Simple Living: Reducing Consumption while increasing Self-Sufficiency. This is the definition you will see on our ASPI website homepage. Sometimes it seems an overwhelming (or even worse, distasteful) task. Most everyone – even with one small act of self-sufficiency – receives emotional rewards for their efforts in addition to the physical rewards.

Being able to create something yourself, feed your family nutritious food, put up dried, canned, and frozen foods for winter provides satisfaction and for many of us – relief. There is also pride. Numerous studies have shown that the pride of buying a new vehicle or article of clothing is very fleeting compared with the pride and satisfaction of creating something yourself. It’s something that is almost tangible when we speak with participants at our site – and all the GA sister sites.

With these thoughts in mind, we held our seed-saving class last month and began the process of creating a simple seed exchange station for next year at our site. Self-reliance refers to individual, family, and community independence.

And – we don’t want to stop gardening now! A private donation of windows (Thank You!) is allowing all of our participants who would like to extend their season with a cold frame to do so!  We’ll bang together some boxes and with a few water jugs to absorb and release energy at night, and we’ll be eating out of the garden well into December here in Rockcastle County! We’ll also feel pride in our work, satisfaction, and a little relief as the snow flies!