We enjoy sharing the big benefits of permaculture principles and organic regenerative agriculture. Today we discuss raising free range fowl as a valuable part of permauclture principles because they provide so many benefits. Most farms are causing serious harm to our environment and health which offers us major motivation for finding more sustainable solutions. My intention for writing about chickens, ducks, geese and guinea is to help educate and inspire more people to adopt this efficient food growing system and to protect our environment.  Yes fowl can do this as you will learn in this post. As a long term environmentalist and enthusiastic eco developer, designing an eco friendly community based on renewable resources and sustainable systems has become a big part of my obsessive compulsive passion project. It is imperative to research various eco materials, methods, mindsets and models to find those that will best serve our people and project. We are determined to create an appealing, eco conscious, financially sstrong and super sustainable Belize Eco Village on our 149+ acres of land and chickens, ducks, geese and guinea will play incredibly important roles in our success.

Farming and Fowl

ChickensWhat do fowl have to do with farming? Everything! Using fowl to help with farming and permaculture is ingenious and provides an integrated method for raising a variety of fowl and plants for food in a symbiotic support system. Big benefits of raising fowl on a farm following permaculture principles includes: building biodiversity, enhancing top soil, growing more food in less space, growing nutrient dense organic foods, reducing food waste, replicating a holistic model in nature, producing organic foods, reducing bugs and pests naturally and using less water to grow more food. These happen largely because raising fowl in your permaculture food forest and gardens provide: higher yields in less space, improved energy efficiency, local food production and simple food system year round. As mentioned in previous postss Big Ag, factory farming and Commercial Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) are harming vast amounts of biodiversity in addition to the lost terrain, trees and topsoil. This is leading to a catastrophic crisis in the environment around the earth. We desperately need improved methods for producing more locally sourced food and reducing food waste with a renewable and sustainable system. Most commercial food production is damaging and destructive whereas a permaculture system and regenerative agriculture with fowl will provide  renewable resources. Raising fowl could replace many damaging and destructive habits with a more  progressive permanent practice. Massive amounts of food, fossil fuels, money and time are being wasted for crazy food distribution, storage and transit systems whereas permaculture principles and raising fowl could help prevent and reduce much of this waste.

Doing my research for the Belize Eco Village leads me to great ideas, insights and inspiration for food independence and self sufficiency while also protecting our environment. Finding great resources and role models to improve our community attracts my full attention. Our goal is to find brilliant ideas to design, build and live using more effective, efficient and environmentally sound solutions, strategies and systems. My recent meetings with Carmine and Clauco at Sattva Land off the 21 Mile Marker of the Hummingbird Highway in central Belize was another blissful visit. They inspired me with a great method and role model for innovative approaches with: agroforestry, animal husbandry, aquaponics, food production, healthy lifestyle and soil building. They are creating an organic farm and retreat center using permaculture principles that are proven and will be profitable by offering a lifestyle based on connection with nature, holistic health and organic foods. When it comes to permaculture principles the family at Sattva Land walk the talk. They are also planning to build some Stabilized Compressed Earth Block accommodations.

Their health and holistic center impressed, influenced and inspired me to utilize some of their sustainable systems in our project. They have an aquaponics pond, chickens, ducks, geese and organic gardens and orchards. They are doing this while being off grid using only hydro and solar power. Their successful system supports our values and visions for creating a successful and sustainable community with permaculture based organic foods. By wisely investing our energy, money and time up front designing our habits and habitat on permaculture, regenerative agriculture, aquaponics and free range fowl will benefit and reward us with massive dividends for community members and future generations. Even if one does not want to consume the fowl or eggs it is obvious they are a much more effective and efficient part of our eco system than cows and pigs which are very inefficient at converting feed into food.

