NatureBoyTV

Sometimes, we think we are doing a good thing - but in actuality, we are disrupting nature in doing so. Have you heard of "the butterfly effect?" Jim could have saved this butterfly - but it might have then gone on to create more crop-damaging caterpillars. By allowing nature to take its course, everything remains in balance. Will we always know when to step in and when to take a step back? No, of course not. Will we stop to do the "right" thing much more often? Most likely. We must remember that every action has a consequence and Mother Nature is always looking to correct the balance!

Quick pond update! Just a couple of weeks ago, this pond was completely bereft of life. The water was brown and cloudy. There was no way anything could have survived in it except for maybe some microbes and hardy plants. With the introduction of native water-loving plants, and even some things that people would call "weeds" and spray herbicides for in waterways, the water is clearing up! We've been able to successfully introduce fish, and we can't wait to watch this ecosystem flourish! The plan is to eventually have a section of the pond dedicated to hydrophilic food crops such as rice...stay tuned 🙂

The banana circles are going in on our Permaculture Pathway! This area of Galt's Landing gets a lot of wind, due to the flatness of the land and lack of wind breaks. But now that we have started establishing the soil, allowing for stronger root systems, these banana plants should be able to grow and thrive, providing us with bunches and bunches of delicious bananas! We have quite a few different varieties - we'll have lots of choice, unlike at grocery stores, where you can usually only find the Dwarf Cavendish variety. Did you know that calling a banana plant a "tree" is technically incorrect? Now you do!

Look at this first, beautiful bunch of blackberries that are almost ready for picking!! And we're not the only ones that enjoy them - the predatory wasp enjoys them too. We're happy to provide him with nutrition in exchange for the help he gives us in removing other pests! All organisms naturally exist in a mutually beneficial relationship...the cycle of life is there for a reason! We love our wasps!

It starts with one spark, one idea! So often, we find that we have many more people on our side than we originally thought. You may have enough people to be the tipping point in your local neighborhood. You might have the perfect number to make a change within your HOA. Now is the time to fight for the freedom to grow your own food!

If there's one thing that you can say definitely of nature...it's to expect the unexpected!! We threw some tomatoes in our compost pile, and here we are a few weeks later with full-fledged tomato plants growing out of this nutrient-rich source! We may just transplant these guys and see what they can produce for us! And we'll be sure to regularly provide them with the natural fertilizing boost of the compost that they originally grew out of!

Here's your growing inspiration for the day! Remember those green (& blurry ;) ) baby blueberries from a couple of weeks ago? They're just about ready to eat now!! Jim is so excited to be able to "grab and go" with these little guys - they are delicious and so easy to grow! Next to no maintenance will still give you a tiny crop yield like you see in this video :) (and this is just year 1!!)

Now is the time to plant things!! Don't have enough space in your yard? Think indoor growing - hydroponics - or space-saving solutions like a tower garden! Everyone should be growing something right now. The ability to feed yourself in a crisis is so important! Need help getting started? Let Food Forest Abundance help you design the edible garden of your dreams!

Nature Boy strikes again! Frogs are the coolest - and Jim loves them! They make an EXCELLENT natural predator in the garden, eating all sorts of bugs for us. Here in Florida, these Cuban tree frogs are common and are actually an invasive species!

You don't actually need any crazy tools to be self-sufficient. If things hit the fan...basic survival skills and objects will work! Think back to Girl Scout/Boy Scout camp. It may not be "luxurious" living by our current societal standards, but you can keep yourself alive easily! Jim wanted to try out this "rocket stove." With minimal effort, it cooked him a hot meal in minutes. In an emergency situation, this could help you boil water or keep you warm, too! Think smarter, not harder!

Here's an update on our syntropic rows! Everything is flourishing now that we are back in the summer months here in Central Florida! Our fruit trees are starting to bear their first or second harvests, and the ground covers are taking off. We might even get a banana bunch or 20 this year...keep your fingers crossed! With the shortages of food that are coming this year and into the years ahead, it's time to plant your own food. Get a hold of us at foodforestabundance.com and learn how to become more self-sufficient! Food Forests Everywhere!

