What does being self sufficient mean to you?

[Javamama]

I'm pretty sure we've done this subject before, but here I go again Oh maybe that was in a journal...

anyway, I agree with all the above. I am learning how to grow food, how to provide health care for my family, and how to get along on less if need be. I would really like to start hunting.

wait, I just noticed this is in the news, info and feedback section...are you all looking for site suggestions or something?

 

[FarmerChick]

apparently I AM NOT doing enough to be SS cause SS takes time and it would keep me off this board more

time to think more SS, less computer time

 

[dacjohns]

I'm not feeling too eloquent and I don't feel like taking the time to develope a well thought out and composed post so you get the usual. Short choppy incoherent bullets with maybe a smattering of misspellings thrown in for good measure.

I think self reliance is a more accurate term. To me self sufficiency is not needing anything from the "outside". Outside your own little piece of land. It includes growing ALL your own food. Growing includes gathering and hunting. You can take it even farther to the point where you don't need a job because you don't need money because you don't buy anything. That is the extreme.

Self reliance is a spectrum. You do whatever you can to not be dependant on others. It starts with living within your means. It means taking a hard look at your lifestyle. What good does it do to have a beautiful vegetable garden and fruit trees if you are drowning in debt because your toys are so expensive. If you live in an apartment it can mean having a tomato plant in a bucket on your balcony. If you have a house with a lot it can mean having a garden and fruit trees. If you have acreage it can mean more. It means preserving food. It means doing things yourself like repairing and building.

Self reliance is living within your means and doing what you can to limit your dependance on the world outside your own little space. It means different things to different people. What you do depends on your own situation. The BubblingBrooks live in Alaska, they depend a lot on wild game. Abi lives in an apartment, she depends on good buys and doing things herself.

 

[lorihadams]

I think being self sufficient means doing what you can for yourself without relying so much on outside influences.

We hunt, fish, grow our own food to supplement our supplies(if all goes well, this year did not), process our own animals, milk goats, homeschool, and generally try to do as much for ourselves and by ourselves as possible.

We only have 3 acres but that is big enough for us to achieve a lot of our goals. We are trying to teach our children and others (that are interested) life skills that have been forgotten by a lot of today's society. We just taught my BIL how to process his first deer and we have helped numerous people learn to butcher chickens. We do use technology and I wouldn't dream of living without our computer or cell phone but that goes hand in hand with today's lifestyle.

My whole thing is that we want to be able to live somewhat comfortably if things got so bad that we could not afford to buy what we needed. If my husband lost his job then could we eat for a while on what we have? probably

I also think self sufficiency means being resourceful and learning to use what you have to get by if need be. There are some of us that couldn't afford to buy meat if we couldn't hunt, or buy "fresh" veggies if we didn't have a garden to produce our own, or buy raw milk if we didn't have a cow or goat to milk ourselves, and we also produce some of our animals' feed ourselves. Could my animals live a decent quality of life if I couldn't afford to buy feed for a while....probably.

Self sufficiency can come in degrees....it is not just people that live on acreage. People in the city can be self sufficient if they adopt some alternative practices. I think people in general are fed up with the quality of our food, clothing, and supplies in general and are looking for alternatives to have things that are better for them and their families. Goods produced now in this country don't last anymore....lots of people are buying "antique" tools and machinery because they have lasted 50 years or more and are made better than the crap that our country now produces or, more likely, has had made overseas and shipped here. People are looking to farmer's markets more and more now to buy quality food without all the preservatives and chemicals that are applied to food so that it may be shipped from other countries and last long enough to make it to where they are. There is a huge resurgence in handicrafts and buying and using recycled goods.

All of that contributes to the self sufficiency of the nation when we reduce our dependence on foreign countries for our goods.

 

[framing fowl]

SS for me has been about challenging assumptions, generally going against the mainstream and doing things a bit differently. It has also been about learning the importance of being able to trust other people and be discerning in relationships. I used to try to do everything on my own and have learned to ask for and accept help and how important a healthy, vibrant community is.

 

[moolie]

I'm not feeling too eloquent and I don't feel like taking the time to develope a well thought out and composed post so you get the usual. Short choppy incoherent bullets with maybe a smattering of misspellings thrown in for good measure.

