The Self-Sufficient Skills thread (new name, old thread!)

[big brown horse]

Achievements:

1. Made cat food!
2. I built a great big garden!
3. Growing for the first time: carrots, raddishes, lettuce, peas, fingerling potatoes, raspberries, blueberries, gooseberries, boysenberries, kiwi, rhubarb and figs. I inherited a nice big orchard full of apples (10 varieties!) peaches, crab apples, cherries, and pears (two types). I believe there are 15 fruit trees in all.
4. Growing tomatos and tons of herbs, something I already experienced...always kept a tomato (and okra) and herb garden back in TX.
5. Set up 2 rain barrels.
6. Recycle everything and reuse as much as possible.
7. Jelly/jam and sun dried tomato canning is now under my belt.
8. I can pickle anything, I'm from the South y'all!
9. I have a mason bee condo filled to capasity.
10. I have 3 beautiful chickens a Rhode Island red named Ruby, an Ameraucauna named Olive, and a black Astralorp named Betty, three eggs a day.
11. We don't turn on the light or heat during the day and we don't own any AC devices to turn on in the summer. (Right now we work in our coats and scarves!)
12. We have a wood burning stove that is sufficient to warm the whole house up.
13. I fenced and cross fenced 5 acres by myself and a manuel post hole digger.

Goals:
1. Make a contraption to make horse manure "bricks" to burn in out door pit. Then I will add the ashes to my garden. edit: or maybe not, I need to research this further!!
2. Own some milking goats so I can do all that stuff freemotion does.
3. Buy a Buff Orphington and then a Barred Rock.
4. Install a windmill to generate electricity.
5. Dig and build a root celler.

 

[Beekissed]

One word.......WOWZA!!!!!!

REAL woman!!!!

 

[inchworm]

Last year was a big year for me.

So far this year:

1. I learned to make yogurt.
2. I started making artisan bread and pizza crust.
3. I expanded the garden to include leeks, peas, and potatoes.
4. I froze eggs.
5. I squirreled away 3 months of living expenses.

 

[big brown horse]

One word.......WOWZA!!!!!!

REAL woman!!!!

Thank you, I just trying to catch up with the rest of you!

 

[big brown horse]

Last year was a big year for me.

So far this year:

1. I learned to make yogurt.
2. I started making artisan bread and pizza crust.
3. I expanded the garden to include leeks, peas, and potatoes.
4. I froze eggs.
5. I squirreled away 3 months of living expenses.

Freezing eggs? In the shell or in another container? My neighbor used to freeze her eggs in 2-3 batches in dixie cups to add to cake batters.

 

[freemotion]

Three months of living expenses? Great! I know I need to do that, but haven't, yet....

 

[inchworm]

I cracked them and scrambled them and poured them into ice cube trays. Then I put the frozen cubes into a bag. Each cube works out to be about 3/4 of an egg.

 

[big brown horse]

Cool!

 

[hennypenny9]

Things I've known how to do for a while (and maybe could teach):

-sewing. Mostly clothes. Fleece coats, dresses, skirts, pjs, robes, etc. I've also done many costumes. (those are more fun!!)

-crocheting. Basic things, but I'm getting more advanced. I made a hat! It did not fit, but that's not the point. It was my hook size, I know that now.

-knitting. Only scarves and washrags, but I'm getting into basic lacework.

-raising chickens and ducks. I consider this second nature, since we did it every few years since before I can remember. No meat birds, though. I'm a big baby and don't even want to. Ever.

Things I learned recently:

-to bake bread!!

That's all that I would consider a skill. I've become much more SS, yes, but I haven't learned more new skills, sadly.

Things I want to learn-

-to knit socks.

-to make soap.

-maybe mill my own grains.

 

[Cybercat]

This isn't really a self sufficiency skill, but...

I've taught myself to make jewelry...for people AND for horses...

The goal is to sell the jewelry and give the profits to my horse rescue forum...we use the funds to help people adopt slaughter bound horses and/or med expenses...things that people can't necessarily fund upfront themselves. Horse rescue AIN'T cheap!

I also will be learning to drive our 'new' old humongous diesel pickup truck, so I can finally pick up hay bales instead of having it delivered.

Got a dehydrator on order...

Want to learn how to use a pressure canner- I've always been terrified of them.