The Homestead Shrinks

As it turns out, the 50'x177' piece of land long used as a garden does not belong to us. Our homestead is smaller than we thought.

Last weekend, prior to seeing the attorney and finding out that we don't own the property, I met with our neighbors. I learned that they had nothing to do with the incident the week prior in which our neighbor frightened off the gentleman who was plowing the garden space. Not only did they not have anything to do with it, they had no idea what he was talking about. Our meeting was pleasant and encouraging. As four Christians, we were in agreement that what mattered most was to glorify God in all things and avoid taking fellow Christians to court.

Am I angry that I am losing the garden? Honestly, not really. Truth is, I was overwhelmed. I was having a very hard time keeping up. I didn't want to admit that but that is the truth. I am actually relieved and encouraged. Now, I can focus on a smaller area and thus take better care of it. I can still grow vegetables, herbs, flowers, and fruit trees and do it much better. The plan is to make mixed garden beds that will be attractive and productive. I've very excited!

In other news: John Boy and I went foraging pears from the neighborhood and came home with a huge cache of pears. No, seriously, we're talking huge! It seems that folks plant pear trees and then either don't have time to harvest them or don't want to bother. They are glad to have someone take them. Amazing!

Mother and I have picked 100 pounds of tomatoes from the u-pick farm. I'll pick more if Hurricane Irene doesn't ruin the remaining crop. Mother has been busy canning. We are developing quite a pantry of canned tomatoes, peaches, pears, soup, and okra.

John Boy and I have also begun getting two copies of the Sunday paper for the coupons so we can build our 3 month pantry. What, a 3 month pantry? Yep. We are working on building a 3 month pantry (food, medical, and household supplies) for "in case of...". After we have a 3 month pantry, we'll begin working toward a 1 year pantry. If you don't have supplies at home to handle a short-term or long-term crisis, you should really consider starting to work in that direction. Seriously. There are lists and instructions on how to build a pantry. Some lists provide a weekly shopping guide that will result in a 1 year pantry at the end of 51 weeks. In a year or so, I hope to have a 1 year pantry...but we aren't quite there yet....

In case of is coming... Will you be ready for it?

Someone I respect often asks questions about what I'd do if. What if I can't get to the grocery store... what if the electric grid goes down...for a long time... what if _____ happens... He gently emphasizes being ready, as he says, "in case of...". This works whether you are looking at "normal" level "what if" scenarios (i.e., weather extremes, loss of job) or larger/more extreme "what if" scenarios (i.e., Economic Depression). Be ready, in case of....

Just today, he spoke of a 'sense' that wise elders are whispering about...and what many ordinary folks like myself are also picking up in the breeze of life...that something 'big' is coming. Change. Not just the economic changes we've been experiencing the last few years. Not just the ebb and flow of governments. Something bigger. My friend's word of wisdom was "to defend what is yours but never be afraid to retreat. For often those who retreat wisely, win."

Perhaps you have heard people talking about sensing something. What I find interesting is that regardless of their faith/religion/spiritual beliefs...there is this rumble amongst those in tune to the things of the spiritual realm that something... a huge wind of change bigger than a single government collapse...something this way comes. If it were just one person or one belief system predicting it, I'd not be so concerned. But, when it is spoken of softly...solemnly...from such a diverse group...and it echos what I sense in my own spirit.... well...one would be very unwise not to figure there is something to it... Those of us who are children of the Most High and thus lead by the Spirit, should be especially excited. We are sensing the coming of the End and the Beginning. We are feeling the increasing heartbeat of heaven as it waits the trumpet call.

My question as I ponder this is: how much will we Christians experience before the call of the trumpet? How much of the breakdown of society and nature will we experience before we learn to fly? Our flight lessons could come tomorrow...or not until another generation takes our place. God's time is not our time. Generations that went before us also had to endure difficult challenging times. Thus, knowing that we are in the last days does not tell us whether a minute is left or a hundred years. But, still, there is that whisper of the Spirit that says "prepare...be ready...rough times are coming".

So, today, my friend posed a number of questions to measure my level of preparedness for "in case of". I'll share with you how I'm doing:

Can you live off what your homestead produces? Not yet. I know that with careful planning and using permaculture and biointensive methods, a half acre homestead can produce all or most of my family's food needs. I am just beginning. There is still quite a bit of work to do to get to that level of productivity. The fruit trees need to be planted, the herb garden planted, and the vegetable beds in top form.

Can you grow your own medicines? I can and that is the plan. I have studied herbal medicines to a basic level and am planning an ongoing study.

Can you grow your own salad greens year round? Not yet...working on it.

Can you grow your own culinary herbs as well as herbs for tea, for medicine, for dye, for defense?The herb garden will include culinary, medicinal, and tea herbs. As for dyes, that is possible though not top priority. I'm still not sure what he means by herbs for defense. He didn't clarify that.

