Apolis (uh–paul–is) means “global citizen.”


By Raan and Shea Parton
Photos by Peta Mazey
On June 18th we finally crossed paths with Rohan Anderson. After an introduction from a mutual friend and a long email chain, he casually entered our shop and gave us a startled look when we welcomed him with a huge hug before even making sure we had the right guy. It’s safe to say that in Los Angeles’ Arts District it is not a regular occurrence to site a broad man from the Australian outback. Regardless it was great to quickly trade laughs and a couple drinks. Then we got Rohan into some new gear and we were proud to introduce the first edition to our summer speaking series with a discussion and book signing (Watch Film). After our event we reconnected with 37 year-old Rohan Anderson once he returned home to Clarkes Hill in Victoria, Australia. Rohan helped document his daily routine with the following photostory and humored an interview to share with all of us what it truly means to grow, gather, hunt and cook.
Where did you go to school and what did you study?
I went to one of those posh private boys colleges which was ok, I didn’t like it at the time but I look back now and I realize it helped build me as a person. I also studied a few university coerces, initially Information Management with a Biology major and then I studied Natural Resource Management.
Are there any specific values that your family has passed down or you have learned thru experience?
I don’t like bullshit. I like to follow through with what I believe in, which is a pain at times because it can put me behind the eight ball but it’s important to be true to what you believe. I had a value based up brining, which has built me into who I am. Start a job, finish it, do it well. Treat others as you would like to be treated.
What drew you to your present career and how have your experiences prepared you?
I’ve had plenty of jobs that taught me what I didn’t want to do in life. Along the way I’ve picked up some useful skills and some not so useful skills. Now I apply what I’ve learnt in life to be what I am now, which is I guess a communicator. My main job is to communicate purely what I do in my life which is to live as self sufficiently as practically possible in this modern world. The idea is that by telling people about what I do they may take some element of my life and incorporate it into theirs, which in turn may reduce further impact on our natural world. Thats the idea anyway.
Your typical work day from waking up to going to bed?
Nothing is typical in my life. Everyday is taken as it comes. Often things pop up and I just have to deal with them. Often I’ll go hunt not because I want to but because the conditions are favorable. Tonight for example it’s blowing a gale and close to zero, it’s so extremely cold the’ve issued a warning for sheep graziers. They’ll loose a lot of new lambs tonight, just freezing. So even though I could do with some meat it’s just not sensible to go out hunting in these conditions so I’m in the kitchen making a big batch of bean and chorizo stew that will be breakfasts for the next few mornings. Yesterday even with the wild weather I planted the next round of garlic, not because I wanted to, but because it needs to be done if I want garlic come christmas. Thats how my days work out. Thats how my work is dictated.
What do you feel is the future of the culinary & agriculture industry?
I think the future is bleak, especially for the large scale centralized farming system. It’s totally reliant on inorganic fertilizers, pesticides and a petrol based transportation system. The things that make the current food system work for the western world will face some real challenges in the future. Simple put, when the price of a barrel of oil becomes so expensive that it’s no longer financially viable for a farmer to grow his crops then the system will crumble like the roman empire. There is an insurance policy though. That is the CSA model, the Cuban model. The future involves us looking at the past for answers. Our future is in our communities supporting the population by growing and farming on small scale and applying a closed system, one that isn’t so reliant on petroleum.
Can you share any personal dreams or goals?
I’m almost half way to living my dream. To be able to feed my family by my own hands is one of my dreams. Also to live with little and enjoy the simpler things in life is what I aspire to, and I reckon I’m halfway there. All I need is that cabin in the woods.
What are you reading right now?
I’m reading ‘Farm City’ by Novella Carpenter. A story of a lady in Oakland California who documented her journey of goring food in an adjacent vacated block in the get to. Great story of exploration, experience and true grit. Tough girl.
-------
Rohan Anderson born in Melbourne, Victoria in 1976. Father of two girls, author of Whole Larder Love and prolific blogger.
Follow Apolis: RSS Feed | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Correspondence