TraRay

TraRay, 12 days ago to random

This guy spent all day with us, hanging out in the lone tree on the edge of our chicken coop. I feel like my life will never be the same again.

TraRay, 13 days ago to Venezuela

We found a very special visitor to the farm this morning.

Moments like these fill our sails to keep doing what we do.

🇻🇪🇻🇪🇻🇪

Esta mañana en ontramos un visitante muy especial en la granja.

Momentos como estos llenan nuestras velas para seguir haciendo lo que hacemos.

#AgriculturaRegenerativa #Venezuela #Perezosos #RegenerativeAgriculture #Sloths #BosqueNublado #CloudForest

TraRay, 1 month ago to coffee

The #coffee is growing strong. It's been a struggle to keep these babies watered in this prolonged dry season, but there they are. 2024 is dedicated to getting them all in the ground across about six hectares.

They're growing fast, so getting the prep work done for their planting is the main focus.

🇻🇪🇻🇪🇻🇪

El #café está creciendo fuerte. Ha sido una lucha mantener a estos bebés regados en esta prolongada secia, pero ahí están. 2024 se dedica a plantarlos todos en unas seis hectáreas mas o menos.

Crecen rápido, así que lo más importante ahorita es preparar la tierra para recibirlas.

#Agroecología #BosqueAlimentario #AgriculturaRegenerativa #Permacultura#Agroecology #FoodForest #RegenerativeFarming #Permaculture

A view of our coffee nursery. Hundreds of little bags of baby coffee plants are stretched out in lines.

TraRay, 4 months ago to permaculture

A few days ago we welcomed a new addition on the farm. Relampaga (the brown and white cow in the picture) is June's (the black cow) first female calf. She is about 3 years old, and is now a first time mother. We now have three generations out in the field ♥️. She's an attentive mama, and protective of her baby.

We practice calf sharing with our cows, so mama and baby will not be separated for at least the first two weeks as we ease both of them into the milking routine. For now, every day I go out I check on mama, go through the motions of milking and make sure no mastitis sets in. She's going to be a very productive cow!

Once the calf is eating grass, and showing herself to be strong and healthy, we'll start separating her from her mama for about 10 to 12 hour overnight stretches. This will allow a nice bit of milk to build up that we will then take for ourselves before turning baby loose to freely nurse for the remainder of the day.

Now that I have two cows to milk, I'm going to have to get creative with so much milk. I just borrowed the neighbors cheese press, but I think I might also need to sew a strainer bag for making greek yogurt. I'm most excited about the possibility of building up a store of butter. 🤤

I've had cows fairly continuously for the last 11 years, and cannot imagine my life without one.

#Regenerative #Agroecology #Permaculture #Farming #Homesteading

TraRay, 4 months ago to Venezuela

2024 Reintroduction

Hi! I'm Traci. My life story is a winding tale that has brought me here to La Azulita, in the mountainous state of Merida in western #Venezuela. I've been living here, working here, and raising my children here since 2012. I'm originally from Northern #Michigan (USA) and proudly so.

My life partner Michael and I live on a 13 hectare farm in the foothills of the Andes (apx 1300mts), overlooking the Sur de Lago region and Lake Maracaibo. We are passionate about #agroecology, #permaculture, and #regenerative everything. We are currently in the process of reforesting the majority of our property with #cacao, #coffee, and countless other productive #tropical trees. We also raise a variety of animals on the farm, including a small herd of dairy and beef cows, pigs, and a perennial flock of chickens. Michael does the vast majority of heavy lifting, though I am the dedicated milker of cows and cheesemaker. Other than that, I help where I can and document our progress when I have the chance.

Aside from being a "farmer's wife," I am a full time content writer for 16personalities.com. When inspired, I blog about what we're doing here on the farm, digging a little deeper into the philosophies that guide us, our story, strategies, and experiences here in Venezuela.

Other personal interests include #yoga and #wellness, audiobooks, holistic everything, human biology and the human condition in general, languages, and #travel.

I'm not always super active on social media, but I certainly enjoy checking in with the rest of the world through these virtual spaces, so let's connect!

Also, I really like #cats.

TraRay, 5 months ago to offroad

There's nothing quite so satisfying as seeing our little patchwork home nestled into the hill.

#Homesteading #PermacultureFarm #Agroecology #Agroecologia #RegenerativeFarming #RegenerativeAgriculture #MeridaVenezuela
#MountainFarm #OffGrid #OffRoad

TraRay, 5 months ago to solarpunk

Yesterday was such a gloriously perfect day. A trip to the river with the kids, a nice little harvest of tomatoes, sorghum, and broomcorn - and some pira foraged from among the weeds. Then, I got curious about weaving cattail fronds, so I sat by the pond for a good while listening to the birds and improvising myself a sombrero.

