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

[pepper48_98]

I have been an animal person all my life and as a youngster we would get the 4-H chickens and raise them to eat. We would go to the farms and pick veggies, can or freeze them.

I bought 5 acres 20 years ago and my goal was to grow all my food and without any chemicals. A great idea but the wife has never been on board. So, now, I just have a small garden but do try and raise all the meat.

 

[WendyJ]

I do it for all of those reasons to one degree or another, but my top
2 were knowing what is in the food I'm eating and being prepared as much as possible. As for reasons why, it is everything from being creative, to hearing about the so-called food that comes from places like China, to seeing the people after hurricane Sandy or the ice storms in Toronto complaining that things weren't fixed right away (I don't include Katrina, feel there were other issues involved there); my motto is if you aren't prepared to stay you need to be ready to go, and accept with gratitude whatever help you are offered.

 

[flowerbug]

i'll talk gardens and teach anyone who cares to listen, probably until their ears are numb.

 

[flowerbug]

i think a part of it is that people see what others have done, but they don't know that much of what they are seeing is there after many years of efforts.

somehow you need to get across that you can start small and gradually figure things out. you don't have to jump in with an entire redo of their yard or a huge garden (i actually don't suggest a big garden to anyone as it is more important to learn some things first and a small garden is a good enough start).

 

[Alaskan]

Oh bother... I voted, then read... and see I should have stuck to only 2..

And I don't see how to change my vote.

Well... my top 2

Are 1. cost reduction and 2. producing quality highly nutritious food.