Tag: sustainable living

Prepper Basics for Growing Your Own Garden

Prepper Basics for Growing Your Own Garden? Putting aside canned foods for future use is a good idea. But before that food supply runs out, you’ll need another way to take care of your family’s food needs. That’s why many preppers use gardens.

Prepper Basics for Growing Your Own Garden tray of vegetables

Growing your own food for your family is a great way to stretch the budget, eat wholesome foods and prepare for the future. You don’t have to have acres of land to plant and harvest the foods from a garden.

You can start a garden anywhere you live – even if you happen to live in an apartment. If you live somewhere, space is limited; you can create a garden in containers. But if you have a nice plot of land where you can plant, you need to choose the location wisely because plants have to have sunlight to survive.

Prepper Basics for Growing Your Own Garden

A garden also has to have good soil. Use organic fertilizer to enrich your soil before planting. You can have your soil tested before you start planting if you want to make sure that it’s healthy enough to sustain a garden.

Irrigation and drainage are important. You’ll want to make sure the area where you plant your garden isn’t in an area that holds standing water in heavy rainfall. If the water has difficulty running off, it can drown the plants.

Positioning is everything. Write down the foods you want to plant and how much of it you’ll need. Check out the climate zone for your area. This will help you learn what kinds of gardening foods will grow best in your area.

Will the plants get along with each other?

Make sure the plants you choose can be good neighbors. The types of food you decide to plant need to be placed in conjunction with their compatibility with other plants. Some plants will make it more difficult for other plants to survive, so separate them.

Some preppers plant a garden using seeds, while others use starter plants. If you want to be able to keep replanting your garden from seeds, then you’ll need to buy the heirloom ones since they’ll last for many replants.

What planting style?

You can plant your garden using rows, or you can use the raised bed method. There are pros and cons to each method. By simply using rows, you don’t have to create the raised beds.

But with raised beds, you can easily keep track of what food is in what location, and you won’t have to worry about one food shadowing another food. Raised beds also make it easy to harvest the foods when it’s time for them to be picked, and if something goes wrong in one raised bed, it won’t wipe out the entire garden.

Planning Your Prepper Garden According to Your Region

This is important when considering Prepper Basics for Growing Your Own Garden. Gardening is not the same in every state. If you’ve ever planted food in your garden and had it fail, you may have made the mistake of planting foods that are outside your region. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has a map that can help show preppers which foods will grow the best in their region and when they should be planted.

Whether you buy seeds or plants, foods are labeled by their hardiness. Those labels are referring to the specific areas of a state where the plant will thrive. There are eleven regions divided by temperature into zones 1 through 11.

Southern states are divided by whether the area is coastal and tropical and whether they fall under the upper, lower, or middle South zone. A state can be all of one particular region or a mixture of two or three. For example, Florida’s region is entirely coastal and tropical, while South Carolina is a blend of coastal and tropical and lower and middle South.

Planning Your Prepper Garden According to Your Region with watering can

Some states are located in the Southwestern Deserts region. California is divided into zones by whether it’s northern or southern California, and divided b coastal regions and inland valleys.

The Pacific Northwest is a region, and the Western Mountains and High Plains is another. The remaining regions are the Northern Central Midwest, the Middle Atlantic, and the New England Region.

To locate your region, look on the USDA map for your state, and it will tell you what zone you’re in. The map will also tell you when to plant your garden. When planting a survival garden, you want to plant what will grow well in your region.

Grain and corn can grow well in almost all the regions, as will beans and peas. You can grow staples such as oats and barley, as well as tomatoes. Potatoes and carrots grow easily in most regions.

Cabbage, lettuce, and squash make excellent foods for gardening as well. Broccoli and herbs should be in a survival garden, and you don’t want to forget to grow fruits for making jams and jellies and for use in pies and other desserts. Fruits from the berry family (blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries) are easily grown. Don’t forget to plant a section for herbs.

Almost everything you grow in a garden, fruits, and vegetables, can be scanned and safely stored as long as you make sure the food boils for at least 10 minutes. Foods that you can from your garden can keep for years; they’re healthier for you and will hold their fresh taste.
Survivalist Seeds Are Vital to Long-Term Nutritional Needs

When there are no longer ways to purchase the foods needed for long term survival, you will have an alternative solution. The best solution is to have seeds that can be harvested from the foods grown and replanted again. These kinds of seeds can continually provide for your family year after year.

