LittleRoosterCroft
Power Conserver
Hello all,
Thanks to savingdogs I think I got this journal thing figured out! I am a member over on BYC and BYH. I am learning to homestead on a rented acre of land, sharing and old farm house with my brothers until we can all move on and forward with our lives.
Okay, here are the answers!
1. What state/province/country are you in and what is your climate like?
Delaware/Delmarva Peninsula, hot in summers, been cold in winters lately - especially after the monster snow storms a couple years ago but overall moderate compared to most of the country.
2. How many people are in your family? Marital status?
single, no human kids...just fuzzy ones
3. How would you define self sufficiency?
I would describe it as being able to provide much of your needs yourself or locally within community, not having to rely on big box stores and general economy
4. What would you do with your spare time if you had any resources you needed?
hmmm, spare time? Not sure what that is between working full time, going to school nearly full time, taking care of the homestead pretty much by myself and trying to have a craft business! LOL Ummm, I would do environmental clean up work...restoring wetlands, swamps, etc
5. Have you ever built a house , or other types of building? Do you want to?
I would love to build my own natural construction house but I have not done much building
6. Can you weld? Steel, aluminum, MiG, TiG, stick, Oxy-Acet? no
7. Who or what inspired you to become more self sufficient?
As I started down the path of homesteading, not liking the food available to us, not trusting the food available to us from stores...it naturally extended to wanting to be able to not rely on big commerce for as much as possible.
8 Cloth or paper?
cloth as much as possible
9. In what ways are you self sufficient now and in what ways would you like to learn more?
Until a couple years ago when I started raising chickens and turkeys, I was a vegetarian for nearly 25 years. Once I was able to raise my own and now eat meat, I started to look at more sustainable, natural ways to obtain the rest of my food. I grow what I can, I buy from local side of the road farms, I can and freeze what I grow/gather. I hunt and fish (not very successfully yet) I make as much of my own things as possible (soap, teas, jellies, face cloths/kitchen towels, recently yogurt, cheese, am working on sewing my own clothes, etc). I have a barter system set up with some local folks (fish for eggs, etc) I also have local sources for raw milk (goat and cow). I barter with friends further away for things like wool. I am going to start an aquaponics system - small just for herbs to start then hope to grow fish like tilapia. I would like to learn how to produce more of the food for my animals too.
10. In what way(s) will you never choose to become self sufficient?
There are certain foods I grew up with like avocados and mangos that I can't grow here, certain fish that I like (sushi). Other than food I can't produce myself, certain art supplies and books and things like that.
11. Are you interested in stocking up for future needs?
definitely, the country and economy are not giving me much confidence, if nothing else the big business and Ag have become scary with GMO crops and rules about small producers.
12. Where do you end up when you sink into yourself, away from the outside world?
a watery world!
13. Can you drive a farm tractor or a semi? nope, but would love to learn how to drive a tractor!
14. Do you make crafts or useful items? Would you want to teach others how to do these? Yes, I make a lot of crafts, I have taught classes on glass etching and taught friends about candle making and soap making.
15. Can you have legally livestock where you are at? Do you have any? What kinds?
Yes, right now I just have birds (chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese) and rabbits. I would love to have a goat for milk and I plan to have pigs next Fall.
16. Can you operate a lathe? Metal, wood?
no, I can wood burn and dremel but not a lathe
17. Do you like to garden? If so, what do you enjoy growing?
I like to garden, I am not great at it...but am learning. I like to grow anything I like to eat! LOL I do love my irises and wildflowers though
18. Do you fish? Bait or explosives?
Not sure if you would call it fishing...but I drown worms really well!
19. How much space/land do you have or rent? City? Country?
I rent an acre in the country, farms all around me, woods behind me.
20. Are you a Novice, Technician, General, Advanced? ARRL? novice?
21. What is your self sufficient specialty? Or what one would you like to learn?
networking. everything! LOL aquaponics right now, raising up pigs next...then once I am done with school, goats to milk...when I finally get my own house again, solar/wind energy to be off grid electrically, water conservation using grey water systems, etc.
