Natural and Organic Food News from New Terra Farm

Jan 29, ponies for sale

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 15:00:03 GMT

Ponies for sale from New Terra Farm

Dec 21, a four season survival garden for year round eating

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 18:48:53 GMT

The 'eating season' is 12 months a year, so your food plan needs to include a four season survival garden

Dec 13, re Survival Garden: New to the garden

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 14:36:04 GMT

For starters, I would like to thank you for taking the time and writing about a survival garden. I was recently talking with my husband about my trip

Dec 13, re survival garden: What about aquaponics?

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 14:29:27 GMT

I've read a lot of articles about self sustaining aquaponic systems and I'm curious to know if you've looked into these growing systems? -----------------------

Dec 13, re survival garden: America: can we stick together.

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 14:23:07 GMT

I think that the garden idea is a good one, but is there enough people with the know how to teach America how to do what it takes to make it. And then

Dec 13, re survival garden Saving seed

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 12:18:30 GMT

I'm an organic market gardener but have not yet gotten a handle on the process of growing and saving heirloom seed stock. Also, with the crush of work

Dec 13, re survival garden: Escaping the Crash of an Economy

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 12:06:44 GMT

Love your newsletters and was thrilled to read this after a few weeks hiatus. I live in Oregon, USA and have been talking to a friend about preparing

Dec 13, re CSA Market Gardening:Can't wait to Start.

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 11:54:56 GMT

I found out about CSA's through my parents. They started their own in Utah. They work hard and are so involved with the community, That they inspired

Dec 10, Planning a survival garden

Sat, 10 Dec 2011 13:38:10 GMT

A reality check for planning a survival garden to assure a long-term food supply

Dec 8, re Survival Garden: I have an odd shaped farm...

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 10:09:12 GMT

Hello, our small 2 acre farm is a narrow 65 feet wide by some 1400 feet long. The home is only 80 feet from the front of the property, and another 200

Dec 5, re Survival Garden: Another view

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 14:49:40 GMT

Scott, for the most part I agree with you. I hate to view the future of our country as it seems to be playing out. Somehow we forgot that being a free

Dec 4, The Start Farming Pack from New Terra Farm

Sun, 04 Dec 2011 21:44:15 GMT

Get all the information you need to start farming from New Terra Farm

Dec 4, re Survival Garden:Community decision-making

Sun, 04 Dec 2011 19:42:05 GMT

We can't rely on the idiotic political system to make community decisions post-BAU. We need to develop the skills and infrastructure to do it ourselves,

Dec 4, re Survival Garden - zoning

Sun, 04 Dec 2011 19:12:54 GMT

I love this topic - we have been looking for over a year for a large(r) parcel of land where we can do some urban farming and still manage the commute

Dec 4, re Survival Garden: Can't wait!

Sun, 04 Dec 2011 12:50:03 GMT

Sweet! Really looking forward to this series! I know you're really busy so thanks for taking the time to help folks be as prepared as possible. -------------------------

Dec 4, re Survival Garden: Potential income during SHTF scenario

Sun, 04 Dec 2011 11:50:15 GMT

Dear Scott, I have read with great interest your articles over the last few years, ever since my wife found your web site. We have fully intended to start

Dec 3, re Survival Garden: Seed Supply

Sat, 03 Dec 2011 17:24:24 GMT

Once the bottom falls out, many will try to begin growing gardens. That will probably put a strain on the suppliers of seeds and plants. With the increase

Dec 3, re Survival Garden: Growing Food in the winter months

Sat, 03 Dec 2011 16:20:18 GMT

I would like to know crops that will grow in the winter months so there will be food to eat year round. Hoop houses and a cheap way to build them. -------------------------------

Dec 3, re Survival Garden:This series is right on target

Sat, 03 Dec 2011 16:12:25 GMT

Until 5 years ago I worked in the high tech industry, but moved on to a small 5 acre farm with the goal of creating the self-sustainability you describe.

