NH Homesteader's journal

[NH Homesteader]

1. What state/province/country are you in and what is your climate like?
New Hampshire. Cold! Okay we kind of have the traditional 4 season thing going.
2. How many people are in your family? Marital status?
Married and we have a 3 (almost 4) year old daughter
3. How would you define self sufficiency?
Being able to survive without the outside world. Providing your own food, is my biggest focus.
,4. What would you do with your spare time if you had any resources you needed?
Ooh boy! I have a lot of things I want to learn to do... Like spin wool, and start playing music again.
5. Have you ever built a house , or other types of building? Do you want to?
Nope but I would like to!
6. Can you weld? Steel, aluminum, MiG, TiG, stick, Oxy-Acet?
No, my husband can though!
7. Who or what inspired you to become more self sufficient?
Hmm well it started with a couple laying hens... Watching movies like Food Inc and reading all of Joel Salatin's books. My husband is also very motivated to be self sufficient. We also watch a lot of zombie movies and have a bit of "prepper" in us!
8 Cloth or paper?
Cloth. Except toilet paper. Oh man I have limits.
9. In what ways are you self sufficient now and in what ways would you like to learn more?
We have laying hens and a rooster to produce eggs and meat, raise pigs for meat and goats for milk. I also intend to bring in a meat breed buck in the future to have dual purpose offspring. I make soap, laundry detergent... We have a garden. My husband butchers all of the above animals, and I am going to learn this year. There is more I'm sure. I would like to learn more about food preservation and how to sew, knit and spin wool.
10. In what way(s) will you never choose to become self sufficient?
I will not be attempting to grow grain anytime soon.
11. Are you interested in stocking up for future needs?
Yes but haven't been able to much yet.
12. Where do you end up when you sink into yourself, away from the outside world?
Umm I have no idea how to answer that question. I have a 3 year old so I don't get to hide very often.
13. Can you drive a farm tractor or a semi?
Kind of a tractor but no semi.
14. Do you make crafts or useful items? Would you want to teach others how to do these?
I make soap but not well (yet). Once I'm good at it, that would be fun.
15. Can you have legally livestock where you are at? Do you have any? What kinds?
Yes my town doesn't care. We have 6 goats, 3 pigs, a bunch of chickens and some turkeys who are awaiting their date with the freezer.
16. Can you operate a lathe? Metal, wood?
Nope
17. Do you like to garden? If so, what do you enjoy growing?
No I don't actually but I do it because I believe if you have the space and the ability you should have a garden. I do love watching my tomatoes ripen.
18. Do you fish? Bait or explosives?
No but my husband does. With bait. There is no way explosives are legal.
19. How much space/land do you have or rent? City? Country?
Country, 5 acres but access to my parents' land next door who have 35 acres.
20. Are you a Novice, Technician, General, Advanced? ARRL?
I have no idea what that means.
21. What is your self sufficient specialty? Or what one would you like to learn?
Animal husbandry I guess? I'm fairly new to all of this!
22. If you could create a degree and curriculum, what would you major in and what classes would you take?
Wilderness survival, animal husbandry, and/or general practical skills like welding!
23. Do you do wood work? framing, finish, cabinet?
Nope again husband does.
24. Are you interested in herbal medicine?
Yes but skeptical. Interested in knowing more though.
25. If you could live any place you chose, where would it be?
I have an obsession with Montana but I don't know that I'm tough enough for it!
26. Do you use a wood stove for heating or cooking?
Not currently.
27. What would your ideal super hero/villain be?
Anti Monsanto man!
28. Are your family or friends also interested in self sufficiency?
Not much. My family gardens but that's about it.
29. Do you like to cook? Are you interested in whole foods and natural foods? raw milk? farm fresh eggs?
Yes! This is my number one topic inself sufficiency. I do pasteurize my milk from my goats but I have a young child so I am cautious. My long term goal is to produce all our food except grains.
30. What was your MOS?
What?
31. Do you forage or hunt for part of your food needs?
Yes my husband hunts deer and I forage for things like berries.
32. What skills do you have that help you be more self sufficient?
Mostly, patience and a desire to learn.
33. In which fictional universe would you most like to live?
I kinda like it in this one. Maybe one where people took care of each other better.
34. Do you have solar panels? Plans to use solar energy?
Not yet! We will!
35 What is the mass/weight ratio of a European swallow carrying a coconut from the tropics to England?
Pi
36. Have you ever lived completely off grid? Would you like to?
If by off grid you mean with solar panels and running water then yes. my toilet must flush and I insist on daily showers.
37. In what do you trust?
Myself, my husband and my daughter. My dog . Maybe that sounds negative but that's where I'm at.
38. Do you make things yourself to save money?
Yes, would love to more!
39. Has trying to be more self-sufficient changed your attitude or habits about money/spending?
Yes! Oh if I could have back all the money I wasted on nonsense!

 

[wyoDreamer]

When we were little, before the 2 youngest were born, Mom would make the 3 of us ride on the outside of the cart. you needed both hands to hold on, LOL.

 

[CrealCritter]

Me <--- is afraid of bears. Don't like them one bit... that why I carry a .45. After being married to the same woman for 32 years, I should be afraid of her more than a bear - bears don't hit you over the head with a cast iron skillet... She swings a mean one.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Oh, my mother was horrified because we walked in and my first comment was "look honey! You can fit a whole pig on this island!"

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Where was this service when my kids were little? I can NOT tell you how many times I told my kids to put one hand on the basket and the other hand in their pocket, lol. If not - there was no telling what I would find in the basket!

 

[baymule]

It wasn't any harder having a bunch of kids than just my two. My kids had someone to play with, I kept activities going, we had fun. One day it was pouring rain, I had a houseful of kids, so I took them on a picnic. We made sandwiches, packed them in paper bags, then hiked all over the house looking out the windows at imaginary deer, raccoons, and birds. Then I spread a sheet over the "grass" in the kitchen and we had our picnic. Those kids had a blast.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Sickness is easing up, thanks! Randomly feel sick but it's more often at night. The crazy fatigue is getting (slowly) better. 12 weeks tomorrow, it's about that time!

Last week when I saw the fox, I ran to get the shotgun and I thought... Isn't this a country song? Barefoot, pregnant and chasing a fox with a shotgun... Oh my!

 

[goatgurl]

good for youall! a new barn and all free. can't beat that deal with a stick.
I don't know if you remember me talking about crossing my dark Cornish chickens with my rir to make a better meat bird but I've got 3 cross roos that I am going to butcher in the next couple of weeks and i'll let you know how they turn out.

 

[baymule]

My best friend in my teen years was an Appaloosa mare. I brought her in the house all the time, but my parents didn't know it. She hung out in the kitchen with me while I fixed breakfast, then we'd go riding. She could climb stairs, do anything I asked.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Did Patty and Clifford's hooves this morning. She has always been awful about her hooves but she was great today! Cliff took over as the resident pain in the butt lol. You can tell I've been wrangling a buck, I washed my hands twice and I still smell like a goat.

So incredibly thankful for my barn. It's cold and freezing rain. It's nasty out. And we got to do hooves in the barn, and no one has to go outside if they don't want to. They're thrilled, I'm thrilled!