10/23/2022
As winter approaches and our gardens come to an end, we find ourselves busier than ever. While my husband stacks wood and I gather seeds, we are also occupied with gathering and harvesting all that we can from our garden and from the things we find in nature.
We may be limited in what we can grow and raise for meat here, but that doesn't mean that we can't make the most of what we've got.
This is more important than ever as we see grocery prices climbing along with everything else, and store shelves looking bare.
Over the course of this summer, we've taught ourselves many ways to become more self sufficient and we've never been happier.
Yes, this is hard work. Yes, it would be easier to just go to the store. Yes, it does consume a lot of time to learn how to do many of the things we do. Yes, it can be difficult to dispatch our own meat.
However....
Our hard work pays of with the comfort of knowing we won't go hungry and we've saved a lot of money. Once our knowledge has been gained, we have it forever, allowing us the freedom of not having to rely on resources that may not always be there. And any animal and plant we raise or grow here has a happy life, we know what goes into it, and we know that any living thing dispatched is done in the kindness most humane way possible.
Some of the things we've learned this year on top of our previous skills:
Wild mushroom foraging
Pressure canning
Making jerky
Making acorn flour
Raising meat rabbits, turkeys, and chickens
Dressing out deer, rabbits, and poultry
Hide tanning
Making dog food and treats
Seed preservation
Maple syrup
Making beer, wine, and cider
Wild nut and plant foraging
And growing a garden that can produce a variety of plants and herbs from April to December
Again it's hard work, and I'd love nothing more than to be able to share this knowledge with others so everyone that is willing to put in the effort could enjoy all the things we do. I hope you all have had a happy and productive season!
