Official Poll: What is your motivation to be more self-sufficient?

[Marianne]

Hi Everyone, it's been forever since I have been here, so plenty of catching up for me.
I voted the way I did for pretty much the same reasons everyone else listed, except I added environment, too. We're semi vegetarian and like others here, no spraying, etc. that equals organic and better food.
Oh yeah, we never have had much money but we live much better here on the farm with less money.

 

[Nifty]

Hey @Marianne, great to see you here! Also, good point about environment / spraying.

 

[Denim Deb]

Hey, Marianne! Good to see you back!

 

[Puck-Puck]

I would have checked off all of the reasons, though the order keeps changing over time. I live in a very small community, a long way from a supermarket, and at a nearly two-hour drive, the less I go in to town, the better. The local store doesn't have much quantity or variety of "fresh" produce, so it only makes sense to grow and forage for my own (organic) produce. I saw a video on how commercial chickens live...got my own chickens. Moved to a larger property...got goats for milk. My ventures have to at least carry their own costs, if not actually make a little money as well. I live better for less money than I did in town, and even though it takes a lot of time to learn to do things, I like learning to do new things and developing new skills. It's also kinda cool when people ask for pointers! It's not as though there are a whole lot of jobs available here, so learning to live with minimal external employment is a good thing. I also have vague hopes of starting some sort of local industry that isn't tourism, and which promotes food security. I sense a general decline in standards of living and expectations of government that in my youth I was taught to take for granted, and don't want to be caught with my pants down should things really go south during my lifetime.

I know this sounds like a lot of me-me, I-I, but I do live alone...and this is a "self" sufficiency forum, isn't it?

 

[flowerbug]

growing our own food as much as possible within the various conflicts and requirements, that i can do that in ways which also helps the environment and cuts down our expenses is a great combinatorial effect. like having zero mile food which is also healthy and substitutes for animal products at times (beans substitute in part or in whole for some meals for meat and cheese that we buy). the various flowers on the produce are a help to the native bees. the joy of having things we've grown to be able to give them away. it's hard to say which two are the top, but the being able to help the environment is a large part, but also to me enjoying the results of my labor is very high up there too since to me exercise for the sake of exercise alone is just blah, i really like having exercise give me edible results or helping out the birds and the bees and other soil community creatures.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

I pretty much share your experience, Bee. While folks SAY they want to learn, I find that there is VERY little follow through. I'm ready, willing and able. But, can say that it's a rare event that anyone actually puts anything I share into practice. They like what they see, and say they are going to do it. But, it doesn't happen.

 

[Beekissed]

Yep....that sounds familiar. Sad and makes me a little angry every time it happens and I hear it happening to others, but it's pretty much the status quo now. There's a whole generation or two that have some kind of disconnect that's hard to put your finger on.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

Agreed. A bunch of clueless folks raising clueless children. And, that's what scares me. They have no desire to actually learn anything about being self sufficient. I think their motto is: Let the government take care of me.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Little seeds....

There ya go! I love to hear that!

 

[Lazy Gardener]

If she has any space at all, she could put up a little florescent or LED light, and grow some Kratky lettuce.

With a bit of supplemental light, 6 nice lettuce plants can be grown in a plastic shoe box.

Kratky hydroponics