Preparing for the worst, hoping for the best. Having a larger family we need a lot of food. we had a dozen chickens but lost all but one due to a bobcat and a husky who ripped open our coop and killed the rest and left one badly mangled but we revived it with lots of neosporin. we have a dozen chicks on order now. we had one raised garden bed but I made 4 more and am making 6 more so we can have a working mini farm in a couple months. Water wise we are good with a year round river. We have a few months supplies but I am slowly adding more and more items. The wife keeps threatening me with a milking goat but I am not on board for milking every morning super early. I am considering raising meat from maybe a bird source or rabbit. I could use some input on that. My hope is that in a few months, we could be food self sufficient and if things go back to normal in a few months, we just have a bunch of healthy organic food from our yard. I am trying to get more people we know to have a “Victory Garden” because if we all garden, the better off we all are. Farm to table? Ha! Yard to table!

I remember my Grandmother (who survived the depression, barely) saying If we didn't grow it. we didn't eat. I've been gardening for years + have a rainwater collection system to keep me in a potential 5K Gallons at any given time but truthfully, lately, all I have been growing is tomatoes as I can my own salsa. That is something else that I think everyone knows how to do is can your own foods. It's really easy + a good bit of fun. I save up all my tomatoes + peaches in the freezer until winter + then devote a weekend of canning in the kitchen. It's cold out + warm in + the house smells lovely. Lots of salsa + peach preserves. If nothing else, you have Christmas covered. Oh + BTW, I wouldn't have another goat on a bet unless I was going to kill it right then!

Rabbits are an excellent addition. I obtained a trio of meat rabbits last fall. One litter of kits growing out now. I have them not only for the meat but also the manure which is among the best for a vegetable garden. Maybe I should start a topic just on buns?

we are on solar, have our own well, and are 9 miles from pavement. I do have to have generators and fuel( gas/diesel) for pumping the well(1100 ft deep) and battery charging plus doing projects around here.
We have 40acres of shaggy bark juniper for heat.
WE have chickens plus 2 pigs (sow/boar)last years piglets(12 )were sold and bartered for materials and services plus butchered by me for our freezer (3).
We have a 30ft x 30ft raised garden area and are in the process of building a green house hydroponic garden. We grow mushrooms in our shed for drying and cooking with and medicinal ones. ( no funny mind blowing ones)Medicinal herbals and flowers as well.
We grow can, dry, smoke and cure a lot off our own stuff plus find deals in town like hatch chilies, carrots and such.
One thing the we have found that barters real well is baked goods, jerky and skills.
Plus all the usual stuff as mentioned. But a fresh apple pie or peach cobbler does get a lot done, lol.
coues
ds

quote:

Originally posted by Aspen Hill Adventures:
Rabbits are an excellent addition. I obtained a trio of meat rabbits last fall. One litter of kits growing out now. I have them not only for the meat but also the manure which is among the best for a vegetable garden. Maybe I should start a topic just on buns?

Please do!
I could learn a lot from your experience and others too I bet

You are quite prepared!
I’d love to hear some wisdom from all your self reliance.

quote:

Originally posted by coues:
we are on solar, have our own well, and are 9 miles from pavement. I do have to have generators and fuel( gas/diesel) for pumping the well(1100 ft deep) and battery charging plus doing projects around here.
We have 40acres of shaggy bark juniper for heat.
WE have chickens plus 2 pigs (sow/boar)last years piglets(12 )were sold and bartered for materials and services plus butchered by me for our freezer (3).
We have a 30ft x 30ft raised garden area and are in the process of building a green house hydroponic garden. We grow mushrooms in our shed for drying and cooking with and medicinal ones. ( no funny mind blowing ones)Medicinal herbals and flowers as well.
We grow can, dry, smoke and cure a lot off our own stuff plus find deals in town like hatch chilies, carrots and such.
One thing the we have found that barters real well is baked goods, jerky and skills.
Plus all the usual stuff as mentioned. But a fresh apple pie or peach cobbler does get a lot done, lol.
coues
ds

I have two freezers full of game and other frozen meats, bread and vegetables.

I've made jerky several times a year for the last 20 years or so.

Smoke meats including Salmon.

Never done any canning.

Recently picked up a Presto 23 quart Pressure Canner.




think I'm gonna try out some different recipe's just fer schitz n' giggles.

ya!


GWB

Glenn,

You will enjoy pressure canning.

No wisdom I just find nature and animals more to my liking.
Canning is fun , for us. We do both water bath and pressure canning.
Coues
ds

I don't know if they still do it but a few years back the County Extension agent would calibrate your pressure cooker for free, at least here in Texas.

quote:

Originally posted by NormanConquest:
I don't know if they still do it but a few years back the County Extension agent would calibrate your pressure cooker for free, at least here in Texas.

Here in MO the Extension offices still do that.

quote:

Originally posted by NormanConquest:
I don't know if they still do it but a few years back the County Extension agent would calibrate your pressure cooker for free, at least here in Texas.

Same here in Alaska!!

quote:

Never done any canning.

Recently picked up a Presto 23 quart Pressure Canner.

You'll like bottled venison! We also bottled trout. Good stuff! Bottled chicken, bottled rabbit should all be good as well!

Hi,
A lot of folks around here are worried about the national supply of meat ( bovine, swine fowl) and are asking me to let our boar breed our sow.
She had 15 piglets last year for her first litter. Three died but we raised 12 up to 300 pounds and sold most of them
I say most because I butchered two for the freezer and had two others that were paid for but the folks who bought them never came to pick them up nor could I ever locate them.
We did find another buyer for them though.
Im not sure I want to do this but I am giving it some thought. I am wondering if just selling the 10 week old piglets would be a better plan.
Last years were fed grains, alfalfa and grasses plus garden waste and several truck loads of apples and pears that weren't gathered before they hit the ground and became bruised and mushy.
Made for some tasty pork lol.
coues
ds

coues: My taxidermist lives in Flag. Chris Favour. Sounds like you've got a good idea. I'm sure there are plenty of people there that would love to have some great pork.