Thank you Aliza, for the time you spent giving a very thoughtful answer.
We thought about getting some land first so that we could put a cabin on it to build on slowly, making it be as self-sustaining as possible, but meanwhile use it as a place to unwind and relax in. Did you see the houses recently that were built mortar and wood? I would love to build a practice one of these on our property as a shed. I think they are so beautiful!
Right now we live in a semi-rural area of Southeastern PA. We can hear horses whinney and sometimes a moo may make it way to our ears. There's lots of corn and hay growing in the fields on the back roads. We have deer crossing the yards, foxes, coyotes, etc. Lots of wildlife so although we live in a housing development we can be on a country road in less than a mile.
We have 6 chickens. That is all our 3/4 acre allows for. I did do square foot gardening years ago in raised beds but our daughter planted a black walnut in one of my boxes when she was nine years old. I never had the heart to pull it up as she was so proud of that nut turning into a tree. It's quite large now - she's going to be 30. She's told me it won't hurt her feelings if I chop it down so I am going to. I just don't know if I can plant nearby. I've thought perhaps of doing square foot gardening in raised beds, with some sort of plastic sheeting to prevent any of the black walnut poison from doing any harm. That darn tree is where our best sun is in the back yard. We have a pretty big front yard with quite a bit of sun, too. I'm still trying to think about how we could do some sort edible landscaping/gardening out there.
I did enjoy planning, planting, weeding and harvesting when I had the square foot garden boxes. A friend of mine told me about lasagna gardening. I'll look into that. Raised bed appeal to me because I can sit on the edges to tend to the garden. Now that I'm 58 years old I can't imagine growing and tending enough produce to feed all of us though. I guess if you have no other choice you do what you have to do. Right now it is still optional. Were times to get tough I'm sure we would all get a little tougher. We'd have to.
I'm a trained chef/baker by trade. I don't know how barterable those skills are. I guess I could preserve food for people. If we had a little back hoe maybe we could help people dig and build root cellars. I do brew some pretty good water kefir. I wonder if I'd be any good at brewing wine or beer? That would be fun to do.
Hmmmmmm, now you got me thinking. :-) I think I would enjoy spinning, too. I have my great grandmother's spinning wheel that I should learn how to use. I do like to knit. I love to do most anything with my hands.
Lori
-----Original Message-----
From: Aliza Vanderlip <
songbird97520@yahoo.com>
To: Healthy soil and sustainable growing <
livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Sun, Jan 13, 2013 8:07 pm
Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] Prepping
I dont think that buying land just in case is a wise choice. By the time the "just in case" rolls around, you would need to already have your sustainable systems in place KWIM? I am not a prepper but I do have a small dairy farm and my goal is sustainability. This years goal is to acquire an old non pto seed drill and learn how to grow barley for fodder and straw. I already use barley fodder in my feeding system but I am purchasing the barley. Next year it will be to get a small baler - alternatively we can pay/trade our neighbor to bale for us. We are planning water storage - currently I can pump out of the creek but I want rainwater instead because I have lots of roof runoff at the barn (building is 120' long). We will be putting in a Rocket Mass Heater this summer in the house - these
are really cool by the way - and solar water heating for floor heat and as a preheater as well..... All these things take time. And you have to live on a place for a while before you know what it is asking for and what your real needs are. Not the needs that come with you from the city, but your real yearnings that only come from being on the land and seeing where your heat leads you.... Will also put in a greenhouse this late summer. What do you love? do you love to garden? Do you love to spin? Having a useful skill that is barterable but that you really dont enjoy will not be the difference that makes the difference. First you have to know what you are drawn to. For that you have to experience many many things..... I actually dont think that there will be a huge tragic thing to prep for other then what is huge and tragic where you live - in my area that would be wildfire, drought and
flooding. They are expecting an earthquake some decade. It may be damaging.
Books that I like - I have heard that Harveys new poultry book is great though I have not purchased it yet. - His website is very very helpful and I would for sure go there first -
www.themodernhomestead.us - Square Foot Gardening if you are just learning about growing food, or lasagna gardening are great choices to start with. Strawbale house or cob house depending on your climate. Google is your friend. If you are on Facebook there is a wonderful list - grow food not lawns that has lots and lots of pictures of what people are doing with their gardens/houses - it is inspiring. So if you are inspired to go to the country then go to the country and be inspired. You can have a piece of paradise where ever you are (city, country, and at sea) as long as you feel inspired - get to know yourself first and what you love and draws
you to it - and go there......
Blessings,
“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” Howard Thurman
My husband and I are thinking about getting some land to have if things fall apart. I was wondering if everyone in the group would collectively put together a list of essential things/tools/knowledge/etc. one would need during tough economic times. We are also wondering what we could learn to do that would either be a skill or produce a product that we could barter for.
I know there are books about these things but I'd love to hear what all of you are thinking.
How much land would we need? What states at this moment, have the most living (freedom) and good growing climates?
We suspect that our daughter, her husband, and their three children, 8, 5, and 3, would live with us and possibly our son.
Lori
Phoenixville, PA
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