Last summer our family was planning on moving overseas, so we began making preparations by selling or giving away most all our belongings. We didn’t have much to begin with but we did not want to bring furniture and kitchen gadgets with us. A change of plans from my hubby’s employer later hindered the “moving overseas” idea. So we were still in the States but with very little left of our possessions. Thankfully we had been living with family before the big move so we didn’t really need too much. However making our move to Libby MT instead of overseas, sure changed the way I use to think about needing “things.”
We moved into an old farm house equipped with lots of storage and space and ironically we had little to unpack. A mattress, no bed frame, a coffee maker and 1 mug, 1 cast iron skillet, no other dishes or utensils, a few clothes, no washer or dryer, two computers and some books, no other furniture or wall hangings. The first few days were a bit frustrating learning how to cook without much of anything, but let me tell you….I realized how much WE REALLY DON’T NEED! I’ll admit a few necessities have been purchased like a shower curtain and some dishes but we have been fortunate to find out how much we can live without. I have learned that I can estimate ingredients fairly well when cooking and don’t need a measuring cup. I’ve learned how to hang up clothes to dry on an indoor clothesline. I’ve learned that my hubby is pretty content with simple meals (he’d eat eggs at every meal everyday) and so many of my old appliances like a food processor aren’t truthfully necessary.
Most of our past belongings were things I felt like we needed but if I choose to adjust my life a bit, they aren’t. It’s the adjusting part that is so hard for us Americans. For instance what if we decided we would only make meals that didn’t require utensils for eating. Families in Africa eat millet porridge with their hands, and Indians scoop up their Dahl with chapati (flat bread). They do it in a clean way mannerly way, so why can’t we? And do we really need 12 dinner plates, when we have a family of 3? To tell you the truth we would have to stop by the thrift store for more bowls and plates if we had a guest….or I would just have to prepare finger food.
It seems weird that I would encourage people to take on a “live with less” approach, especially when many can afford “more.” But it really isn’t about money, though money is a factor for some, living with less actually makes life easier, less cluttered and less busy. I’m tired of the American image of living with every gimmick and plastic China made product that supposedly makes life better. Do we REALLY need what the media says we need? If you think that the answer is yes, just take a look at the lives of families in rural Russia, India, China, Africa, South America. Our ancestors who lived before processed foods and massed produced plastic actually lived healthy, happy, self-sufficiently and wisely.
Here is a list of some things I’ve learned to do without, just for some ideas:
Sweeteners, I do use a bit of stevia (or honey as a rare treat) for a few things but I do not put sweetener in my daily porridge, in yogurt, in my teas, etc.
Evening dessert, I grew up with a German Grandma who believed every dinner meal must be accompanied by each food group and a fresh baked dessert. It takes a while to ignore the craving for something sweet after your meal…but if you consider it is most likely candida cravings, meaning if you give candida a carby meal they will thrive, then you may think otherwise. Try the Asian and Middle-eastern way of drinking mint tea after your meal.
A rubber spatula, and many other utensils. A strainer, an egg flipper, some knives, a can opener and my hands work pretty good for our family’s needs. You can peel veggies with a knife instead of a peeler.
A dryer. Someday if we ever learn to where less clothing, a wash board would be my dream. But for now we wash our clothes in a regular electric washing machine and then use a indoor or outdoor clothesline.
Wall hangings and alot of furniture. We recently received a table and chairs and a couch from friends but had been contently using the ground and pillows for our table and couch. I do love to see pictures of loved ones so I tape them on the fridge, seems like other wall hangings are just too expensive for me to buy. I would rather see family artwork anyhow.
I nice “new” looking house. As long as my house is clean, I’m happy. Buying paint, lawn, decking, new flooring, pretty curtains etc. just doesn’t seem as important to me as feeding a few hungry children around the world.
A food processor or blender. I use to love making nut butters, salsas, sauces and smoothies with my food processor but after giving mine away, I’ve realized I can truly live without it, I just have to adjust my regular meals a bit.
