Homesteaders

[trsturself]

They can but it's a lot of work and few would be willing to do it. It's easier to work for someone else and then buy the stuff you work to have. Even though we both know it's not as healthy.

Those that I know that want to but aren't are doing what they can, one is in an apartment but she keeps chickens at my house, another has a great garden but lives where nothing else is allowed. We all do what we can!

 

[boxofpens]

I am building a house without any electricity or propane, so I read up on it a lot

I would also like to know some of the methods you're using. Are you building a house that will not have electricity, or are you building a house without using electricity (ie, hand powered saws, etc.)? Either way, you've piqued my curiosity

Funny that you guys (this forum) are the only people I know interested in homesteads of self-sufficiency. I have no one "in real life" to talk about that, compare methods, etc. I wish I'd have friends doing it so I could go visit and takes some tips and tricks from them, considering they'd be in the same climate as I am.

Do you all know "real" people trying to be self-sufficient? I wonder if in the USA it's more "popular" than here, so you could know more people doing it.
I know people that raise meat or have gardens, but no one trying to be informed and understand it enough to provide for their whole family. And certainly no one I know even bought or rented a book on "advance" gardening (I mean something other than the flower colors for next year and stuff like that)!

I know a few people personally that are trying to live more self sufficient, and I have many neighbors that look as if they are too. I don't know them all personally, but they have solar panels, chickens, turkeys, etc., so I imagine they're working towards it too.

It's hard to believe how dependent we are on other people (grocery stores, lumber stores, etc.). It's a huge change to make, and it can't be done overnight. It has taken us many years to get where we are so far, but we do whatever little bit we can every day, and hopefully some day we'll be comfortable mostly using what we and our animals produce. We still have many years to go to get to that point though.

 

[trsturself]

Anyone live in a climate that gets hail? If so, how do you protect your garden? I'm perusing pinterest right now for hail protection but am getting things that have nothing to do with it, so I figured I'd ask on here.

 

[alldembirds]

@ sabz

@ boxofpens, actually when i started the house I used a circular saw to cut all my 2 x 4's off site and i used a giant auger to dig holes for the foundation , than used a mitre box for some odd stuff and hand hammered everything, I have put up all my drywall so far by hand and will do the same with the wood flooring I am prepping. I dont have electricity on site, and the only water i have is a spring, Once I have an earth bermed house I will live without electricity full time, I will probably end up putting a solar bank on the tiny house to power an a/c during the hottest days. It's an adventure

 

[Sabz]

Anyone live in a climate that gets hail? If so, how do you protect your garden? I'm perusing pinterest right now for hail protection but am getting things that have nothing to do with it, so I figured I'd ask on here.

We have hail here sometimes but nothing major. Usually happens in the fall, so most veggies are already harvested. Otherwise I never really had to deal with hail during the growing season.

Does it kill the crops? Or it makes holes in the leaves? I would be at lost as to what protection to use. Last time with had significant hail, all the cars around my work building had marks all over from the hail. If it can kink metal, I wonder what can be used that allows light to reach the plant but stop hail? Good luck finding that!

Alright, self sufficiency is much more talked about in the USA then here from what I can see. It's great if you can trade chicks or eggs for lumber or anything else.

I traded the person that helped me with the electricity in the coop (I wanted to be really sure since it could be a fire hazard). He worked for free (in burning hot weather, in a coop..) and I gave him eggs all summer long .

Next year I am helping my mom get a garden started at her place! Can't wait. I will start her some seedling of her choice. And I am starting seedlings for anyone in the office asking for some. I like to give plants/crops, it costs almost nothing (I harvest my own seeds) and I always feel like I am helping the Earth and also making other people more aware of how easy it can be to grow a few veggies at home. If I can get 2 people a year to start a garden, I am happy

 

[RichnSteph]

I think we just have so much here that no one considers there may be a time when they have to fend for themselves.

Very very true.

Well now not everything works for everyone. You have to pick and choose what works for you. What goals do you have? Are you wanting to be 100% off the grid or how much. Some of us may just want to be 50-75% off the grid.

Right now I'd like to be out of debt.

I think it's hard to find folks of 100% like minds. I'm not a believer in the end of the world, but I do think things may get pretty hard.

Earning a living from while being self sufficient is not easy and many aren't 100%. The Amish had to evolve into the cottage industries since Agriculture wasn't doing it. Some have evolved to drive cars or ride in them, have phones, and electricity but only for certain uses.

