New Here-And have so many questions-Day 1

[NicoleRook]

I am brand new here, but have been wondering about this topic for a long time. 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? I have many thoughts, but am unsure of where to start. Many thanks, Nicole

-Change begins with an idea.

 

[mrscoyote]

For me SS has been a journey of buying local and cutting back on the consumer mentality. So I look for what I can do and grow myself and I avoid the big corporate businesses.
Nancy

 

[so lucky]

For me SS has been a journey of buying local and cutting back on the consumer mentality. So I look for what I can do and grow myself and I avoid the big corporate businesses.
Nancy

Me too, and with an emphasis on learning how to eat healthier.

 

[FarmerJamie]

Just trying to get back to my family roots as farmers and being less dependent on getting food from thousands of miles away.

 

[Wannabefree]

I am brand new here, but have been wondering about this topic for a long time. 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? I have many thoughts, but am unsure of where to start. Many thanks, Nicole

-Change begins with an idea.

Self sufficiency means doing everything possible to not be such a big fat consumer

There are SO many ways we have changed over the last several years, making our own breads, cooking from scratch more(exclusively now), making laundry soap, growing our own meats and vegetables(not exclusively yet) and just baby steps here and there to become less and less reliant on going to town to get what we need.

You can start anywhere. There is no beginning or end to self sufficiency really. Our journeys are all going to be different. Our comfort levels will be different, etc. etc. I happily ditch the doctors and get online and figure out what I can take that's natural when most folks would go to the doctor. I'm much more comfortable NOT going to conventional doctors anymore, especially since they tried to put me on serious meds(blood pressure) I didn't need to begin with. My issues were from a food allergy it turns out. Then there was the pharmacist who was supposed to give me antibiotics, that gave me heart pills that would have killed me had I not paid attention and actually taken one....yeah, comfort levels will vary a LOT So, there is your own personal walk to go by. Ask questions you are interested in, and we will answer, and learn from you as well I'm sure

Welcome to the forum!!!

 

[baymule]

Nicole, start with small steps. Not everyone can leave the city, move to a hundred acres in the middle of the wilderness and live off the land. Where you are right now, start doing something that makes a difference to you. If you live in town, then do what you can where you are, if you live on acreage, then you just do more and do it bigger.

I live in town on a small lot. I have chickens in the back yard and a garden in the front yard. I grow a summer and winter garden, we eat out of it all year around. I raise enough to dehydrate, can and freeze the extra. I scrounge blackberries in empty fields and freeze them for cobblers. I go to U-pick blueberry farms and freeze 20 to 40 pounds a year. Last summer, I was given figs if I picked them, and if I would give the couple some fig preserves. I bought 2 bushels of purple hull peas and froze them. I bought 1 1/2 bushels of okra and dehydrated/froze them.

I bought a Family Grain Mill after extensive research and advice from members here. I now mill my own flour and make bread-yummy! I planted 84 seeds of corn in the front yard yesterday to grow for cornmeal. I have a small patch of hull less oats just to see if I can grow them.

We live in hurricane alley and sometimes go for weeks with no electricity. I keep kerosene lamps and a jug of kerosene, lamp wicks and I can walk in the dark to the kitchen matches.

There is a lot more I want to do, but I have to work with what I have. I try to cut down on the grocery bill and provide healthy food for my family.

What does being SS mean to you?

 

[moolie]

For our family, we strive to live a more sustainable life rather than totally self-sufficient.

We live in the city, in a typical suburban neighborhood, and do as much for ourselves as is possible where we live--supplementing what we can produce with things purchased from farmers market vendors we have got to know over the years.

 

[NicoleRook]

Good Morning-Day 2

Thank you all for the wonderful input. Let me tell you a little about me.

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

I live in Pemberton Township, NJ. Two years we moved from Apartment living into a lovely lake community. I own a three floor log cabin on .5 acre , of owning this I'd love to pay it off much sooner than the mortgage stipulates. My husband works, makes reasonable money, yet we seem to always struggle. I will admit this freely,

*stands up and waves*
"Hello, my name is Nicole, and I'm addicted to consumerism."

There must be freedom from this life of 'i owe, i owe'. There must be a way I can contribute to my family and make what money we have go further. Here's what I have to start with:
A house with solor panels. I lease the panels for 15 years and receive what the panels make as a rebate on my electric bill. Instilation was free and I have the option to buy them at the end for a fraction of the cost.

I have a lovely house with a little less than .5 land, or as we call it 'sand'. My husband build me a beautiful raised bed last year that is 6X12 and we had dirt brought in.

I have lots of trees. Being a corner lot, I really have an almost non existant back yard. Everyone drives by and gawkes....It's great fun...no not really. There is no privacy at all. I love the trees, but with they were more on front side of the property.

I have a husband, two kids, three dogs, and cats. Recently I bought my husband some quaill eggs to hatch, some incubators and a coop. My first thought was these are pets, but now I wonder will their egg laying and poop pay for itself. Protein and compost ...yay! I'd love some chickens, but there are oridinances against them in my township. I wonder if that means I couldn't keep a small one indoors.

The most important thing I have is the Will and Ability to change.

I'll need lots of help and advice. I understand now what an individual journey this is, there are no rules or guidelines, only what works best for oneself.

So today my question is, What was your first step?

 

[NicoleRook]

I think my own first step was my experimental compost garden. I read about lasagna gardening last spring and tried a small bed, I noticed though that my best garden was next to the dog run. My tomatos just kept on coming and finally the vines died in November! This is right next to my deck. I dragged over some extra 6X6's we had from our retaining wall, made a square and so it began. The kids love hurling stuff over the edge. Then we started a bucket in the kitchen so nothing got missed, and my 13 year old takes particular joy in dumping that one. The neighborhood geese come over and snack and poop...and who doesn't love poop?!?! Soon I'll pick up some cheap top soil and layer it. I'm thinking Artichokes and tomatoes in this 6X6 garden.

Anyone ever lasana garden?

 

[Denim Deb]

OK, so you're in the Pines, and not too far from me. I have that sand as well, though mine might not be as bad. Over the years, I've added a ton of horse manure, leaves, old straw, hay etc. It's done a lot to improve the soil. My hubby tried the raised beds, but for me, they were a pain, so I went w/a semi traditional garden. I no longer rototill it, but add all the leaves I can and just let them compost down. The one thing I won't add is the old plants. I either burn them, or haul them to the local compost center.

I'm guessing that the soil you have is more acidic, so I'd say check your pH, and if needed add lime. Or, if you have a wood stove or fireplace, add the ashes. And, if you haven't already, fence in your garden area to keep the geese out of it!

The Pines are a good area for blueberries, so you should be able to grow them fairly easily, or even find them growing in the woods near you. In the fall, look for Russian and autumn olives growing near you. I've never made it, but people make jelly from the berries. They're higher in lycopene than tomatoes. You can also look for things like persimmons, mulberries, etc growing near you. But, don't eat anything you're not sure of! If you're not sure, post a pic on here and someone will probably be able to help you.