| Author |
Off the Grid/Homesteading Skills:  Homestead where ever you live...  |
|
|
tracy043
Farmgirl in Training
23 Posts
Tracy
Batesburg
SC
USA
23 Posts |
 Posted - Aug 12 2014 : 10:11:22 AM
|
I am trying to come up with a list of different homesteading things you can work on even if you live in the city.
This is what I have come up with so far.
Can you think of any others?
Have a true appreciation for life and don’t listen to the naysayers. -We often get responses to our basic living lifestyle with raised eyebrows, but we find strength in knowing we can take care of ourselves through power outages, financial hardships, droughts and anything else the good Lord throws our way.
Start growing your food. -If you live in the city, replace your lawn with a garden, plant fruit trees and learn to hunt and fish. There are state game lands in almost every state that welcome hunters if you do not have land of your own.
Find a backup energy. -Find an alternative heat source. If you have a fireplace convert it to wood and store wood to be used through power outages or at least invest in a generator or propane heater.
Find ways to be frugal. -One of the easiest ways to become more self-sufficient is to stop relying on always buying new. Reuse, recycle and do without is our motto!. Buying second-hand clothes, furniture, hand tools, and toys have saved us thousands of dollars over the years that we have put toward paying off our debt.
Stop buying paper products. -Look at the money you waste each week on paper towels, tissues and napkins. Those paper items can be replaced with old rags and cloths.
Review your budget. -Look at your current budget and cut out anything that is not a necessity. If you have debt, this is the first place to look. Leave some wiggle room for special occasions, but do you need a $100 cable bill or $75 hair cut?
Raise backyard farm animals. -Most cities are now allowing small animal permits within city limits. Rabbits and chickens are both great animals you can raise to feed your family even if you live in the city.
Raise honey bees. – The honey you pull from the hives twice a year will provide endless amounts of all-natural healthy sweetener for your family.
Save your seeds. -When planting your garden use heirloom seeds. You will only need to purchase the seeds once since you save the seeds from year to year.
Learn the benefits of herbs for medicinal purposes. -Our forefathers did not have local drug stores to rely on, and most ailments were cured with herbs. Herbs are easy to grow, and their uses are endless.
Living a simple life while preserving the art of homemaking and homesteading.
http://oursimplelife-sc.com/
Farmgirl #2523 |
|
|
Melina
True Blue Farmgirl
435 Posts
Melina
USA
435 Posts |
Posted - Aug 22 2014 : 09:39:06 AM
|
All practical and great ideas, Tracy. I've lived in urban, suburban, rural, all kinds of settings. Homesteading practices lend themselves to any environment, and improve your life. If I'd waited to get to the country to do these things, I'd have missed out on lots of fun, educational habits and spent much more money.
The morning breeze has secrets to tell you. Do not go back to sleep.
Rumi |
 |
|
|
Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl
7577 Posts
Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts |
Posted - Aug 22 2014 : 11:19:47 AM
|
How about:
- Start canning and dehydrating your own food, or, at the very least, the organic produce from local farmer's markets. Find a local farm where you can purchase organically raised, grass-fed meats, as well! DO NOT BE AFRAID OF PRESSURE CANNING! I was terrified, but once I got started, WOW - I am hooked!!!! There are lots of great videos and tutorials online that will help you through. You can do this! If I can can, surely you can can, too! :)
- Grind your own wheat and corn to make your own flours. Further, you can even roll your own oats!
- Make things from scratch instead of buying pre-made and packaged foods at the grocer.
- Start buying items you need in bulk, a little at a time, and learn how to store them for later use. Even if you buy a few extra sale items each time you go to the grocery store, before you know it, you will have acquired a nice little pantry for when times get tough or in inclement weather or emergencies.
- Take a gun safety/hunter's safety course and learn how to hunt. Get your permit and go! You don't have to live in the country to benefit from hunting... You just need to be safe, legal and willing to learn how to butcher!
- Find people who have the skills you lack, and vice versa. Teach each other, and barter for items you need, and bless with the ones you have!
- Add to your skill set on a regular basis. Learn how to sew, knit, crochet, weave; learn how to do woodworking projects yourself; learn how to make candles; learn about natural remedies; learn about organic gardening and experiment to find what works best for you; etc. Heck, if you don't already know how - learn how to change a tire and change the oil!
- Keep a journal - you may not otherwise remember your experiences, and that information could be very, very important later!
- Propose a community garden to your officials at town hall. Be well researched and prepared. If there are empty lots in town, they could be put to great use and really benefit the community!
- Organize a farmer's market to come to your town - even if only once a month!
