From Permaculture Guild

Taste of Freedom Farm

Andrew Wolfe wasted no time using the techniques he learned about in the permaculture course held at the Florida Earthship in March of 2009. His goal is to get completely
off the grid and make a living from what he produces in his yard. He
named his urban Pinellas County homestead “Taste of Freedom Farm”, and
in a few months has created a fish farming pond, planted citrus trees,
grape vines, blueberries and a raised bed garden with rainwater
catchment, composting bins, greenhouse, roof-top beehives, chicken coop
and brooder box, duck house, a well, and wood source for his Franklin
stove.

Here’s a note from Andrew about his project:

Thanks for the interest in my progress. I have not yet found it necessary to hire a board of directors to help manage my vast enterprise. But I have since the start of my little endeavor, seen
almost nothing but advances and very few set-backs to acheive success.

My background has been in construction. I was a sheet-metal worker for 6 years and before that a renovater. My choice to change direction was fueled directly by my reading. I’m an avid reader of the classics
and early American literature. I was reading some founder comments when I
ran across one quote that struck a chord with me. It read “A person who
wants to be ignorant and free, wants what never was and never will
be”-Thomas Jefferson. It was at that point I reflected on whether my
intrinsic right to be free made me free in actuality or just in theory. I
rationalized it in this way; I may in fact be free to take a stroll
down my street, but am I actually taking the stroll, or just sitting on
my rear thinking about it. I was done wearing the vestiges of freedom
without being so. All of it was hinged on me providing for myself. And
all though it’s a very respectable thing to go to work and make a living
wage, and as a result of your labors bring home bread for the table,
you can never be certain that your job will be there forever. The
stability of my lifestyle was rooted in the stability of my job, the
stability of my job in the stability of the economy. There were far too
many things in control of my destiny! So I set out to find what I could
do to start to provide for myself and my family in a way the was
tangible and concrete. The answer???—Overwhelmingly AGRICULTURE!!!! The
wellspring of functional freedom in society in my humble opinion is
Agriculture. So I set about learning the “trade” so-to-speak. I have
learned a basic working knowledge of: gardening, fish farming,
beekeeping, and the raising and keeping of chickens and ducks. My hope
is to try and be as self reliant as possible. The attainment of that
final goal is yet to be had but the pursuit is a pleasure, and that is
success.

To answer the specific questions you had

1-I have been tending bees for about 8 months now.

2-I decided to sell the honey when I found out it had value:)

3-My plans for the future are to expand my honey production by finding more suitable bee yards within the county, increase the number of stores it’s available at, and lastly, which happens to be the most
ambitious, try to show people the value of providing for themselves.

4- People can find my “Taste of Freedom Farm Honey” at Rollin’ Oats on 9th St, Natures Food Patch on Cleveland in Clearwater, and many of their local fresh fruit and vegetable stands. If your local stand doesnt
carry it, that of course is a problem I would love to remedy!–Andrew
Wolfe 727-439-4885.