Off the grid

[horsefeather]

Just wondered how many of you are storing extra supplies for what 'might' happen. My daughter and I sure are. We have 60 acres in Oklahoma so feel we are, or can be in a hurry, fairly self sufficient. We have cows, horses (can use if gas disappears for travel or working fields) goats, chickens, ducks and will soon have some sheep. We have a well and several ponds. My grandaughter is learning how to can---we will freeze as much as possible, but if we have no electricity, there goes your fridge and freezer. I have watched the preppers show. Some of those folks are a little more 'prepared' than I personnaly think necessary, but to each his/her own. However, as Jill stated in another post, it does have 'some' good ideas. We are also beginning to store water.

Pam

 

[KanoasDestiny]

My husband and I are also beginnning to 'store up' again. We started a few years ago, then kinda pushed it to the side. We have been watching Doomsday Preppers, and while some of them are extreme, it's really a beneficial idea to be prepared. We live in California and expect a huge earthquake to happen at any time. If that were to happen, I'd like to know that we could bunker down here and wait it out. We have a shed away from the house that is now our 'emergency shed'. We have a bunch of mre's, bottled water, and medical supplies stored in there, and now we're working on canned food. It's a scary thought but I'd rather be prepared and not need it, then uprepared and need it.

 

[susanne]

We live as sustainably as possible and do so more every year, but not for any fear of WTSHTF or what have you. We believe that each step toward self-sufficiency and healthy living is good. Are we off-grid and producing all of our own food? No way...we're far from it. But we do what we can and plan to do more in the future. We've learned that we can do so much without depriving ourselves of anything we love.

Since we moved out of town, we've focused on a simple lifestyle and, as a result, we've gone from owing a fair amount to being very nearly debt-free. We will have debt when we build our house, but we are building a small, energy efficient 2 bedroom cabin rather than the monstrosities that seem de rigueur these days. Instead of cable television, we watch the shows we like online and have found many fairly recent movies on YouTube. We read a lot and spend much of our time with our horses, dogs and cats. Who needs TV?

Our well and septic system have drastically reduced our utility bills from when we lived in town. We minimize our electrical consumption -- my computers and Keith's music studio take a lot of electricity, but we make up for these by wearing sweaters (or even coats) instead of turning up the heat and by making use of natural light. Our new house will have a woodstove, as we have plenty of windfall and deadite trees on our forested acreage to burn for free. We reduce, re-use and recycle.

Our primary transportation, our van, is not economical, but necessary for hauling horses, hay, building supplies, etc., and we plan our trips carefully. Once we have the house built we'll look around for a little econocar.

We've added to our chicken flock and plan, in addition to eggs for our own consumption, to trade for food items we can't or don't choose to produce. Chickens are so easy, so fun, and such great entertainment it's silly not to have them. We're not certified organic (just ARE certifiable, hehe...), but our chickens are everything but -- grass-fed on our chemical-free lawn and meadows, no antibiotics or hormones, and they live happy lives, We hope in the future to add a dairy goat or two (or however many freshening adds to our herd). We have NO plans on raising our own beef, as we don't eat any of our own animals (we're big wimps), but that doesn't mean we can't trade or buy from a nearby farm. A happy retirement for all of our animals is a price we choose to pay.

Our garden gets bigger each year, limited only by the abundance of shade on our property and our inherent laziness! I try to plant according to time, space and what we actually will eat so that we don't waste our effort. Potatoes, lettuce, and spinach are foods we love and are stupidly simple to grow. Herbs are both delicious and ornamental -- I grown them in my perennial borders with my roses and shrubs. Tomatoes take minimal effort, and are well worth the effort. I always plant a few cherry tomatoes for eating off the vine, which guarantees that Keith is more than willing to help tend them.

I'd love to create a root cellar -- not to protect ourselves from armageddon, but to keep potatoes, foods we preserve, and fruit for a longer period of time. It also allows us to share more of what we produce with others.

We certainly have our indulgences and have absolutely no plans on giving those up...espresso, chocolate...driving into Portland for concerts, theatre, museums and galleries... The true "off-the-gridders" and "modern homesteaders" would probably consider us poseurs, but we're not all or nothing kind of people. Every step counts, no matter how small.

