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Homesteading OT

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This is a poor substitute for Dawn's homesteading reports from France. She's having issues breathing in her area from smoky air. My Alabama homestead has provided me years of enjoyment, and I'm hoping to get another decade or so. It really is just a step away from being a home keeper.
homesteading is “any dwelling with land and buildings where a family makes its home.” That may have been the original definition, but nowadays, it mostly refers to self-sufficiency. https://morningchores.com/homesteading/

Let's look at a few homesteading resources today for those with an interest...

https://www.homestead.org/ has lots of how to articles. Here's one that is appropriate this time of year - decorating with nature
https://www.homestead.org/lifestyle/hobbies-crafts/decorating-with-mothe...

Here's some good advice.

First off realize that you can start right now, where you are, even without a big piece of land. Homesteading is a journey not a checklist and most people need time to work up to a larger homestead. So start small where you are today...

https://thetinylife.com/homesteading/

Homesteading Skills Every Homesteader Should Know
https://homesteading.com/homesteading-skills-every-homesteader-should-know/
In this article:

Food Preparation Skills
Homemaking Skills
Gardening Skills
Animal And Livestock Raising
Survival Skills
Other Self-Sufficient Living Skills

From my perspective, self sufficiency is satisfying and fulfilling.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/out-the-darkness/201303/self-suf...

Self-sufficiency is the quality of feeling secure and content with oneself, a deep-rooted sense of inner completeness and stability. On a superficial level, it’s similar to secure self-esteem — it’s an estimation of oneself as a worthy and decent person. But it goes deeper than secure self-esteem, in that it’s not just a cognitive but also an affective state — that is, it’s a feeling of fundamental wholeness and well-being.

My path began with the Whole Earth Catalog and The Mother Earth News. But the bottom line is you just have to jump in and start some sort of project from container gardening to making a compost bin. We all have our own calling, but the homesteading lifestyle has enriched my life.

So I'm stopping there to post this open thread where you all can share what's on your mind. I'll be in and out during the day and will check back. Have a lovely day!

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QMS's picture

Very true. Self reliance is a warm fuzzy.
Grab the bull by the horns and guide 'em
to greener pastures.

Thanks Lookout!
Hope Dawn gets better soon.

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9 users have voted.

Zionism is a social disease

Lookout's picture

@QMS

getting a final load of manure for fruit trees and bushes. Always something to keep you busy.

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8 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

Lookout and QMS for all the content over the last several days. It's been busy for me here and I check in less frequently lately. I appreciate your input though and grab a moment now and again to see whats up. Smile

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5 users have voted.
Lookout's picture

@randtntx

Come by when you can!

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6 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

to a longer healthier life.

Even if that life happens on the 20th floor of a building in Manhattan.

Self sufficiency means to me that I can get through any short term disturbance of my life unassisted and reasonably serene. Prepared. Stocked up. Calm.

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7 users have voted.

NYCVG

Lookout's picture

@NYCVG

Prepared. Stocked up. Calm.

It is headed into the 70's today and tomorrow. Hard to believe it's December.

Hope you're having a good one!

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9 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

@Lookout @Lookout Whoever wrote that would be amazed by NYC 2021.

My nearby public school still has two pink roses clinging to the branches.

High 50's today.

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3 users have voted.

NYCVG

QMS's picture

@NYCVG

Sounds like you have figured out the key.

Prepared. Stocked up. Calm.

Quality of life as we are living is most important.

Cheers!

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6 users have voted.

Zionism is a social disease

QMS's picture

on the veggie beds today.

Then till and cover with mulched leaves for the winter.

Any recommendations?

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3 users have voted.

Zionism is a social disease

Dawn's Meta's picture

I'm breathing a bit better, but it's not easy. Open windows on a cold day in the bedroom, breathing fresher air. I study wind direction and pollution sources to see if I can get fresh air. It does work. If I had enough time to really heal, the air isn't that bad. Just too sensitive for now.

Going to an alternative health person tomorrow. Wish me luck. French people put a lot of stock in unhealthy thinking. Really need help boosting my resilience to fairly normal air problems. I need to tone down over-reactive immune responses. My spirit, attitude and thinking are alright as far as I can tell. Just need help with calming my system down and stopping the vertigo I get from exposure to an unseen gas probably still from anaerobic septic buried on our terrace.