Dec 2, re survival garden - BAU

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 19:10:26 GMT

The topic has been on my mind a lot too. There are a lot of community spaces, such as churches, that can repurpose part of their land/landscape to food

Dec 2, re Survival Garden: I welcome all guidance at getting started.

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 18:58:12 GMT

It's near winter in the Midwest as I've realized the pressing nature of the situation. Next spring I will plant my first garden- I'm planning box gardens

Dec 2, re Survival garden: Thank you.

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 18:45:10 GMT

My Husband (just married 11-11-11) are trying to prepare for the above mentioned situation. We want to become as self sustaining as possible. We have

Dec 2, Intro to survival garden

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 13:09:47 GMT

Business as usual may not be usual much longer. Grow a survival garden to ensure your family food supply

Nov 29, Everyday Health Fall Recipes

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 17:09:51 GMT

The same ingredients Michelle Obama uses from the White House garden can also feed your family thanks to Everyday Health's exclusive interview with the first lady that includes recipes inspired by fresh seasonal crops and festive comfort food.

Nov 13, Market gardening success step-by-step

Sun, 13 Nov 2011 12:42:22 GMT

Important market gardening information from award-winning market gardening team.Step by step instructions to guarantee your market, your profits and your success

Nov 11, Prepare But Don't Launch

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 12:38:58 GMT

My best guess is that, no later than 2015 our current socio-economic-industrial model will take a major hit. Whether that hit comes from the imploding

Nov 9, Download free e-books and other valuable business-building tools

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 19:25:32 GMT

Get free stuff from from New Terra Farm

Oct 30, A portable chicken coop for raising meat birds from New Terra Farm

Sun, 30 Oct 2011 12:22:40 GMT

Here's a portable chicken coop that's cheap and easy to build from New Terra Farm

Oct 30, Free chicken coop plans to build your own chicken coop

Sun, 30 Oct 2011 12:06:35 GMT

Build your own chicken coop on the cheap with these free chicken coop plans

Oct 30, Part time farmer hints and tips

Sun, 30 Oct 2011 03:12:35 GMT

Being a part time farmer is a great gig. Here's how to get started.

Oct 30, A one acre farm plan

Sun, 30 Oct 2011 03:10:58 GMT

Can you have a successful farming business on a one acre farm? Get this free plan from New Terra Farm

Oct 21, My other life (well, one of them, anyway)

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 01:44:20 GMT

If you've been reading along on this site or the blog, you may have seen me mention that I'm considered an expert in performance measurement. I can tell I'm an expert because I know the world's best (possibly only) performance measurement joke. Here goes: The optimist sees the glass as half-full; The pessimist sees the glass as half-empty; The performance measurement expert sees the glass as precisely twice as big as it needs to be! (ha-hah!) But aside from the yuks, I have a couple reasons for mentioning this. One, I don't believe in JOBS (you've seen me mention that before, too). I would much rather spend my time building assets that eventually create income for me, than punching a clock for someone else. An asset can be a business (like New Terra Farm), it can be an information product (like my Bootstrap Market Gardening book, or my new Performance Measurement Software - click the link below to check that out) or it could be an income-generating e-commerce website, like my two SBI! sites. Second point: I believe the only financial security these days is what you build for yourself; SBI! has been a big help to me in that regard. It might be an answer for you too. Check out the 'Our Website Business' link on the left nav bar, or the SiteBuildIt! banner to the right. Click on the link below to see my other SBI! site and my new performance measurement software.

Oct 20, The best description of TV I've ever heard

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 10:56:44 GMT

This both amused and enlightened me, and I had to share. A fellow blogger, Mr. John Michael Greer is the Grand Archdruid of the Ancient Order of Druids in America. He writes primarily on topics related to peak oil. For example, he comments intelligently about why our society seems incapable of acknowledging the fact that a finite resource - i.e. oil - will run out sooner or later; and then coming up with a plan to deal with it. The answer of course is black magic, but that another topic. Here's the TV quote I really like, courtesy of the Grand Archdruid: "Contemporary mass-produced popular culture (i.e. television) exists solely for the purpose of emptying your wallet and your brain, not necessarily in that order". Brilliant, and sadly true. TV actually is the "idiot box".

