[short farmer]

I wondered as I listened to the news last night, with the threat of alot of the food we purchase being unsafe to eat and the threat of some type of militant action on US soil hanging over are heads, are we as prepared as we need to be? I believe in God and know that he is in control of everything, I am not trying to start a religious debate was just wondering how other "Homesteaders" felt or what they are doing to prepare?

 

[Callieslamb]

I wonder if we can ever really be totally ready for disaster or emergency. Or will we just learn to shift for ourselves when it does come? And is that in itself what being ready requires? We try to be ready-that is why I am on this site - to learn how to do more stuff; to have my thoughts stimulated towards other things to do to prepare and to learn skills that are absolutely necessary.

I don't worry about the safety of the food supply so much as I worry about the importation of so much food and why our farming/food producing infrastructure seems to be being dismantled, leading us to be more dependent on others for our very food.

 

[Marilyn]

Hi Short Farmer,
Have you ever checked out the Self Reliance forum? They have some wonderful ideas over there and yes, I have begun to put quite a few of those ideas to use. I'm not nearly as organized about it as I could be, but I am sure that we could live for more than a month with out needing a thing. I know that's not long, but I'm on a roll now.

 

[BAmaBubba]

Honestly, the current state of things makes me even more regretful that I wasn't insistent when my wife and I married that we WOULD buy land in the country. I caved and bought in town as she wised. Now, I'm stuck without any land to raise my food, etc on and completely at teh mercy of public power/gas/etc. I trust God and His providence, but I knew I felt then that I was making a mistake. I just pray that God will grant me the ability to rectify it before TSHTF.

 

[Marilyn]

I see that you are still a very young man, Bama. I didn't move out to the boonies until my youngest was graduating from college. You still have most of your adulthood ahead of you. Do you take your wife for a drive in the country occasionally to show her how beautiful it can be? Is she concerned about schooling for the children? Can you look into that to put her mind at ease? Maybe there could be a compromise.

In the meantime, there are a lot of things that you can do in the city. There is a homesteader in Indianapolis that has a huge garden and raises chickens for meat and eggs. Do whatever you can with what you have so that you can feel secure with your future and that of your family.
Marilyn

 

[trixiwick]

I see that you are still a very young man, Bama. I didn't move out to the boonies until my youngest was graduating from college. You still have most of your adulthood ahead of you. Do you take your wife for a drive in the country occasionally to show her how beautiful it can be? Is she concerned about schooling for the children? Can you look into that to put her mind at ease? Maybe there could be a compromise.

In the meantime, there are a lot of things that you can do in the city. There is a homesteader in Indianapolis that has a huge garden and raises chickens for meat and eggs. Do whatever you can with what you have so that you can feel secure with your future and that of your family.
Marilyn

I agree. I also think there may come a time when property rights mean little, so while we do have enough land to live on, we're not taking a snooze just yet. Work on getting the skills you'd need to take care of yourself and your family and you'll manage OK wherever you are. Skills are more lasting than property, I think history shows that.

 

[matt633]

I am interested in following this thread. My husband's family is the survivalist type, but he isn't as much so as his parents. We did buy almost 5 acres a couple years ago and want to move more and more into "homesteading". But, DH works FT and I am just learning basics, so it is definitely a goal...one we have not reached.

We do have chickens, rabbits, goats and have discussed butchering some chickens now and then so it wouldn't be a "shock" if we had to. (We are beginning trying to start breeding our own and we are using the eggs, as well as selling them) Don't know that I could eat my buns, though, unless we were starving! I am supposed to get the garden in next spring, and MIL is going to teach me canning/preserving. Like I said, it is something we are working towards, but if something happened today, I'd probably be screwed!

Oh, BTW, I believe in God too, and the end times as described in Revelations....which is WHY I believe it is important for us to be self sufficient AND be able to provide for others, as well!

Rachael

 

[BAmaBubba]

Marilyn, you're quite right. My folks still live on the old home place so my wife is quite aware of the beauty of the country. She's 100% city girl who is terrified of being more than 5 minutes from the hospital (or WalMart). School really isn't an issue in that she is a teacher and our oldest will be transferring to the school system where she teaches this year. The younger two will start out there from the get-go. She's becoming more open to the idea, especially as she realizes just what all is in the food we feed ourselves and our kids (she's a science teacher with degrees in Comp. Science and Biology). She's even starting to ask questions and mentioned the other day that she actually looks forward to learning to make her own butter

For me, it's just the thought of the current situation in the world and realizing that, even though it would have been mortgaged as my house is now, I'd have been paying on my own farm place for over 10 years if we'd done that earlier, and would be in a much more viable position to care for my family should TEOTWAWKI come about.

I keep reminding myself that I'm only 33 but my heart longs for that life again and for my kids (who are always asking me about learning to milk cows, ride horses, etc) to enjoy that life.

 

[Callieslamb]

I am interested in following this thread. My husband's family is the survivalist type, but he isn't as much so as his parents. We did buy almost 5 acres a couple years ago and want to move more and more into "homesteading". But, DH works FT and I am just learning basics, so it is definitely a goal...one we have not reached.

.... I am supposed to get the garden in next spring, and MIL is going to teach me canning/preserving. Like I said, it is something we are working towards, but if something happened today, I'd probably be screwed!

Sounds to me like you have a pretty good start already! My DH works fulltime and isn't a country boy - though he likes our little place now. I am the gardener/animal wrangler/teacher/ lawn mower/tree cutter, etc.

Remember, your resources (such as in-laws) count too! We try to connect with others that have skills -especially the ones we don't have yet. In an emergency, you only need so many that can grow potatoes - others that can repair, build, etc are needed too.