Rural Renaissance

Description

In the '60s it was called the "back to the land" movement, and in Helen and Scott Nearings' day, it was "living the good life." Whatever the term, North Americans have always yearned for a simpler way. But how do you accomplish that today?

Blending inspiration with practical how-to's, Rural Renaissance captures the American dream of country living for contemporary times. Journey with the authors and experience their lessons, laughter and love for the land as they trade the urban concrete maze for a five-acre organic farm and bed and breakfast in southwestern Wisconsin. Rural living today is a lot more than farming. It's about a creative, nature-based and more self-sufficient lifestyle that combines a love of squash, solar energy, skinny dipping and serendipity...

Among the many topics explored in Rural Renaissance include:

• "right livelihood" and the good life
• organic gardening and permaculture
• renewable energy and energy conservation
• wholesome organic food, safe water and a natural home
• simplicity, frugality and freedom
• green design and recycled materials
• community, friends and raising a family
• independence and interdependence
• wildlife conservation and land stewardship.

An authentic tale of a couple whose pioneering spirit and connection to the land reaches out to both the local and global community to make their dream come true, Rural Renaissance will appeal to a wide range of Cultural Creatives, free agents, conservation entrepreneurs and both arm-chair and real-life homesteaders regardless of where they live.

Mother Earth News Wiser Living Series

Subjects

• Books
• Savoirs
• Humanities and social sciences
• Free Agents
• Intentional living
• Country Living
• Wildlife conservation
• Energy conservation
• Types of rural communities
• Solar energy

Informations

• Published by: New Society Publishers
• Published: 13 May 2004
• Reads: 0
• EAN13: 9781550923384
• Language: English
• Document size: 6 MB

Exrait

Advanc e P rai s e for Rural Renaissance

Join these two delightful people on their modern-day journey back to the future, experiencing with them the joys and jitters of leaving the corporate cubicles of Chicago for the land, llamas, and rich lifestyle of a rural Wisconsin community. Also, this book is jam-packed with how-to’s and resources in case you’ve been thinking of making your own journey into America’s rural renaissance. — J IM H IGHTOWER , radio commentator and author ofThieves in High Places

John and Lisa are a real inspiration, showing through their lifestyle, their Inn and their daily life how two people can make a real environmental impact now and for the future. Along with their personal story, they offer practical ideas and plenty of resources — and the reasons behind their choices. You don’t have to move to the country to gain from their experience; there are lots of suggestions to help you put some of their ideas to work in your own life right now. — N ELL N EWMAN , co-founder of Newman’s Own Organics

If you’re like most North Americans, you want to live an ecologically sustainable life, but have not a clue about how to do it. Here’s what you need: hundreds of wonderfully inventive and practical examples of “how to do it,” based on real life, personal experiences. This well-organized book also shows you how all the parts fit together into a realistic, complete, and viable lifestyle.

— P AUL H. R AY , Co-author ofThe Cultural Creatives: How 50 Million People Are Changing the World

This book is for anyone wishing to improve their life by acheiving greater balance with the earth and their actions. The authors clearly trace the steps they took that continue to make a positive impact on their personal lives and community, while providing the resources readers need to follow suit. — A LISA G RAVITZ , Executive Director, Co-op America

This inspired and inspiring book demonstrates that progress is not just the province of urban America.Rural Renaissanceis the ultimate guide to reinventing individual lives and reinvigorating our shared future. — D ANIEL H. P INK , author ofFree Agent Nation

Rural Renaissancedoes a wonderful job making sustainable living sound accessible, enriching and fun, while being realistic about the resources, skills and relationships necessary for getting started. John and Lisa’s focus on being in and building authentic place-based community is a dimension too often overlooked in the sterner literature of simple living. — K EITH M ORTON , Associate Professor of American Studies, Providence College, Past Board Member, The Good Life Center

Fantastic!Rural Renaissanceis inspiring, funny, and packed with information and resources for sustainable living; it thoughtfully presents the challenges and pleasures of living more sustainably. Add to that the practical advice and resources interwoven throughout the pages, and this book becomes a must-read for anyone wanting to tread more lightly on the planet. — J AN J OANNIDES , Executive Director, Renewing the Countryside

Rural Renaissanceis neither wishful thinking nor nostalgia. In fact it is utterly practical and can be as magical as serendipity for people looking for better ways to live.