According to 2,000 Down Home Skills, eggs can be preserved by coating the egg with lard or any other clean grease, (coconut oil, or tallow should work just as well) and then packed in bran.
Carla Emery states that it is best to not wash your eggs at all in order to retain the naturally occurring gelatinous film protecting the egg. Not only does washing eggs cause them to spoil sooner but bacteria present on the outside of the egg can penetrate eggshell pores easier when there is water/liquid for it to travel in. From my own observation it may be best to store eggs unwashed until right before you crack it open for use. For preservation of unwashed eggs, Emery suggests refrigerating fresh eggs in a plastic bag for up to 2 months (use the oldest eggs first). However, if you have acess to a root cellar or basement where it is naturally cool and damp store your eggs in oatmeal or sawdust (small end down) in a plastic container or crock. Again you can also use a refrigerator if you have space.
Just an FYI, chickens tend to lay more eggs in the spring than any other time of the year so think ahead and store when you can because during the darker months of winter you will have less egg production.
Ani and I recently put together a few bird houses with some recycled milk cartons. Instead of buying a generic bird houses or feeder, make your own by recycling any weather-safe containers. Some container ideas include: empty Hydrogen Peroxide bottles, empty honey cartons, milk cartons, juice bottles, etc.
After cleaning the container, cut a whole large enough for a bird to peep through for a feeder or larger for a bird house. I painted my milk cartons with plastic adherent paint to make them look nicer but also to make them hardier against the rain. Make sure container is dry and then fill with bird seed through the hole you cut. Children love to help with this! You may also want to use a stick or dowel pressed into the container for a bird stand on while they eat the seed.
Ani helping fill bird feeder
Hang outside with string or nail to a recycled board. Enjoy watching your flying visitors.
There are several great reasons to keep chickens in your yard, beside the usual egg and meat collection. Here are some ideas that come to my mind right off the bat:
Bug control! Chickens love to eat ants, ticks, spiders, mosquitoes and anything else that crawls. My hubby detests spiders, so he particularly loves having chickens snoop the perimeter of our house.
Natural Fertilizer. Chicken droppings are awesome fertilizer for the grass as well as your garden compost.
Lawn aeration. When chickens scamper around the yard, they scratch the ground looking for bugs, and in turn give the ground a little aeration and refreshing.
Weed Control. Chickens love to eat weeds! Say no more….for some yards, that is reason enough to get a few chickens!
Friendly curious pets. I didn’t really think our chickens could be friends until one day several weeks after getting them. After being in town for a long errands day, we came home to a very friendly welcome. All our chickens gathered around our car, flapping, dancing and squealing. They were like little children happy to see their parents home after a long separation. I also enjoy how curious they are, following me around the yard as I do gardening, they seem to especially love watching me dig in the dirt.
Weather Alerting. I’ve noticed that whenever the clouds clear a bit and the sun peeps through, our roosters go crazy. They love the sunshine. Also, like most animals, chickens are sensitive to storms rolling in and will flutter and squawk more before a storm blows in.
Emergency Food Backup. You never know what might happen. Blizzards, hurricanes, droughts etc. are all examples of disasters that can cause emergency food shortages. Having a good stock of food in your pantry and freezer is always wise but having some of your own farm animals gives you a great advantage when a food shortage occurs. Just remember to be wise, prepare frugally!
Years ago I remember reading Sally Fallon’s comment in Nourishing Traditions regarding drinking goats milk on a regular basis. She spoke of the lack of folic acid (also known as folate) and vitamin B12 contained in goats milk compaired to cows milk. While reading that statement I remember thinking… “what about sheep’s milk?”
Well Fallon was correct. Goat’s milk contains only 2.4 mcg of folate per 1 cup of milk whereas cow’s milk contains 12.2 mcg of folate per 1 cup of milk. But get this, sheep’s milk contains 17.2 mcg of folate per 1 cup of milk! As for the vitamin B12, compare the results for 1 cup on milk: Goat’s milk: .2 mcg, Cows milk: 1.1 mcg, Sheep’s milk: 1.7 mcg.