Picking the type of seeds you’ll want can be done in one of two ways. You can individually choose the seeds you want, or you can buy them in prepackaged containers. What you’ll want to look for are seeds that are clearly labeled as survival or heirloom seeds.

You want to be specific with this because these are the seeds that are packaged in a way so that their viability is guaranteed. Whichever seed choice you make, be sure that you look for ones that say they’re hermetically stored.

The way they’re packaged will keep them safe no matter when you need to open the container. They also continue to produce food gardens. You want these continually producing seeds because when there is no access to grocery stores and the types of prepackaged foods we get now if you plant seeds once and that’s it, you’ll be in trouble.

You can choose individually according to the types of seeds you get. You can buy vegetables in one group of seeds and fruits in another. You can also purchase what’s called medicinal seeds. These are seeds that will produce plants that are well known to treat specific ailments.

Prepper Basics for Growing Your Own Garden green veggies in rows

Some people, however, choose to create their own survivalist seed supply rather than buying them. If you decide to do this, you’ll have to follow a few rules. Don’t use wet seeds.

The seeds must be completely dry before you store them. The storage containers you use are vitally important. You have to protect the seeds from the ability to grow fungus, from marauding insects and animals, and heat.

For the best results, you’ll want to store your seeds in glass containers. You’ll want to maintain the right temperature for the seeds, and remember that some seeds can handle a colder storage temperature while others can’t.

Light and humidity will negatively impact a seed’s ability to produce a viable plant. You want to keep the seed’s temperature-controlled below 50 degrees and remember that while some seeds can last in storage for up to six years and still produce a crop, other seeds can’t. You’ll want to do a seed rotation to check and make sure that the seeds are still good before you need them.

Other articles you may find helpful if you liked Prepper Basics for Growing Your Own Garden:

The Basics of Homesteading in America

The Basics of Homesteading in America? The Homestead Act of 1862 promised 60 acres of land to families who stayed on the property for five years and farmed it for prosperity. Today, cities and towns are once again resurrecting homestead incentives – but for different reasons.

The Basics of Homesteading in America artical cover image with older barn

Instead of populating an area that’s never seen activity before, it’s now because of the need to settle places where homeowners and businesses have gone bankrupt and abandoned the location. 

The Basics of Homesteading in America

In just about every state in America, you can find properties and locations that are being given away for free – as long as a few provisions are met. For example, there might be a requirement that you have a contractor within a certain amount of time to begin building on a lot.

Another incentive is the tax break you get from developing one of these properties. Some cities give a generous 70% tax break for a while. Whether it’s a home or commercial development, you might even get a higher tax break. 

But not all free property is a suitable property for homesteading. As a prepper who wants to be self-reliant, you can’t just go into any area and take land and consider it worthy of raising a family. 

You may want to pay for your property instead – if it has good soil, an ample water supply, and is positioned in a way that enables you to have quick access without being readily found by the masses. 

Homesteading was officially repealed as a law in 1976, but you can still look for opportunities that specific places are offering for future developments. Cheap land is abundant, too – but the price isn’t the only qualifying feature. 

It would be best if you prioritize your needs. If you want to focus on farming, you need to secure land with rich, fertile soil that will yield a high dose of crops to feed your family. If your primary concern is isolation, then you’ll want more land at a cheaper cost. 

Land in the South will typically be less expensive than land up North – and the Southern states will have a longer growing season for those of you who want to farm and grow your crops. 

Make sure you understand the tax issues for the property you’re considering purchasing. Every state has different tax requirements, so while the per-acre price might be attractive, it might end up costing more in taxes than in another area where the initial price is higher, but taxes remain low. 

Homesteading Acreage Options

When you talk about how many acres are needed to get off the grid and become self-sufficient, the battle begins between those who say you only need 1 acre and those who say you need much, much more. 

Both camps are correct. It all depends on how you plan to live and how self-sufficient you truly want to be. You can live on a single acre and raise animals, grow crops, and build a home.

But you have to consider many things – such as raising a dairy cow. If you want to cut costs for hay, it has to graze in a pasture. If that’s the case, then it needs plenty of room, and an acre (that houses your home, garden, and other elements) wouldn’t be quite enough. 

