History of the Suburban Transformation

It is really important that we understand the history and the obstacles that are found within the suburban society. Understanding the landscape and the resources found on ones property is essential to the development of the backyard homestead, sufficiency and design. By learning how to sidestep those obstacles we can better grasp the opportunities that come with our land.

1950's - Descriptions of the Suburbs

• The post world war two start of the suburbs
• Small pieces of property
• Single income American families
• Domestic frugality and house proud people
• The lawn was the symbol of luxury and a sign of leisure and relaxation
• One family car
• Cheap oil and lumber
• small gardens and the presence of chickens
• Community involvement and high religious density
• High density living to area of housing available. 

1960's and 1970's 

• Rising affluence and home additions
• Cars became more available and popular as a status of class
• The integration of city sewer systems
• Population per available housing declines, meaning more home for less people
• Increase crime
• Unproductive capital investment - Less people per square foot of home
• Speculative land values
• Decrease interest in backyard gardens and chickens
• Decline of household production (canning, sewing and self reliance)
• Dual occupancy and duplexes

1980's and 1990's

• Lifestyle changes
• more vacations and a mobile lifestyle
• making the cities full of people keeping their homes under lock and key really suggesting that the cities are not full of people at all, rather full of stuff.
• Renovation obsession with continued home additions
• Creation of country living or the super suburb - move towards low maintenance landscape
• Better energy efficiency
• Improved public transport
• Urban green space water sensitive urban design
• Debt expectations are justified to consumer addictions
• Heirloom seed varieties down by 93%
• Lawn care is now a chore instead of a symbol of relaxation and sophistication.

2000's and 2010's

• Larger separation between food production and food consumption
• Inflated home values and continued renovation and additions
• Two income families "Families is used sparingly"
• Cohabitation and declining birth rates
• Religious standards are tolerated and have less influence
• Broad information availability and addictions
• More renters and higher density per house available
• High speed travel and technology advancements along with work from home possibilities
• Energy conservation and initiatives

After researching American history and reviewing the findings. I believe there to be a few critical opportunities that we can take advantage of. One being, pay off your mortgage. Second, rebuild the household and community economies. Third, learn the ways of self-reliance that were found in the 1950's. Fourth, creatively work around regulatory impediments. Stay within the law, but realize that all government regulators can do is check boxes established by elected officials. Fifth, Learn to apologize to those regulators and recognize the very important job they do for society:)

Credit and inspiration for this article goes to: David Holmgren on a public speaking tour of Australian cities.

Silent war on Heirloom seeds!

Facts on the Subject:

• In 1903 we had 544 known varieties of Cabbage, now we have 28 varieties remaining
• 93 percent of heirloom seed varieties have gone extinct
• Loss of 75% of cultivated agricultural biodiversity since 1900

Why is this important?

Without a bio diversification of seeds we will see more of a mono cultural experience as a whole. Without the presence of so many different varieties of seed we are at risk of food extremes heavily based on pesticides and other unnatural varieties of food. Not to mention the risk of plague like pests

When we have large differences between varieties of seeds we can more easily fight disease and pest.

The reason for the mass decrease in seed varieties is the monopolization of gmo seeds by large world corporations. It all comes down to money, power and influence. If one company is allowed to patent a genetically modified seed and thus disallow like seeds to be sold in the market because of similarities found in the seeds "Right to operate". We essentially see smaller seed producing companies close their doors because they no longer have the right to operate. In short, the seeds produced by the little company are to similar to the patented seeds produced by the bigger company.

In contradiction to belief, the big companies producing the GMO seeds will claim that there is more seed varieties available in the market than before. 

One example: "When GM Roundup ready sugar beets were introduced in 2005, the sugar beet processors decided to convert the entire US production to GMO" Non-GmoReport.com

The really sad thing we find is the limited availability of organic seed for organic farming. It would not surprise me if most farmers became scared of using organic heirloom seeds just because of the threat of GMO contamination. This is the reason small backyard food producing families must continue to use organic seeds and harvesting those seeds for new crops to reduce the risk of seed extinction. If the seeds go! We all go!