In case you are curious folate is necessary for forming new cells, especially during rapid cell growth which takes place in infancy and in utero. It plays an essential role synthesizing DNA and cell division. While pregnant, if a woman does not have enough folate in her body, neural tube birth defects and low birth weight in the baby are a common result. Lake of folate causes anemia since folate also helps in producing red blood cells.
Vitamin B12 is essential for normal brain and nervous system function. It also promotes blood production. B12 is needed for the metabolism of every cell in the body. It works in correlation with Folate/Folic Acid for DNA synthesis and overall growth. Folic acid and Vit. B12 need to be consumed together for adequate absorption.
Please note: The following data results are taken from pasteurized milk. Results from raw milk will compare differently. See this chart for insight: Which do you Choose?
Yesterday I had my first exposure to chicken butchering. My friend Grams and her son Eric invited me over since they knew I was anxious to learn how be self sufficient with our family meat preparation. We had an assembly line with a few helpers outside, one to chop the head, two to dunk in hot water and pluck the large feathers out and two in the kitchen plucking remaining feathers/hairs. After the birds were cleaned, Eric and I sat down to gut the birds before their final cleaning. Over all it took us less than 3 hours to do 12 chickens, from killing to freezing. Apparently, most farmers can knock out allot more birds in that amount of time but according to Eric we did it the “clean, slow” way.
I don’t want to go into every detail here, because one can find butchering directions in extensive detail in books, or online. My reason for blogging about it today is for encouraging others to not feel overwhelmed by the idea of butchering your chickens or any other animal for food. It can be a little tedious and perhaps a bit nauseating for others but truthfully it is not hard. Eric threw the axe while I watched, since I’m a bit too petite for his size of axe but all the other steps were very easy to perform and understand.
Cleanliness is the most important factor. Through we did allow the blood to drain into the ground, there wasn’t really a whole lot of blood to drain. Being a city-girl all my life, I imagined gushing blood, but yesterday, I realized that my perceptions were wrong. Other than feathers scattered about, a large bloody mess was no where in sight.
I was surprised by the level of respect each participant had during the process. No one was screaming “GROSS”, and no one was swinging a bird around. Instead we all knew our job and we did it with a thankful heart for the meat we were preparing. Eric says he keeps his respect for the bird at all times, from the time they are little chicks, and while they are growing into explorers, untill the time they breath their last.
While pulling out the innards I felt like I was in an anatomy class learning and inspecting each organ. All I can say is that the Creator did a pretty spectacular job! I was amazed how clean each bird was on the inside. Yeah there was blood but each organ looked so healthy, at least on their outside. I did only see one “bug/parasite” in all the chickens I cleaned but that is to be expected. These were free range chickens and I’m curious how other caged birds compare. I learned the importance of taking the organs and entire intestinal tract out in one piece, the trick is to not sever the intestines for keeping the bird as clean as possible.
Eric and Grams were going to pass along 6 of the clean chickens but I just couldn’t take that much, since I had just recently stocked up my freezer. So I came home with 3 chickens, 24 chicken feet (for stock), and one great chicken butchering lesson!
Did you know that Native Americans use to place a dead fish on every corn seed they planted for fertilizing the ground? The results were amazing to say the least. The Plymouth settlers were awestruck by the Native methods, how could rotting fish encourage the harvest to become so plentiful? There are several reasons why fish is good for the ground, plants and in turn the consumers.