We half-jokingly refer to ourselves as "lefty survivalists." We will always be there to help others and we always plant a "row for the hungry" in our garden, but that doesn't mean we need to depend on others in any way, hence our reason for increasing our self-sufficiency.

 

[Sonya]

We are very well prepared, I will not get into details, as Big Brother is watching all the time. A few of those folks on the Preppers show got themselves into trouble because of the show, airing their lives and preparations (even though they were not breaking the law).

 

[2minis4us]

Sonya, why are you prepared, and what do you think is going to happen ? I like to hear things I don't know about.

 

[Sonya]

Same reasons the above posters are prepared/preparing. Be it natural disasters, economic collapse, etc...

 

[mini horse mania]

..

 

[Sonya]

Mini horse mania....Gas is on its way back up right now....the price of gas effects everything...when food prices triple or worse because of the cost to transport it, people will not be able to afford food and yes you are right there will/could be chaos. I do believe Iran is gonna be shutting us off very very soon.

 

[susanne]

.

hmm...perhaps I should not have posted on this thread, since I'm obviously (as usual) off on a different tack. True, we do not want our lives ruled by big banks, big oil, big supermarkets, (I have no choice but to be ruled by big pharma...) etc., but our biggest reason is for our health and the happiness we've discovered by stepping off the roller coaster.

I DO find it funny that I know of more people interested in growing their own food and eating healthily IN TOWN than where we live now...fatty, processed, chemical-laced foods seem to be the choice in this community. While many in town have converted their limited yards into "square foot" style gardens, everyone out here in the country seems to worship their lawns.

 

[kaykay]

There are so many good reasons to produce and can your own food etc. I have done it the last few years as I like knowing what is or is not in my food. To me its a lot of fun especially when I make jam as I like playing with the flavors. But I also can my own spaghetti sauce, different fruits etc.

 

[mini horse mania]

Lots of folks aroumd here are trying to produce their own,food in,town also...they are fighting,chicken ordinances everywhere aroumd us....we have a tire shop,and what we hear is that food prices are driving them to do this,along with fear of collapse.every step toward self sufficieny helps.we havemt had a tv in 5 years,no cable,we do have phones with internet for the business...i have even started making our own soap,candles,we drink our goats milk,etc.....i just want to be prepard for anything that may come our way..it just seems that things are getting bad fast aroumd here.

 

[andi]

When I saw this post I was so interested that someone had started it, separate from the political one, and more focused on the personal reward of being self sufficient. I was disappointed though that the bigger focus for some is a fear of doomsday and chaos. I feel the same way as Susanne I think. I am very young but have just about had it with the "Roller Coaster". It is an amazing feeling the first time that you realize how much you DON'T NEED TO HAVE. Any temporary joy I have ever found by spending money doesn’t compare to creating something or accomplishing a project. Even when it comes to the horses, it has never been getting the title, but producing a horse that is worthy of it. I think we are conditioned from such an early age that being successful is having enough money to consume, consume, consume. I found once I was responsible for my own bills and expenses, more joy(through relief), comes from paying things off than actually getting them. If that is the case, I don't want it. I think a big problem is it has become a very acceptable practice to live in debt. I am sorry, but 30 years to pay of a home? Yah, everyone does it and the banks are there to help, but that does not need to be the norm. The focus of so many becomes giving our lives to our jobs. Our relationships and personal morals take a back seat. They have to, if you want to have a family and be seen as successful. We all quietly put the pressure on each other. The sad thing is most people can't even try getting off the track, they already have a home and family that expects certain things. Expectations are often premeditated resentment. I do think the "American Dream" has really been twisted and distorted for many into more of a burden to carry. It is still there for those who choice to take advantage of it, but it means taking the road less traveled, and surrounding yourself with people who appreciate the same things. There were a couple movies that I saw recently that really make you think about the lifestyles we all choice to live and how insignificant they are in relation to who we really are as people. One was the "THE LAST STATION", based on the last years of Leo Tolstoy's life. Also, "BLUE VALENTINE", shows how expectations can so quickly turn into resentment, no matter how genuine and true the love is at the start.