The work towards total self-sufficiency continues at Galt's Landing! Jim is leading the charge in stocking our pond with all sorts of awesome fish and other life. He's got a beautiful largemouth bass, which are a fantastic native species here in Florida (actually our state freshwater fish!) - we're so excited to have these guys and many more soon. Stay tuned to see more introductions to the pond - and maybe a video or two of Jim fishing out of it! :)

Here's a food forest going into the ground at Galt's Landing! This is one of the personal food forests that each piece of property will come with - then we will additionally have several huge pieces of land that will have communal food forests too! There will be no lack of food to go around - and there will be so much excess we will be able to feed so many others too! We cannot WAIT to literally watch this community "grow."

Our hens are THRIVING! We have fresh eggs every day of the week - they are stockpiling in the refrigerator! We might have to open a farm stand at the end of the driveway... :) We'll check in with the rest of them tomorrow!

Here's another amazing idea that we're implementing at Galt's Landing! Merging physical security with food security...meet the "food fence!" This 3000-foot length of fence will act as a trellis for a huge number of vining and climbing plants. By converting an otherwise-intrusive, man-made obstruction of nature into a health-producing area of abundance, we work alongside nature instead of removing her completely from the development.

Here are the rest of the ladies! We've built them a larger enclosure - they're getting very big! They're still a little bit shy, but if you have some scraps from our syntropic rows with you they will come right up to you to eat them.

Have you ever heard of an acerola cherry?! Grown in tropical and sub-tropical climates, this is a superfood that most people don't even know exists. The reach of our large food corporations and industrial agriculture is far and stifling...we are forced into a vicious cycle of eating the same nutrient-depleted foods over and over again, thinking that there is no other option. But there is!! Growing your own food opens so many doors to so many new flavors - and so much missed nutrition - make it your mission to plant a seed to something you've never tasted before, and give it a try!

What's our next adventure at Galt's Landing, you ask...? Beekeeping!!! We are SO excited about our new beehive! Anthony is helping us weatherproof the hive, and he's also going to help us tend to our new buzzing friends! Bees are one of the premier natural pollinators, of course. And we are hoping to eventually have 1,000+ unique species of plants here at Galt's! That's a LOT of pollinating! Stay tuned for our beekeeping adventure (amongst everything else!)

We recorded an AMAZING webinar summarizing all of the pieces of the Food Forest Abundance puzzle this past Tuesday! Keep an eye out - we are in the process of editing it and it will be posted soon. Jim gives you a sneak peek of what to expect here! Qortal...Topia...GroGreenGlobal...Farmer Drop...Food Forest Abundance...everything is falling into place! Be sure to check out the video once we post it!

Here are some old Memorial Day musings from Jim on your Monday morning! Hollywood - government - and converting landscapes to edible landscapes! We can fix so many of the world's problems so easily!

Are you looking for a career change? Do you wish to make a positive change in this world? Are you wishing to create health and wealth for people worldwide by doing something as simple as encouraging people to go back to their roots? Friends, the answer is simple: permaculture! Check us out at foodforestabundance.com and help change the world for the better starting today!

More fun on the farm! Sofia can't keep her hands off of the chickens! We love it when kids get involved with taking care of the plants and animals! :)

Food Focus this week is on...bok choy!! This versatile vegetable is a fantastic green to put in salads, stir fries, or even to eat raw. The bottom of the leaf stalk tends to be crunchy, while the leafy top is softer! It's a member of the brassica family - that means it's related to Brussels sprouts, broccoli, kohlrabi, and a number of other delicious cousins! This bok choi shown in the video has "bolted" - meaning it is past the harvest stage and is focusing on growing flowers and producing progeny. At this point, the veggie will be bitter and not as tasty to eat. If you want to harvest, do so before you see the flowers starting to form!

The Ascension is happening, friends! We are in the midst of taking back things (both tangible and not) that we didn't even realize had been taken from us...there is something inherently beautiful about the simplicity of being able to provide for yourself, in ways not traditionally done anymore...things that have seemed "easy" or just "constant," like energy flow and food availability, have been thrown into question time after time lately! Food Forests solve so many of those issues! And they do it without the poisons of conventional agriculture. :)

Food shortages are coming - in some places, they're already here and already affecting millions of people. In Germany, for example, food prices at Aldi are spiking at 20-50% more than they sold for last year. Crazy!! Farmers are being compensated for destroying their crops. What is really going on?! If you want to be prepared...a food forest is definitely a good way to do so. #FoodForestAbundance #NatureBoy #NatureBoyTV #Permaculture #Freedom #FoodFreedom #GaltsLanding