Heck yesterday I was splitting wood. I love that kind of thing. So satisfying.

Wish we could have the new aerobic small multichamber septics which are going in all over France. But 17,000€ to 22,000€ to replace and install. They are beautiful systems, but oh woe, too much money. The output is water so clean it can be used on the garden. Our layout would be perfect for it.

An aerobic septic system also called an aerobic treatment system (ATS), is a small wastewater treatment technique that uses an aerobic method to digest sewages. The working of an aerobic septic system is like a septic tank system, but the aerobic septic system uses an aerobic procedure instead of the anaerobic procedure.

Otherwise known as Microstations d'epuration, they are mini treatment plants scaled to one dwelling or a small neighborhood.

On another topic: I need some help understanding how C99 site works. I don't know how a reader can see edits that have been made to a comment. How does one see the edits?

I've been making lists, which I update every time I see another Ivermectin or other side, lockdown country or state. Hoping to have a somewhat comprehensive list. I sometimes update four or five times from another thread where people are discussing how various countries are doing. I'm also starting to capture sources with everyone's help.

Thanks for shedding light on the C99 edits reveal.

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3 users have voted.

A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit. Allegedly Greek, but more possibly fairly modern quote.

Consider helping by donating using the button in the upper left hand corner. Thank you.

Lookout's picture

@Dawn's Meta

...unless they are noted. When I add something I usually write
EDIT to add:

If you keep the recent comments going on the side bar you can kinda see edits when a comment you've seen repost.

My dream septic system involves biogas
https://www.homebiogas.com/
and urine diversion/collection
https://richearthinstitute.org/rethinking-urine/urine-diversion/

Urine plus wood ash (collected from a wood stove) produced as well, yet with the added benefit of reducing the acidity of the soil. The wood ash also adds extra potassium which encourages more fruit. The study shows that urine can be used as a substitute for chemical fertilizers “without posing any microbial or chemical risks.”*

The urine fertilized plants had a surprising increase in protein content- 35−37% higher protein compared to mineral and ash fertilized.* And more good news was that the study’s panel of 20 taste tasters found no taste difference between mineral or urine fertilized tomatoes.* Similar performance results have been found with cabbage, celery, corn, cucumber, eggplant, leafy greens, onions, radishes, spinach, citrus, melons, barley and wheat (better list below).

https://insteading.com/blog/human-urine-fertilizer/

So glad to hear you're feeling better!

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6 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

@Lookout . We as a society do a very poor job of handling sewage. We really ought to improve, as we can hardly do worse than we do now. (I shouldn't say that though because with our infrastructure it could easily get worse.)

Will check out your links, they look good.

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3 users have voted.

@Dawn's Meta The Microstation d'epuration is intriguing. I wonder if composting toilets are in use in rural France.
They are less elegant than the above but way less expensive.

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3 users have voted.

@randtntx I ran across the composting toilet/septic system. I intend to install it in a cabin I intend to build in Colorado for my getaway from Texas summers. Looks like it will cost under $2,000.
Seems a great idea!

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2 users have voted.

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

@on the cusp , that is only seasonally occupied (as opposed to year-round) a composting system seems like a good idea.

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QMS's picture

@randtntx

Makes sense. No need to winterize the system in the cold months.
A simple air vent which can be capped off when not in use.

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2 users have voted.

Zionism is a social disease

QMS's picture

@on the cusp

Several years ago I installed a composting toilet on the second floor of the addition I built. Retrofitting plumbing would have been a nightmare, plus issues with building permits, etc. The unit I ended up purchasing was a waterless, solar powered affair. Works great. Uses sphagnum moss as the composting material. Separates liquid and solid waste. Gets about 70 uses on one compost. Liquid capacity is 2.2 gallons. Compost is used in the gardens.

US made in Ohio. www.natureshead.net

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3 users have voted.

Zionism is a social disease

@QMS I just dreaded a septic system. Permit costs, for one thing, fencing for another. Cows will be all over the place, and they can do lots of damage when stepping on pipes and septic tanks.
The fact this makes human waste into something productive is just a great idea.

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2 users have voted.

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981