Homesteading, Living Off Grid, and Other Alternative Living

[B. de Corbin]

Re: Homesteading, Living Off Grid, and Other Alternative Living

hehe I might need to do that. Do ducks fly away though? Or are they penned or... clipped? *scratches head*

They don't fly - well, most breeds don't, but there are a few very specialty beeds that can fly. Most people who have them clip their wings.

We keep them penned in at night, but that's to keep the raccoons & weazelly things out.

They don't need a pond either, but they like a little kid's plastic waiting pool, or a sprinkler to play around in. A popular breed, Runners, drown.

[Willow]

Re: Homesteading, Living Off Grid, and Other Alternative Living

They don't fly - well, most breeds don't, but there are a few very specialty beeds that can fly. Most people who have them clip their wings.

We keep them penned in at night, but that's to keep the raccoons & weazelly things out.

They don't need a pond either, but they like a little kid's plastic waiting pool, or a sprinkler to play around in. A popular breed, Runners, drown.

Hrm hrm good to know. ^^

[Heka]

Re: Homesteading, Living Off Grid, and Other Alternative Living

I can't wait to get chickens!

[Rae'ya]

Re: Homesteading, Living Off Grid, and Other Alternative Living

Asked my hubby if we could get some chickens and a goat and he said no.

Maybe I can dig into the making my own soap/shampoo/beauty products/household cleansers though.. I'm scared the production processes would destroy my kitchen?

As long as you use separate pots and utensils for the stuff, you'll be fine. My mum makes her own soaps and washing detergents. She makes a lot of things from scratch...

Here's a Machiavellian trick you might like to try -

Go into cheese making. Once you are up and running, you'll talk him into getting a goat or two, to save on goat cheese production costs. Then, once you have goats, you'll want some free range chickens (or ducks. We have ducks, and they lay really good eggs - so consider ducks) to keep the bugs down...


P. S. don't tell hubby this was my idea. I got enough ladies' husbands chaising me around with shotguns already. I don't need another.

...cheese being one of them lol. Don't know that this would convince my stepdad to let her have a goat though. Neither of them actually like goats' cheese. They DID buy shares in a cow, though... it's the only way you can get raw milk here in Australia - if you own the cow. Of course, they live in a suburban house with just a backyard so no room for an entire cow. Answer? Buy shares in one http://adelaide-southaustralia.com/c...aw-milk-stink/. They own a cow, it gets housed, fed and milked by someone else, the milk gets sent to them, they pay the man for the care of the cow. Mum makes cheese out of the milk.

Anyone who thinks that they can't do stuff just because they live in a suburban area needs to meet my parents.

I can't wait to get chickens!

I miss chickens. I grew up with them, and chickens is one thing that were aren't allowed to have in my parents house here in Adelaide. Local council rules, not ours... to have chickens you have to have consent from your neighbours and theirs are far too close to allow it. We have been bemoaning not being allowed to have chickens for years now lol. So instead we support local free range farms.

[Heka]

Re: Homesteading, Living Off Grid, and Other Alternative Living

As long as you use separate pots and utensils for the stuff, you'll be fine. My mum makes her own soaps and washing detergents. She makes a lot of things from scratch...



...cheese being one of them lol. Don't know that this would convince my stepdad to let her have a goat though. Neither of them actually like goats' cheese. They DID buy shares in a cow, though... it's the only way you can get raw milk here in Australia - if you own the cow. Of course, they live in a suburban house with just a backyard so no room for an entire cow. Answer? Buy shares in one http://adelaide-southaustralia.com/c...aw-milk-stink/. They own a cow, it gets housed, fed and milked by someone else, the milk gets sent to them, they pay the man for the care of the cow. Mum makes cheese out of the milk.

Anyone who thinks that they can't do stuff just because they live in a suburban area needs to meet my parents.



I miss chickens. I grew up with them, and chickens is one thing that were aren't allowed to have in my parents house here in Adelaide. Local council rules, not ours... to have chickens you have to have consent from your neighbours and theirs are far too close to allow it. We have been bemoaning not being allowed to have chickens for years now lol. So instead we support local free range farms.

buy a cow? What an awesome idea. It reminds me of some Swiss friends that get huge wheels of cheese for axing for the cows lodgings etc. I wonder if buying a cow would work all the way up here.....

[Celliehwyn]

Re: Homesteading, Living Off Grid, and Other Alternative Living

I really like the goat idea for milk! I really like goat cheese as well, and I would definitely consider keeping ducks for eggs rather than chickens but I haven't got the land for any of it yet so I have time to decide. We are planning on buying a house with at least 20 acres with a well, or a stream. maybe solar panels, maybe a water wheel if we have the stream. But we are definitely going to be off the grid and in a forested area. I've always wanted my own outdoor alter/circle place in a grove of trees ^_^ and my husband is a gun enthusiast so we'll have the land for a private range and lots of hunting. All in all I think it's a great idea, as long as it's not more than an hour away from a hospital and a grocery store I'll be sooooo happy.

[B. de Corbin]

Re: Homesteading, Living Off Grid, and Other Alternative Living

It sounds like you're where we (family) were 20 years ago, Celliehwyn. Good luck! Working to achieve those things you want is the best game in town!

We sort of dropped the "off the grid" thing, just because it requires so much time - we're pretty selective about the tech and other things we allow in our lives, though. And I also have a nice private shooting range out back.

Are you looking for a place in Idaho?

P.S. K'Roe and I are starting to get into making cheese. Once we get a handle on it, we have friends with goats & we'll work out a trade. I absolutely LOVES goat cheese!

