Jess172 journal: I want to do it all!

[Jess172]

Ok so I've wanted to start becoming self sufficient for years but just in this last year have I got the time and land to start. Now that I've gotten started I want to do it all! Grow my own food, make my own products (soaps, cleaners ect) try alt energy sources, canning, cooking from scratch, raise chickens, ducks, turkeys, rabbits and well pretty much everything else. I know of course that I need to start slow and I will but I can still keep dreaming and maybe try one thing new on the list every year. I'm going to try share all my adventures (the good, the bad, and the ugly) as I start my journey to becoming self sufficient



1. What state/province/country are you in and what is your climate like? Kentucky zone 6a
2. How many people are in your family? Marital status?married with two kids
3. How would you define self sufficiency? Being able to rely on yourself for all needs
4. What would you do with your spare time if you had any resources you needed? Probably own a huge farm
5. Have you ever built a house , or other types of building? Do you want to? I've never built a house but I've done several remodels and my hubby has built several houses.
6. Can you weld? Steel, aluminum, MiG, TiG, stick, Oxy-Acet? No but of like to learn one day.
7. Who or what inspired you to become more self sufficient? Growing up hearing all the stories of how my grandparents used to live.
8 Cloth or paper?
9. In what ways are you self sufficient now and in what ways would you like to learn more? I have a pond stock full of catfish and we hunt for a lot of our meat. If like to learn soooo many other ways.
10. In what way(s) will you never choose to become self sufficient? I will always have indoor plumbing and hot water.
11. Are you interested in stocking up for future needs? I would like to can so I can eat food from my garden year round but I'm not planning on major stock piling.
12. Where do you end up when you sink into yourself, away from the outside world? I dream of my future plans
13. Can you drive a farm tractor or a semi? A small farm tractor
14. Do you make crafts or useful items? Would you want to teach others how to do these? I can quilt and have taught others before.
15. Can you have legally livestock where you are at? Do you have any? What kinds? Yes. Any kind.
16. Can you operate a lathe? Metal, wood? N/a
17. Do you like to garden? If so, what do you enjoy growing? Yes. Tomatoes so far but I'm going to try a little of everything this year.
18. Do you fish? Bait or explosives? Yes. Bait
19. How much space/land do you have or rent? City? Country? Country. 5 acres
20. Are you a Novice, Technician, General, Advanced? ARRL? N/a
21. What is your self sufficient specialty? Dont have one yet Or what one would you like to learn? Everything!
22. If you could create a degree and curriculum, what would you major in and what classes would you take? Homesteading 101
23. Do you do wood work? framing, finish, cabinet? Cabinets
24. Are you interested in herbal medicine? Yes
25. If you could live any place you chose, where would it be? Right where I am
26. Do you use a wood stove for heating or cooking? No
27. What would your ideal super hero/villain be? N/a
28. Are your family or friends also interested in self sufficiency? Yes
29. Do you like to cook? Are you interested in whole foods and natural foods? raw milk? farm fresh eggs?yes to it all
30. What was your MOS? N/a
31. Do you forage or hunt for part of your food needs? Hunt deer, rabbit, turkey and go fishing
32. What skills do you have that help you be more self sufficient? Carpentry from the hubby
33. In which fictional universe would you most like to live?
34. Do you have solar panels? Plans to use solar energy? No but maybe?
35 What is the mass/weight ratio of a European swallow carrying a coconut from the tropics to England?
36. Have you ever lived completely off grid? Would you like to? No
37. In what do you trust? God
38. Do you make things yourself to save money? Yes
39. Has trying to be more self-sufficient changed your attitude or habits about money/spending? Yes!!

 

[Denim Deb]

Hey Jess, I'm looking forward to hearing all about your adventures/misadventures. I would love to move to Kentucky, but so far, that's just a dream.

 

[TanksHill]

Good morning! !!

It's always refreshing to see someone who is so excited about getting started in being self sufficient.

I have a couple question, Do you have a well, out buildings, a wood stove?? Which books have you been reading?

Gina

 

[Jess172]

Good morning! !!

It's always refreshing to see someone who is so excited about getting started in being self sufficient.