22. If you could create a degree and curriculum, what would you major in and what classes would you take?
land management for the small land owner
23. Do you do wood work? framing, finish, cabinet?
like I said before, not so much into the building...not good at it but I can finish wood, decorate it, etc.
24. Are you interested in herbal medicine?
yes, I know a bit about aromatherapy, co-owned a store for awhile...learning more about herbs and growing them now
25. If you could live any place you chose, where would it be?
Scotland
26. Do you use a wood stove for heating or cooking?
not in this house, in the house I owned before we used the stove for all our heating and some of the cooking in winter
27. What would your ideal super hero/villain be?
a true Steven Seagal type...getting the environmental big bad guys
28. Are your family or friends also interested in self sufficiency?
some of my friends are
29. Do you like to cook? Are you interested in whole foods and natural foods? raw milk? farm fresh eggs?
am really just learning how to cook but I enjoy experimenting and good food meals and cooking with my own or local healthy raised meats and veggies and milk. definitely raw milk, raise my own hens for super fresh eggs!
30. What was your MOS? ?
31. Do you forage or hunt for part of your food needs?
learning to hunt
32. What skills do you have that help you be more self sufficient?
I am good at crafts, making things and have a very open mind and attitude
33. In which fictional universe would you most like to live?
Anne McCaffrey's Pern or Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar
34. Do you have solar panels? Plans to use solar energy?
no, I rent but if I am ever lucky enough to own I will be looking into solar and wind power
35 What is the mass/weight ratio of a European swallow carrying a coconut from the tropics to England? hmmm
36. Have you ever lived completely off grid? Would you like to?
nope, would love to
37. In what do you trust?
that life is not always the way you want it to go but eventually you will get where you belong
38. Do you make things yourself to save money?
yes and so it is more natural and higher quality generally too
39. Has trying to be more self-sufficient changed your attitude or habits about money/spending?
yes, I am wanting to not spend money on useless things, to figure out what is really needed
Thanks to savingdogs I think I got this journal thing figured out! I am a member over on BYC and BYH. I am learning to homestead on a rented acre of land, sharing and old farm house with my brothers until we can all move on and forward with our lives.
Okay, here are the answers!
1. What state/province/country are you in and what is your climate like?
Delaware/Delmarva Peninsula, hot in summers, been cold in winters lately - especially after the monster snow storms a couple years ago but overall moderate compared to most of the country.
2. How many people are in your family? Marital status?
single, no human kids...just fuzzy ones
3. How would you define self sufficiency?
I would describe it as being able to provide much of your needs yourself or locally within community, not having to rely on big box stores and general economy
4. What would you do with your spare time if you had any resources you needed?
hmmm, spare time? Not sure what that is between working full time, going to school nearly full time, taking care of the homestead pretty much by myself and trying to have a craft business! LOL Ummm, I would do environmental clean up work...restoring wetlands, swamps, etc
5. Have you ever built a house , or other types of building? Do you want to?
I would love to build my own natural construction house but I have not done much building
6. Can you weld? Steel, aluminum, MiG, TiG, stick, Oxy-Acet? no
7. Who or what inspired you to become more self sufficient?
As I started down the path of homesteading, not liking the food available to us, not trusting the food available to us from stores...it naturally extended to wanting to be able to not rely on big commerce for as much as possible.
8 Cloth or paper?
cloth as much as possible
9. In what ways are you self sufficient now and in what ways would you like to learn more?
Until a couple years ago when I started raising chickens and turkeys, I was a vegetarian for nearly 25 years. Once I was able to raise my own and now eat meat, I started to look at more sustainable, natural ways to obtain the rest of my food. I grow what I can, I buy from local side of the road farms, I can and freeze what I grow/gather. I hunt and fish (not very successfully yet) I make as much of my own things as possible (soap, teas, jellies, face cloths/kitchen towels, recently yogurt, cheese, am working on sewing my own clothes, etc). I have a barter system set up with some local folks (fish for eggs, etc) I also have local sources for raw milk (goat and cow). I barter with friends further away for things like wool. I am going to start an aquaponics system - small just for herbs to start then hope to grow fish like tilapia. I would like to learn how to produce more of the food for my animals too.
