Article by HomesteadingFamily

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There are many things I wished I knew before we started homesteading. These things would have made it easier when times were difficult or I felt like giving up. Hopefully these tips will help you wherever you are in your homestead journey.

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The Difference Between Simple & Easy

The first thing I wish I knew before homesteading was the difference between simple and easy.

The homesteading life is a very simple life in that it makes sense. You put your seeds in the ground, you harvest them and they go on your plate. In some ways, it’s extremely simple, but it doesn’t mean it’s easy.

It’s very easy to picture this homesteading life where you’re relaxing on the patio drinking coffee, listening to the rooster crow and watching your children playing out in the yard. But the reality is that homesteading takes a lot of work and a large commitment and, unless you’re intentional about it, there’s very little time for sitting and watching.

Homesteading is for people who really want to be involved in the here and now of their life to make things better for their families… even if it means a lot of work.

When I first started homesteading I had a bit of a misunderstanding between simple and easy. Yes, it’s a simple life, but it’s not always easy.

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Don’t Take On Too Much at Once

Taking on too much at once will always come back to haunt you. Right now there are a lot of people feeling the urgency to do more.

The reality is there’s a large learning curve to everything we do and every new skill we want to learn on the homestead. It’s important that you’re prepared for that.

Things can be really easy to get started, such as the garden, but once it gets into full swing it takes a lot more work to do all the harvesting and preserving on the other side. Start slowly, start methodically, and add on new skills only once you’ve mastered the previous skill.

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Bonding

When you work closely with friends or family on one specific task, then you get to celebrate the fruits of your labor together. That bonds people together in a way that’s rarely seen in today’s modern culture.

When you’ve struggled through bad weather, worked out in the hot sun, had to deal with problems or issues, and then you can sit down at the end of the day and enjoy the rewards of your work, that’s such an incredible feeling.

If I could have seen the relationships I would build with my children in the early days, when it was hard with small children and toddlers, it would have helped me get through those difficult seasons.

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A Little Bit Everyday Goes a Long Way

It’s so much easier doing a little bit every day instead of doing a large task all at once. You’ll get so much more done if you just commit to consistently doing a little bit each and every day.

It’s also easier to fit smaller tasks into a busy schedule when it’s broken up into shorter portions of time.

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The Importance of Managing the Home

One thing I wished I had realized earlier on is that if my household is not functioning on a basic level then it’s going to be very difficult to layer on animals, gardens, or other projects.

It wasn’t until our household was running smoothly that adding more tasks to the homestead wasn’t overwhelming. Make sure your household is running smoothly before adding in other projects.

Learning to homestead while on a budget is another important aspect of homestead management.

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The Flavor of Homegrown Food

I knew homesteading meant I would save money and get food that was healthier and more nutrient-dense than from the grocery store. But what I didn’t realize was how much better tasting the flavors of that food would be!

We can barely go to a restaurant now, even a high-end restaurant, knowing how much that dinner will cost us, and justify the expense of eating out when it just won’t taste as good as we can make it from home.

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Learning New Skills Takes Time

If you’re learning something new and feel like it’s taking a long time, that’s because it is. Learning new skills takes a while and it can be challenging. But once you learn that skill and it becomes routine, you’ll find it takes much less time out of your day and you don’t even remember the struggle of learning it.

Just know that once you get through the learning phase, the practice and execution of it ongoing won’t take as long. This is why I go back to tip #2 of not taking on too much at a time.

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The Importance of Good Infrastructure

Setting your homestead and household up the correct way using permaculture design principles does cost money and labor upfront, but in the long run, it will save you time, energy, and even money later on.

Things like hose bibs, fences, barns, outbuildings, the location of your garden, orchard, etc. These things all cost money to get set up the right way, but if you can do it right from the beginning, you’ll save yourself so much time and energy (and even money).

For example, if your animal’s feed isn’t convenient to where you feed the animals and it takes you a couple of extra minutes each day to feed them, then over the course of a year, you will have wasted hours of time!

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Character Building

As a kid, when you grow up on a homestead and you’re responsible for animals, gardens, and other chores, you learn a level of responsibility that’s rarely seen in today’s modern world.

My children are incredibly responsible people! They know how to cook, they know how to garden and to raise animals, and they also know how to problem solve.

Being on a homestead has created the opportunity for them to learn these skill sets and I couldn’t be more grateful for it. There are many reasons why you should start homesteading, and this is one of the biggest.

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The Need for Community

Finally, the last thing I wish I knew before we started homesteading was the importance and the need for community. Sometimes homesteading can feel lonely. A lot of times we homesteaders are doing what we’re doing because we feel very passionate about being resilient, more self-sufficient, etc., but that doesn’t mean the people around us share that same enthusiasm.

If you start talking to your friend about the latest thing you made, or the amazing herbs you’re growing and their eyes kind of gloss over, don’t get discouraged!

But let it help you realize that’s why it’s important to get plugged into a homesteading community where you can feel connected and supported, and fellowship with like-minded people.

It’s something I underestimated in my earlier years. I had no idea of the importance of the community aspect.

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Article Source: https://homesteadingfamily.com/10-things-i-wish-i-knew-before-i-started-homesteading/

Everyone probably should practice water conservation, whether there is a crisis or not or whether you live off grid or not. We are not here to tell you what to do, however, we only offer suggestions, but during a crisis you will need to know how to conserve your precious water or you may not survive, so why not start now so you do know what to do when the time comes.

Dried pasta is a staple that many people stockpile for emergencies, but it takes water to cook, or does it. Dried pasta is dehydrated of course, and thus, requires a liquid to reconstitute it so it can be eaten.

One way of cooking pasta without water is to let it simmer in the sauce. It will take longer, but this method works well. Simply pour whatever sauce you plan to use in a pot or even a slow cooker and turn on low heat. Once warmed add the pasta and let cook until done. The sauce may reduce, but you can add some wine, chicken or beef stock or a splash of water to add volume. You can use a skillet to cook pasta using just sauce or other liquids besides water, but it will require your constant attention until done.

You can cook pasta in any type of meat or vegetable stock or use wine as the liquid.

