One step at a time to become self suffient....what's next?

[chicken stalker]

I'm slowly becoming more self suffient. I have a big garden that needs to be bigger, a flock of chickens, I can, but not nearly as much as most of you (doesn't last past xmas). So what would be another step in the right direction?

 

[freemotion]

Choose a skill to aquire that is in line with your interests or that builds on skills you already have....how about dehydrating? Grow all your own flavoring herbs?

Do you want other animals in the future? Even if you can't have them now, if they are in your future, you can aquire some of the skills that will be needed. For example, if you want a dairy animal, you can learn how to make some dairy products now, with purchased milk. Then you won't be overwhelmed when the milk suddenly is flowing freely and filling up your fridge.

Want to raise meat animals? Maybe learn to pressure can and make jerky and such.

See where I'm going? So what are your goals and interests?

 

[Henrietta23]

That makes a lot of sense, Free! It's kind of what I'm doing. I've made lists, at least mentally, of what I'd like to add in the future and what I need to do to make it happen. If it's something that could actually happen where I live now I actually write it down. For instance the plan to enlarge the vegetable garden looks like this for this fall:
~Remove some trees to increase sunlight
~Acquire and install fencing to enclose entire garden space.
~Acquire containers inexpensively to grow more plants on the deck where light is abundant

I will decide what to grow next near based both on what I want us to be able to eat fresh, but what I would like to can as well.

And read here about what others are doing for ideas!

 

[chicken stalker]

ohh I knew I came to the right place for answers. I own a dehydrator but have yet to use it....I would love to try making jerky or fruit leathers, etc.

I have been trying to talk my husband into a couple goats...I think I'm starting to win. I love the idea of growing your own meat and milk but I don't think I could kill an animal but I know how to clean them once they are dead.

It's a slow process, winning over my family. It took a year to convince my husband why organic and local is better. We try to buy as much as possible organic but as you all know it's expensive and we need to pinch pennies.

I love learning new things... like next spring I want to tap some maples and make syrup. I'm only 31 and my friends and family think I'm nuts but I like to think outside of the box, the big box stores that is.

Keep the ideas coming, I'm making a check list.

 

[FarmerChick]

For me if you don't know----learn how to prepare and freeze and can all of your harvest from that garden! Key to a great garden is keeping that produce and have it last you thru the winter!!!!

Learn all that knowledge about the food you grow!



Next for me would be finding ways to recycle, reuse, re-purpose what I have in my home so I would not have to buy anything. One key thing for me about SS is not spending money when I don't have to for any reason.


Then next for me would be checking my bills and seeing exactly where I can cut back. Buying in bulk for the pantry to save on groceries, taking care of those phantom electric appliances etc. etc. Do a makover for the home and truly see where I can save and conserve.

That would keep me busy for a bit..LOL

 

[dacjohns]

Number one is live within your means.

 

[Wifezilla]

I have been trying to talk my husband into a couple goats

I am not a goat milk fan so I have my heart set on Irish Dexters

(Those are full grown adult cows in that photo)

Step 1...get land...LOL

 

[lorihadams]

I agree, my husband gave me a bread machine 6-7 years ago and I had never used it. So I decided to learn how to make bread and I have never turned back. My mom has a dehydrator that she never uses that I am thinking of "aquiring" and I desperately want dairy goats.

We did our first garden this year and it was pretty good but it is a learning process. I think you have to realize too that you won't be good at EVERYTHING that you may want to do, but if you try at least you can say you gave it a good effort.

I don't like canned foods so I don't can, I prefer frozen so I am trying to learn more about freezing my own foods.

Start with little things. Make a list of what you would like to be able to do or get accomplished and pick something from the list to focus on. There is always something to learn from folks on here and I can honestly say that I have learned quite a bit myself. Check books out at the library and read up on stuff.....we read up on keeping ducks for months and then took the plunge and love it. If you decide it's too much you haven't spent anything but time reading.

My advice is just not to try to do too much at once cause then you will just feel overwhelmed and set yourself up for disappointment.

Good luck!!!

 

[Beekissed]

Find little ways to save on money, to recycle or repurpose things, to save on utilities~like heating with wood, cooling with fans, shade, etc.

Save money toward major purchases so that you don't have big credit debt to overcome.

Work on lowering dependence on commercially raised meats, dairy and produce; on lowering dependence on traditional medicine by taking responsibility for your own health; weed out the non-essential expenses or costly habits in your life.

 

[Lady Henevere]

Think about what you rely on that comes from outside your house, and start working toward reducing your reliance on it. What do you use on a daily basis that could be done differently? For example, when I started thinking about it I realized that I use a lot of paper towels where I could use something else instead. Every time I reached for a paper towel, I thought to myself, "If I didn't have paper towels readily available, or if I lived a century ago, what would I use instead?" It made me think about what a disposable world we have come to accept, but it doesn't have to be that way. So you can increase self-sufficiency just by thinking about consuming less.

Also, consider looking into new types of food storage. There are some good books on canning, root cellaring, fermenting, dehydrating, etc. You may want to explore your local library's section on this subject.

Also, what is your ultimate goal? Do you want to be prepared in case of disaster? Do you want to rely less on corporate production of goods? Do you just love learning the skills needed to make your own stuff? Defining the big picture may help you figure out the direction you want to go.

Hope this helps! Enjoy the journey...