Thinking of moving off the grid? Starting an organic farm or CSA? Are you part of a group considering pooling resources and homesteading together?
Well, shhhh-h-h-h, come closer, I’ve got a few well guarded secrets I can share with you…
Secreto Numero Uno: get your hippi ass south of the border! Be it Mexico, Costa Rica, Columbia, or wherever, there are many reasons that you should consider the southern option. The reasons? Listen in:
Reason #1: Two to Three growing seasons. Yes, you can find extended growing in the southern U.S., but 1000 miles south of Texas you really do get an entire second or even third season. What’s not to love about growing outdoors, year round!
Reason #2: The cost of land & living. Land is cheaper (well maybe not Costa Rica anymore), but equally important for the long haul is that property taxes are nearly zero. On our one hundred acres we pay $200 a year. Tell me that doesn’t help the bottom line! And while some things like farm & solar equipment are expensive there, once you have property you are allowed a one time exemption to bring a moving van’s worth of “household goods” into Mexico without import taxes. Also, the cost of ongoing basic staple goods is roughly half what one pays in the U.S.
Reason #3: Save energy and reduce your carbon footprint: So how much of your precious time and energy do you want to spend every year preparing for the coming winter? 30%? 40% 50% or even higher??? Well how does 0% sound as an option for you? If you are situated in Mexico or further south, the cost of winter is a thing of the past. And then there are the ethics and nuisance factors of winter heating to consider. How much of your life’s energy, not to mention the planet’s carbon resources, do you really want to commit to heating your home, or even, in extremes climes, avoiding the possibility of freezing to death?
Reason #4: Less Regulation: Face it amigos, you just can’t fart in the U.S. anymore without a permit! Seriously, come south of the border and you’ll discover a sense of freedom you would never have dreamed of back in the United States or Canada. Whether you plan to sell in a farmer’s market such as one of the three or four thriving ones in Puerto Vallarta alone, or if you’re planning on having a CSA, selling to restaurant’s, or simply just growing for yourself, you can count on minimal regulation once you’ve crossed the border and made your way south.
Reason #5: Security in the face of what lies ahead. Really, you ask? Is he seriously suggesting that life in Mexico can be more secure than life here in the good olde U.S.A.??? Well, yes, actually, I am. As for the narco violence, there are a few simple, common sense rules to be followed such as staying out of the areas of drug production or major transport corridors. The vast majority of the violence I hear about is limited to three or four states, and even with that, it’s the narcos and cops getting perforated, not tourists, travelers, or organic veggie farmers. (I could go on and on about this subject, but will save that for another post…). So what do I mean by security for what lies ahead? Well, the way I see it, if the energy infrastructure gets disrupted for one of any number of reasons (troubles in the middle east, peak oil, climate change) then simply surviving, let alone thriving anywhere north of 30 – 40 degrees north latitude could get really expensive if not downright impossible. Personally, I’d rather build my off grid infrastructure in a place with great public transport, and where access to plentiful, renewable, energy is a bonus, not a necessity!
Reason #6: Quality of Life. Having shuttled back and forth, splitting parts of the year between the two worlds for nearly a decade now, I can with some authority that QOL south of the border is, in general, superior. Yes there are issues with sanitation, schooling, crime and such, but over all life there is really sweet. The Mexican people are, on the whole, far more open, warm and friendly to strangers than has been my experience in the northern countries, and the pace of life, much more focused on friends and family, is more relaxed, and even festive, than north of the line.
So there you have it. Starting your Permaculture journey in a location with high property taxes or heating demands is like setting off to hike the Pacific Coast Trail with two ten pound rocks in your pack. Why would you do that? Mexico and other points south can help eliminate these handicaps.
If you’re still not sure and want to make a test run first, come spend some time with us in beautiful Mayto! Our off grid goat ranch + sustainability center has a campground and guest house where you can beat the winter and hang out for a while. We also have work exchange programs, a very affordable, hands-on education program, and even the possibility of longer-term involvement. Check us out! www.ranchosolymar.com
Dan Gair, his wife Holly Hunter, along with their daughter Hillary Abrams own and operate Rancho Sol y Mar. Entertaining stories of their Permie adventure in Mexico, from scorpion stings & Narco uprisings, to rescuing chickens from boa constrictors, and paying bribes with fresh goat cheese, are all presented in Dan’s upcoming memoire “The Mexico Diaries (A Sustainable Adventure, South of the Border)” scheduled to be published later this year.
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This entry was posted in Camping, CSA, CSA’s, Farming, homesteading, Mexico, Mexico, off grid living, off grid living, Organic, peak oil, permaculture, permaculture, recycling, sea turtle, solar, solar, Sustainability, Travel and tagged beach, campground, camping, CSA’s, energy, energy issues, farming, food, food production, goat, goat cheese, Jalisco, latin america, Mayto, Mayto Beach, Mexico, off grid living, organic. CSA, peak oil, ranch, solar, sustainability, Travel on September 29, 2012. Edit
Sustainable Mexico! 