Oct 17, The Game

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 22:38:33 GMT

Self-knowledge can come from the most unlikely sources. Recently Suzie and I have been playing a game called Settlers of Catan. Our son gave us the game about a month ago, and we've been playing it regularly since then (thanks, Josh ;-) Here's the thing: I found myself getting frustrated and actually angry when the roll of the dice didn't go my way, and I lost a bunch of games to Suzie. Yes, I know the old joke about a guy's definition of a 'stupid game' being one his wife can beat him at. But I'm not normally a bad loser at games; I've played everything from poker to Parcheesi, with the attitude that 'it's just a game', i.e. a pleasant way to pass away an hour or so. So my somewhat extreme reaction to losing this **STUPID** game was kind of intriguing to me. Why was this upsetting me so much? After some reflection (which may have looked like sulking to the uninformed outsider), here's what I think is going on. I think my frustrations in other parts of my life are coming out in this game. I think I'm feeling like I played the game right, but lost anyway. And it's just not fair, dammit! Whine, snivel, etc etc. It's true that I (or rather we) have had an uphill struggle recently, both personally and in my two businesses. On the other hand, I've got a great wife, two fantastic kids, some good friends, and on a day to day basis I pretty much get to do what I enjoy. I've never really lacked for anything, which makes me a very lucky guy indeed. Maybe the game should be called 'Count your Blessings' . . .

Oct 17, A student CSA for summer income

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 12:16:56 GMT

Can't find a summer job? Start a student CSA instead!

Oct 17, We don't need another hero . . .

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 12:13:31 GMT

All change is internal. (click the link to read my little parable about life in the chicken coop for an illustration of this.) This means that all the problems of the world can be solved if enough people accept their responsibility and genuinely want them to change. This means you and me, folks. We will NOT be saved by any political party, or by a celebrity guru, or by some rock star/philanthropist. So stop waiting for your white knight to show up, and take action yourself. Vote with your dollars, and buy responsibly (which also means buying less.) Get of the treadmill of consumerism; more stuff will not make you happier/healthier/more attractive. By the way, I think there was no more pathetic sight this week than people camping out for the 'privilege' of buying the latest smart phone. It would make me despair for the future of the human race, but I'm pinning my hopes on the idea that these dorks will never get the chance to reproduce anyway. Walk in nature, plant a tree or a garden, shop at your local farmers market, buy second-hand, play outside with your kids, and TRY TO REMEMBER that you are not your stuff.

Oct 16, The Info-Product Dashboard by Marlon Sanders is reviewed by an actual user

Sun, 16 Oct 2011 11:47:57 GMT

The Info-Product Dashboard is quite possibly the simplest, quikest and easist to implement Information Product creation system ever devised

Oct 16, 2 for 1 Halloween Special

Sun, 16 Oct 2011 00:50:06 GMT

Just until Halloween: Buy my Complete Start Farming Pack with Audio, and I will also send a free download link to a friend or family member of your choice, at no extra charge.

Get all 10 of my practical farming books, software, and bonuses, times two . Only until midnight October 31 2011.

Oct 15, Begin . . .

Sat, 15 Oct 2011 10:51:29 GMT

I'm a fan of the Occupy Whatever non-movement that's currently attracting attention. I'm a fan because, if you are in a situation that you find to be unacceptable, doing SOMETHING is better than doing nothing. No matter what you are trying to accomplish, there are only two modes: making progress, or making excuses. No matter your goal, there is SOMETHING you can do right now to move the yardstick forward. I recently read about a master luthier (guitar maker) who taught himself the craft from books! No formal training, or apprenticeship, just a desire and commitment to action. No matter your goal begin now; read a book, join a group, make a visit or a phone call to someone who can help move you along your path. Just begin . . .

