Self Sufficient Living; Urban Homesteading, Small Scale Farming, Self Reliance

An Overview for Self Sufficient Living

Self sufficient living means learning to grow your own, make your own, sell your own and bake your own, for homesteading, urban homesteading or mini farms. Self reliance is the way forward. There is no better time to do this, especially with the presence of climate change, food safety and of course the looming Peak Oil.

Self-reliance, sustainable living and being self sufficient is not difficult for those who have the time and the will. Simply growing your own herbs on a window sill is one way in which one can be self reliant.

If you are looking for ways to be more self reliant see our page on 40 ways to self reliant living. It's time we stopped thinking of large open spaces as being a pre-requisite for self-sufficiency. We can be self-sufficient at home with

Backyard Gardening and be self sufficient, on just a fifth of an acre.

Urban Homesteading is becoming increasingly popular.

Sustainable Living is also very closely related to Green Living. And more and more people are wanting to learn more about living off the land and homesteading and how to leave behind a smaller carbon footprint. We are just custodians of this earth, and we have made quite a mess of things of late. We can all make a difference in our own way.

Self Sufficient Living with Organic Gardening, Homesteading and Living off the Land

You can practice total self sufficient living on a piece of land that is just an acre in size. These are called Mini Farms and you will be amazed at what you can do on such a modest piece of ground. So if you are just starting off with your homestead, and you cannot afford acres of land, take heart. You really don't need it!

Grow heirlooms seeds for that old-fashioned taste, and seed exchange with your friends and neighbors.

Cover Crops are discussed in detail; what to plant and how much seed per acre.

And while we are talking about growing plants on the land, companion planting is an one way to get rid of garden pests the natural way. Do you know how herbs can help health issues? No? Then you may want to explore the page Medicinal Herbs. And can you eat flowers out of your garden? Yes, some flowers are edible. See our section on Edible Flowers for details.

Growing Vegetables Organically. See information on how to grow a number of vegetables in your own backyard the healthy way. Also see our pages on fruit and vegetables:

Growing Strawberries
Growing Blueberries
Growing Gooseberries
Growing Rhubarb
Growing Garlic
Growing and Pruning Grapes
Growing Tomatoes
Planting and Pruning Fruit Trees
Growing Cotton
... These are just some of the many topics we have in this section...

Also protect your vegetables and plants by making your own organic sprays and Natural Pesticides. We also have information on Moon Planting or as some of you may know it as planting by the moon.

Enjoy self-sufficient living even if you don't have the right soil, space, live in an apartment with a small patio or balcony. Learn all about Growing Vegetables in Containers or Growing Herbs Indoors.

Liquid Fertilizer - Suggestions on what to use for liquid fertilizers in your garden and how useful stinging nettles can be.

How to Make Compost - What and what not to put into the compost heap.

Making a Compost Bin. - Materials, dimensions and plans for a 3-Bay, wooden compost bin.

See a video on how to make homemade rain barrels within 5 minutes. There is also information about collecting rain water and rainwater barrels safely for your homestead needs.

In time to come we will also teach you about hayboxes and fireless cookers, how to bale hay, how to thatch, how to clean your own chimneys and how to tan hides. Do you know how to milk a cow?These country skills and traditional skills are easy to master and are necessary for self sufficient living.

Self Sufficient Living and Farming with Livestock, Bees and Poultry

Raising Rabbits; their housing, their feeding, and their care.

Raising Ducks ; their housing, their feeding, and their care.
Raising Chickens; their housing, their feeding, and their care.
Building Chicken Coops; a far cheaper option. See our free plans.
Alpaca Farming; their housing, their feeding, and their care.
Bee Keeping; for beginners; everything you need to know to be a successful bee keeper.
Nigerian Dwarf Goats for Backyard Homesteading.
Cattle Breeds, including Dexter Cattle.
The Complete Book of Butchering, Smoking, Curing, and Sausage Making
Home Butchering Sheep, Lambs and Goats
Herbal Pasture Grass for healthy sheep and cattle

Self Sufficient Living in the Home and Homestead

Self-Sufficient Living in the Kitchen

Self sufficient living also means that you know where your food came from because you have grown it yourself. This also allows you to make perfect homemade gifts for friends and family.

You know that no preservatives have gone into your bread, your jam, pickles and preserves, your cider, wine, beer, bottled fruit or tomatoes, because you made it yourself along with your own home canning, preserving food, or even juicing vegetables at home, and leading a healthy lifestyle.

Visit our Country Recipes for quick and easy instructions on how to make bread, and making your own jams and preserves. Learn all about curing ham at home and using smokehouses.

Learn how to roast coffee beans using a popcorn popper as a coffee roaster.

When you have more fruit from the orchard than you know what to do with and you have run out of ideas for canning, jams, jellies, pickles, chutneys and freezing, why don't you think about Drying your Fruit. This can be done either in your oven or out in the sun with solar drying.

Thought about sprouting your own seeds? See our page Sprouting seeds in 6 easy steps.

7 Easy Steps to Homemade Country Wines for self-sufficient living. See our page on How to Make Wine and wine making instructions, tips and recipes.

Self Sufficient Living and Homemade Cosmetics

For those of you who want to make your own cosmetics see our page on Homemade Cosmetics. Not only do we give you step-by-step instructions, but we also give you a number of recipes to use.

Self Sufficient Living and Household Cleaning Tips

Self reliance also gives you skills you didn't have before and the knowledge that you are able to not only help yourself, but to help others who may not be so well versed in such skills. For those of you who are looking for some helpful hints and household tips in both your kitchen and your household, look no further.

Self Sufficient Living for your Pets

And don't forget your pets! Make Homemade Dog Food and find homemade dog biscuit recipes.

Self Sufficient Living in Being Frugal

In times of economic uncertainty one needs to be as self-sufficient as one can to be able to save money. Thus for those who are interested in frugal living, this section will also be of interest to you.

Which brings me to my next burning issue. As well are rising fuel costs, how many of you are also shocked and dismayed about your rising electricity bills? Well, you are not alone, but that is small comfort when money is tight. However, you can reduce your electricity bills by as much as 80%, yes, that's right. And if you are wondering how, you can find the details here. Reduce your electricity bills! For more information on this topic and others related to green living see our section on Living Off-Grid.

Sustainable Living Resources

If you are looking for material to download on beekeeping, keeping chickens and poultry, building greenhouses or chicken coops, raising guinea fowl, country recipes, herbal remedies or hydroponic gardening, then you will be interested in exploring Self Sufficient Living.

Enjoy Simple Living gets to the heart of simple living. From voluntary simplicity and self sufficient living to home organization, money management tips, and more! Leave the chaos behind and live refreshingly natural.

Finally, if you are looking for more information on how to be self-sufficient, how to make cheese, candles, soap, grow vegetables, learn about organic gardening, livestock, poultry, being frugal, or just homesteading in general, then visit our Country Store. Here you will not only find books and free magazines on these subjects, but you will also be able to find kits and supplies for farming, gardening, camping and outdoor living, children's farming games, clothing, cross stitch and quilting, patchwork, country decor, and country gourmet food.

Have a look at this video of an amazing family in suburban California who manage to be self-sufficient on one fifth of an acre!

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