tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post1764224057952036402..comments2024-03-27T20:54:52.544-07:00Comments on Rural Revolution: The question of homesteading projectsPatrice Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06012022335047974670noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-87546926312687843982016-12-19T17:50:38.508-08:002016-12-19T17:50:38.508-08:00A friend has 6 acres and a about 10 trees. Good y...A friend has 6 acres and a about 10 trees. Good years he gets a couple gallons worth boiled down bad years nothing worth doing. It doesn't have to be just sugar maples. Other maples can produce syrup too. Red maples for example. Just a thought. I've heard but cannot support that other trees can make syrup from sap as well. ...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-15145097604202596282016-12-17T15:00:32.516-08:002016-12-17T15:00:32.516-08:00Excellent question indeed. I've wondered the s...Excellent question indeed. I've wondered the same. For example, in shows like "Alaska, The Last Frontier", family members may spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars on gear and an airplane flight, and spends days away from home to fly to a small island and harvest one small deer. (Yes...it's just a TV show, but let's look at it academically). The money invested makes that 30 pounds of venison awful expensive.<br /><br />Thanks for the article, Patrice! Helps me think through the logic. Bob Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17516160543918384008noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-47196017349334427142016-12-15T20:46:56.234-08:002016-12-15T20:46:56.234-08:00This might also rule out such things as blue agave...This might also rule out such things as blue agave, which you'd be able to use as a sweetener once you've collected the sap.<br /><br />Thought about growing stevia as well?<br /><br />Now that I've switched, I find very little use for large amounts of sugar, especially in such things as tea and coffee.<br /><br />Check this out:<br /><br />Making liquid stevia extract yourself --<br />http://www.sugarfreestevia.net/stevia-extract.html<br />Post Alley Crackpotnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-46029518714592177302016-12-15T15:27:32.057-08:002016-12-15T15:27:32.057-08:00If you're thinking of sugar maples -- yes, the...If you're thinking of sugar maples -- yes, they grow, if artificially planted (they're not native to the area); but to get enough sap to justify a maple syrup operation would require more land than we own.<br /><br />- PatricePatrice Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06012022335047974670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-74024126449393362462016-12-15T14:45:22.251-08:002016-12-15T14:45:22.251-08:00Consider maple trees? Do they grow out there? Consider maple trees? Do they grow out there? Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-46338146553078389262016-12-15T14:44:09.105-08:002016-12-15T14:44:09.105-08:00Well. We pray about it. It's difficult but if...Well. We pray about it. It's difficult but if it doesn't bring you peace don't do it. We've been trying to buy a farm or land for the years now. We've realized this area its impossible to do so unless you're very very wealthy. We cannot afford it. Plain and simple. So we have to change our criteria for homesteading. Keeping Christ in the center. We look for is it good true and beautiful to start. Then is it our failure or something else. Is it helping us become better people? Is it helping others? Is it selfish? If it is our failure and can be remedied we strive to fix it. Money is always a huge factor. 5 kids makes it so. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-63768081741045971402016-12-15T12:06:55.842-08:002016-12-15T12:06:55.842-08:00Excellent approach and attitude.
Montana GuyExcellent approach and attitude.<br />Montana GuyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-51709259200922560992016-12-15T11:27:44.086-08:002016-12-15T11:27:44.086-08:00Have you seen this?: https://www.honeyflow.com/Have you seen this?: https://www.honeyflow.com/Toddhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17736869802213597171noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-65915799657344849722016-12-15T10:03:02.438-08:002016-12-15T10:03:02.438-08:00Fabulous post. Definitely alot of thought and wisd...Fabulous post. Definitely alot of thought and wisdom goes into your decisions. I love the definition of homsteading from Countryside. It describes the beliefs that my husband and I hold perfectly. It is definitely a lifestyle that would do alot of good in the world today if more people practiced it.Terrinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-29496866417432951242016-12-15T03:36:44.043-08:002016-12-15T03:36:44.043-08:00Excellent answer to the question. I think it can b...Excellent answer to the question. I think it can be applied to any household not just homesteaders. We live in an HOA community and have been pushing the regs with our gardening. So far, a success with using edible landscaping and keeping the main veggies in the back. <br /><br />Major failure - growing strawberries hydroponically. Too few berries for way too much expense. Tried for 3 seasons, gave up. Now just need to sell off the equipment. We will be investing in more 'hardscape' to make caring for lot easier as we edge into our 70s.<br />More time for growing and less time for mowing & trimming is where we're headed.<br /><br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02636508277340864495noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-75683821776138842302016-12-14T18:42:48.753-08:002016-12-14T18:42:48.753-08:00Good luck! (I'm learning to make cheese too.)Good luck! (I'm learning to make cheese too.)<br />Prepared Grammyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13520764687351107967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-64017313424619466092016-12-14T15:41:19.816-08:002016-12-14T15:41:19.816-08:00Your article is spot on! Being in the extreme sou...Your article is spot on! Being in the extreme southeast, I actually DO grow peanuts and sugarcane. It's been about 8 years now since I started developing my little self sufficiency farm, and it is an amazing journey of continual learning! Bees were out of the question for me as there are several beekeepers nearby and their bees are competing for pollen and each one is getting less honey. Sugarcane grows like crazy here and I finally found an old timer with a tractor driven cane juice extractor. We will be juicing my cane in January, and I've purchased an eight-gallon cast iron cauldron to slow cook the juice down to a syrup. Just need to season that pot real good in the next few weeks! Every season I try to add a new skill, a new food source, and a new bit of permaculture. My non-homesteading friends are fascinated with my life, but I don't see any of them signing up to copy it! Hard cheeses and grape wine were my new additions this year. Next year will be the cane syrup, and elderberry wine. Wish me luck!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-53494231275956487092016-12-14T15:30:45.237-08:002016-12-14T15:30:45.237-08:001. I only undertake projects that interest me.