Oct 7, Economics for dummies (which may be an oxymoron)

Fri, 07 Oct 2011 03:00:16 GMT

OK, every now and then, late at night, I get curious about assorted odd stuff. Tonight's little sojourn is into the world of economic data; specifically, I wondered how some major Canadian economic indicators looked in 2010 as compared to 10 years previously. Here's a few highlights: Unemployment rate 2000 - 6.8% 2010 - 8.0% Source: Stats Canada Avg weekly earnings 2000 - $752 2010 - $821 (adjusted for inflation, calculated in 2010 dollars) About a 9% increase in 10 years. Source: HRSDC Increase in the Consumer Price Index over the period 2000-2010 22.5% Source: Bank of Canada Corporate federal tax rate 2000 - 28% 2010 - 18%, a decrease of 36%. Scheduled to drop to 15% Jan 1 2012 Source: Dept of Finance Top personal income tax rate 2000 - 29% Top personal income tax rate 2010 - 29% Source: CRA (you do the math) Decline in manufacturing jobs as a percentage of all employment 2000 to 2010 - 25%. Manufacturing in 2010 accounts for 10.5% of all jobs. Source: Stats Canada Note: Service industry accounts for 78% of all jobs in 2010. Child poverty rates unchanged at 12% from 2000 to 2010. Source: Stats Canada So, let's sum up: the economic policies from our leadership over the last decade have resulted in lost manufacturing jobs, higher unemployment, an increase in real wages below the rate of inflation, and no improvement in child poverty. By contrast, corporations have enjoyed a 36% reduction in taxes, and record levels of cash surpluses. Individuals have received no reduction, and are sitting on record levels of debt. See any signs this will change in the near future? Me neither. Happy voting day, Ontario.

Sep 28, It's not the destination, it's the journey

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 13:06:48 GMT

I'm pretty sure that Business As Usual (BAU) for North America will not be usual for much longer. And, while I don't know if what replaces it will ultimately be better or worse, I do know that transitions from one mode of being to another are often messy.

I expect that, increasingly, we will see 'warning signs' that BAU is staggering to a halt. Expect more economic, political and environmental upheaval as things deteriorate. And eventually, when enough of these 'mini-shocks' accumulate, we will have a real big eye-opener that will be impossible to ignore. Picture it like this: a gear train made up of a number of toothed wheels, each of which is missing a couple of teeth. When a gap occurs where two gears come together, we get a 'bump'. But, when two or more gaps come together, we get a major disruption. That unfortunate alignment is almost inevitable - Peal Oil, Peak Water, Peak Soil, climate change, economic upheaval, political unrest, resource wars, cyber-terrorism, etc etc etc. There are too many 'gaps' for us to avoid them all. What to do? First, if at all possible, get to a place where you can survive the transition. Small communities will do better than cities, and a small farm will probably be a good 'lifeboat'. Second, start reducing your dependency on stuff; get rid of the third car, the 4th TV, and anything else that won't directly contribute to your survival in a crisis situation (that includes RRSPs and IRA's and even gold by the way; I would consider investing instead in arable land and tools to work it). Third, start acquiring some useful skills; wasting your time on Farmville will NOT help you learn to grow your own food. Fourth, seek out a few people who also understand that BAU is on its last legs. Shared skills will be an important survival factor. And, start now, because none of us knows when this preparation will be necessary. It's too late to build your lifeboat once the ship starts sinking.

Sep 28, A small CSA market garden

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 12:37:38 GMT

Make $20 to $25 an hour with a small CSA

Sep 24, Get ready . . .