Maybe you don’t plan on using a sauce and do need to use water, but this does not mean that you have to pour the water down the drain when done, nor do you need to use as much as you think. You only need enough to cover the pasta, and you do not need to keep the water at a rolling boil, which will reduce the volume of water.

Save the water for making soups, cooking beans, vegetables or make gravy. The pasta in the water will act as a thickener so a cup of pasta water and some pan drippings adds up to thick, rich gravy.

You can steam vegetables at the same time you cook your pasta or potatoes. Place your vegetables in a metal colander and set over the pot of cooking pasta or potatoes. This saves on fuel and on water.

The starchy water can also be used to water plants after it has cooled to room temperature. Freeze the water for later use if you have to, but never pour it down the drain.

Boiling potatoes, or vegetables, save the water as well and use as described above.

Wash and rinse dishes without letting the water run. Some people will fill up one side of the sink with soapy water and wash their dishes and then allow the water to run in the other side of the sink as they rinse, water that is going down the drain. The rinse water going down the drain is being wasted. Use a dish tub to catch the rinse water and use to water your garden or to flush toilets. The soapy wash water is not recommended for watering plants, but gray water (rinse water) can be used to water the garden. Do not pour on the plants directly, but instead, allow the water to saturate the ground around the plants.

Rinsing produce, then catch the water in a tub or bowl and use to water plants and to flush toilets, as well. You can set aside a five-gallon bucket to collect water in and then carry to the garden or use to flush when you have collected enough.

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More On Boiling Water

As we stated above, you do not need to let your water rapid boil the entire time when cooking pasta, potatoes, or even beans. Simmering will get the job done, and you will use less water and fuel.

The steam rising is water going to waste so when cooking potatoes, pasta or other foods, bring the water to a boil and then reduce. Some people actually turn the heat off when the water reaches a boil and then they put the lid on the pot to allow the potatoes or pasta to cook in the hot water. However, this method is not precise, so it is recommended that you reduce the heat to a simmer. Keep an eye on the process, because there is no need to overcook. Keep in mind the less boiling you do the more fuel you will save.

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Source: https://prepforshtf.com/water-conservation-in-the-kitchen/

Without completely deforesting the whole area that is.

I'm on a journey of self-sufficiency with a focus on pre-Industrial skills. I gave making salted butter a try today, and it was fantastic!

I sourced the pasteurized heavy cream from my local farmer and bought a quart. I wound up making two batches. 12oz of cream yielded about 8oz of the butter. I do not have anything fancy and simply shook a mason jar for about 15 minutes. It took 10 minutes to go from cream to whipped cream. Once I got to the whipped cream stage, I felt stuck and slightly panicked because it is very difficult to continue shaking at that point and I thought I put too much cream in the jar. But, 5 minutes of effortful shaking later, the cream transformed into yellow butter! I was delighted and amazed. I used this guide but made some adjustments in the second batch, particularly adding salt to the initial cream and to the butter ball itself.

I made 1 pound of butter and I have about 8oz of cream remaining, but I will probably just use that in my desserts (I add cream to my raw milk and consider that a dessert haha). I think I will try making pancakes with the buttermilk tomorrow. The butter tastes fine, and I've gained a new skill. For hours after I made the butter, I felt a deeply seeded sense of joy akin to how I feel after giving it my all at the gym. Between learning how to make butter and moisturizer (I make a tallow-shea body butter), I feel further appreciation for the effort that is required to make everything. Human labor is invaluable. I plan to produce my butter from now on.

Having a garden can be a wonderful way to grow your own vegetables, beautify your property, or attract local wildlife. You can plant a large garden in your backyard, or you can plant a small garden if you have limited space. You can even plant a garden using nothing but containers. If you are thinking about starting a garden and you are not sure where to begin, then there are several things that might help. Consider different garden types, prepare your garden plot and tools, select your seeds and plants, and then plant your garden.

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Choosing a Type of Garden

Decide what you want to grow or do with your garden. There are many different types of gardens and uses for a garden, so think about what your ideal type of garden would provide. Some of the different types of gardens include:

• Vegetable garden. This may be the most popular and practical type of garden. By growing your own vegetables, you can save money and increase the number of fresh vegetables you eat.
• Flower garden. A flower garden adds beauty to your yard and it can be a relaxing escape for you. If you are mainly interested in beautifying your property, then a flower garden may be the best choice. You can plant perennials, annuals, or a mixed garden.
• Butterfly or hummingbird garden. You cannot grow butterflies or hummingbirds, but you can plant flowers that will attract them to your yard, like pollen-rich wildflowers, dill, fennel, and milkweed. A butterfly or hummingbird garden can be a great type of garden to plan with kids.
• Wildlife garden. A wildlife garden is one that helps to support the animals in your area by providing them with sources of food and shelter. These are typically plants that are native to your area, so you would need to learn what your native species are to plan your garden.

Consider how much space you have available. If you have lots of space, then you can plant a garden in the ground. If you have limited space or simply do not want to plant in the ground, then you can also plant a garden in containers. You can grow a variety of different plants in pots and keep them on a patio or in a sunny spot of your yard. Some plants even thrive in containers indoors, so using containers may also be ideal if you live in an apartment.

• If you live in an area with good soil that is not too rocky or sandy, then growing your garden in-ground is a good option.
• If growing your garden in-ground is not a viable choice, then consider buying containers to grow your plants in or building above ground beds. Above ground beds are great because they are easier on your back and can be moved around your yard if desired. Make sure the containers or beds are large enough for the plants you want to grow and that they have good drainage.
• If you are limited on space, but still want to have your garden outside, then you can grow a vertical garden. These types of gardens use small planters or stacked crates and upright-growing plants.

Determine how much sun your plants will get. Many plants require around 6 to 8 hours of full sun to thrive. If you do not have an area that will provide this much sun, then you can still plant a garden. You will just have to choose plants that thrive in the shade or with less sun.

• Try checking the area where you plan to grow your garden a few times per day on a sunny day to see how long the sun is shining in that area. For example, you could check at 7am, 11am, 2pm, and 5pm, and make a note if the sun is shining on that area around that time. If the sun is shining on an area during two or three of your checks, then sun-loving plants will probably thrive there.