- Learn how to live with less electricity or without it completely. Do away with small electrical appliances, watch t.v. less, drop cable, hang your clothes out to dry on the line (or on a rack in your bathroom). Buy a non-electric sweeper and ditch the vaccuum (you can always beat your rugs outside when they need a good cleaning, and wash them in the snow!!!) Learn more about electropollution - it's mindboggling to think what we're doing to ourselves, and we don't even know it!
- Entertain at home instead of going out. Don't wait for your church to organize a special event! It's a wonderful thing to take turns hosting weekly weekend pot lucks with friends. Make sure you exchange recipes, and have those card and board games ready!
- Learn to make your soap. I really need to do this. But I'll be honest, I'm a bit of a klutz and my family's really, really afraid of me using lye. LOL! Thankfully, we have some wonderful soap makers - artisans, in my book - here on the Farmgirl Connection. God bless them - every one! :)
- Make your own cleaning products, your own beauty products, and your own spice and baking mixes from scratch. SO much less expensive and SO much better than anything the store has to offer!
- Recycle your water. Use gray water to do your laundry or to water the garden or to flush the commodes. Save your water from cooking veggies and use in the laundry - it's a natural fabric softener! Veggie water is also great in the garden; it returns nutrients to the soil and plants thrive on it! Just make sure it doesn't contain any salt! You don't want to kill your plants!
- Feed the birds... For Heaven's sake... Feed the birds... And enjoy their delightful chirping in the morning!
- Slooooooowwwwww dooooooowwwnnnnn. Enjoy life a little bit. It's the only one you get, and it goes by so quickly. Sit on the front porch with a glass of lemonade and get to know the neighbors. Take a leisurely stroll through your garden (or a local park) and notice all the amazing plants and critters. When you slow down, suddenly you really start to notice all the wonder and excitement that surrounds us. Such amazing gifts, and yet many people go their entire lives passing them by!
'Hope these help a little, Tracy! Great thread!
Hugs -
Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
|
|
|
|
tracy043
Farmgirl in Training
23 Posts
Tracy
Batesburg
SC
USA
23 Posts |
Posted - Aug 22 2014 : 1:55:39 PM
|
Even more great tips from Nini...I love the feed the birds! Such a simple thing to do for hours of free entertainment!
Living a simple life while preserving the art of homemaking and homesteading.
http://oursimplelife-sc.com/
Farmgirl #2523 |
|
|
|
Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl
7577 Posts
Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts |
Posted - Aug 22 2014 : 9:45:51 PM
|
Thanks, Tracy...
You know, I was thinking - another important tip would be to ditch the disposables... Get rid of disposable diapers and wipes, switch to cloth and homemade wipes (super easy to do!). Also, ditch disposable feminine hygiene products; go for fabric pads (you can even find how-to's as to how to make them online!) and switch to a menstrual cup such as the Diva Cup (...soooo much more sanitary and healthy to use!).
Hugs -
Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
|
Edited by - Ninibini on Aug 23 2014 05:43:51 AM |
|
|
|
churunga
True Blue Farmgirl
3919 Posts
Marie
Minneapolis
MN
USA
3919 Posts |
Posted - Aug 23 2014 : 09:44:38 AM
|
I do much of my shopping for certain items in the alley by the trash dumpsters. Around the end of the month when people are moving, treasures abound. Furniture is the number one item and some of it is really nice. I look for clothing to either restyle and wear or cut up for the fabric. I personally do not give in the container but only grab what I can reach. Everything is washable and paintable and it keeps stuff out of the transfer station.
Marie, Sister #5142
Farmgirl of the Month May 2014
Try everything once and the fun things twice. |
|
|
|
Rosemary
True Blue Farmgirl
1825 Posts
Virginia
USA
1825 Posts |
Posted - Aug 23 2014 : 5:18:09 PM
|
| One time, I happened to drive behind a strip mall that had a restaurant in it. I forget why, but right out behind a nice cafe, there was a pile next to the dumpster of several cute ice-cream parlor chairs and two matching tables. I went around to the cafe and asked if they were really throwing them out and if so, would they mind if I took a table and four chairs. Did it! I used them for years and eventually sold them for a small fortune. Always keep your eyes open for things you can use of sell. Our landfill no longer has a "trash or treasure" shed -- it's now a collection place for items the County can sell in their flea market to support the food bank -- but a lot of dumps will have a place like that where people leave household items of all kinds, sometimes pretty nice antiques. If you're into painted furniture, which is popular now, that's a great pace to find items to work on. |
|
|
|
tracy043
Farmgirl in Training
23 Posts
Tracy
Batesburg
SC
USA
23 Posts |
Posted - Aug 24 2014 : 03:53:05 AM
|
What a great find!
