| 1/12/2011 1:02:46 PM |
Survivel and being self sufficent |
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thunder_lover71
Mount Pleasant, MI
46, joined Sep. 2008
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I seen a thread on here once but don't remember what group it was in any ways there was a woman that had books on the old ways like smoking meat and canning.. also she talked about raising goats for milk and butter and chesse and also for meat and other animals ... I was wondering if I could get some ideas on this subject.
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| 1/12/2011 4:11:25 PM |
Survivel and being self sufficent |
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sc_dawg
Prosperity, SC
42, joined Jan. 2011
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The series of books most known for that is "foxfire" series.
Other good ones are "5 acres and independence"
Both must haves for the guide to off-grid and self sufficiency 
The little house on the prairie books (no not the stupid TV series) gave actual accounts and step by step on how they "used" to do it.
Many others out there...but start with the foxfire books. Most libraries have em for check out too.
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| 1/12/2011 4:59:02 PM |
Survivel and being self sufficent |
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thunder_lover71
Mount Pleasant, MI
46, joined Sep. 2008
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The series of books most known for that is "foxfire" series.
Other good ones are "5 acres and independence"
Both must haves for the guide to off-grid and self sufficiency
The little house on the prairie books (no not the stupid TV series) gave actual accounts and step by step on how they "used" to do it.
Many others out there...but start with the foxfire books. Most libraries have em for check out too.
Lol we seem to keep running into each other.. thanks ill check them out. Do they tell how to tan hides ?
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| 1/13/2011 12:01:00 AM |
Survivel and being self sufficent |
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sc_dawg
Prosperity, SC
42, joined Jan. 2011
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yep, skinning, irrigation, smoke houses, you name it.
They even teach how to moonshine LOL
sorry, I'm just big into self sustained living and always quick to shoot some info and advice  I will probably be around the section as not much else really interests me.
[Edited 1/13/2011 12:02:50 AM ]
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| 1/14/2011 1:15:05 PM |
Survivel and being self sufficent |
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skiwino
Redford, MI
55, joined Feb. 2007
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I have the Foxfire series; they document basically how everything was done about a hundred years ago on the farms of the Appalachians. Yep, from making soap to moonshine.
For more up to date info on self sufficient living and farming check out the magazines "Mother Earth News", "New Farm" and the "Whole Earth Catalog".
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| 1/14/2011 1:27:31 PM |
Survivel and being self sufficent |
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skiwino
Redford, MI
55, joined Feb. 2007
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Also check out this forum: http://www.permies.com/permaculture-forums
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| 1/14/2011 4:47:49 PM |
Survivel and being self sufficent |
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thunder_lover71
Mount Pleasant, MI
46, joined Sep. 2008
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My dad used to tell me how things was when he was growing up being share croppers and going threw the great depression and eating a lot of salt pork I'm suprised every one didn't have high blood preasure.
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| 1/14/2011 8:13:44 PM |
Survivel and being self sufficent |
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skiwino
Redford, MI
55, joined Feb. 2007
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My dad used to tell me how things was when he was growing up being share croppers and going threw the great depression and eating a lot of salt pork I'm suprised every one didn't have high blood preasure.
Your dad must be a LOT older than mine! My dad told me how easy it was to get a good job on the assembly line as soon as he graduated from high school.
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| 1/14/2011 9:46:34 PM |
Survivel and being self sufficent |
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skiwino
Redford, MI
55, joined Feb. 2007
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You should really check out this thread:
http://www.permies.com/permaculture-forums/5785_0/permaculture/complete-diet-gardenfarm
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| 1/15/2011 5:03:32 PM |
Survivel and being self sufficent |
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thunder_lover71
Mount Pleasant, MI
46, joined Sep. 2008
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You should really check out this thread:
http://www.permies.com/permaculture-forums/5785_0/permaculture/complete-diet-gardenfarm
I checked it out interesting... but not clear on some of there terms such as tube I'm guessing vines such as grapes.