The Basics of Homesteading in America raising with a cow

It’s not impossible, though. If you have the means to buy feed and hay instead of allowing grazing, then you could own a dairy cow on a small property like this – but your costs and inconvenience would increase, as would your reliance on the outside world. 

Raising a Homesteading Dairy Cow

Many homesteading prepper families decide to invest in a dairy cow for their property. This will provide plenty of milk for your family – and possibly extra for your pigs if you’re raising those. 

You can drink the milk or create yogurt, ice cream, and other items from her milk. Each type of cow and size will produce a variable amount of milk, so you may want to find a smaller option (like a goat) if your family doesn’t use much milk.

Or, if you live in a prepper community, you could share the milk with another family – along with the responsibilities of raising it. It would be best if you milked it at the same time every day, so scheduling is essential. 

Some people wonder about the safety of drinking raw milk, but you can also buy a pasteurizer for your family to use. They’re not expensive, and it will provide you with the same safety you get off the grocery shelves. 

It can get expensive to raise a dairy cow if you have to buy all of your hay, but many prepper families grow their own, so that cuts down on the cost of raising your dairy cow enormously. 

You can sometimes go to a dairy farm and ask if they have any lower production cows they want to get rid of. If the volume isn’t enough for a dairy farm, they’ll often sell off the cows to a family that requires a much lower milk volume. 

Most families recommend that you get a Jersey dairy cow, but there are many options. You want a gentle one and won’t be hostile to you or your little ones in a farming situation. 

You have to make sure that your property has room for her to graze and roam around. If you get a Brown Swiss or Dexter cow, you can allow for more grass grazing than hay feed, saving you money in the long run. 

Your dairy cow will provide milk twice a day for almost a year. After about ten months, give her a break for a few months and then let her produce another calf to begin milk production again. 

Keep in mind that your water supply must be significant to provide for a dairy cow’s needs. They can drink anywhere from 25-40 gallons of water each day. Make sure you have enough water for her and your own family’s needs. 

Your dairy cow might produce anywhere from 2-8 gallons of milk per day, so make sure you don’t over-invest in something that’s going to make all of the milk production go to waste. 

It also depends on how large your family is and how many people you have to sustain on your property. It’s going to take more of everything to support a family of five than it would a couple. 

Back to the Property…

Some people want a large piece of property only for the barrier it offers not to have neighbors bumping right up against your property. This could make a difference in civil unrest or crisis when people are fighting for survival supplies. 

You can’t neglect the fact that price will factor into the equation. Unless your pockets have no bottom to them, then you might have to consider how much you’ll be paying per acre – or how much money in taxes the government will require from you each year. 

Some families opt to invest in large plots of land so that when their children are grown, the family can expand and build a second, third or fourth home on the property. This is what families use to do in the old days, but now they’re all spread across the country. 

Some preppers will tell you that your land’s size is nowhere near as important as the quality of it. If it offers more than one entry to the property, rich soil, and a water source – that’s worth more than a larger plot. 

Prepper Homesteading Basics

If you’re going to homestead, you need to know the basics. But the first thing you need to realize about homesteading is that the goal is to become self-reliant. That means you can provide and care for your family entirely with what you can grow or make yourself. 

There are some skills involved with homesteading, but it’s not difficult to learn the skills. You’ll want to be prepared with food. You want to prepare with food supplies that can serve you for repeated cycles. 

Gardening

So you would want to plant a garden that can be replanted again and again. You can do this using heirloom seeds. You’ll want to plant what you’ll consume throughout the year and when the growing season is over, you’ll want to make sure that you preserve some of the garden bounty to use during the months that the garden doesn’t grow. 

You’ll also want to save and store the seeds from the fruits and vegetables for replanting the following gardening season. It’s also smart to learn how to construct chicken coops so that you can have the eggs that are produced. 

RAISING A PIG WHILE HOMESTADING

You can also raise pigs for meat. You’ll want cows for milk (and/or meat) and goats for producing dairy to use for cheese. Some preppers that homestead also prefer to raise honeybees. Not only is the honey usable, but the bees can help pollinate the fruits and vegetables that you grow. 

Water Sourcing

Water needs to be planned for when homesteading. You can’t survive without access to clean water. You need to set up rain barrels for water that your livestock can drink, and the collected rainwater can also be used to irrigate your garden. The fastest way to collect rainwater is to set a barrel up beneath a downspout. 

