New Here-And have so many questions-Day 1

[NicoleRook]

Self-sufficiency means something different to everyone, it seems. In addition to wanting to produce more of my own food, it also includes being able to earn a living for myself rather than working for an employer. These days, even having a job is no guarantee of being able to provide for your family long-term. Hubby and I have a few income producing ventures that help to insulate us from the volatile job market.

Since we live in a city on 3/4 acres, we cannot have the amount of livestock that a true farm could support. We are also hampered by city codes. We still manage to have quail, chickens and soon we will have tilapia. We also burn firewood in the winter to heat our house. We are nowhere close to being like Little House on the Prairie, but that okay... We've come a long way over the years and we have the ability to do a lot of things that time has almost forgotten.

I do understand about the economy being the way it is, my husband was laid off in December. We were so unsure and scared. He was fortunate enough to find a job, but the experiance took away our own security.

Our city code limits livestock, but I know some of our neighbors have chickens. I hear the roo around 11 every day. We are going to try quail.

 

[NicoleRook]

Hi, Nicole. Well, my mother had grown up in a small town, my dad on a poultry ranch (but he wanted to escape that and see the big city and hopefully be a "success"). But we always had relatives in the small towns and countryside. I always liked making and fixing things. I got drawn into a job in a natural/organic-foods store, and moved outside of the city - and part of my job was to truck produce from the farms into the city to the place I worked. I rented a small cottage on a farm, and learned gardening from books, from the farmer's wife, and trial & error.

Then I found a valley in the eastern mountains where people were friendly and land prices affordable, and I sunk my savings into a piece of land. I learned more about gardens and keeping chickens. I learned carpentry, water systems, basic mechanics (cars, trucks, small engines), how to wire buildings for electricity. I was married, had a daughter. We sold the original land and moved down the valley to a spot with better soil, better neighbors, and a shorter commute to off-land employment. While here, my practical skills increased and I learned basic metal-working, including welding.

My parents hadn't wanted to get dirty during the day, so they'd opted for city life. But I never liked the hubub of the city, nor the cramped limitations of the suburbs. The city and modern suburb offer educational opportunities, movie theaters, big bookstores and libraries, shopping opportunities (tools and supplies, clothing, reconditioned cars), and all of that - but they also present many distractions. And nature and the sources of human sustenance can seem very remote in these places. Also, in a number of ways, the cities are more expensive settings - partly due to all the distractions, many of which cost you substantially, $$-wise.

Nicole, you said there's got to be a way to get free from 'I owe'... My wife and I have almost always had jobs, either self-employed or employed outside the home. But given where we decided to live, maybe we've had only a few years where our household income would have equalled what we'd have earned in the big city. And so if you're not going to work for cash all the time, you have to economize, budget, and rely on your knowledge and skills. That means learning to raise and preserve food, learning to use tools, shopping for secondhand when you can, and all the things that we talk about here on SufficientSelf. It's a good wholesome life.

Don't get me wrong, my husband will work...but my worry is what happens when he can't or if he gets laid off again. This economy is aweful. Still if we do as you say, economize and budget and make change now I think it will be easier later on. I also don't care for city or suburbs. I'd love to live a bit more isolated, but I do love my home.

 

[NicoleRook]

I don't use the old plants for just in case there's eggs from a pest in there, or anything else that can be harmful. Chances are that there isn't, but I don't want to take the chance. Plus, I get enough leaves and pine needles in my yard to cover my garden to several inches! And, if there's not enough in my yard, I can get them from the woods next to me, or from the neighbor's.

Do you have a pickup? If so, check CL (Craig's List) and see if anyone in your area has free horse manure they want to get rid of. (I've included one listing, not sure how far it is from you.) And, while you're close to me (I live near the border of Gloucester, Salem and Cumberland Counties), you're a bit too far for me to run a load over. I have a whole pile of it!

Unfortunately no pickup, but maybe I could find some way to crate it up in some plastic tubs and haul at least some in my car. I will look into , thanks for the info.

 

[NicoleRook]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v643/Rebbetzin/2011/Email Iconx/SSGreenemail.jpg

I live in pretty much smackdab in the center of Tucson AZ! But... I decided since my husband doesn't want to leave here, to be content and make the most of what I have. I would love to live on a farm and grow all my own food and go to town once a year or so for things I can't make myself.

From the time I was small, I loved gardening. So... I try, to grow my own herbs and some other edible plants that will grow here in the desert without breaking the bank in water bills.

In 2008, I built a chicken coop, and have had 4 to 6 chickens ever since. It is not "cost effective" really, but I know how my chickens are living and what they are eating, so that makes me happy. Plus they are fun to watch!

http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/glenn-cottage-eggery

Then I have a friend with some milk goats, I give her a day off once a week in exchange for keeping the milk. I make my own cheeses and goat milk soap.

http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=14880&p=3

We seldom use any packaged foods. Make everything from scratch, less chemicals etc.

I think I have a good life, even though I want to be in the country, I was able to get the "country experience" here in the city.

Would love to see some photos of your place !!

I'll make sure to get some pics up soon. I grew up in Arizona by Gilbert on Williams AFB. I loved the area...but gardening must be difficult. I so want chickens too...just not allowed. Wonder if there are any chickens that don't look like chickens.

 

[Rebbetzin]

I'll make sure to get some pics up soon. I grew up in Arizona by Gilbert on Williams AFB. I loved the area...but gardening must be difficult. I so want chickens too...just not allowed. Wonder if there are any chickens that don't look like chickens.