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Preparing Your Garden Plot and Tools

Choose a plot. Location is important when you are planning your garden. Most importantly, determine if the area you want to use gets enough sun. Then, consider if the size is appropriate for what you want to do with it and also consider how you will water this garden. You should either be able to pull a hose over to it if it is a large garden, or be able to carry a full watering can to it if it is smaller.

• If you are going to be growing a container garden, it is still important to identify a suitable area to place the containers. The area should have good sunlight, enough room for the plants to grow upwards, and they should be easy to transport to a source of water or located somewhere that is convenient to bring water to them.

Test the soil. Good soil will have an adequate amount of lime, phosphorus, nitrogen, and potassium. Find out how much of each you have in your soil, and what you need to add more of to get the best growing plants. If you are planting a container garden, then you don’t need to worry about this. You can just use potting soil that is appropriate for the type of plants you will be growing.

• You can purchase an at-home soil testing kit from many hardware and garden stores. Follow the directions to find out the properties of your garden soil.
• You can take soil samples from around your garden and have them sent to your local state-certified soil testing lab or university extension service, and for a small fee they will lab-test your soil and send you the results within a week. This is much easier than testing the soil yourself, but it does cost more.
• Take multiple soil samples from around your garden to make sure that you are getting accurate test results.
• Test your soil’s pH to see if you need to make changes to balance it. To do this, use a pH testing kit or make your own test at home and check the soil from your garden. Certain plants prefer different pH levels, but it is best to have soil that is as close to neutral - a pH of 7 - as possible.

Prepare your soil. Once you have your soil and pH tests completed, ready your soil by adding the necessary nutrients to help your plants grow.

• Add organic matter to help enrich your soil with nutrients. You can use compost (from your own compost pile, if you have one), decomposing leaves, peat moss, or decomposed animal manure. All of these are available for purchase at local gardening centers if you don’t have easy access to them.
• Add fertilizer to your soil to help substitute in nitrogen, phosphorous, or potassium that you may be lacking. The label on the fertilizer bag will tell you exactly how much of each of these nutrients is present. The numbers 5-10-5, for example, tells you that the fertilizer contains 5% nitrogen, 10% phosphorous, and 5% potassium.
• Following the results of your pH test, if your soil is alkaline (above 7), try adding lime or wood ash to neutralize it. If your soil is acidic (below 7), add peat moss or decomposing leaves. Depending on what plants you want to grow you may not need to alter the pH. It is easier to grow plants that will survive in the existing soil.

Research your area. It is important to find out information about growing conditions in your area. Look online, speak to a local garden consultant, or call your cooperative extension service.

• Find out when frosts start and end on average, so you know the right time to plant. Planting too early or too late can kill your seeds or plants, so it is vital to know when the best time to start is.
• Learn about local weather patterns that might impact your garden.
• Look-up the best time to harvest your fruits, berries, and vegetables in your area. Some of these may be straightforward, but some plants require a little more know-how about when the best time to harvest them is.
• Make a schedule of when each of your specific plants needs to be planted based on their habitat requirement and growing needs. Some plants may need to be started very early in the season, while others may not need planting until the summer.

Gather your tools. To make gardening as easy and relaxing as possible, it is important that you have all the right tools. Use a shovel, gloves, gardening trowel, a garden fork, baskets or buckets to hold weeds, and a watering can at least. You can purchase other tools, but it is not necessary for a small to medium sized garden.

• For a large garden you may also need to purchase a wheelbarrow, rakes and hoes, loppers, and a post-hole digger.
• Look into installing an automatic sprinkler system if you don’t have time or the ability to hand-water your garden.

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Selecting Your Seeds and Plants

Determine if you want to start your garden from seeds. Many plants do well when you start them from seeds. Check your local garden center for seed packets and look at the label to see how long they take to grow, when is the best time to plant them, and how much water they need.

• Growing from seed can take anywhere from one to four months depending on what you are growing, so it is important to plan ahead.
• Growing from seeds is the cheapest option, as a pack of seeds costs only a few dollars or cents. Full grown plants purchased from a gardening store can cost anywhere from $1 to $50 each.
• Growing from seed has the advantage of allowing you to start the seed in a container and keep it indoors or put it right into the ground. However, planting a seed in a container and starting it indoors may result in a healthier plant than starting outdoors in the ground. It may also provide your plant with an earlier start since you will not have to wait for the last frost.

Consider transplanting mature plants. The benefit of transplanting a mature plant into your soil or container is that it is already partially grown and will bear fruit sooner. The plant will also be more likely to survive and thrive. Transplanting mature plants takes only a few minutes of work once the rest of your garden has been prepped.

• Check your local garden store for mature plants and make sure to check the tags on the plants to determine if they will work for the type of garden you are planning.

Check out flower bulbs. If you choose to grow flowers, you also have the option of planting bulbs. Bulbs are easy to plant, and some of them (the perennials) will come back every year. Some bulbs are annuals and will need to be replanted every year.

• Keep in mind that bulbs only bloom for a few weeks at a time.
• Check your local garden store for bulbs that you can plant in your garden and enjoy year after year, such as tulips, daffodils and alliums.

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Planting Your Garden

Arrange your plants. Choose where you want each plant to go in your garden. Keep in mind the amount of sunlight they need and the overall size they will grow. Starting with small plants can be misleading, as some may get very large and eventually need bigger plots or containers.

• Typically it is safe to give about 10 inches (25.4 cm) of spacing between each plant, but make sure to read the seed package or tag on the plants to see how much room they will need.
• You will also want to leave enough space between rows so that you will be able to walk between them. Plan to leave about 18 inches (45.7 cm) between rows.
• Try to keep your plants in groups by variety. For example, you can plant all of your vegetables in the same section of your garden, and keep your flowers or berries in another section.
• Find out which plants will grow the tallest, as they will create shade over time and should only be planted near other plants that will also grow tall, or near plants that require less sunlight and more shade.

Plant your seeds or plants. Using the arrangement you have devised, place each plant in the garden. Dig a hole twice the size and the same depth as the root ball, or as indicated on your seed packet. The depth will vary anywhere from 1⁄4 inch (0.6 cm) to 2 inches (5.1 cm) for seed depth depending on what you are planting. It does not matter if you are planting in a container or in the ground. Use the depth guidelines provided on the seed packet.

