One of my favourite places on the entire homestead is in my forest. I've cleaned it up over the years, added a trail, and made a clearing for a future cabin. It took hard work. But it's been some of the most pleasurable work I can think of. Having a small woodlot is a very … Continue reading Managing a Woodlot
Tag: diy
Go: Build New Traditions
By Aeron Nicholas Photo by Annie Spratt Generally speaking, the land has its own traditions and customs. All of us who return to the land discover in our own time the nature of such traditions. Before this discovery can take place we must examine closely the traditions of the culture that shapes us. The secular … Continue reading Go: Build New Traditions
Aldo
By Aeron Nicholas I've always wanted to read the work of Aldo Leopold, particularly his poetic assortment of ecological writing compiled in A Sand County Almanac (1949). His words are so moving and perceptive—spiritual really. The whole idea of a "land ethic," and conservation in general as we (mis)understand it today could be traced back … Continue reading Aldo
Find the Others
By Aeron Nicholas photo credit to youssef naddam I remember coming across the "find the others" meme when I was younger. It seemed to be making its rounds on the web at the time, circa 2010. This notion of finding the others left an impression on me. It struck me as a rallying cry for … Continue reading Find the Others
The Original BLM
Photo by Ales Krivec, Unsplash BLM has become a familiar acronym in the past decade. But how many people know of the original BLM? The Back-to-the-Land Movement. From Wikiless: The common thread is a call for people to take up smallholding and to grow food from the land with an emphasis on a greater degree of self-sufficiency, autonomy, and … Continue reading The Original BLM
A Look into ‘Gladenook’
In my previous post I shared that my family and I live on a plateau amid the St. John River Valley, known as Dawnland to the Maliseet people of the region. I said you'd find the nuts and bolts of our homestead in this post, so here it is. On one hectare of field and … Continue reading A Look into ‘Gladenook’
Nooks and Crannies
Buffered by a young wreath of poplar, silver birch, spruce, and dogwood, my family and I built a home on one hectare of field and woodland in the crook of a meadow. It's sort of like a nook, in fact. And we consider it a glade too. Farmers used to work the soil on this … Continue reading Nooks and Crannies
Energy Independence: Solar Power
There are dozens of terrific articles about the virtues of solar electricity for off-grid (and on-grid) living. In order for me to include solar electricity into my own home I had to hit the books. Thankfully, it's not all that daunting of an undertaking to learn about solar. If you're gonna rusticate, here's what you'll … Continue reading Energy Independence: Solar Power