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| 1/15/2011 5:21:32 PM |
Survivel and being self sufficent |
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skiwino
Redford, MI
55, joined Feb. 2007
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I checked it out interesting... but not clear on some of there terms such as tube I'm guessing vines such as grapes.
Do you mean tuber? That is like potatoes, sunchokes, etc.; they normally very productive food sources.
Or did you see something about earth tubes in the energy/buildings forums?
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| 1/15/2011 11:54:37 PM |
Survivel and being self sufficent |
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thunder_lover71
Mount Pleasant, MI
46, joined Sep. 2008
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Do you mean tuber? That is like potatoes, sunchokes, etc.; they normally very productive food sources.
Or did you see something about earth tubes in the energy/buildings forums?
Don't remember just remember tube
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| 1/16/2011 5:29:32 PM |
Survivel and being self sufficent |
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sc_dawg
Prosperity, SC
42, joined Jan. 2011
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propagating tubers is very easy and helps immensely with harvest
[Edited 1/16/2011 5:29:41 PM ]
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| 2/8/2011 7:05:57 PM |
Survivel and being self sufficent |
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luckylouie42
Cedar Grove, WV
75, joined Mar. 2008
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I always carry a Bic lighter with me in the woods, they are small, and they will light 200 times or more. and any body can use one.
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| 3/8/2011 12:40:05 AM |
Survivel and being self sufficent |
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twoletters
Overgaard, AZ
70, joined Oct. 2007
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@ Thunder, there are several websites that are aimed at tanning hides. Word of caution though, it is, a "whole" lot of work pard. I've brain tanned some elk hides,deer hides and rabbit.
Brain tanned hides are expensive to buy,once you do one you'll understand why.
Also for those that have gardens as a means of survival,you might want to entertain the idea of raising rabbits as a meat source.
No smell,quiet,take little space and pretty inexpensive to maintain. Building hutches is the most expensive part of starting a bunny ranch errr I mean rabbit ranch.
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| 3/8/2011 1:34:17 AM |
Survivel and being self sufficent |
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twoletters
Overgaard, AZ
70, joined Oct. 2007
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Also ya may want to raise worms as a sideline.
Red worms or African night crawlers( bigger) make a great fertilizer. For those that live close to fishing the Africans make a great bait. A dozen worms sell for 3.50 in my neck o the woods.Don't know how much per lb. I can get for the castings yet.
10,000 worms take very little space,make no noise,have no smell and take little to maintain. Just feed them your garden scraps.
10,000 worms divided by 12= 833 doz X $3.50 per doz. = $2,916.66. not bad for little or no work.
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| 3/15/2011 10:27:49 AM |
Survivel and being self sufficent |
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gypsykat
Kimbolton, OH
60, joined Sep. 2010
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The foxfire books are wonderful! I do recommend them highly as well. Some other books you may be interested in are found on Amazon (where I found mine) and other places as well. One I really like is "The Backyard Homestead" edited by Carleen Madigan - it tells you how to raise food (animal and plant based) on as little as 1/10th of an acre. It gives notes on many of the farm animals, making wines, preserving foods, and growing chickens for eggs and meat. Also cheesemaking, and so much more. It incorporates many of the new ways of doing some things, as well as modern ways of measuring and such.
The big problem with some of the old books is the "how much is a handful?" type thing. I agree that brain-tanning is best - and uses no un-natural chemicals - and the only place to find that type of info is in the older books.
The other truly wonderful way to find how to do things the "old way" is to talk to your elders....... the ones who survived the depression. If you don't have any in your family tree that remember, go to a nursing home. Take your recorder. Ask them about re-using, recycling, how to do much with less. These are the experts at survival, and much of what they know is literally "dying off" - learn while you still can. This is my preferred method.
"Square Foot Gardening" is another wonderful book, and there is also a website. Wonderful information on great ways to raise your own food.
"The Bear Tribe's Self-Reliance Book" is terrific, too. It is by Sun Bear, Wabun, and Nimimosha....... all part of the Bear Tribe. Originally published in 1977, it may be hard to find, but is well worth the search. Sun Bear is now gone from this world, but his wisdom lives on.