I think self reliance is a more accurate term. To me self sufficiency is not needing anything from the "outside". Outside your own little piece of land. It includes growing ALL your own food. Growing includes gathering and hunting. You can take it even farther to the point where you don't need a job because you don't need money because you don't buy anything. That is the extreme.

Self reliance is a spectrum. You do whatever you can to not be dependant on others. It starts with living within your means. It means taking a hard look at your lifestyle. What good does it do to have a beautiful vegetable garden and fruit trees if you are drowning in debt because your toys are so expensive. If you live in an apartment it can mean having a tomato plant in a bucket on your balcony. If you have a house with a lot it can mean having a garden and fruit trees. If you have acreage it can mean more. It means preserving food. It means doing things yourself like repairing and building.

Self reliance is living within your means and doing what you can to limit your dependance on the world outside your own little space. It means different things to different people. What you do depends on your own situation. The BubblingBrooks live in Alaska, they depend a lot on wild game. Abi lives in an apartment, she depends on good buys and doing things herself.

SS for me has been about challenging assumptions, generally going against the mainstream and doing things a bit differently. It has also been about learning the importance of being able to trust other people and be discerning in relationships. I used to try to do everything on my own and have learned to ask for and accept help and how important a healthy, vibrant community is.

I know the title of the site is "Sufficient" "Self", but I am more of a believer in "Sustainable Everyone".

I really like the comments above about community, because that is (what I feel is) lacking in today's society. Most people depend on the "system" for their needs, but simple things like customer service and respect for others have totally gone out the window. Someone recently mentioned watching old b&w psa movies about manners and etiquette and how people don't show that kind of respect for others anymore. For me it all comes down to taking personal responsibility for one's actions, and most people are more likely to lay blame than pull up their boot straps and work to make things better.

I absolutely believe that doing/providing for one's self/family is paramount. But despite a robust skill-set I don't know anyone who can exist in a vacuum of true "self" sufficiency. What would be the point of life? We each only get so many years to enjoy this world, I believe we should take the time to enjoy it--to actually LIVE life.

I tend to be verbose and wander off-topic, so down to brass tacks as to the OP--My family's "self" sufficiency means doing as much as possible to take care of our own needs: producing and preserving as much of our own food as possible (and sharing it with friends and family), and learning the skills we don't yet have in order to further this process.

However, we firmly believe in "Sustainable Everyone". I have a great book called Self-Sufficiency for the 21st Century written by British father and son duo Dick and Jame Strawbridge who also have a tv show on the topic in the UK. One of the first things that drew me to this book was its emphasis on sustainability, along with all of the information on various sufficiency topics. I believe Dick and James are on the right track

 

[Leta]

Hrm. I know 100% SS is impossible, so I would just shoot for a solid majority of being able to produce our own:

-food
-toiletries and health treatments
-energy/fuel

Being able to produce clothing- not just sew it, but produce the fiber and everything- would be amazing, but I think I'd have to settle for thrift store shopping and being able to mend, producing Halloween costumes, and knowing how to extend the life of shoes.

 

[Britesea]

well, everyone else has already voiced most of the comments I would have made.

Being older, and somewhat disabled, I long ago gave up the idea that I could take care of ALL my needs. For me, Self-sufficient means doing as much as I can to provide for my own needs; for the rest, I try to buy as locally as is possible- if I can find someone that spins wool from their own sheep, I will buy yarn from them for my sweater; if not then I will buy yarn that has been made in the US.

Being a prepper, I try to at least LEARN all the skill sets I can, since I don't know what might become unavailable should we face Armageddon; even if I can't do it all, I might be able to teach someone else!

 

[Sunny & the 5 egg layers]

Not having to rely on outside sources to get things you need but instead making/growing/raising it yourself.

 

[me&thegals]

Ditto to Sunny and others. I don't think it's possible. From what I read in the Clan of the Cave Bear series, people have always specialized and relied on one another rather than needing to learn every single task.

We are mainly employed in food sufficiency and heating. We have wood heat and I grow a ton of our food, can, dry, freeze, etc. My husband hunts and processes meat birds, plus makes sausage and bacon, so most of our food comes from us. It's a great feeling! We barter, too. I've been bartering eggs for apples and pears since we don't have much tree fruit yet.