My partner Genevieve and I are very happy to have found steemit through the very wise and wonderful @wwf. I have been following his postings on facebook for a couple years, he and his family have been a huge inspiration for us!
Genevieve and I are entrepreneurs, we own and operate a small gardening business in Saskatoon, SK. This summer (2018) will be our third season of planning and planting ornamental, native and food producing gardens for our clients.
However..we didn't start out as successful as we are now. About five years ago we caught the "back to the land" bug and started dreaming of living in the countryside with animals to raise and gardens to tend to. We dove in head first and didn't always make the most sound decisions. Our first move was out to my Dad's acreage where we built a garage package with no permit. The house was built by myself, my dad(s) and some of our close friends. We had a wood burning stove, passive solar design and a compost toilet. Unfortunately the Rural Municipality caught on before a full year had passed and they were quick to order us out of the house, and off the land (unless we were willing to install mandatory infrastructures like a fire road).
We abandoned our first country home with heavy hearts but after a friend showed us the documentary UNGRIP we quickly regained our drive and vowed to make the next move to our forever home.
After a year of working in the city (9-5) we could feel we needed a change. We invested in Tai Lopez and his 67 steps to success which reintroduced us to Joel Salatin and his miraculous farming methods..We could see our dreams piecing themselves together..how we would raise animals, and live off the grid. The important piece we were missing was how we would economically manage it. Lucky for us Tai Lopez had one very important message to tell us. FIND A MENTOR he said! Now the universe must have heard us because it answered about a week later under the most random circumstances ever. Our mentors Janet and Ken stepped into our lives and immediately began grooming us in horticulture, design and small business management.
By the end of summer 2015 we had a business up and running with clients, support, direction and plan for our future. We began actively looking for land and checked out many potential sites around Saskatoon. Over the winter Genevieve studied landscape design under Janet. We also re branded our business (www.localprairiedesigns.ca), built a website and signed ourselves up for all the legal necessities a business needs. While Gen worked on the business I worked hard to build us a tiny house in my MIL's backyard. I had friends help along the way and was very happy with the small relaxing space that we gained!
The summer of 2016 was one hell of a ride! We designed and installed our first gardens, revamped Gen's Mom's front and backyard. We journeyed to Ness Creek Music Festival in the northern Boreal forest. It was here that we worked in a cold climate forest garden and began building our own tribe of like-minded people. We met our realtor Jordan Bird (remax saskatoon) who helped us locate and secure our quarter section. We spent the fall exploring our chunk of Aspen Parkland with our newly born mini pig Theodore...and we began researching alternative building techniques (praise the local library), which led us to Rob Roy and his Cordwood Masonry Technique.
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That winter we took on a large design project: a 10 year master plan for a sustainable northern homestead. We spent the winter researching many of the techniques we will be utilising on our own homestead. We looked to Ben Falk, Sepp Holzer, Verge Permaculture, Joel Salatin, Gabe Brown, Sara Williams, Paul Wheaton and numerous other teachers to build our knowledge base on ecosystem management and homestead resiliency.
Last year(2017), we hit the ground running, clearing and preparing our cabin site, taking on a large commercial contract and numerous garden installations. We played out the summer week by week, gardening during the week days and then hightailing it out to the land to work on the cabin for the weekend.
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Time has gone by fast the last couple years, its crazy how much fun being busy can be! We look forward to the future and the many opportunities it may bring. Hopefully this time next year I will be writing blog posts in our cabin next to the wood burning stove! for now I will spend my winter studying about permacultre, homesteading and rewilding! When the snow starts to melt we will once again be ready to hit the ground running!
I hope to document and blog about our adventures and projects, I want to show you that normal people like us can really take control over their lives and live the good life
Thanks for reading!
Cass & Gen
Great reading your post.
Man I love that little house you built in the garden - I really hope you will make a post documenting the building of it with the steps!
Resteemed you via @welcoming, my page for resteeming promising new users! Greets, @theaustrianguy
Hey @welcoming , thanks for sharing intro posts! :) Would you resteem mine? https://steemit.com/introduceyourself/@wild-forest/greetings-from-denmark-introduction-post /// Appreciated ! Have a great day.
It was already voted on a few days ago ;)
Yes! Follow us and you will see a post on the tiny house coming out soon!
