Homesteading, slpain me this

Heritagefarm · #21 06/23/11, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harry Chickpea

As Explorer said, the Nearings publicized what they were doing and had some free help. I never was impressed with them, as often they substituted brawn for brain, called it virtuous, and pulled a Tom Sawyer fence. Their personal values were quirky, IMO.

Kids who get a taste of homesteading or farming and what is involved get a head start in common sense and what really goes on in life. That kind of education doesn't come cheap.

The whole concept of learning where food comes from first hand, and having that skill set available is comforting. Certainly moderate exercise is good for the body and mind. If it brings bliss, great. If it doesn't, then recognize that it doesn't and try something else.

Simple refers more to the (intentional) lack of highly technological solutions. How to put this...

Understanding how to shovel manure into a pile with a manure scoop is a skill that takes a certain amount of knowledge to do efficiently and correctly. It may take a few times to get that skill right.

After you have the skill, if you don't need the exercise, and you have a bucket loader handy, you are simple if you don't use the bucket loader.

_____________
FWIW, I know who John Galt is, and he is no more the answer than Nietzsche's Superman, the ubermench (a term that thrills and chills Jewish mothers).

Well, by that logic, I am not simple. I am always looking for ways to streamline the chores, i.e., milking machine, tractor bucket, etc. Of course the tractor bucket is laying in the dirt to the side of the 60-year-old and I don't even know if it works. I think the milk machine is 20 years old as well. I still think it's a "simple" life, though. Perhaps my idea is skewed?

JJFarmer · #22 06/23/11, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Home Harvest

"simple life"

The term I would use is humble. This is a humble way of living. Every mistake you make (which there are a lot to make) it humbles you or it drives you back to the city. There is nothing simple about it. Every one I meet that learns about what I do (everything I do) is in awe over the complexity. I make a living on my farm though, I have the dairy goats, a gazillion different types of poultry, raise every type of domesticated edible livestock throughout the year, have a very large garden, slaughter unit, commercial kitchen, and deliver all my goods to my customers doors every week. Oh and I juggle all of it with two children as a single parent (though the newest bf is turning out to be quite the farm hand).

There is nothing simple about it; you must be humble (of course bragging isn't very humble like is it?) in order to not give up though.

I think a person is made better the more complex tasks they have to conquer. For me personally I'm much happier when I'm exhausted from all the work that has been done, sitting at the dinner table with my children and refusing to think about all the work that still needs to be done.

I wouldn't trade this "career" for nothing. Simple is simply not in my vocabulary.

ET1 SS · #23 06/23/11, 03:05 PM

I have a pension. Even if all of my crops fail, I will not starve.

But I am not writing books to capture the imagination of others, nor to lure them into how wonderful this life can be.

All around me I see families trying to make it work. But most of them have no pension, no trust fund, no hidden source of income. They hold multiple jobs and sell farm produce; and still money gets tight.

Is it 'simple'?

'Simple' sold books. 'Simple' fire the imagination of millions of minds. 'Simple' convinced thousands that they too could move rural and live a self-sufficient life.

**Shrek** · #24 06/23/11, 03:22 PM

Modern homesteading is simply a mixture of gardening /farming and whatever home based income means you choose to combine it with to the intensity you require to live comfortably to your own desires , schedules, etc.

If I feel like sleeping in or taking a few days off all I have to do is water the worm bins and SFG beds the night before I take off and board my dogs unless I am taking them with me or just taking a staycation at home to sleep in because I have chosen the least labor intensive agricultural aspects to mix in with my more standard society type home based ventures.

A simple life is simply living life on the terms that you wish to live by. Nothing complicated about it at all. If you can't find the means to the terms you desire you simply have to live with that which gets you by and re-evaluate your wish list to be more accesible. Keep on living , dreaming and re-evaluating as neccesary until you find what simply satisfies you . When you do, its your life as you want it ___simple

Harry Chickpea · #25 06/23/11, 04:41 PM

Judging from the responses, it is pretty certain that the folks here understand the overall concept more than the Nearings ever did. As for whether or not anyone fits in the category, perhaps that is only a minor side question. Self stereotyping seems non-productive.

TNHermit · #26 06/23/11, 05:41 PM

Homesteading and the simple life is one of the most expensive and hardest lives there is. Thats why I got out and call it "The self reliant life "

Course I been living this life all my life. They use to cal us farmers but the small farm and small acreage is dead for most part.
I've noticed over the years that a lot of people do it or try it and when it don't work they look to the govt to bail them out.
There are a lot of people who think they will make enough money to retire to the simple life. Big reality check there.
The other thing people don't think about and I hate to admit. WE are a social people. have always been. ITs hard to explain but when I was a kid everybody was independent but could count on the community. And they supported the community. When the mall and cheap came in that pretty much ended it. Even old Sam Walton believed in buying local when he was a live and started his stores.. They didn't need the Fed govt.