Free Range Fowl

Free Range ChickenAs more eco minded and passionate people put their heads together it becomes self evident that one of the most environmentally friendly and financially feasible long term solutions to feed families is to raise free range fowl. A key permaculture principle is to stop harming the land and start improving it. Free range fowl can be used to easily grow larger quantities of edible foods, fruits, herbs and vegetables in a relatively small areas of land. The fowl eat bugs, grass, grubs, seeds and weeds while providing waste that provides the nutrients for the plants. The plants help the fowl by providing food, protection and waste product uptake. The fowl create nutrient rich waste that can produce high quality nutrient dense organic whole foods. Indigenous people around the world have been effectively raising free range fowl for centuries.

Creating a dynamic, healthy and holistic blend of free range fowl and regenerative agriculture based on permaculture principles will lead to productive and profitable communities, economies and farms. You can learn more great information about the benefits of free range fowl from Geoff Lawton and at Permaculture Research Institute. He also teaches a permaculture design course for those ready to learn and implement this food production system.

Code of Conduct for Free Range Fowl

EggsRaising free range fowl can offer a creative convergence of: energy conservation, fertilizer, food (eggs and meat), healthy hobby, medicinal plants, organic nutrient dense whole foods, pest control, tree support and water conservation (cattle require massive amounts of water). This will lead to increased income and yields with less effort because of better efficiency, diverse crop productivity, enhanced food production, healthier food and lifestyle, improved nutrition, less destructive practices, less fossil fuel use and increasing productivity over time. The ideas, intentions and inspiration of permaculture principles and regenerative agriculture with free range fowl like chickens, ducks, geese and guinea will be listed in our guidelines and home owners manual for safety, self sufficiency and sustainability. It supports our decision to avoid spraying toxic chemical compounds like fungicides, herbicides, insecticides and pesticides on our property. Those chemical compounds are toxic to people, plants and planet. It is obvious the long and short tern consequences are too risky to all babies, bats, bees, birds, butterflies and beautiful beings living in our community to allow the use of toxic products. We will maintain very high standards for living in a chemical and toxin free environment to protect the air, food, homes, soil and water. Our community Declaration of Protective and Restrictive Covenants and Design Standards will outline our best practices for free range fowl, permaculture principles and organic regenerative agriculture.

Healthy Habits & Habitats

In 2017 Morningstar NEWS will continue our 50% focus on Healthy Habits and 50% on Healthy Habitats and Sustainability Strategies. As we design our new Belize Eco Village we will research and role model proven permaculture projects. Our vision is to attract a wide variety of eco-conscious and passionate people to help design, build and live in our eco friendly, healthy and sustainable community. Imagine the advantages of aquaponics helping us eat, live, retire, visit and work while enjoying an even more happy, healthy and holistic lifestyle. We will focus on those ideas, insights and inspiration as we provide more progress pictures and vivid videos. Stay tuned for progress posts with steps, strategies, suggestions and systems to develop the 149 acres of pristine Caribbean pine ridge and broadleaf forest.

Where is Your Gap?

What behaviors, beliefs and decisions regarding your habits and habitats are harming your happiness, health and home? What will it take for you to protect your family and self from the damage, degradation and destruction occurring right now? What destructive food production practice are you willing to stop being a part of the problem and start being a part of the solution instead? Could free range fowl like chickens, ducks, geese and guinea  help feed you and your family better organic food for less money?

Mastery Action Plan (MAP)

It is well documented that our daily habits and habitats greatly impact our level of happiness and health. The internet offers a wealth of wisdom on a wide variety of healthy habitats to start and health hazards to stop. What are you willing to do differently to protect your family? Living with a healthy habits and habitat code of conduct and Mastery Action Plan (MAP) will enhance the quality of life now and in the future. We cannot sustain our happiness and health with continued destruction of our planet from factory farms and feedlots to feed more people.  Are you ready to be the change that you wish to see in the world?

Call to Action

What comments, commitments or concerns come to mind regarding healthy habits and habitats? Are you ready to learn more and join our terrific team?

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Next Morningstar NEWS Blog

Goats and Sheep In Belize