self-sufficiency | Being prepared today

December 6, 2022December 7, 2022

Winter preparation for the family

I’ve been there and so have a lot of people. Getting caught off guard when the outdoor temps suddenly change to cold or freezing. Then you remember; crapola, I forgot to cover the A/C condenser outside! Even getting items that are sensitive to getting wet pulled under a cover of some sort. Or, as silly as it seems, draining your sprinkler system and opening valves so they don’t freeze and break or burst. Winter preparation as an individual or for the family could be the difference between comfort and discomfort or, worst case, life and death.

If you are prepared for the hazards and harshness of winter you are more likely to stay safe, comfy and healthy when temps start to fall.

Winter preparation thoughtfulness

Every year, preparation for winter time is a necessity in at least 50 percent of the U.S. With snow and freezing temperatures covering the northern half of the country, often times, extreme Winter preparation is needed to protect livestock, agriculture, plumbing, homes, roads and infrastructure as well as our elderly and children.

It is because of necessity that we think of these things. Those of us who live in these cold climates are accustomed to thinking in this way but not all consider every angle nor everything.

Being mindful by planning ahead and watching weather reports during winter will increase productivity, safety and preparedness.

Winter preparation at home

Where to start? Good question. Every climate will have different necessities of course. I would make a checklist of the things you can think of that are most important first. A list you can fall back on every fall to prepare your household for winter. Things that need to be done outdoors because that’s where the temperature will change of course. Things like sprinkler systems or making sure the wood pile is protected from precipitation. Then secondary items like the home inspection type etc..

Stock up on food supplies like canned and dry goods if you don’t already have a food storage and always have a spare/extra bag of pet food for your furry family members.

Give a double check on your home, insulation, furnace, windows, openings, plumbing etc… Make sure your windows and doors have no drafts, this could lead to unnecessary power consumption or loss of heat in your home. Get any outdoor exposed plumbing insulated and covered. The water freezing could cause the pipes to burst. You don’t want to replace piping in the winter time. Trust me.

Tie up any loose ends around the house like putting the leaves from the front lawn in the composter or rolling up and storing all your garden hoses if needed.

Another idea I feel is fairly important personally is to spray the outside and openings of your home twice with an insect blocker to keep spiders and other intruders out. They will most certainly want to move in before the weather turns cold so get to this in the late summer and maybe mid fall.

Give everything a once over. The little things can become a time consuming nuisance if not thought of.

Ranchers and farmers have quite the task before them when it comes to prepping for the winter months. Mending fences and fixing feeders or water troughs are things to be done so that they are not needing fixing in the middle of the cold months.

Power outage mindfulness

Outages can come both during a storm and when there is no weather occurring. The weight of snow can fall power lines and poles and while on the flip side too much power consumption in any given area during a severe freeze can over load the grid causing a blackout. Following a Winter storm prep checklist is going to help you make it through am extended severe storm emergency.

In these cases, make it a point to have a backup power source like a battery storage or even a generator. The food in your fridge will want to go bad. The cold will creep into your home. If you run it for even a few hours you could warm a room in your home, wash laundry, charge phones or laptops and keep food cold in your freezer or fridge. Solar power would be good backup but even more so if you have a battery storage system.

Every prepared family in colder climates have extra blankets and batteries at the very least.

Concern for Elderly, Children and even yourself

Looking out for each other during harsh times and checking up on our elderly family, neighbors and friends is one of the most charitable things we as humans, could do. Being thoughtful could just save someone’s life or help them to be a little more comfortable. One never knows what someone else’s plight might be unless we make the effort to help.

Be educated and know what to do in emergencies. Have a knowledge of some first aid procedures and how to treat frostbite as well as hypothermia. Read up on what other people do in these situations as well as what they might do to be prepared, so that you and your family also, can be prepared.

I hope this has been helpful and informational. If you have any comments, questions or input please do so in the box below.