Ellie Mae · #27 06/23/11, 06:36 PM

simple life?

hmmn, not a thing simple about it on our piece of land!

Our lives were much simpler when all we had to do was think about getting up, going to work, doing our job and going home, cooking supper, doing the house & yard work and going to bed.

homesteading full-time is filled with surprises on a daily basis, lots of hard work and has a very steep learning curve if no prior experience, rarely a dull moment, but lot's of exhausted one's.

even as much as we love this lifestyle, the thought crosses our minds on the rough days to sell it all, but the rewards are many and can't think of anything I'd rather be doing.

momofseven · #28 06/23/11, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ET1 SS

The Nearing example works.

Start wealthy inherit a trust fund. Write books for a secondary income.

Hire the work to be done for you, and once you begin to be famous from your books bring in intern/apprentices who will work for free.

Love that! Just got done reading Melissa Coleman's book (she's Eliot's daughter) and you have nailed the Nearings correctly.

It isn't simple, but we can make it simpler by what we choose to expend out energy on. Most people make the biggest mistake of taking on too much too quickly and then the product suffers. And then they get discouraged. Start small, get good at what you do, add as you go and tweak constantly. Manyra here is "work smarter not harder." Not so that we can goof off, but so that we can be more efficient and get more done.

landdweller · #29 06/23/11, 08:41 PM

I dont believe its simple but if you enjoy it it is simpler( not sure if i speeled it right). We live in town rightnow in a 3 br house with 4 kids. We have 7.3 acres with a cabin and are moving to it this month while its summer time. We are having the water tap put in this month and have no electric but do have " tools" and gagets to make things simpler. LIke a generator a few solar pannels, power tools etc. It is not simpler by any means. Our riding mower is broke so I compromised and used a weedwacker to mow close to n acre. IT took forever but I got it done. My 2 oldest boys 11,6 are big helpers. They have been helping us clean up the wooded area of our land by cleaning up fallen wood. They have lived in the country before but we have been in the city a while now. They beg us to go to the property. They like to play and let their dogs loose to run with them. They both like to garden and help plant stuff. My 11 yr old feeds all the dogs and my 6 yr old feeds the cats. We tell them if you want to be at the cabin you have to hepl with chores. They have behaved better when we go there cause they run play and get exercise. They go to bed now without the tv on. and dont fight me to go to bed. I think in some ways it is simpler but inother ways its is so much more work.

gilberte · #30 06/24/11, 06:28 AM

If you want easy and simple with a lot of time to golf or watch tv live in a condo within walking distance of the supermarket. If you get more satisfaction out of producing some of the things you eat, wear, or use to keep yourself warm then you won't mind so much the work involved in 'Homesteading'.

Our Little Farm · #31 06/24/11, 07:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tracy Rimmer

How many vehicles do you own? Do you take vacations? Do you have satellite or cable tv? Do you have a telephone? Cel phones? Golf club membership? Do you buy candy, cola, or snack food? Do you do a weekly grocery store trip? Do you have magazine subscriptions? Do you have your hair professionally styled? Do you go out for meals or buy takeout on a regular basis?

If so, you're not living "the simple life", you've simply changed your address and added a hobby.

That's the thing -- what some people term "the simple life" is simply LIVING somewhere more rural than suburbia. If you only change your address and hobbies, and not your LIFESTYLE, then no, you aren't living "the simple life". In all honesty, I know few people who do. You mention mowing 2+ acres of lawn. Anyone who mows that much lawn isn't living "the simple life" -- you've got an acreage in the country. Want to live "the simple life"? Get rid of the gas-powered mower and get a couple sheep to mow that grass for you.

I totally agree with Tracy above.

For me simply means living less worldly. Being as self sufficient and as independent as I can. Simply is a mind set, not a list of chores. For me it also means not seeing the farm as a chore, but as a way of life, that is enjoyable and wonderful. I have to say I never tire of it.

emeraldcowgirl · #32 06/24/11, 08:43 AM

I think what people forget to add to their simple life fantasies is money. You need money. Some people get so fixated on the romantic idea of the simple life that they buy livestock, plant massive gardens, and then commute to their 9-5 and complain how the simple life is just too hard. If those people were to find ways to make money from their homesteads, they could stay home and enjoy their simple lives.

RedDirt Cowgirl · #33 06/24/11, 04:28 PM

Here's some food for thought - Dawn of agriculture took toll on health: http://esciencecommons.blogspot.com/...on-health.html

I think if we looked to the ways we could be hunter-gatherers in the modern world we would be healthier and happier. It makes me sad to see people so gung-ho for living off preserved food with no vitamins when they could get fresh for less.

