I dreamed of having a small farm and living with an abundance of plants and trees all around me. But I became overwhelmed with the upkeep of even a few growing things in my care. So many leaves to pick up every day! So much work that I couldn’t do myself! Between tree trimming, cleaning up leaf litter, and invasive plants that grew back faster than I could keep up, I felt exhausted.

That’s when I embraced the philosophy of permaculture. I used to look around myself and see never ending work. Now I see abundance, resources and plentiful return. I use what I have. I trade with others who want to share too. I save, I create, I live with a sense of fullness and creativity. Before, I was overwhelmed. Now I see something and say, “How can I use this?”