Thx

Save energy during winter

Farmers Almanac winter prep

November 30, 2022November 30, 2022

Seed banks and seed storages

Collecting seeds is a good hobby. It is even a preparedness skill. Saving for a garden in the near future or saving for hard times to come. Whichever your purpose for saving seeds might be it is a good idea to read up on the storability of each and know what you are doing. Planting a bunk seed is always disappointing. I’ve done it a few times and learned the hard way that seeds only keep for so long and that most have a germination process. From corn to melons to tomatoes, each seed is unique in size and shape. Here are some basics to Seed banks and seed storages.

Storing in your Seed bank

Most seeds may be kept in a plastic Ziploc or similar, however there are some seeds which do require a paper bag or something neutral that will let it breathe. You don’t want your seeds to get moldy. Seeds that are store bought are usually in a paper type of pouch or packaging.

Personally my wife and I keep ours in a shoe box, in bags all labeled because we get a lot of ours from the fruits and veggies we eat. I probably don’t have to explain that one to you. It’s fairly simple. Every spring we go through them all and throw away the shriveled and bad ones and every couple years we start certain seed collections completely over. Be observant and check them out a couple times a year, they are definitely not like food and won’t spoil in the same way.

We have planted bunk seeds quite a few times and we still don’t have it down perfect but we do our best. Persistence and observance is the key. Also, if you buy your gardening seeds that produce foods from a store the package should have full details on what you are planting as well as care for it.

Professional or commercial seed banks store seeds to preserve genetic diversity; hence it is a type of gene bank. Of the many reasons to store seeds, one is to preserve the genes that plant breeders need to increase yield, disease resistance, drought tolerance, nutritional quality, taste, etc. Another is to forestall the loss of genetic diversity in rare or imperiled plant species in an effort to conserve biodiversity.

Many plants that were used centuries ago by humans are used less frequently now and seed banks offer a way to preserve that historical and cultural value.

Location and conditions

Really, seeds prefer a cool dry room or closet to be stored in. A cold storage or concrete room would be the usual suspect and that is where we keep ours, along with most of our canned and dry food storage.

Other kinds of foods have to be seeded by root. Collecting roots and storing them in the proper place is semi crucial too. A root cellar needs to be cool, dark and slightly damp to help keep roots good. Proper packing material for the type of roots stored need observance. For instance, Potato storage containers can range from cardboard boxes to special baskets made of burlap.

Knowing what to plant when…

Most seeds can be planted in the spring but some seeds are picky. Some seeds grow foods that are biennials like cabbage or onions which only seed on the second year. Some have depth requirements such as carrots or beets at a quarter inch compared to spaghetti squash and zucchini at an inch.

The best time to plant all plats is during what’s called a ‘dormant season’. In North America, this is usually late fall through early spring. While it is OK to plant during the rest of the year, It will take a lot more attention and maintenance such as fertilizer and water.

Foods such as zucchini will produce almost all season long while others will take time to grow such as some melons, peppers and Tomatoes producing later in the summer or fall. Most seeds have a specific germination process and others can be varied slightly, so make sure they’re stored properly to get the best results.

Heirloom seeds

Heirloom seeds are seeds that have around a 50-year open pollination. Meaning that they have been growing and reproducing with very little or no human intervention. These seeds are always non GMO and have been growing along a genealogy of the same plant-to-seed line.

Regular store bought seeds, known as hybrid seeds, are usually produced in a greenhouse setting that is specifically designed to harvest seeds.

Heirloom seed vault from My Patriot Supply can help you get a head start on the right seeds you will need and want to start your garden or store away.

Germination prep

The exposure to cold, damp conditions is called seed stratification. It is a process of pre treating seeds in order to simulate natural conditions that a seed would experience in the soil over winter time. There are 2 types of stratification; dry and moist.

Most seeds will need this mock freeze to imitate winter in order to stimulate a germination process. You can put them in the fridge for a week or two to imitate this process before planting in soil. Some seeds require more time than that. You can usually tell which seeds need that cold period before planting because they will have a hard, bony coats that are impervious to water.

