Harsh Truths About Homesteading and Off-Grid Living...

10:12 am - 65 degrees - clear sky, 24+ mph wind gusts...

First things first - you need to realize that the "simple life" isn't so simple. Too many new homesteaders fail to realize that a simpler life does not mean an easier life. In many ways, you will be working harder than you ever have before.

With that being said, if this lifestyle is the right choice for you and your family, all your hard work will be more than worth it!

Here are a few harsh truths that we have learned along the way...

A lot of family members and friends will think you are nuts. -- Get used to it. Some people just will not understand or embrace your lifestyle choice. They may even try to talk you out of it. That's okay, just keep doing what you are doing.

Instead of getting defensive, or frustrated, try to stay focused and positive. Try to surround yourself with supportive people who can help you achieve your goals.

Homesteading is unpredictable. -- Often times you are dealing with the whim of Mother Nature and she cannot be controlled. Not enough rain, and your garden or crops suffer, or the threat of a wildfire gets high. Too much rain, and it ruins your garden or crops, or your road washes out. Crazy howling wind (which is a normal thing here) causes its own damage. And snow... trying to keep our driveway/road open is a full-time job and makes all the chores 10 times harder.

Forest fire about 1.5 miles from our home.

Besides Mother Nature, you also have to deal with whatever Life throws at you. Every year is different. Every year has its own difficulties, hardships, and rewards.

Homesteading and off-grid living is year-round, long hours, and hard work. -- Homesteading is 365 days a year... in sickness and in health... sunshine, rain, howling wind, and snow... and often involves long hours with hard work. 

It is also hard to get away. Want to go on vacation for a week... a weekend... or even an overnight trip? Who is going to take care of the animals?

The Rules Of 3. -- Everything takes 3 times longer than expected. You think building the chicken coop will take 1 week to build - wrong it will take 3 weeks to build.  

3 regularly used items will break within a week of each other. The washing machine will die, then the next day the power inverter just stops working, then a several days later something breaks on one of the cars.

And finally, the top 3 - time, money, and healthy - one always seems to be missing when you're getting ready for a big project.

Both Homesteading and off-grid living cost money. -- Some people may choose to develop a sustainable income from this lifestyle, and some may choose to continue working their traditional jobs. Either way is great, just choose whatever works best for you and your family. 

Just keep in mind... you will still need some sort of steady income. This lifestyle is not free, in fact, sometimes it is quite costly. You will need financial resources to pay taxes, insurance, purchase equipment, medical expenses when they occur, and any other supplies you may need. Just try to take things one step at a time.

This lifestyle is not for dummies. -- In reality, there is a drastic learning curve for beginners. Unless you grew up with this lifestyle, you will find yourself looking up how to (fill in the blank) quite often. 

If you want to grow your own food, you will need to learn how to garden, and how to properly preserve that food. You will need to learn construction, plumbing, and electrical work. You will need to know how to build a chicken coop, or raised garden beds, or how to build a fence, or how to build a shed or barn, or how to wire your off-grid power system, or how to plumb your garden's irrigation system.

The vast amount of knowledge, over a wide spectrum, that you will need is sometimes daunting, and much of your education will be in the form of on-the-job training, and learning as you go.

You won't always be able to do everything yourself. -- Regardless of how hard you try to do it all yourself, sometimes you will need help. Whether that help is in the form of barter, trade, paid help, or simply getting advice from someone with more experience - it is nice to have a network of like-minded people who you can look to when needed.

You are going to fail at some things. -- Some of your failures may not be pretty. And some may result in should of, could of, would of moments.

This lifestyle is going to have its major ups and downs. Your farming equipment may fail. Your snow removal equipment may break during a snowstorm. You may run through your savings more quickly than you thought you would.

But if you try to prepare for the worst and hope for the best, you will hopefully maintain a healthy attitude.

Windstorm broke our first set of solar panels.

You may occasionally have a love / hate relationship with this lifestyle. -- You are going to have times of frustration, disappointment, failure, and ask yourself "what the heck are we doing?" "Why isn't anything going as planned?" "What have we gotten ourselves into?".

You will also have feelings of accomplishment, appreciation, and sometimes awe - which, at the end of the day, somehow makes all of the chaos worth it.

These harsh truths are not to discourage you, but to hopefully help you. With some advance planning and forethought, and by learning from other homesteader and off-griders' mistakes, you will be able to weather through the initial rough periods. With each passing year, you will gain more experience, more knowledge, and more confidence to handle the inevitable problems that come with the territory. You will also gain the satisfaction of living out a rewarding lifestyle that you and your family enjoy.

Self Reliant Living...

6:35pm - 56 degrees - scattered clouds...

Here's the thing... I'm a bit of a worrier. I find that when I'm worried about something, being able to take a positive, substantive action, makes me feel like I'm a bit more in control. This is true when preparing for the harsh upcoming Winter season. This is true when preparing for natural disasters - both small and large. It's true when dealing with any medial issues. And it's true when fretting about the economy. With the world in a bit of a turmoil these days, it seems that there's a lot of worrying going on, and not just in my own head.

With the rising costs (which everyone is feeling the pinch) I started wondering about the people who survived the Great Depression. My grandparents were teenagers during that time, and I've listened to their stories. But I still wonder... in hindsight, how would they have prepared themselves for such a tough time. If their parents, my great-grandparents, had known what was coming, what would they have done differently? What did they wish for in the midst of their survival efforts? What would they have deemed mandatory survival needs?

I'm a voracious reader... and once I'm interested in something I seek out every resource I can find to learn everything I can about a topic. And maybe I've been reading too many apocalyptic novels lately, but these are questions that are concerning to me.

These days, we're so conditioned to jump in the car and run to the store whenever we need (or want!) something. What would our world look like if you weren't able to do that as often, or possibly not at all? 

In this day and age, we also heavily rely on the internet. During a power outage, or when the internet is down, you can't Google, or ask Alexa, how to do something, or look something up. That's why it is essential to have physical resources to turn to when digital isn't an option. 

Being prepared for when times are tough is an exercise in self-reliant living. Getting through tough times - whether it is nature related or man-made related - will be easier if you have skills. Knowledge is power, especially when the unexpected happens.

Here are some invaluable books you'll want on your shelf to get you started... 

Back to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills, Third Edition

Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving

Bushcraft 101: A Field Guide to the Art of Wilderness Survival

Field Guide to Wilderness Medicine

Pacific Northwest Medicinal Plants: Identify, Harvest, and Use 

SAS Survival Handbook, Third Edition

The Complete Do-It-Yourself Manual

The Survival Medicine Handbook

The Vegetable Gardener's Bible, 2nd Edition

Ultimate Guide: Wiring, 9th Edition

When All Hell Breaks Loose: Stuff You Need To Survive When Disaster Strikes

Where There Is No Doctor: A Village Health Care Handbook

...then you can continue to add to your collection - cook books, gardening and wild edibles specific to the region you live in, bread making books, animal husbandry, general food preservation, herbalism books - really the list could go on and on.

I would absolutely love book recommendations, and I encourage you to let me know your favorites in the comments below. 

American Chinchilla Road Trip...

9:38 am - 51 degrees - overcast, light wind....

Last weekend Caitlyn and I went on a road trip through the beautiful Columbia River Gorge to pick up a few new additions to our mini-farm we seem to be starting. Where were the guys? They stayed home and worked on the chicken coop. I'll post about that soon!

Off for a fun 9-hour road trip!

I love the drive along the Columbia River and through the Gorge because of the ever changing landscape, so many breath taking sights and views! We also lucked out and had gorgeous weather the whole trip.

These wind turbines are HUGE!

Had to stop at Stonehenge.

Meet our newest additions - a breeding pair of American Chinchilla Rabbits! Aren't they just gorgeous... and huge!

Trixie

Reuben

Reuben is 3.5 months old and weighs in at just over 5 pounds. Trixie is 11 months old and weighs in at just under 10 pounds. 

When they are full grown, Bucks will weigh between 9-11 pounds and Does will weigh between 10-12 pounds. 

Reuben

Trixie

Trixie and Reuben, who are very soft, sweet, and cuddly, did great on the car ride home and are settling right in. 

Click {here} for more information on American Chinchillas.

A Few New Additions...

4:30 pm - 43 degrees outside - blue sky, windy...

