We picked up this book a few weeks ago while browsing the book store. It is loaded with information on mostly everything you need to know about living off the land. You can learn how to make candles, soap, train a dog, weave, sew, raise chickens, gardening, preserving, build a root cellar, make cheese, home repair, etc... Most of these skills have been lost in modern times, where now all you need to know is how to get to the nearest Wal-Mart. No, we are not ready to unplug from the electrical grid and live like Laura Ingalls. We like technology too much. :-) But we do think it is important to learn some of these homesteading skills in case of an emergency and just for our own enjoyment. As anyone who preserves food understands the hectic and time consuming ordeal of canning and freezing, but then can relish in it when you can eat your own bounty in the middle of the winter and not have to buy a bag of frozen beans from who-knows-where at the grocery store. I think you can derive some sort of satisfaction from being just little more self-reliant. Especially in these uncertain economic times, it is just the comfort you need.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
A Good Read
We picked up this book a few weeks ago while browsing the book store. It is loaded with information on mostly everything you need to know about living off the land. You can learn how to make candles, soap, train a dog, weave, sew, raise chickens, gardening, preserving, build a root cellar, make cheese, home repair, etc... Most of these skills have been lost in modern times, where now all you need to know is how to get to the nearest Wal-Mart. No, we are not ready to unplug from the electrical grid and live like Laura Ingalls. We like technology too much. :-) But we do think it is important to learn some of these homesteading skills in case of an emergency and just for our own enjoyment. As anyone who preserves food understands the hectic and time consuming ordeal of canning and freezing, but then can relish in it when you can eat your own bounty in the middle of the winter and not have to buy a bag of frozen beans from who-knows-where at the grocery store. I think you can derive some sort of satisfaction from being just little more self-reliant. Especially in these uncertain economic times, it is just the comfort you need.
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5 comments:
Hi Jennifer!
This looks like a really cool book to score. When we were kids my grandmother taught us all how to make preserves, jam and all kinds of other things. I had thought about putting up some recipes on the blog to help people save money. You're right things have got hard for everyone. We're lucky that at least we have some land to use for growing and grazing stock. I need a new preserving pan mine has been overused so it's ended up with holes in it! I had seriously considered keeping the Terrorist for a house cow. I'm still thinking on that. I can't put her in calf until late this year. She turns a year old at the end of July. I could just imagine me digging out a root cellar.LOL. Heck I'll have to post up some photos I took of this old iron I found at a museum I visited a couple of months back. I have an old meat mincer here that is from 1897 and I still use it.I'm growing potatoes in some old tires. Back to basics is always a great way to go. I might see if I can get a copy in NZ if not I'll get it off Amazon.
Take care and I have to add some more chickens on!LOL
Eric and I have been talking alot about this sujject. We've always been nature people, but we're getting serious about sustainability.
We make tons of stuff around here - our cleaners, I make soap, I've made candles many times... but we'd like to be even less reliant on stores and such.
(We'll never be giving up the computers, we're unschoolers, so being able to look anything up at any given time is a biggy to us. Not to mention we love everything else about them, too.)
Yup. Livin' off the land. Even as much as we can on our less-than-a-quarter acre.
I totally agree! Kip and I are actually working on building our food storage in case of emergency...we have a wheat grinder, water purifier, wheat, rice, oats, assorted dried goods. Yesterday I got lentils, black beans, more oats, cornmeal, honey..etc. Anyway, the goal is to have a years worth of food storage and supplies, and then know how to use the in recipes to keep them rotating so the foot stays good. It's nice to have the option if you need to use it.
How are you two doing after the auction? Well, I hope. I bet there is a great adventure on the horizon for the two of you!!!
I love this book. Also all of the John Seymore books on self sufficiency (his books are AWESOME).
Yep - we live in a neighborhood'ish environment, but work to be more self sufficient and know how to take care of ourselves if we are ever without certain things. Always good to know.
Great blog! I'm a dairy farmer in Ohio. I agree, this book is excellent! Check out my blog at http://dairydiva.blogspot.com
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