While the fish is decomposing, millions of microbes are flourishing, protecting the environment from fungus, harmful bacteria and irritating insects. It is almost as though you are equipping your plants with an immune system! Fish also provides vitamins, amino acids, and enzymes. Fish as fertilizer in general is not only preserving the healthy soil but it is also feeding your plants, making them strong and even more nutrient dense. Give your garden a feast this spring and go fishing! Here is a recipe for making your own fish fertilizer:
You can use fresh fish parts or any cheap canned fish. The juices, sauces, or oils in the can can be used to breed beneficial microbes and supply extra proteins in the tea, so use it.
(NOTE: If you use canned fish products, you may want to let it decompose mixed with some finished compost, good garden soil, etc. in a separate closable container for a few days before using. Since most canned meat products contain preservatives, this will guarantee that the good microbes in the tea will not be killed off or harmed in brew making.)
You can use any fresh or dried seaweed. Fresh seaweed has more N in it, but that really isn’t important for seaweed teas. You can buy fresh or dried seaweed at most oriental grocery stores. Seaweed decomposes better if chopped up or liquefied first in water before brewing.
If you are using fresh fish, you need to compost it separately in a 5 gallon closable bucket. Fill bucket 1/2 full with extra browns like sawdust, leaves, or straw. You can add molasses to the fishy mixture in order to build up microbes in order to speed up decomposition. The sugars will also help control odors too. Open the bucket and stir the fishy paste daily or every other day in order to get air in the mix for better decomposition and better aerobic microbial growth in the emulsion. Let this paste rot for at least 1-2 weeks. The browns help control offensive odors and absorb organic nitrogen from the fish so that it is not leached out or evaporated.
Since commercial fish emulsions contain sulfur in the form of sulfuric acid, if you like you could add 1-2 tblsp of Epsom salt to the mix for extra magnesium and sulfur. Or to mimic the acidity of sulfuric acid and add extra trace elements you could add 1-2 tblsp of apple cider vinegar to the mix. NOTE: Recent studies have shown that unsulfured molasses or dry molasses powder is best for faster microbial growth in tea brewing.
You can now safely take the decomposed fish paste from the 5 gallon bucket and add it to your regular hot composting piles or add it to your special compost tea recipes. The more vegetable or fruity organic matter that you add to fishy compost the better you remove the offensive smells and the more trace elements you add to your compost and teas. This of course is optional.
You can add molasses or brown sugar to your teas also. Sugars are high carbon substances that not only can cause speedy microbial growth, but also sugars are an excellent natural deodorizer.
At this point you may want to decide whether you want to make a simple tea or an aerobic aerated tea for your needs.
When you make fishy tea, you need to add the seaweed at brewing time. Let it brew for at least 1 week, stirring every few days. If you decide to brew it aerobically with an air pump, try up to 3 days, or until the brew has a “yeasty” smell, or has a foamy top layer on the tea.
You can apply this fish/seaweed emulsion at a dilution rate from 1:1 to 1:5 ratio (5 gallons of tea to 25 gallons of water).
If you like, you can add a few drops of mild liquid soap per gallon as a wetting agent to get better coverage as a foliar feed at application time. (NOTE: If you are concerned that using soaps may harm the beneficial microbes in your teas, you may want to just use liquid molasses, dry molasses powder, fish oil, or yucca extract as a spreader-sticker.)
You can use this tea as a foliar feed or as a soil drench or both. Soil drenches are best for building up the soil microbial activities and supplying lots of beneficial soluble NPK to the plant’s root system and the topsoil texture. Foliar feeds are best for quick fixes of trace elements and small portions of other soluble nutrients into the plant through its leaves. Foliar feeds are also good for plant disease control. Foliar feeds work best when used with soil drenches or with lots of organic mulches around plants. You can poke holes in the soil around crop roots with your spade fork, to get more oxygen in the soil to further increase organic matter decomposition and increase microbial activity in the soil.