Good luck in your searching. And always remember that if you can do it yourself - whatever it is - you will be better off. If you know those that have skills you can barter for - you are a lucky person. And the Mother Earth can and will provide if you can re-learn the old ways and incorporate the best of the new........
Kat
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| 3/20/2011 10:18:57 PM |
Survivel and being self sufficent |
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sparklingbeam
Melbourne, FL
76, joined Jun. 2009
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My parents used to put the pork in a wooden box about the size of a ceder-chest, when they killed a hog.
The box was filled heavy with salt and the pork was layered, salt then pork. Salt always covered the pork on top.
The pork was washed good, to get the salt off, before cooking.
Salt perserved the pork.
[Edited 3/20/2011 10:20:26 PM ]
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| 3/20/2011 10:31:42 PM |
Survivel and being self sufficent |
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sparklingbeam
Melbourne, FL
76, joined Jun. 2009
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My parents also tied a rope around the top of a gallon jug of milk, with the lid on tight and put it in the well to keep it cold.
They put butter in a empty gallon jug, with the lid on tight and tied a rope around the top of the jug and put it in the well, to keep the butter from melting.
If they had no well, they would put the milk, in a Spring, of water.
We placed tubs of water, in the sun, to heat the water, to take our baths in.
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| 3/21/2011 8:49:46 PM |
Survivel and being self sufficent |
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hlkeo
Ogden, UT
29, joined Feb. 2011
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Couldn't i dig a hole and create cool storage unit to perserve my veggies? I'm thinking 2-3 feet of soil on top and having a ladder than goes down
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| 3/26/2011 7:24:01 PM |
Survivel and being self sufficent |
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sparklingbeam
Melbourne, FL
76, joined Jun. 2009
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Great idea, for the area you live in but here in Fl. our water-table is near the surface and the hole would fill with water.
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| 3/26/2011 7:43:53 PM |
Survivel and being self sufficent |
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sparklingbeam
Melbourne, FL
76, joined Jun. 2009
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I would like everyone to share their knowledge of foods for survivel. Some of us may not know what is eatable and what is not.
Such as wild onions, cabbage-palms, wild honey, certain mushrooms ( don't know how to tell the difference between eatable or not..), wild grapes, mulberries, peanuts, bananas, citrus fruits both green or ripe, when they are mature, just want be as sweet when they are green, pine seeds, dates, coconuts.
The Indians use to make flour, for bread, out of a certain plant but I don't remember it's name. It looks like a small palm bush. Maybe someone can tell us it's name.
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| 3/27/2011 12:02:08 AM |
Survivel and being self sufficent |
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grneyedshewolf
West Columbia, SC
51, joined Nov. 2009
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go to youtube.com and look up Refrigeration Without Electricity also with the prices of food going up and up and there is no looks of it coming down start your own garden if you dont have lots of room you can plant them with your flowers. In my palm tree saplings I have garlic and onions in other pots I have potatoes parsley sage and cilantro I have asparagus cabbage onions collards and potatoes in what was once a flower bed with my saga palms I have peppers and tomatoe plants. I also use alot of coupons and save a great deal of money on canned fruits and veggies, stock up on rice and beans pasta canned tomatoes I have a small bedroom that I have turned into a pantry...... also buy lots of frozen veggies with this being said that when the farmers market gets really stocked I will be going there to now where are you going to put all this cause you dont have a place to store all of this well I would advise to buy a dehydrator and start dehydrating all the frozen foods and such a great way to see this is to go to dehydrate2store.com it has alot of useful information also you can look up the LDS canneries ( latter day saints )in your area ( I am not a LDS but they will allow with an appointment to come in a can your own wheat rice sugar flour and other items that they may have so that you can store these items with 30+ year shelf life) NOT all of the canneries with allow you to come there if you arent a LDS so check in your area to see what thier guidelines are you can check your state through providentliving.org as you can see I have really looked into this and if there is anything else that I can help with I will be more then happy to do so
Tonia
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| 3/27/2011 8:05:26 PM |
Survivel and being self sufficent |
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sparklingbeam
Melbourne, FL
76, joined Jun. 2009
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grneyedshewolf, thank you for all the wonderful information. I can see you have been busy doing your research.