Links to the data sources below:

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com
http://www.fastcodesign.com
http://eu.ifoam.org
http://www.naturalnews.com/043166_seed_diversity_agriculture_heirloom_plants.html
Non-GmoReport.com

Planting seeds is EASY...

My plants are doing great. I've been really happy with their progress. They are 8 days old.

Here are some tips to planting seeds:

1. Plant one seed per bucket. Don't plant a few because you think it is better the weed them out later. Using the coco fiber method your seeds will all germinate. Weeding the good baby plants makes you feel like you're wasting those seeds.
2. Keep trays in a warm, moist area.
3. Cover you tray with plastic wrap to keep up the humidity. Take the plastic wrap off after they begin to sprout.

Enjoy the pics below

Cucumber Plants:

Roma Tomatoes:

Farmstead Efficiency - Big Agg is not Sustainable

When you have systems that can scale up and down being cost neutral than you have a system of truth in any marketplace, meaning, you have caught onto a system that doesn't need a disproportionate amount of inputs to receive consistent outputs or in the case of farming, machines, pesticides and genetically engineered seeds to participate in order to be successful.

The major difference between backyard farming and mono-cultures is the ability to heal the land. Big mono-cultural operations specializing in a few crops that are addicted to genetically modified everything. From apple orchards to chicken farms. Did you know that the average apple you purchase from the store has 48 different types of pesticides on it, even after washing the apples? Mmmm Yum!

Don’t believe me. Check the link below for the article from Forbes:

How Many Pesticides on Every Apple

Breaking the dependency on all these additives is essential to real sustainability and land healing. Monopolistic agriculture was brought about for good purposes in feeding the world. The problem is that these operations can only scale up to become more efficient and when they don’t scale up then they lose competitive advantages and go out of business. Essentially, suggesting that there are only a few big players at the top of the industry. They can’t scale down and be just as efficient. This is proof in itself that this type of agricultural engagement is not sustainable or is built on a system of truth and inter-dependency with nature.

I don’t want to sound like a hippie, but poly cultures and mimicking the way nature grows, heals, and value ads is the best, most efficient method of self perpetuation.

I read somewhere this week that “before you can construct something you must first deconstruct something”.

The only real way of sustainability is found in local, Small to medium business, and community dependency.

First Tulips of the Season

A few days ago we saw our first tulips coming up.

We planted 24 dozen last fall!

Did you know? That tulip bulbs are edible and that you can eat them, but be careful, some people get really sick eating the bulb and may have to go to the hospital. I quoted eattheweeds.com below for your benefit.

"Tulip bulbs are a famine food, and they must be prepared correctly, that is the centers must be removed. Fortunately tulip petals are more edible. The petals can be eaten raw or cooked but loose much of their color when cooked. They can have many flavors: Bland, beans, peas, and cucumbers. Pink, peach and white blossoms are the sweetest, red and yellow the most flavorful. While you can use them to garnish salads their more common use is to hold appetizers or dip. If you use the entire blossom cut off the pistil and stamens from the center of the blossom. The ends of the petals can also be bitter so cut them off as well when used individually." http://www.eattheweeds.com/tulips-famine-food-appetizer-assistant-2/

The First Step of Financially Preparedness is...

When the market and economy collapse you don’t want to get kicked out of your home by the mortgage company. People will often tell you, if you have a mortgage payment of 3% and you can get an 8% return in the market than don’t pay off your mortgage.

Any financial advisor will do the math and tell you, you will make 5% more on your money by not paying off your mortgage and you will be losing 5% if you do pay off your mortgage. This makes total, complete, and economic sense on paper but in real life you could be digging your grave early. The first and best thing to do is to retire your debt.

