New Member Introductions - Questions

[flowerbug]

My husband has mites on his eyelids. He keeps them under control with Demodex, which is ordered from A. Works for him.

i've been using a salt water rinse recently to get things better, it has helped. i don't know if i have mites but it sure has not been "normal". what probably kicked it off for me was getting some dirt into my eye - i did rinse it out but that may have not been quick enough.

 

[Hinotori]

Everytime I read this I itch.

I haven't had any mites myself. Just one of the cats got some mange mites on her face several years ago and it made me itch on her behalf as well until I got rid of them.

 

[Nomadicus]

1. What state/province/country are you in and what is your climate like?
Alabama
2. Who or what inspired you to become more self sufficient?
Our grandparents from what they did to survive the Great Depression.
3. In what ways are you self sufficient now and in what ways would you like to learn more?
We raise chickens for pets, meat, and eggs.
4. Are you interested in stocking up for future needs?
Yes. We can and freeze from our gardens and watch for sales for certain grocery items we cannot grow well here.
5. Do you make crafts or useful items? Would you want to teach others how to do these?
Not any more I used to make cutting boards and chopping blocks.
6. Can you legally keep livestock where you are at? Do you have any? What kinds?
We are in an agricultural area. No restrictions on farm animals.
7. Do you like to garden? If so, what do you enjoy growing?
Yes. Most all vegetables that can be grown in the south. Both spring and fall gardens with some greens in the winter.
8. Do you fish? Bait or explosives?
Have not fished in quite a few years. May get to start saltwater fishing again.
9. How much space/land do you have or rent? City? Country?
10. What is your self sufficient specialty? Or what one would you like to learn?
Growing a wide range of vegetables and our poultry for our own use.
11. Do you do wood work? Framing, finish, cabinet?
I no longer do wood working.
12. Are you interested in herbal medicine?
Maybe.
13. If you could live any place you chose, where would it be?
Right where I am.
14. Do you use a wood stove for heating or cooking?
No
15. Do you like to cook? Are you interested in whole foods and natural foods? Raw milk? Farm fresh eggs?
We have our own farm fresh eggs and I like to grill and BBQ.
16. Do you forage or hunt for part of your food needs?
No longer hunt.
17. What skills do you have that help you be more self sufficient?
I figure out how to solve special tools and such for gardening and in the chicken coops.
18. Do you have solar panels? Plans to use solar energy?
19. Have you ever lived completely off grid? Would you like to?
No and No.
20. Do you make things yourself to save money?
Yes.
21. Has trying to be more self-sufficient changed your attitude or habits about money/spending?
Yes in some ways.

 

[Hinotori]

1. What state/province/country are you in and what is your climate like?
Alabama
2. Who or what inspired you to become more self sufficient?
Our grandparents from what they did to survive the Great Depression.
3. In what ways are you self sufficient now and in what ways would you like to learn more?
We raise chickens for pets, meat, and eggs.
4. Are you interested in stocking up for future needs?
Yes. We can and freeze from our gardens and watch for sales for certain grocery items we cannot grow well here.
5. Do you make crafts or useful items? Would you want to teach others how to do these?
Not any more I used to make cutting boards and chopping blocks.
6. Can you legally keep livestock where you are at? Do you have any? What kinds?
We are in an agricultural area. No restrictions on farm animals.
7. Do you like to garden? If so, what do you enjoy growing?
Yes. Most all vegetables that can be grown in the south. Both spring and fall gardens with some greens in the winter.
8. Do you fish? Bait or explosives?
Have not fished in quite a few years. May get to start saltwater fishing again.
9. How much space/land do you have or rent? City? Country?
10. What is your self sufficient specialty? Or what one would you like to learn?
Growing a wide range of vegetables and our poultry for our own use.
11. Do you do wood work? Framing, finish, cabinet?
I no longer do wood working.
12. Are you interested in herbal medicine?
Maybe.
13. If you could live any place you chose, where would it be?
Right where I am.
14. Do you use a wood stove for heating or cooking?
No
15. Do you like to cook? Are you interested in whole foods and natural foods? Raw milk? Farm fresh eggs?
We have our own farm fresh eggs and I like to grill and BBQ.
16. Do you forage or hunt for part of your food needs?
No longer hunt.
17. What skills do you have that help you be more self sufficient?
I figure out how to solve special tools and such for gardening and in the chicken coops.
18. Do you have solar panels? Plans to use solar energy?
19. Have you ever lived completely off grid? Would you like to?
No and No.
20. Do you make things yourself to save money?
Yes.
21. Has trying to be more self-sufficient changed your attitude or habits about money/spending?
Yes in some ways.