It looks like I am getting a late start on this.
Last year I planted 7 grape vines, this evening I have been busy, putting up post and cementing them in the ground, so I can string cable from one post to the other, for the vines to run on. One of the vines, is in the begining stage of blooming.
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| 3/28/2011 7:22:07 AM |
Survivel and being self sufficent |
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grneyedshewolf
West Columbia, SC
51, joined Nov. 2009
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Thanks and if I can help with anything else then please let me know Both my parents came off a farm and all the generations above them were farmers my sister says that I have the grren thumb from both sides...........lol..... I dont know about that but I know that I have to do whatever I can to make sure that my mom my son and my 3 puppies hae good food and will survive this craziness of the food going up and up and its going to get to the point that people arent going to be able to afford it. If you start buying seed make sure that it is heirloom seed that way when you pick your produce you can get the seeds out to store them for the next season of produce. I will try and get something on here about the correct way of saving and storing seed.
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| 3/29/2011 5:08:55 AM |
Survivel and being self sufficent |
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sparklingbeam
Melbourne, FL
76, joined Jun. 2009
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Thanks Tonia, I saw Heirloom tomato plants and I didn't even know wha Heirloom plants meant.
[Edited 3/29/2011 5:09:54 AM ]
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| 4/1/2011 2:18:42 PM |
Survivel and being self sufficent |
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twoletters
Overgaard, AZ
70, joined Oct. 2007
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I would like everyone to share their knowledge of foods for survivel. Some of us may not know what is eatable and what is not.
Such as wild onions, cabbage-palms, wild honey, certain mushrooms ( don't know how to tell the difference between eatable or not..), wild grapes, mulberries, peanuts, bananas, citrus fruits both green or ripe, when they are mature, just want be as sweet when they are green, pine seeds, dates, coconuts.
The Indians use to make flour, for bread, out of a certain plant but I don't remember it's name. It looks like a small palm bush. Maybe someone can tell us it's name.
Different things in different parts of the country.
Here in Arizona, the Indians ground Mesquite and Palo Verde beans into flour,it's really quite tasty. They used Mono and Matte, two rocks.
All cacti fruit can be eaten,some is very sweet,the Indians made a wine from saguaro fruit.
Fruit roll ups came from the Indians,they mashed sweet cacti fruit into a pulp and poured it on a flat rock to dry.
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| 4/1/2011 2:44:00 PM |
Survivel and being self sufficent |
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twoletters
Overgaard, AZ
70, joined Oct. 2007
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Young yucca stalks can be eaten and the leaves pounded and broken apart to be used as thread or woven into rope.
Prickly pear pads can be peeled and eaten raw or cooked.
Be careful of the thorns, but some thorns can be used as needles with yucca thread or sinew.
There are over 3,500 different kinds of plants in our desert and over 500 of them can be eaten and/or used as medicines.
And they called the Indian people, PRIMITIVE.
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| 4/2/2011 12:50:39 AM |
Survivel and being self sufficent |
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sparklingbeam
Melbourne, FL
76, joined Jun. 2009
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twoletters, thanks for all the information, I wish more people would respond and share their knowledge.
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| 4/4/2011 7:52:55 AM |
Survivel and being self sufficent |
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spankee06
Saint Croix Falls, WI
55, joined Feb. 2011
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The series of books most known for that is "foxfire" series.
Other good ones are "5 acres and independence"
Both must haves for the guide to off-grid and self sufficiency
The little house on the prairie books (no not the stupid TV series) gave actual accounts and step by step on how they "used" to do it.
Many others out there...but start with the foxfire books. Most libraries have em for check out too.
Why how dare you knock my Little House on the Prairie series!
I am missing Season 7, in my collection.
But I'll check out the foxfire books. Thanks!