You should have a way to purify your water and a way that you can store the water. If you bring the water to your homestead site from a creek or pond, then you’ll need a way to transport it. 

Protection

Protection is paramount when you’re homesteading. You’re going to need weapons to protect yourself if someone decides to rob you or commit other crimes against you. You should be armed with both knives as well as guns. Both of these are great for protection and are handy to have around for hunting or food prep. 

If you choose to have firearms, seriously think about storing them safely. I found this $100 off coupon for you though a company I really like:

$100 Off Secure It Gun Storage AGILE 52s – Enter Code Agile52 at check out Shop Now

Homeschooling

Education for children is a necessity when you’re homesteading. You want to make sure you have educational supplies. You can find educational supplies at homeschool stores if you’re going to stock up in advance. 

You can also order and store homeschooling supplies in advance. But education can also be taught using just the necessary tools like classic pieces of literature. Teaching things like math can be done using real-life concepts such as measuring items in a recipe or measuring wood for cutting when building something.

Studies have shown that children who are educated using real-life ideas often excel in life. 

I know there are a ton of great mini lessons on my kid’s site Sarah Lyn Gay.

Homesteading Must-Haves

When you decide to go off the grid and build a family property that allows you to be self-sufficient and safe in the event of a crisis or disaster, you need to make sure it meets several requirements in addition to food and water. 

A good piece of property is first and foremost on the checklist. It should be away from the city, but not too far that it becomes an inconvenience to access whenever you need to replenish your supplies. 

The Basics of Homesteading in America farm at sunset with horse

It would be best if you had a spot that’s easy to access but is hidden from public view. You want to know where it is but not have it visible from the roadway where others might approach if there’s a disaster and they’re scouting for supplies. 

A good water supply source would be a great addition if you can find one. If it’s a flowing river or stream that would offer you freshwater, you can’t beat that since water is necessary for you to survive. 

Plenty of room for gardening and grazing animals is a perk. You need to figure out what kind of crops and animals you plan to raise since some will require more space than others. 

Good soil goes along with that last perk. If you’re gardening, you don’t want to be reliant on a store to sell you bags of fertilizer to enrich the soil. You want to land that’s already rich in nutrients and will help your plants thrive. How to Make Effective Garden Compost is a good article to read.

A method for generating your own electricity – hydro, solar, or wind would help your family survive. The running water with a drop in elevation would be good for hydroelectricity. Plenty of sun for solar, and winds of at least 9-10 mph for wind-generated electricity. 

Formidable building supplies should be brought onto the property. Concrete is a good building supply for protection from the elements. A safe room built into the property is wise for all kinds of events. You want it to withstand weather and prevent easy entry by unwanted guests.

Ample storage facilities are necessary. You need storage for items that can’t tolerate temperature swings, like your food stores and water supplies. Outdoor storage for tools, equipment, and other items are also needed. 

Protection from harm needs to be on your mind. Gates built around the property will help somewhat. Locks that come with doors and fences are often flimsy, so you may want to shore those up with something stronger. 

Firearms and a security system with rechargeable batteries can help protect you. Fire-resistant roofing material will help prevent your home from burning down if you’re in a wildfire situation. 

Concrete homes built right into the side of a mountain offer the best form of protection for the actual shelter itself. Then the property it overlooks could meet the rest of the requirements. 

Other articles you may find helpful:

A Simple Living Guide to Rainwater Usage

Water is one of our greatest natural resources.  However, when it rains, most of the water ends up in storm drain systems where it has to be treated to be recycled. But you can actually create systems to store and use rainwater where it will do the most good.  You can also save money and natural resources by following a rainwater usage plan for your household.

A Simple Living Guide to Rainwater Usage article cover image

A Simple Living Guide to Rainwater Usage

The Benefits of Storing and Using Rainwater

There are many reasons to store and use rainwater.  It benefits both you and the environment around you.  People have stored rainwater for thousands of years, so this isn’t a new idea. 

It’s just become more popular in recent years as we’ve learned what a great benefit it can be.  Understanding more about these benefits can help you make the decision to begin using rainwater.

First, storing rainwater actually reduces flooding and erosion that can be caused by the downspout of your gutters.  This can help keep your yard looking great and prevent water from ending up in storage drain systems.