🇻🇪🇻🇪🇻🇪

Ayer fue un día gloriosamente perfecto. Una excursión al río con los niños, una buena cosecha de tomates, sorgo y maíz de escoba, y un poco de pira buscada entre el monte. Luego, me picó la curiosidad por tejer hojas de totora, así que me senté al lado del poso un buen rato a escuchar a los pájaros e improvisarme un sombrero.

#Agroecology #PermacultureFarm #Homesteading #HomesteadLife
#Agroecologia #Permacultura #SolarPunk

A strainer full of orange, yellow, and red cherry tomatoes next to a pile of pira.

TraRay, 5 months ago to nature

When we first started out on this property it was nearly 100% pasture for running beef cattle. Michael immediately determined which areas were not apt for pasture (nearly half of it) and let the process of natural succession get to work.

Letting #nature lend a hand for a few years certainly helped a lot to prep for the converting of all that land into a productive polyculture food forest.

More recently we've decided to eliminate two additional pastures, spaces that have been maintained this whole time to support our small herd of dairy cows and pack horses but have proven to be too steep to withstand hoof traffic without erosion.

The #cacao trees are ready and need to be planted, we have an order of more rare and interesting fruit #trees being delivered later this week, and a LOT of #coffee starting to come up in their nursery bags that will need to be planted later in the new year.

The work of prepping and converting pasture into a #FoodForst is distinct from planting under pioneer trees that provide much needed shade for recent transplants. The concepts of #SyntropicAgriculture have been inspiring, however, and we're excited to see this next - somewhat unexpected - development of the property take shape.

🌱🌴🌿

Cuando empezamos a trabajar esta propiedad, era casi 100% pasto para el ganado vacuno. Michael determinó inmediatamente qué zonas no eran aptas para pastos (casi la mitad) y dejó que el proceso de sucesión natural se pusiera manos a la obra.

Dejar que la #naturaleza echara una mano durante unos años ayudó mucho a preparar la conversión de toda esa tierra en un bosque productivo de policultivos.

Más recientemente hemos decidido eliminar dos potreros adicionales, espacios que se han mantenido todo este tiempo para apoyar a nuestro pequeño rebaño de vacas lecheras y caballos de carga, pero han demostrado ser demasiado empinada para soportar el tráfico de pezuñas sin erosión.

Los árboles de #cacao están listos y necesitan ser plantados, tenemos un pedido de #árboles frutales raros e interesantes que serán entregados a finales de esta semana, y un MONTÓN de #café empezando a salir en sus bolsas de vivero que necesitarán ser sembrados más tarde en el nuevo año.

El trabajo de preparación y conversión de los pastos en un #BosqueProductivo es distinto de la plantación bajo los árboles pioneros que proporcionan sombra muy necesaria para los trasplantes recientes. Los conceptos de #AgriculturaSintropica han sido inspiradores, sin embargo, y estamos emocionados de realizar este próximo - y algo inesperado - paso de desarrollo de la finca.

#RegenerativeAgriculture #Permaculture #Sustainable #OrganicFarming #TropicalFarming #Homesteading #Agroecology #Agroecologia

bike, 5 months ago to Plants

The wild #avocado

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persea_schiedeana

(via https://www.maya-ethnobotany.org/edible-nut-fruit-seed-mayan-agriculture-diet-nutrition-health/images-tropical-fruits-trees-digital-photography-ethno-botany-Guatemala-Mexico-Belize.php )

@plants #fruit #plants @drymifolia

TraRay, 5 months ago to random

For about a month now, a group of #guacamayas has been coming and going from a certain tree in a neighboring pasture. They make such a scandal it's hard to ignore them.

We finally went and explored what it is they're eating. We have no idea what this is called, but the tree is impressive. Massively tall with abundant fruits. And it obviously attracts wildlife.

We gathered some seed, and Michael will be planting them in the nursery. It's important to grow food for the animals, too.

A close up of the fruit in the process of opening. It's green and fuzzy on the outside and bright pink on the inside with a bright orange seed.
A collection of opened fruits on the counter. These will be planted in our nursery.

TraRay, 5 months ago to permaculture

Remember when I posted months ago about putting together a #cacao nursery?

The plants have grown like mad & are slowly finding their way to permanent homes. And they are thriving. It's exciting to see the new growth they put on as soon as they're out of their nursery bags. Some of them are already over a meter tall!

#FoodForest #Agroecology #Permaculture #Chocolate #Regenerative #Organic #FoodForestFarming

A young cacao tree with new growth.

TraRay, 6 months ago to advice

This is #OffTopic for me, but I need some #advice.

I'll be traveling to the US and Canada in summer 2024 for 2 months, but I will not be on "vacation" from work. I need a solid wifi connection wherever I go.