Living a simple life while preserving the art of homemaking and homesteading.
http://oursimplelife-sc.com/
Farmgirl #2523 |
|
|
|
ceejay48
Farmgirl Legend/Schoolmarm/Sharpshooter
13568 Posts
CeeJay (CJ)
Dolores
Colorado
USA
13568 Posts |
Posted - Aug 27 2014 : 12:31:50 PM
|
We "shop" in alleys and by dumpsters too . . it's amazing what people will throw away.
I'm all for using old shirts, socks, rags, etc. for cleaning projects but that sometimes means laundry. Generally, that's not a problem except right now in the southwestern and western part of the US we are in such severe drought situations that we HAVE to watch our water usage which would include laundry. Some areas are banning certain things such as washing your car, etc. In some parts of our area the irrigation water has been already been turned off (in July) for the season. So, depending on the job and what I'm using, I just clean/scrub and toss the rag. Used cut up old socks for projects on our glamper trailer and just tossed them in the trash . . . never would have gotten them clean anyway. Always working on saving and conserving!
CJ
..from the barefoot farmgirl in SW Colorado...sister chick #665.
2010 Farmgirl Sister of the Year
Mother Hen: FARMGIRLS SOUTHWEST HENHOUSE
my aprons - http://www.facebook.com/FarmFreshAprons
living life - www.snippetscja.blogspot.com
from my heart - www.fromacelticheart.blogspot.com
from my hubby - www.aspenforge.blogspot.com |
|
|
|
atkinst2
True Blue Farmgirl
899 Posts
Theresa
Canal Winchester
OH
USA
899 Posts |
Posted - Aug 27 2014 : 1:44:21 PM
|
| I love dumpster diving. You find the neatest things. |
|
|
|
ceejay48
Farmgirl Legend/Schoolmarm/Sharpshooter
13568 Posts
CeeJay (CJ)
Dolores
Colorado
USA
13568 Posts |
|
|
YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
6812 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
6812 Posts |
Posted - Aug 27 2014 : 1:58:34 PM
|
Now that would be fun. I haven't dumpster dived but I do shop along the curb. Found 2 cardboard suitcases that I see in vintage shops for over $30 each. One of the suitcases contained quilt pieces. Also wooden work table that is in the Yellow Rose Cottage and a garden bench that for years I used along my computer table for printer, paper, and such.
Sara
Walk in Peace - Live with Joy
FarmGirl Sister #6034 Aug 25, 2014 |
|
|
|
ceejay48
Farmgirl Legend/Schoolmarm/Sharpshooter
13568 Posts
CeeJay (CJ)
Dolores
Colorado
USA
13568 Posts |
Posted - Aug 27 2014 : 2:03:40 PM
|
My hubby found two of these kid sized metal chairs in a dumpster. They sit on our deck and, as you can see, Silky finds them to be just right for her. I used to use them to decorate our booth at Farmers Market and could have sold them several different times.
CJ
.JPG)
..from the barefoot farmgirl in SW Colorado...sister chick #665.
2010 Farmgirl Sister of the Year
Mother Hen: FARMGIRLS SOUTHWEST HENHOUSE
my aprons - http://www.facebook.com/FarmFreshAprons
living life - www.snippetscja.blogspot.com
from my heart - www.fromacelticheart.blogspot.com
from my hubby - www.aspenforge.blogspot.com |
Edited by - ceejay48 on Aug 27 2014 2:05:43 PM |
|
|
|
Lanna
True Blue Farmgirl
330 Posts
Lanna
A little town in Idaho
330 Posts |
Posted - Sep 17 2014 : 01:40:41 AM
|
Yup, go DIY and gardening on it all.
I have friends that live on acreage, so we can get our forest fix pretty much whenever we want. And we don't have to pay the mortgage/taxes on it to boot. :D Or forest service land is a hop and a skip away - it's where we get our firewood with a very inexpensive yearly permit (and huckleberries and rosehips and even thimbleberries if we want).
On our "tiny" .29 acre lot, we have a 3ish bedroom house, four kids, 16 fruit trees, over 1000sf of garden space plus things like blackberries and raspberries and grapes in places (soon to add rosehips and elderberries in the lineup next year in the yard!!), I've been adding a ton of medicinals in the last two years to add to that stash in the yard (who knew bees/wasps liked boneset so much?!)... we can/preserve a bunch of stuff, we buy from trusted farmers (eggs, cow, pig, chickens, milk) and keep that local, and so on. Again, all about the DIY. Not to mention, despite being on the outskirts of my littleish town, our mortgage is nice and low because of when we bought our house. I'm sure we could've sold and done a heloc or something at some point, but we want a mortgage burning party too bad to do that. So we bloom where we're planted, and enjoy a mortgage half that of friends renting similar houses. :D
Bonus (sometimes), we have neighbor kids that mine play with, our neighbors range from friendly acquaintances to good friends who have watched the kids grow up over the years, and we have a neighborhood park some of the kids can congregate at, which is nice for them.
