Homesteading, Permaculture and Crypto with Mountain Jewel

I am a homesteader permaculturalist who lives off-grid in the Ozark Mountains in the United States.

Here I am (above) making herbal medicine in the form of an herbal oil with St John's Wort at the peak of summer's vibrancy. We share a lot about herbal medicine on our blog as well and help run @naturalmedicine on Steem.

I have long had the drive to share the ins and outs of my sustainable lifestyle with a wider audience and have used social media to do so for many years. A friend suggested looking into Steemit.com. This was during the "bitcoin boom" and I had missed out on the first major run (from low thousands to $12,000). I didn't want to miss out! That's the truth of my crypto beginning.

Learning that I could blog (something I was already doing) and earn cryptos for it was a fantastic invitation into the world of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology. Since then, I've learned a lot more (read: gone down the rabbit hole) into understanding blockchain social media networks and really what I see as their ability to incentivize creative sovereignty.

 

Monarch butterfly on a cosmos in our gardens. Beauty is an important yield on the homestead!

I am invigorated by the ability to share on decentralized networks and be surrounded by the supportive, creative community that I have found on Steem. Seeing so many friends become censored on Facebook and Instagram, I realize that these technologies are able to uphold and, even more than that, fundalternative economies or modes of being in revolutionary new ways.

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Over the next few months, I hope to continue sharing inspirational and practical articles on Steem blockchain and continue providing free Permaculture education on the internet.

Permaculture, a theoretical and practical design system literally stemming from the words Permanent + Culture, is often criticized for being elitist and inaccessible to the public. We've started a Permaculture Radio Show running on Steem that offers a foundational introduction into Permaculture theories and practices.

Through sharing about our homestead life and lived experiences and also by highlighting and interviewing others who are taking steps toward a more sustainable culture, we're excited to continue experimenting with creative avenues to engage others in conversations around sustainability and how we can work together to manifest grounded, abundant, gentle and beautiful human economies.

Unto this end, we are also engaged with @ProjectGiving, Steem's first NGO, which raises funds for environmentally based and socially conscious projects.

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Our little cabin in the woods

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My background is that of an Outdoor adventurer/traveler, environmentalist, herbalist, writer, farmer/gardener and ultimately an off grid homesteader who lives in a very remote rural area of the United States. My partner and I (who also blogs under @mountainjewel), grow and store our own food, have planted hundreds of shrubs and fruit trees, have 2 high tunnels, are fully solar powered and live in a log cabin.

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We see Steem as a way to reach out from our alternative lifestyle to connect with others around the world.

This year I have been impacted by crypto significantly via the relationships I've forged on the blockchain and by how I have found my creative output amped up due to the impetus that Steem provides. I find that this technology attracts a very creative, conscious, thoughtful and kind subset of the population. My experience of Steem is that it is the kindest and most engaged space in all of the internet!

I've made some true friendships here and been stimulated through various communities I'm apart of on the blockchain including but not limited to @ecotrain, @tribesteemup, @dtube, @projectgiving, @naturalmedicine, @helpie, @ghsc and now @sndbox. Based on my background, I've found myself naturally drawn to these groups and the people in them. Each day I've challenged myself to create content to share and also to engage with others' articles and projects. I have found a true internet home within this web I have woven on Steem and I've learned a lot from the connections I've made.

I have learned that crypto, especially one based on a social media platform, has the power to incentivize behavior.

I think the sky's the limit as far as this is concerned and that we can encourage art, free thought, giving/funding projects, and more via this technology!

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Blueberry Harvest from this year. There is so much abundance!

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As I mentioned above, I think that Steem has the power to incentivize behavior and I've seen this myself through contests that I and others have held and through the power of the communities present here to engage, focus and fund niches from homesteading to technology to art.

We are turning a new leaf over from hierarchical, centralized power structures that censor and sell our data into decentralized ones that incentivize quality posts and actually reward you with cryptocurrencies, while encouraging freedom of speech and positivity.

I've found Steem more worthwhile to be a part of than any of the other platforms I've been on. The community is fantastic here and I'm continually inspired to be a better creator and human who really walks my talk. Through various groups I'm a part of I've also been challenged to think deeper, question more and articulate myself in more nuanced ways.

I'm very thankful to have found a place where I can share the theory and practice behind my Permaculture lifestyle and have it so well received by others who are either interested in this lifestyle or are also on the path.

When I heard that Zuckerberg and Co. had been selling our data, I knew that was the end of it for me and Facebook. I find the quality of posts and engagement here incomparable to what takes place on Facebook. In years to come, I think we will see mass scale adoption as I believe that what is going on here is the real deal in terms of creativity and connection and I think a lot of people are looking for that in our digitalized age.

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We not only grow our own food, we also forage for wild foods. Pictured is a "Chicken of the Woods" Mushroom and yes! it really tastes like chicken.

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I would like to offer the Steem community a listening and engaged ear, my experience, and ample guiding influence and practical tutorials for anyone interested in living a more sustainable, conscious and earth-connected life. I believe in free Permaculture education for anyone who wants it and it's my goal to utilize Steem unto those ends. I want to see Permaculture as a tool in the belts of not only "outdoorsy" or environmental types, but of scientists, artists, travelers, etc. I want to share hope and a vision for our future and, again, I'm grateful to be here!

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beautiful banner by @radicalunicorn

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This post was authored by @mountainjewel, a member of the sndbox incubator. Learn more, follow @mountainjewel or begin a conversation in the comment section below.

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Posted from my blog with SteemPress : https://sndbox.blog/homesteading-permaculture-and-crypto-with-mountain-jewel/

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