10. In what way(s) will you never choose to become self sufficient?
There are certain foods I grew up with like avocados and mangos that I can't grow here, certain fish that I like (sushi). Other than food I can't produce myself, certain art supplies and books and things like that.
11. Are you interested in stocking up for future needs?
definitely, the country and economy are not giving me much confidence, if nothing else the big business and Ag have become scary with GMO crops and rules about small producers.
12. Where do you end up when you sink into yourself, away from the outside world?
a watery world!
13. Can you drive a farm tractor or a semi? nope, but would love to learn how to drive a tractor!
14. Do you make crafts or useful items? Would you want to teach others how to do these? Yes, I make a lot of crafts, I have taught classes on glass etching and taught friends about candle making and soap making.
15. Can you have legally livestock where you are at? Do you have any? What kinds?
Yes, right now I just have birds (chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese) and rabbits. I would love to have a goat for milk and I plan to have pigs next Fall.
16. Can you operate a lathe? Metal, wood?
no, I can wood burn and dremel but not a lathe
17. Do you like to garden? If so, what do you enjoy growing?
I like to garden, I am not great at it...but am learning. I like to grow anything I like to eat! LOL I do love my irises and wildflowers though
18. Do you fish? Bait or explosives?
Not sure if you would call it fishing...but I drown worms really well!
19. How much space/land do you have or rent? City? Country?
I rent an acre in the country, farms all around me, woods behind me.
20. Are you a Novice, Technician, General, Advanced? ARRL? novice?
21. What is your self sufficient specialty? Or what one would you like to learn?
networking. everything! LOL aquaponics right now, raising up pigs next...then once I am done with school, goats to milk...when I finally get my own house again, solar/wind energy to be off grid electrically, water conservation using grey water systems, etc.
22. If you could create a degree and curriculum, what would you major in and what classes would you take?
land management for the small land owner
23. Do you do wood work? framing, finish, cabinet?
like I said before, not so much into the building...not good at it but I can finish wood, decorate it, etc.
24. Are you interested in herbal medicine?
yes, I know a bit about aromatherapy, co-owned a store for awhile...learning more about herbs and growing them now
25. If you could live any place you chose, where would it be?
Scotland
26. Do you use a wood stove for heating or cooking?
not in this house, in the house I owned before we used the stove for all our heating and some of the cooking in winter
27. What would your ideal super hero/villain be?
a true Steven Seagal type...getting the environmental big bad guys
28. Are your family or friends also interested in self sufficiency?
some of my friends are
29. Do you like to cook? Are you interested in whole foods and natural foods? raw milk? farm fresh eggs?
am really just learning how to cook but I enjoy experimenting and good food meals and cooking with my own or local healthy raised meats and veggies and milk. definitely raw milk, raise my own hens for super fresh eggs!
30. What was your MOS? ?
31. Do you forage or hunt for part of your food needs?
learning to hunt
32. What skills do you have that help you be more self sufficient?
I am good at crafts, making things and have a very open mind and attitude
33. In which fictional universe would you most like to live?
Anne McCaffrey's Pern or Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar
34. Do you have solar panels? Plans to use solar energy?
no, I rent but if I am ever lucky enough to own I will be looking into solar and wind power
35 What is the mass/weight ratio of a European swallow carrying a coconut from the tropics to England? hmmm
36. Have you ever lived completely off grid? Would you like to?
nope, would love to
37. In what do you trust?
that life is not always the way you want it to go but eventually you will get where you belong
38. Do you make things yourself to save money?
yes and so it is more natural and higher quality generally too
39. Has trying to be more self-sufficient changed your attitude or habits about money/spending?
yes, I am wanting to not spend money on useless things, to figure out what is really needed
)
