Howdy from Virginia

sweaterthebroodyrooster

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Location
Virginia
Howdy there,
My name is Rylee and I live in central Virginia. I live with my parents and five siblings plus one on the way. I have one older sister who no longer lives with us as well.

1. What state/province/country are you in and what is your climate like?

I’m in Virginia, our climate is normally hot and humid with long growing seasons but this year has been unusually cold

2. Who or what inspired you to become more self sufficient?

We just decided it was not safe to fully rely on the government or other people, I am also a big fan of Joel Salatin and his book “Folks this ain’t normal” was a big motivation in becoming more self sufficient for me.

3. In what ways are you self sufficient now and in what ways would you like to learn more?

We make a lot more of our food from scratch, we garden, and we have chickens as a matter of fact I am working on starting my own poultry breeding business (planing on opening it in the next 1-3 years).

We want to expand our gardens and laying flocks, we’re also starting a meat flock next year. We are in the process of moving, we will be closer to our church and hopefully have more land to do more things (like get cows, sheep, and goats).

4. Are you interested in stocking up for future needs?

Yes and No. We are firm believers in stocking up on things like first aid, canning supplies, and grains but we also believe in growing your own food and food for your animals, learning to eat seasonally, and learning to preserve food from your harvest to have throughout the winter.

5. Do you make crafts or useful items? Would you want to teach others how to do these?

Unless making cards, paintings, and drawings count no I have no craftsmen skills or knowledge, but I’d love to learn some.

6. Can you legally keep livestock where you are at? Do you have any? What kinds?

Yes, we can. We currently have chickens and LGDs but we plan to get actual livestock in the future.

7. Do you like to garden? If so, what do you enjoy growing?

I love to garden, I mostly work with berries and erbs (I have mint, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, and elderberries) but I’ve also done potatoes and a few other fruits and vegetables, I am hoping to expand my gardens

8. Do you fish? Bait or explosives?

I have never fished outside of “just for fun” but my dad, two of my grandfathers, and several people in our church fish as a form of hunting, they all fish with Bait.

9. How much space/land do you have or rent? City? Country?

We are currently moving, so I cannot answer this at the moment. But we have never lived in the city and never will.

10. What is your self sufficient specialty? Or what one would you like to learn?

I do all the animal stuff for my family and have my own gardens as well as helping in the family gardens. I also do a lot of work with food so I guess my “specialties” would be animals, gardening, and kitchen work.

I love learning and will try anything. There’s basically nothing I wouldn’t want to learn


11. Do you do wood work? Framing, finish, cabinet?

Nope. one of the families at our church owns their own construction business though

12. Are you interested in herbal medicine?

Yes! I have already started studying it. I am starting my own erb garden

13. If you could live any place you chose, where would it be?

Virginia.
I plan to live and die in Virginia. Virginia is my home, I would be heartbroken if I ever had to leave

14. Do you use a wood stove for heating or cooking?
No, but we would like to have one in our new house

15. Do you like to cook? Are you interested in whole foods and natural foods? Raw milk? Farm fresh eggs?

I love to cook! We use whole and natural foods as often as possible. We have a cow share with a family in our church and get raw milk from them. I collect our farm fresh eggs daily from my hens.

16. Do you forage or hunt for part of your food needs?
My dad hunts as well as most everyone in our family and church. And I will take over and tame any wild foods I find (berries and fruit trees is all i

17. What skills do you have that help you be more self sufficient?

Baking, Cooking, Working with animals, taming wild foods patches, gardening, and animal first aid and more advanced treatments.

18. Do you have solar panels? Plans to use solar energy?

we do not currently have solar panels and are unsure if we will use them in the future or not.

19. Have you ever lived completely off grid? Would you like to?

I have never been completely off grid. I would do it if I had to, but I don’t know if I would like it.

20. Do you make things yourself to save money?

Yes.

21. Has trying to be more self-sufficient changed your attitude or habits about money/spending?

Definitely.
 
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