Self Sufficiency

[coolhand]

Self sufficiency according to Merriam-Webster:

1: able to maintain oneself or itself without outside aid: capable of providing for one's own needs
2: having an extreme confidence in one's own ability or worth

I wanted to start a thread that speaks to how we can learn from each other how to become more self-sufficient. As economies around the world continue to reel from a lack of growth (and everything that goes with that), I really think it has become imperative to become as self sufficient as possible.

While self-sufficiency can sound like a great objective, for many of us it would be very difficult to be truly self-sustaining. Someone living in the city would have a more difficult time becoming self-sufficient as opposed to someone in the country (try growing a garden in the city for instance). My point here is that sometimes being self-sufficient can refer to a group of people, town, etc. and not necessarily an individual.

This thread can open up all kinds of thoughts and ideas. It is not a shallow subject.

Recently, I purchased some books from my local Tractor Supply store. I do not live on a farm, but the books I bought were titled The Backyard Homestead and they were chock full of tips on cooking skills and gardening.

I have also been trying to learn how to improve my quality of life by trying to be as organic as possible, which is more difficult than it seems (and expensive).

To that end, I bought some Himalayan Salt recently. I am not sure I how came across it on the internet, but I did and bought some on Ebay. Check out this link on its benefits:

The Benefits of Himalayan Salt

This is an example of a simple way to improve quality of life (in my opinion). I know many of you have tips of your own and I would love to hear them.

 

[alevin]

way to go, CH. This has been an ongoing theme in my life for some time. I graduated to Himalayan this year finally, as well as to Persian blue. don't know why, but sometimes the blue appeals more with certain foods. otherwise, an average white sea salt is my goto. minor minerals that our soils/foods are becoming deficient in. make sure iodine gets replaced. sometimes seasalts/other natural salts are missing iodine, unless it says it on the label it's been added.

Grow what I can. Been adding fruit trees-dwarf, semi-dwarf rootstocks, 1/year the past 3 years. Not producing yet, but taking the long view-I may be here awhile yet, and will help someone else later down the road when I move on. Garden-permaculture. grow perennial food/medicinal plants. I grow blackberries, raspberries, a handful of edibles/medicinal herbs most don't know about-distributed among the flower beds. secret medicine/food cabinet.

I learn something new each year-keep notes on what I grew, what did well, what didn't. keep notes on first and last frost dates each year, get a feel for when it's safe to plant hot-season vegetables like squash, tomatoes, peppers, melons, beans.

 

[coolhand]

I had not heard of Persian Blue before. Thanks for that tip! Since I live in a sub-division, I do not have the space for a garden, but I was thinking about hydroponics as an option. It would still be limited, but I have a 500 sq ft sun room with lots of space.

Aside from fresh fruits and vegetables I am also stocking up on long shelf-life (25 years) survival food to give me some flexibility should a disaster strike. Also piling up non-perishable things like toilette paper, paper plates, garbage bags, etc.

I would love to plant some food trees, but the developer who built my division used a clay-based soil to elevate the lots by 4 to 8 feet. Very few plants or trees can grow in that kind of restrictive soil. I may move to a smaller, rural setting in a couple of years to help remedy that problem.

 

[jpcavin]

If you look at WebMD and Mayo Clinic websites, they will both tell you that all salts are the same. What is often overlooked is that refined salts have anti-caking agents added in to keep the salt from clumping. It's these anti-caking agents that are the most harmful to humans. Google anti-caking agents and you will find various sources of information. My take is that one would use natural salt, (be it Celtic or Himalayan or other) to avoid these harmful anti-caking agents and ensure that you add iodine into your diet either from foods rich in iodine or from iodine supplements like Iodoral. I've always heard that REAL Salt by Redmond was pretty good alternative to the more expensive Celtic and Himalayan brands.

Types of Salt: Himalayan vs Kosher vs Regular vs Sea Salt
Salts (table or cooking) with the fewest additives - Toxinless

 

[JTH]

The concept of Self Sufficiency has always fascinated me and for myself it is a continuous never-ending journey.

From my perspective the first place to start is where you live, either working with what you have, or being mindful of the next place you move into. I'm currently living on top of a multi-level apartment, I plan to jump off the roof before I starve from hunger, it's always good to have options...

