How are you an expert?

[NH Homesteader]

There are a lot of aspects to being self sufficient. Just look at all the forum topics!

I'm curious- what do you really know a lot about in regards to self sufficiency? What do you want to learn more about? We have a lot of expertise here, this may get questions going and help us connect to help each other be more self sufficient!

I'll even start. I have mostly focused on animal husbandry (we raise goats, poultry and pigs) and homeschooling/education as well as cooking from scratch (or close to it).

I want to know more about gardening (not a green thumb here), preserving (canning really), and natural cleaning/health care products.

 

[sumi]

I wouldn't call myself an expert, but my experience and knowledge is with chicken keeping, pig raising and gardening. I bake and preserve food, but I need to and want to learn a LOT more about it and try my hand at canning produce. I would also love to learn more about keeping a daily animal (goat at the moment) and processing the milk into products such as yoghurt, cheese, etc.

 

[Amiga]

I have been raising ducks for seven years, and have a keen interest in all things plant-related. And soil-related. I have certification in and a growing amount of experience inPermaculture design, especially for landscapes. Lately I have been wanting to apply those principles to the inside of the house, since that is where I spend the least time especially during the growing season.

 

[sumi]

@Amiga lovely to see you over here! @rodeogirl and a few others mentioned wanting to learn more about permaculture recently.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Yes! I would love to hear more about permaculture as well!

 

[Wannabefree]

Procrastination. I am THE BEST!

 

[MoonShadows]

There may be a few of us that are experts at that, Wannabefree! LOL

I really don't consider myself an expert about anything, but I know a lot about a lot of things, and there's just about nothing I won't try even if I know nothing about it...I'll research it.

We already make our own laundry soap, shampoo and a general cleaning product, but I would like to know more about other household and personal products that we could make.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Ok maybe I shouldn't use the word expert. I'm not one either. How about what are you better at than the rest of the stuff you're ok at? Lol!

I tried making laundry detergent but nothing came out very clean. Haven't tried to see what I did wrong. I want to learn how to make shampoo also. It's so expensive and what the heck are all those chemicals anyway? And why would I want them on my head?

 

[tortoise]

Expert experimenter? I'll try anything once!

I'm proficient in Doctor Google and armchair psychology. oh, wait, those don't count?

• Homeschooling
• Raising bottle lambs
• Training animals (and maybe children)
• Used to be non-professional expert in dog nutrition
• Bona-fide dog grooming expert.... doesn't count for much here! LOL

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Call me a Jill of all trades and a Master of none, lol.

I guess I know a few things about goats, horses, dogs, gardens, canning and being frugal. Lotsa things I'd like to know more about - like goats, horses dogs gardens canning and being frugal, lol. My way of saying that the learning never ends and gleaning ideas, tips and wisdom from others is what this forum is about! Whether it be in a journal or a dedicated post - doesn't matter to me.

Way back in the day I learned to make homemade mayonnaise from Wannabefree's journal. I make it occasionally, even though DH still prefers Hellman's - argh! My mayonnaise "works" now, but doesn't have quite the "kick" that Hellman's does - what am I doing wrong @Wannabefree ?