Sat, 24 Sep 2011 11:39:17 GMT

This post is an expansion on some recent correspondence with a friend of mine, who has equal concerns about the way of the world right now. I thought I would share some of the more salient points of our chats. Here's my reasoned analysis of the current political and economic situation in Canada and the US; we are FUBAR! Our own dear leader PM Harper seems bent on replicating every failed policy that has brought the US to this point, from 'tough-on-crime' legislation that will protect no one but cost billions, and criminalize an even larger portion of the population, to stripping environmental protections and destroying our natural heritage. And sooner rather than later, this is all going to hit the fan; perhaps even sooner than I anticipated. I figured we had maybe 5 years before it got really bad. That might have been optimistic. So, what's a forward-thinking Canuck or Yank to do in response? Here's a couple things: 1 - stop listening to the 'happy noises' coming from our politicians. The powers that be have a vested interest in us not 'waking up' and starting to think for ourselves. Just 2 short weeks ago, our Finance Minister and our Prime Minister were saying 'don't worry, mon, BE HAPPY!' the world may be crumbling but Canada will be OK. Their strong leadership and deep foresight will get us through. 'Stay the course', in fact were their very words. Now a fortnight later, we are hearing all the weasel-word excuses why, in fact, Canada may have troubles but, it's not their fault; the 'world situation' is causing the problem. 2 - wean yourself off the $450- billion-in-advertising driven, buy-on-credit, planned-obsolescent, 5-blades-are-better-than-3, relentless consumerism that is our current culture. You don't need most of that crap, it isn't making you happier, or sexier, or more fulfilled. And if you own a Hummer, you are by definition a moron, and can stop reading this post, your lips are probably tired anyway. You might get elected to high office, though. 3 - Get ready, because when TSHTF, it's too late to start thinking about preparation. I think there are 2 survival modes for what's coming: 1 - nomadic, traveling away from trouble and towards resources, or 2 - creating something in place that will be of more value intact rather than looted, to whatever the 'powers that be' at the time of crisis. e.g a functioning farm producing food is likely to be allocated useful rations e.g. fuel, if any kind of authority exists, so I'm going to try to 'prepare in place'. But I also am preparing a 'bug-out bag', just in case we need to hit the road on a moments notice. 4 - Prepare mentally for radical changes. Get your head around that fact now, because a crisis situation is a bad time to have an emotional breakdown. In other words, don't panic but be prepared to run for your life! (disaster humour.)

Sep 22, Magickal thinking

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 10:23:51 GMT

I read a lot of different stuff; the link here is to a site operated by the Grand Archdruid of America. He is what's known as an operative mage - someone who practices magic in their everyday life. He is also a prominent writer about peak oil; in this post he talks about the faith that the 'oil will be there', the faith in the 'economy', the faith that the current model for society is the only possible one, are all forms of magickal thinking. He also explains how magicians really think; that the goal of magic is not to change reality but to change ourselves. It ain't about flying broomsticks and taming dragons; it's about taming your brain and connecting to the real world in a different way. Here's another example of magickal thinking that's current in the green movement; the belief that "if only Big Government, or Big Business, or Big Oil, or Big Agriculture would stop being so, well, BIG (and evil, by implication) all our environmental problems would go away. But here's the real inconvenient truth; all those 'big's' are what we in the performance measurement game call 'lagging indicators'; they are a reaction, not a cause. The cause is you and me, and our need to drive fat-ass SUVs and own 72-inch TV's, and phones that are apparently smarter than their owners. There is no short cut; reining in environmental destruction means making do with less stuff, period. Any other belief is 'magical thinking' And so is the spectacle some multi-millionaire mansion dweller flying around the world on a private jet and lecturing people on how they have to conserve more.

Sep 19, A high income market garden plan

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 00:44:19 GMT

Growing a high income market garden requires careful crop selection. Here's how!

Sep 19, Raising pigs for meat for your freezer or for sale

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 00:42:38 GMT

Exactly how mucj meat can you expect if you are raising pigs for meat?

Sep 19, Homesteading today from a practical perspective

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 00:36:12 GMT

Is homesteading today still possible? Here's some answers from a practical perspective

Sep 19, Small farming for profit for the beginner

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 00:32:33 GMT

How much money can you reasonably expect to make when small farming for profit?

Sep 19, Vegetable farming for profit on a small organic farm

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 00:29:43 GMT

Vegetable farming for profit is different from growing your home garden. Here's some things you need to know.

Sep 17, Attention politicians: Planet Earth calling!

Sat, 17 Sep 2011 14:02:15 GMT

A recent story in the Ottawa Citizen informed us of '10 important issues to watch' when Parliament re-convenes. This scintillating list included such