NatureBoyTV

Jim can't get enough of his nasturtiums!! After discovering the fantastic taste of the flowers and leaves last winter, he loves to show everyone that tours Galt's Landing his new favorite ground cover plant. This video was taken right after our last freeze earlier this year - but he demonstrates the beautiful yellow/orange/red variety of flower colors that you can get even off of one single plant. Nature, the original artist!

We at Food Forest Abundance are applying for a grant for $100 Million dollars to plant permaculture food forests in communities around the USA. Our vision at Food Forest Abundance is to have food forests growing in every community and in every yard around the world. These food forests would be for the community - the public will be able to come on the land and pick food from it. The landowner keeps ownership of the land and keeps 25% of the food for their own use or to sell. If you have land that can fit either a 3/4 acre, 2.5 acre or a 4 acre food forest and want to apply to have one on your land start by filling out the form below. Please see the FAQs and all info on this page before you fill it out :) https://www.foodforestprojects.com/

How do we make a difference in the world? Sometimes it's as simple as educating and changing a mind in our local government. Here's Jim speaking to some of our leaders in Orange County. Take the initiative if you are brave enough and do the same in your counties. We can all charge forward with this idea and make a true difference in the world! Planting fruit trees instead of ornamental trees - planting berry bushes instead of ornamental bushes - planting edible ground cover instead of ornamental ground cover. Who says they are not beautiful too - and useful? Food Forests Everywhere!

Have you ever heard the call of a sandhill crane? These are some of our wild neighbors out at Galt's Landing! They like to remind us who the land really belongs to with their guttural cries, especially in the misty mornings :) It is truly marvelous to watch a flock of them fly overhead calling out to each other! We love our crane friends!

Now this is our kind of "treasure hunting!" These sweet potatoes have been running wild for the past 8 months or so - nobody has trimmed them or harvested them or added any amendments other than compost and compost tea - look at the size of this guy that Jim unearthed earlier this week!! He's a behemoth! Think of all of the sweet potato fries you could get out of that - yum!!

Who says work can't be fun too?! When you work in agriculture, one of the languages you have to be fluent in is "large machinery driving!" A closer look at our Permaculture Pathway and the (now-flattened) seashells :)

Jim's (or should we say Nature Boy's?) adventures the other day put him "in contact" with a raccoon. The poor little guy surprised everyone by shaking it off after a few minutes and running right back into the trees! What kinds of crazy-but-amazing animal encounters have you had?

Check out a different drone's-eye view of Galt's Landing! This view gives you an excellent picture of our pond, which we are diligently working on stocking with plants and fish. You can also see the white color of the pathway - we have Florida limestone & shells underfoot on the pathway! As people walk on these and they break up, they release essential minerals back into the soil. It's a win-win! We will bring you regular drone updates so that you can see the progress here at Galt's!

Some more Musings of Jim Gale! Jim is on an eternal quest for knowledge; he really wants to connect and understand why the world "ticks" the way it does. He is a truth-seeker, like most of us, and sometimes finds himself swimming in the deep end (again, like most of us!) - but instead of using it for bad or to spread negativity, he really wants to make sure that others understand and that we can take this knowledge and use it to make the world a better place.

Here's one of our Abundance Ambassadors, Hunter, explaining the specifics of our new grant application. We are applying for a grant for $100 million (no kidding!) that will help us grow food forests all over the United States. If you have a piece of land that would benefit from a food forest...please go to @foodforestabundance on Facebook or Instagram for details on how to submit an application! We can't wait to grow with you!

Check out another example food forest that is going in! If you listen closely, you can hear a selection of the species that will be thriving here in a few months Plant food, not lawns!

If there is one thing that we love to do at Food Forest Abundance, it is experiment with different species and varieties and create an environment where they can thrive! (Even if it's not the environment where they would normally be doing so!) Check out this absolutely gorgeous Florida heat-tolerant apple! We can't wait to make an apple pie...yes, in Florida! ;)

**Windy day warning!** This is Marcus, one of our permaculture partners. He helped teach our Advanced Permaculture Design Course out at Galt's Landing last week - he is a wealth of knowledge! One of the things that he taught everyone is the importance of soil. The foundation of everything permaculture is the soil. At Galt's, we have some issues with a high water table and very compacted soil. These are problems that need to be addressed immediately before planting a food forest - otherwise, you will quickly run into flooding, stunted growth, etc. Marcus explains a little bit about how highly compacted soil affects sweet potatoes in this video!