Using rainwater saves money

When you store and use rainwater, you can also save money.  Normally, you have to pay for the water that you use to irrigate your lawn or to wash your car.  But with stored rainwater, this becomes a free resource for you.

Rainwater is better for your plants

When you use rainwater to water your plants, you’ll actually provide them with better nutrition.  Rainwater is naturally full of minerals that are good for plants.  It’s also free from pollutants and chemicals found in tap water.

If you live in an area that can be prone to drought, storing rainwater can provide you with a water source during those dry times.  City water sometimes becomes restricted during drought conditions, but your rain barrels will be accessible to you.

When it comes to the environment, freshwater is an extremely limited resource.  Only 3% of the world’s water supply is able to be used for drinking and other home use. 

Because water consumption is high in industrialized countries, natural sources of water are beginning to dry up.  Harvesting rainwater captures a renewable resource and prevents water from entering storm drainage systems where it can become contaminated.

Creating a Storage System for Rainwater

Collecting rainwater has become a popular way to conserve water in recent years.  That’s good news – because it’s made it possible to find many different systems for storing it.

One of the most popular and least expensive methods is using a rain barrel. Rain barrels are large containers that can collect rainwater from the gutters of your home.  They can be made from materials such as large trash cans or buckets.

You can also purchase commercial kits that you can put together easily designed specifically for storing rainwater.  Once you have a system in place, your bucket will begin to fill each time it rains.

With a rain barrel it’s important to make sure you take some safety precautions.  For example, the top needs to have a child and pet proof top that doesn’t allow small ones to fall in. 

You also need to have a filter at the top that prevents debris from going into the barrel along with the rainwater.  If you find that this system works well for you, you can even add multiple barrels so that you don’t have any overflow during a rainy season.

Rain barrels typically have a tap at the bottom for you to remove the water.  Some of them allow you to attach a standard garden hose so that you can use the water directly in your yard.

how to use rainwater

Always make sure that any material you use for your rain barrel is food grade.  This means it won’t leach harmful chemicals into the water and the water will be safe to use.

While rain barrels are the least expensive and simplest to install, there are more sophisticated systems if you’d like to have more water storage and can afford the extra cost.

A rain barrel typically holds around 50 gallons of water for use.  You can have several barrels to hold more water.  But if you’re interested in storing much more, you’ll need a different type of collection system.  One choice is called the Rainwater Pillow. 

The Rainwater Pillow is a system that holds up to 1,000 or more gallons of water using a fabric container.  The amount it holds will depend on the size that you purchase.  For the typical homeowner, the original 1,000 gallon size is sufficient.

This system is much more expensive, costing thousands of dollars, but if you use a lot of water in your household for gardening or even farming this could be a valuable investment for you.

You can also invest in an underground system that catches rainwater and allows you to pump it out for use.  You can purchase a system that will provide water for your lawn and garden, but can also be used for toilets.

This system is quite a bit more expensive than other options because of its size, underground placement, and materials.  However, it can pay for itself in the long run by replacing your dependence on other water supplies.

In order to have this type of system, you’ll want to look in your local area for a company that specializes in it.  The cost will depend on your area and your specific needs.

First Flush Systems for the Cleanest Water

One concern people have when using a rainwater barrel system from the rooftop is that it can become polluted by materials on your rooftop as the rainwater heads to the gutters.

This is a real concern as debris can contaminate the water in your barrel.  A great solution for this is to use a first flush system.  The first rain you’ve had is usually the most polluted as it washes away debris.

With a first flush system, the first five or even 10 gallons of water are stored and set aside from the rest of your rain barrel storage.  This is the water most likely to end up with sediments or chemicals.

rainwater use tips

You can simply use that water for your lawn and use the rest of the water for your purposes such as a vegetable garden or household cleaning. 

Rain Barrel Maintenance

Once you have a rain barrel, there are things you’ll need to do to keep it in good condition so that you can make use of the water you’ve stored.  These simple steps will help you get the most of your system.

First, you should empty your barrel at least once a month.  This keeps water from accumulating algae and developing an unpleasant smell.  If you want to be able to allow water to sit longer, you can add a capful of chlorine bleach to the barrel.