If your city water was cut off forever, do you know where your water would come from? NOPE. Our well ran dry several years ago, tried to drill deeper but hit rock. I do plan to add gutters to the house to catch rainwater which with filtering would be potable. Water could be our weakest link.

Could you survive if the power went off and you knew it would never come back on? Yes, though I might lose my sanity listening to my mother complain constantly about the heat. Think I'm kidding?

What would YOU do if the power went off long term? first, eat or can what is in the freezer (using firepit; we are moving away from depending on the freezer--canning rather than freezing); cook on grill and firepit; wash clothes by hand; use candles/kerosene lamps; use solar lights that can be powered up during the day and used in the house at night. Would also like to explore solar and wind power options.

How would your family survive until you re-learned how to be self-sufficient? The above questions covered the basics. Having a network of folks for trading/bartering will be important because it is unlikely I can grow/raise/produce everything we will need. Security is another issue. I have spoken with several gentlemen who are willing to help me pick out a weapon and learn to use it.

Will your land grow for you all of the food you and your family needs for a 3 year pantry? Plus eating fresh from the garden? Not yet, and when you say "everything"...no, not everything. That is where the trade/barter community will come into play. There may be things, like rice, which I won't be able to get at
all. Some grains I hope to grow but it will be small in quantity. Theoretically, I could grow sufficient calories for us though it would be a limited diet. The trade option would allow for a broader range of foods. Off property foraging would also contribute to our needs.

Will your land grow for you all of the fodder and food your farmstead animals will need to survive and produce for you on the homestead? Currently my homestead animals consists of four dogs and a cat. Plans are to add chickens, rabbits, and goats. The cat can hunt for herself. The dogs will eat eggs, chicken, and rabbit along with us. The chickens will forage on bugs and weeds and compost. I can also grow millet and sunflowers for them. The rabbits can eat scrap vegetables and hay...not sure where the hay would come from. The goats can browse on the woodlot, garden biomass, and we can walk them around the neighborhood to eat weed/browse.

Are you striving to become totally self sustaining off grid for...in Case of? It's coming you know. Yes, indeed, it is coming faster than most suspect! I am working on being ready. The biggest hurdle was to get my family on board. They are now and so we are moving faster toward being ready.

You could get laid off, or be out of a job for years with no outside income, could you keep your homestead or would you loose it? As long as I could sale enough eggs, excess produce, and a cash crop (i.e., luffas, goat milk soap, etc.) to cover the property tax bill, we'd be fine in this regard.

Could you feed your family or maintain your standard of living they expect during the no off farm work cycle? We'd not keep the same standard of living...things like cable and internet would have to be sacrificed...fewer trips to town "just 'cause"...but, I think we'd adjust better than many that I know because we don't have a high standard of living now...

In case of might just be around the next corner. Will you be ready for it? We are not there yet, but we are on the way...

A Homestead Fence

As my son and I erected a fence for the dogs yesterday, Mother asked me if it was an organic fence. My initial response was "of course" -- this is an organic homestead afterall. But, of course, a fence of metal can not be "organic" as metal is inorganic. My chuckling at this turned to pondering about the fence and how it symbolizes the homestead life.

Homesteading is a growing movement here in the US. It isn't the same as the homesteading that took folks west to settle new territory in the early days of this country. Today, it is about self-sufficiency. Folks are learning how to raise their own food organically so that they know what they are feeding their families. We're growing our own herbal medicines and learning how to make tinctures and salves. We are learning new skill sets so we are ready for what may come. It's a movement about gaining confidence in our ability to care for our own.



Dogs checking out their new Dog Yard



What does this have to do with a fence? Well, I got it through Craigslist at a great deal as long as I came, took it down, and moved it. BJ and I went and took it down and a friend came and loaded it on his truck. The same friend loaned us a post driving tool (non-power driven) but was not able to provide a stretcher for the chainlink. Together, we drove the posts and stretched the chainlink. Stretching that chainlink without a stretcher was impossible until I remembered a little physics trick. We got some rope, tied it around the link and post and used a screwdriver to twist the rope. Tada! The chainlink stretched, and the fence came together--literally!

Then, there was the issue of the damage done by the seller's dog. Mostly of no consequences except for one spot where our dogs were bound to decide to use it as a back door. More homesteading ingenuity. BJ took an old board we'd saved from an old set of porch steps, hammered a few nails in it, and wired it to the fence to close off the back door. And, finally, there was a small gap at the gate that was Chloe sized. Sure enough, it didn't take her long to find it. So, a metal post used for temporary fencing was hammered into place and the Chloe sized exit was closed.

I used to wonder why my dad and stepfather were so fanatical about saving "stuff". Neither were hoarders by any means but they tended to hold on to things that I saw as trash. Coffee cans, old brick, the odd piece of old wood or bits of wire. They understood what I am just beginning to learn: that today's junk is tomorrow's "just what I needed". Homesteading is about being prepared for the "in case of's" and that requires having a well selected stash of "I might just need that"s.