Where do you live and how does that help/hinder self-sufficiency?

[enjoy the ride]

Well I like you fine Patand chickens- of course a lot of people probably think I should shut up too- but no one has said so personally yet. Probably because I don't have email set up.
And if many more people shut up here, there will be nothing useful said at all.

 

[miss_thenorth]

OT, but I like you just fine too, Pat! Infact, this site and BYC would not be the same without you.

You have helped me out too many times to count, and I'm sure there are alot of other people out there that you have helped too. Your responses are always well thought out, and to me, that shows that you really care when you respond to someone.

As far as this thread goes....
SW Ont, Canada
Pros
great growing season, with lotsa farmers stands to buy produce
lots of pick your own places for just about anything.
Mild winters (still cold and freezing, but)
land at about $3-4000/acre.
Houses not outrageously priced
no natural disasters.

Cons
need to know someone with bushland in order to hunt
not as much variety of animals to hunt
no great foraging of wild edibles
really really windy, which is horrible in the winter.

 

[Beekissed]

Pat said: Before I start, let me say that I have just been informed in very strong terms that many people here do not like me and think I should shut up. I suggest they simply don't read this, or anything else I write <shrug>.

Well, whoever it was can go soak their head in toilet water, for all we care! We think you are wise and wonderful, Pat. I hope that person doesn't hang around, as we have a very nice crowd here right now and I would hate to lose this atmosphere.

Whoever you are picking on our Pat....go back to BYC and be mean, we don't play like that here!

Sorry, Pat! :bouquet

 

[patandchickens]

Um, thank you all very much <blush>... but of course *anyone* should hang around here who wants to, I just think that includes *me*, too

As per the subject of this post I was reminded by Miss_theNorth's list that another thing I really like about southern Ontario is its relative closeness to the Niagara fruit-growing region, meaning I can eat all the fresh ripe peaches and apricots and plums I want (despite their not being hardy at my house) without feeling bad about transport distances <vbg>

Pat

 

[dacjohns]

Before I start, let me say that I have just been informed in very strong terms that many people here do not like me and think I should shut up. I suggest they simply don't read this, or anything else I write <shrug>.

Pat

It wasn't me.

I can't say I even know pat from here or BYC. I guess we haven't crossed each other too badly.

 

[me&thegals]

Is that why I have not been seeing your wonderful posts lately, Pat? I always enjoy them! They are interesting, intelligent and while they have opnions, they are always stated politely. So, now you have at least 4 of us who think you are great!

 

[FarmerChick]

Before I start, let me say that I have just been informed in very strong terms that many people here do not like me and think I should shut up. I suggest they simply don't read this, or anything else I write <shrug>.

********WOW Pat sorry someone is being nasty. That is just lousey. Keep chatting away....all opinions should be heard on the forum.

 

[patandchickens]

Hey guys, I appreciate the support but let's get back to the subject please, a) because this is an interesting thread and b) because let's not make things worse, eh?



Another thing I like about where I live is that milk comes in BAGS! Ha! I grew up with bagged milk but the dairy's machine broke down about 20 yrs ago and they couldn't fix it... ends up that I had to move to CANADA to get back to finding milk sold in bags. And in fact you can't even *buy* it in plastic jugs here. The world is odd.

Pat

 

[me&thegals]

so, why are bags better? Aren't they both plastic? Or, are the bags considerably less plastic than the jugs? I found deck adirondack chairs once online made out of recycled milk jugs--several hundred per chair

 

[reinbeau]

Before I start, let me say that I have just been informed in very strong terms that many people here do not like me and think I should shut up. I suggest they simply don't read this, or anything else I write <shrug>.

Ok, I'm a little late but I have to say this - (and it's not directed totally at you, Pat!) people on the internet have to have thick skin. You can't be too sensitive to what others say, this is a flat media, no one can tell the emotions behind a post. I've found Pat's posts to be informative, mostly, sometimes opinionated, but heck, I'm one opinionated woman and have no problem giving anything right back if I think it's necessary! But it's hardly necessary to be argumentative, so for the most part I take the good out of what anyone says and try to ignore what I may consider bad. Life is too short to get your knickers in a knot over what goes on in a forum!!!

To the topic: I live on a .6 acre lot. Not much room for my Bit of Earth Farm, so all it will consist of are honeybees, vegetables and hens. If selling products from the front door counts towards self-sufficiency then I've got it made, I'm on a fairly major country road with lots of traffic, so many potential customers. My biggest problem is my current occupation (Pilates instructor) means I am away from the house for much of the day (this is my day off), so harvesting and putting stuff out is hard. Of course sitting indoors browsing forums doesn't do much to help me there!

I live south of Boston, in the heavily developed South Shore. My area was once rural, but it is now a bedroom community with a train to Boston. Fortunately most of Hanson is built as much as it can be built, because we've got lots of wetlands, bogs (home of Ocean Spray Cranberries), and now conservation easements as people with larger tracts are trying to preserve the town - a noble effort that can cause its own problems. There are still a few working farms, and with the push for local foods, some of them are doing quite well, we can only hope that growth continues.

There's still hunting around here, in season, in the southern part of town, and down further, into Halifax, Plympton, etc. but slowly those places are being built up, soon there will be too many houses to allow hunting.

Fishing? You have to be careful, many of the ponds and streams have high levels of mercury, and the septic runoffs cause severe algae blooms that they try really hard to control, but with few town sewer systems where does it all go but into the groundwater?

I don't think I can be 'self sufficient' totally here, but I am trying to do as much for us as I can.

Now for the house in Maine, up there, you still have more of a chance to be self sufficient. That's our safe house, if/when TSHTF we're planning on holing up there. That house is heated with wood, has a well, my husband is very good at living on a shoestring (he had many years of practice). He'd be my rock and guidance if anything bad happened - I've got a lot to learn from him! But up there people take care of each other, too - not so much around here.