Communities seeking to grow 100% of their own food

Discussion
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21

Hi Maxeem, I am doing what you are looking for, growing most of my own food, by myself, I might add. Yeah, I’d like to find some co-conspirators, too!

I am into growing herbs and getting as much as I can from Mother Nature. But let me mention one thing about being a ‘hunter’. Years ago, when I got out of college my husband and I moved to south Arkansas for his job. We had an elderly neighbor who lived thru the Depression, and he said EVERYBODY hunted and things got to the point afterwards that if someone found a deer footprint, people would come from miles around to see it. IOW, in a SHTF situation, being a ‘hunter’ might be impossible in a short time. I like to think that now people understand that if the breeding females are killed for food, that will be the end of the species. But hunger is a powerful motivator.

so, for growing my own food I have livestock, large livestock. I know rabbits are a thing with small homesteaders, but darn, you only get one meal when you butcher one. A steer or a pig…a year’s worth of meat. I let someone with the right facilities do it right! I also have a milk cow…love that butter, ice cream, yogurt, cheese, etc!

As for veggies, I grow whatever I can grow. My mantra is: grow what you eat, eat what you grow! It’s work but what is better than growing your own Roundup free food and being healthy?? And yeah, I preserve in several ways.

I do buy stuff from the stores but most stuff I can do without…chocolate, coffee, etc. Flour would be a hard thing to do without but there are some ‘substitutes’. This next growing season I want to grow more chicken food. The non-GMO stuff has really gotten expensive.

Maxeem, did you live at East Wind? I actually live about 30 miles north of there.

I am looking for a few good people to join me. I am not getting any younger and want all the effort I have made here to continue as a local food producing place…just in case. I have had some folks here to meet and greet, and I have a whole slew of stories about the lack of work ethic and the lack of understanding about what we are doing to the earth and the changes we need to make. Yes, I am into permaculture: grow food and build community!! I also thought that if the place is PC based, and people understand and take it to heart, there shouldn’t be all those issues of ‘underachievers’ that cause problems in communities.

If anyone is interested, message me!

Lisa

22

I love this!
We are not a community (yet) but here on our urban permaculture “homestead”, we are practicing to get to this point. I have found that it is super important to get the basics of gardening knowledge down pat. I had a lot of trouble finding really in depth information for permaculture gardening that went way beyond organic in pest and “weed” control and soil amendments.
I found this amazing master gardener course that utilizes all natural ways to gain and maintain amazing soil health. It really focuses on relationships and systems and connecting with nature to work with it. It’s veganic and follows a lot of Masanobu Fukuoka’s (I may have spelled that wrong >.<) philosophies and practices. I just think it is really worth checking out.

Here is an excerpt from the course on Soil moisture - but there is so much more!

[Garden Master Course: Soil Moisture, Humidity, and Irrigation - YouTube]

I’d love to start a conversation with folks who are interested in trying to accomplish similar goals in their food production. I like the idea of trading ideas and inspirations.

23

Hi Maxeem,
We are in the California Mojave and working on accomplishing close to 100% food self reliance. We are going to build Hugelculture all through the property running in line with the direction of the flood water runs, and maintain one around the property to control water entry when it floods. These berms and swales would give room to a lush food forest, which is a proven concept not only by Geoff Lawton’s project in Jordan, but also here locally. Also we have developed a stepped underground greenhouse concept that is self heating and cooling and uses secondary and tertiary gray water and water recapture systems. What we lack at the moment is the right crew to implement all that. If the project proves successful in the next 12 month, the owners are committed to give the land away (for no money) to the people who will have proven to be able to run it. Check it out here: https://tranqvillium.org, Let me know if you have any questions.

24

This is an old thread, but I’ve just come back to the FIC website after a long break while we were busy learning how to live this homestead way of life!

I wanted to respond to this thread because of some new discoveries. We intended to grow our own food, but after so many roadblocks, mostly weather and deer or pest-related, we pretty much gave up. At the same time, I was dealing with a variety of health issues. Two months ago, I finally gave in and started carnivore diet. It took me three days to 1) feel better after 4 years of debilitating pain and 2) realize that with this new way of eating, we are just about 80-90% self-sufficient. We raise our own chickens, rabbits, turkeys, sheep and goats for meat, animal products and dairy products, which is what my diet now consists of! The next step is to be able to grow food for the animals so that we can be 100% self sufficient. This is so exciting! It is our hope to not have to step into another market or grocery store again!

We are also back to searching for others that want to live a similar lifestyle. We are WWOOF hosts and just had an awesome experience with some WWOOF’ers. When we first started looking to live off-grid four years ago, we thought we would join an existing community but we ended up going solo and learning things from scratch. What a wild ride it has been!

Take care!

25

I JUST “deactivated” or “unsubscribed” from Permies. partly because of what you point out, as well as their policies of moderating the discourse. I don’t agree to having my posts removed because they “break the rules”, and not being told what rule(s) I broke. The one that “triggered” me was not “out of line” and it was more like someone behind the scenes had it out for me. Not cool.

