My Self Sufficient New Year's Resolution

[erthymom2]

To make an outdoor cooking area with a earth oven
so I can bake outside in the hot summer instead of turning
on the oven and overheating the house.

 

[freemotion]

Oh, I just discovered a solar cardboard box cooker and can't wait to try it next summer....how fun is that? Roasted chicken in July.....we don't normally turn our oven on in the hot summer. Experimenting will be a blast. You can sanitize water in it, too, so it will be good to learn how to make and use one.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Kingsolver was very inspirational. Got me on my mission to make cheese.

If you don't have a copy, check out the Encyclopedia of Country Living. An outstanding resource and great bedtime reading!

 

[Acre of Blessings]

Yes, this is a cool site -------> http://www.sufficientself.com/ that you all need to check out.

We have been doing SS for a while now. Hubby says if I get rid of the goats he will get me a milk cow.

Anybody looking for a good pair of goats?

With a milk cow we will have fresh milk to make butter, cheese, buttermilk, sour cream, whipped topping, ice cream, maybe even soap. We are planning to take some to the farmers market and sell. Maybe

What we do is ...... grow our veggies, we preserve just about all that we take in, of course we raise chickens for eggs and meat, we make our own laundry detergent and fabric softener, we keep appliances not in use unplugged, we have the little twirly lights, we go to town as little as possible, we make a menu for the month and stick to it (this really saves $ at the grocery store), we make a lot of our own cleansers, we carpool when possible, etc.

The one thing I would love to have is Solar Panels on the house for power. That would be just so awesome.

I know this may not be a lot but 2008 was our first year getting started and I am looking for 2009 to be brighter than ever.

 

[Beekissed]

Amen, sister! Tell it!

I tried to tell these good folks about the happenin' place that is SS.com but they weren't having it!

 

[KellyHM]

I want to have a garden this spring, but I can't.

We'll be moving around May (which I'm super excited about), so it wouldn't do me any good to have a garden this year...I wouldn't be around to harvest it. I am going to raise more of my own meaties and quail though, and maybe get a couple of dairy goats after we move. I can't drink milk (lactose intolerant), but cheese and stuff doesn't bother me...I just have to learn to make it!

ETA: I just registered for SS.com!!

 

[freemotion]

OK, OK already!!!! Sheesh! I'll go join ss when I get home tonight! Enough already!

 

[dacjohns]

Quote:
Oh, we can get quite lively on SufficientSelf.

All you folks seeking a more self sufficient lifestyle can find lots of information on SufficientSelf. It is a sister site to BackYardChickens and many of us are on both forums. We mostly do our chicken posting here and our self sufficiency and emergency preparedness posting on SS.

True, there are few folks on SS but that also makes it easier to find the self sufficiency and preparedness topics.


If any of you do join SS go ahead and use the same username as you do on BYC. It makes things simpler.




Back to the original topic. I don't make New Years Resolutions but if I did it would be to get next winter's firewood cut before summer.

 

[PamsPride]

I am on the sufficientself site too! I come here for chicken info and SS for new ideas and emergency preparedness too. I love the info on homemade laundry detergent, sanitary products, napkins, money saving tips, etc.
We are always looking for new ideas and tips so if you have something that you do and not see posted over at SS feel free to post it!

I am working on having a bigger better garden this coming year as well as getting some heritage turkeys and milk goats. I already have chickens that I raise for meat and eggs. I froze and canned a lot of food last year and thanks to the info on SS I am going to try some dehydrating next summer.

 

[onebuggirl]

Quote:
Where do you live?

We can get local beef, eggs and honey here ....supposedly they have a farmers market in the summer but I should have my own veggies by then anyway.

I LOVE Barbara Kingsolver

I live in WI, MAdison has a huge farmers market around the capital square. Beautiful! It runs from May to October. I forgot we can even get local maple syrup. My brother and siter in law live on a Native American Reservation in MN and are able to harvest wild rice, we like to trade good local microbrew beers for wild rice.

 

[onebuggirl]

Quote:
I hope to get started this summer. I am retiring from the Air Force after 20 years and we have purchased a small farm in Wisconsin. We plan to run a 2500 hen organic layer operation. I also want to raise some beef cattle and hogs. A large garden is in the planning. Still contemplating a milk cow...

Where in WI? Definitly get a milk cow....think cheese, butter, milk and ice cream, butter milk oh the list goes on!!
I am in Jefferson