Jim loves explaining the monetary side of things and how you can benefit yourself and others while also benefiting the economy and environment - the supply chain for food is suffering, and we can help! Start growing food today and become a part of the solution! Look at how many plant starts we can fit on a pallet, for example! Imagine how much these could potentially sell for at a farmer's market or at a nursery. It could be exponentially more than the seeds you initially bought! Love our little "greenhouses in training" here at Galt's Landing!

Over 130 different species!! These are some of the plants that are going into our Permaculture Pathway/"in-the-ground nursery" - our hope is to one day become a distributor of plants to future backyard gardens! We want to be a hub of inspiration - and a source of delicious plant starts - for Food Forests everywhere!

Part 1 of a series of videos where Jim explains our beautiful Permaculture Pathway - keep checking back for the next parts! Here at Galt's Landing, one of the plans is to eventually host tours through parts of the property, which will showcase our beautiful edible gardens and hopefully encourage thousands and thousands of people to grow their own food! We've planted the first few species, and can't wait to watch them flourish over the next few months. Stay tuned! #FoodForestAbundance #NatureBoy #NatureBoyTV #Permaculture #Freedom #FoodFreedom #GaltsLanding

Chicken update in our newest chicken tractor! They're big enough that we're already starting to get some eggs from them! The eggs are small, but really soon we expect to see some delicious large eggs. This week at Galt's Landing we are proud to be hosting some Food Forest friends for our Advanced Permaculture Design Course - things are busy but we make time to help educate people on the merits of planting their own food!

It's time for another Food Crop Focus! (Kinda!) Apologies for the camera's focus issues - these blueberries are still so tiny that it was hard to get the camera to "see" them! Aren't they cute though?! Interesting facts about blueberries - they prefer very acidic, sandy soil! They will tolerate soils as low as 4.5 in pH. They are native to North America and can produce thousands of berries per bush! Once this baby plant fills out and builds more of a resistance to the strong winds in this area, we expect it to produce tons of fresh and delicious berries for us.

We got a drone!! We are looking forward to continuing to bring you regular updates from Galt's Landing as construction continues - and now we can bring you a bird's eye view of everything! Check out the first 360 degree sky tour - it doesn't look like much now, but even in just a few months' time there is going to be a TON of activity here. In fact, just a few months prior, there was nearly nothing there! Stay tuned!

This past week, Jim has been blessed to appear at not one but TWO conferences! You may have seen his segment online at the Health Freedom Summit, or you may have seen him in person in California at the Sowing Sovereignty event. In this short clip from the Health Freedom Summit, Jim takes you through some more of our syntropic rows, which have barely been touched in the 5 months since they have been planted. It's time to grow food, friends! #FoodForestAbundance #NatureBoy #NatureBoyTV #Permaculture #Freedom #FoodFreedom #GaltsLanding

Peaceful coexistence! So simple a concept, yet so seemingly difficult to achieve, especially with the world's current state of affairs. Wouldn't it be incredible if we could all put aside our differences and come together for the TRUE common good - not doing things for power or for wealth, but for a joyful and abundant life for everyone? We love permaculture because it takes "foreign" plantings - your food - and meshes it with the natural system seamlessly. A perfect coexistence. Neither is harmed and all parties benefit. Start growing food today!

Picture this: edible and medicinal landscapes, everywhere. A "victory garden" in every backyard (ask your parents or grandparents about gardening during World War II). Every school, being able to provide nutritious food right to its students. Every public park with a section of land set aside to grow things that have purpose beyond looking "neat and pretty." It's only as far away a concept as we allow it to be. Join us and grow food!

Jim wants to clarify the thought cloud around the concept that "growing food is hard." Why is it easier than we believe? Because nature literally takes you through the cycle of life herself if you leave your garden alone! Sure, if you do not tend it at all, you won't get your ideal yield, but chances are high you will get something - especially if you are intercropping and making sure that your food forests are well-designed. This will help to keep away pests and attract pollinators, etc. Start small if you are nervous. One herb, one tree. One little seed. Put a reminder in your calendar for 5-10 minutes every day to check on your plant. It's easy, fun, and rewarding!

Jim's role at Food Forest Abundance is Chief Storyteller, but that doesn't stop him from helping out with the little projects! He takes any excuse he can to get back out into nature - like planting wildflowers around our pond! You can get a different look at it in this video - check out the fountain in the middle; it's not active yet, but it will be soon! We recently got the water tested and it is awesome and ready for life! Stay tuned!

Farming in water - it sounds counter-productive, right? But some crops actually need a period of flooding to survive (like rice). Then there are other edible crops, such as the water lily, that live in water their whole life! Here at Galt's Landing, we are exploring all possible options, and we are creating an incredible living system in our pond. Add in some fish and wildlife and we'll have a thriving ecosystem here in our backyard, yet another piece of the self-sufficiency puzzle!