Posted on 12/30/2012 6:33:21 PM PST by teenyelliott
So, I'm sure at least one person here on FR has wondered what happened to me, maybe two of you. Before I really really stopped posting, many of us had discussed the possibility, and or the desire, to get out of the city to our own little homesteads and try to grow some food, for security, for peace of mind, for whatever reason.
Well, my family did it.
Two years ago we made the jump. We bought a place in the country, and have spent the past couple of years setting up our little homestead. We have a big garden, many chickens, some ducks, some guineas, some sheep, some goats, and a barn for all of them. A woodstove, a hand pump well, even a solar chicken coop.
Any of my old pals, and any new ones, come check us out! Would be pleased to hear from you, and share what we are learning.
Please ping any of my old buddies that you know of; I seem to have misplaced my old ping list!
Please add me to your ping list.
betsyross60
BKMK
Will do, betsy!
Homesteading Thread #1, In Honor of Granny
Is that okay with everyone on this thread? Then we can ping people and add information every day, along and along?
I'm fairly sure that none of us wants to be "in charge" of running a continuous thread, but maybe if we all add a thing or two every day, we could keep it going.
Pretty please??? :)
Everyone, we now have a place to put all things homesteading; recipes, ideas, photos, links to helpful websites, etc.
If we all contribute every day or every other day, we can create a really good resource.
Today, I am going to repot my piper nigrum vine (black peppercorns), and we are going to try to breed our French Lop bunnies. We are hoping that at least two of our sheep are pregnant, so there will be lots of babies here in the spring!
Our farm is now also on twitter and pinterest, so we will update those very day, as well.
HAPPY HOMESTEADING EVERYONE!!
No matter where you live, today is a good day to plant a seed. I might pop a coffee bean in the dirt today as my seed, if it grows I will post photos. And yes, I have green coffee beans, thanks to Sweet Maria's.
Granny's threads really were an inspiration to me prior to our move to the country, and reading those threads did contribute to the idea that not only did I want to have my own homestead, but that I could.
No matter where you live, apartment in a big city, house in town, or mobile home in the country, there are things you can do today to give yourself and those around you more food security. I don't consider myself a "prepper"; too doom and gloom, all those ideals make me anxious.
I am a homesteader, and it is a way of life. It changes your life, the way you live it, and how you see things.
It is not political, although 40 years ago it was mostly liberal hippies going back to the land, and now it is mostly conservatives and libertarians who simply want more control over their own lives.
Plant a seed. Buy a couple of hens. Find a local farmer you can do business with. Baby steps. Your health will thank you!
I'll create a ping list of sorts, and post it here so that you all can use it/refer to it as you see fit, unless one of you want to be the boss of this thread. :)
Thanks hun.
Thanks for creating the Granny memorial thread, teenyelliott.
I’m pinging the old list I had for granny’s threads. There may be double entries with those you already pinged; sorry to those getting pinged twice.
CB, does anyone have a complete ping list that we can add Sam to?
Family Handyman magazine (and website), always has great ideas and is worth the price of a subscription. A dual rain barrel system for less than $100.00??!! And, you can add as many barrels to this sytem as you need.
Most rain barrels that you buy are so expensive it's silly, and most DIY instructioins are for one barrel. Having two set up like this is great! From www.familyhandyman.com...
It's pretty easy to build your own rain barrels from plastic drums or trash cans. Search online for “bottles” or “containers” to find an “open head” plastic 55-gallon drum with a cover (about $60). Or find a used barrel by talking to car wash managers (they buy soap and wax by the barrel). If you can't find a container you like, buy a large, heavy-duty garbage can (about $35) at a home center. All the other plumbing parts will add up to about $40.
Place the drum near a downspout, drill a hole in the side near the bottom and screw in a drain valve. That's an OK installation if you plan to run a soaker hose to your garden. But if you want to use a wand or a spray nozzle, you'll need to elevate the barrel on a stand for more water pressure. Water is heavy (55 gallons weighs 440 lbs.), so use 4x4 treated lumber for the legs and secure everything with construction screws or stainless steel lags. But don't place the stand on soft ground. You could kill somebody if the rig toppled over. If you have large gardens and want to store more water, double-size the stand and add a second barrel.
Cut holes in the bottoms of the barrels with a 2-1/4-in. hole saw. Then screw in a 2-in. male threaded electrical (gray PVC) conduit adapter (electrical adapters aren't tapered like plumbing adapters, so you can tighten them down all the way). Squirt a thin bead of silicone caulk around the opening and screw on a threaded electrical PVC coupler to cinch the barrel between the two fittings (see Figure A). Next, glue together sections of 2-in. PVC pipe, unions (to make winter disassembly easier), reducers and valves. As long as you're at it, install an overflow pipe so you can direct the excess where you want it.
Finally, cut a hole in one of the covers and mount a screen to filter out leaves and debris. Then just wait for the next big rain.
For complete instructions and more photos, visit...
Family Handyman
Could you please add me to your ping list? I used to converse with Granny and miss her wisdom. I am anxious to hear what everyone else is doing.
Wisconsinlady
Absolutely! If you have any advice, wisdom, recipes, etc., that you would like to share, go ahead and add them. This is a group effort. :)
Awesome return ......grateful your back to share your knowledge !
Stay safe !!!
Oh, THANK YOU for the ping! I miss her so much!
Teeny, I have a friend who’s husband lost his job - they had no money for food, one evening, and he told her not to worry - he would go down to the stream, and catch some fish for dinner! He told her to light up the grill, and he would be back soon with a great dinner!
He came back soon, escorted by two wardens. He got arrested for fishing without a license (on his own property).
Seems that our pres. signed an executive order (that no one knows about), that it is illegal to fish ANYWHERE without a license, including on your own property!
He had to go to court and pay a huge fine. The judge apologized, but told him, it is a Federal Law, and they must send the ‘collected fine’ to the government.
It is so discouraging, that even if we try to help ourselves in the most innocent way - there may be a ‘new’ executive order that no one is aware of - that will prohibit us from moving forward.
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