Finally, we have landed.
It is a place for us to do 'landing', living closely connected to a place, imbuing it with our visions and values, absorbing what it has to teach us. Landing...a verb.
Years of life experience, years of searching, we have found a home.
We both have many years experience living on land, close to the cycles of nature. We also have years when we did not live as close, did not have gardens and chooks, or even paid much attention to the waxing and waning of the moon, the changes in seasons.
Now, we are back on land, land of our own.
It is not a big block of land, but is quite enough. Even tho we are on only 1.7 acres, it takes a lot of organisation, effort, and work to keep it in a healthy state. A healthy state means, to us, that the land continues to develop better and better soil, that the plants and animals with whom we share this place can find their own means of thriving, and that we have, as humans, a healthy, safe, and productive space in which to live.
Permaculture is important to us as a design system. Its principles include care of the earth, care for humans, and the return of surplus. Landing, as we embrace it, means taking very seriously all three of these principles. To achieve them, we think carefully about what we observe in nature and include our understandings in our ongoing participation with life in this place.
Amanda grew up in rural communities in the Darling Downs area of central Queensland. Surrounded by great expanses of cropland, the greatest concentration of wildlife was birds. Her understanding of birds of all kinds and her love of them continues. Her sensitivities toward rural lives has given her an open regard and respect for the lives and work of the agricultural community. With over 25 years living on an organic farm, raising her own family, working alongside her partner and close friends, producing avocados, lychees, pawpaws, meat animals and more, she has a depth of experience unlike many of our more urban friends.
Scott grew up on the move, in Central America, Europe, and North America. Travel was a big part of his youth. He was part of the alternative culture that embraced the idea of 'back to the land' in the 70s, and he eagerly studied and lived an alternative lifestyle. Co-operative living, organic gardening, ecological building design, renewable energy systems, and many other aspects of the 'change generation' were at the core of his experience. As a natural teacher, Scott has shared his experiences with many students, including teaching an Introduction to Permaculture course at the Santa Fe Community College for several years. Moving to Australia in the 90s, he began the search for a home, a place to land. After meeting and joining lives with Amanda, the search continued. And finally, a place to land was secured.
Welcome to The Landing!
