New to homesteading, self sufficiency and skill building.

I am new to homesteading and self sufficiency.  I got into it through The Survival Podcast, which is an internet based radio show. Jack Spirko is the host, he talks about "living a better life, if times get tough, or even if they don't."  As I listened to him I realized that if I lost my systems of support (i.e. the grocery store, the gas station, my job, the power company, or any of their systems of support.) I would not be able to take care of myself let alone my family.  That scared me.

As I started my journey into self sufficiency, I realized it was going to be a long one.  I started plugging holes right away like backup emergency power.  I bought a Group 29 deep cycle battery and used a microprocessor controlled battery charger to charge and maintain it.  That allows me to keep cell phones and rechargeable AA batteries charged for emergency light and emergency communication.  I started filling soda bottles for backup water, and also made my blackout kit.

I like water features and I could never justifying spending money to put a pond in.  I then saw a TV show where a prepper was using a pool as a tilapia pond.  I figured that is useful, not just water that looks nice.  Jack,  talked about how to build a pond naturally using bentonite.  I walked out into my backyard marked the shape of the pond that I wanted to build and started digging.   I checked around and could not find bentonite.  I talked to some landscapers and they suggested sand clay.  I got about 4 cubic yards of it and layed about 4 inches thick.

   After tamping around the pond, I attempted to fill it.  It took a long time. I think it was a full day and a half.  At that point I knew something was wrong.  I turned off the water and it took a half a day to drain.  I was bummed.  While tamping I got tennis elbow from the repettitive movement.  My friends told me I should have brought in heavy equipment to do this but i wanted to do it myself.  I now know I can dig a pond by myself but tamping the clay is not something I should do by hand.


I also ordered a backyard orchard from Raintree Nursery.  I got 2 apple, 2 pear, one nectarine and  2 cherry trees.  I think I may have planted then too close together but they have only been in the ground a year.  Ill call the nursery and ask how close can i plant them. I wanted to create a living edible fence.  I figure the bottom of the canopy will be around 5 feet and I planted some blueberries rasberries blackberries to fill in from the ground to the bottom of the canopy.  Along my fence I planted grape vines.  Three types, red seedless white seedless and concord.

My annual crops didn't do to well.  We had a lot of rain this spring and I was told that my corn tassled to early as seen in the first photo on this post.  I planted tomatoes and cucumbers to late and we got 1 tomato and 1 cucumber.  The only thing I am concerned about is teaching my son that food does not grow in grocery stores.  He loved helping me with digging the pond, tamping, planting and harvesting.

I got a good start.  I think a part of homesteading and self sufficiency is also knowing your limits.  I'm still learning mine.  Hopefully I can learn quickly.  Because my elbow is killing me.

See other gifts available on Zazzle.