Protecting and valuing your seed vault

Having a seed storage of your own gives the sense of self-sufficiency and self-reliance. Knowing how and being able to put those seeds to use growing your own food is an even greater feeling.

Storing for seasonal or yearly use requires maintenance and a little work but pays off in the money you will save and health benefits received from eating garden fresh.

Storing for when and if SHTF? You will definitely be one who has a fighting chance if you are as prepared as you can be and seed storage will help you do just that.

I hope this article was helpful and informative in explaining some basics of seed banks and I hope to help make everyone self-reliant and as prepared as possible.

If you have any questions, comments or input please feel free to comment in the section below.

December 27, 2021December 27, 2021

Your home made composter

Not a lot of people make their own soil anymore. It seems to be a lost art becoming more scarce in these the days of technology and convenience. Your home made composter will help you to bring that lost art to your backyard.

To make a composter at home you must figure out a few things so to incorporate them into the design. First, figure out in what quantities you will need or want to make compost in and factor the size into your design. Second, whether you want to have a spinner, standing composter or open pile based on what would be easier for you or what you think will work best. Third is location: where you will station your composter for the process.

Needed materials for Your home made composter

The material you will be using will depend on how strong you want to make it and what capacity is desired. Take into consideration where it will be located because of oxidation of metals or deterioration and breakdown of wood and other materials.

For a spinning chamber, something like a round bar or wood/ metal pole would be ideal. Most people would use blue plastic drums for their spinning chamber but it’s totally up to you. A metal drum with a thick plastic liner would be sufficient for the purpose. Some people use cinder blocks and do an open pit. Do thorough consideration of all parts you will need and make a list if needed.

Objective of Your home made composter

The objective of your home composter is to be able create good, healthy soil on your own, seasonally. Add it to your garden on a yearly or seasonal basis to support the health of your garden. By using household scraps you are not only cutting back on waste but now you are on your way to true sustainability and self-sufficiency! Be aware though, that there are certain things that do not belong in a compost mixture.

Your composter can help you cut back on waste and produce good soil for lawn, garden, potting and more! It is also a good skill to have should you ever need it.

My how-to composting guide will help you to understand the composting process and get the best results from your home made composter.

My Guide

This, being a general guide to building a home composter, will give guidelines to use while building with your own design. Your chosen location or specific need of space will help determine your design.

Accessibility for turning is a major consideration because you will need to mix(turn) the compost mixture often. I personally have built a spinning composter with two compartments that are blue barrels. I put them on their side, cut hatch doors into them and made a handle on one end for easy spinning. It mixes itself as I spin them.

Back in ‘the old days’ compost was mixed with a pitchfork and everyone was doing it. Back in those days everyone grew their own food and stored it for consumption later in the winter. It was quite important to have good soil and have a plentiful harvest so they could survive the winter.

Build it with consideration for aeration or air flow. Air flow is necessary for the bacterial breakdown of the material into soil, Also ,build it in a way that it will withstand the elements and not oxidize and breakdown. If you’re making it of metal you can get a gloss paint or gloss spray to coat and protect your equipment. You can try to keep it covered but its not always a guarantee.

Open pit compost piles should be pretty self-explanitory as it is quite literally

open to the atmosphere. Using cinder blocks should be sufficient but you can also use rock, wood or just about anything similar to contain it. Be sure to turn or mix it once or twice a week!

Have fun with composting

Nowadays it is not such a necessity to compost your own soil to support a garden or healthy harvest, so its easier to have fun with it. Experiment a little because various climates make the composting process vary.

Most of all I think we should be proud of composting because of the reduction of waste and self-sufficiency we are creating for ourselves. It truly is a great craft and skill to have.

Thank you for reading! I hope you found this article helpful, interesting or informative and please share it! If you have any questions, comments or input please feel free to do so in the box below.

Category: self-sufficiency