HandledWithCare
Power Conserver
- Joined
- Feb 9, 2012
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Hello everyone. I just thought I'd start a journal on here to vent and share my very slow journey toward self-sufficiency. First I'll post my answers to that question list.
1. What state/province/country are you in and what is your climate like?
Southeast Missouri, USA: swampy weather in the summer usually, wet and hot. We've had a terrible fraught this year but it's clearing up a bit. Spring and fall are usually pretty mild and nice, not too cold or hot and usually not extremely wet, God willing. Winters range from mild with no snow to 2 ft of ice like a few years back. Floods are common and Mosquitos are big and mean.
2. How many people are in your family? Marital status?
Mom, me and my best friend. I'm single but it'd be nice if one of us girls could find a man willing to carry something heavy once in a while!
3. How would you define self sufficiency?
Able to take care of your home and your people, like the pioneers. Even when little towns formed almost everything was still done at home and I think the more you can handle without outside help the more self-sufficient you are. It ain't easy!
4. What would you do with your spare time if you had any resources you needed?
Write! Spare time of course does not count farm time. That's my second job!
5. Have you ever built a house , or other types of building? Do you want to?
Built chicken and turkey coops and plan to build our own goat barn and an additional turkey run for the RPs. I would like to know now to build all sorts of stuff!
6. Can you weld? Steel, aluminum, MiG, TiG, stick, Oxy-Acet?
No but wouldn't mind to learn someday.
7. Who or what inspired you to become more self sufficient?
I want to stop my day job and just farm. Self-sufficiency saves money.
8 Cloth or paper?
Diapers, pads, cleaning stuff I would like to have cloth so it can be reused instead of buying more and more.
9. In what ways are you self sufficient now and in what ways would you like to learn more?
Now we raise rabbits and poultry and honeybees. Only the Lord knows if I'll manage to keep my garden alive and we do our own construction and repairs on the barn and coops and hutches. I make soap and other bath items and plan to try and leech my own lye using the soda ash method. I would like to be 85% food and 100% toiletry self-sufficient within 5 years. To do this I'll need to get my goats established, broaden my bee yard and work on my gardening skills. Also need to get used to working with lye.
10. In what way(s) will you never choose to become self sufficient?
I don't think I ever want to own a pig, but I used to say I didn't ever want a goat either so never say never!
11. Are you interested in stocking up for future needs?
Interested, very!
12. Where do you end up when you sink into yourself, away from the outside world?
Thinking about the farm all up and running.
13. Can you drive a farm tractor or a semi?
Not yet.
14. Do you make crafts or useful items? Would you want to teach others how to do these?
Soaps, lotions, salts, jewelry and a little leatherwork. I'm about to start tanning as well. I would like to teach.
15. Can you have legally livestock where you are at? Do you have any? What kinds?
I can and do. About 30 breeding rabbits New Zealand Red and White, French Angora, Dwarf Hotot, Lionhead, Tan and American Fuzzy Lop. Poultry we have Australorps, Silkies, Marans, EEs, Guinea Fowl, Narragansett turkeys and Coturnix quail.
16. Can you operate a lathe? Metal, wood?
No but want to learn.
17. Do you like to garden? If so, what do you enjoy growing?
I suppose. I'm not great at it but learning. I like it all about the same but tomato worms scare me.
18. Do you fish? Bait or explosives?
Bait and I'm just getting back into it.
19. How much space/land do you have or rent? City? Country?
Rent from family about five acres all told.
20. Are you a Novice, Technician, General, Advanced? ARRL?
Nope
21. What is your self sufficient specialty? Or what one would you like to learn?
I wanna say my specialty is the livestock end of things from health to breeding and pest control. I want to learn fibre work so my French Angora wool will be put to good use! I would also like to learn cheesemaking and food preserving.
22. If you could create a degree and curriculum, what would you major in and what classes would you take?
I majored in English and have a BA. if I was creating an additional one I'd probably do Homesteading and take classes like Fibre, Woodworking, Leathercraft, Fishing and Hunting, Food Preservation, Scavenging and Gathering, stuff I don't know how to do really in-depth.
23. Do you do wood work? framing, finish, cabinet?
Would like to.
24. Are you interested in herbal medicine?
Very!
25. If you could live any place you chose, where would it be?
My farm.
26. Do you use a wood stove for heating or cooking?
Want to get one.
27. What would your ideal super hero/villain be?
Um... I'm a huge X-men fan. I guess favorite hero is Nightcrawler, favorite villain is Quicksilver.
28. Are your family or friends also interested in self sufficiency?
My best friend is right there with me. Mom is ok as long as money isn't spent and everyone else just says I say such interesting trivia lol.
29. Do you like to cook? Are you interested in whole foods and natural foods? raw milk? farm fresh eggs?
Yes all of it gimme more!
30. What was your MOS?
Idk what that is but I'll Google now.
31. Do you forage or hunt for part of your food needs?
Plan to
32. What skills do you have that help you be more self sufficient?
Research, information retention and management skills--not always seen as a skill to the others lol.
33. In which fictional universe would you most like to live?
Gosh I guess the Sookie Stackhouse books, Xmen comics or the Walking Dead universe... all have setbacks but I feel like I could adapt enough not to die instantly. Maybe.
34. Do you have solar panels? Plans to use solar energy?
I can't wait to go solar. The power company is trying to bleed me dry!
35 What is the mass/weight ratio of a European swallow carrying a coconut from the tropics to England?
Well I know I could probably google that but I'm scared of what would pop up.
36. Have you ever lived completely off grid? Would you like to?
No but would love to!
37. In what do you trust?
God
38. Do you make things yourself to save money?
Soaps and such but I also buy soaps. I'm awful I know.