This will stop the development of algae and at that small concentration it won’t harm your plants.  However, if you use more than that, it could become harmful.  You also want to avoid using an acid such as vinegar because it will harm your plants.

When it comes to your gutters, you’ll want to make sure that you clean them regularly or install a gutter screen that prevents debris from getting in.  This will cut down on the debris and sediment that gets into your rain barrel.

If you notice that your barrel has developed a leak, you don’t have to throw it out.  In many cases you can use aquarium caulk made from silicone to seal up the hole.  This is available in hardware stores and is inexpensive.

Another concern for rainwater barrels is the development of mosquito populations.  Draining the barrel regularly is one way to prevent this.  But you can also add a larvae tablet to your barrel that can prevent mosquitoes from breeding.

Adding this type of tablet won’t harm your plants and will prevent problems such as West Nile virus that can be spread through contact with mosquitoes.

You also need to be careful if you live in an area with very cold winters.  Freezing and thawing over and over again can weaken your rain barrel.  Before it gets that cold, drain your barrel and disconnect it to prevent problems.

When you’re storing your rain barrel for extended periods of time, it’s best to store them upside down. This keeps them free from debris.

How Much Can You Collect?

You may think it will take a long time to collect water in your rain barrel.  But you can actually collect thousands of gallons a year.  You can figure out approximately how much water you’ll collect for every inch of rainfall.

First, you’ll need to estimate the square footage of your roof.  Then divide that number in half.  The number you end up with is the number of gallons of water you can collect from one inch of rainfall.

how to store rainwater

The average house can collect over 400 gallons of water with a half inch of rain.  As you can imagine, that adds up fast during rainy seasons.  This is a great reason to have multiple barrels or larger systems.

Uses for Stored Rainwater

Rainwater isn’t usually used for drinking (although it can be), but it can be used for many other purposes.  It may surprise you to see how many different ways you can use stored rainwater.

The most obvious use for rainwater that you collect is watering your lawn and garden.  It can be costly to water your yard during dry and hot summer months.  Having a rainwater storage system allows you to have access to free water. 

It will also allow you to continue watering even if your water service has imposed restrictions due to drought. One of the easiest ways to use your barrel is to connect it to a soaker hose.  You can use it to keep your lawn irrigated and you can even use it to protect the foundation of your home.

While this isn’t available everywhere, many cities allow residents to use rainwater to flush toilets.  You can even set up a rainwater system where the water is automatically brought into your home for toilet flushing.

This can actually save you quite a bit of money on your water bill, especially if you have a large family or many toilets that are used frequently.

If you own an automobile, you can use rainwater to fill your radiator instead of the tap water you might normally use.  In most cases this will need to be mixed with antifreeze.

You can also use rainwater to wash your car instead of hooking up the hose to the city water system.  This will save money and conserve the water you would normally use.

When you need to clean your home, you can use rainwater instead of tap water to mop.  Simply fill a bucket and bring it inside to clean your floors and other surfaces.

You can use rainwater for washing dishes and even for bathing if you have a filter system to make it better for use inside.  It can also be used for laundry.  Laundry actually makes up a large percentage of water use in households, so this can save a lot of money.

Having water stored in rain barrels can help you if you have a natural disaster or other emergency that keeps you from being able to use your typical water supply. You’ll want to make sure that you have filtration and purification tools before using it. 

For example, you may need to boil the water before drinking or add water purification tablets in order to drink the water.

You can even share the water you’ve collected with neighbors if you have more than you can use.  This can serve as a great example and encourage others to install their own rain barrel systems.

You may not think that your small system of rain barrels makes a big difference, but it can make a difference for your household and you can create a ripple effect in your community.

Other articles that may interest you:

Using Animals in Your Sustainable Living Efforts

When you become interested in sustainable living, you may want to add animals to your practices. There are many ways you can use animals on your own property to help become self-reliant and sustainable.

Using Animals in Your Sustainable Living Efforts article cover image with pigs

You need to know some of the most common animals used for sustainable living practices and how you might be able to work with them.  Some animals are used for meat, while others are used for eggs, milk, and their pelts or skins.

Using Animals in Your Sustainable Living Efforts

Honoring the Animal

It’s important to note that using animals requires you to be considerate of the animal’s needs and provide a healthy and happy environment for it.  When you choose to butcher animals, you should make sure you get proper training so that you cause little fear or pain to them.