Welcome to the group

 

[VJohnson]

Hi...I'm Valerie. Found this site when Backyard Chickens was down for maintenance and they suggested visiting here. I'm looking forward to reading all your great articles and suggestions. I'm just beginning my journey to preparedness; have chickens, a small garden, and I can at least tomatoes in the summer. I have bought a lot of freeze dried food, maybe 6 mos worth, but I'm looking into a freeze dryer now so I can have the wonderful food I cook made into long term storage foods. Not exactly a prepper, but I do have an off the grid room off the garage that I call the Rabbit Hole. If we had to, we could survive there for a while without electricity or modern conveniences.

We live in Washington state, my husband and I, and our family lives in other states entirely, so we entertain ourselves with our small 5 acre piece of heaven, in the forest on the river, and try to actually grow veggies here. That's one grand experiment that generally ends up in hilarious results. Cannot stop growing potatoes!!! Have a lovely crop of strawberries. But can I grow a tomato??? Well, I have, but the weather is fickle. Luckily, I have good sources here for tomatoes to can in August.

We have 15 chickens, 3 are only 3 mos old, and 3 are nearly 8 yrs old, and everything in between. One of our young ones is a cockerel, whom we hope will be able to get along with our rooster.

My husband can build nearly anything we need or want, but we hire the stuff that needs inspections, etc. I can cook with whatever is in the cupboard, as can most people in my generation, but I love trying new recipes and I hate using packaged or canned goods for that. So, in some ways we are just self sufficient in an old fashioned way, and happy that retirement affords us the time to do that.

I guess it is one of our hobbies to become self sufficient at this point. It's not that we need to, it's that we find it fun and fascinating, and who knows? We may need it one day.

 

[tortoise]

Hi...I'm Valerie. Found this site when Backyard Chickens was down for maintenance and they suggested visiting here. I'm looking forward to reading all your great articles and suggestions. I'm just beginning my journey to preparedness; have chickens, a small garden, and I can at least tomatoes in the summer. I have bought a lot of freeze dried food, maybe 6 mos worth, but I'm looking into a freeze dryer now so I can have the wonderful food I cook made into long term storage foods. Not exactly a prepper, but I do have an off the grid room off the garage that I call the Rabbit Hole. If we had to, we could survive there for a while without electricity or modern conveniences.

We live in Washington state, my husband and I, and our family lives in other states entirely, so we entertain ourselves with our small 5 acre piece of heaven, in the forest on the river, and try to actually grow veggies here. That's one grand experiment that generally ends up in hilarious results. Cannot stop growing potatoes!!! Have a lovely crop of strawberries. But can I grow a tomato??? Well, I have, but the weather is fickle. Luckily, I have good sources here for tomatoes to can in August.

We have 15 chickens, 3 are only 3 mos old, and 3 are nearly 8 yrs old, and everything in between. One of our young ones is a cockerel, whom we hope will be able to get along with our rooster.

My husband can build nearly anything we need or want, but we hire the stuff that needs inspections, etc. I can cook with whatever is in the cupboard, as can most people in my generation, but I love trying new recipes and I hate using packaged or canned goods for that. So, in some ways we are just self sufficient in an old fashioned way, and happy that retirement affords us the time to do that.

I guess it is one of our hobbies to become self sufficient at this point. It's not that we need to, it's that we find it fun and fascinating, and who knows? We may need it one day.

Welcome!

