How to live self-suficiant

(almost like the amish) My dream is to work hard for a few years( long enough to buy about 10-50 maybe even 80 acres) build my own cottage and garden and hunt, and live off the land and out of main stream society. i would like to be completly self suficiant. is it possibole, any body ever do it???

 

You know how to dress and preserve game?
What will you do for things like salt & sugar?
And tea and coffee?
Or anything to drink that's not water?
How will you mill your grain to make flour?

 

I can hunt and garden which will give memeat and veggies and some tea. I always figured i could hit up them farmers markets and sell trade and buy what else i need.
but thats why i put up the post, so i could find out how to do new things, or maybe find out about books and websites to teach me.

 

i'm also looking into veggietarin life styles

 

See i'm taking the Sears course in the army next year. Its one of the hardest survival courses int he military. So i'll see what i can do, but yeah use military technical manuals. google survival tm's. and all that good stuff, it's all public access.

 

good idea. what exactly is the sears course is it something similar to the seals or green berets. or is it just a course. no offence to my idiocy, i know how some military ppl get pissed when you don't know what they are or going through. i know the worst thing you can say to a marine is to call him/her an ex-marine thats a sure fire why to get some shit going. well thanx for the advice.

 

I heard there was some diet where (if you can stand the blandness) you can survive on oats and grains and shit like that for like, $200 a year... Maybe more expensive than that but it was pretty cheap in the long run. Anyone have any details on this?

This site that I just found on google has some good info and insight into self sufficiency. http://pages.britishlibrary.net/patgardiner/index.htm

 

There is no such thing as total self-sufficiency. Check out my web site listed in my profile.

 

My neighbor (In Alaska) last set foot in town in about 1997. He grows his own food and makes whatever needs. BUT, it took about ten years for him to get set-up. Two years ago he closed the runway that gives access to his homestead.

His life is not easy, but he's able to do it. I would guess his age to be around 60.

 

Here is a website which is FULL of useful info.. it even explains how to turn vegetable oil into Biodiesel for your motor..

http://www.pathtofreedom.com

Hope you find what you need

Keep Rockin'
Shadow M
xx

 

How does your friend grow/make sugar, salt, coffee, toilet paper, matches, or candles? What would he do if he broke/twisted his ankle or got real sick?

I agree with Bilby.

 

there may not be totally self-suficient, but then i don't really whant that. but if you grow and hunt for you own food and work the land you don't have to pay property taxes and shit. i'm not sure all the details on it but thats basically it. I plan to sell fruits and veggys along the highway with some hemp and tye dyes. maybe start a small buisness in a small town. and only reliey on society as little a possible (gass, some groceries, supplies, etc.) but i would love to only have to go into town like 1 or 2 times a month. so i guess what i was really trying to ask is questions like how big of a garden i would need. how to rotat a garden for maximum yeild and what not. I'd like to learn how to build a cottage and a water powerd generator. thats the shit i whant to know. how to make some naccesities. thanks for the web sites every one and the info.

 

Thanks for the great website link! I have it saved onto my yahoo bookmarks now.

 

jypsy, alot of self sufficiency and working toward it is pure trial and error and learning along the way,,, start small and learn as you go and grow, only then will you be able to figure out how big of a garden space you will need, only then will you know how much meat you need to hunt downetc, etc,,,, books and reading online are great tools to help you in your quest but from my own personal experience,,, experiencing it and going that route is the best way to see for yourself...

we are in the same process here on the farm,,, trying this thing and that thing and seeing what works or grows in some cases and what wont, ... what will sell at the local markets or curbside and what wont,,, what stores and freezes well n what doesnt,,, what critters are best to raise for food and what aint,,,, what styles of out buildings work n what wont,,,, alot of times it is really discouraging and yet many a time it is so gratifying to see the progress one makes,,, i guess in the end tis alot of balance n seeing exactly how things go in real life n not what books say,,,,, books are wonderful but only as tools,,,, luv n lite

 

thanx dilligaf that was pretty good advise. i guess no one can really tell me how to live i just need to figure it out for my self. I need to master gardening and hunting and food storage and learn all i can until i got the money to start my life the way i whant it.
thanx to every one for your help.

 

ah hell we dont ever master anything lol,,, just when we think we do something changes or the weather dont cooperate or something breaks n we have to figger something else out to work around the obstacles.

But yes learning is the key and the willingness to try the things ya learn as well and the guts n perseverance is what really pays off. It dont come overnite ,,, and as one who aint good with patience,,,, i can tellya it seems really slow going at times,,, so even when yer discouraged dont give up.... ( as i sit here n pick a hunk of glass outta my foot for havin an impatience/discouragement related temper tantrum yesterday.) but now i gottsta go n weedeat for a couple hours before the sun rolls over the mtn...
luv n lite..

 

No problem at all... heh i've only just managed to get back on here since returning from spain.... i hope you got some good info... i sure did

Keep Rockin'
Peace
Shadow M
xx

 

That's great linkage

I've known a few peeps that have almost managed to subsist self sufficiently....it does seem to be a fantastic amount of hard work, but I guess it comes with it's own rewards

 

It sure does.. My parents and grandparents are semi-self-sufficient, growing their own food etc etc... i love to grow flowers and try and cross-breed them.. once i'm successfull i'm going to start marketing them...

Anyone Interested ??

Keep Rockin'
Peace
Shadow M
xx

 

Why do you need sugar and salt? Don't you like the taste of your food? Why do you need coffee? Can't you function without caffeine or other chemicals? Why do you need toilet paper? There are other things you can use like leaves. Yes, I know how to make candles, both out of tallow and from beeswax. Matches? Don't you know how to make fire without matches? Can't you splint a leg? And how can you catch rhinovirus or influenza if there are no outside people around? As for milling flour, gluten is not the best thing to put into your body anyway. Slaughtering, dressing and butchering a cow or deer is childs play. I know, I did it as a child.

A lot of people who set out to form self-sufficient intentional communities have dietary problems at first. Most, even. Too much animal protein causes rickets and scurvy, too little animal protein causes anemia and other iron deficiencies. But the average Joe and Jill on the street knows a lot more about dietary needs than we did 100 years ago, or even 25. And yes, it takes a few years to be self-sufficient but that's always the goal.

So try doubting a little less. It will make you a much nicer person to those around you.