Seriously though, I love gardening, it's gods work.

 

[alevin]

Hattip jp. Potassium iodide is not the kind of iodine to have in our diets, per what I've been reading. There is a small bottle of Iodoral (not potassium iodide) sitting on my counter already, been using it. 1 drop at a time doesn't get overwhelming tastewise in a cup or glass of something drinkable.

 

[jpcavin]

i'm rethinking my previous post. The Iodoral has both iodine and potassium iodide. I used it for a little while along with my other supplements and I noticed that something was a little off. I stopped using the Iodoral and am feeling much better. I believe there is a use for the Iodoral but unless you have been diagnosed with a thyroid problem, I would caution to only take it under the advice of a doctor. Also, upon further reading, it seems that regular table salt has potassium iodide and not elemental iodine.
Natural is the way to go for sure. The more processed and refined foods we take out of our diets the better.

Those looking to increase iodine in their diets: 1 serving of kelp has 500% of RDA and 1 serving of scallops has 90% of RDA.

 

[Boghie]

Being a City Slicker - and the former 'Y2K Duffus' for my employer - I personally think:

• Become at least good acquaintances with your neighbors. If you have to make it alone 2 weeks+ you will all have forgotten things. Did you know that water in normal plastic bottles/jugs goes bad? What if the 'FireBall From the Heavens' landed right on your storage bin? If things get more primeval than you need a clan - hopefully your family and those same neighbors. Maybe you have a neighbor of a certain ethnicity that saves money in gold jewelry - but you have the working vehicle and generator. Why gouge or steal - just share. He she needs what you can provide while the clan will need the 'currency' for unforeseen stuff - but all that only works if: You Build Trust - it is the only thing that holds groups together when things fail.
  _
• Know how to fix things and make them last. That fireball crunched your shack and your generator don't work. Still looks ok, but it don't start when you press the button. Hey, look at that starter - reattach that wire. Whoopee, it works. Maybe help others in the clan keeping their stuff good to go. Nice, very nice.
  _
• Dump debt, don't borrow from da'Boyz or friends/family as a normal monthly income enhancement. Have a few months of savings. What if the gubmint doesn't pay us for our labor, or doesn't pay anybody their 'benefits'. Maybe that Fireball landed on the computers that create the money bits. Da Gubmint gotta find a bunch of IT Programmers and DBAs to build the replacement from scratch but first they must ensure that they will not threaten the habitat of the Dealta Smealt with the application. So it takes two/three months. Maybe four months in and you need to borrow some cash. Da Gubmint is almost done. Some welfare is getting out and some bridges to nowhere are getting built again. But they ain't paid you. What family member wouldn't loan you a bit of short term cash? They know that it ain't a permanent thing and they know they will get it back. They are part of the clan.
  _
• And, in concert with the above and smart on its own - learn to grow what you eat. It costs less and you know what you are eating. Win Win. I have neighbor (clan member) who uses - and builds - hydroponics containers. He grows amazing vegetables in a tiny space with very little water.
  _
• Finally, back to tradable skills. If things are kinda bad for kinda a long time the skills you have learned here will be very valuable. How many of your fellow employees actually know what an investment is? Any of them able to look at an opportunity that requires assets (skills, money, or trade) and see the potential in a hard nosed light. You could be da'Boyz - but da'Boyz have value. A situation where you clan up and break up will demonstrate that in spades.

That was kinda fun. I think I read this kinda discussion in the original post as well as the organic clean living stuff...

 

[alevin]

hattip Boghie, yes all the above. I'm just getting warmed up!

And jp, I for one do have a thyroid prob diagnosed, but didn't know iodoral is combo. Just started using it tho, so will monitor how it makes me feel, and try to incorporate more kelp and shellfish. I started the switch to sea salts to get away from the potassium iodide myself.

 

[burrocrat]

my skill is part mad max and part scavenger, i can drive like hell and find resources as if inspired. my plan when the giant fireball from the sky hits is to hightail it to utah. the good mormons have 2 years worth of food storage and will be taken up in the rapture immediately, leaving a bounty for the pickin. plus i hear the leaves are pretty in the fall.