• Don’t dig a hole that is too deep. Only dig far enough to allow room for all of the roots without covering up the stem or leaves. The soil in the ground should be level with the soil of the plant you are planting.
• Gently set each plant into its hole, so as to not damage any part of it. Use your fingers or a trowel to slowly scoop dirt back into the hole over the roots. If the plant you are planting is root bound, meaning the roots are wrapping around the container, gently massage and loosen them before planting. This will help the plant roots spread out into the surrounding soil instead of continuing to wrap around the root ball, choking itself out.

Add mulch. Getting as many nutrients into the soil as you are able will help your plants to grow full and healthy. Mulch will help with this and it will also help to prevent weeds from growing. Spread mulch between each of the plants in a layer about one inch thick.

• For vegetables, add straw or decomposed leaves as mulch around your plants for the best results.
• Flowers do well with wood chips or bark as mulch.

Water your plants. The first few weeks after planting should have a bit more water to help the roots to get settled. Avoid over watering, though, by flooding the top layer of your garden. You only need to provide about one inch of water per week, so you may not need to water your garden at all if it rains.

• Use a watering can or a spray attachment to your hose to water the plants. Water them from high up, so that you don’t damage any of their leaves or stalks.
• After a few days of watering 1-2 times daily, you can water less often. Move to watering once every two days or so.

Keep an eye on your garden and weed it regularly. Once your garden is settled, give it time to grow. A healthy garden will last several seasons if it is properly taken care of. Make sure to check your garden for weeds on a regular basis and pull out any weeds you spot.

Consider putting up a fence. If you are growing a vegetable garden, then you may want to put up a fence around it to protect it from wildlife. This is not absolutely necessary, but it can help if you find that you have frequent invaders.

• Keep in mind that deer can jump very high. Your fence will need to be at least 8 feet (2.4 m) high to prevent them from jumping into your garden.

Harvest your garden. When your garden has grown to maturity, harvest the fruits of your labor. Carefully pick or cut vegetables, berries, herbs, and flowers for use in your own home. Or, simply enjoy walking and relaxing in your garden if you have created it to beautify your property.

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Article Source

I want to learn how to build a horse drawn wagon fit to live in and travel in. What books, plans, videos, ect would you recommend I look into to learn this stuff? I already forage a lot and I can play violin to earn money to buy food I can't forage myself. I just need to learn how to actually build the waggon.

If you could point me in the right direction to learn, that'd be great. Thanks in advance 👍

WHAT PROPERTY OWNERS NEED TO KNOW TO REDUCE WILDFIRE RISK EACH SEASON

Here’s what you can do seasonally to reduce your risk of wildfire and promote tree health:

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Winter

• Check property for dead or bark beetle-infested trees.
• Weather permitting, now is the best time to remove those trees and dense undergrowth.
• Trim up trees for vertical clearance as part of your home’s defensible space. If not feasible in winter then plan now to do so when weather permits.
• If you’re planting trees this spring, plan ahead now and plant locally native trees.

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Spring

• Prepare defensible space.
• Remove dead and bark beetle-infested trees.
• Bark beetles are most active now and in summer—be careful not to damage remaining trees as fresh wood attracts beetles.
• If possible, remove freshly cut wood. Otherwise, cover, lop or chip infested wood—and do not place near healthy trees.
• Following an extended period of little to no rain, sparingly water high-value trees. Use best watering practices.
• Now is the time to plant new trees, as long as irrigation is available.

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Summer

• Remove dead and dying trees.
• Follow spring guidelines as beetles are very active in summer as well.
• Be especially careful with power tools—one spark can start a wildfire. If planting trees in fall, plan ahead now and plant locally native trees.

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Fall

• If planting trees, wait until the weather cools and fall rains have increased soil moisture.
• Now is one of the best times to remove dead and dying trees, and dense undergrowth.
• Water high-value trees only if significantly less than average rainfall this season; otherwise, do not water.

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Source

If you are trying to find survival books or a prepper PDF library, you’re in luck. Below is a link with a list of the best survival manuals, books, and survival guide PDF downloads. To download any of these titles, simply right-click on a file, and then select “Save As”. You can also get the entire survival PDF collection on a USB drive.

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https://seasonedcitizenprepper.com/preparedness-downloads/

The Library in it’s entirety is a compendium of the Technological and Industrial Knowledge of the 1800 through early 1900s.

The Library is broken in many different categories. Some are very broad. Some are more specialized.

All of the books are scanned copies of the original book stored in PDF format. That makes it possible to both read the book and, if desired, to print it.

As the library has grown over time they’ve tried to cover both the simplest, more basic self sufficiency skills such as growing food and raising livestock through the most advanced and sophisticated technology of the time such as aeroplanes and communications systems like telephone and telegraph.

Where there books on Industrial processes, methods, formulas, techniques they have included those as well. Even the more advanced technologies of the periods are within the reach of people starting from scratch. Steam engines may seem primitive to most modern people but they powered the industrial revolution in much of the world well into the 1900s.

Basic knowledge of chemical formulas and processes are recorded in books from these periods ranging from the most basic industrial chemical needs through household materials in common use.

The Library in it’s entirety is a compendium of the Technological and Industrial Knowldge of the 1800 through early 1900s.

It is the knowledge needed to rebuild a technological and industrial infrastructure from scratch when the modern infrastructure ceases to function.

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http://www.survivorlibrary.com/library-download.html

By Scott Whitehead

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I’ve skied since I was seven but in recent years, as I’ve ventured further from the pistes, large boxes of mountaineering kit have crept into the cupboards of our bedroom at home in London. Each contains shovels, avalanche probes, ropes, boots, survival shelters and so on. The emergency equipment all remained sealed in its packaging despite being taken on multiple trips, until one day late last winter, when I gratefully tore open every last piece.

With three friends, I was on a week’s ski touring trip in Switzerland. We’d begun in Grindelwald, riding the rack-and-pinion railway up to the Jungfraujoch, Europe’s highest station, then heading south on to the vast expanse of the Aletsch glacier where we stayed in a series of mountain refuges.

