How Much Land You Need To Go Off The Grid? The original homesteaders, the pioneers who went West, were following the American dream as it was understood in the 19th century — they wanted a house, and land, and a farm, of their own. Those who become homesteaders today aren’t necessarily aspirational in the same way; instead, they’re looking to escape mainstream America. They want to do so for many reasons: privacy, radicalism, a philosophical belief in self-sufficiency. But “going off the grid” is a daunting proposal, especially for those with families. According to the company’s research, a family of four that eats meat, dairy and eggs would need around two acres of land to feed themselves for a year. Here’s the chart. [Via HuffingtonPost.com]
Amaranthus, King of “Grains” « The Arid Land Homesteaders League Amaranth, pigweed Amaranthus spp. Among the many horrible things Europeans did to natives of the “new world” to suppress them, and ultimately attempt to render their culture extinct was to separate them from their food. Though a few new world crops were allowed into the cornucopia of everyone living in the new world, many crops were forbidden. Amaranth was one of those contraband crops. Diabetes, a huge epidemic among native people, was unknown before Europeans imposed their ways of eating and living on the indigenous people. Folk taxonomy puts Amaranth with the grains. Amaranth seeds looks similar to quinoa, a distant relative, but much smaller. There are many species of amaranth, and all are probably edible, though some lend themselves better to seed production, while others are better suited for greens. Golden Giant Amaranth Plant in spring after threat of frost is over or have a plan to protect if frost is to occur. Amaranth Greens (Red Amaranth) Harvest new, tender foliage for greens.
Guide to planting by the moon - The Gardeners Calendar Moon planting calendar for fruit, vegetables and flowers In ancient times when man had not quite got round to inventing the wristwatch, the most reliable source of telling the time was the sun, moon, and stars. There seems to be several opinions of who came up with the moon planting calendar first. Was it the Egyptians or the Babylonians? It is more than likely that each and every farmer had a planting calendar based on the moon phases, and there would be different variations depending on the geographical location. As their calendars where passed on through the generations they evolved to cover the different crops they tried to grow, and the more productive farming techniques used. It was noticed that different plants grow better when they are planted during different phases of the moon. To provide more accurate records it was noted that certain crops faired better when planted whilst the moon was in a specific constellation. Moon planting rediscovered Three Moon planting methods
Nine Things to Consider When Looking For Your Survival House image from Seattle Municipal Archives You don’t need a bunker in a remote location in Idaho or Montana to have a home that is able to withstand an emergency situation. However, there are a few things you’ll want to consider when choosing where to live as your home is an often overlooked but important part of your preparedness efforts. 1. 2. 3. Weather hazards can encompass large areas, so are sometimes difficult to avoid. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Bonus #10. My home is my castle (albeit a very small castle). Tiny House Homesteading Most of the tiny houses represented on this blog so far have quite a high price tag to get started. Through my research, I have discovered several people who have found cheaper ways to make a tiny house, simply by doing the work themselves and finding a plan that will fit there needs. I want to feature Lamar today from Utah. Visit his Simple Solar Homesteading site and read how he has built his own tiny cabin which is 14 x 14 for less than $2,000, and later added porch. He used new materials only and bought everything locally. I built this cabin by myself from new materials for under $2000 (not including windows, doors, and porch). Lamar has also written an ebook with plans and directions to build your own cabin and live simply like he is. To view more pictures and read more about Lamar’s tiny cabin and buy his ebook click here. Kitchen Living Room
My Green Directory - The Online Eco Resource Adaptable House caters for growing family, home office, retired living, or divorce It uses sliding partitions and storage walls, extension modules and a puzzle of garden components. Danish architects Henning Larsen's new Adaptable House is designed to accommodate the most common lifestyle changes, from having children to settling into retirement. The energy-efficient home can even be fairly separated in case of divorce. View all Realized with developers Realdania Byg and contractors GXN, the Adaptable House not only offers flexible room arrangements, but has a built-in strategy for extending and separating volumes. Pre-figuring life changes The Adaptable House was conceived to help meet a range of lifestyle changes. Perhaps the most innovative and coolly pragmatic gesture is in adapting for divorce. Sliding partitions make flexible interiors (Photo: Jesper Ray/Realdania Byg) Not just a room under the stairs The architects were determined that any new configurations meet their criteria for natural light, ventilation, plus noise and temperature control. Adding on
Homesteading Forum - The Homesteading Boards In 1995 my wife had surgery on her shoulder, while she was in surgery I went down to the bookstore to pick up a book to read. There was a book on building log houses and my wife and I always loved log homes so I picked it up. I read the whole thing while she was in surgery and recovery. The last chapter of the book was a chapter on alternative log styles, and there was a couple of paragraphs on something called cordwood. I loved it. Those two books are currently out of print and Rob Roy has updated them to a newer version Cordwood Building: The State of the Art (Natural Building Series) Earth-Sheltered Houses: How to Build an Affordable... With the birth of our daughter and life in general, the dream was put on the shelf, but it was always there in my mind, always there looking at me. In 2008 we purchased a 9 acre lot adjoining our business to expand it and was left over witth a 7 acre field.
