Me, every time I think about actually having to kill something with my own hands, I become (temporarily) a squeamish-arian…not quite willing to give up meat, but not quite willing to kill a critter either.
I admit I feel the same way; I want meat but don’t really like the idea of killing things. Rabbits can be raised in a very small space and think make less noise than chickens. I have known people who raised then in the backyard of tract houses. I have been told the meat is perfectly good and the fur and leather can be put to use too.
Laurel Loflund - 20 April 2008 08:11 PM
Anyone who wishes to learn about raising rabbits as a meat source should read over the information at: A Primer on Backyard Meat Rabbit Raising Practices http://www.rudolphsrabbitranch.com/rrr.htm
Me, every time I think about actually having to kill something with my own hands, I become (temporarily) a squeamish-arian…not quite willing to give up meat, but not quite willing to kill a critter either.
God bless,
Laurel
Butchering a two month-old kid goat reminded me of doing a rabbit - small enough to manage, unlike the big buck your son just shot, or the neighbor’s paralyzed-so-euthanized cow that only fits on your table a sixth at a time (I thought they just came in halves or quarters…HOW did I end up with cow parts on my kitchen table?!) After all that, a goat kid seemed much less ...daunting… Psychologically, I still enjoy eating “meat from the store” more easily…
It was my daughter’s goat’s buck kid, so she was a little gloomy until I said, “Hey, let’s make a pair of house slippers/moccasins for you with the hide!” She helped salt it down pretty cheerfully then, and my 15 year-old son is going to show us step-by-step, since he’s made leather breeches, pouches, and other things before…
The grand adventure continues! This past batch of soap turned out to be a good one, which is nice, since a friend was there to “see how it’s done,” ha! ha! (I only have about a 70% - 30% success rate making soap.) The strawberry bed is looking “loverly,” even after the late freezes, and I finally got the chickens in their fence or fenced OUT of the onion bed…. And as a bow to impractical beauty, in went a few irises and up went a couple hummingbird feeders. Meanwhile the laundry and dishes pile up…..
Speaking of the old people, I am hoping to spend a growing season (which is year round in southern Louisiana) with my (not-so-old) mother on the family farm soon, while she can still garden fairly easily. Her mother “could make a dead stick grow,” and she’s not far behind. I wasted my childhood in extra curricular activities at school instead of learning to garden, manage the farm and livestock, preserve food, sew, etc. and now all my dear old people are gone…
Onward, though, and yes, learning one thing at a time, instead of trying it all for the first time in one year, has been helpful. Also, different family members have different interests, so as a group, the list of new skills and knowledge gained is encouraging. I’m looking forward to learning more here!
It was my daughter’s goat’s buck kid, so she was a little gloomy until I said, “Hey, let’s make a pair of house slippers/moccasins for you with the hide!” She helped salt it down pretty cheerfully then, and my 15 year-old son is going to show us step-by-step, since he’s made leather breeches, pouches, and other things before…
Good psychology! I will have to remember that one…
The grand adventure continues! This past batch of soap turned out to be a good one, which is nice, since a friend was there to “see how it’s done,” ha! ha! (I only have about a 70% - 30% success rate making soap.) The strawberry bed is looking “loverly,” even after the late freezes, and I finally got the chickens in their fence or fenced OUT of the onion bed…. And as a bow to impractical beauty, in went a few irises and up went a couple hummingbird feeders. Meanwhile the laundry and dishes pile up…..
Sounds like soap making is a little more dicey than I thought it was. Good to know.
Speaking of the old people, I am hoping to spend a growing season (which is year round in southern Louisiana) with my (not-so-old) mother on the family farm soon, while she can still garden fairly easily. Her mother “could make a dead stick grow,” and she’s not far behind. I wasted my childhood in extra curricular activities at school instead of learning to garden, manage the farm and livestock, preserve food, sew, etc. and now all my dear old people are gone…
You echo the truths I hear My Brother’s Keeper saying; that it is imperative for the older folks to pass on their knowledge to the younger, and for the younger to listen and learn. My family was what I call semi-agrarian when I was young, but it’s been so many years since they practiced that and their memories are so full of holes or accommodations to the easier practices of later times (Roundup is good for everything, according to my mother) that the transmission is lost. I also have spent many years doing other things; not necessarily extra-curricular, but consuming of time and energy.
Dear Readers, please hear this and hear it clearly! Don’t get frustrated because the child cannot perform a task perfectly the first time, but let them help to the fullest extent that they can at the age they are. That is an excellent way to pass along knowledge; they learn without realizing that they do.
I did not do a good job of this with my own child; academics took priority in my mind at the time (some of us are late in learning the truth), so I’ve ended up with a very academically gifted young adult—and that’s it. Delightful person, but as a young adult resists instruction from mom. Have to learn the hard way, I guess….
Onward, though, and yes, learning one thing at a time, instead of trying it all for the first time in one year, has been helpful. Also, different family members have different interests, so as a group, the list of new skills and knowledge gained is encouraging. I’m looking forward to learning more here!
Learning one thing at a time is something I need to work on. I still tend to scatter my efforts on the home front.
Thanks, Kinswoman, and God bless you and yours,
Laurel
More Resilient Community stuff. The Global Guerillas blog has some pretty interesting ideas.
God bless,
Laurel
RC JOURNAL: DIY Tractor
Here’s an open source effort to design a low cost (both assembly and maintenance) tractor called the LifeTrac. Key attachments: backhoe and well drilling. It uses modular design for versatility of use and low cost repair.
OSTrac is an open source tractor/ loader. It is an articulated tractor that steers by bending in the middle. It also has a flexible coupling between the front and back, so that the wheels stay on the ground at all times.
It is based on CADTrac, a set of plans that you can buy:
Image:CADTrac.jpg
But it is redesigned thoroughly by enlarging the size and making construction simpler. The goal is to make it:
It has a number of features that set it apart from skid loaders and make these vehicles suitable for agriculture. The main features for agriculture are a 3-point hitch, power takeoff, and high-flow hydraulic takeoff. These features make the LifeTrac capable of using any agricultural implements.
While some tend to be low-tech homesteaders, some are high-tech homesteaders. For the former, the old method of budgeting using the envelope system might work; for the rest of us Microswifties or Macheads who use Excel spreadsheets for a lot of the number crunching needed in a budget, over at It’s Your Money they’ve posted an FREE Excel template that essentially does the envelope budget thing electronically.
I can’t speak highly enough of the benefits of establishing a budget and sticking to it; personally I use a check register-based paper system called Budget Map. http://www.budgetmap.com/ This one costs money, but as someone who really does better with pencil and paper on an immediate basis, it works for me.
Remember, in order to homestead or move to the country, it’s good to get out of debt and establish a basic amount of emergency money to carry you through the first year(s).
There are loads of resources out there to help one do just that. I will post them here as I come across them.
I don’t think I’ve posted this site before, but if I have, please excuse the double-posting. Not sure about their philosophy, but the information looks usable.
This wiki is dedicated to the open, collaborative development of a basic and robust infrastructure for a Global Village economy, as embodied in the list of the 28 of the above products and services. Such a village is by design
* one which promotes the highest autonomy and freedom
* grounded in self-sufficiency
* dedicated to voluntary pursuits, right livelihood, and quality of life
The basic assumption for a New Village economy is that humans are capable of transcending struggle for survival and resource conflicts, where this preoccupation is replaced by higher pursuits of personal and societal evolution.
