Survival Homestead

This looks like it may be of interest to those on this forum. Let me know what you think.

http://www.survival-homestead.com/survival-homestead.html

I think this is too good to archive.

I wish this section was populated with more people's perspectives. With all the signs pointing to a 1930's type economic collapse (or worse) people need to know how to and be able to grow or raise their own foods, store foods long term, and just provide for the basic needs of their families.

I agree. I've tried to generate an interest in this section, but to no avail. I'll continue trying to find articles and post them though.

Most people in today's society have no clue how to raise their own food or how to preserve it, whereas in the 30's people were much closer to their food source. I believe we'll soon have to depend on our gardens and whatever meats we can raise ourselves. As the price of food rises and the dollar loses value I don't know how people are going to make it without learning the basics of growing their own food.

For us (myself and my wife) we could do pretty good as long as we could barter for fresh milk.
I mention milk because I just paid $4.00 for a single gallon!!! My grandmother would have had a stroke seeing that price!!

I don't have much land but we do garden and have a few fruit trees/bushes. I try to preserve whatever I grow for our use during the winter. Meat and dairy would definitely be an issue for us as I've only got a 1/5 of an acre in a subdivision to play with. I know we are heading for some really tough times financially and I try to keep a very full pantry to hedge against the price increases that we are seeing almost daily at the supermarkets now. Every little bit helps.

Patrice, have you considered keeping rabbits? It's a good source for meat and is ok to raise in most neighborhoods. The milk issue would be a bit different. You could probably raise some nigerian goats because of their size, but not sure about your zoning areas.

Keith, Same goes to you. Have you considered some goats? The nigerian dwarfs are small, but are good milk producers.

I've never tried rabbit meat, so I'm not sure about them. The goat is a possibility but with my health not being so good lately I don't want to add any more animals to the mix at this time.

Sonshine,

Yes goats are on the "some day I want" list. I would need a barn, more cold storage than I have, and a "summer kitchen" type area for processing dairy (cheeses, etc)

Patrice, rabbit meat may be the highest protein meat you could ever have in your diet. learning to cook rabbit will take time, but it tastes very good, and can be fried, stewed, broiled, baked, basically anything you could do to chicken, you could do to rabbit. (No it does not taste like chicken )

Keith

Thanks Keith

I have no clue and our HOA hates us...I know I am city enough that if I had rabbits they would become pets. Killing them would bother me. I am trying to get my husband and kids on board but at this point in time I have to do everything myself and just don't have enough time to keep up with everything.

I am hoping by April to have the house and garage straightened out so I can start building my cedar planters. I do have a good stash of seeds, so we are okay there. I may just try and plant some here and there around the yard. We have wild rabbits though. They won't eat the herbs at all but they do like my veggies..sigh....

be patient, maintain your seed stash, and keep the container garden going. As things start to tighten people will come around, and rules will relax. Sadly many are just blind to the possibility. You could find a CSA farmer in your area, and support them instead of a grocery chain. Deals about learning through doing can be made so if you have a few hours during peak harvest and planting times you could end up knowing more than you can imagine.

Oh and when I was a child, the garden was the last place I wanted to be. Dad made us learn it, and these days I am glad he did.

In fact at dinner last night he and I decided we would attend a class on growing tomatoes at the county extension office. He was bragging about a potato growing class he went to because "you and your brother have showed me up for the past three years with your potato growin'"

LOL it was a good time. One of those memories that meshes with what he used to fuss at us about.

Dawn,
Someone, I believe it was AmyByrd, told me that cayenne pepper mixed in flour and sprinkled around the plants that rabbits eat will act as a deterrent. We tried it last year and it did seem to help.

The CSA farms here are really far from us. I am on my own as far as that goes.

I will try the cayenne pepper and flour though.