 

[Bess Kelly]

I believe in being self reliant -- it comes in handy

Some of my fondest memories are of days on my grandparents farm. Their life was off grid as it was a necessity then. There were outhouses, kero lamps, wood stoves for heat and cooking,home made soap, a washboard for laundry, butchering of wild game, a well that required us to drop a bucket and pull it up full......but, chickens provided eggs and some Sunday dinners, a huge garden and a wonderful cellar that was actually dug into the hill behind the lackluster house. I loved to just go sit in the little cellar and look at the bounty of food, colorful and soothing.

Only my mother is still amazed that I love to can, treasure a garden and love the animals!! When other little girls played with dolls, I played with farm sets.

Riding horses were my dream and I vowed to have those and a "herd of the coal mine ponies" I saw each Spring traveling to WV to visit the relatives. I made all those dreams reality.

So, for me, it is a pleasureable satisfaction to be able to feed myself and family by my own work. When my kids were small I sewed, also -- very well I might say, even commercially. As empty nest came about, things slacked as I needed to do less. Now, in forced retirement to be able to assist my ailing/living with me mom, I have begun to add many of these pursuits back into my time at home. Yes, pleasure and escape

all in one! But, I see so much failure in the economy that this is one way I can also preserve income. I've always been a pro-active food person (like Susanne, organic and not certified), so am very healthy and knowledgeable. I'm adding some new blueberry bushes this year, some berry vines,an aspargus bed and constructing a small greenhouse/hoophouse. Already have some fruit trees producing.

Thankfully, I am able to feel secure with adequate finances to support my herd (37) of aging minis and anything I add, with common sense management and simple lifestyle Considering picking up a couple Nubbies (raised hundreds of milk and meat goats before) in case I decide to milk again...want to do cheese and yogurt, yum! So, yes, I am embracing my current place in life and plan to expand the at home capabilities. Last yr at this time my mom was presenting with heart/lung/memory issues....Altzhimer's prob/definate dememtia!! It has taken a yr to stabilize everyone but, now I am dealing with it (HARD, hard, hard situation) and looking forward to a garden and canning again!

I was a Mother Earth News subscriber when it was in it's infancy...still enjoy it and the old, old issues!

 

[Sonya]

When I read the first post I thought this post was about preparing for the 'what if' since the Preppers show was brought up and storing water. It is certainly healthier to grow your own food, or prepare your own meats. I do know last summer a big story in Michigan was a family who lived in the city (with a descent sized lot) decided to make some planters in their front yard to grow some veggies, they immediately got slapped with fines and ended up going to court over it....ultimately they lost. I do know there are alot of ordinances regarding chickens in the urban/suburban areas....so even if people who live in the city would like to be more self-sufficient they are unable to, unless they move.

 

[Riverrose28]

UUMM! Can I live without stores? Yes, but I wouldn't be happy about it! Reasons why, I would need to cook all my own dog food, and most of my minis are on dry lots, guess they could get by without horse feed as long as I stocked up on hay, which we do (when available). I would miss having cold beer, especially during the summer, but could live without it.

We have an orchard and grow fruit for jelly and jams, which I can, even won first prize at the county fair for my strawberry jam, and third for my blackberry. We just planted twelve more blackberry bushes. We have three gardens and grow alot. Corn, silver queen mostly, green beens, peas, limas, peppers sweet and hot including jelopino, broccoli, califlower (need to keep the ground hogs out this year) white potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, lettece, spinich, probably forgot a few items. Oh by the way you don't need a root cellar to keep potaotes and onions. We have a dark room on the North side of the house, no heat, we dry the root plants in our indoor then store them in milk crates in the dark, cool room. We do lose a few, but not many, plus I can the small ones. Sometimes I spend the whold day canning and blanching for freezing. I probably have several hundred jars, just like a hoarder! I would need a store to buy freezer bags, unless I wanted to start recycling them with washing. WE havn't used our furnice since 2005, we use wood stoves, my son-in-law is outside right now splitting wood. I must have air conditioning in the summer, as the heat kills me, we do have a generator, and are saving to buy a bigger one. I don't have any credit cards and must save for what I need. Don't feel sorry for me, hubby has a couple in case of emergency. We do buy paper products in bulk and stock up, and I go to the grocery once a month for meat, but if I had to we have a lot of deer, wild turkey and rabbits around, and plenty of ammo since we live in the boonies.

I'm not afraid of government collapse, whatever, but do need to be prepared in case of emergency, or another 911. Hope it doesn't happen, but you never know, the only thing that does scare me, are the new people down here that have their pristine lawns and nothing else, except of course big cars, but, we were here first and prepared and I'm a nice person, but they better ask first and not try to take, as my gun is locked and loaded.

