ducks4you
Almost Self-Reliant
okiegirl1 
DON'T be discouraged!!
We only know how to do the things we grew up doing. Any other skills can be learned if you're motivated. Being on these forums gets you on the fast-learning track since you don't have to look through indexes of How-To books. I've learned things like:
--Organic farming is REALLY hard to do, but, you can build towards it, and it's cheaper in the long run to not have to buy a lot of pesticides. You still need some, however, or the weeds and bugs take over.
--Chickens are omnivores and they eat mice.
--If you thought it was a good idea, you're right and someone else already did it and succeeded.
Story: I used to live on a 1/4 acre lot with a house on a lot where the topsoil had been bulldozed to build the neighborhood. When I got my horses I thought about replacing the soil gradually with aged manure, but I thought it was a silly notion, so I never did it. I found out recently that that is EXACTLY what my grandfather did on his clay soil property in Cleveland, during the Great Depression. He grew 'Chernobel-sized" vegetables, too. He built a new soil layer on top of the clay. Apparently, it took him YEARS to do this. He also had a super lawn.
--Evaluate what you recycle and what really needs to be thrown away. I am a clutterer. ( I belong the "Clutterer's Anonymous.
) Sometimes, you just gotta burn it or throw it away.
--Pursue your dreams. I am the first in my (immediate) family to own and train horses, for my own pleasure. DH is the first atty in the family. Half of the battle is just getting started.
--Have several back-up plans.
--Any critics (family or friends) are just plain wrong. This is YOUR dream. NO, the extra work isn't wearing you out. Yes, it's okay to have "exotic animals", like chickens, and no, they don't carry pandemic diseases. (AND, it's not weird to slaughter a few to feed your own family.)
--Finally, it's gonna look worse to you before it looks better. I learned that when I had to clean my room as a kid.
Keep up the good fight!
DON'T be discouraged!! We only know how to do the things we grew up doing. Any other skills can be learned if you're motivated. Being on these forums gets you on the fast-learning track since you don't have to look through indexes of How-To books. I've learned things like:
--Organic farming is REALLY hard to do, but, you can build towards it, and it's cheaper in the long run to not have to buy a lot of pesticides. You still need some, however, or the weeds and bugs take over.
--Chickens are omnivores and they eat mice.
--If you thought it was a good idea, you're right and someone else already did it and succeeded.
Story: I used to live on a 1/4 acre lot with a house on a lot where the topsoil had been bulldozed to build the neighborhood. When I got my horses I thought about replacing the soil gradually with aged manure, but I thought it was a silly notion, so I never did it. I found out recently that that is EXACTLY what my grandfather did on his clay soil property in Cleveland, during the Great Depression. He grew 'Chernobel-sized" vegetables, too. He built a new soil layer on top of the clay. Apparently, it took him YEARS to do this. He also had a super lawn.
--Evaluate what you recycle and what really needs to be thrown away. I am a clutterer. ( I belong the "Clutterer's Anonymous.
) Sometimes, you just gotta burn it or throw it away.--Pursue your dreams. I am the first in my (immediate) family to own and train horses, for my own pleasure. DH is the first atty in the family. Half of the battle is just getting started.
--Have several back-up plans.
--Any critics (family or friends) are just plain wrong. This is YOUR dream. NO, the extra work isn't wearing you out. Yes, it's okay to have "exotic animals", like chickens, and no, they don't carry pandemic diseases. (AND, it's not weird to slaughter a few to feed your own family.)
--Finally, it's gonna look worse to you before it looks better. I learned that when I had to clean my room as a kid.
Keep up the good fight!