Maybe you could get "Silkies".. they don't look much like chickens... Tell the authorities that they are two legged cats or some "alien" creature...

 

[Joel_BC]

Don't get me wrong, my husband will work...but my worry is what happens when he can't or if he gets laid off again. This economy is aweful. Still if we do as you say, economize and budget and make change now I think it will be easier later on. I also don't care for city or suburbs. I'd love to live a bit more isolated, but I do love my home.

Everybody makes use of the principles and methods in their own way. I wasn't offering any kind of ste-by-step plan, or even advice.

You asked us "Can you tell me what self sufficiency has meant to you and your family? How have you changed your life? What have you done to achieve it?" So I just answered that concerning our experience.

Best of luck, Nicole. And welcome to our forum.

 

[Denim Deb]

I know someone who lives in the Tabernacle area. And, even though they have several acres and own horse, they're not allowed to have chickens or goats. In fact, someone dumped some roosters over there and the township tried to give them a fine for having the roosters! Maybe find out who owns the chickens and talk to them to see if they've had any problems over owning them. You could also try getting your ordinances changed to allow a certain number of hens but no roosters since they're what most people complain about.

Another thing you might want to look into is getting a pet rabbit or 2. They're easy to care for, don't eat much, and are great fertilizer factories. But again, check w/your ordinances. There was a case in Connecticut where a family was cited for having a pet rabbit on less than 2 acres since there was an old law on the books that made it illegal to have "livestock" on less than 2 acres. Eventually, the law was changed, but it's better to be safe than sorry.

 

[Marianne]

Crazy laws, huh.
I'd have to say ditto to what everyone else is posting. Just don't put too much pressure on yourself, it's all one step at a time.

Both my husband and I were surprised at how much money we saved on the grocery bill when I started making everything from scratch. I started with cleaners and laundry supplies, then on to checking how to make every single thing I was buying at the store. Wow. I stock up whenever meat is on sale, holiday time is the best time to buy baking supplies, etc etc.

In the garden, tomatoes have saved me the most money. I make most of my tomato based products now - spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, chili sauce, canned tomatoes for soups, etc etc.

There are ways to save money in gardening, too. Sounds like Deb can be a real help there. I throw everything into the garden to decompose or add plant matter - except I was fighting blight on green beans so I burned all that plant debris. Shredded or sheets of newspaper can be mulch, compost, or weedbarrier. There are cheap and easy ways to fight garden pests (except your geese issue..). I use a lot of straw here as it's something that I can get free.

Speaking of, could you take a roll of fencing and create arches over your garden areas? Small enough that you could lift or move them to work in the area, but enough to keep critters from eating your chow?

and Welcome!

 

[NicoleRook]

I wonder what a psychiatrist would say if they new that I not only spent my days happily gardening, but my nights dreaming, plotting and scheming about my little seeds. I've put down my beloved books, my paint brushes, and my crafts to spend what time I'm not in the garden reading about how to start a garden, when to plant, what to plant, what each plants need, what to do when you run out of space to plant on the ground.

My husband, knowing how much I longed for a large garden but was burdened with the up keep of a crazy house and the slobs(lovingly said) within, offered me to privately hire a housekeeper so I'd have more time to invest outdoors.

I've gotten my daughter, two and a half, into her rhythm of digging, planting, watering right alongside me. Middy loves it nearly as much as I do. So I've convinced myself I'm a good mom even if I'm garden obsessed. I'm not just forcing her to play outside, GASP....

A certified Medical professional would diagnose me as obsessive, and maybe a tad unbalanced. I mean, really....who cares this much about their gardens?

Honestly, there is nothing more I love to do on a sunny day than to be out of doors and not cooped up.

Breathing in the fresh cedar and pine air, sun warm on face, hands gloved and ready to work, baby bouncing in and out of her toy area or digging in the sand, my teenager riding his bike or playing hoops with his buddy, Husband chopping wood or mowing the lawn or playing in his shed, happy dogs run in and out of the house, kitties on the patios except for the big Russian blue Chiefy who accompanies me.

Nothing more perfect. There is no place closer to heaven for me.

At the end of the day I feel more accomplished than I ever have. Things are not big and lush, but I envision them as they should be. It's only May 7, but I've planted more vegetables than anyone else I know.

It's not a competition, but I take great pride in the care and thought I've put into this venture. There is a world of information available at our fingertips via the internet.

So, while this is written not on day one of my garden, it's written on the first rainy day I could find nothing more to do or read that interested me in gardening. So I'll write about it.

Believe it or not I've been planning since January, Gardening since February. By March my green house was full. April I was putting more and more directly into the ground. My husband sings, 'old Mrs. McAlister had a farm' and I laugh, because he's probably not far off. When I ask him to stop at Lowes for more dirt, he claims I'm insane.

But my desire to garden began with stories my father would tell me of his Grandparent's garden. As a young girl I used to imagine seeing it, and the taste of the preserved Jams and Jellies. It seemed a simpler time, pre internet...pre tv....pre electronic distraction. Perhaps the most you could expect the family gathering around a radio to listen to the radio shows.

I understand now that perhaps, all was not as simple or easy as I would believe.

 

[NicoleRook]

http://www.motherearthnews.com/orga...quick-and-easy-food-garden.aspx#axzz2Shw2v64T

Planting in top soil bags.This inspired me to turn that big Sandy hill behind my house into a lush thriving garden. My problem is that any topsoil I add, tends to wash to the bottom. I'm hoping using this method will retain the soil and plants in place. Pictures to come later.