 

[Riverrose28]

Forgot to add somethings, we also grow zucchini, and I bake bread and freeze it, I use walnuts in this bread, so maybe I should plant a walnut tree next to my pecan tree. We also grow tomatoes and can around 40 to 50 jars for soups and sauces, I like to make my own spegetti sauce and chili sauce and salsa. We are also thinking of rebuilding the chicken house as my grandson wants to do the broiler project for 4-h. They only cost .45 a piece and grow as big as small turkys. Our county has made a few laws since we had chickens before, so we would need to not only rebuild the chicken house, but add a contained yard as well, with a top so the hawks can't get the chickens.

 

[susanne]

I neglected to mention our most important step in our road to self-reliance:

When we lived in Portland, we owned a home on a 1/2 acre that we adored...it was our cabin in the woods in the city. We had two minis (allowed by the city due to our lot size and because we were surrounded by 1/2 acre lots) and tons of room for gardening. We were, however, completely ruled by our mortgage and property taxes. When we learned that our home's value had doubled (with no improvements on our part), we sold it and used the proceeds to buy our property in the country in what is considered by many Portlanders to be a very "low rent" county. We went from a cute little 20s bungalow to a single-wide trailer (we'll soon be building a cabin), but we have 4 acres at the edge of the wilderness yet still only 30 minutes from downtown Portland...

...and we own it free and clear. Yes, we lost the tax advantages to a mortgage, but seeing where things have gone, I'm SO happy not to be playing that game.

We quickly learned, however, that we had broken unspoken family rules, and we would NOT be forgiven.

My sister gets it, but my brothers (and especially their wives) think we have become white trash because we live in a mobile home and are to be pitied. One brother informed me that we don't own anything, since we have no "real" house. (Excuse me...are those four acres chopped liver?) Another brother tells everyone who will listen how we were "ripped off" (by buying land with all utilities, septic and well already in place for the price of raw land...yeah right). Of course, they also criticized us for buying the 1/2 acre in town that doubled in value in three years...

What it boils down to is that we've scorned what they value so highly -- money and possessions AND the opinions of others. We threaten their good opinion of themselves. We no longer fit into the box of expectations they had for us -- two former diehard city people, musicians and artists, couldn't possibly do what we did.

Sometimes you need to move against expectations to get what you truly desire. Many people feel threatened when others discover the strength to survive on their own, but once a few brave souls challenge the status quo, others soon join in. The irony in our case is that Portland is very supportive of sustainable lifestyles -- until you dare to leave town for an unhip community such as ours.

Fortunately, we really don't give a $#!+.

.

 

[Sonya]

Susanne I for one could never understand the 'stigma' of a trailer, be it double or single. When we first moved to Michigan we rented a single wide on 2 acres, we loved it. Then we bought a modular that we technically live in but my heart is in my doublewide...lol. A couple years ago we bought a forclosed double wide on 3 acres w/pole barn and were able to pay cash, we go there on our weekends...its our little haven we call camp and where we will retire in the summers, surrounded by lakes. I like it better than the modular...it is easier to maintain. A roof over ones head, especially paid, is nothing to scoff at no matter what the construction.

 

[susanne]

That's exactly how I feel, Sonya. It's pure snobbishness -- with a huge dose of stupidity thrown in on top. They don't even care that we have a beautiful, private, quiet piece of land with a view of the Cascade Mountains -- a place that is perfect for us and our animals. Their minds freeze at "mobile home." Granted, our "tin cabin" is ugly at best, but it's temporary and it keeps us warm and dry. We just say we're on a longterm camping trip!

 

[Sue_C.]

Not too fond of this new forum outlay...but will like it I am sure once I know how to use it...this has so far been my fourth try to get a post here, and lost it every time so far...so this one will be shorter...much shorter...

I do not understand why the hype over Eastern oil prices...how the world is held in flux because of it...at least the stated fear of Iran "cutting the USA off. Iran, isn't even mentioned here...and I think it wasonly supplying NINE PERCENT of USA's oil in 2011. Makes me wonder................???????

ftp://ftp.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil_gas/petroleum/data_publications/company_level_imports/current/import.html