Quote from: AmericanMom on August 22, 2011, 04:58:48 PM
Did you also know that the ancients used honey to seal a wound against infection?  I love learning stuff like that

We bought a quarter beef last year and was so happy with it we decided to go ahead and get the half...Were also looking to buy a pig.  We have the chickens and are considering Rabbits and a couple goats...We do not have the room for a cow or we would have already had that.  We put in a wood stove a couple years ago and my every resourceful husband has traded work with a friend for wood...We were delited when he gave Jeff 4 cords of hardwood..(the cost would have been upwards of 800 bucks..)

e may not be as set as we would like to be in case of a disaster or emergency, but I know we would not starve and we would be warm... :D

Same here, I would get live stock, but mountain lions would make short work on them.
Though we will be getting chickens since it's not such a loss if they get taken.

Were pretty much set for a minimum of three months, but want to get a 6 month supply on hand.
At least water and power is not an issue here, but milk for me is essential, so we have been buying powdered milk, which in a pinch seems to work.
Though it takes some getting used to the taste. ::)

Quote from: Solar on August 22, 2011, 05:09:06 PM
Same here, I would get live stock, but mountain lions would make short work on them.
Though we will be getting chickens since it's not such a loss if they get taken.

Were pretty much set for a minimum of three months, but want to get a 6 month supply on hand.
At least water and power is not an issue here, but milk for me is essential, so we have been buying powdered milk, which in a pinch seems to work.
Though it takes some getting used to the taste. ::)

Ugh... yeah, I would not like to see my animals go down to a preditor...We keep the chickens in a coop and let them out into their own yard during the day and lock them in the coop at night, we don't let them out unless we are here...
I was astounded to find out that a couger was spotted two blocks from our house a few months ago, although I shouldnt be surprised, we are rural and butt up against some mountians...but still...

I have both canned and powdered milk...I know what you mean about the taste... :'(

Quote from: AmericanMom on August 22, 2011, 05:27:00 PM
Ugh... yeah, I would not like to see my animals go down to a preditor...We keep the chickens in a coop and let them out into their own yard during the day and lock them in the coop at night, we don't let them out unless we are here...
I was astounded to find out that a couger was spotted two blocks from our house a few months ago, although I shouldnt be surprised, we are rural and butt up against some mountians...but still...

I have both canned and powdered milk...I know what you mean about the taste... :'(

Were pretty lucky in that our neighbors are careful about leaving garbage out, but a couple of miles away there a bunch of white trash that just don't get it and wind up baiting bears, lions, raccoons etc.

I guess it is good they attract them away from us. :D

One upside to Ca failing and a bad economy, is people that over extended themselves financially, are leaving the area, which means less people feeding the wild life.

Something else I have started doing is clipping coupons...Although I wouldnt rate as an extreme couponer I have gotten some really nice things for free or almost free..

  We have atleast a years supply of basics like toothbrushes, toothpaste,  shampoo, soap, etc  and I might have paid 15 bucks for all of it..

Did you also know that if you put any salt, pepper or other spices in mason jars  they have I believe a ten year shelf life..

Quote from: AmericanMom on August 22, 2011, 05:39:10 PM
Something else I have started doing is clipping coupons...Although I wouldnt rate as an extreme couponer I have gotten some really nice things for free or almost free..

  We have atleast a years supply of basics like toothbrushes, toothpaste,  shampoo, soap, etc  and I might have paid 15 bucks for all of it..

Did you also know that if you put any salt, pepper or other spices in mason jars  they have I believe a ten year shelf life..

That I didn't know and now will do.  Solar can't survive without pepper.  I have also been talking to a local blackberry grower.  He thins his plants every year and I think we are going to purchase some this year.  They are thornless and beautiful.  Did I mention I love blackberries...  8) 8)

Quote from: Solars Toy on August 22, 2011, 07:03:07 PM
That I didn't know and now will do.  Solar can't survive without pepper.  I have also been talking to a local blackberry grower.  He thins his plants every year and I think we are going to purchase some this year.  They are thornless and beautiful.  Did I mention I love blackberries...  8) 8)

My neighbors have Logan berries and traded us a jar of homemade jelly for a dozen fresh eggs...I'm going to try and get some starts from him for a few more dozen eggs... It was very very good..
I pick blackberries within a mile of where I live, I've got marion berries growing tho but we didnt move them before we got the chickens and yeah, they ate all the berries, have to move them this fall..  :)

I fight for years to get rid of them, and now she wants to plant them? ???

Quote from: Solar on August 23, 2011, 06:30:36 AM
I fight for years to get rid of them, and now she wants to plant them? ???

And you love to eat them :P :P

Quote from: AmericanMom on August 23, 2011, 07:46:30 AM
And you love to eat them :P :P

But of course, I'd just drive the quad into the middle of them and get my fill.

But I had an acre of the damned things when I bought this land 20 some odd years ago, and I'm down to a few square feet, and when I sprayed them last year, ST was heart broken, so I'm letting them run again. :'(

Quote from: Solar on August 23, 2011, 09:45:34 AM
But of course, I'd just drive the quad into the middle of them and get my fill.

But I had an acre of the damned things when I bought this land 20 some odd years ago, and I'm down to a few square feet, and when I sprayed them last year, ST was heart broken, so I'm letting them run again. :'(

LOL don't fight it.   :))

http://www.offthegridnews.com/2011/03/24/glass-the-hidden-wealth/

So this morning I decided to go check out the wild blackberry vines behind the house.  In about 30 minutes, which included time for detangling myself from the vines.  I picked about 3 cups.  There will be more next weekend.

:) :)

Quote from: Solars Toy on August 27, 2011, 10:20:54 AM
So this morning I decided to go check out the wild blackberry vines behind the house.  In about 30 minutes, which included time for detangling myself from the vines.  I picked about 3 cups.  There will be more next weekend.

:) :)

And they are by far, better than anything you've been buying.
And we didn't even know we had any. :D

Quote from: Solar on August 27, 2011, 11:20:46 AM
And they are by far, better than anything you've been buying.
And we didn't even know we had any. :D

Thornless would be nice... 8) :) :)

I'm not a fan of thornless blackberry bushes because I think they are less resistant to drought and more suseptable to disease and pests. Not to mention the fact that they are far, far less productive per bush. I've tried both and to me there is no comparison.

I have an amazing thorned variety that is very drought resistant, been putting that to the test for the past couple of years and very hearty in general.

I think you can mitigate a lot of the problems with the thorns by trellacing the vines and just being careful. Where blackberry picking becomes painful is when you have overlapping vines that sorta put things into a tangle.