On Saturday morning, we woke in the Konkordia Hut, ate breakfast, then the hut guardians wished us well as we set out again across the glacier, roped together in single file. We were heading for the Hollandia Hut, though we would never make it.

The weather forecast was reasonable but four hours later visibility became worse, the intermittent snow started to fall heavier and a strong wind whipped it up around us. Soon snow was falling faster than I’ve seen it in 40 years of skiing.

We skied roped in pairs to avoid any chance of falling into crevasses; our progress was painfully slow. Suddenly one of my skis sunk about a metre down into the fast-accumulating snowfall. As I tried to draw my boot upwards my ski detached and the leash snapped. I could sense my friend Nick’s impatience at the front of the rope as I dug down trying to retrieve my ski. But as I did so, I heard a muffled scream from behind.

I took a split second to process the words: “Oh my god, he said avalanche!” The thing I’d dreaded my whole life in the mountains.

Then a bomp and a whoosh. A wall of white engulfed me, a freezing cold wave.

“Try to stay on top and swim” is what they tell you. Which sounds simple but not when you’re spinning over and over with one ski still attached. “Try to create a breathing space with hands over your mouth,” they say. But I was gasping for air in terror, powder snow quickly filled my mouth and I began to choke.

“This is it,” I thought. I was filled with anger that I had let down my daughters and wife. Dad’s not such a whizz on the mountain after all.

Within seconds, it was over. I came to, glanced down and saw my legs covered in snow but thankfully the rest of my body wasn’t buried. Nick shouted up: “We’ve been avalanched. Is everyone OK?”

Remarkably, all four of us had ended up on the surface. I spotted my helmet a few yards away; one pole lay just behind me though there was no sign of the other, and no chance of getting the ski now.

We knew more avalanches were likely, and that we urgently had to get to flatter ground. I rested my free foot on the back of Nick’s ski and like a three-legged race, we awkwardly descended. We reached a plateau but we were still close to the side of the slope. Every few seconds we could hear the thunder of another avalanche releasing somewhere above us. At that moment, there was a brief lull and a swallow appeared. We stopped in our tracks and all stared up as it repeatedly circled around us, then seemed to lead us to safer ground.

We followed it another 200 metres west. By now it was already 5pm, the storm was continuing to build, and we were cold and wet from the avalanche. Continuing the 10km down the valley to the nearest village, Blatten, seemed too risky, as did attempting to climb up to the hut, so we decided we’d build a “shovel-up”, a sort of basic igloo, and shelter there until help arrived. Nick said he’d built one before, though never “in anger”.

We put our four rucksacks into a pile and began shovelling snow on to them. After an hour we had a huge, meringue-like mound that we tamped down with skis. Next we began to excavate a hole inside it, pulling out the rucksacks to form a cave that we then enlarged and moulded with the shovels. Finally it was big enough for all four of us to retreat inside.

There started a very uncomfortable 15 hours. We opened all our survival blankets to try to make the floor of the cave a bit less cold. We phoned mountain rescue. There was an option to send up rangers and dogs but being so high up, in a worsening storm, with plunging temperatures and impending darkness, they would have been putting their own safety at risk. We decided to hunker down for the night and wait for the blizzard to blow itself out.

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What’s triggering avalanches?

As the air inside began to heat up so lumps of ice would periodically drop down from the roof. I then started worrying we’d all suffocate so we devised an air hole using skis. It was a difficult balancing act — too much ventilation and our damp bodies began to get cold; not enough and thoughts of suffocating occupied our minds. I kept a shovel very close to hand, so paranoid was I that the roof would collapse at any minute.

We tried to lie down and get some rest but I found that every time I did I began to shiver. One friend did a good job of telling jokes to keep spirits up, another even managed to get to sleep, his snores strangely comforting as we wished the hours away.

Finally, we noticed the first light of dawn. Looking out, we found fresh snow had risen level with the roof of our 2-metre-high shelter, but the storm had passed. We phoned mountain rescue again and 10 minutes later we could hear the distant but unmistakable sound of helicopter rotors getting closer. I felt overwhelmed with relief.

The rescuers complemented us on how well-prepared we were in terms of survival bags and blankets and I noticed one giving a nod of approval when he looked inside our shelter. No mountaineer wants to be rescued but these comments were somehow a great comfort as we swooped back down through the valley in the helicopter, reflecting on our escape. Looking back, all of us wonder if the swallow that appeared in the midst of the storm was some kind of guardian angel.

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Article Source: https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/alpine-environment/postcard-from-switzerland-how-i-survived-an-avalanche/73163643

The book, "More Readings From One Man's Wilderness: The Journals of Richard L. Proenneke" can be downloaded for free from the 'National Park Service' website (https://www.nps.gov).

Direct Link: https://www.nps.gov/lacl/learn/historyculture/upload/More-One-Mans-Wilderness-Proenneke-508.pdf

Prepare for wildfire and harden your home now. There are three ways your home can be exposed to wildfire: direct flames from a wildfire or burning neighboring home; radiant heat from nearby burning plants or structures; and flying embers. Flying embers from a wildfire can destroy homes up to a mile away and are responsible for the destruction of most homes during a wildfire.

Taking the necessary measures to harden (prepare) your home can help increase its likelihood of survival when wildfire strikes.

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HARDENING YOUR HOME

Prepare for wildfire and harden your home now. There are three ways your home can be exposed to wildfire: direct flames from a wildfire or burning neighboring home; radiant heat from nearby burning plants or structures; and flying embers. Flying embers from a wildfire can destroy homes up to a mile away and are responsible for the destruction of most homes during a wildfire.

Taking the necessary measures to harden (prepare) your home can help increase its likelihood of survival when wildfire strikes.

Here are ways you can harden your home and make it more fire resistant.

Ways to Begin Retrofits to Your Home

Roof

The roof is the most vulnerable part of your home. Homes with wood or shingle roofs are at high risk of being destroyed during a wildfire.

• Build your roof or re-roof with materials such as composition, metal, clay or tile. Block any spaces between roof decking and covering to prevent embers from catching.
• Remove accumulated vegetative debris from the roof.
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Vents

Vents on homes create openings for flying embers.

