Icu4dzs
Super Self-Sufficient
- Joined
- May 7, 2010
- Messages
- 1,388
- Reaction score
- 59
- Points
- 208
Hello all,
I recently started reading this BB because I found it through the Backyard Chicken BB. I have to say it has been far better than most of the BB's I have read because folks appear to stick to the issues of self sufficiency rather than politics, current events, etc. and for that I am so grateful.
I left the city and the service in Dec of 2006, hopefully never to return to either. My concern is that I live in the northeast corner of beautiful South Dakota high on the Coteau (around 1800 MSL) The towns on either side of the coteau are at 1200 MSL. The weather here is intermittenly warm but more often than not, colder than one would expect, hence a rather short growing season.
My life long goal (started in 1970's after coming home from the war in RVN) was to "win the Mother Earth Self-sufficiency contest, that unfortunately no longer exists as such. (Having been trained as a Green Beret in the 1970s made me much more aware of things than I had previously been and as a result it changed my thinking forever.)Fortunately, you all are here working on a similar goal if what I am reading here is right.
Now that I am "just an old hippie...trying real hard to survive" I have managed to acquire a not only wide but unique skill set (in addition to the "stuff" they taught me in the service) that includes Wood, Metal, Electrical, Agricultural, Musical and Medical skills that have managed to provide me with a rather adequate lifestyle. I came here with just my clothes, my tools, my banjo,fiddle and guitar; my HD motorcycle and a small (30 hp) tractor. (all on one small flat bed trailer)
My main profession (as evidenced by my screen name) affords me adequate resources to be able to do what I need but does NOT afford me the free time to do much of it.
As a result, my garden goes in later each year (admittedly it has been colder here each year for longer than expected and for that matter, wetter. I've never lived anywhere in the world where a farmer curses the rain until I got here)
With all that as a backdrop, I am looking for ideas from other folks who have a short growing season like I have here. I've looked at Barrelponics and things of that sort which are rather self-sustaining but require warmer climates. Each of the techniques I read about on these BB's generally come from folks who are way south of the 46th parallel. Up here, farming is the way of life, but the growing season is good for corn, soybeans and sometimes wheat. Occasional other crops are raised including the mainstay (beef) but vegetable farming is not prevalent.
What I'd like to know is stuff that other folks who are up this far do for their approach to the self-sufficient way of life. I've started my solar/wind powered system...(not cheap I'll tell you) and I have a beautiful farm...plenty of space for garden, fruit trees, pasture, etc but the severe winds (up to 45 kts at times) seem to limit what I can do. I tried upside down tomato and peppers but the wind blew them to pieces in several days.
The good news is that I love it here. I've been here for nearly 4 years and have never been happier in my whole life. I've no desire to ever leave (at least not the way I feel now).
If any of you are actually up in the same latitude and are "getting along with this temperature and wind" I'd love to hear what new techniques you are using to deal with the necessities of life that are limited by long winter, colder temperatures high winds and above normal rain fall.
Life up on the high prairie is the best. This is the America I grew up believing in. It just seems a little more challenging for now. Once I really retire (I retired once already and found that up here it is difficult to sit by not work in my profession because of the shortage of my skill set).
Love to hear what you can tell me you've done where you are with the short growing season.
Trim
I recently started reading this BB because I found it through the Backyard Chicken BB. I have to say it has been far better than most of the BB's I have read because folks appear to stick to the issues of self sufficiency rather than politics, current events, etc. and for that I am so grateful.
I left the city and the service in Dec of 2006, hopefully never to return to either. My concern is that I live in the northeast corner of beautiful South Dakota high on the Coteau (around 1800 MSL) The towns on either side of the coteau are at 1200 MSL. The weather here is intermittenly warm but more often than not, colder than one would expect, hence a rather short growing season.
My life long goal (started in 1970's after coming home from the war in RVN) was to "win the Mother Earth Self-sufficiency contest, that unfortunately no longer exists as such. (Having been trained as a Green Beret in the 1970s made me much more aware of things than I had previously been and as a result it changed my thinking forever.)Fortunately, you all are here working on a similar goal if what I am reading here is right.
Now that I am "just an old hippie...trying real hard to survive" I have managed to acquire a not only wide but unique skill set (in addition to the "stuff" they taught me in the service) that includes Wood, Metal, Electrical, Agricultural, Musical and Medical skills that have managed to provide me with a rather adequate lifestyle. I came here with just my clothes, my tools, my banjo,fiddle and guitar; my HD motorcycle and a small (30 hp) tractor. (all on one small flat bed trailer)
My main profession (as evidenced by my screen name) affords me adequate resources to be able to do what I need but does NOT afford me the free time to do much of it.
As a result, my garden goes in later each year (admittedly it has been colder here each year for longer than expected and for that matter, wetter. I've never lived anywhere in the world where a farmer curses the rain until I got here)
With all that as a backdrop, I am looking for ideas from other folks who have a short growing season like I have here. I've looked at Barrelponics and things of that sort which are rather self-sustaining but require warmer climates. Each of the techniques I read about on these BB's generally come from folks who are way south of the 46th parallel. Up here, farming is the way of life, but the growing season is good for corn, soybeans and sometimes wheat. Occasional other crops are raised including the mainstay (beef) but vegetable farming is not prevalent.
What I'd like to know is stuff that other folks who are up this far do for their approach to the self-sufficient way of life. I've started my solar/wind powered system...(not cheap I'll tell you) and I have a beautiful farm...plenty of space for garden, fruit trees, pasture, etc but the severe winds (up to 45 kts at times) seem to limit what I can do. I tried upside down tomato and peppers but the wind blew them to pieces in several days.
The good news is that I love it here. I've been here for nearly 4 years and have never been happier in my whole life. I've no desire to ever leave (at least not the way I feel now).
If any of you are actually up in the same latitude and are "getting along with this temperature and wind" I'd love to hear what new techniques you are using to deal with the necessities of life that are limited by long winter, colder temperatures high winds and above normal rain fall.
Life up on the high prairie is the best. This is the America I grew up believing in. It just seems a little more challenging for now. Once I really retire (I retired once already and found that up here it is difficult to sit by not work in my profession because of the shortage of my skill set).
Love to hear what you can tell me you've done where you are with the short growing season.
Trim
Hey there, I'm not too far from you, might be warmer here though!
I have also purchased a light, as sun around these parts in winter is hard to find!
