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Ghetto Ranch
Definition
At first thought, the term "ghetto ranch" may be confusing like other
figures of speech referred to as oxymorons such as "giant shrimp" or
perhaps "deafening silence." But it is in the denotative sense of
understanding where "ghetto ranch" makes real sense when describing our
home in Lorida, Florida (the geographical center of the state. See your
"google maps" for details from
space.)
"Ghetto" is typically defined with reference to a section of a city
where some minority group is restricted by reasons of poverty or
some other social pressures. Both Lorraine and I (Chuck) have come from
such backgrounds, fought to survive and to move on with perseverance and
deliberation
enough to move out of of Camden, NJ, and from East Baltimore, Maryland
respectively.
Both "home towns" are annually at the top of our nation's "murders
per capita," "drive by shootings," "poverty areas," "heroin use," "crack
distribution," "teen pregnancies," and "HIV incidents" lists with our
respective former neighborhoods leading the "parade of horrors." Our
families became the minority and poverty was our enemy just like it was
among our neighbors'. We are among the fortunate to
make it out even though we both did what we could for as long as we
could to help make improvements or at least maintain decent lifestyles,
but eventually those constant fights failed to slow the rate of
depression, murder, drug use and the like.
We decided to move to a very rural area, where "cities" are distant
(and more like "towns" of just a few thousand population---which would
be relative to the population of our particular high schools.) Once
again, we found ourselves in the "minority" since most of our neighbors
are closely related and have family roots traced back over a hundred
years on the same property. We really are the
"outsiders" needing to adjust to a very different lifestyle; one that
sports a vast prairie, many fresh water lakes and streams, abundant
wildlife from gators to eagles, snakes to bass, coyotes, bob cats,
panthers and wild hogs that may weigh over 500 pounds. Plus, instead of
parakeets in cages, goldfish in bowls, petunias in pots on a window
sill, or trying to grow tomato plants in plastic five gallon
buckets, our new neighbors raise cows, horses, goats, pigs, gators and
tons of produce on
hundreds or thousands of acres (or even square miles) of land.
Land. Precious land! It is being "gobbled up" by developers at a
fantastic annual rate here and elsewhere across our nation. More than
200,000 acres of Florida farmland is swallowed annually for development.
Our Highlands County area had over 200 square miles purchased this year
by
developers expecting to build two new cities.
Uh-oh! Have the folks here no idea of where this will lead them?
So this brings us to the word "ranch." "Ranch" is typically
defined as a "large farm" on which livestock or produce is raised or
grown. Well, when you are from cities in which you may be among the
fortunate few who have a five or six foot wide by six or eight foot long
patch of ground that is not concreted or asphalted over, that ground is
your garden or where your dogs and cats "do their business" each day.
Or, maybe it serves both purposes. When you move to a rural area where
farms and ranches may be 12,000 or 15,000 acres or more and
driveways to the owner's home may be five miles or so long, you are in
for some mental perspective adjustments (MPA's). We purchased less than
six acres and, to us, it looked like we suddenly owned "The Ponderosa"
expecting the Cartwrights to ride out of the weeds. When Ben or Little
Joe didn't show up, we realized that we should do something with the
five acres of six foot high weeds and things out back. Lorraine had
never ever gotten her hands dirty in soil and pretty much didn't like to
sweat. Chuck was used to working on roofs over a large asphalt coated
city but did have a 12'x8' vegetable garden for the few years his family
lived in the suburbs. So, technically, I knew something about
"farming," and since his 12'x8' "farm" could fit into 5.8 acres a little
more than 2,631 times, the new property could be called a "ranch" if
Lorraine and I raised some sort of livestock or grew produce.
And when you look at some of our neighbors who may be offered tens
of millions of dollars by international developers looking to cash in on
the estimated 1,200 people per day moving into Florida, we are the ones
in poverty conditions still. We really can't afford purchasing much
more land as
the prices have gone from $3,000 to $6,000 to $10,000 to $20,000 and on
to $40,000 or more per acre in just a few years. As in the ghetto, you
hopefully learn to do the best you can with what you have. And, the
lessons we learn, are the lessons we are willing to share with others,
for many good reasons.
At our "GoGhettoRancher.com" web sight we will continually update
the lessons as time erodes our mutual global future. We ask a zillion
questions and search for quality answers religiously, asking our
neighbors whose families have settled this land since the early 1800s
and we ask the Ph.D.
holders of the University of Florida Department of Agriculture and of
the Extension Services. We do research on the Internet and attend
seminars and meetings of all sorts for cattle raisers, farmers,
Audubon Society, Fish and Wildlife Commission, and go on nature hikes
and get involved in events like Florida Frontier Days or The Florida
Cracker Trail Ride which celebrate "cow hunting" and other historic
traditions.
"It ain't like we got no education," but even the more than fifteen
years of college prepared neither of us for this venture in LIFE. We
"salute" the farming and ranching families and have come to appreciate
their daily lives and what they have produced to make our nation great.
We will
spend the rest of our lives learning about their genuine love for the
land, livestock, produce and lifestyle and attempt to more deeply adapt
to the spirit of such love.
So, if y'all are coming from the city and wantin' to enjoy a wholly
different way of life, then y'all will
want to stay in touch with us by checkin' yer hat, boots, spurs, gloves
and gardenin' tools in occasionally at GoGhettoRancher.com There will
be a lot of well researched and very useful information here for you,
from how to look for property in rural America and securing it to
figuring out how to take advantage of various government grants and the
current large tax write offs (varies state to state).
We have a special emphasis on raising alpacas for profit. There is
a lot to learn before you leap and we do have terrific resources such as
ALPACA BUSINESS SECRETS to suggest looking into and ideas that can save
you many many dollars and lots and lots of time.
We are here to help other and dedicated to helping protect our
environment from bad practices that are part of city life but do not
belong in rural living. In fact, I am re-joining my long term associate
and friend on regular radio and Ipod broadcasts to again teach good
environmental practices and help bring greater awareness to all about
the benefits of recycling and renewing our resources. Listen for "The
Captain Seaweed and Ghetto Rancher" Environmental Series soon we will
announce when and where via our web sights.
In addition, I am producing a series of cable/satellite television
shows featuring various ventures made in rural America by former city
folks who made the lifestyle change like Lorraine and I. Some of these
folks who were corporate executives or workers, engineers, physicians,
dentists,
attorneys and such have money enough to invest in twenty, forty, a
hundred acres or so of land but really have no idea of what to do on it
other than build a home. But critical issues of soil testing, water
conservation, tree preservation, and delving into some "at home"
business such as raising cattle or growing black berries need to be
carefully looked into before hand. Security and environmental issues
need to be addressed as well as the choices of what to do on the land.
Much thought needs
to go into these life changing decisions, and I will have expert
advisors share their wisdom on my shows that will air on RFD-TV, coming
soon.
Y'all come back now, ya hear? Bring a friend and sit a spell!
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