 

[nnuut]

People need to learn Self Sufficiency when they are young, but in our country the educational system is teaching the opposite.
[h=2]Minnesota[/h] [h=1]Girls basketball team gets booted from league for being too good[/h] Published January 24, 2016 FoxNews.com

A Minnesota youth basketball team has been ejected from a league for being too good and now the coach, parents and players are crying foul.
The Rogers Area Youth Basketball Association girls high school team was forced to the sidelines by the Northwest Suburban Basketball League -- and it’s all because the team is 3-0, Fox 9 reported Saturday.
“We found out Friday at lunchtime that we’re not going to be allowed because according to the league our girls were too talented,” coach Jason Hanauska told the station.
RAYBA sent parents a letter that said the main reason for the league's decision was because other teams in the league “do not want to play RAYBA due to the skill level.”
“This is absurd,” parent Sherri Palmgren told the station. “Do we take the (NFL’s) Patriots or Cardinals, who are going to the championship game, and kick them to the curb because they’re too good?”[more]
Girls basketball team gets booted from league for being too good | Fox News

 

[alevin]

THAT is seriously messed up, nnuut. Great way to teach a child not to use their god-given talents and abilities, or even express an interest in pursuing anything they might be good at. appalling. poor kids, hope the community rises up in protest and gets those kids back in the game. or go make a new league, or something. whatever happened to coaches and parents of those other teams helping their own teams/kids get better at the game? sheesh. disgusting.

 

[coolhand]

If you look at WebMD and Mayo Clinic websites, they will both tell you that all salts are the same. What is often overlooked is that refined salts have anti-caking agents added in to keep the salt from clumping. It's these anti-caking agents that are the most harmful to humans. Google anti-caking agents and you will find various sources of information. My take is that one would use natural salt, (be it Celtic or Himalayan or other) to avoid these harmful anti-caking agents and ensure that you add iodine into your diet either from foods rich in iodine or from iodine supplements like Iodoral. I've always heard that REAL Salt by Redmond was pretty good alternative to the more expensive Celtic and Himalayan brands.

Types of Salt: Himalayan vs Kosher vs Regular vs Sea Salt
Salts (table or cooking) with the fewest additives - Toxinless

Something I learned not too long ago is the pervasive use of seemingly on-target information by seemingly knowledgeable sources. The past few years have convinced me that "truth" is quite elusive. We may find it and we may not. How do we know for sure that we are not being misled by misinformation? I offer the following video of a former CBS investigative reporter who got in trouble for trying to tell the truth as she understood it. Her name is Sharyl Attkinsson.

I offer this video simply to point out that we can no longer assume that what we read, almost regardless of the source, can be trusted wholesale. Note that she mentions WebMD in her presentation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0s__qs0cBek

 

[jpcavin]

Something I learned not too long ago is the pervasive use of seemingly on-target information by seemingly knowledgeable sources. The past few years have convinced me that "truth" is quite elusive. We may find it and we may not. How do we know for sure that we are not being misled by misinformation? I offer the following video of a former CBS investigative reporter who got in trouble for trying to tell the truth as she understood it. Her name is Sharyl Attkinsson.

I offer this video simply to point out that we can no longer assume that what we read, almost regardless of the source, can be trusted wholesale. Note that she mentions WebMD in her presentation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0s__qs0cBek

Absolutely! I get my information from many sources and draw my own conclusions. Although there is much useful information from WebMD and Mayo, I have noticed that they leave out a lot useful information. I'm sure they have been bought off by the drug companies.

 

[coolhand]

Absolutely! I get my information from many sources and draw my own conclusions. Although there is much useful information from WebMD and Mayo, I have noticed that they leave out a lot useful information. I'm sure they have been bought off by the drug companies.

I use both as sources of info (WebMD, Mayo Clinic), but always remain aware of the possibility that the information may be flawed in some manner. It sure is unfortunate.