Welcome aboard! It's wonderful to see "real" people joining the group!
Extraordinary post :)
Welcome Cass & Gen, great to have you here! So much to learn from you. You seem a hard-working and goal-oriented people. Wish you all the best! I followed you and I hope you will follow me too :) Let's grow TOGETHER!
I believe my recent blog will give you VALUE in solving your everyday life problems, please check it out (Tai Loepz is really awesome) https://steemit.com/life/@wild-forest/solve-your-problems-effectively-man-on-the-moon-contrast // More exclusive content coming up :))
welcome! awesome hotos, i adore your piggy! if you are interested in steemit related chat try PAL. I have a sustainability channel there.
https://discord.gg/85yZ8zs
Great content!! Welcome to steemit both of u! The work you got done is truly inspiring and I hope you will post more about how keep working on your projects with us! Followed u!
Welcome to community, I really like way you both didn't lose hope even at the difficult time of life. Everyone should learn from you two.
Welcome! It always amazes me how easy it is to just start a business and be profitable right from the get go, in North America. It's very nice you'll be able to fund your dream on your own! And another thing, you people are just relentless, so full of optimism! I'd never start building without a permit, but even if I did, a shutdown notice will just make me wanna crawl under a rock and die.
I'm following you and will enjoy reading your posts!
First of all welcome to Steemit. It's great to see people who are taking steps to pursue their dreams. I'd love to hear more about landscape design and some of the project you guys get up to. I hope Steemit give you guys the encouragement to take your dreams to the next level and share with others.
A landscaping job from start to finish is on our list of blog posts! Hoping to put it together soon! Thank you :)
That my friend, was a fantastic introduction! Spectacular. I really do look forward to watching your blog unfold. I am humbled as well and I thank you for mentioning me in your blog. I don't realize how much influence I have through my work on Facebook or even here on Steemit. You both are doing great work and Steemit is richer as a result of the talents and skills you are sharing here, not only in your skills with the land, but also with your writing and photography.
Your influence has changed our lives for the better no doubt! Can’t wait to grow our blog with content full of our unique experiences on turtle island.
My girlfriend thinks your idea of blogging as a couple is really on point. She has applied for her steemit account. Throwing yall a follow! *upvote
awesome!
Welcome to steemit!
Love building things. Cool pig.
Welcome to the Steemit community @localprairie. Firt time I saw the "US" in the introduce yourself. Your busy, ups and down, business life is amazing. Keep pursuing your dreams and keep posting the adventure along with it. Keep posting... Steem on...
welcome to Steemit!
what a beautiful life you two have.
:]
Thank ya!
Welcome to Steemit Cass and Gen !
wow nice first post. welcome! love the pig.
Great! You should check out #homesteadersonline and join the community! Great work you've done, it looks like you're going to be producing some sweet content here on steemit, glad to have ya!
Welcome Cas and Gen, really cool. Looking forward for more great shares. Followed!
Welcome to Steemit @localprairie. I loved your wood house :)
Welcome to steemit! If you are ever looking for a group, actually a community, of homesteaders/gardeners/self-sufficient like-minded people, I am the moderator of a group here... also the "un"official ambassador to the group.
let me know and I can post an invite link here for you!
Welcome steemit @localprairie
Welcome to Steemit. Great story and I must add you guys certainly have courage !!! I look forward to hearing more from you
Welcome, you will find the community very supportive. Great to have you. Look forward to following your story.
Dear Cass & Gen. You are very welcome in the Steemit Community and I am especially happy to have you here as Permaculture interested young people. I hope you will enjoy your ride here!
Great introduction! I love how it's been this amazing journey of learning and experiencing new things. You guys sound like you've come so far!
Wow what amazing work you have done. Great job and Welcome to Steemit! Upvoted and followed!
Looking forward to your posts, Welcome!
Welcome! Enjoyed reading your post and hope you have a great time on Steemit :)
Love the tiny house wonderful work! An inspiration! 💯🐒
cool postingannya .. great posting can only be born by a great person
Welcome! This is really an amazing introduction post. It's good that you joined this community as we all can use your inspiration! Keep on with the good work!
very ispiring post , l will write like you do . hope best that you lol
Welcome to both of you here on steemit.
Great intro post which makes me interested for more!
Wish you great time and much success here on steemit :)