which need to be fully vested. Make it not only a bed and breakfast learning laboratory but a community for like minded people to thrive and achieve thier goals. If you have access to the internet I would like to share with you a few of my favorites to google. My research brought me to ebenezer howard and the garden city back to the turn of the 20th century. His influence is vast in the world we live in today in America but the ideas behind this has been forgotten. Google Duany and Plater-Zyberk - they figured out that zoning is key and this may help you refine your zoning areas. Also look at what Prince Charles has done to his estate at Highgrove which is only 37 acres. Bill Mollison is key to your plan here and with his Permaculture. I think you are on the right track and I wish you all the very best in success.

[Eric Warwick]

[Carey Ma]

Fingers crossed!

[Rick Stillwagon]

Very exciting! Break a leg!