Sara In Akko

These sweet potatoes were the start of an important discussion. One my husband and I had been having for some time. One I'd almost forgot to have with my children, but one they would most certainly be effected by.

"Do you see how this sweet potato grows on it's own? What would happen if we put it in the ground to grow?"

"Would it grow us lots of sweet potatoes Mommy?"

"Yes. It would work with other kinds of vegetables too."

"Then we wouldn't have to go to the store, you would say, 'Go outside and get us vegetables from the ground' and we would say 'Nummy, ground vegetables!'"

Her tiny reasoning was music to my ears.

Essentially my husband and I have been having, not so much a debate, but an evolving conversation that has grown with us over time. How do we want to live?

We're inching towards moving off the grid. Not in the romantic wilderness way but slowly planning for a future that involves self-built and ecologically sound housing and a micro-farming business. Some kids, some small animals and we'll call it a hard fought win.

We're hoping that in the next year or so we'll be ready for the big move from rented apartment dwellers with with potted herbs in the kitchen to home builders with the start to a healthy and self reliant life.

But there is finding land, being absorbed into the community, searching out suppliers, finding the right builders, obtaining permits, learning our limitations, the hunt for financing, government loans and and and...

There is an ever growing list of single tiny hitches that could derail the utopia of our plans at every bend. Just thinking of how to go about a life change of this magnitude isn't easy and so I can only imagine what life on a tiny farm would actually mean to our entire family.

So this is the first step.

"Don't you think it would be nice to live somewhere where we could grow our own food?"

"That'd be awesome Mommy! Let's do it."

Maybe someday soon we will.