Back in mid-November we adopted this cute little guy.

 

Ranger - 8 weeks old

Ranger - 10 weeks old

Everyone automatically thinks Ranger is a little black lab puppy and I have gotten tired of saying “Nope, he’s a McNab, Border Collie, Catahoula, and Kelpie hybrid. No, he’s not a mutt he was purposely bred that way.” So I have started saying “Nope, he’s a McBorder Catahoupie.” Most people haven’t heard of most of those breeds anyway, so... oh well, it’s easier to say.

Ranger - 15 weeks old

Ranger - 5 months old

Fast forward to mid-February and we picked up 6 cute little chicks. We specifically picked out chicks that will grow up to look different from each other; it will make it easier to tell who is who.

From top to bottom:

Milo – Mottled Java

Opal – Olive Egger

Bella – Black Sex Link

Bessie – Blue Wyandotte

Rosie – Rhode Island Red

Scarlet – Sicilian Buttercup

Ranger isn’t sure what to think of these tiny, noisy creatures.

The chicks are currently in the house. We have to wait until the snow melts so we can finish the chicken coop. But in the meantime, our cats are enjoying the coop. I wonder what they will think when it’s done and full of noisy chickens.

Coming soon... we have to wait until the passes are clear so we can take a road trip (about 3 and a half hours each way) so we can go pick up Reuben & Trixie, our breeding pair of American Chinchilla Rabbits! So excited!!!

Oh, and we still have to build a rabbit hutch for them too. Just waiting for the snow to melt!

So now we have 3 cats, 1 dog, and 6 chicks plus 2 rabbits on their way. Our little mountain homestead is slowly growing.

For more information on our animals click {here}.

Caramel Apple Butter...

1:16 pm - 60 degrees outside - cloudy, overcast...

Last weekend I picked up a 30 pound box of Gravenstien apples at a local farm - these apples make great applesauce, pies, cobblers, crisps, and so on - they are great for baking. 

The last 12 lbs of apples are going to be canned as apple pie mixes!

So far I have already used 10 pounds to make applesauce, another 8 pounds to make this absolutely delicious Caramel Apple Butter, and I'm going to use the last 12 pounds to can apple pie mixes.  But first, I wanted to share the recipe for this amazing Caramel Apple Butter.

CARAMEL APPLE BUTTER

INGREDIENTS:

15-16 medium sized apples (about 8 pounds—yielding 16 cups of peeled, diced apples)

1 cup brown sugar

1.5 tsp cinnamon

3/4 tsp ginger

3/4 tsp ground cloves

2 tsp vanilla extract

30 unwrapped caramels (most of an 11 oz bag)

(NOTE: this recipe filled about 11 half-pint jars)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Prepare your jars and lids by washing in warm, soapy water and rinsing thoroughly. Place jar rack into water bath canner, set jars in the canner, add water, and boil jars for 10 minutes to sterilize. Warm your lids in a small pot over low heat. Keep jars and lids warm until ready to use.

2. Peel and dice the apples (you should have about 16 cups of apples), and place into large crockpot.

3. Mix in the brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Cover with lid.

4. Cook on high for 6 hours. Occasionally stirring apple mix.

5. Blend the apples until smooth. You can use an immersion blender, potato masher, chinois and pestle, hand mixer, or food processor.

I like to use this chinois and pestle set.
Very easy to use and I love the resulting texture.

6. Return apple mixture to crock pot. Stir in vanilla extract, and caramels. Replace lid, but put it on crooked so air can vent. Continue cooking on high for 1-2 more hours until mixture starts to thicken (it will get even thicker when it cools). Occasionally stirring apple mixture, making sure the caramels are melting and getting mixed in.

7. Spread a kitchen towel on the counter. Use your jar lifter to remove warm jars from canner, drain, and line up on the towel. Use your canning ladle and funnel and add caramel apple butter to warm jars leaving 1/2­inch headspace. Wipe the rims. Use your magnetic lid lifter to lift lids out of the warm water, center lid on the jar, and screw on band until it is fingertip tight.

8. At this point you can store the caramel apple butter in fridge for up to 2 weeks, freezer for up to 6 months, or continue for canning.