*****************
Lanna, homeschooling mama to four little monkeys that still try to jump on the bed |
Edited by - Lanna on Sep 17 2014 01:42:06 AM |
|
|
|
NancyOH1
True Blue Farmgirl
88 Posts
Nancy
Columbus
Ohio
USA
88 Posts |
Posted - Nov 04 2014 : 09:43:07 AM
|
I have loved reading everyone's threads today. I ordered my heirloom seeds already for next summer's garden and I can't wait to plant them. We have a dehydrater so we can continue to use it and learn to do more than apples on it. I have learned to spin my own wool in the last couple of years to make yarn for knitting crocheting and weaving. Hoping to add more skills as I go along. I also checked out a book from the library entitled "Money Secrets of the Amish". It talks about being frugal reuse recycle saving and how they make do with less. Never a dull moment going down this road of learning.
Nancy
NancyOH1
Farmgirl Sister No. 2508 |
|
|
|
Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl
7577 Posts
Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts |
Posted - Nov 14 2014 : 1:27:02 PM
|
Nancy - I just finished reading that book myself! Really enjoyed it! Found it to be more about tips for saving by her and her friends, but loved her interactions with the Amish, learning about their wisdom, etc. Very enjoyable read! Hugs - Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
|
|
|
|
NancyOH1
True Blue Farmgirl
88 Posts
Nancy
Columbus
Ohio
USA
88 Posts |
Posted - Nov 14 2014 : 1:43:59 PM
|
| Rereading the posts here I am glad to know that I am not the only one to grab something off the curb to recycle. One of my former neighbors moved and left a perfectly good wing backed chair on the curb. My friend and quilt instructor teaches reupholstery class at Joanns. So I was able to get my upholstery fabric at 50% off the normal price and the class was 50% off as well. I learned a new skill and got a new piec,e of furniture as well. |
|
|
|
star-schipp
True Blue Farmgirl
942 Posts
Starletta
Middletown
Indiana
USA
942 Posts |
Posted - Nov 20 2014 : 3:29:05 PM
|
Nancy - thanks for the book recommendation - I just found it for my Kindle and will start reading it tonight!
EstleSchippFarm.blogspot.com
If you can't feed one hundred people, then just feed one. -Mother Teresa
Star - farmgirl sister #1927
Master Food Preserver
|
|
|
|
etcharb
True Blue Farmgirl
50 Posts
Eileen
Holden
MA
USA
50 Posts |
Posted - Jan 01 2015 : 8:15:53 PM
|
I enjoyed reading these posts. There are lots of really great suggestions here.
I have been going to my local farmer's market for years and one of the best things about it is spending time chatting with the farmers. I've actually become quite friendly with several of them. Because I know the quality of their products, appreciate their hard work and their work ethics, I advertise their products whenever I can. I tell people everywhere (at the hairdresser, doctor's office, work, anywhere I happen to be)all about them and even give out their brochures if I happen to have some on me at the time. This gives the farmers more business. However, the unexpected benefit has been that they show their appreciation by often tucking a few free items in with my purchases. (This has happened with local small businesses as well.) I only talked them up to everybody because I believe so strongly in supporting local small farms, craftspeople, businesses, etc. and I know they have excellent quality products. I didn't do it to get free stuff, never even expected it, but it just started happening. I guess they are just naturally generous people!
Also, I recently discovered a store in Sterling, Massachusetts, just a few towns away from me called Oh My Gosh! Antiques & Collectibles. https://www.facebook.com/ohmygoshantiques
It's fantastic! The store was once a huge cider mill. Now it houses all types of treasures: furniture, clothing, jewelry, cookware, decorations, you name it! Most are antique or vintage. Best of all the prices are great. Vendors rent booths, rooms, or displays and sell their wares. Some things are new, but hand crafted by local artisans. Other things are antiques or collectibles that vendors want to sell. I've found lots of great things there at amazingly low prices.
I've also become a vendor selling my handmade jewelry. So far, it's been a successful source for providing a small added income. It's also given me a strong incentive to get started on cleaning out my basement which is loaded with old "stuff" that's just collecting dust, but is in good condition and could easily find a new home where it will be appreciated and bring me a few extra dollars in the process.
Check around for places like this near you. Apparently, this store has been around for years and is quite popular, but I didn't even know it existed until last summer when a friend told me about it and I'm sure glad she did!
Eileen Charbonneau |
|
|
| |
Off the Grid/Homesteading Skills: Homestead where ever you live... |
|
|
|
Homestead where ever you live...