Ecological Footprint Quiz by Center for Sustainable Economy What Kind Of Small Farm Is Right For You? So, you're planning a small farm, but you're not sure if you want to have a hobby farm, a homestead, or a small farm business. What do you do? How do you decide on the best fit? Consider Your Goals The first thing to think about is, what do you want out of your small farm? For example, are you an entrepreneurial type who gets warm and glowy when you envision creating value-added farm products and selling them at farmers markets, or growing vegetables on acres of farmland and selling them in bulk to restaurants? Set Goals for Your Small Farm Hobby Farming Hobby farming is for people who have another primary source of income and want to have a farm that doesn't have to produce income or support them by providing for most or all of their needs. Hobby farmers can put a lot of money into their hobby farms, or they can run them more like a homestead in that they want to minimize how much money they use as an input. How to Start a Hobby Farm A Small Farm Business How to Start a Small Farm Business
Create Your Homestead Blog in 6 Steps Many of my readers are just getting started with their own homesteading journeys, and in some cases their own homesteading blogs. Today we’ve got a guest post from Rob Russo about how to get your blog off to a strong start – or give it a jump start if you’re not attracting as many readers as you would like. You are a homesteader if you’ve milked a cow, dyed your own wool and cleaned a coop — all before 10am. Either way, if you are reading this via desktop, laptop, e-reader or mobile device, you don’t live off the land *so* much that you’ve given up the modern convenience of technology. It’s true, while my wife and I purchased a few acres and love our chickens, we each are connected to our iPhone and laptop. If you have a homestead blog — or are eager to create one — here are a few things to consider before jumping in with both feet. 6 Steps to Creating the Best Homesteading Blog Follow these 6 easy steps to get your homestead blog off the ground — and on the right track — quickly.
Connecting the dots | coalition of the willing Posted on 10. Dec, 2010 by fabio_barone in Open culture, The movement What is our situation, today? We could dream of a planetary nervous system, of a united humanity, of a species cooperating on a marvelous magic satellite. We could philosophize over the destiny of mankind, over teleology and the universal mind. We could delve into collective intelligence, shifted consciousness, raised awareness, and speak of transcending boundaries, hierarchies, races, genders, of wonderful futures and shifted values. Let’s look at what we’ve got though. The current social arrangements grew out of a positive response to systems that had attained their limits. Countless organizations, individuals, and groups are assembling and becoming active. It’s not difficult to identify the essential developments happening today. How does a lush ecosystem evolve? This is how I see the new movement unfolding. Most of us are bounded by national regulations, financial restrictions, cultural norms. What will it require?
How To Start Homesteading You might live in the city or the country. Your homesteading plans might be pie-in-the-sky dreams or you may be ready to start right this minute. Wherever you are right now, you should know that you can take a step toward your homesteading dreams today. It can be hard to figure out where to start. You may wonder what to do first, especially if you know nothing about owning land, farming, or going off-grid for energy. I'm hoping to demystify this a bit, and give you some concrete first steps to take that will begin your homesteading journey right where you are. Start Now You can start homesteading right now, today. Pick one or two projects that you can start in the next month or so. If that seems like too much, start smaller. Read and Learn Besides starting a small project or two this season, take the time to read up about homesteading skills. List Your Priorities Find a Homestead For many of us, finding that "place in the country" is a key part of homesteading. Plan the First Year
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