27

We tend to forget that we can grow natural pesticides with our foods & however else adorning plants; citris, carnivorous, plant/place rotting cedars for fertilizers & exoskeletal creature detourants, mints, & etc… We’re manipulated & decepted to utilize failing sythetics (noth excluding fertilizer), & wonder what’s wrong with our plants &/or our interactions with - or why our usuals are [suddenly] failing (plants hath souls too).
There’s a brand I’ve recently found (had a small compost in mine last dwelling & several sweetpeas sprouting from a lain gallon jug; circumstances hindered watching them bloom…) that I observed to be diverse about their recipes. Attempted apple trees, sunflowers, mint, & a few others. Soon enoungh to see them bloom. I also had an array of fans to at least simulate wind for them; plans for assisted [cross] pollenation. In a dwelling noth a sagacious area for area spreading plants hinders interest for their company.
We also tend to forget what extreme survivors (rather than extremeophiles (philes being lovers)) can handle at what ph step/level. Other creatures tend to be able to handle extreme changes/environments, yet plants seem to need graduals… Natives/Tribes & Asians continue to exercise in these practices (fertilizers, composts, mixed sowings with[out] crop rotations, etc…); yet, just like our nutrition, we’re manupulated to think noth benefits & be controlled how to sow, maintain, harvest, & etc… What if winter grows grew year round indoors? What if, as in warmer environments, plants dormant Fall/Winter grew year round indoors? 'Maters hath been grown in hanging planters/pots durring the winter on porches. As gourds tend to grow fast & extensively, planning needeth be sagacious; as other grow timings. I saw in a series (or read) of a gardener using human hair as a detourant because the deer loved their sowings as much as they. I believe they used sachets & spread about at least the border.
With grafting, there are also plans for plant integration; having a spicy plant consume a spicer plant (or reverse) to form a much spicier fruit.:drooling_face::green_heart: Maybe coming up with a spicy unintended fruit…:thinking::drooling_face:
Also learning what acidic environments (spicy chilli powder mixed with the grow conglomeration) are for which compost/sown species - without being intentionally disrespectful/malice.:love_you_gesture:

29

Fore I got evicted whence mine last apartment, I had a small compost in a cat litter box (currently sitting in storage, decomposers and eggs (likley dead). I bought about 250 european nightcrawlers from SpeedyWorm; they hath other decompsers & I believe them to be worth the price ($21/250). By the time I was evicted, betwixt mine compost & more than a dozen planters, there were likely another 200+ eggs.
Whilst the ground might be thawing for any of us, I recommend (for those of us planning outdoor gardening/farming) using kiddy/kiddie pools (check for leaks fore initial use & doth your best sagacious placement) to contain any portions of your compost piles - it could be a winter compost whilst any outdoor compost experiences the needed freezings. If noth want beetles about the room stored, might want to avoid the mealworms & other such metamorphosizing creatures. The kiddy pools likely last longer than the cat litter boxes, yet are still vulnerable to punctures. As obvious; having a compost, with multiple decompser species, helps breakdown any nonsynthetic nigh quickly. Adds commumity & companions to your environmnet. Hopefully of inspiration. God[s] bless/speed!!:love_you_gesture:

30

Here’s a small list of natural pesticides (noth licenses needeth, including mixing own fluid versions). References being of own desired verifications; please also keep in mine these might be poisonous, yet attractive, to any number of your/yiz’ companions. [Hoewver obvious;] machine harvesting would be able.to miss the smaller plants without having to remove them fore. Many [[un]listed] would help bring us back from food shortages/crisies.

Lavender
Basil
Marigold
Mints
Petunia
Rosemary
Lemongrass
Geraniums
Chrysanthemum
Garlic
Dill
Chines
Sage
Onion
Calendula
Borage
Thyme
Citronella
Nasturtium

31

These are not “pesticides”. The herbs and plants mentioned are insect deterrents. Bugs don’t like them, bugs stay away.

32

Many of these are actually neurotoxins (referencing own verifiers again); starvation inducers, or meal diversions. Many of these, & unlisted others, are deterrents rather than 'cides. If your response is a setup/test/trap, it’s illegal - as I trust many of us knoweth these plants are pesticides & more than just derterrents. If they’re neurotoxins to insects, in larger quantities, they’re likely neurotoxins to other pests (such as (many consider) strays; large quantities of rosemary is poisonous to four legged creatures, noth smaller quantities). Somehow I trust yi[z] knew contrary to your [illegal] challenge. God[s] bless/speed!!:love_you_gesture:

33

Please do try to get some help for whatever it is chasing you.

34

Please doth your best to reflect better respect & integrity. Noth thebauthoritybto setup/test (outside an actual educational environment)/trap any; it’s illegal & toxic. Teaching & asking questions are healthier & improves in multiple directions, especially for those of us whom think in/of wider spectrums. Your reply also at least borderlines HIPAA violations & discriminations/profiling (also illegal). You’ll needeth (hopefully hath) crewmwnt for such help/assistances. God[s] bless/speed!!:love_you_gesture: