THE SQUIRREL CHALLENGE: Want to join?

Beekissed

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A handful of us SSers thought it would be kind of neat to take a challenge this year and make it the Year of the Squirrel (nothing whatsoever to do with any kind of Chinese calendar :D )!
We want to make this the year that we "squirrel" away like we've never done before! I'm not talkin' Y2K here, more like Farmer Boy proportions. We want to grow more, can more, scavenge more, and basically fatten our larders, barns, soils, animals....you name it, we want to be sittin' fat and sassy when the cold weather comes to call next fall.

We would like to see progressive pictures and any new ideas related to this pop up on this thread. We already have several people making grow lights, sprouting their own seeds, building raised beds, building flocks. Lets see those pics and a post on how it ties into your food collection and winter preparation progress!

Anybody else up for a little challenge? Maybe we can even have Nifty, Ann, and KStaven vote on the final results? ;)

Now, remember....the key word is frugal! Anybody can go out and buy a bunch of food for the winter.....we want you to grow it, barter for it, find it so cheap that its a bona fide bargain in true SS/frugality style!

How bout it, folks? :D
 

SKR8PN

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I'll play!! Does it count if we show what we ALREADY have stashed and then show what we are adding?? :D
 

Beekissed

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Yes! Definitely! A head start...oh, no! We've got to get crackin'! :barnie
 

SKR8PN

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:clap I gotta go take some pictures................:ya
 

SKR8PN

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My charcoal stash. Natural lump on the left and natural briquettes on the right. Well over 150 bags.
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Some shots from the pantry. These shelves are 24 inches deep so they hold a LOT and they are FULL front to back. Over 50 containers of coffee.
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Canning lids....
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Freezer #1 is FULL.
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Buckets are full of honey, rice, sugar, salt, brown sugar......
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Flour twice frozen and waiting for the next batch of Gamma Seal lids so I can get it put up....
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canned goods.........and freezer #2 that is also FULL.
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5 new raised beds built last fall after the garden was fished up...
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First set of raised beds and the leaf/compost pile....
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Beekissed

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Alright! I'm going to SKR's house for my canning supplies! How in the world can we catch up to all that? :th

We can try! That's how! Now we have a goal....to have more stash than SKR8PN!

Impressive, to say the least! :thumbsup
 

Tallman

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Does the winner get a new toaster, a hot water heater or something? :D

Way to go SK. Great work and great pictures. :clap
 

PamsPride

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I am going to SK's house if things go bad!! He can feed my family of 8 for at least a year or more!!
I just planned out a one month meal menu plan and I plan try to stock 12 of each of those meals as I can. I tried to make the meals so they did not have to be from the fridge or freezer so if I actually count in all of our out of the freezer meals and fresh food meals the 12 months of meals should actually last us two or three years.
Examlple: Chicken or tuna noodle casserole....I want to stock up 24 bags of noodles, 12 cans of chicken or tuna, 12 large cans of cream of mushroom soup, 12 cans of condensed milk, and 3 boxes of the 4 packs of crackers.
I bought a 20 pound bag of rice Friday night that will be used for a lot of meals to make taco rice (Dh and the boys' favorite meal.)
So, it is my goal to have one years supply of food on hand to feed my family of 8. I also want to work on a years supply of toiletries for my family too. I have enough supplies to make my own laundry detergent for a year.
 

dddct

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wow super impressed. I t makes me realize how much work I have to do. I have about 50+ #10 cans of freeze dried foods all types and several super pails of grains and lentils. I have cases of meats including salmon(? spelling doesn't look right). clams, crab, tuna chicken and turkey. I think last count I have enough for maybe 100 days. I also have store bought canned veggies and tomatoes but this will be the first year I can my own.

I have bought at thrift stores and flea markets winter clothes, shoes, boots and coats for my son up to size 16. He's 5yrs old. I have stocked up on wool blankets and socks. Each month I try to add something based on whatever I find on sale.

Is anyone else buying junk silver as well? I don't buy the shiny new coins but the older silver coins like Morgans that I can get reasonble close to the silver market value.

We have added many more chickens to our flock and now have 20 Flemish rabbits that we breed. Right now hubby wants them primarily for showing but they will be tasty in a pot if times get icky.
 

dddct

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Pam you make your own laundry soap? Is it easy to do? I think I'd like to try that
 
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