• Cover all vent openings with 1/16-inch to 1/8-inch metal mesh. Do not use fiberglass or plastic mesh because they can melt and burn.
• Use Ember and flame resistant vents (WUI vents).

Eaves and Soffits

Eaves should be boxed in (soffited-eave design) and protected with ignition-resistant* or noncombustible materials.

Windows

Heat from a wildfire can cause windows to break even before the home is on fire. This allows burning embers to enter and start fires inside. Single-paned and large windows are particularly vulnerable.

• Install dual-paned windows with one pane of tempered glass to reduce the chance of breakage in a fire.
• Consider limiting the size and number of windows that face large areas of vegetation.
• Install screens in all usable windows to increase ember resistance and decrease radiant heat exposure

Walls

Wood products, such as boards, panels or shingles, are common siding materials. However, they are flammable and not good choices for fire-prone areas.

• Build or remodel your walls with ignition resistant* building materials, such as stucco, fiber cement wall siding, fire retardant, treated wood, or other approved materials. This is especially important when neighboring homes are within 30-feet of the home.
• Be sure to extend materials from the foundation to the roof.
• Smaller spaces, such as the roof-to-wall area, should have their siding relaced with a noncombustible material.

Decks

Surfaces within 10 feet of the building should be built with ignition-resistant*, noncombustible, or other approved materials.

• Create an ember-resistant zone around and under all decks and make sure that all combustible items are removed from underneath your deck.
• If a deck overhangs a slope, create and maintain defensible space downslope from the deck to reduce the chances of flames reaching the underside of the deck.

Rain Gutters

Keep rain gutters clear or enclose rain gutters to prevent accumulation of plant debris.

• Install a corrosion-resistant and noncombustible metal drip edge for additional protection of the combustible components on your roof’s edge.
• Use a noncombustible gutter cover to prevent buildup of debris and vegetation in the gutter

Patio Cover

Use the same ignition-resistant* materials for patio coverings as a roof.

Chimney

Cover your chimney and stovepipe outlets with a non-flammable screen. Use metal screen material with openings no smaller than 3/8-inch and no larger than 1/2-inch to prevent embers from escaping and igniting a fire.

• Close the fireplace flue during fire season when the chimney is not being used.

Garage

Have a fire extinguisher and tools such as a shovel, rake, bucket, and hose available for fire emergencies.

• Add a battery back-up to the garage door motor so that the garage can easily be operated if power is out.
• Install weather stripping around and under the garage door to prevent embers from blowing in.
• Store all combustible and flammable liquids away from ignition sources.
• Treat windows and vents in the garage the same way as if it was a part of the house.

Fences

Best practice is to separate your fence from your house or upgrade the last 5-feet of the fence to a noncombustible material to reduce the chance of the fence from bringing fire to your home.

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Driveways and Access Roads

Driveways should be built and maintained in accordance with state and local codes to allow fire and emergency vehicles to reach your home. Consider maintaining access roads with a minimum of 10 feet of clearance on either side, allowing for two-way traffic.

• Ensure that all gates open inward and are wide enough to accommodate emergency equipment.
• Trim trees and shrubs overhanging the road to allow emergency vehicles to pass.

Address

Make sure your address is clearly visible from the road.

Water Supply

Consider having multiple garden hoses that are long enough to reach all areas of your home and other structures on your property. If you have a pool or well, consider getting a pump.

Useful Links

Fire Information Engine—Preparing Your Home 📷
University of California—Fire Resources and Information 📷
IBHS Wildfire Guidance for Home & Business Owners 📷

*Ignition-resistant building materials are those that resist ignition or sustained burning when exposed to embers and small flames from wildfires. Examples of ignition-resistant materials include “noncombustible materials” that don’t burn, exterior grade fire-retardant-treated wood lumber, fire-retardant-treated wood shakes and shingles listed by the State Fire Marshal (SFM) and any material that has been tested in accordance with SFM Standard 12-7A-5.

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Source

Saving seeds is a science, an art, and a valuable skill for any preparedness-minded person.

Even for those with small-scale backyard gardens, learning how to save seed increases your food security by reducing your reliance on outside sources.

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Why Seed Saving is Important

First, food security, which I’ve already mentioned above.

Second, and related to the first, is agricultural biodiversity. Agrobiodiversity, as it’s also known is essential to a healthy, nutritionally robust, and sustainable food supply.

Yet, according to the Food and Agricultural Organization, 75% of the global food supply can be traced back to just 12 plants and five animal species.

As far as genetic diversity goes, those are dismal numbers.

Think of seed saving as a backup to the global food chain. With that in mind, here are 27 things I’ve learned about seed saving over the years.