I can't grow everything I need but I am pro barter. I trade chicks for hay and horse manure. I can't handle horse, nor goats, nor sheepses. I'd like to but finding some one to process just chickens is not easy.

I am pro-barter as well its just that right now I have nothing to trade other than my own labor. Our end plan is to have solar power and a well set up by the end of 2016. Our garden should be up and running with all the kinks out of it by then and I hope that we've gotten some sheep to add to our little menagerie. I'd like to be 100% off the grid and perhaps 75% self sufficient. We'll always need something that we can't produce ourselves (I.E. lumber, nails, fencing, etc..) so we'll still have to head into town once in a while to pick things up.


Yeah being out of debt would be amazing but it's not happening for the next 15 years at a minimum for us.

RichnSteph

 

[wyoDreamer]

Anyone live in a climate that gets hail? If so, how do you protect your garden? I'm perusing pinterest right now for hail protection but am getting things that have nothing to do with it, so I figured I'd ask on here.

I lived up in Cheyenne for 7 years. My solution to the hail was my little growhouse. But of course, that was the only way I could grow anything. The plastic had a 1/2" wire mesh under it to help support it wit snow load. It seemed to help with the hail a little bit. After 5 years, it only had some small pin-holes in it.

Are you looking for something to put up once and leave in place or something you can whip out for an emergency cover?

I had been told to cover any greenhouse with a layer of chicken wire to help protect against the hail. It needs to be raised above the glass though, so you will need to put a spacer in there to lift it up. I was planning on building some hoops with wire mesh coverings that I could put over the crops. It would protect from the hail, but also keep the pests out.

 

[trsturself]

I lived up in Cheyenne for 7 years. My solution to the hail was my little growhouse. But of course, that was the only way I could grow anything. The plastic had a 1/2" wire mesh under it to help support it wit snow load. It seemed to help with the hail a little bit. After 5 years, it only had some small pin-holes in it.

Are you looking for something to put up once and leave in place or something you can whip out for an emergency cover?

I had been told to cover any greenhouse with a layer of chicken wire to help protect against the hail. It needs to be raised above the glass though, so you will need to put a spacer in there to lift it up. I was planning on building some hoops with wire mesh coverings that I could put over the crops. It would protect from the hail, but also keep the pests out.

Hail can decimate an entire garden in a matter of minutes. We get hail the most here during spring and early summer. Year before last I had a huge garden, went out for the evening, didn't get a drop of rain on me, but came home to a decimated garden and a dead chicken! The poor chick didn't have a chance to run for cover. Everyone else in the coop was soaking wet so you know it came strong and fast. The corrugated plastic above their run had baseball size holes in it!


I found a couple brands of hail netting that protects crops yet allows light and water in. Talking with DH to figure out what we want to do, a permanent system, or something that can go up and down easily. Problem is, someone isn't home 24/7 so something permanent (at least during hail season) would be nice.
I'm leaning toward something like this with hail netting instead of shade cloth. I did this last year with plastic sheeting and it worked great as a row cover to extend the season, it protected my starts from a late snow, kept transplants from being sunburnt, and warmed the soil quicker. But it didn't work past that because it held the heat too much and didn't allow water to come in. I love the string over these. It allows you to just push or pull the fabric up or down to exactly where you want it.

 

[rancher hicks]

Those that I know that want to but aren't are doing what they can, one is in an apartment but she keeps chickens at my house, another has a great garden but lives where nothing else is allowed. We all do what we can!

You are right of course and I thought I'd made that clear. I'm sorry if you misunderstood.

 

[rancher hicks]

Anyone live in a climate that gets hail? If so, how do you protect your garden? I'm perusing pinterest right now for hail protection but am getting things that have nothing to do with it, so I figured I'd ask on here.

I do and there is only so much we can do about weather. Torn holes all through my squash plant leaves. Pinterest is nice but we can't all do what others do. You can't always know when hail will come.

The best I could do would cover everything with row covers or other cloth. Of course if I'm at work, then the garden is doomed.

Even the weatherman is wrong sometimes. You cover things up and nothing happens.

I use mini green houses when I can in early spring til as long as I can for some of my plants. These are over my Okra plants, but I use them over squash, tomatoes and anything that they will work on. I'm saving milk jugs now. The metal cans help the soil to warm up sooner. I'm a big fan of raised beds too.