With sustainable living, you’ll also want to make use of as much of the animal as possible so that it doesn’t go to waste.  Honoring the animal’s sacrifice means using it well.

Chickens

If you’re new to working with animals, raising chickens is a great way to begin learning.  Chickens are relatively simple to take care of and require a small amount of space. 

They can also provide regular eggs and even meat if you choose to butcher them and eat them.  You’ll need to make sure that you provide a coop for chickens where they can be safe from predators and roost at night.

Chickens need room to roam and can help cut down on bugs as they eat them along with feed that you supply.  It’s best to choose an organic feed that’s free from chemicals and additives.

You’ll want to do your homework to figure out how many chickens will fit into the coop you choose.  That will depend on the size of the coop and the breed of chickens. 

You can buy chicks online and have them shipped to your home.  You’ll need to be prepared to take care of chicks for a few weeks after their arrival.  They need warm temperatures, clean water, and bedding.  As they grow, they’ll become easier to care for.

Many urban areas allow chickens, but make sure you check your local ordinances.  You may be allowed to have chickens, but not roosters in the city limits.  As you care for your chickens, it’s important to learn from experts such as agriculture extension agents, local farmers, or even getting online help.

Chickens can provide eggs, can be harvested for meat, and their feathers can be used for pillows or blankets.  Older chickens that don’t have tender meat can be used to make chicken stock for use later.

Rabbits

Rabbits are also easy to care for and can provide meat for your family.  They require a hutch where they can live comfortably and have room to move around.  You’ll also need to feed them and provide them with high-quality food and fresh vegetables. 

Rabbits also need a constant supply of alfalfa or timothy hay. You’ll want to research rabbit breeds so that you can choose the best breed for your area and the meat you’d like to produce.

Using Animals in Your Sustainable Living Efforts

If you begin with two female and one male rabbit, you can produce more than 40 rabbits a year for meat.  Rabbits are best eaten when they are 8-12 weeks old.  The younger they are, the more tender they are.

When the rabbits reach about six weeks old, you can separate them from their parents.  Then you can wait until it’s time to harvest the meat.  When the larger, adult rabbits reach two or three years of age, you can butcher them.

Older rabbits are better in a stew because they aren’t as tender.  Rabbits can also be used for their fur.  Once they’re butchered and skinned for meat, you can tan the rabbit’s hides and use them for warm clothing.

Rabbits are a relatively inexpensive investment if you want to begin working to raise and harvest your own meat.  It helps to take a class to learn how to butcher them properly.

Goats

Goats are fairly easy animals to take care of and they can produce a great deal of food for you.  There are two kinds of goats – goats for meat and goats for milk.  Goat isn’t commonly eaten in the United States, but it’s very common in other countries.

You’ll want to choose a breed that’s specifically designed for your purposes.  Look for one that’s purebred.  You can raise approximately eight goats on the same feed it would take to raise one cow.

Goats need little in the way of food if they’re able to graze.  You may also need to provide hay, oats, and a vitamin supplement.  Housing for goats is also pretty simple – you’ll need an area where they can be dry and where they won’t get too cold.

Goats are very good at climbing, so you’ll need a fence that has barbed or electric wire to keep them in.  Goats are typically very friendly animals to have on your property.

Some good goat breeds for meat include Texmaster, Moneymaker, and Savanna.  Good goat breeds for milk include Saanen, Alpine, and Togenburgs.  You’ll want to learn more about specific breeds and what will work best in your area.

Goat milk can be used for drinking and for making cheese.  Many people who find cow’s milk problematic find that goat’s milk is a good substitute.  In order to produce milk, your goats will need to be bred once a year. 

Your goat will need to feed her kids, but you can still milk her once a day.  The best method is to keep the kids separate from her at night and milk her once in the morning.  Then the rest of the day the kids can nurse when they choose.

Using Animals in Your Sustainable Living Efforts

If you continue to milk her, she can produce milk for approximately 10 months.  That’s a good supply of milk for a family.  You can have more goats if you’d like more milk for your use or to sell.

When it comes to meat goats, the best time for butchering is between five and nine months of age.  You can learn to do this yourself or take the goat to a meat processor.  After butchering a goat, you can keep the hide and tan it for use. 