2....1. I only undertake projects that interest me. <br />2. I research as much as possible before I start a new project. This includes Internet and, more importantly, talking with people where I live. Learning from their failures is worth a lot. In your bee example, I joined a bee club. These old timers can teach the 'newbees' a lot. I learned that a beekeeper shouldn't expect a honey harvest for the first 3 to 4 years of beekeeping. (I have been fortunate enough to harvest a small amount the first year and a tiny amount the second year.) Knowing this ahead of time can keep one from having unreasonably high expectations. <br />3. My husband and I discuss whether we think the payoff is worth the investment of time and money. Our projects don't have to make money, but they do need a payout. Getting vegetables, fruit, milk, eggs, and honey are great. It's nice if the projects eventually have some outside payout. For example, I sell some of the chickens' eggs. This helps with the cost of feed. <br />I don't have a lot of typical hobbies, at least compared to the women I know. I don't care about shopping. (Shopping is a means to an end, not a means of enjoyment.) I don't go to the spa, movies, eat out a lot, attend concerts, or go on a lot of vacations. I consider chickens, bees, goats, making homemade ice cream, crocheting, gardening, canning, etc. my hobbies. So, I don't worry about spending part of my budget on these projects. <br />4. Will my projects enhance my life and the life of my family? I'm willing to put in the time for worthwhile projects. <br />5. Know that every, and I mean every, project will take more time and money than I think. I just expect it. <br /><br />ABOVE ALL: Do I feel that the Lord is leading me to do this? If so, I go for it. He won't lead me down the wrong path. <br /><br />When do I finally throw in the towel? I don't know. So far I've only had to do that one time. (I had a kennel. When I was pregnant with my third child, I could no longer take care of so many dogs.) I choose wisely before I start. <br /><br /> "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won't you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?" Luke 14:28Prepared Grammyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13520764687351107967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-64341678173158415332016-12-14T13:06:23.202-08:002016-12-14T13:06:23.202-08:00We have a certain amount of $$$$ each year to spen...We have a certain amount of $$$$ each year to spend on projects. That amount gets spent, easily! Our method is to spend on a project that might succeed until it becomes clear that it will not or until another need comes along that cannot be delayed. DJAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-84533470450297352892016-12-14T10:37:07.620-08:002016-12-14T10:37:07.620-08:00Patrice; you are correct on all counts, homesteadi...Patrice; you are correct on all counts, homesteading is a Lifestyle and most often a calling for real down to earth creative individuals that pride themselves on taking care of themselves in all aspects (why should I pay someone to do the same thing that I can do). <br />And it, (homesteading)I believe is most closley associated with the people that actually have learned how to use a can opener,(your millenials column)and at a very early age. <br /> There is a mantra that goes: Throw enough money at something and you can achieve anything. I find that to be simply not true as some things are quite simply not possible according to the laws of physics & other laws. There is no end to creatively solving problems and coming up with solutions. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-49778155549145708612016-12-14T09:44:22.137-08:002016-12-14T09:44:22.137-08:00Patrice, your explanation is very rationale and sh...Patrice, your explanation is very rationale and should be helpful to others.<br /><br />The only thing I might add is that ideally spouses and family can budget 'discretionary spending'. That would include non-essential spending which do not need to be justified. Examples could include vacations, hobbies, luxuries, pets etc. which should not need to be justified as long as costs are within budget.<br /><br />Depending on one's budget, beekeeping could fall under an activity that one undertakes just for fun. Occasional indulgences are not just for Catholics. <br /><br />Montana Guy<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-19286344644758128712016-12-14T09:38:57.577-08:002016-12-14T09:38:57.577-08:00Hi Patrice,
There is one key factor that you touch...Hi Patrice,<br />There is one key factor that you touched on, but I think needs to be said again. What are you learning on the way? You may be investing time and money, sure, but are you LEARNING something usefull? We have had many failures along with our successes and we learned from all of them. For us, cattle were an expensive failure, but we learned a great deal from them. Sheep were our success, along with many other things that go with homesteading. Now that we are off our homestead and on the road in an RV, we have found that our frugal off grid lifestyle fits in perfectly out here! We use less of everything and feel right at home. We are actually quite proud of how little we get by on, and enjoy each saving as another success. It is all because of what we learned as we built our homestead. That knowledge is priceless, so consider what you are going to learn from the project, as well as any other benefit.<br />Judy, now in ArizonaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-56861571208286996942016-12-14T09:22:04.302-08:002016-12-14T09:22:04.302-08:00Well said!Well said!Gorges Smythehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08777621500611603786noreply@blogger.com