New Years resolutions!! self-sufficient related :)

[Henrietta23]

Maple syrup (maybe)

Ooo, that reminds me! James got ahold of an old gas grill he wants to turn into a maple sap evaporator! We've done syrup two years in a row. It will be nice to boil it down outside for a change!!!

 

[i_am2bz]

If I want to keep my coffee warm, I have a small candle holder w/holes in the sides. I just light a candle, then put my mug on the top. The holes allow air in, and it does just fine as a coffee warmer.

Now, that sounds more SS than my Mr. Coffee plug-in, altho I'm having trouble picturing it...any chance of posting a pic, DD? Doesn't the bottom of the mug get sooty?

 

[lorihadams]

eat healthier....cook more from scratch....learn to bake GF

learn to make my own soap

Learn to can

learn about my bees

learn how to prune my fruit trees if they live through the winter

stop buying milk.....thus, learn how to milk my goats when i get them here

do a better job planning out my meals weekly

 

[Bettacreek]

I can't do much considering where I live and who I live with. But I'd like to at least get a small planter "garden" going for herbs and maybe some potted pepper and tomato plants.

 

[Woodland Woman]

Grow and process my own ducks.

About keeping your coffee hot; I have a stainless steel vacuum insulated coffee cup with a lid.

My coffee stays hot for a good couple hours. Which is great because it takes me that long to drink it!

 

[ORChick]

For coffee I was also going to suggest a thermos. We drink more tea here, and I have an old fashioned tea cozy for the pot which keeps things hot until we finish it, usually, or until I pour more hot water on - I drink a lot of tea . I also have an electric kettle to heat the water; not sure, but I think that is more efficient than a pot on the stove.

SS resolution? This year I will stay on track with the garden; the last few years I have been gung ho about it in the beginning, and then let things slide. That will not happen this year

 

[Buster]

Make my meat bird and egg production systems more efficient.

Figure out what the heck to do with all these goats. Butcher one or two, but what else??? Three of our nannies had kids the last couple of weeks, including one with triplets.

Try my hand at plasticulture to a serious (for me) degree. An acre? And a half? Two acres?

Fish farm.

 

[TanksHill]

The top of my list for SS goals is to raise some meat birds.

I am aiming low, so I can get there. Then after that I will see what comes my way.

g

 

[Denim Deb]

My first goal is to learn how to butcher chickens! I have 2 14 week old roosters and I NEED to learn how to butcher them. While I've read stuff, seen pics, etc, w/this type of thing, I need the hands on experience in order to be able to do it.

 

[me&thegals]

Possibly work towards getting more SS with the birds by doing our own breeding and/or incubating instead of buying chicks every year. We did this with the turkeys in 2010 but had a pretty significant death loss.

Get bees (again) and keep protected from bears. Hoping this 3rd time will be the one that takes!