Michael Nolan is an author, food advocate and public speaker.
From the garden to the sewing machine, kitchen to the wood shop, Michael is taking Thoreau's words to heart as he strives every day to "live deep".
"I went into the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived."
Henry David Thoreau, Walden
In another of those difficult but necessary transitional phases of my life I am faced with the task of transforming a large 2.5 acre plot on a rural farm into a living, working garden space. When the project began it was going to exist solely as a garden but now I am looking on this project as more of a whole life change.
The farm is a beautiful rural spot, out of the way and yet easily accessible from the Interstate. It is quiet, wooded and idyllic. In other words, it is everything I have dreamed of in a home and a homestead. With that in mind I am in the process of deciding whether or not I will be making the garden my little homestead in the woods. I would like to turn it into a lifestyle experiment in which I can finally walk in the footsteps of my literary and life muse, Henry David Thoreau.
Plants and animals I am good at. People, not so much. I can grow a garden like nobody’s business but I have never been the best at cultivating and nurturing a personal relationship. Perhaps for me, living deeply is more about studying and putting my energy on building that relationship with My Earth Garden, this land on which I live. No worries, I don’t have any intention of becoming a cave dwelling hermit or of writing manifestos from a barebones shack.
Coyote tracks in the new garden 6/7/11
Aside from the horses and donkeys already at home on the farm, I have discovered fresh coyote tracks as well. While they aren’t a concern for the larger animals, they are a consideration for the future when I plan to bring in chickens. Having a small home and daily human presence on the garden site will help to keep the coyotes at bay, though other measures may be employed if necessary.
I have a lot of aspects to consider should this be the path I choose to follow, but all indicators point toward my dream garden becoming my dream homestead. If and when that happens, you will all be welcome to enjoy the journey with me.
Great site,great post!!!
Hello, Michael. I’m finding a lot of bloggers posting about Thoreau lately, interesting!
I too am more a plant-person than a people-person. I see it like this: Plants want to connect to the earth/Nature, but many people are focused on detaching themselves from it. If I had a plant that did that constantly, I’d find it difficult to keep.
That said, I love meeting people and experiencing different cultures. Just not mass/pop culture. It’s like growing grass when I could experience a variety of other plants instead.