We'll be visiting some fairly remote areas where cell coverage is spotty at best (the Kootenays, rural Ontario, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan). How in the world can I guarantee a wifi connection in my travels?

#DigitalNomads #traveler #TechAdvice #WriterCommunity #RemoteWorker

TraRay, 6 months ago to Venezuela

This fruit is called a Zapote here in #Merida #Venezuela. Our neighbor's tree has been dropping these fast for the last few weeks, and it is impossible to eat them all, no matter how many sacks are harvested and given away.

Imagine a fruit that tastes like pumpkin pie. And stains everything a bright orange, including your face.

Who here has tried it? What's it called where you live?

#TropicalFruits #Agroecology #Permaculture #Community

Zapote fruits. They are a brownish green ball with a sturdy stem off the top.
The zapote fruit, when peeled, is a brilliant orange color.

TraRay, 6 months ago to Venezuela

Have you ever heard of #lulo? It's one of those amazing fruits that grows semi-wild in the tropics. In some countries it's widely consumed and commercially produced, but here in #Venezuela it's hard to find outside of a home garden.

Lulo makes an amazing jam, but we prefer to blend it into fresh juice. Whats it taste like? 🤔 In my opinion, somewhere between a kiwi and tropical punch.

If you've tried this fruit, how would you describe its flavor?

#Agroecologia #Agroecology #Permaculture

Freshly washed lulo with all their spines removed.
Freshly picked lulo with all their spiny haris on them.

TraRay, 6 months ago to random

A couple of weeks ago, the same day we had to bury our cow, my neighbor called to let me know their dog had attacked Pacheco, our beloved toucanette. Because he's never been caged, he has developed quite a range for his daily adventures.

I immediately ran down to claim him. I found him sprawled out, gasping for breath, and looking bad. I brought him up to the house, expecting him to pass at any moment.

But he didn't. By some miracle, he survived.

A collared aracari is perched, and makes calls.

TraRay, 6 months ago to random

In honor of #Caturday, I'll start my recap of life's recent events by sharing that our lovely mama kittie gave birth for the first time to two darling little babies. Meet Tusa (the orange one) and Tomate. They're about three weeks old, and really starting to get lively.

The biggest challenge has been mama Panda's insistence on moving them into our bed every single night. 😍

#FarmLife #FarmCats

TraRay, 6 months ago to Venezuela

I've been absent for days, and I'm sorry for that. Life has been happening at warp speed - something that always happens on a #farm and when raising kids.

I'll try to take the next few days to share about everything that's been going on. In the meantime, enjoy this glimpse of my #paradise.

#Venezuela #Homesteading #Permaculture #Organic #Sustainable #LifeIsBeautiful

The video is of a scenic view from the farm looking north to Lago Maracaibo. The sunlit clouds are reflected in the lake.

The video is of a scenic view from the foothills looking north to Lago Maracaibo. The sunlit clouds are reflected in the lake

KeithDJohnson, 6 months ago to permaculture

"Every year the world subsidizes fossil energy adds 12 trillion dollars to the global economy. Take that away and you are in a fine pickle. You had better find something else to spend it on, and quick.

Here are a few items from my shopping list. All of these are steps along the way to a New Carbon Economy, one that mines greenhouse gases from the sky, burns them for energy, and then buries the #carbon waste underground, essentially forever." https://peaksurfer.blogspot.com/2023/09/my-new-12-trillion-dollar-annual-budget.html
#biochar #forests #MarinePermaculture #wetlands #remineralization #albedo #permaculture #CO2 #reforestation

Mrfunkedude, 6 months ago to random

Well, I hope you had a good week so far!

How was it? Are you ready for the weekend???

TraRay, 7 months ago to anime_titties

New thread!

What we do here on the farm is a direct result of years of study and contemplation. #Sustainable #agriculture certainly includes methods and practical strategies, but at its heart, it's philosophy in action.

Michael pulled these books out with the idea of making a suggested reading list for our volunteer. What would you add?

#Farming #Agroecology #Permaculture #Homesteading #bookstadon #Gardening

A picture of Seed to Seed by Suzanne Ashworth
A picture of Holistic Management by Allen Saviry

mk30, 8 months ago to Plants

#plants @plants #gardening

any tips for fertilizing plants that are mostly or entirely in the air?

i have some #vanilla plants that are crawling their way through the forest. i have no idea where they touch the ground, but they have plenty of air roots.

i was thinking of fertilizing them, but realized i don't know what to do. maybe a mist or spray bottle? but then what goes in the bottle? at what concentration?

thanks in advance!

#TropicalAg #VineGang #tropical #epiphytes

mk30, 8 months ago to random

@compost just look at this nonsense: compostable in a commercial facility only! i couldn't compost this even if i wanted to!