There are so many things you can’t control. Investing your money is good, but when you are hoping for the best and preparing for the worst you need to be debt free. You backyard homestead can and will be taken away if you can’t pay for it. The security of being debt free can’t be measured in dollars.

The last thing a backyard homesteader should have to stress and worry about it is:

• What the fed is going to do next?
• What’s the market going to do next?
• If inflation is coming or interest rates are changing.

Homesteading is early retirement. You still work hard and have a great time doing it. If your homestead is paid for, all you have to worry about is energy and food. But if your homestead is not paid for then you must worry about all the other garbage in the country.

Please don’t think that you have to own the land and the house before you can homestead. Still do it now, take the money you will save from growing your own food and use it towards you mortgage.

How to start seeds using coco fiber

Growing you own produce is a great way to subsidize your food bill. Being self-reliant can start with a simple garden.

I purchased the coir fiber at: http://hydro-gardens.com/growing_medias.htm#EZGro
I purchased the Organic Fertilizer at: Amazon.com

How to start seeds in coir fiber:

1. Buy some coir fiber (coconut fiber) and expand with water






2. Add Organic Fertilizer that won't burn your plants to coir fiber. 



3. Fill potting containers with coir and fertilizer mix.



4. Place seeds just below the surface of the filled containers. (Plant seeds as far down into the soil as they are thick)
5. Label the plants.



6. Spray pots with spray bottle until really moist.
7. Cover with plastic wrap (This will create a greenhouse effect to help spout the seeds).





8. Put in a warm sunny place.



9. When plants sprout then remove the plastic wrap and continue to water.

How to can Boneless Chicken Breast

Canning boneless chicken breast in a pressure canner is a great way to get the awesome deals year round. My family will price match the best deals during the year and can or freeze what we get. Essentially, we can the savings. This means we have $1.49 chicken years round instead of buying a little during the sale and a little during the rest of the year.

How much would you save if you purchased a pressure canner and jars and canned your own chicken?

Breakdown of Cost:
We purchased 108 Jars: $64.71
Pressure Canner: $142
Pounds of Chicken Breast: $108
Price Per Pound of Chicken Breast: $1.49

Total Cost to can 108 pounds of chicken: $368

Breakdown if you purchased canned chicken from the store:
Walmart Price for canned chicken per ounce: $0.219
Pounds of Chicken: 108

Total Cost of Walmart canned chicken: $378.78

Analysis Breakdown
Benefit:

• You save $11.16
•  + You get a Pressure Canner paid for with savings
•  + You get 108 jars also paid for with savings
• The savings is even more when the price of chicken goes up and you canned your prices earlier in the year.

Cutting the fat off the Chicken Breast:

Place the chicken breast in the jars:

Heat the new lids in a warm water bath:

Use a knife to release the air trapped in the jar. This will help you prevent broken jars during canning:

Clean the rims of the jars before placing the warmed lids on the jars:

This is the type of pressure canner we use:

We can chicken at 13 to 16 psi for 75 minutes:

What comes with the pressure canner:

Version 2 of the Automatic Chicken Feeder

In with the new and out with the old. My last chicken feeder began giving me problems so I built an entirely new design. Lets see how I did it:



A couple take-a-ways:

1. It doesn't have to be perfect. Do what you can with what you have. I used some left over scrap wood I found in my wood shop.
2. Just Try It. Don't be afraid to tackle something you've never done before. Who knows, you might enjoy being creative.
3. If it doesn't work, FIX IT!

How to make wheat bread from scratch

Making Wheat Bread is easier than you might think.

Watch the video below to learn how.



Recipe for Wheat Bread:

Mix:
5 cups water
2/3 cup oil
2/3 cup honey

Add:
5 cups flour

Mix

Mix these ingredients add to flour/water mixture
2 rounded Tbsp yeast
2 rounded Tbsp dough enhancer
2 rounded Tbsp wheat gluten
2 Tbsp salt

Add enough flour to mixture that it starts to really pull away from the sides. I usually do 4 cups wheat flour and 2 cups white flour.

