economic crunch and layoffs

[Hackles]

When you dedicate your time to practices of living from the land,you are actually earning your living,the quality of the life that you live is determined on how much work,and dedication you put into it.Now let's look at our tenderfoot city folk, Currently both of them working full time job's trying to make ends meet, don't know if they are going to be able to afford grocery's until next payday . Both of these people are slaving for a life they can barely manage,you see.They can work as hard as they can and, receive little in return.

I commend those on this forum,for they already have one practice under their belt,raising chickens of course, but if you can find the time, learn to can vegetables.Go fishing and bring home dinner,learn all that you can about living without the dollar.So in the event that something does hit you in the pocketbook you can still make yourself a reasonable living.

 

[smom1976]

I am 32 and I have been trying to make the changes needed become more self sufficient.. It is a process.. You cant just take your subburban home built on a 1/4 acre lot and tomorrow be self sufficient.. I have started by getting chickens.. I got 16 two died 14 left but only 6 are laying so far. so like I said process..

We built an above ground garden.. you know the raised type.. so didnt work.. we didnt get any food from it at all.. the bugs ravashed it totally.. But I am learning.. we are purging things that we do not use.. and trying to make our small house work for a big family with organization rather than buying a bigger house.. we unlike the rest of america realize that we CANNOT afford a bigger house.

I will be planting fruit trees this spring.. (that will take time to start producing fruit) and we will be taking up the raised bed boards and just planting in rows .. (yup going to try it again)

I will also be finishing up my schooling.. I have two semesters left to go with my nursing degree. I stopped to have a baby.. he is now two and the reality of not being able to stay home with him till he goes to school with my husband not working is setting in.. We keep our cars running.. (unless they are totalled such was the case with my hubands car) but my van is 10 years old.

My husband does hunt.. not really for the meat.. I think it is becuase he likes to.. I think he just uses the excuse that "he is providing meat for the family" to go all the time.. (yes this does cause contention)

so overall we are learning and begining the process to become self sufficient. I guess we will have a little bit of advantage.

 

[MissPrissy]

Quote:
Do not take up your raised beds!

Get this book The Vegetable Gardener's Bible: Discover Ed's High-Yield W-O-R-D System for All North American Gardening Regions

You get more food from raised beds than rows. The bugs have NOTHING to do with the raised beds.

You need to test and amend your soil and do companion gardening or use safe insecticides to rid your problem bugs.

With ground rows you may have even worse problems

 

[speckledhen]

Quote:
Yes, I agree completely. We chose, back in 2000 or so, to take ten steps back into "voluntary proverty". We dont have much, but we also dont owe on cars, credit cars, etc. We bought a bargain place where, over time, we could be more self sufficient. And now that the world just went into the toilet, we are in better shape than most, including my two sons.

 

[Jena]

Thank you Mis Prizzy,

You are way ahead of all of us I think, I am always amazed at the thing you do.

We are all on a journey and hopefully one day we will get to where you are now.

It is a question of doing what we can with what we have available, and I am sure with people with such experience willingto offer guidance and knowledge we will get through.

Even in our city gardens, or suburb gardens like me....

Jena.

 

[gapeachy]

One of my favorite shows is survivorman It is amazing how he can eat almost anything to stay alive...of course I dont know if that show is all on the up and up....but I think God gaves us knowlegde to be able to survive from what nature gave us.....Of course he did feed the children of Israel manna from above in the wilderness....

 

[Hackles]

Quote:
Survivor man lacks common sense, If we were to sit and watch a show together I could show you all the thing's that he does wrong, and the many thing's that he can do to improve his stay in the wilderness, For instance, instead of eating a grub. Pick up a stick , sharpen it, and spear some dinner,trust me, I would not want to be lost in the wood's with that guy... But hey if eating insects for seven days in the woods get's you good Television rating , I say have at it. But generally i don't recommend taking his, or that other nutcase in "Man Vs Wild"'s advise because truly they have no buisness, in teaching wilderness survival skills, There are some great book's out there that are much more suitable teaching aids Such as:http://www.amazon.com/Primitive-Wilderness-Living-Survival-Skills/dp/0967877776 I have this book,and i Highly recommend it.to anyone interested in some basic survival/wilderness living skills.

 

[gapeachy]

I told my husband I wanted to go to the mountains and camp for a week and bring no food or water and see if we could live on catching fish and hunting...I thought it would be fun....he wanted no part of it

 

[Hackles]

Quote:
Lol! I'm proud of you for trying, but it sounds like your Husband can't hold his own!

 

[gapeachy]

He is a hunter and an eagle scout....thought he could.....