Posted on April 19, 2018 by gaye-levy
During a recent book giveaway, the question asked was “What piece of prepping gear is at the top of your bucket list?” Needless to say, I was more than a little bit surprised to find that the top response was water storage, water filters, and water purification equipment. While having the gear is nice, anyone ...
Read More »
Posted on April 16, 2018 by tess-pennington
One of the problems faced with an EMP (Electromagnetic Pulse) is that your well will not be pumping water into your home. For those living in urban areas and are relying on municipal water, your water could also be short-lived and it’s important to have a backup plan. Well water is a different matter entirely because it is your well ...
Read More »
Posted on April 15, 2018 by daisy-luther
That magic moment when you go to wash your hands….and nothing comes out of the tap. Late on Friday evening – you know, too late to reach the local repair guy – that was the scenario at our rented farm. Nary a drop was coming from our faucets. For the past couple of months, I ...
Read More »
Posted on April 13, 2018 by daisy-luther
With wildfire season approaching in California, my thoughts are with my many friends there who have small farms. Even if you don’t live in a wildfire zone, if you raise livestock, you need to have a homestead evacuation plan. Any place can have a barn fire, a chemical spill, or other environmental emergencies. I’ve written quite ...
Read More »
Posted on March 29, 2018 by tess-pennington
Over the last few years, prices for livestock feed has steadily risen for various reasons, making it more difficult to feed our chickens the organic diet we prefer they have. In order to cut costs, we looked into creating a fodder system that would sprout seeds such as wheat, barley, oats, clover, dandelion, alfalfa, sunflower seeds and ...
Read More »
Posted on March 28, 2018 by daisy-luther
Self-Reliance. It’s a revolutionary word these days and I thought it deserved a manifesto. Manifesto: noun man·i·fes·to ˌma-nə-ˈfes-(ˌ)tō A declaration of the intentions, motives, or views of the issuer. ~~~~~ Have you happened to notice that our society is out of balance? The consumers outnumber the producers at such a rapid clip that we can’t possibly ...
Read More »
Posted on March 24, 2018 by daisy-luther
Lots of preppers are convinced that they’re going to “live off the land” should the world as we know it come tumbling down around our ears. Seed banks are stockpiled, books are purchased, and people are confident that they’ll be able to outlive everyone else based on the sweat of their inexperienced brows. But no matter ...
Read More »
Posted on March 21, 2018 by daisy-luther
Do you live in the suburbs but yearn for the farm life? The two do not have to be mutually exclusive. There’s a guide that can help you realize your self-reliance dreams no matter where you live. As most of you know, I moved last year from my 5-acre farm in Northern California to my ...
Read More »
Posted on March 20, 2018 by tess-pennington
Getting started raising quail requires a little more effort than raising chickens, but they’re well worth it. Domesticated quail has a delicious, mild flavor that’s not gamey and they’re prolific layers. If you’d like to learn more about the different breeds and their requirements, go here. Chicks or Eggs Day old chickens, ducks, and turkeys ...
Read More »
Posted on February 21, 2018 by tess-pennington
Everyone is talking about growing their own food. Lots of people are starting backyard gardens, filling pots on balconies and patios, and even starting little farms in the suburbs. But not everyone has outdoor space. What if you are living in an apartment and have no place to even put a pot for a tomato ...
Read More »
Posted on February 17, 2018 by tess-pennington
I often emphasize that your energy output coupled with your ability to adapt to the situation at hand will play a big part in how successful you are at living in a primitive setting. One of your first concerns in surviving outdoors is finding shelter. Short-term shelters are easy to construct an will serve you well in ...
Read More »
Posted on January 27, 2018 by daisy-luther
It has been a few weeks since Snowmageddon hit the east coast. The northeast was struck especially hard. We had a “bomb cyclone” snow storm followed by blistering cold from a “polar vortex”. Temperatures were hovering in the single digits. The wind chill brought us well below zero for days. The time was ripe for ...
Read More »
Posted on November 25, 2017 by gaye-levy
Most preparedness information out there seems to assume that everyone is part of a family with a mom, a dad, three kids, and a dog. Or, if not that, an extended family that includes brothers, uncles, and a grand-pappy. Somehow, the picture presented always includes a man. The truth is, that is not always the ...
Read More »
Posted on November 23, 2017 by gaye-levy
Much has been written about the need for drinking water in a survival situation. And luckily, most people have gotten the message and either store extra water in barrels, have cases or jugs of bottled water, or have a source of fresh water that can be made ready for drinking with filters, chemicals, or bleach. ...
Read More »
Posted on November 20, 2017 by daisy-luther
I’m not gonna lie – there is nothing messier than a bushel of tomatoes getting turned into jars of tomato-ey loveliness. It’s a fair bit of work to process your own tomato products, but the intensely flavored results make it all worthwhile. From my book, The Organic Canner, here are some of the shortcuts that ...
Read More »
