Homesteading Basics: 7/5/09

Argh. Still working

We're still working to get our house ready to list. Goes on the market tomorrow, but we still have carpet cleaning to do, and some weeding, mowing and all-around cleaning.

I'm sorry I've neglected reading blogs and writing here. I promise when I can breathe again, I'll start again. Promise.

Vikki

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Steps To Work On:

Raise Animals/Livestock:
-chickens (eggs, manure, feathers, meat, pest control)
-ducks (eggs, manure, feathers, meat)
-quail (eggs, manure, feathers, meat)
-rabbits, angora (meat, hair, manure, income)
-goats (milk, hair, meat, lawn control, manure)
-pigs (manure, meat, income)
-bees (wax, honey, fertilization)
-dogs (guards)
-cats (mousters)
-sheep and/or alpaca (wool, meat, manure)

Energy:
-home-make biodiesel
-solar
-wind
-water
-rechargeable batteries
-line-dry clothing (over plants to drip)
-energy-efficient appliances
-use fireplace/wood stove to cook in Winter
-olive oil lamps
-soy, beeswax and/or bayberry candles
-compact fluorescent bulbs
-bed early
-hand-powered appliances (wheat grinder, etc.)
-hand-cranked radio
-mortar and pestle
-push mower, hand clippers
-broom and rake
-walk, bike, bus, carpool, reduce shopping trips

Water Preservation:
-low flow toilets w/toilet lid sink
-composting toilets
-reuse laundry and dish water
-reduce baths and showers
-mulch all garden plants
-handwater garden
-outdoor solar shower
-plant edible plants, not lawn

Work-At-Home:
-blog/internet
-write books
-clean houses
-petting zoo
-sell eggs, produce, livestock, flowers
-homepathic/herbal remedies
-honey
-crafts

Learn:
-Gardening for maximum produce (99%)
-Seed saving
-Animal Husbandry
-Butchering
-Canning/Drying/Freezing
-Baking/cooking from scratch
-Yogurt-making
-Bread-making
-Cheese-making
-Wine/beer-making
-Candle-making
-Sprouting
-Composting
-Making cleaning products (vinegar, etc.)
-Making herbal/homemade remedies
-Making tinctures
-Survival skills
-Edible landscaping
-Sewing, quilting and leatherworking
-Make own paper
-Carpentry
-Plumbing
-Building
-Harvesting rainwater
-Bike, auto and machinery repairs
-Computer basics
-Household repairs/maintenance
-Blacksmithing
-Weaponry/defense/casting bullets
-Sheep/Alpaca shearing
-Spinning and weaving
-Hairstyling and cutting
-Bartering
-Make a solar oven / cob oven
-Make a solar shower

Choose to:
-Help others along this path
-Do without dishwasher, microwave, clothes dryer
-Buy in bulk/organic/local
-Eat what's in season only
-Live simply
-Tell stories at night of the old days
-Use non-electric entertainment (board games, cards)
-Be a modern-day "pioneer"
-Reduce, reuse, recycle
-Shop only once a month
-Shop at second-hand/thrift stores/garage sales
-Consume less
-Unschool/Homeschool
-Use reusable bags for shopping
-Buy nothing that we can make/grow ourselves
-Replace cookware with cast-iron

Cool the House by:
-no central air conditioning
-pull up carpet; install wood floors
-use blinds
-plant "edible" forest to shade house
-solar attic fan

Heat the House by:
-no central heat/furnace
-woodstove or fireplace (use scrap wood)
-insulate bed with heavy quilts/blankets
-dress in layers

Becoming Self-Reliant Homesteaders:
-don't stress; it's not worth the heart attack
-live within your means
-barter or trade for necessities
-cut out the extras like 492 cable channels
-walk or bike whenever possible
-add a new skill each month (candlemaking, etc.)
-store 90+days worth of stored foods
-grow your own food or buy only local produce
-raise a chicken 4 eggs in your spare bedroom
-pay $0 whenever possible
-yard sale regularly to get rid of unwanted clutter
-compost and recycle everything possible

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