Pigs

Pigs can also be raised to use for meat.  Pigs will need at least a tenth of an acre for pasture.  You can also grow them in an enclosure that’s at least 100 square feet – such as a barn or a pen.

You’ll also need food for your pig.  Unlike what you see in movies, it’s best not to feed pigs just whatever is leftover from your own meals.  They need a diet full of vitamins and minerals.  It’s best to give them organic foods and allow them to graze on grass.  They also need plenty of access to clean water.

You’ll want to choose a piglet that’s a good breed for meat.  You can buy them at farms or from auctions.  Some of the best breed choices include Berkshire, Yorkshire, and Hereford.  But there are many choices.

You’ll want to research what will live best in your area and grow to the preferred size.  In general, pigs usually are ready for slaughter when they reach approximately 225 pounds, though this can vary based on weight.

You can learn to butcher them yourself or take them to a meat processor.  Each pig will give you around 150 pounds of meat.  Again, this is an average and will depend on your pigs.

Once a pig is processed into different cuts, you can freeze them for long-term use.  Some people also choose to sell meat as a way to make money and profit from pig production.

Cows

Many people enjoy raising cows for either milk or meat.  Raising your own cows on a grass diet without antibiotics or added hormones makes the meat and milk much better for your body. 

The best breeds for dairy cows tend to be Jersey, Guernsey, and Holstein.  For beef cows, look for Angus or Hereford cows. There are other breeds that may be better for your needs, so do your homework before settling on one type.

Cows will need a source of grass and in the winter months will need hay.  Each cow will need about half a bale of hay per day.  Your cow will also need to be confined with a fence made from barbed wire.

how to raise cows

You can also use an electric fence to keep your cow from leaving home.  Each cow will need about two acres of pasture in order to get enough nutrition.  If you live in a drier area, your cow may need even more space.

For milk cows, you’ll need to breed your cow in order for her to produce milk.  One cow can give you eight to ten gallons of milk each day.  This will allow you to have plenty of milk for drinking and making other dairy products or for selling.

For meat cows, you can learn to do the butchering yourself.  However, most people will take a cow to be processed and divided into different cuts of meat and ground beef.

One cow is usually more than enough meat for an average family.  You may even consider selling half of the cow so that you can make back some of the money you’ve invested in raising your cow and processing it.

Fish

When you think of farm animals, fish don’t usually make the top of the list.  But fish can be very good food that you can raise right on your property.  The best breeds of fish for farming include catfish, bass, bluegill, and carp. 

In order to raise any of these fish, you’ll need a barrel that holds at least fifty gallons of water.  This will hold about 40 fish that you can harvest for food.  You’ll want to research the specifics for putting together an aquarium based on the breed you choose.

You’ll be able to feed your fish commercial food or you can feed them worms.  For 40 fish, you’ll need at least 50-100 worms each day when they are young and even more as they get older.

You can either clean and prepare fish all at once or stagger your use by taking a few adults out and replacing them with younger fish.  This gives you a regular supply of fish.  If you do it all at once, you’ll need to freeze them.

It takes about 2 months for fish to grow into adulthood and be ready for eating.  You can start over every 2 months with a new group so that you have a continuous supply of fish to eat.

Researching Your Best Options

If you’ve never raised your own animals for food, it’s a good idea to start small with chickens, rabbits, or even fish.  Don’t try to do too much at once and become overwhelmed by the process.

Once you’ve mastered one animal, you can add another.  It’s also important to do a lot of research before deciding on an animal and breed.  You need to do a lot of preparation and be prepared for feeding and even medical care if necessary.

Using Animals in Your Sustainable Living Efforts

A great place to start is with your local agriculture extension office.  This office helps local people figure out what to grow and you can even take educational classes to learn about animal management and harvesting.

This guide may have sparked your interest in a particular type of animal, but now you’ll need to get much more depth of information in order to carry out the process of growing and harvesting animals for food.

Growing your own animals can help you save on the cost of food.  It can also ensure that you have meat or milk that’s free from chemicals, antibiotics, and hormones.  You can also feel good that your animal has a good life and is treated with care and respect, unlike many animals raised on corporate farms.

Raising animals is a great way to develop a sustainable living homestead.  It does take a lot of work, but many people feel that the work is well worth it for quality meat or milk.

Other articles you may find helpful:

Privacy Policy