I didn't mean you should stop emailing me with your questions yesterday. All I meant was to just take a step back and look before you leap. Everyone that emailed me, should have received an answer. If you didn't check your junk mail. I have been told that certain ones send mine to junk if it carries a link in it.
So we were talking about community yesterday. More and more people are thinking about the economy, more and more blogs are naturally writing on the subject. More than anything I am worried about the cost of heating fuels and Christmas time than anything else. I have enough food here to last the next year, harvest too harvest, which has been my goal, and I am still preserving food stuff. Personally I see the 3 month storage good for a natural disaster, rather than a long term man made one. But your 3 month supply can be stretched and help you save on your monthly food budget.
If you haven't yet, now is a good time to go ahead and check the laws of your town. Many cities do allow some sort of barn yard animals on a urban and suburban yard. And some do not. Also see what is available at your local extension office, as well as checking in with some of your local homesteading bloggers. Many that I work with online and many that I enjoy reading, including myself, don't mind teaching. If someone in my area is interested in coming out and working hard to learn, they are more than welcome. Fall and winter are a good time to learn some things without the mad dash to get it all done. Here in a few days (because the horse stomped on mine) I am going to a local pumpkin patch with a couple of women, then teaching them different ways to cook and preserve the bounty. I have been thinking about teaching a bread making class, so many people seemed to have one issue or another with that.
It is always a good idea to have the basics of homesteading down, or implemented into your life. Besides people thinking your a freak, or a chicken little, it doesn't hurt anything.
Now I am not saying the world is coming to an end. And I am not pushing my lifestyle off on anyone. I have a serious love/hate complex when it comes to homesteading of any kind. And there are many things I can't do as of this moment. I myself will be seeking out someone in my area that would be willing to trade some knowledge and lessons with me to fill those gaps.
So get out there, find a buddy and get your knowledge on. Now is an important time to do such things. And if they bulk on teaching you, tell em Phelan sent you . ha!
8 comments:
Phelan, I teach cooking classes and occasionally I've taught bread baking classes. The drawback with teaching yeasted bread baking is that if the class is, say, 2 hours long, you need to have a batch of bread prepared and timed in advance to be able to show every stage of the process. I've done it, showing up at class with four batches of dough, and mixing another one while I'm there. But it's a PITA. It would be somewhat easier to do in your own home, but still.
You've given some really great advice in these last few posts, phelan. I can see why many scared people have come to you.
I'm just curious, being a homesteader, who do you think is going to make a good president, Obama or McCain? And why?
Run Phelan, Run!!! Don't answer that question... it's a trap!!!
;)
Phelan, who cares what others think, right. I think what your doing is great and aspire to be more like you.
I second CG, you are an inspiration and a great source of support for me. And while we know that we can't take on everything at once, we do feel this pressure (especially now) to try to do it all. Bill broke his thumb pretty bad and will be off of work for a whole month at least and I panicked hardcore. So what I've learned, and continue to learn has helped me to focus a little more and freak out a little less.
Thanks for the last couple of posts, Phelan! We're about to embark on a back to the land kind of adventure and your words are taken in with the utmost interest. I'm looking forward to being an honest freak... my townie friends think it magical that I'm 30 and can cook a meal without any pre-planning or know more than two uses for baking powder. More power to you and I hope I can do as well as you seem to be doing!
Kate, can I call you Kate :D. I figured as much when it comes to teaching how to bake bread. Most of the woman around me want to learn just about everything. I thought made doing it out of a friend of mines home in the city, and showing them how to do other things while waiting on the bread. Of course I could't teach them who to do the potato bread, I don't think anyone would want to hang out with me for 24 hours.
Farm mom, I hope I have.
anonymous, well. . . first off it does bother me a tad that you are asking this anonymously, it somehow feels like a trap. It is no secert that I am a huge fan of Ron Paul, even though a tend to be a left leaning independent. The problem with this question is that homesteaders are all different, we all have different belifs, politic, spiritual, and all that jazz. Historically Rebulicans have been much more helpful to farmering family, and the Demecrats have always help small farmers keep their state welfare, as very few family farms actually make enough money to survive. As a homesteader both canidates have their good qualities.
Meadowlark, ya think?
Stephanie, thank you. I am sorry to hear about your husband. I bet that is very rough. We are still trying to get things back to normal after the lay off, it gets frustarting.
Silversunbeam, thank you, and welocme to my blog! it's funny, I to have the same response from people my age (30) my step father informed me of a woman at work that had no ide that you could purchase pasta without it being in a box of hamburger helper! I couldn't imagine being so cluless. Good luck on your ew adventure!
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