— D AVID W. O RR , author ofEarth in Mind: On Education, Environment,and the Human Prospect, and chair of the Environmental Studies program at Oberlin College

As part of the 1970s back-to-the-land movement myself,Rural Renaissancetouched home. I chuckled as Lisa and John rediscovered many of the trials and tribulations that my peers endured. And I shared in their successes and celebrations. Their passion for who they are, what they do, their impact on the earth and society, and what they can offer the rest of us is contagious. The principles they live by will guide us all in a sustainable future. Lisa and John are, indeed, part of the solution. — M ICK S AGRILLO , President, Midwest Renewable Energy Association

rural renaissance Renewing the Quest for the Good Life

J O H N I N K O A N DV A L I S A K I V I R I S T foreword by Bill McKibben

N EW S OCIETY P UBLISHERS

Cataloguing in Publication Data: A catalog record for this publication is available from the National Library of Canada.

Copyright © 2004 by John D. Ivanko and Lisa Kivirist. All rights reserved.

Cover design by Diane McIntosh. Cover photos by John Ivanko?

Printed in Canada by Transcontinental Printing.

Paperback ISBN: 0-86571-504-1

Inquiries regarding requests to reprint all or part ofRural Renaissanceshould be addressed to New Society Publishers at the address below.

To order directly from the publishers, please add $4.50 shipping to the price of the first copy, and $1.00 for each additional copy (plus GST in Canada). Send check or money order to:

New Society Publishers P.O. Box 189, Gabriola Island, BC V0R 1X0, Canada 1-800-567-6772

New Society Publishers’ mission is to publish books that contribute in fundamental ways to building an ecologically sustainable and just society, and to do so with the least possible impact on the environment, in a manner that models this vision. We are committed to doing this not just through education, but through action. We are acting on our commitment to the world’s remaining ancient forests by phasing out our paper supply from ancient forests worldwide. This book is one step towards ending global deforestation and climate change. It is printed on acid- free paper that is100% old growth forest-free(100% post-consumer recycled), processed chlorine free, and printed with vegetable based, low VOC inks. For further information, or to browse our full list of books and purchase securely, visit our website at: www.newsociety.com

N E W S O C I E T Y P U B L I S H E R S

www.newsociety.com

Books for Wiser Living from Mother Earth News

Today, more than ever before, our society is seeking ways to live more conscien- tiously. To help bring you the very best inspiration and information about greener, more-sustainable lifestyles, New Society Publishers has joined forces withMother Earth News. For more than 30 years,Mother Earthhas been North America’s “Original Guide to Living Wisely,” creating books and magazines for people with a passion for self-reliance and a desire to live in harmony with nature. Across the countryside and in our cities, New Society Publishers andMother Earth Newsare leading the way to a wiser, more sustainable world.

To Uncle Phil and Aunt Judy and to all those who have joined in the journey.

Contents

Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiii

Foreword by Bill McKibben . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xv

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvii

C HAPTER 1: L IVING BY G REEN D ESIGN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Sustainable Living . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 How-to: Maintaining a Natural and Healthy Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Living With the Seventh Generation in Mind. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 How-to: Assessing Our Impacts: Ecological Footprints. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Multiplicity of Small Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 How-to: Steps to Greening Our Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 The Least Imperfect Path . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 How-to: Appliances that can Make a Difference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Sustainable Woods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 How-to: Buying Sustainably Harvested Wood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

C HAPTER 2: F OOD AND F RIENDSHIPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Granolaheads Anonymous . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 How-to: Living the Cultural Creative Dream . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 The Forces of Spring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 How-to: Pick a Cuppa Sustainable Coffee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Creative Kitchen Partnerships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 How-to: Supporting Local Farmers while Enjoying Good Food . . . . . . . . . . 52 The Comfort of Potatoes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 How-to: Finding Our Place . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Ode to the Chickie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 How-to: Raising Happy Chickens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63