Oh, the joys of self sufficiency

[sumi]

I'll have to speak to DH. He tasted the brew today and his face...

Don't know how keen he still is on brewing...

Or me on this firewood thing. Did a thorn tree today. My hands look like I've been in a cat fight.
And we're buying bread at the shop

But the chickens are doing well

 

[mohillbilly]

I'll have to speak to DH. He tasted the brew today and his face...

Don't know how keen he still is on brewing...

Or me on this firewood thing. Did a thorn tree today. My hands look like I've been in a cat fight.
And we're buying bread at the shop

But the chickens are doing well

I think in my book he will find one he likes....it doesn't just cover beer it covers just about any alcoholic beverage you may want to drink.

 

[wyoDreamer]

Does your book cover mead? I have a friend who really likes mead and just lost his best friend who made it for him.

 

[mohillbilly]

yes it covers it to

 

[hecatesmoon]

We aren't near real self sufficiency at this point. There are a lot of comforts my boyfriend and I like having. If the lights ever went out, short or long term, I have lived without electricity before, and I am well capable of doing so again. My boyfriend and I started out very, very poor so we didn't have electric heat, I had to wash and dry clothes by hand, and we had untreated well water that stank of sulfur. Awful stuff! There was more than once our electric was shut off. We lived in an all out dump of a trailer. As long as electric lights and heat are available, the dish washer and washing machine, etc, we will continue with those comforts. We have started gardening though and keeping chickens. We plan to get some goats. I plan to learn to make soap and butter and to render tallow. We are backing up our more convenient gardening equipment with manual equippment. I will learn to can this summer. I am finding out what food tastes like, have learned to make bread- we haven't bought bread in a couple months, noodles, and tomato sauce. One thing I am starting to learn is that it is ok if things don't go perfectly. Its ok to screw up, even if I reeeeally screw up, which I have. Eventually I will get thing if I don't get too discouraged when things aren't perfect! I have lived hard some, I am learning my skills, and if the lights go out I will be ok.

 

[Bantamphantom]

We aren't near real self sufficiency at this point. There are a lot of comforts my boyfriend and I like having. If the lights ever went out, short or long term, I have lived without electricity before, and I am well capable of doing so again. My boyfriend and I started out very, very poor so we didn't have electric heat, I had to wash and dry clothes by hand, and we had untreated well water that stank of sulfur. Awful stuff! There was more than once our electric was shut off. We lived in an all out dump of a trailer. As long as electric lights and heat are available, the dish washer and washing machine, etc, we will continue with those comforts. We have started gardening though and keeping chickens. We plan to get some goats. I plan to learn to make soap and butter and to render tallow. We are backing up our more convenient gardening equipment with manual equippment. I will learn to can this summer. I am finding out what food tastes like, have learned to make bread- we haven't bought bread in a couple months, noodles, and tomato sauce. One thing I am starting to learn is that it is ok if things don't go perfectly. Its ok to screw up, even if I reeeeally screw up, which I have. Eventually I will get thing if I don't get too discouraged when things aren't perfect! I have lived hard some, I am learning my skills, and if the lights go out I will be ok.

Wow... that's really inspirational. Good luck!

 

[hecatesmoon]

Thanks

 

[n8ivetxn]

I wish my DBF was so understanding

Great thread. We've been moving toward being more self-sufficient for about 2 years. I think I'm ahead of him! I've never had TV or internet at home and I love country living. He's learning to adjust!

I bought canning supplies last year and had a great garden, but because of my job I was unable to get enough time to can anything. So instead, I dried lots of peppers and tomatoes, and various fruits from the orchard. I bought a hand mill for grinding wheat into flour and we've experimented with that....my bread is a meal in itself

Quite heavy and filling! I'm on hiatous from bread baking!

I would love to try home brewing, but BF doesn't drink... (Can you believe it!?) I would also love a smoke house (yum!)

Speaking of the orchard: When we bought our place 3 years ago it had mature apples and plums and 4 grapevines. I've planted peaches, apricots, pears, prunes, walnuts and almonds too....The saplings look good.

Besides the chickens (20) I also raise beef, miniature sized cows, to be exact. We have 28 acres, but a lot of it is heavily timbered, so I have limited pasture. There is a pasture down the road for sale, but even in this economy, land is expensive in western Washington.

We haven't processed any chickens yet, but I'm seriously contemplating it, soon. I think if I did it once, the yuk factor would dwindle... The hardest part would be the kill.

There is a creek (a spring) that runs through our property and I've been looking at micro-hydroelectric pumps to generate our own and get off grid. I would have no utilities....

 

[Bantamphantom]

I'm having a hard time deciding whether I want chickens for eggs and companions or for eggs and meat. I don't think I could kill a chicken because chickens have such distinct personalities. I may get some meat rabbits though. I feel like they wouldn't be as human-like, plus they multiply like... well, like rabbits.

 

[n8ivetxn]

Sheep are fairly "faceless," as far as not having distinct, likeable personalities. You might try raising lamb? I just don't like lamb.

I didn't realize chickens had such personalities, but even now, I try to keeep perspective - "they are livestock, not family pets." - If I can't train it to do something or make it usefull in some other way, it goes on a dinner plate. Just sayin.'