Anyone living off the land?

[jak2002003]

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.

That is very interesting about being able to live off milk alone.

I did some research and found we can also live of BLOOD alone, but I don't want to be a vampire lol.

Seriously, though, i am all for cows and milk if people have the space.

I would like to say that people should not be discouraged if they don't have lots of space, because they are still able to be self sufficient, and milk is not essential if we don't have space for cows or goats.

Also, I personally would be in hell living in an Amish community! 'Normal' people don't need to join a religious community or go off the a commune to be self sufficient and follow their dream.

Its such a shame more people don't just help each other out. Life would be a lot easier and nicer too.

I live in Thailand and most farmers still help each other out......swapping bags of rice or buffalo for other things. But is not as common as it used to be. I grow jackfruit and some years I have a lot, so I can swap them for duck eggs from next door, or sell them at the market.

A few of these = ..... A few of these....(after they hatched and grew up lol)

 

[yinepu]

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

you can make wicks from cotton or hemp.. wood.. fungus.. old cardboard scraps.. the strands off of a cotton mop also work well... pretty much anything that will burn and that you can form into a long shape will work (though some work better than others)... We've made emergency camping candles / stoves out of a tuna fish can.. bits of mulch and fat
(commercial beeswax is rather expensive btw)... but candles can also be made from tallow


for the soap.. woodash and rainwater make lye
animal fat rendered down for lard...
(which is how my great grandparents and grandparents made soap)!

 

[Teri Metcalf]

You don't need a lot of acreage. We live on one-acre in Texas, and have three vegetable gardens. Each fall, winter and spring we are able to harvest enough greens to feed all our friends as well as ourselves. By July and August our gardens pretty much go belly-up with triple-digit temperatures and drought. We just ate our last onion and potatoes from our spring harvest. This fall I'll take pictures.

 

[newbie32]

you can make wicks from cotton or hemp.. wood.. fungus.. old cardboard scraps.. the strands off of a cotton mop also work well... pretty much anything that will burn and that you can form into a long shape will work (though some work better than others)... We've made emergency camping candles / stoves out of a tuna fish can.. bits of mulch and fat
(commercial beeswax is rather expensive btw)... but candles can also be made from tallow


for the soap.. woodash and rainwater make lye
animal fat rendered down for lard...
(which is how my great grandparents and grandparents made soap)!

Yes beeswax is expensive-but that's why having your own bees is beneficial. Cotton, hmmm I guess I will have to have a cotton tree lol.

Yes I know you can make plenty of veggies on an acre. But for me I want a few goats and my chickens and such, so I need at least 2. I would settle for 1 though as long as the property is situated right-with no adjoining property on at least one side so I could buy it later

 

[newbie32]

I currently live on 1/4 acre-small. So with 7 chickens and a dog, I am not sure what else to do. I have more room in my backyard but....
1: Its a rental, although landlord said plant what I want-with the exception that I leave whatever I plant when I move
2: I live in southern California low desert, not much will grow
3: I have killed cactus and an aloe plant. Both are supposed to be very easy to grow but I still managed to kill them.
4: I am afraid of plant diseases because I would most likely be ignorant and not notice

Any suggestions for a hopeless grower on small land? Citrus trees a no go because we have diseased pest in area that keeps killing them off

 

[Teri Metcalf]

I used to live in Riverside, CA and we were able to grow cherry tomatoes, yellow squash and zucchini. Cherry tomatoes worked best because the larger ones would get sunburned before they ripened. The little ones ripened faster than they burned. I don't recall what else we grew. Chard, collards, broccoli and green beans are pretty hardy and should grow in the spring or fall. Look around and see what others are able to grow in your area. If your chickens are free-range, you might want to fence off your garden area. They love to eat young vegetables, leaves and all.

 

[newbie32]

I used to live in Riverside, CA and we were able to grow cherry tomatoes, yellow squash and zucchini. Cherry tomatoes worked best because the larger ones would get sunburned before they ripened. The little ones ripened faster than they burned. I don't recall what else we grew. Chard, collards, broccoli and green beans are pretty hardy and should grow in the spring or fall. Look around and see what others are able to grow in your area. If your chickens are free-range, you might want to fence off your garden area. They love to eat young vegetables, leaves and all.

Riverside gets significant more rain than Salton city, Low desert sucks. This week we have had rain but it will be gone for the rest of the year within days. I know a few people that have managed to grow some tomatoes. Most of my friends don't do much as far as self sufficiency, chickens are rather popular but that's about it

 

[Bullitt]

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.

Solar panels last at least 20 years. And solar panels now cost about $1 per watt. So a 300-watt solar panel costs about $300 new.

Here is a guy in Utah who posts videos on YouTube about the cabin with solar power he built on 1 acre.
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCymqbXEQ6qfPi5v8DUZr6dA

Watch the video "How to have a home with no house payments and no utility bills!" He does pay less than $100 a year in property tax, though.

 

[Bullitt]

That is very interesting about being able to live off milk alone.

I did some research and found we can also live of BLOOD alone, but I don't want to be a vampire lol.

Seriously, though, i am all for cows and milk if people have the space.

I would like to say that people should not be discouraged if they don't have lots of space, because they are still able to be self sufficient, and milk is not essential if we don't have space for cows or goats.

Also, I personally would be in hell living in an Amish community! 'Normal' people don't need to join a religious community or go off the a commune to be self sufficient and follow their dream.

Its such a shame more people don't just help each other out. Life would be a lot easier and nicer too.

I live in Thailand and most farmers still help each other out......swapping bags of rice or buffalo for other things. But is not as common as it used to be. I grow jackfruit and some years I have a lot, so I can swap them for duck eggs from next door, or sell them at the market.

A few of these = ..... A few of these....(after they hatched and grew up lol)

Are you native to Thailand, or did you move there? If so, where are you from?

The barter system still works pretty well.

 

[chicken-lady13]

I started laughing when I read hermit crab-not a typical farm animal, cool though. They sell them here with little painted shells

I currently live on 1/4 acre-small. So with 7 chickens and a dog, I am not sure what else to do. I have more room in my backyard but....
1: Its a rental, although landlord said plant what I want-with the exception that I leave whatever I plant when I move
2: I live in southern California low desert, not much will grow
3: I have killed cactus and an aloe plant. Both are supposed to be very easy to grow but I still managed to kill them.
4: I am afraid of plant diseases because I would most likely be ignorant and not notice

Any suggestions for a hopeless grower on small land? Citrus trees a no go because we have diseased pest in area that keeps killing them off