Sustainable Living and Goat Farming in New Mexico

Recently I visited some friends and family living near San Antonio Texas to learn about life on a farm, organic gardening and raising animals. In addition to the hands on education I've been getting, I've also taken on a few new books offering complementary knowledge. Some of the books are more serious and dry with hands on instruction while others offer a fun spiritual awakening approach but still touch on the practicality of green local living.

One such book entitled "Farewell My Subaru" follows a retired journalist named Doug Fine who decides to uproot and move to New Mexico. He wants to use less, ultimate zero, oil and get in touch with living off the land, getting everything he needs to survive as locally as possible. I'll admit, as a long time Subaru owner, the title and cover caught my attention right away and I'm happy to report that the contents of this book were no letdown. From the day Doug found two baby goats using Craigslist, I knew I could relate.

Farewell My Subaru had me laughing out loud, sometimes in the middle of the night after long days of clearing Mesquite (an indigenous weed with gnarly thorns that can harm cow digestion) out on the ranch in Texas. At times when all I wanted to do was rest, this book kept me going and illuminated the fun, often goofy sides, of "making it" on the land. The author comes off as a sort of goof ball who isn't afraid to admit that he's out of his element. His primary goal is to successfully raise some goats so he can make ice cream one day.

From his high flying adventures precariously crouched on a windmill, putting up solar panels, to the surprise midnight flooding of a custom built solar hot water heater, to more sentimental moments about relationships, love and a neighbor who has cancer, this book is pretty real and raw in its contents but it keeps a light heart all the way through. It offers an alternative to long days in the office making plastic widgets and super gung-ho outdoorsmenship. A nice "happy medium" somewhere in the middle.

The importance of community and connection to animals, earth and friends really stands out in this book. Everyone seems willing to pitch in and the characters are all real characters in the way they interact and offer something unique. At one point the river between home and town is flooding and the author has to make several crossings by foot. An older neighbor watches from his porch and comments on past floods as the author nearly drowns. Moments like this took the reality edge off and read like a humble comic strip.

One unique approach this book took in order to get across the sheer magnitude and seriousness of waning oil resources and environmental consequences is to insert shocking quotes throughout each chapter. One minute the author is talking about buying a new truck to convert to bio diesel and the next you're being told how much fuel Americans use on a daily basis. These factoids, while depressing and almost overwhelming at times, serve to connect the reader to the severe reality being faced in the world. Hey, this is true! But here, laugh a little and consider this "wacky" adventure.

Well, the adventure doesn't seem so wacky by the time it's through and even if sustainability isn't your thing or you're already living in a grass hut, this book is a lot of fun. The goats alone are worth the read. One minute they're eating Doug's coveted roses and the next they are in danger of being eaten themselves by natural predators. There's a lot of meaning and self reflection being passed along here but even so, the entertainment value is huge and I would certainly read a sequel if one existed.

This book offers uplifting fun adventure while still maintaining a connection to serious realities. It will likely have you smiling and laughing, looking at yourself in a new, un-intimidated light thinking "if he can do it, maybe I can too!" and wondering "what does goat milk ice cream taste like?" Thanks Doug :)