I have a couple question, Do you have a well, out buildings, a wood stove?? Which books have you been reading?

Gina

Hello Gina! I don't have a well on my property however my property borders my parents property which is a little over 100 acres with a well on it, that I have unlimited access to. I do have outbuildings on my property. I just turned one old outbuilding into a chicken coop! I have plans on getting an outside wood burning stove. The books I've been reading are: Storeys basic country skills, root cellaring by mike and nancy bubel, Handy farm devices and how to make them by Rolfe Cobleigh. Also I have a ball canning book and have been reading lots if forums. Can you reccomend any good books that would be helpful to me?

 

[SSDreamin]

Hi Jess
Looking forward to reading about your adventures!


Ok so I've wanted to start becoming self sufficient for years but just in this last year have I got the time and land to start. Now that I've gotten started(What have you done/tried so far?) I want to do it all! Grow my own food, make my own products (soaps, cleaners ect) try alt energy sources, canning, cooking from scratch, raise chickens, ducks, turkeys, rabbits and well pretty much everything else. Lots of great threads and people on here to help you get started and figure things out if you hit a snag! I know of course that I need to start slow and I will but I can still keep dreaming and maybe try one thing new on the list every year. I feel it is important to warn you, from my own personal experience, that learning new things and ways to be more self sufficient is like the old Lays potato chip ad: It's tough to stop at just one! I'm going to try share all my adventures (the good, the bad, and the ugly) as I start my journey to becoming self sufficient

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Hi Jess - Welcome! Look forward to hearing more.

 

[Jess172]

January - March 2014
What I've accomplished so far....
In Jan I ordered chicks, ducks and guineas. I've never raised chickens before (but my husband has) so I ordered a few different breeds to see that I like. I'm getting them primarily for eggs right now but may raise for meat in the future. Same for the ducks, and the guineas are for my dad. I'll be getting my first shipment of chicks shipped out tomorrow 3/24!
Speaking of chicks I also made brooders out of totes and bought all of my other chic supplies. I'm ready!

Let's see....I've been slowly getting heritage seeds, planted two fruit trees and made my first greenhouse!

Made from cattle panels we had lying around. Definitely DIY. It's not the prettiest thing but we made it ourselves and it look great to me.
Also, turned an old outbuilding into a chicken coop and added a small duck house in the back.
I think that's it so far, I'll add more as I go along.

 

[TanksHill]

Wow, it sounds like your on your way.

I just like to look at things seasonally. Spring and summer for the garden fall is a big time for canning. I know you said you won't have tons of food stored but believe me it happens. Once you start canning things pile up. It's also a great way to save money by buying in bulk.

You said your in Kentucky right? Do the outside wood furnaces require electric? Just wondering

Your green house is fantastic.

Gina

 

[Denim Deb]

Like your greenhouse! It looks very similar to mine. The only problem I have is I have yet to find a way to heat it. I used to use a kerosene heater-until the kerosene got so expensive it wasn't worth it financially. I'm thinking about trying to make a rocket mass heater for it.

 

[Jess172]

Wow, it sounds like your on your way.

I just like to look at things seasonally. Spring and summer for the garden fall is a big time for canning. I know you said you won't have tons of food stored but believe me it happens. Once you start canning things pile up. It's also a great way to save money by buying in bulk.

You said your in Kentucky right? Do the outside wood furnaces require electric? Just wondering

Your green house is fantastic.

Gina

Thanks I was pretty happy with the way it turned out, now hopefully I can get some things to grow....
Yes the outside wood burner does require electricity. It hooks up to our furnace but it will save us money since we can cut wood from our land. Lots of people, including us, ran out of propane over the winter and had to pay the outrageous prices to fill their tanks. Not going to let that happen again! Now I do have a indoor wood burner that I use to heat my detached garage when the hubby is working on a project and I have a chimney in my house so if need be I could always take it in the house.
As far as storing food goes ill keep what I can and agree buying in bulk is great I just have to find a place to store it all. I just meant that when it comes to prepping I probably will not ever be one of those people who have huge, 20-30 years plus stockpiles of food and supplies. I am looking into building a root cellar. Maybe add that to the list of one-a-year projects.