Jared and I talked on and off the last few years about self sustainability. With the reality of moving back to our home town, and Jared leaving the Army, its becoming more of a reality for us.
Threw talking to our friends there who work, about their wadges(we have pretty open friends) it has finally hit Jared that we will both need to work full time(like most people now). So we are looking even more, it to ways to help us save. Not only save but to become less reliant on grocery stores. I guess you could say we are going a little Hippy! Basically we want to be able to support our selves(and hopefully others) when times get hard.
Both of us were raised in a fairly rural area. His mom had a garden, and animals. He raised a pig for FFA. I raised a steer for 4H. Unlike many kids growing up today, we know where food comes from, the good and the bad.
We know the process of life, that chickens and cows don't live for ever.
We know the horrible things that are being done to commercial produced foods. From the way animals are treated to the way farmers are treated.
We are also realizing that if major things happen MANY people will not know how to continue daily life. Simple things, like making a fire, making bread, SURVIVING!
Skills that just 2 generations ago, were a necessity to daily life.
So this starts our journey. Learning trades that can benefit us in the future. Learning more about alternative energy, raising animals.
These are our plans.
When I move home I will start the search for our home. The requirement is a large yard, which where we come from is not hard to find, most already have garden areas in them already.
Chickens and a garden will be our first steps. Having chickens will be beneficial in 3 ways. First they will help fertilize and cultivate a garden. Second, they make eggs!! We love eggs around here! Lastly, the meat its self. Some of them will be raised for meat alone, the others for eggs and then meat when they stop laying eggs.
Luckily Jareds mom is experienced with gardens so she will be a BIG help to me!
Im thinking- tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, carrots, some sort of leafy greens and some flowers to start with!
Another perk is that Jareds mom and step dad have property in the mountain areas outside of town. This gives us a little more land to work with.
Jared has dreams of starting a bee hive, a little ambitious, but a really cool idea!
We also would like to raise a pig and maybe eventually a steer.
Either of those can be bought and slaughtered locally though so we have options.
Hunting. Its just a way of life there. The Elk roast we will be enjoying soon was a product of hunting(legally!). Its a great way to provide that extra meat for your family. Again Jareds mom and step dad are invaluable here because they dress their own meat(jared knows how also). There is no way on earth I could do it. It has nothing to do with blood or killing an animal. Its the smell. The last time I was at his moms house and they were cutting and packaging deer meet, I had to leave. It smells of very strong iron to me and that is just one smell I am very sensitive to!
We also have yet another avenue. We live next to a reservation. Jared and his siblings actually went to school on the reservation(although they are not native). Jareds mom and step dad have many friends out there who they trade goods with regularly. Mostly Salmon, and buffalo(usually jerky).
As I type Jared is brewing his own hard apple cider. He has brewed his own beer to and is now trying to learn how to grow all the ingredients to be able to make beer from his own ingredients!
Eventually we will be doing solar panels, when we have the money.
We hope to grow a relationship with those around us threw sharing our goods and knowledge. Bartering can be a great thing in times like these.
Most of all, aside form what I have already said, we like the effect this will have on our children.
The knowledge of just where your food comes from, how it got to your plate. How to grow food, and the importance of stewardship of the land and animals around you.
Accountability. Its already decided that collecting eggs in the morning will be Rylans chore, and he is very excited about it!
So in closing I want to share some awesome sites and blogs I have found while doing research.
A Year Without Groceries
Love this blog! Not only informative but honest! I love how, if there is something they dont have or cant grow, they use other avenues like Co-Ops and farmers markets!
Urban Sustainable Living
Tons of great info for beginners!
There are many more out there!
Threw talking to our friends there who work, about their wadges(we have pretty open friends) it has finally hit Jared that we will both need to work full time(like most people now). So we are looking even more, it to ways to help us save. Not only save but to become less reliant on grocery stores. I guess you could say we are going a little Hippy! Basically we want to be able to support our selves(and hopefully others) when times get hard.
Both of us were raised in a fairly rural area. His mom had a garden, and animals. He raised a pig for FFA. I raised a steer for 4H. Unlike many kids growing up today, we know where food comes from, the good and the bad.
We know the process of life, that chickens and cows don't live for ever.
We know the horrible things that are being done to commercial produced foods. From the way animals are treated to the way farmers are treated.
We are also realizing that if major things happen MANY people will not know how to continue daily life. Simple things, like making a fire, making bread, SURVIVING!
Skills that just 2 generations ago, were a necessity to daily life.
So this starts our journey. Learning trades that can benefit us in the future. Learning more about alternative energy, raising animals.
These are our plans.
When I move home I will start the search for our home. The requirement is a large yard, which where we come from is not hard to find, most already have garden areas in them already.
Chickens and a garden will be our first steps. Having chickens will be beneficial in 3 ways. First they will help fertilize and cultivate a garden. Second, they make eggs!! We love eggs around here! Lastly, the meat its self. Some of them will be raised for meat alone, the others for eggs and then meat when they stop laying eggs.
Luckily Jareds mom is experienced with gardens so she will be a BIG help to me!
Im thinking- tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, carrots, some sort of leafy greens and some flowers to start with!
Another perk is that Jareds mom and step dad have property in the mountain areas outside of town. This gives us a little more land to work with.
Jared has dreams of starting a bee hive, a little ambitious, but a really cool idea!
We also would like to raise a pig and maybe eventually a steer.
Either of those can be bought and slaughtered locally though so we have options.
Hunting. Its just a way of life there. The Elk roast we will be enjoying soon was a product of hunting(legally!). Its a great way to provide that extra meat for your family. Again Jareds mom and step dad are invaluable here because they dress their own meat(jared knows how also). There is no way on earth I could do it. It has nothing to do with blood or killing an animal. Its the smell. The last time I was at his moms house and they were cutting and packaging deer meet, I had to leave. It smells of very strong iron to me and that is just one smell I am very sensitive to!
We also have yet another avenue. We live next to a reservation. Jared and his siblings actually went to school on the reservation(although they are not native). Jareds mom and step dad have many friends out there who they trade goods with regularly. Mostly Salmon, and buffalo(usually jerky).
As I type Jared is brewing his own hard apple cider. He has brewed his own beer to and is now trying to learn how to grow all the ingredients to be able to make beer from his own ingredients!
Eventually we will be doing solar panels, when we have the money.
We hope to grow a relationship with those around us threw sharing our goods and knowledge. Bartering can be a great thing in times like these.
Most of all, aside form what I have already said, we like the effect this will have on our children.
The knowledge of just where your food comes from, how it got to your plate. How to grow food, and the importance of stewardship of the land and animals around you.
Accountability. Its already decided that collecting eggs in the morning will be Rylans chore, and he is very excited about it!
So in closing I want to share some awesome sites and blogs I have found while doing research.
A Year Without Groceries
Love this blog! Not only informative but honest! I love how, if there is something they dont have or cant grow, they use other avenues like Co-Ops and farmers markets!
Urban Sustainable Living
Tons of great info for beginners!
There are many more out there!
2 comments:
Love this whole entry; we're becoming more hippie, too, and I want to start gardening and move toward more self-sufficiency. We've started eating "cleaner" food (less processed), I'm doing a lot of cooking/baking (next up: loaves of bread), I'm going to experiment with vinegar as a cleaning/laundry product, etc.
Can't wait to hear more about what you guys are up to and how it goes!
Thanks!!
We need to get on the whole eating cleaner thing lol. I keep looking at listings in the valley and my first thought is if the yard is big enough lol!
Ive baked a few times but still have not quite got it mastered! I think I made 1 good loaf but it was by accident because I haven't been able to do it again!
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