 

[Hinotori]

Hi...I'm Valerie. Found this site when Backyard Chickens was down for maintenance and they suggested visiting here. I'm looking forward to reading all your great articles and suggestions. I'm just beginning my journey to preparedness; have chickens, a small garden, and I can at least tomatoes in the summer. I have bought a lot of freeze dried food, maybe 6 mos worth, but I'm looking into a freeze dryer now so I can have the wonderful food I cook made into long term storage foods. Not exactly a prepper, but I do have an off the grid room off the garage that I call the Rabbit Hole. If we had to, we could survive there for a while without electricity or modern conveniences.

We live in Washington state, my husband and I, and our family lives in other states entirely, so we entertain ourselves with our small 5 acre piece of heaven, in the forest on the river, and try to actually grow veggies here. That's one grand experiment that generally ends up in hilarious results. Cannot stop growing potatoes!!! Have a lovely crop of strawberries. But can I grow a tomato??? Well, I have, but the weather is fickle. Luckily, I have good sources here for tomatoes to can in August.

We have 15 chickens, 3 are only 3 mos old, and 3 are nearly 8 yrs old, and everything in between. One of our young ones is a cockerel, whom we hope will be able to get along with our rooster.

My husband can build nearly anything we need or want, but we hire the stuff that needs inspections, etc. I can cook with whatever is in the cupboard, as can most people in my generation, but I love trying new recipes and I hate using packaged or canned goods for that. So, in some ways we are just self sufficient in an old fashioned way, and happy that retirement affords us the time to do that.

I guess it is one of our hobbies to become self sufficient at this point. It's not that we need to, it's that we find it fun and fascinating, and who knows? We may need it one day.

They say here in western Washington that we have tomato years and cabbage years. In cabbage years late blight always gets my tomatoes.

Welcome to the group!

I think there are many of us who just try and live like our family used to. I remember some of Great Grandma's. I do more canning than Grandma did since I can fish and meat. One of my uncle's does as well. Mom's afraid of pressure cookers and canners but did jams and juices and dehydrated tons of stuff. I've just been trying to be more like how we ate when I was a kid. We were all skinny back then

 

[Mini Horses]

Welcome from VA. Yep, worlds away weatherwise. Tomatoes produce like zucchini here huge yields. Ain't nothing wrong with both being prepared and knowing many of the old ways. I still grow and can a lot of food.

I've just been trying to be more like how we ate when I was a kid. We were all skinny back then

If you're old enough, that means home grown AND with non altered seed. The food WAS more nutritious then. Plus without the chemicals that are killing everyone's health now...on & in our general store bought food supply. It's a shame but, true.

 

[Hinotori]

Welcome from VA. Yep, worlds away weatherwise. Tomatoes produce like zucchini here huge yields. Ain't nothing wrong with both being prepared and knowing many of the old ways. I still grow and can a lot of food.



If you're old enough, that means home grown AND with non altered seed. The food WAS more nutritious then. Plus without the chemicals that are killing everyone's health now...on & in our general store bought food supply. It's a shame but, true.

Potatoes for every dinner (we were poor, they were free). Some meat and a vegetable. We ate a lot less as well. If we had dessert, it was usually fruit. Generous amounts of watermelon or cantaloupe in summer (free again thing). Candy was only really got at Halloween and Easter. Few candy canes at Christmas. Most our veggies were grown by us or family. Mom would buy frozen or canned in winter. We fished pretty young as kids. Trout was good. Mom and Dad hunted deer and elk. Half a beef bought off great uncle.

Depleted soils growing our food now is a problem that shows in the crops. No organic matter putting back what was removed. Just dumping 3 nutrients as fertilizer to make plants grow but lack needed nutrients.

I know there have been groups around here that complained about the farmers only picking the best Halloween pumpkins for sale and the rest get broken and tilled back into the soil. They said the farmers were wasting food, but carving pumpkins suck as a human food and are better used to add organic matter to keep the soil healthy. Not worth picking for animal feed as it would cost way more in labor and fuel than they could be sold for.

 

[Mini Horses]

True, right there. Potatoes grew & stored well...every meal had potatoes ! Mom had me peel I still would rather not do that