Anyone living off the land?

[SA Farm]

You save a lot of time and energy........and its better for you health, if you don't consume any dairy products. Its not natural for adult mammals..(which we are) to drink milk anyway.

Grow lots of vegetables, fruits, some grains like corn, and eat small animals like chickens, ducks, rabbits, etc, which are very fast at reproducing and don't consume vast amounts of feed or take up a lot of space.

Cow and Goat milk are both very good for you. It's actually the processed products that are unhealthy. Raw milk is full of fantastic nutrients and is very easy to digest. Also, the time and energy spent caring for a farm is by far healthier for you than sitting at a desk all day.
Your garden and small animal point is very valid and why I raise dwarf goats rather than their larger counter-parts

Well, you will need more land in Canada then say California.

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/lewis122.html
"Cows can indeed be kept on small plots—an acre or two—but they must be fed. We used to own a home with a two-acre pasture on which we kept three bovines (cow/calf and yearling steer). We needed to supplement their feed about nine months out of the year."

True enough. I personally wouldn't want to have to supplement for 9 months. I would prefer to pasture for the majority. Far less work

Besides, if you had to supplement feed, you would have to have more land for hay/supplements than you would if you were just stocking up for the winter.
Efficiency and finding the simplest ways to do things is absolutely necessary if you don't plan to hire labor or buy feed and crops.

 

[Bullitt]

Raw milk is full of fantastic nutrients and is very easy to digest.

Well, for some people. Some people are lactose intolerant.

There is a story where Vikings landed in Canada around the year 1000. They gave milk and honey to the Inuit people. The Inuit then became sick and thought that the Vikings had tried to poison them, so the Inuit attacked the Vikings. It was just that the native adults are lactose intolerant.

 

[SA Farm]

I found this site very helpful when I was researching raw milk: http://www.raw-milk-facts.com/index.html
Here's a quote referring to lactose intolerancy:
"Unheated milk contains its full complement of enzymes and lactase-producing bacteria needed by our bodies to break down and assimilate the milk sugar lactose. These helpful bacteria are killed in the pasteurization/homogenization process. Fermented milk products, such as yogurt and kefir, naturally lower in lactose due to the actions of various Lactobacillus and other lactic acid-producing bacteria, may be better tolerated by some."

 

[newbie32]

Well coming from my education side-we really shouldn't be drinking milk. The only evolutionary change with humans in the last couple thousand years is sickle cell-cells shaped differently to protect against those pesky malaria infected mosquitos in Mediterranean. I like vanilla soy milk, but that has digestive problems too. People like milk. So although we do not need it we want it. Plus it provides backup for any problems with nursing that might arise-momma animal dies in labor-baby needs to live.

A wouldn't want to necessarily live in a commune. I want my own land that adjoins others with their own land and we can share duties. I found an ad about a year ago with a few acres for sale, the surrounding neighbors were organic farmers with small children and they wanted to sell some land to someone that would help. The land would have been mine to do what I wanted with-plus I would help with the organic crop and take home whatever I wanted. Unfortunately I had less money than I do now so I let it pass

I read that homesteaders from the 1800's would all go help each other when crops were ready to be sown. It saved on EXTRA labor and they all got it done faster.

 

[Bullitt]

So although we do not need it we want it.


I read that homesteaders from the 1800's would all go help each other when crops were ready to be sown. It saved on EXTRA labor and they all got it done faster.

We do not "need" many things. I could say we do not need apples, but we want them. Or, we do not need tomatoes, but we want them. And on and on.

As you pointed out, milk is very beneficial in many ways. And as I stated, it's the only food I know that people can live on alone.

Yes, communities used to work together more. We still see Amish communities help each other with building and harvesting.

 

[newbie32]

I agree Bullit- LOL I cant commit completely by living Amish lifestyle, I like electricity. I like my computer and I like my backyardchickens website

. I could easily live with a well though. In fact even if we have sewer I would still want well water just in case....I want to be prepared for everything and it just is not happening fast enough.

 

[SA Farm]

I think that's normal when you get into the preparation mind-set. Nothing seems to happen as quickly as I'd like it to either

 

[newbie32]

TRUE!

 

[Bullitt]

I could easily live with a well though. In fact even if we have sewer I would still want well water just in case....I want to be prepared for everything and it just is not happening fast enough.

A water well and a septic tank work just fine. If you want to be really prepared, have some solar power so you can continue to have lights and pump water if you lose the regular electricity.

 

[newbie32]

yep I thought of that. Also a generator. The problem with the solar is that by the time the pay for themselves, they tend to not function properly and need to be replaced. The generator will eventually need batteries. Plus they can be costly. I read about keeping honey bees for honey and candles. I guess the comb makes excellent cheap candles but then how would you supply yourself with wick?

I have also researched methods of making your own soap. All the ingredients you have to buy, so it kind of is pointless unless you know how to abstract the materials from the earth yourself. Same with making metal