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Tips to Save Seeds

1. Saving seeds helps preserve the genetic material of our plant varieties. Within the last 100 years, we’ve lost over half of the varieties we used to have.
2. Saving seeds will give you crops that are better adapted to your specific environment and growing season. You’ll be collecting seeds from the plants/varieties that thrived. It gives you a lot of control over what grows in your yard.
3. It saves money.
4. It’s easy to share and trade seeds with others.
5. Save seeds from heirloom and open-pollinated varieties. An heirloom variety is one that has been passed down within a family for 50 years or more. Open-pollinated is simply a plant that has pollinated by itself or its type. Both will give you crops true to the original plant.
6. If you’re serious about saving seeds, you’ll need to take steps to avoid cross-pollination, which will produce hybrids! Seeds from hybrid plants will not give you the same crop as the original plant. In fact, seeds saved from many hybrid tomato varieties grow cherry tomatoes! Once plant breeders hybridize something, anything in the genetic chain can come up in a crop.
7. If you live near large commercial farms that grow soybeans, alfalfa, canola, corn, cotton, or sugar beets, there’s a very good chance those crops are GMO. There’s a possibility that cross-pollination could occur. However, the seeds that are available to the consumer are not GMO; GMO seeds are currently only available to farmers.
8. If you intend to save seeds from specific plants, it will take some planning to avoid cross-pollination since bees, insects, and other pollinators, including wind! carry pollen from blossom to blossom. Read more about preventing cross-pollination.
9. You can avoid cross-pollination by placing small organza gift bags over the blooms you want to protect and hand pollinate. These are nice because they’re reusable, and you can use the drawstrings to tighten the bag over the plant.
10. Hand pollinate early in the morning while the pollen is still visible. Female flowers are only open once.
11. Know what your neighbors are growing, if possible. Some plants, such as carrots, are in danger of cross-pollination if other carrots are being grown within just a mile!
12. To physically collect seeds, know that some seeds are harvested dry by letting the plant go to seed, while others, such as tomato seeds, are harvested wet.
13. Dry harvest seeds from plants such as onion, beans, basil, carrots, and others that produce the seeds in pods or husks. Make sure the seeds are completely dry — I check to see if the pods “crackle.” Then, remove the seeds, shake off any chaff, and store them.
14. To save basil seeds, wait until at least half of the seed stalk has turned brown. Then snip the stalk off, put it in a bag and bring it inside for the seeds to dry.
15. Wet harvest seeds from tomatoes, pumpkins, eggplant, and squash by washing the seeds and allowing them to dry completely.
16. Save only the very biggest seeds from the plants that thrived best.
17. Keep saved seeds at a stable temperature in a cool, dark, and dry place. The vegetable crisper drawer in your refrigerator is a good location but do keep the seeds there since a consistent temperature is the most important variable for maintaining seed viability.
18. Degradation of viability begins at around 80-85 degrees Fahrenheit. You can test your seeds with an easy method explained below.
19. Storing seeds in the freezer is an option for very long-term storage.
20. Use paper envelopes for short-term storage.
21. Place the paper envelopes in small jars or Ziploc freezer bags. Do NOT vacuum seal or use oxygen absorbers.
22. Saved seeds will retain their best viability for 1-3 years. After that, there will be a gradual decline in their viability rate.
23. Seeds may germinate, but that does not mean the plant will thrive.
24. The easiest plants from which to save seeds are peas, beans, lettuce, and peppers. They self-pollinate most of the time. To be on the safe side, plant one variety in the front yard and a second variety in the back to avoid the possibility of cross-pollination.
25. Save seeds from peppers by simply removing them from the pepper once it’s fully mature. (Bell peppers turn red when mature.) Put the seeds in a jar with water and shake the jar for a minute or two. Good seeds will sink to the bottom; seeds not worth saving will float on top. Throw those away and dry the good seeds.
26. If you’re growing both hot and not-hot peppers, “hot” is a dominant trait! If Scotch bonnet peppers are grown near bell peppers, and any cross-pollination happens, your bells will be HOT. Plant hot varieties in the back yard, not-hot varieties in the front, or just far away from each other on your property.
27. Coordinate with friends when it comes time to plan your gardens. Since serious seed savers know they have to separate varieties in almost every case, plan who will grow what, and then share your saved seeds. This might be a good solution for suburban homesteaders who don’t have the space to keep enough distance between different varieties.

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Testing Your Stored Seeds

This simple process allows you to test your stored seeds’ viability and germination rate. 

First, take ten seeds of the same variety and lay them on a moistened paper towel.

Next, fold the towel in half so the seeds are covered.

Finally, check on the seeds each day and keep the paper towel moist. If, after several days, five seeds have sprouted, you can assume that the seed packet has a germination rate of about 50%.  Or, if two seeds have sprouted, it’s 20%, and so on.

It will be up to you to decide when a germination rate is too low to bother with.

Keep in mind that heat and moisture are the enemies of seeds.  It’s important to keep seeds in a cool, dry place if you’re storing them for the future.

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For more information, these resources are very comprehensive:

• The Complete Guide to Saving Seeds by Robert E. Gough and Cheryl Moore-Gough
• Seed to Seed by Suzanne Ashworth

Increase your self-sufficiency by learning how to save seed. You increase your food security, reduce your reliance on outside sources, and have a small impact on the biodiversity of our food supply.

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Article Source

Article By Sarah Anne Carter

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When I was getting ready to plant my spring garden this year, I was a little hesitant to plant according to the frost date. In February, I had seen a local farmer post on Facebook something that sounded to me like pioneer weather wisdom:

February thunder brings a May frost.

It sounded like something out of the Farmer’s Almanac. We had a thunderstorm on February 2 this year, and while our last frost date is usually around Mother’s Day (May 8), we had a frost on May 16. That frost damaged several crops in the area, and I was glad I had seen that farmer’s post and waited to plant in my garden.

I saw another saying come true this year as well, and this time, it was from farmers who had to wait until after the frost and then had a second delay in planting due to rain. When most finally got around to planting, they noticed that at the same time, there was a lot of white stuff floating around in the air.

When cottonwood starts to fly, it’s time to plant corn.

I began noticing other signs in nature, such as that June Bugs were only seen from our porch when it was a warm night. It had to be even warmer for the frogs to show up. I wondered if it might not be a good idea to wait for them to show up at least three nights in a row before trusting my plants to stay outside all night.

Hmmm….maybe these farmers and the pioneers before them were on to something.

Seeing these sayings come true before my eyes made me wonder what other old farming wisdom was out there from pioneer days and even earlier in history.

I decided to explore three different books of old-time weather wisdom from colonial days through pioneer days:

• A Millennium Primer: Timeless Truths and Delightful Diversions

• Ben Franklin’s Almanac of Wit, Wisdom, and Practical Advice

• The Old Farmer’s Almanac

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Pioneer Wisdom for Planting and Weather

People have been planting long before there were apps or the internet to tell you when, where, and how to plant in a garden. Planting was done by carefully watching signs in nature, including the weather and the moon. Over time, people noticed patterns for what worked and what didn’t. Those observations, in turn, became catchy sayings that could easily be taught to future generations.

Many folklore sayings don’t have much to back them up scientifically, but then there are others like the two I saw that do show themselves true in nature, at least sometimes.

Knowing some folklore regarding weather and planting is useful in case of a long-term power or internet outage. After all, a calendar last-frost date could be hard to figure out if you’ve lost track of what day it is exactly.

Or, by paying attention to nature, you might be able to avoid a late frost like I did this year. Consider, too, that even with all of today’s technology, weather forecasts are not 100% accurate. Nature has its ways of predicting the weather, too.

