*** Please note: This was posted as an April Fools joke. Just wanted to thank everyone who offered congratulations and help to make it happen. The support for this crazy dream came as quite a surprise. Perhaps it's not so crazy after all! Next time, no wild wolves, all the rest--who knows? ;-)
I am taking a break from my usual poetry posts to make a big, exciting announcement.
Pierce and I have decided to make a drastic change in our lives. For many years we have had a dream of him being able to quit his 9-5 job so he could have more time to play with robots, and I could have more time and space to write poetry and homeschool the Kid (so he can study only the subject that interest him, like Black Holes and Volcanoes, without having to waste his mental gifts and energy learning archaic subjects like spelling and handwriting).
We also wanted to make a move to a more natural environment, where could have space for large gatherings, literary retreats, seasonal celebrations and music festivals, grow our own veggies, and live a more sustainable life in tune with nature.
The only problem with our plan was that we needed to find a way to make the property we wanted pay for itself in a sustainable way. So we came up with a business idea that will not only help the environment, but but also be fun and profitable as well without being too much actual work. We applied for a grant from the Gates Foundation to help us make this happen, and it was accepted!
We just got the call that all financing is in finally in place, and our bid was just accepted for this gorgeous piece of property located next to a gated community in Auburn.
We are going to be opening the first truly 100% sustainable golf course. Yes, other places have claimed that they are “Green,” but that has usually meant that they just reclaim a small percentage of the water they waste on the course. When you look at the details, their commitment to the environment is a shallow one.
Our Sustainable Golf Course will:
—Not use pesticides, herbicides or fertilizer whatsoever, which means no runoff of chemicals into the watershed.
—Use only natural rain, and water collected from rain barrels in the summer for irrigation.
—Have as many areas as possible left in their natural state as possible to protect wildlife, which will make for a beautiful and challenging course!
We will be adopting wolves from Idaho to control the rodent population (we will be using an Invisible Fence to make sure they don’t run off).
Our organic garden, free range chickens and rabbits will supply fruit, vegetables, eggs and meat for the cafe. We will do extensive behavioral training with the wolves to make sure they don’t see the domestic animals as prey.
We are making arrangements for a team of Mud Girls from Canada to come and build our club house this summer, using all local natural materials. If you would like to help us build it, and learn natural low-impact building techniques, you are welcome to come stay and pitch in. Meals and childcare will be provided for volunteers.
We are going to be buying and moving several decommissioned wind turbines from the Mojave area, and will also have solar power for hot water for showers, and hot tub.
Overnight stays will be welcome, and people can stay in trade for helping out with the gardens, and/or taming and training the wolves.
We will have a few cabins for elders and people with disabilities. There will be camp sites sprinkled throughout the property for everyone else. The green fees will be on a sliding scale/honor system and the golf course will be clothing optional, as there’s nothing that promotes equality quite like being naked.
We look forward to seeing you there, helping us make it happen, or for a round of eco-golf!