Hanging on to our ranch since the 1800's has never been simple, but we specialize and take advantage of what other folks specialize in. The hard work & deprivation our ancestors were put to is beyond our imagining. Materialism is like water to fish - it's our unseen universe.

ET1 SS · #34 06/24/11, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedDirt Cowgirl

.... It makes me sad to see people so gung-ho for living off preserved food with no vitamins when they could get fresh for less.

Loosing 20% to 60% of vitamins after 5 years in a can does not equal "No vitamins" when you home can your harvest.

RedDirt Cowgirl · #35 06/24/11, 06:07 PM

Low-acid foods have a shelf life of two years - that’s everything but tomatoes. Seals can fail unless stored at 50 to 70 degrees. Even brief cooking destroys all enzymes and most vitamin C.

These numbers are for just processed - levels decline precipitously after 6 months, or if exposed to light:
Losses of B6 through various processes:
Root vegetables / canning: -63%
Beans & peas / canning: -77%
Green vegetables / canning: -57%
Fruits & juices / canning: -38%
Losses of Folic Acid through food processing:
Fresh asparagus / canning: -75%
Lima beans / canning: -62%
Green beans / canning: -57%
Beets / canning: -72%
Corn / canning: -73%
Mushrooms / canning: -84%
Chickpeas / canning: -37%
Green peas / canning: -55%
Tomatoes / canning: -54%
Spinach / canning: -35%

Botulism spores can only be killed by the high heat commercially canned goods are required to undergo ("botulinum cook") at (250 °F) for 3 minutes - home pressure canning equipment only can reach 240 °F.. Colorado State University says: Boil all home-canned vegetables and meats without tasting for 10 minutes plus one minute per 1,000 feet above sea level (15 minutes at 5,000 feet). Boil home-canned spinach and corn 20 minutes before tasting.

What do you imagine you have left on your plate? Not more than dead calories, IMO.

Heritagefarm · #36 06/24/11, 06:17 PM

It is not natural to eat fresh fruits and vegetables all year round. Grains can be stored with little processing, and many homes can freeze their food as well.

RedDirt Cowgirl · #37 06/24/11, 06:58 PM

Well, I disagree. I think it's not natural to eat foods out of season. We should take up these food thoughts on the Preserving the Harvest forum and let folks get back to the simple life.

mabeane · #38 06/24/11, 07:04 PM

Simple does not mean easy. It means getting your needs met in a different way. Here we have no TV and find out joy in the work we do.

salmonslayer · #39 06/24/11, 08:17 PM

The "Simple Life" is what you want it to be so pigeon holing everyone into one definition is just not very productive.

For us, we both worked high paying high stress jobs and worked 6 days a week to get to the point where we could retire early on our homestead. We have no debt, we have no bosses, and by personal choice we limit some of the modern conveniences that some seem to be so tied to (no cable, no microwave, no dishwasher, etc.). For us the simple life is getting up whenever we want and deciding then what we are doing for the day. We still travel, we like to have nights out, we have many vehicles, tractors, and other motorized convenience items because we enjoy them (sorry Tracy) and frankly, though we work hard most days, we play a lot too. If something doesn't get done today or tomorrow there is always next week or next year....who cares and that to us is our simple life.

Today we were going to spend weeding, but we ended up working on an old tractor and then the Mrs and I ended up walking into the back pasture and kissing up by the pond. Maybe we will weed tomorrow...maybe not. If ya dont like it tell our bosses...ummm thats us and we dont care (simple ne?)

ET1 SS · #40 06/24/11, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedDirt Cowgirl

Low-acid foods have a shelf life of two years - that’s everything but tomatoes. Seals can fail unless stored at 50 to 70 degrees. Even brief cooking destroys all enzymes and most vitamin C.

These numbers are for just processed - levels decline precipitously after 6 months, or if exposed to light:
Losses of B6 through various processes:
Root vegetables / canning: -63%
Beans & peas / canning: -77%
Green vegetables / canning: -57%
Fruits & juices / canning: -38%
Losses of Folic Acid through food processing:
Fresh asparagus / canning: -75%
Lima beans / canning: -62%
Green beans / canning: -57%
Beets / canning: -72%
Corn / canning: -73%
Mushrooms / canning: -84%
Chickpeas / canning: -37%
Green peas / canning: -55%
Tomatoes / canning: -54%
Spinach / canning: -35%

Botulism spores can only be killed by the high heat commercially canned goods are required to undergo ("botulinum cook") at (250 °F) for 3 minutes - home pressure canning equipment only can reach 240 °F.. Colorado State University says: Boil all home-canned vegetables and meats without tasting for 10 minutes plus one minute per 1,000 feet above sea level (15 minutes at 5,000 feet). Boil home-canned spinach and corn 20 minutes before tasting.

What do you imagine you have left on your plate? Not more than dead calories, IMO.

Shh!

Dont tell my grandparents.