9. Using jar lifter, place jars carefully into canner leaving space in between them. Once jars are all in canner, adjust the water level so it is at least one inch above the jar tops. Add more boiling water if needed so the water level is at least one inch above the jar tops. When adding water, use the hot water from the small pot your lids were in. Pour the water around the jars and not directly onto them.

10. Cover the canner and bring to boil over high heat. Once water boils vigorously, continue boiling pints for 20 minutes at altitudes of less than 1,000 ft. (add 5 minutes processing time for altitudes between 1001-3000 ft.).

11. When processing time is complete, turn off heat and allow the canner to cool down and settle for about 10 minutes. Spread a kitchen towel on the counter; remove the cover by tilting lid away from you so that steam does not burn your face. Use a jar lifter to lift jars carefully from canner and place on the towel. Allow the jars to cool for 12 to 24­hours. You should hear the satisfactory “ping” of the jar lids sealing.

12. After 12 to 24­hours, check to be sure jar lids have sealed by pushing on the center of the lid. The lid should not pop up. If the lid flexes up and down, it did not seal. Refrigerate jar and use up within a few days.

- Enjoy!

Slipform Stone Walls...

1:33 pm - 50 degrees - raining...

I have mentioned before how we are kind of doing everything backwards, with a lot of shoulda’, coulda’, woulda’s being learned along the way.  That was not intentional, that is just how it has turned out. 

What do I mean by ‘doing everything backwards’?  Well, the second floor is further along than the first floor.  More accurately, the first floor doesn’t really exist yet... our home kind of looks like a one level on stilts – I currently park my rig under the house, in what will one day be the foyer.  Now you understand what I mean by doing stuff backwards.  Instead of building from the floor up, we are building from the roof down.  Once again, that was not intentional, that is just how it has turned out.

The other day Tony jokingly said that my summer project could be to slipform the downstairs exterior walls.  I had no clue what that was, so after a quick Google search, I said “YES!  That is going to be my summer project!”  I don’t think that is the response he was expecting.

Slipform stone construction has been used for over 100 years.  It is a method for making a reinforced concrete wall with stone facing in which stones and mortar are built up in courses within reusable slipforms. 

Slipforms are short forms, up to 2 feet high that are placed wall thickness apart, these forms serve as a guide for the stone work.  The flat-faced stones are placed inside the forms with the good faces against the form work.  Any stone with a flat face on at least one side can be used, and they don’t have to be very thick to cover a fair amount of wall.  Concrete is poured in behind the rocks, filling in the concrete with what are called “uglies”, or stones without a flat face, to use less concrete.  Rebar is added for strength, to make a wall that is approximately half reinforced concrete and half stonework. 

(photo source: Pinterest)

(photo source: Pinterest)

The slipformed walls can be faced with stone on one side or both sides.  After the concrete sets enough to hold the wall together, the forms are “slipped” up to pour the next level.  With slipforms it is easy for a novice to build free-standing stone walls.

Slipforming combines stone masonry and concrete work to form a wall that shares the attributes of both.  Slipforming lets the builder create a flat or plumb stone wall that has the beauty and strength with the reinforcement of concrete and steel, without using masonry skills, making it less expensive and more accessible to the layperson.  The final product is long-lasting, low maintenance, and virtually weather and fireproof.

(photo source: Pinterest)

I have been very adamant about wanting stone to go all the way around the house on the first level, but we have been hesitant because of the cost.  This is a perfect solution, although extremely labor intensive.  There will still be the cost for cement and rebar, but I believe we can dig up enough stones around our property to build the exterior walls, which will be a foot and a half thick.  And it will be progress!  I’m always excited when there’s progress on the house.

I have one month to research and gather supplies before the kids are out of school and I will have the time to start slipping rocks and concrete together. 

  X  Level

  X  Wheelbarrow

  X  Buckets (haul cement and small rocks)

      Shovel

      Trowel

      Cement Mix (gas or electric)

  X  Scrap lumber to build slipforms

      Stones (various sizes)

      Cement

      Rebar

  X  Used motor oil (paint faces of slipforms –easier to pull away from dried cement)
  X   Stone House by Tomm Stanley research book
  X   Our Home Made of Stone by Helen Nearing research book

My two research books just arrived from Amazon!