 

[Intrepid_Timer]

"Because we may live in an iodine-poor area; because drinking water may be treated with chlorine; because we may be sick too often, lack energy and endurance, develop nervous tension, lack the ability of clear thinking, and accumulate unwanted fat, how shall we go about bringing up the iodine content of the body to the point needed?
There are three ways:
1. Eating foods which analysis has shown are particularly rich in iodine. Among these are: all food out of the ocean, radishes, asparagus, carrots, tomatoes, spinach, rhubarb, potatoes, peas, strawberries, mushrooms, lettuce, bananas, cabbage, egg yolk, and onions.
2. Painting a small area of the body with tincture of iodine.
3. Taking preparations known to be rich in iodine. One of these is cod-liver oil. Another is Lugol's solution of iodine. Still another is kelp.
In 1829 a French physician named Lugol originated a solution which contains iodine in a solution of potassium iodide. It has been used steadily ever since it was originated.
When used to maintain the iodine content of the body the dose is small and is taken only on certain days of the week. When the mineral content of the body is analyzed, only a trace of iodine is found. Ten drops of iodine represent more iodine than is found in the entire body. For this reason, the dose of Lugol's solution of iodine is one or two drops (In this article Dr. Jarvis is speaking about Lugol's Solution 5%. When using Lugol's Solution 2% use 2-3 single drops to get the equivalent), depending on your body weight. If you weigh 150 pounds or less, for example, your dose to maintain the normal iodine content of the body is one drop, taken at one meal on Tuesday and Friday of each week. If you weigh more than 150 pounds, the dose should be two drops instead of one. It is useful to remember that the human body works on the minimum of anything it needs. If there should be a rise in sickness in the area where you live, it would be well to take the Lugol's solution three times a week instead of two, on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, for the purpose of storing up reserve.
How is the drop of the solution to be taken, on the directed days? In general, medical men prescribe iodine to be taken on an empty stomach, preferably 20 minutes before food is taken. During the passing years Vermont folk medicine has worked out a different plan and it is one I like to follow. It has been referred to in another connection elsewhere in this book. To repeat, adding one teaspoonful of apple cider vinegar to a glass of water to make the water acid in reaction, holding the medicine dropper horizontal in order to get a maximum drop, one drop of the Lugol's solution is added to the mixture. The contents are stirred with a spoon and sipped through the course of the meal, as one would drink a cup of coffee or tea."

J.CROW'S®, The usefulness of Iodine, Lugol's Solution of Iodine, USP, Lugol's, Lugol's Iodine,Lugol's Iodine Solutions 5% and 2.2%.Lugols iodine solution consisting of 5% iodide and 10% potassium iodine

 

[nnuut]

The Salt of the Earth promotes Self Sufficiency?:cheesy:

 

[coolhand]

I like that this thread got active quick. I would like to note that the my focus of using Himalayan salt was not limited to iodine consumption. Really, my main point was to avoid overly processed foods that are devoid of much of their natural ingredients; though the points about iodine are well taken. Here's another one that I am currently researching; vitamin K.

Vitamin K: Protection Against Arterial Calcification, Bone Loss, Cancer, and Aging - Life Extension

Why Grass-Fed Butter is Good For You


What do you folks think about the benefits of organic butter over other alternatives? I am not an authority on any of this, but I know I do not generally trust what the media tells me. There probably isn't a topic that you can research on-line that doesn't have pro and con points of view (or deliberate misinformation), so any links I post are not assumed to be totally accurate.

 

[Intrepid_Timer]

Healthy Coffee Recipe | Wellness Mama

Made with butter.

 

[WorkFE]

Being self sufficient is extremely time consuming. Other than those who are retired most of those working a 40+ hour work week would find it difficult to maintain. The important thing is to practice self sufficiency. Learn how to do it and when possible do it on a small scale, validate that you can do it.
I am certainly no electrician but I observe when possible an electrician plying their trade and/or read up on it. Most home owners probably do.
Growing your own food/Raising meat and applying the processes to preserve that food, generating your own energy, being your own barber, Knowing enough to be dangerous Handyman :laugh:, hunting/fishing, clothing repair, making spirits etc. You can spend 15-30 hours a week just doing these things as a hobby.
While I do not do it on a scale that makes me self sufficient I do it as a hobby and maintain the skill set that if I had to expand it to meet a need I surely could. My garden is only 20x20. After initial preparation and planting it consumes about 5 hours of my time every week. After preservation it could provide about 2 months worth of provisions. I've read that it takes about 1/3rd of an acre to sustain one person. With your house, garage and out building you might say a married couple would need an acre.
As I get older I find it more difficult to sustain that pace.