Besides the internet, one of the best sources to find folklore sayings is to get the Old Farmer’s Almanac or one of the books their editors publish. I picked a few up at my local library to look through. Because I liked what I saw so much, I promptly put them on my list of books to buy for my reference shelf.

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A Millennium Primer: Timeless Truths and Delightful Diversions

A Millennium Primer, by The Old Farmer’s Almanac editors and Tim Clark, was written as a “summary” of the Old Farmer’s Almanacs from 1792 to 1999. The editor wanted it to be like a “suitcase you’ve packed for your journey into the next millennium.” It’s broken down into seven sections covering the human connection, health and food, self-reliance, animals, the sky, time and space, and prediction, in addition to pioneer weather wisdom.

Here are some of the old sayings I found in the book — some interesting, some accurate, and some never proven to be true!

• “When sheep collect and huddle, tomorrow will become a puddle.”
• “St. Swithin’s Day (July 15) if thou dost rain, for 40 days it will remain.” (Not proven to be true.)
• “Bats flying late in the evening foretell a fine next day.”
• “Cows give more milk and the sea more fish when the wind’s from the west.”
• “If a fowl roll in the sand, rain is at hand.”
• “There’ll be one snow in the coming winter for every fog in August.”

The book also gives advice on using insects as thermometers. For example, grasshoppers are loudest at 95°F but can’t make noise below 62ºF. If you hear a house cricket, count how many times he chirps in 14 seconds. Then, add 40º to arrive at the temperature where the cricket is.

Also, ants don’t emerge from their dens unless it is 55ºF or above. Bees cluster outside their hive at 102ºF and inside at 57ºF. And no noise from insects means it is 40ºF or below.

There are also tips on predicting the weather by the moon. Turns out, researchers are finding there is a correlation between the full moon, cloudiness, rainfall, and thunderstorms. The full moon can raise the temperature of the lower four miles of the Earth’s atmosphere by a few hundredths of a degree – enough to affect the weather.

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Ben Franklin’s Almanac of Wit, Wisdom, and Practical Advice

The second book I found at the library was Ben Franklin’s Almanac of Wit, Wisdom, and Practical Advice by The Old Farmer’s Almanac editors.

Before the Old Farmer’s Almanac, there was Poor Richard’s Almanac, published by Ben Franklin from 1733-1758. It contains tables, weather predictions, and whatever wisdom Franklin wanted to include. This book contains selections from his almanacs and information on Franklin’s life.

Here are some of the more interesting folklore sayings I found in this book:

• ”For every thunderstorm in February will be a cold spell in May.” (This is the one my farmer friend had heard!)
• “If grass grows in January, it will grow badly the whole year.”
• “When oak trees bend with snow in January, good crops my be expected.”
• “When the cat in February lies in the sun, she will creep behind the stove again in March.”
• “April snow breeds grass.”
• “Old-timers in the upland South believe that frost will not occur after the dogwoods bloom.”
• “If the ash leafs out before the oak, expect a wet season.”
• “Frogs singing at dusk indicate fair weather to come.”
• “Mist in May and heat in June makes the harvest right soon.”
• “There will be as many frosts in June as there are fogs in February.”
• “When hornets build their nests high, expect a hot summer.”
• “Wet June, dry September.”
• “If the wind be hushed with sudden heat, expect heavy rain.”
• “When spiderwebs are wet with dew that soon dries, expect a fine day.”
• “If the first week in August is unusually warm, the winter will be white and long.”
• “Spiderwebs floating at autumn sunset, bring frost that night, on this you may bet.”
• “If meadows are green at Christmas, at Easter they will be covered with frost.”

The book is chock full of tips on cooking, gardening, taking care of the house, how to find north without a compass, and how to predict a frost using nature and animals. (The wider the black band on a brown wooly caterpillar, the more severe the winter will be.)

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The Old Farmer’s Almanac

The Old Farmer’s Almanac is a classic, and a new, updated version is available each year. There is also a lot of information on their website. You can visit daily for some advice (some is folklore). There are weather, astronomy, gardening, calendars, food, and advice sections.

I may start checking my local forecast on their Web site and comparing it to the local news station’s forecast. You can get personalized gardening calendars and search their pest reference library.

I also asked my farmer friend if he could share any more folklore sayings he’s heard from the “old-timers” and pioneers of days gone by. Here is what he shared:

• “If cows go in, rain will be short lasting. If they stay out, it’s going to rain a while.”
• “You can always tell it’s going to rain if the leaves turn under and the flies bite.”

When referring to planting dates on corn, if you plant late due to weather, you lose a bushel (of yield potential) after the 10th of May. “A bushel per day after the 10th of May,” the old saying goes.

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One Other Word of Wisdom

A commenter made an excellent point about planting zones. Be aware that some of this advice could be specific to a particular area. One Survival Mom Team Member shares this example of local old timers’ wisdom; she knows that ‘as long as there is snow on Silver Star, there is still a chance of frost.’ That will not be terribly useful for anyone who can’t eyeball that peak.

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Conclusion

As in seeing the truth of Great Depression wisdom, I will pay more attention to nature regarding gardening and weather after seeing some pioneer weather wisdom come true this year.

I’m planning to buy some Old Farmer’s Almanac books and teach some of the folklore saying to my children as we see them come true. I already taught them about the June Bugs only coming out if the night was warm enough. I plan to take to heart the advice in Ben Franklin’s Almanac of Wit, Wisdom, and Practical Advice, to “… open your mind to the possibilities that exist to understand the world …”

What folklore weather wisdom have you found to be true?

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Article Source

I might be posting in the wrong place, if so, please correct me.

I am now training as a violin maker and restorer! I have been playing violin for basically my whole life and have always had to ask a professional luthier for help with setup, bow rehairs, bridge placement, ect. (whenever it got knocked! I was a clumsy child!) But now I'm training as a professional luthier and I won't have to ask for help anymore! I'm still quite new in my self reliance journey and my violin is a massive part of my life, so being self reliant in regard to the most important part of my life is, unsurprisingly, a really big step for me and I'm super proud of myself for it!

For reference as to why my violin is so important to me, it single handedly pulled me out of homelessness and poverty, so I have a real attachment to it. Again, sorry if this doesn't belong here and I'll remove if requested by mods :-)