Westwell is the name of the property we moved to in January 2004. It is named on the government topographic map (Kentucky) and is a pleasing name despite the absence of a well or subterranean water source on our own property. We do however have access to a stream in the property to the north if our house water supply runs low.
The property is 22 Hectares (55 acres). The land was originally subdivided after the First World War in a Soldier Settlement Land Act and the area produced fruit until England joined the Common Market in the 1960s (a prelude to the European Union) and Australia lost a market.
The previous owners have run goats, sheep and a few horses on the property over the last 17 years.
We've bought this property after the sale of our house in Sydney and are now debt free. We also have enough in the bank to hopefully provide us with some time to help setup the property without the pressure of having to find work to help feed us until we're established, especially seeing we're starting in late summer. We will be looking for work in the near future to help pay for our sons education, electricity, phone and internet costs.
We'd like the property to become a self sufficient property providing us with at least all our food needs.
I believe we're all in for a hard future with the coming peak in world oil production, the decline in North American Natural Gas production (which supplies 30% of their electricity as well as being a major component of fertilizers and other chemical production) and the American economy going into an unstable state with their ballooning deficit and negative balance of payments. I might be wrong, but I'd rather be safe and out of the major cities. The world was a smaller less selfish place during the last depression and I think the next depression will bring out the worst in people.
We've been studying permaculture, organic, biodynamic farming methods and will use any technique that we are comfortable with.
This is all a major education experience for us all.
Contact: paul@wordwright.com.au