39. Has trying to be more self-sufficient changed your attitude or habits about money/spending?
Yes and no. I spend less on the frivolous but now my money's all going into the "homestead"!
1. What state/province/country are you in and what is your climate like?
Southeast Missouri, USA: swampy weather in the summer usually, wet and hot. We've had a terrible fraught this year but it's clearing up a bit. Spring and fall are usually pretty mild and nice, not too cold or hot and usually not extremely wet, God willing. Winters range from mild with no snow to 2 ft of ice like a few years back. Floods are common and Mosquitos are big and mean.
2. How many people are in your family? Marital status?
Mom, me and my best friend. I'm single but it'd be nice if one of us girls could find a man willing to carry something heavy once in a while!
3. How would you define self sufficiency?
Able to take care of your home and your people, like the pioneers. Even when little towns formed almost everything was still done at home and I think the more you can handle without outside help the more self-sufficient you are. It ain't easy!
4. What would you do with your spare time if you had any resources you needed?
Write! Spare time of course does not count farm time. That's my second job!
5. Have you ever built a house , or other types of building? Do you want to?
Built chicken and turkey coops and plan to build our own goat barn and an additional turkey run for the RPs. I would like to know now to build all sorts of stuff!
6. Can you weld? Steel, aluminum, MiG, TiG, stick, Oxy-Acet?
No but wouldn't mind to learn someday.
7. Who or what inspired you to become more self sufficient?
I want to stop my day job and just farm. Self-sufficiency saves money.
8 Cloth or paper?
Diapers, pads, cleaning stuff I would like to have cloth so it can be reused instead of buying more and more.
9. In what ways are you self sufficient now and in what ways would you like to learn more?
Now we raise rabbits and poultry and honeybees. Only the Lord knows if I'll manage to keep my garden alive and we do our own construction and repairs on the barn and coops and hutches. I make soap and other bath items and plan to try and leech my own lye using the soda ash method. I would like to be 85% food and 100% toiletry self-sufficient within 5 years. To do this I'll need to get my goats established, broaden my bee yard and work on my gardening skills. Also need to get used to working with lye.
10. In what way(s) will you never choose to become self sufficient?
I don't think I ever want to own a pig, but I used to say I didn't ever want a goat either so never say never!
11. Are you interested in stocking up for future needs?
Interested, very!
12. Where do you end up when you sink into yourself, away from the outside world?
Thinking about the farm all up and running.
13. Can you drive a farm tractor or a semi?
Not yet.
14. Do you make crafts or useful items? Would you want to teach others how to do these?
Soaps, lotions, salts, jewelry and a little leatherwork. I'm about to start tanning as well. I would like to teach.
15. Can you have legally livestock where you are at? Do you have any? What kinds?
I can and do. About 30 breeding rabbits New Zealand Red and White, French Angora, Dwarf Hotot, Lionhead, Tan and American Fuzzy Lop. Poultry we have Australorps, Silkies, Marans, EEs, Guinea Fowl, Narragansett turkeys and Coturnix quail.
16. Can you operate a lathe? Metal, wood?
No but want to learn.
17. Do you like to garden? If so, what do you enjoy growing?
I suppose. I'm not great at it but learning. I like it all about the same but tomato worms scare me.
18. Do you fish? Bait or explosives?
Bait and I'm just getting back into it.
19. How much space/land do you have or rent? City? Country?
Rent from family about five acres all told.
20. Are you a Novice, Technician, General, Advanced? ARRL?
Nope
21. What is your self sufficient specialty? Or what one would you like to learn?
I wanna say my specialty is the livestock end of things from health to breeding and pest control. I want to learn fibre work so my French Angora wool will be put to good use! I would also like to learn cheesemaking and food preserving.
22. If you could create a degree and curriculum, what would you major in and what classes would you take?
I majored in English and have a BA. if I was creating an additional one I'd probably do Homesteading and take classes like Fibre, Woodworking, Leathercraft, Fishing and Hunting, Food Preservation, Scavenging and Gathering, stuff I don't know how to do really in-depth.
23. Do you do wood work? framing, finish, cabinet?
Would like to.
24. Are you interested in herbal medicine?
Very!
25. If you could live any place you chose, where would it be?
My farm.
26. Do you use a wood stove for heating or cooking?
Want to get one.
27. What would your ideal super hero/villain be?
Um... I'm a huge X-men fan. I guess favorite hero is Nightcrawler, favorite villain is Quicksilver.
28. Are your family or friends also interested in self sufficiency?
My best friend is right there with me. Mom is ok as long as money isn't spent and everyone else just says I say such interesting trivia lol.
29. Do you like to cook? Are you interested in whole foods and natural foods? raw milk? farm fresh eggs?
Yes all of it gimme more!
30. What was your MOS?
Idk what that is but I'll Google now.
31. Do you forage or hunt for part of your food needs?
Plan to
32. What skills do you have that help you be more self sufficient?
Research, information retention and management skills--not always seen as a skill to the others lol.
33. In which fictional universe would you most like to live?
Gosh I guess the Sookie Stackhouse books, Xmen comics or the Walking Dead universe... all have setbacks but I feel like I could adapt enough not to die instantly. Maybe.
34. Do you have solar panels? Plans to use solar energy?
I can't wait to go solar. The power company is trying to bleed me dry!
35 What is the mass/weight ratio of a European swallow carrying a coconut from the tropics to England?
Well I know I could probably google that but I'm scared of what would pop up.
36. Have you ever lived completely off grid? Would you like to?
No but would love to!
37. In what do you trust?
God
38. Do you make things yourself to save money?
Soaps and such but I also buy soaps. I'm awful I know.
39. Has trying to be more self-sufficient changed your attitude or habits about money/spending?
Yes and no. I spend less on the frivolous but now my money's all going into the "homestead"!
from Tennessee
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