Homesteading Alone

My DH is not much for the whole farming thing, so I'm mostly on my own. Being a woman and not very big, I've learned to improvise. If it requires two people, I usually have to rig up some sort of "helper". I have chickens and just raised my first two pigs. I'm also mindful to work with smaller animals and keep things simple. It's an injury prevention thing.
We also have little money, so I scrounge around to find what I need. It cost me 7.00 to build our pig pen and 30 to build the chicken coop. If you want to farm start slow and add one or two things at a time. That way you know if your trying too much.

seed...I've had that book for many years and it does offer many great ideas for "Working Alone". I need to get it out and reread it. I seem to remember it was mostly about how to build structures by yourself utilizing different types of clamps. I'm sure there was more to it then that, but using clamps in place of a helper stuck in my mind.

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Yes! I use a LOT of clamps! And zip-ties! I couldn't do ANYTHING around here without clamps and zip ties! Clamps for things that are in the proper shape with some nice, flat sides, and zip-ties for round or oddly shaped things that you can't get clamps to seat on easily.

Also, those el-cheapo "shower racks* they sell at Wal'Mart that go into a corner of your tub or shower, and has little corner shelves on it? The bar that those shelves are on is spring loaded. I have one in my utility closet and I have found it invaluable for holding things UP against, say, the ceiling. (That's how I installed a ceiling fan by myself.)

Doing it alone means using your brain and all of the resources around you...and SERIOUSLY thinking outside of the box!

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Peace,
Caliann

"First, Show me in the Bible where it says you can save someone's soul by annoying the hell out of them." -- Chuck

Bought my first large siae clamp, say 19in opening last year. Have used it say 3 times.

Ive had a couple say 4in opening clamps, but seldom used them, and I think ive lost one, if not both somewhere.
Had an old big one that the pad was off the screw. Couldnt hardly use it as it would walk as I was screwing it in

FBB...I don't believe I've ever seen a C-Clamp that opened to 19" before. I have C-Clamps that open about 8" and anything that requires a larger clamp I use an adjustable Pipe Clamp (Bar Clamp). If I need a longer clamp then I buy a longer iron pipe and add threads to both ends and screw on the clamp parts from the shorter pipe clamp. There are so many different types of clamps nowadays...whenever I go to Harbor Freight I pick up a few. You can never have too many clamps.

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We are the Mid-West Distributor of Island Pride Carbolic Germicidal Bath Soap.

www.GeneralMerchandisingCompanyOfKy.com

Ya know, I had no idea so many folks were doing things alone here. I really thought I was in the minority! This is actually quite comforting, even though I know ya'll are out there struggling just as I am.

Today, I am just hoping my chicken eggs won't be frozen.

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“If people let the government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as a sorry state as the souls who live under tyranny." ~ Thomas Jefferson.

Yep...same here. Wouldn't it be nice if some of us were close enough that we could help one another in those times when a second pair of hands are needed, or to discuss projects.

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__________________

We are the Mid-West Distributor of Island Pride Carbolic Germicidal Bath Soap.

www.GeneralMerchandisingCompanyOfKy.com

I enjoy doing things by myself.
Just part of prepping for things to come.