Like all livestock, every sheep breed can be milked, however, there are several types of sheep that produce more milk than others. The East Friesian breed, originating in Germany is considered the highest preforming milk breed in the world. Along side the Friesian, the Awassi breed in the Middle East region produces large amounts of milk while living on pasture that most animals would be unable to survive. Another famous milk breed, found in France, is the Lacaune. The Lacaune produces slightly less milk than Friesians but a higher milk solid ratio, making their milk perfect for the famous Roquefort Cheese. In Europe and the Middle East, sheep milk and cheese is far more popular than in the United States. It is not only easier to digest than cows milk it is very nutrient dense containing vitamins A, D, C, E and healthy fats.
It is sad that the speicalized milking sheep are predominatly settled outside the U.S. What is a sheep loving farmgirl to do when she wants to milk her sheep?
Thankfully since all sheep can be milked and my main attempt is to obtain nutritious raw milk rather than a large volume of milk, there are options for sheep milking here in the States. Icelandic sheep are a hardy grass-fed breed that do not need grain supplementation as East Friesians do while being milked. Dorst, Polypays are two other North American breeds that have higher milk volumes. But again, remember that all sheep can be milked, so pick a breed that you like for various reasons such as: meat, wool, hair, personality, lambing, milk, hardiness, etc.
Note: Being a breastfeeding mom myself, I believe it is essential to allow lambs their time to bond with their mother as well as consume their mother’s milk for their own health and wellness. Allowing at least 2 months would be ideal, but sadly most operations wean lambs at 20 days and milk twice a day for optimum milk volume.
I love sheep, I can’t deny it! I love how much they depend on their master for all their needs. I love their floppy ears and their beautiful “fluff” coats. I love sheep cheese, though I have never tasted their raw milk. It is my dream to have a few sheep for milking (and yes I plan on drinking it ….have you noticed my need for some extra fat?). Since raising my own is not possible today, then I will at least take time to compare sheep’s milk from the more popular goat’s milk, so I’ll be more mindfully prepared for when they roam around the farm. Below is a comparison from Nutrition Data
Stock, beef or chicken stock for soups, stews, sauces and to drink as a healing gelatin and mineral rich tea.
Butter, unsalted, preferrably from grassfed cows if you can afford it. Plain butter is better than no butter. Ani will eat it by the stick if I let her….a spoonful or two is a better size. Butter is full of vitimin A, D, and E and short and medium chain fatty acids! See: Why Butter is Better
Eggs, what could I possibly do if I had no eggs when my husband is practically 75% eggs. He would be completely satisfied with eggs everyday. They are considered by many to be one of the best protein sources and brain foods. And the myth of cholesterol from eggs as being harmful, is now being found as a lie! See: Cholesterol is not the cause of heart disease.
Fermented Condiments! Instant enzymes and probiotics stored in a jar to add to your meals. Homemade Mayo, Sauerkraut, Kimchi, Fermented Garlic or Ginger, Mmmm!
Cultured Raw Dairy Products, Homemade yogurt, cream cheese, Kefir!!!
Your favorite veggies, our family favorites are: mushrooms for omelets and on burgurs, carrots for soups, stews and snacking, cucumbers for snacking and homemade Pico, and whatever is in season at the time.
A low-carb snack easy to grab, I try to always have boiled or deviled eggs available for quick grabbbing if I need something between meals. Usually I grab my prepared Everyday Porridge to heat fast but if I need a lower-carb option, eggs fill the need. Besides my hubby can’t stand to even look at my porridge, it makes him gag, so he begs for deviled eggs instead.
Freezer:
Beef, Lamb or Chicken Liver, inexpensive yet very nutrient dense. High is B-12 and B-2, Vit. A, folate and so much more. Essential for children and expecting/nursing mothers. See: Calf’s Liver
Frozen Veggies, either from your garden or from the store, add to soups, stir fry, chili etc.
As much frozen meat (beef, chicken, fish) you can afford to pack into every cranny. If you can find a large freezer (check Craigslist and local paper) fill it up. You never know when you might need easily accessible meat in an emergency. Grass Fed meat is expensive, I know, so become friends with a hunter, barter, learn to fish, stretch you meat, raise your own small game like sheep.
