A Previous Life : Country Living


In 2012 I had the good fortune to temporarily take up residence in a city a.k.a "The Big Smoke" a change from the wide green vistas I'd become accustomed to in the country. Living in the country the past few years had given me a new perspective on how I connect with the food I eat and the impact my life has on the environment around me, values that I still hold on to.

I have always been eager to know where my food comes from and have endeavoured to eat as close to a locavore diet as is practical. I sourced food from my local farmers markets, local stores that were transparent about their foods origins, and I was proactive in learning the skills to create on my own. The country life provided me the space to learn the trade of gardening and in the process I have developed some delightful green thumbs.

During my time in the country I had the privilege of transforming a large section of unused land into a productive growing space. My intention was to create a garden that could be relied on to provide food all year round. I wanted this garden to take up all and any vege slack necessary – making it so the supermarket is not a stop off point in the process of making a meal. As we can all imagine such a large task as keeping a family completely provided for requires a lot of time and energy. So as the garden grows it will move toward the goal of being able to provide 100% of all their fruit and veg.

Sadly I never moved back into the country from my ‘city adventure’ instead I hung around in the big smoke. I couldn’t deny the cafés, people and employment all on offer however I still pine for the country and I’m determined to one day return to continue my dreams of semi self-sufficiency and that garden!!

Here’s a look back at some cheerful characters I grew during my country foray....







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