Ginger, in her own words: "When we getting ready to slaughter the two pigs on our farm I called my mom to get some advice on the emotional turmoil I was feeling about taking the life of an animal. "You're on your own with this one" she said, "I never raised you to become a pig farmer!". True enough. I come from a long line of grocery store shoppers and fast food patrons. But here I am, trying to figure out what must have been common farm knowledge just a few generations ago, how to live off the land. I have been involved with all sorts of eco and human rights activist campaigns, got my college degree in environmental studies and yet nothing I have done has been as authentically challenging to the cultural status quo of consumption and pollution than simply trying to grow food and harness energy right from the land I call home. I love the Oregon coast, and feel incredibly blessed to have been given this opportunity to develop a sustainable life here. We have ample clean water and lush growing conditions. We are surrounded by family farms as well as forests of cedar and spruce, rushing rivers and the beautiful Pacific ocean. When I'm not working on the land implementing my do-it-yourself permaculture plan, I run a fair trade store in Manzanita, teach West African drumming, volunteer for multiple community projects, lead women's empowerment retreats, and help organize the Manzanita Farmers Market."
Brian, in his own words: "I like to build stuff, and designing Appropriate Technology solutions is my job around the farm. There is so much room for innovation here as we re-develop the ideas that were prevalent at the turn of the twentieth century before cheap oil. I never saw myself becoming a farmer, but I like what we're doing out here. It's hard, but it's also really rewarding, and with the way the world is headed these days, I think it's a smart direction to take. Ginger and I have been best friends for seven years and I can't think of anyone else I'd trust to undertake such a big commitment with. Smart and strong, I admire Gin a lot. I also love to teach and I'm looking forward to running classes on sustainable building and energy solutions. When I'm not at the farm I'm either teaching people to build sea kayaks, or I 'm out in a kayak, surfing, fishing or running the rivers."