While it is still snowing and raining this March, I’m thinking about my garden by drawing out planting plans and building up my compost pile. Here are some things you can put in your pile as well as some things that are not so safe. Remember that your compost should be about 30 parts carbon (browns) to 1 part nitrogen (greens). I’ve noted the browns below but generally any fully dried out plant stalk, stem of leaves are considered browns. Fresh or wilted plants are considered greens.
Herbivore droppings, manure. Do not add carnivore droppings
Wood ashes, not coal
Cabbage and Broccoli stalks and leaves but not roots
Citrus Rinds
Coffee Grounds, many espresso cafes will give you coffee grounds, and your garden will love you for it!
Tea leaves and bags
Kelp
Lettuce
Melon rinds
Fruit Peels
Vegetable peels, stalk and leaves
Flowers
Eggshells
Grass clippings, without toxic pesticides
Weeds, that have not yet gone to seed
Peat Moss
Cornstalks
Sod
Straw (Browns, carbon)
Saw dust (Browns, carbon)
Leaves (Browns, carbon)
Hay (Browns, carbon)
Pine needles (Browns, carbon)
Note: Remember that your compost pile loves oxygen so make sure to give it some mixing and ventilation.
Last year while living in the city, I said a little prayer asking for an older woman friend who would be a good influence and teach me all the “old ways”. Somone who I could look up to and glean important wisdom from.
Today, I think my prayer was answered. I met Grams. She is wonderful, her heart is precious, her mind is full of experience and her hands are gentle with years of crocheting, sewing, gardening, cooking laced within them. She experienced a strock a few years back but it really didn’t cling to her because she is a doll as far as I’m concerned. She said she will teach me how to crochet rugs, butcher roosters, how to can meat and vegetables and how to grow anything! Oh thank you Abba for giving me an older wiser mentor. Little one enjoyed her as well, especially the fact that she has dogs, cats, fish, horses, goats, chickens, geese, and ducks, oh my!
Oh my gosh I wish I would have realized how amazingly easy it is to keep chickens. Having them around is so rewarding too!
Ani Gathering Egg
We have 9 hens and 2 roosters currently, but we are hoping to get more soon since we go through at least 4 dozen eggs a week. They are range-free meaning they are free to roam around. However, having a foot of snow on the ground pretty well keeps them near the barn.
Before getting them, I had nightmares of raccoons or dogs feasting on the birds or having runaway birds on a daily basis. But surprisingly….they stay together and they are not a bit interested in going from neighbor to neighbor. And the fact that birds can fly allows them to stay pretty well guarded from predators. At least for now that seems to be the case. I suppose it is important to have elavated areas where they can escape to if need be (like barn railings).
We were pretty blessed to have a barn with nesting boxes already installed when we moved into our place in the country, so all we had to provide was a bale of hay and a sack of feed, (the feed was $20 and should last us at least two months). If you can not afford to make nesting boxes, as around for any scrap wood. Or make some out of old cardboard boxes. Check out this site for Homemade nesting boxes. I know you may be thinking, umm… fencing? I’ve been told by other farmers that chickens tend to stay where their food and shelter is. They may snoop around to find bugs but whent he sun sets or a storm sets in, they are bound to seek their home sweet home.
Roosters Boaz, Vared and Hens
We spend about 15 min. each day with the chickens searching for eggs, checking on their feed bin, a making sure they have water. My little one loves them and now has a new responsibility of getting the morning eggs. Roosters are not required for egg production but again I have heard that they can help encourage the birds to lay. If you want fertilized eggs (which are still excellent for consumption) a rooster is needed. You can always butcher (or have your local butcher kill it for you) and have a niced baked chicken dinner and sell the feathers.
Go to the ant, you lazy one! See her ways and be wise, which having no commander, overseer or ruler, prepares her suppplies in the summer, gathers her food in the harvest. Prov. 6:6 & 7 Continue reading go to the ant
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