The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said that he would feel free to call back everyone who is currently in exile once the missile threat to his country has been all but eliminated. That is also my cue. Whether I like it or not, I shall have to go on a scouting mission to Ukraine first and get all the basic paperwork in order before I can start my second career as a backyard farmer in a country that was owned by the USSR.
What do I know about Ukraine that they don’t talk about on the news?
- It’s the largest country in Europe. Yes, Russia likes to make that claim for itself, but the bulk of Russia is in Asia and the part of Russia that is in Europe is still not larger than Ukraine, so no.
- The city of Moscow was proclaimed by the Duke of Kyiv way back when. So Ukraine is much older than Russia.
- Ukraine has immensely rich oil and gas fields, and large iron and other mineral deposits as well, all along its Eastern border.
- Ukraine has two main languages, Ukrainian and Russian. The official language is Ukrainian.
- The song Oy Yu Luzi is banned in Russia.
- It’s a poor country. Especially in the villages. The average income is less than USD 1ooo per month.
- It’s cold in winter. Really, really cold.
- Ukrainians love kids and they love animals
- Ukrainians generally are generous and hospitable people but don’t mess with them. Ask the Russians. It hurts.
- Ukrainians are well-educated and sought after in the fields of engineering and IT. They also have a passion for history and the arts, and live for their soccer teams.
- Ukrainians are an equal-opportunity society.
- Ukrainians and Poles are like the Irish and the Scots. Over the centuries, they have been involved in harsh battles against each other and they still have a rivalry going involving various aspects of their culture. However, they are at peace for now.
I know what I want to purchase and at what price. I also know that I shall use 90% local (at least in the same oblast!) artisans to help me restore and rebuild the various buildings on the property. It’s all about preserving skills.
I looked into those brick stoves/heaters that are built into all the village houses. Yes, some of them are absolutely hideous but extremely economical and cost-effective as far as a source of heat is concerned. Much the same goes for the outhouses, although I can see that being a problem in winter.
What I would like to do, then, is modernize the lighting in the house and add indoor plumbing. And yes, solar panels and wind turbines are non-negotiable. It’s a matter of “just in case”. The whole process will also be documented and YouTubed.
And that will be my permanent address!
I have another challenge, though, and that is to figure out what exactly I want my Ukrainian company to DO. In plain language, what is my main offering going to be? When I first started out on my homesteading/backyard farming/self-sufficiency/permaculture journey, I found quite a few articles listing a whole bunch of things to derive an income from that had very little do to with the produce, and mostly with adding value. And that is what people want. They don’t want cream, but they want butter, and maybe they would prefer the scones or the pies that were made using that butter. So the more value one can add to the basic product, the better. After all, there must be a yield, or otherwise why do it?
On the other hand, I don’t want to spend 90% of my time in the kitchen rolling out pie dough, even if it’s for the most delicious apple pies anyone has ever tasted.
Therefore, I shall have to think long and hard about this, because whatever I finally decide upon, shall form part of the Act(s) of Incorporation of my company. I do not want to make it too vague, but also not so specific that I limit myself to only those activities. It’s not unlike creating a new form of religion. And no, I have never had to do anything like that before. I just know that new ideas are rarely received well. That will probably be the greatest challenge. Not insurmountable. Just… difficult!
That’s me done for now. As always, if you have some loose change in your pocket that you feel the need to send in this direction, please click on this link. If prompted, kindly specify that it’s a gift. It just speeds up the processing. Thank you kindly for your patronage. It is much appreciated.