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| 4/4/2011 8:04:14 AM |
Survivel and being self sufficent |
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spankee06
Saint Croix Falls, WI
55, joined Feb. 2011
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Young yucca stalks can be eaten and the leaves pounded and broken apart to be used as thread or woven into rope.
Prickly pear pads can be peeled and eaten raw or cooked.
Be careful of the thorns, but some thorns can be used as needles with yucca thread or sinew.
There are over 3,500 different kinds of plants in our desert and over 500 of them can be eaten and/or used as medicines.
And they called the Indian people, PRIMITIVE.
Those nasty barbarians, indeed. Sheesh. I swear, it is an embarrassment to me what was allowed and ordered to happen to the leaders of this land.
I've lived in an area that sold heeps of cacti. I've always wanted to buy some but had no clue what to do with them and/or serve them with and I don't speak Spanish so couldn't ask.
The creative side of me wants to do something sweet with them. Like a sweet pickle.
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| 4/5/2011 9:39:19 PM |
Survivel and being self sufficent |
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twoletters
Overgaard, AZ
70, joined Oct. 2007
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I've had prickly pear pads made into a spicy sweet relish.Good on anything.
Some prickly pear have no thorns, the ones that do,you need to burn the thorns off really well,scrape then slice and dice. Use them like cucumbers,green tomatoes or cook and use like cooked green chilies.
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| 4/9/2011 8:52:19 PM |
Survivel and being self sufficent |
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sparklingbeam
Melbourne, FL
76, joined Jun. 2009
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I picked up my 8 baby chicks today. They are Rhode Island Red's and cute as can be. I love to hear there chirps, sounds like music. They are as happy as can be.
It surprises me to see them, so young, trying to catch flying bugs, attracted to their heat lamps.
This is a new adventure for the both of us. Nemo looks on with great interest.
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| 4/12/2011 7:54:04 PM |
Survivel and being self sufficent |
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sparklingbeam
Melbourne, FL
76, joined Jun. 2009
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I planted 6 dwarf kavindish banana trees and I hope they don't freeze this winter.
I may have to dig them up and bring them in the house.
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| 5/22/2011 8:48:46 AM |
Survivel and being self sufficent |
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marrittah
South Bend, IN
32, joined Apr. 2011
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Last season I grew all the veggies I needed for the rest of the year. I grew up eating what we grew with very few supplies from the store. We dried most of out food to preserve it due to lack of refrigeration. If I had the land I would do cows goats chickens etc. Living off the land is not as difficult as people make it. It's hard back breaking work but totally worth it. This season I got an even bigger garden so I'm super excited. 
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| 6/4/2011 12:43:39 AM |
Survivel and being self sufficent |
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sparklingbeam
Melbourne, FL
76, joined Jun. 2009
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I have been checking out hydrophonic gardening. Growing plants in water. I took sheets of hard foam and cut round circles out and set my plants in the holes and placed the sheets of foam in my fish pond. You take the plants out of the pond if you desire to fertilize them. They may get enough food from the fish waste. Don't cut the holes to big the plants will set to deep in the water and rot.
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| 6/12/2011 8:33:56 PM |
Survivel and being self sufficent |
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selectmenow
Peotone, IL
62, joined Apr. 2007
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Couple of forums with great achives to research everything about homesteading and self sufficent living ...... SurvivalBoards and SurvivalBlog
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| 6/29/2011 5:56:32 AM |
Survivel and being self sufficent |
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cowdog74
Pasadena, TX
42, joined Jun. 2011
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I study and practice the hell out of wild edibles here in Texas from the piny forest to the desert . As well herbal medicine . Now I've added several medicinal herbs into my veggie garden for storage and use later. Yarrow stops bleeding . Feel free to ask . If I know the answer I'll tell ya if not I'll get the answer. Also feel free to let me know any stuff y'all may know .
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| 6/29/2011 6:01:29 AM |
Survivel and being self sufficent |
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cowdog74
Pasadena, TX
42, joined Jun. 2011
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In Texas if our bannanas freez they always grow back in the spring. There freakin almost imposdible to get rid of . Always sending up new shoots. Cut alot of em down and compost em
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