[Briar]

Re: Homesteading, Living Off Grid, and Other Alternative Living

I live on a 652 acre farm in the Wisconsin north woods. I grow and/or raise most of my own food and am off grid, my electricity comes from the wind and the sun. I did not build the home I live in, I inherited it and 250 acres back in 85. I have built two log cabins though, one on the back of the farm and one at a bug out location way up on the Black Jack that you can only get to by canoe.

I love taking care of myself because it not only keeps my mind sharp but it teaches me to think outside the box. I never need to worry about sleep pills because at the end of every day I am exhausted. I train horses for a side business and working with a prey species that is MUCH bigger than I am forces me to think differently than humans or else these large beings would pound me into dust. Having to be in charge of the energy that comes into my house instead of just flicking a switch teaches me how energy works, its dangers and the necessity for me to have it. I am a local healer (though reluctantly) than many here come to for natural healing. I raise sheep and llamas (among other things) and am just started spinning and weaving season. My big loom is sitting right in front of me and I should be stringing her instead of surfing the internet but I needed a new recipe for beeswax soap and I was too lazy to write one up myself. Having not found one I'm going to have to write one up anyway. Dang it.

[Rowanwood]

Re: Homesteading, Living Off Grid, and Other Alternative Living

I live on a 652 acre farm in the Wisconsin north woods. I grow and/or raise most of my own food and am off grid, my electricity comes from the wind and the sun. I did not build the home I live in, I inherited it and 250 acres back in 85. I have built two log cabins though, one on the back of the farm and one at a bug out location way up on the Black Jack that you can only get to by canoe.

I love taking care of myself because it not only keeps my mind sharp but it teaches me to think outside the box. I never need to worry about sleep pills because at the end of every day I am exhausted. I train horses for a side business and working with a prey species that is MUCH bigger than I am forces me to think differently than humans or else these large beings would pound me into dust. Having to be in charge of the energy that comes into my house instead of just flicking a switch teaches me how energy works, its dangers and the necessity for me to have it. I am a local healer (though reluctantly) than many here come to for natural healing. I raise sheep and llamas (among other things) and am just started spinning and weaving season. My big loom is sitting right in front of me and I should be stringing her instead of surfing the internet but I needed a new recipe for beeswax soap and I was too lazy to write one up myself. Having not found one I'm going to have to write one up anyway. Dang it.

Oh my, I want to come visit. That sounds wonderful. I'm also lifting some weights so I can use my compound bow (like in your photo/.) Apparently, you're the person I want to grow up to be.

[Briar]

Re: Homesteading, Living Off Grid, and Other Alternative Living

Oh my, I want to come visit. That sounds wonderful. I'm also lifting some weights so I can use my compound bow (like in your photo/.) Apparently, you're the person I want to grow up to be.

First, <blush> thanks. But really you don't want to grow up to be a redneck. Trust me on this. I am one and there are days when I shake my head at myself.

[Rowanwood]

Re: Homesteading, Living Off Grid, and Other Alternative Living

First, <blush> thanks. But really you don't want to grow up to be a redneck. Trust me on this. I am one and there are days when I shake my head at myself.

Oh, I'm pretty sure I'm already a redneck, I just can't back it up with an awesome place to live.

I do live in Sheboygan, after all. It's super weird here.

[KahlanAmnell]

Re: Homesteading, Living Off Grid, and Other Alternative Living

I would love to have a house which is at least partially off-grid. I would like to have solar panels, wind turbines and a well. I wouldn't mind if it is grid tied so I have a backup source of electricity.

[kiddycatmeow]

Re: Homesteading, Living Off Grid, and Other Alternative Living

I would love to live more self sufficient than what we are now. We are doing things little at a time. Gotta start some place right?

We moved back to my home state of TN (hubby born/raised in WV) and bought a little over an acre. Over the summer we were working on getting our trailer set up and all so didn't have time to do too much. Next spring/summer we are going to start a garden. I want to learn how to can food. My grandmother used to do it and I wish I would have taken lessons from her. I have some books on it so gonna be trial and error! I learn better by watching it being done though. We have a well out back and believe we have at least 2 springs on each side of the property underground. Hopefully by this time next year we will be using them an can eliminate city water usage. I want to eventually make my own soaps and house hold cleaners and things like that. Eventually we plan in the next 5-ish years to be very self sufficient and sell our trailer or give/sell it to my son or just put it up for sale and buy a camper and travel. Just honestly playing it by ear and doing one thing at a time to be more dependent on ourselves and use the resources that are available out in nature.:^^:

[darksyderainmaker]

Re: Homesteading, Living Off Grid, and Other Alternative Living

My wife and I take small steps. We live in the middle of one of the biggest cities in our country and we're poor. One day I imagine living off the land. For now we do what we can. We have a community garden plot, which goes a long way in helping us access fresh food all year round. Lightens our footprint too, so to speak. There's a whole collective of people here who are trying to live off the grid as much as possible. Collective housing is big here. I lived in one for a couple years before moving in with my wife. I really enjoyed it. Everything shared, everyone helping keep each other on track. Some of the collective houses here are urban farms, keep chickens and beehives, preserve and share food, harvest, save and share seeds and keep a seedbank. It's pretty cool.

[DON]

Re: Alternative Building Ideas

Mike Oehler has some very interesting work on underground houses that are extremely cheap.
They use the thermal inertia of the earth to stabilise internal temperatures.

There is a building style called wofati, that uses a lot of these techniques.