Mix for 6 minutes.

Take dough out and knead by hand. Separate into 3 equal sections.
Spray bread pans and add dough
Let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes
Turn oven on to 350.
Cook bread for 30 minutes.
Take out of pans and rub butter on top.

** This bread freezes great. We usually leave one loaf out and freeze the other two.

275 Gallon Water Totes for Rain Harvesting Project

I purchased 4, 275 gallon water totes this last week for my rain harvesting system. That is a total of 1100 gallons I will be able to store at any given time.

I will be using the water from these totes for:

1. Gardening water
2. Emergency water storage

These Totes originally carried Agave. So I will first harvest the Agave that I can and then set up the system. I will not be cleaning out the tanks before I build the harvesting system. The Agave will give my plants a little boost of sugar.

Agave found in the tanks:

Note: Did you know that I amounts of sugar in your plants will help to prevent freeze. Interesting...

Storage Totes Stats:

• Stack up to 3 high.
• 6" diameter fill cap, 2" diameter drain
• 48 inch L x 40 inch W x 46 inch H
• 275 gallon capacity
• Empty weight = 128 pounds
• Chemical-resistant HDPE tank surrounded by a galvanized steel cage

Best Garden Tools Ever

This is our Dewit Cultivator.

I purchased both the shovel and the cultivator. Here are some reasons why I love these tools:

1. Lifetime warranty
2. Won't bend when I use them
3. Hand made from Holland
4. Made with steel
5. Is crafted for the Job.

Here is where I purchased my tools. Gardentoolcompany.com

These people have all the tools you would ever need. They are legit.

ps. I don't get any compensation for this review. I only want to pass on the best tools to help you out.

Some pics of the Cultivator:

Flower Bed Gardening

We planted 24 dozen tulips last fall and now we are starting to reap the rewards. Other than some weeding, our flower beds look great.

Food Storage is Great, but a Living Storage is Better

Procrastination is the enemy of action. Watching the news, reading the paper and even visiting with neighbors constantly reminds me to be self-reliant. In my search for self-sufficiency, I have discovered a different idea of sustainability. People believe that if they have food storage they can withstand the trials of life (unemployment…). They are right; we can prepare ourselves for those inconvenient times where we just don’t have the means.

The type of self-sufficiency that is on my mind is more of a living idea instead of a food storage (stagnant) idea.

What if we could grow our own food, not just collecting food storage but, having something that can subsidize your life in the present, not just for some future trial? What if we could better understand how to create food, how to grow it, how to cook it? We would be better off if we understood.

Build your knowledge of self-sustainability by developing the systems that can help sustain life. Not relying so much on the grocery system for survival. Why wait for the trial before you set up the process. You can do it now while the going is good, while you have employment, and while you have the ability to prepare. In time of great need, the government won’t be there for you. If a natural disaster, war or even an Solar Flare does happen, government will be to concerned about the welfare of their own families to respond to the needs of yours, and rightly so.

Here are a few projects that everyone should think about doing:

1. Water Collection System / Rain Harvesting System
2. Buy a wood burning stove "heat for your house"
3. Grow food instead of a lawn "at least in the backyard"
4. Raise egg laying chickens
5. Have a beehive
6. Have fruit and nut trees

How to treat a baby chick with diarrhea

Today I cleaned my baby chicks. They had crusted over poop on their tails to the point that they where all clogged up. This could be a gross video for some viewers.

How to build a Rocket Stove

Check out my rocket stove design in this video. Super easy instructions to help you create your own.



Benefits:

1. Cheap "if not free to build"
2. Low smoke exhaust due to high temperature burn.
3. Take minimal wood to operate. Literally cool meals with twigs.
4. This stove took me about 1 hour from start to finish, including breaks to film my progress.

Some pictures of the process: