So it has been a couple weeks since my last post, mainly because there was nothing to report last week. The rain has finally stopped and now we find ourselves in the midst of a heatwave. Making life in Vermont very unpleasant to say the least.
Fishing has been terrible and not just for me and my friends but everyone we talk to is saying the same things. All the weird weather patterns are the reason I blame for this.
I have decided to restart the experiment in the mid fall, probably around Sept. 1st. This will allow me to be in the middle of big hunting seasons and prepare a bit more. Looking back at everything I have done to this point I have come to a couple conclusions.
First of all that if I had packed up and moved to Alaska on March 1st and started all this, that I would have starved to death. Granted hunting and fishing for food in Alaska is always open and without a full time job it would have been the only thing I was doing. But like many before me being unprepared for small disasters would have led to a major disaster later on. Namely the loss of my fish stores to the freezer not being turned on. Not to mention the lack of hunting or rather of successful hunting and fishing leaving me eating what little I did catch and not having anything to store up for winter.
That leads into the second thing, which is preparedness. Going forward I feel strongly that this is very doable, with more planning. So moving forward into Sept. I will make a larger supply run and specifically buy more canned goods and dry goods to get through the slower times. The fact is that I still saved over 1700 dollars, and had no need for going to the grocery store other than for things for my kids. Which had we been in Alaska they would have just learned to go without.
So beaten but not defeated I will look forward to starting this again in Septemeber. Stayed tuned though as I will continue to post on other topics every week. As always thanks for reading and stay tuned.
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Month 4 Review
June is now behind us and the summer is fast passing by. For the month of June we have had only about 5 days of no rain. This has been a serious set back, the garden is not growing well, fishing has been on hold. As I posted last time I'm going to continue this experiment with a reimagined thinking. I have not had a chance to do the resupply run but I'm planning on it this weekend. I'll post all the things I purchase in the next weekly update. I'll also post the cost of everything and show it against my savings to date.
Really there is not much more to talk about this month unfortunately. I have been busy working on a couple boat projects and will post some pictures when I can get outside to take them.
Weekly savings in groceries has stayed consistant. Please feel free to post comments it will help me find things to write about. And as always thank you for reading.
Really there is not much more to talk about this month unfortunately. I have been busy working on a couple boat projects and will post some pictures when I can get outside to take them.
Weekly savings in groceries has stayed consistant. Please feel free to post comments it will help me find things to write about. And as always thank you for reading.
Monday, June 24, 2013
Week 16 Trouble
Well I have to say it has been a hard road the last few weeks. And as much as I hate to say it I have had to cheat on this experiment more than I would have liked. The loss of the meat stores, the bad weather making fishing impossible, the lack of hunting seasons have left me hungry and frustrated. Clearly were this Alaska I would have starved to death or had to leave in a hurry. That being said I am going to press on with this experiment, though reimagined.
My next supply run to Costco is technically not until Septemeber, however given recent events or lack there of I'm going to make that run sooner. Resupplied and with more knowledge this time than when I started should mean better success. Not to mention almost all the large game animal seasons will be coming in and I'll have more oppurtunities to hunt for food.
So what does this mean for the original idea. Honestly nothing, in looking back on the original plan I should have done 2 supply runs in the beginning. One to represent food stores from the previous year and then a 2nd to represent the first run of the year. My calculations were also a bit off and I should have figured in for emergencies like those I have run into. My optimism got the better of me however, and I expected to be more successful both during turkey and late rabbit seasons.
Weather was another big factor I had not taken into account for, and if there is one thing living in Vermont will teach you is, it changes all the time. Now in all truth had I truely been living a subsistance life style I would have been able to hunt and fish all week and capitalized on the good weather during the weekdays. Being reliant on the weekends as my only time to truely go do these things was a serious handicap. But not one that I feel can not be overcome.
Moving forward I think this round will see a better turn out and barring any unforseen things, which I'm sure will happen, should be better. Total savings to date on groceries is $1760 so this extra supply run should still keep me saving money. With estimating about another $500 supply run to see me through to the major hunting seasons.
Thanks as always for reading and please feel free to post comments on any of this anytime.
My next supply run to Costco is technically not until Septemeber, however given recent events or lack there of I'm going to make that run sooner. Resupplied and with more knowledge this time than when I started should mean better success. Not to mention almost all the large game animal seasons will be coming in and I'll have more oppurtunities to hunt for food.
So what does this mean for the original idea. Honestly nothing, in looking back on the original plan I should have done 2 supply runs in the beginning. One to represent food stores from the previous year and then a 2nd to represent the first run of the year. My calculations were also a bit off and I should have figured in for emergencies like those I have run into. My optimism got the better of me however, and I expected to be more successful both during turkey and late rabbit seasons.
Weather was another big factor I had not taken into account for, and if there is one thing living in Vermont will teach you is, it changes all the time. Now in all truth had I truely been living a subsistance life style I would have been able to hunt and fish all week and capitalized on the good weather during the weekdays. Being reliant on the weekends as my only time to truely go do these things was a serious handicap. But not one that I feel can not be overcome.
Moving forward I think this round will see a better turn out and barring any unforseen things, which I'm sure will happen, should be better. Total savings to date on groceries is $1760 so this extra supply run should still keep me saving money. With estimating about another $500 supply run to see me through to the major hunting seasons.
Thanks as always for reading and please feel free to post comments on any of this anytime.
Monday, June 17, 2013
Week 15 Hunger
Hunger. I remember it when I was a kid a little. My family didn't have a lot of money so food was often tight, and while we always had food, it wasn't a lot. I find myself now in that same situation as we move into week 15 of this experiment. While I'm not starving by any means, hunger pain is becoming a norm. Since the loss of my last meat supplies and dwindling supplies in terms of rice and beans, I have had to cut out lunch from most days. And while this may not seem like a huge step it is one with a certain impact.
Last week was the first full week that I have had to go without it and to be honest it has put into perspective for me how many people in the world feel everyday. Millions of people are truly starving, and lack the ability like I have to get out of it at any moment I want too. I could simply say that this was a failed experiment and go to the grocery store and buy food like I have done for years before. But for those millions out there that can't I'm truly getting an understanding of what it is like to go hungry.
Unbeknownst to many I spent a year homeless in Providence, Rhode Island. Living out of my car I scrounged for food when I could and even took to asking for money on the street. Again this was a small price compared to many who slept completely outdoors and had to deal with freezing temps every night. I at least had a car I could turn on and run the heat every now and then. But it did make me appreciate the things that I have gained in my life since then. Much like now I could have gotten out of that situation at any time and swallowed my pride and come home to relatives and been taken care of. However I would have been deprived of something I think that has helped me in my life now. The lessons learned at the bottom of the barrel have certainly propelled me to where I am now.
Things like hard work, less pride, meaning that I'll work any job to keep myself from falling into that again, and gratitude for everything that I have earned. I don't simply take for granted the things I have bought and go willy nilly buying new things when old ones work perfectly fine. Now do I enjoy my tech toys and other fun items, sure I do. But could I live without them, most certainly and I have.
I would challenge anyone reading to take just a week and not eat lunch. Just that one meal. Seems like a simple thing right, I mean it is just one meal. See how it feels to not have that one meal and perhaps you too will have a small understanding of hunger. I would challenge you to go even further and take a week off from work and live out of your car for that week, but not even I would do that now. If you decide to take my challenge on removing lunch for just one week, please post how it went and how it made you feel, as well as any thoughts that came to mind when that time of day came around and you knew you weren't going to eat. I would look forward to hearing from anyone on this.
As always thank you for reading and stay tuned for more as the weeks keep unfolding. I know I promised pictures of all my other projects but bare with me, and I'll have them up as soon as I can.
Last week was the first full week that I have had to go without it and to be honest it has put into perspective for me how many people in the world feel everyday. Millions of people are truly starving, and lack the ability like I have to get out of it at any moment I want too. I could simply say that this was a failed experiment and go to the grocery store and buy food like I have done for years before. But for those millions out there that can't I'm truly getting an understanding of what it is like to go hungry.
Unbeknownst to many I spent a year homeless in Providence, Rhode Island. Living out of my car I scrounged for food when I could and even took to asking for money on the street. Again this was a small price compared to many who slept completely outdoors and had to deal with freezing temps every night. I at least had a car I could turn on and run the heat every now and then. But it did make me appreciate the things that I have gained in my life since then. Much like now I could have gotten out of that situation at any time and swallowed my pride and come home to relatives and been taken care of. However I would have been deprived of something I think that has helped me in my life now. The lessons learned at the bottom of the barrel have certainly propelled me to where I am now.
Things like hard work, less pride, meaning that I'll work any job to keep myself from falling into that again, and gratitude for everything that I have earned. I don't simply take for granted the things I have bought and go willy nilly buying new things when old ones work perfectly fine. Now do I enjoy my tech toys and other fun items, sure I do. But could I live without them, most certainly and I have.
I would challenge anyone reading to take just a week and not eat lunch. Just that one meal. Seems like a simple thing right, I mean it is just one meal. See how it feels to not have that one meal and perhaps you too will have a small understanding of hunger. I would challenge you to go even further and take a week off from work and live out of your car for that week, but not even I would do that now. If you decide to take my challenge on removing lunch for just one week, please post how it went and how it made you feel, as well as any thoughts that came to mind when that time of day came around and you knew you weren't going to eat. I would look forward to hearing from anyone on this.
As always thank you for reading and stay tuned for more as the weeks keep unfolding. I know I promised pictures of all my other projects but bare with me, and I'll have them up as soon as I can.
Monday, June 10, 2013
Week 14 When it rains...
When it rains it pours, and that is all it has been doing around here for the last 2 weeks. This has of course severely limited my ability to get out and fish and what little fishing have been able to do this past week has yielded nothing. That means another week of rice and beans and other veggie based food items for the week. Putting more strain on the provisions that I bought at the start of this experiment, more so than I had planned on. So the real question at this point will be if those supplies can now last until the next supply run still 3 months away.
All of this though has taught me some serious lessons about how to better prepare for doing this sort of thing in the future. The first of which I have already talked about which is start time. I should have started this experiment when hunting seasons were more open. By starting in march I only had 2 seasons to potentially get meat from, the first was muskrat and the second was turkey. Both of which I was unsuccessful at getting anything. Now with fishing being the only choice for meat until September the weather is playing a major role in being able to get out on a boat and so some serious fishing.
Another lesson I have taken away is more disaster planning, or in this case not so much disaster but weather planning. If I had thought ahead I would have maybe increased the amount of supplies I bought initially to account for this scenario.
On an upbeat my gardens are all in, and will hopefully provide enough food for the winter. This is again contingent on getting a large game animal during one of the hunting seasons. I'll post pictures of everything and how it is set up tomorrow so stay tuned for that.
My honey bees are working hard and making lots of honey. So far to date I have taken in approximately 70 pounds of honey. And I still have at least one if not two more major harvests to bring in before the season is over. The honey and wax I produce I sell so that will be a nice source of additional income when it is all sold.
I've purchased a used boat for 100 dollars and I'm in the process of fixing it up and getting back on the water. Once that is done I'll have more flexibility in getting out on the lakes and doing some serious fishing. This is another project I'll post pictures of hopefully tomorrow.
Weekly shopping came in at 60 dollars this week, which unless I'm crazy is a sizable jump in prices considering I'm buying the same items I have been all along. But it still puts me at half what I use to spend during the week.
Anyway as always please feel free to leave comments on anything here and please feel free to donate towards the farm project if you can. I hope you have been enjoying the blog and stay tuned.
http://www.gofundme.com/30kpko
All of this though has taught me some serious lessons about how to better prepare for doing this sort of thing in the future. The first of which I have already talked about which is start time. I should have started this experiment when hunting seasons were more open. By starting in march I only had 2 seasons to potentially get meat from, the first was muskrat and the second was turkey. Both of which I was unsuccessful at getting anything. Now with fishing being the only choice for meat until September the weather is playing a major role in being able to get out on a boat and so some serious fishing.
Another lesson I have taken away is more disaster planning, or in this case not so much disaster but weather planning. If I had thought ahead I would have maybe increased the amount of supplies I bought initially to account for this scenario.
On an upbeat my gardens are all in, and will hopefully provide enough food for the winter. This is again contingent on getting a large game animal during one of the hunting seasons. I'll post pictures of everything and how it is set up tomorrow so stay tuned for that.
My honey bees are working hard and making lots of honey. So far to date I have taken in approximately 70 pounds of honey. And I still have at least one if not two more major harvests to bring in before the season is over. The honey and wax I produce I sell so that will be a nice source of additional income when it is all sold.
I've purchased a used boat for 100 dollars and I'm in the process of fixing it up and getting back on the water. Once that is done I'll have more flexibility in getting out on the lakes and doing some serious fishing. This is another project I'll post pictures of hopefully tomorrow.
Weekly shopping came in at 60 dollars this week, which unless I'm crazy is a sizable jump in prices considering I'm buying the same items I have been all along. But it still puts me at half what I use to spend during the week.
Anyway as always please feel free to leave comments on anything here and please feel free to donate towards the farm project if you can. I hope you have been enjoying the blog and stay tuned.
http://www.gofundme.com/30kpko
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Month 3 Review
So let me say that this month as been filled with set backs of all kinds. First I went and capsized my canoe while fishing. Then I lost 20 lbs of fish meat in the freezer. The weather on the weekends has been horrible and the few days I have been able to get out and do any fishing has not yielded any fish worth keeping. Red beans and rice has become a great staple in the house as well as just about any other odd combination of food I can think of. But to say this has been a month of hardships would be an understatement.
The next supply run is not for another 3 months and while I have enough rice and beans to see me through I'm hopeful that my luck turns around soon. I've gone and added a set of pontoons to the canoe to ensure that I don't flip it over again so that makes me more confident than I would be otherwise. The hydroponic systems are up and running and will, with any luck, produce a large amount of veggies to eat and store for the winter.
On an up note, as I posted earlier, I did put up a crowdfunding website on Gofundme.com I'm still hoping to bring this dream of mine to life.
For anyone just joining the blog my idea is to build a self sustaining farm that can produce affordable, fresh and healthy food. By using the hydroponic systems that I already employ at my own house and through the use of greenhouses I hope to grow vegetables year round. By composting local restaurant salad bar scrapes and worm composting the farm would produce it's own fertilizer and nutrient tea for the hydroponics. Aquaculture systems could raise fish on a large scale, fed from the worms and salad greens to provide a healthy protein. Solar arrays would provide all the power for the pumps and other equipment so the farm would not use any external power, and even if set up properly, provide surplus power to the community, which in turn would also lower overhead costs allowing me to sell produce and fish at a decidedly lower cost then any grocery chain. Chickens on the farm would provide eggs also fed from crops grown organicly and traditionally on the farm. Peanuts grown on the farm could be processed easily into a diesel fuel for the tractors. My goal would be to use no external power, or fuel to create a zero impact farm.
Please feel free to check out and donate to this endeavor the amount I'm asking for would ensure the farms success for the first three years. Paying a livable wage to those employed and as a side note the farm would donate a quarter of all yearly crops to the local food shelf and soup kitchens. So if you have a few dollars or a lot and feel this is worthwhile venture check out the site at;
http://www.gofundme.com/30kpko
As always thank you for reading and please feel free to comment.
The next supply run is not for another 3 months and while I have enough rice and beans to see me through I'm hopeful that my luck turns around soon. I've gone and added a set of pontoons to the canoe to ensure that I don't flip it over again so that makes me more confident than I would be otherwise. The hydroponic systems are up and running and will, with any luck, produce a large amount of veggies to eat and store for the winter.
On an up note, as I posted earlier, I did put up a crowdfunding website on Gofundme.com I'm still hoping to bring this dream of mine to life.
For anyone just joining the blog my idea is to build a self sustaining farm that can produce affordable, fresh and healthy food. By using the hydroponic systems that I already employ at my own house and through the use of greenhouses I hope to grow vegetables year round. By composting local restaurant salad bar scrapes and worm composting the farm would produce it's own fertilizer and nutrient tea for the hydroponics. Aquaculture systems could raise fish on a large scale, fed from the worms and salad greens to provide a healthy protein. Solar arrays would provide all the power for the pumps and other equipment so the farm would not use any external power, and even if set up properly, provide surplus power to the community, which in turn would also lower overhead costs allowing me to sell produce and fish at a decidedly lower cost then any grocery chain. Chickens on the farm would provide eggs also fed from crops grown organicly and traditionally on the farm. Peanuts grown on the farm could be processed easily into a diesel fuel for the tractors. My goal would be to use no external power, or fuel to create a zero impact farm.
Please feel free to check out and donate to this endeavor the amount I'm asking for would ensure the farms success for the first three years. Paying a livable wage to those employed and as a side note the farm would donate a quarter of all yearly crops to the local food shelf and soup kitchens. So if you have a few dollars or a lot and feel this is worthwhile venture check out the site at;
http://www.gofundme.com/30kpko
As always thank you for reading and please feel free to comment.
Friday, May 31, 2013
Funding for the farm
So after almost two years of talking about it I have finally taken the plung and posted a crowdfunding site to try and raise the money for my sustainable farm. As some of you may know already from my previous posts I visited Growing Power in Milwaukee last year and was completely impressed. According to their own estimates they grow enough, food, fish and eggs to feed 10,000 people. All on only 3 acres of land in the middle of a major city. My plan would take this idea to a large scale. By increasing the amount of space and using the same growing plan and organization I feel I could triple or even quadruple the amount of food they produce. And along with a solar panel array to power all the equipment and provide a small income from surplus power I feel I could sell all that I produce at about half the price of the same items in the store. This would open an option for people that could not otherwise afford healthy food.
Of course the amount that I'm requesting is enormous, all of it though would go to keeping this operation open for at least 3 years. In that time I would hope it would catch on and become truely self sufficient.
Because I'll be getting all of my funding from the community and my own meager savings, my goal would be to give back to the community. To that end a qaurter of all the food I produce would be donated to the local food shelves and soup kitchens for the homeless. I feel it is the least I can do for the donations that I hope to receive for this endeavor. Also making a non-profit would see to it that money made on this would go to other charities and outreach programs to help others learn how to produce their own food.
It's a big dream and will take a big miracle to pull off but please take a moment if you can donate and do so at the URL below. Thank you as always for reading.
http://www.gofundme.com/30kpko
Also feel free to check out Growing Powers website and see the basis for this idea at. www.GrowingPower.org
Of course the amount that I'm requesting is enormous, all of it though would go to keeping this operation open for at least 3 years. In that time I would hope it would catch on and become truely self sufficient.
Because I'll be getting all of my funding from the community and my own meager savings, my goal would be to give back to the community. To that end a qaurter of all the food I produce would be donated to the local food shelves and soup kitchens for the homeless. I feel it is the least I can do for the donations that I hope to receive for this endeavor. Also making a non-profit would see to it that money made on this would go to other charities and outreach programs to help others learn how to produce their own food.
It's a big dream and will take a big miracle to pull off but please take a moment if you can donate and do so at the URL below. Thank you as always for reading.
http://www.gofundme.com/30kpko
Also feel free to check out Growing Powers website and see the basis for this idea at. www.GrowingPower.org
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Week 12 Minor setback
Sorry for the delay in posting, with the holiday on Monday I was busy and didn't have a chance to sit down and post. We have encountered a minor setback recently. The freezer that had most of the fish I had frozen in it was unplugged for three days. As a result I lost about 20 lbs of fish that I had caught and the last remaining beef I had from the supply run. This has left us without any meat until I can get out and do more fishing. Which of course as it would happen has been impossible with the weather that we have been having. Between snow storms, thunderstorms and a constant rain over the last week I have not been able to get out and do anything. Monday offered the first respite from the rain and while I was able to get out fishing, I was unsuccessful at landing anything worth keeping.
Fishing on Monday did bring about it's own revelations. While out fishing from shore, something I decided until I can get pontoons on my canoe to avoid anymore unintentional swimming trips, I took notice of all the wildlife I got to see. Things that a person who never ventures out into the forest would ever see. Longnose Gar feeding on insects on the top of the water, water snakes swimming around in the river, a box turtle sunning itself on a log in the middle of the river, and one very annoying beaver swimming around my fishing lines and generally being a nuicence. These are all things that I would have never seen had I been at home playing video games or watching TV. And while you can see these things on the discovery channel or animal planet there is something magical about being out in it and amoung it. Reconnecting to things in a way that I think a lot of people are losing touch with. Not that long ago this is how people did everything, my grandfather for example talks about when he was a child they had an out house and no indoor plumbing. How as a kid if he wanted to go out and play it meant going OUT and playing in the woods around his house. Hunting wasn't about sport or getting the prize buck it was about putting food on the table. His respect for nature and his understanding of how nature stays in balance would make any modern day hippy feel stupid. Organic in his day meant something they grew out of the family garden and free range or grass fed meat was something they shot. The work involved gave them an appreciation of where food comes from. While grocery stores and canned and processed food were starting to become a staple it was not something that was readily available the way it is now. But I digress, while I understand not everyone wants or has the ability to hunt, and in fact if everyone did it, it may put a larger strain on the enviorment than it could handle, I feel people should just take a walk out in the woods and reconnect to nature. Even if your not hunting imagine you are and let your wild side go as you stalk through the forest with a camara if you prefer looking for that next prey animal. Feel that sense of excitement as you stalk up on a deer or game bird and take that fantastic shot with your camara rather than a gun.
Weekly grocery shopping as always came in at 45 dollars, putting me almost 900 dollars in savings over the same time period in the store. Thanks as always for reading and for putting up with my small preachy moment above. Don't worry it won't become a habit. =)
Fishing on Monday did bring about it's own revelations. While out fishing from shore, something I decided until I can get pontoons on my canoe to avoid anymore unintentional swimming trips, I took notice of all the wildlife I got to see. Things that a person who never ventures out into the forest would ever see. Longnose Gar feeding on insects on the top of the water, water snakes swimming around in the river, a box turtle sunning itself on a log in the middle of the river, and one very annoying beaver swimming around my fishing lines and generally being a nuicence. These are all things that I would have never seen had I been at home playing video games or watching TV. And while you can see these things on the discovery channel or animal planet there is something magical about being out in it and amoung it. Reconnecting to things in a way that I think a lot of people are losing touch with. Not that long ago this is how people did everything, my grandfather for example talks about when he was a child they had an out house and no indoor plumbing. How as a kid if he wanted to go out and play it meant going OUT and playing in the woods around his house. Hunting wasn't about sport or getting the prize buck it was about putting food on the table. His respect for nature and his understanding of how nature stays in balance would make any modern day hippy feel stupid. Organic in his day meant something they grew out of the family garden and free range or grass fed meat was something they shot. The work involved gave them an appreciation of where food comes from. While grocery stores and canned and processed food were starting to become a staple it was not something that was readily available the way it is now. But I digress, while I understand not everyone wants or has the ability to hunt, and in fact if everyone did it, it may put a larger strain on the enviorment than it could handle, I feel people should just take a walk out in the woods and reconnect to nature. Even if your not hunting imagine you are and let your wild side go as you stalk through the forest with a camara if you prefer looking for that next prey animal. Feel that sense of excitement as you stalk up on a deer or game bird and take that fantastic shot with your camara rather than a gun.
Weekly grocery shopping as always came in at 45 dollars, putting me almost 900 dollars in savings over the same time period in the store. Thanks as always for reading and for putting up with my small preachy moment above. Don't worry it won't become a habit. =)
Monday, May 20, 2013
Week 11 Man overboard!!
Well it happened, I capsized my canoe on Friday and I'm here to tell you that the water is cold. Very cold. 30 min or so into fishing one of my fishing rods was heading over the side of the boat so out of reflex I reached to grab it and sent my self and all my stuff straight into the water. After the initial how did I end up here moment I calmed myself down and started to attempt to get back into the canoe, which was now swamped with water. Let me tell you that is no easy task, no matter how easy they make it look in the boat safety courses. After 6 or 7 failed attempts I decided it was time to start yelling for help, I had passed another boat when I went out and knew they would be within earshot possibly. But after 10 min in the water I couldn't feel how cold the water was and knew I needed to make some choices. If I stayed in the water much longer I was going to run the risk of becoming hypothermic and that would be no good. As luck would have it though as I was starting to get myself all the way into my life jacket I heard the boat motor coming and started to flail my arms and yell again. A couple minutes later two men on a small bass boat appeared and pulled me from the water. Now in typical Vermont fashion as they pulled up along side me in the water the older of the two men asked "Cold in there dad?" Which even in the moment made me laugh a little. He explained after they got me into the boat that his son, who was probably in his mid 30s had heard something and thought it was either a seagull or me. When he asked the son if he could see me in my canoe and the son replied that he could not they knew I had gone in the water.
You know I have for years watched shows like Deadliest Catch and heard people talk about how fast cold water can kill you. And while the water in Lake Winona where I was is not as cold as that it took a lot more out of me than I was expecting.
So what have I learned from all this, where your life jacket all the time when in the canoe, and practice getting into a swamped canoe and know how best to do it. While I knew the motions and had seen it done over and over in videos there is nothing like good old fashion practice to really prepare you to actually do it.
I have to admit I did cheat on this experiment last week and bought a lunch at work. Things have been hectic at home and I was unable to make a lunch for myself for 4 days and so on the 5th day I broke down and bought one. I'm convinced that the nature gods did not like that and that's why I ended up in the water.
Weekly grocery shopping came in as usual at around 50 dollars and now since the incident I believe I will use the savings to buy myself a real fishing boat. Early spring swimming adventures are for the birds.
Fishing and hunting have been slow going over the last couple weeks, with weather being a major factor in not producing much meat. I'm hoping things will turn around soon since the meat stores I bought are all but gone and red beans and rice have become more of a staple than I was anticipating. Here's to hoping that the worst of the accidents during this experiment are behind me and some good luck is on the way.
You know I have for years watched shows like Deadliest Catch and heard people talk about how fast cold water can kill you. And while the water in Lake Winona where I was is not as cold as that it took a lot more out of me than I was expecting.
So what have I learned from all this, where your life jacket all the time when in the canoe, and practice getting into a swamped canoe and know how best to do it. While I knew the motions and had seen it done over and over in videos there is nothing like good old fashion practice to really prepare you to actually do it.
I have to admit I did cheat on this experiment last week and bought a lunch at work. Things have been hectic at home and I was unable to make a lunch for myself for 4 days and so on the 5th day I broke down and bought one. I'm convinced that the nature gods did not like that and that's why I ended up in the water.
Weekly grocery shopping came in as usual at around 50 dollars and now since the incident I believe I will use the savings to buy myself a real fishing boat. Early spring swimming adventures are for the birds.
Fishing and hunting have been slow going over the last couple weeks, with weather being a major factor in not producing much meat. I'm hoping things will turn around soon since the meat stores I bought are all but gone and red beans and rice have become more of a staple than I was anticipating. Here's to hoping that the worst of the accidents during this experiment are behind me and some good luck is on the way.
Monday, May 13, 2013
Week 10 Fish Farming
So the end of another week and things are staying pretty constant. Fishing this past weekend I ended up with about 9 lbs of white perch. Other than that I did manage to finish getting some growing projects completed. Namely some of the hydroponic systems are now ready for use when the weather finally decides to stay summer like. I also have started work on a fish farm system. I'll include pictures soon on this but basically its a wooden box lined with plastic to hold water. Above the tank is a bed of water crest and pea gravel. The water is moved from the tank to the bed above via a pump and the water after trickling down the bed is dumped back into the tank. The bed filters the water of most of the fish waste and by dropping into the tank from above it aerates it as well. This system is used to great success by a place in Milwaukee called growing power. You can check out their website here; www.growingpower.org .
This week I also spoke with the state aquaculture biologist about the permitting process needed for raising fish for sale and stocking. I was surprised to learn that the process is actually quite simple and affordable. A 50 dollar fee and a 10 dollar renewal fee is all the money it costs. Along with a yearly inspection of the fish for disease which is currently free. So this will be something that I will be doing more of after my wife and I have bought our own home. A large scale operation would just be unreasonable while we remained in a rental.
Thermoelectric modules are something of a new discovery for me and I plan to start building a panel soon based on this technology. In essence these are used by some locations as a way to utilize waste heat generated from another source. My plan is to see how much and how large a system would need to be to generate the same amount of electricity from the sun as a traditional solar panel would. The most interesting thing is some of these modules can produce electricity on the reverse side from cold. This could potentially make them a great source of power during the long Vermont winters. Watch for me to post more on this separately from this weekly update in the future once my modules have arrived.
Weekly grocery shopping came in at 56 dollars this week, still keeping me well below my average pre experiment. The dry months in terms of hunting are coming and as far as fishing it will become more challenging as the fish move to deeper waters later in the summer. Wish me luck.
This week I also spoke with the state aquaculture biologist about the permitting process needed for raising fish for sale and stocking. I was surprised to learn that the process is actually quite simple and affordable. A 50 dollar fee and a 10 dollar renewal fee is all the money it costs. Along with a yearly inspection of the fish for disease which is currently free. So this will be something that I will be doing more of after my wife and I have bought our own home. A large scale operation would just be unreasonable while we remained in a rental.
Thermoelectric modules are something of a new discovery for me and I plan to start building a panel soon based on this technology. In essence these are used by some locations as a way to utilize waste heat generated from another source. My plan is to see how much and how large a system would need to be to generate the same amount of electricity from the sun as a traditional solar panel would. The most interesting thing is some of these modules can produce electricity on the reverse side from cold. This could potentially make them a great source of power during the long Vermont winters. Watch for me to post more on this separately from this weekly update in the future once my modules have arrived.
Weekly grocery shopping came in at 56 dollars this week, still keeping me well below my average pre experiment. The dry months in terms of hunting are coming and as far as fishing it will become more challenging as the fish move to deeper waters later in the summer. Wish me luck.
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Week 9 Food for the freezer
So another week has come and gone. Sunday was a big night for us, I was able to catch about 20 lbs of catfish, all of which is now in my freezer. Saturday my wife and I had the good fortune of watching a man bowfishing for Gar. Which suprised me since I didn't even know there were Gar in this state. While we were there he did manage to get a 4.5 foot Gar. He explained to us that they don't seem to go after lures or bait so the only way he knew how to get them was with bow and arrow. He also told us they taste just like chicken. I happen to have a bowfishing rig and I may give this a try soon myself.
Planting wise, all of my squash, tomatos, onions and potatos are in. I'll provide a layout for the urban farm at my house when it is all said and done. My two dwarf apple trees are blooming so thats a good sign I should get some apples this year, and my plan for the weekend is to move some rasberry bushes over to a sunny spot of my yard so they produce fruit this year as well.
No luck so far hunting turkeys but this was only the first weekend. Nothing else will come into season until well into the fall so this will be the only chance I have to go after bigger game. My moose lottery ticket is in and I was thinking if I was lucky enough to get one it would literally supply my family with enough meat to see us through the winter. Though I would have to try and get out of mounting it's head, my youngest son is desperately wanting one in his room.
Weekly grocery shopping has me at 50 dollars this week, and while this is higher then it has been it's still well under what I was spending before. So not to much this week to report but there it is. Again more things will be happening as the summer continues so stay tuned.
Planting wise, all of my squash, tomatos, onions and potatos are in. I'll provide a layout for the urban farm at my house when it is all said and done. My two dwarf apple trees are blooming so thats a good sign I should get some apples this year, and my plan for the weekend is to move some rasberry bushes over to a sunny spot of my yard so they produce fruit this year as well.
No luck so far hunting turkeys but this was only the first weekend. Nothing else will come into season until well into the fall so this will be the only chance I have to go after bigger game. My moose lottery ticket is in and I was thinking if I was lucky enough to get one it would literally supply my family with enough meat to see us through the winter. Though I would have to try and get out of mounting it's head, my youngest son is desperately wanting one in his room.
Weekly grocery shopping has me at 50 dollars this week, and while this is higher then it has been it's still well under what I was spending before. So not to much this week to report but there it is. Again more things will be happening as the summer continues so stay tuned.
Monday, April 29, 2013
Month 2 review
Well the second month of this experiment is now behind me and what a ride it has been so far. My seeds are all started and ready for planting as we head into May. My beehives have survived and I'm going up to Newport to work on them for the first time this season. Along in that trip I also plan to hunt for turkeys which their season opens on the 1st. Since you can only hunt turkey until noon my plan is to fish the second half of the day in one of the northern lakes I never get to otherwise.
Fishing has provided very well so far, this weekend we hauled in 3 northern pike, 2 of which measured 24 inches and the third one was a beast at 32 inches and weighed 8.1 lbs. All told the fish we caught provided roughly 14 lbs of food. Most of which we will eat this week. Ideally I would love to come into a great fishing day and be able to freeze some of the catch for this years winter. But I guess that's why it's called fishing and not catching.
Firewood for next year is also a top priority now as it needs time to dry and cure. My plan is to have it all cut and covered with black tarps and tar paper through the summer to speed up the drying process. I'll need roughly 4 cords of wood to get me through the winter.
My wife and I are actively looking to buy our own home, so that is now taking up some of our time. But if we find something with a small amount of land on it, it would provide better for us. Nothing huge, we have our eye on a house with 12 acres.
The farm and fish hatchery idea is burning up in my brain a lot of late. My dream of providing healthy, affordable food to the community is something I want to get off the ground. Unfortunately that is were my expertise ends. While I looked at Kickstarter and other crowd funding sites these have low limits set on donations. Ideally this project would cost roughly 3 million dollars to start. Which in these times is not something that is easy to come by. But if any of you know someone with that kind of money burning a hole in their pocket by all means have them contact me.
Weekly shopping comes in at 50 dollars this week to end the month ahead by over 400 dollars now. That money I'm going to set aside to start the funding on the farm idea. Every tidal wave starts with a single ripple as they say, so while it's not much it's a start.
To everyone out there reading this I want to take a minute and say thank you. The number of hits this blog has been getting has increased over the last 2 months and I hope people are enjoying it. Stay tuned through the summer as this is also my prime invention season and I'll be posting articles pertaining to those projects on here as well.
Fishing has provided very well so far, this weekend we hauled in 3 northern pike, 2 of which measured 24 inches and the third one was a beast at 32 inches and weighed 8.1 lbs. All told the fish we caught provided roughly 14 lbs of food. Most of which we will eat this week. Ideally I would love to come into a great fishing day and be able to freeze some of the catch for this years winter. But I guess that's why it's called fishing and not catching.
Firewood for next year is also a top priority now as it needs time to dry and cure. My plan is to have it all cut and covered with black tarps and tar paper through the summer to speed up the drying process. I'll need roughly 4 cords of wood to get me through the winter.
My wife and I are actively looking to buy our own home, so that is now taking up some of our time. But if we find something with a small amount of land on it, it would provide better for us. Nothing huge, we have our eye on a house with 12 acres.
The farm and fish hatchery idea is burning up in my brain a lot of late. My dream of providing healthy, affordable food to the community is something I want to get off the ground. Unfortunately that is were my expertise ends. While I looked at Kickstarter and other crowd funding sites these have low limits set on donations. Ideally this project would cost roughly 3 million dollars to start. Which in these times is not something that is easy to come by. But if any of you know someone with that kind of money burning a hole in their pocket by all means have them contact me.
Weekly shopping comes in at 50 dollars this week to end the month ahead by over 400 dollars now. That money I'm going to set aside to start the funding on the farm idea. Every tidal wave starts with a single ripple as they say, so while it's not much it's a start.
To everyone out there reading this I want to take a minute and say thank you. The number of hits this blog has been getting has increased over the last 2 months and I hope people are enjoying it. Stay tuned through the summer as this is also my prime invention season and I'll be posting articles pertaining to those projects on here as well.
Monday, April 22, 2013
Week 7 Work work work
So you may have noticed that I was late in posting this week, and for that I apologize. But as I am learning more and more, this whole thing takes work. And not to discourage anyone from doing it because I think it is well worth it, but it is a lot of work. Time management has been key in keeping things moving at a more managable pace. However, today I found myself with to many jobs and not enough time. Planting season is well upon us and I have been working to get seeds started for planting. On top of all that fishing for meat is also a priority and tonight I was out yet again with my buddy Bill trying to catch something. Tonight however we were not so successful.
Sunday did see us catch a couple nice fish, a 21 inch Northern Pike and a 10 inch Yellow perch, they will make a nice meal tomorrow. We also caught three nice size largemouth bass but unfortunately they are not in season yet.
Along with seed starting I am also planning new improvements to the hydroponic and container gardens I started last year. Working to improve those systems and make them more productive, I'll post pictures when they are done and up.
Rice I have decided is truely a life saver, taking what would otherwise be just enough meat for a single meal and turning it into a week long dish for taking to work for lunch. The rice scare had me worried but luckily the large bags of rice I had purchased were from the USA.
Turkey season is coming soon, in just a couple weeks, with any luck I will be able to bag a couple. Then the long haul to fall will start when there is no hunting seasons in and fishing will be the primary source of meat.
Weekly shopping was 40 dollars this week so that continues my trend of saving money.
My thoughts also return to the farm idea from last year. I remain convinced that with the proper funding I could raise enough food to feed the entire city of Burlington, and South Burlington and do it in a manner that would keep the cost affordable to everyone. But big floods start out as a small rain drop as my friend Bill says. So since I don't have the money to go big to start I will keep things small and build it up. To that end my wife and I are actively looking for a house of our own, where we could truely do what we wanted in terms of growing and alternate power options.
Anyway in closing thanks for reading and again I apologize for being a little late on this post, stay tuned as I'm sure things are going to get even more interesting.
Sunday did see us catch a couple nice fish, a 21 inch Northern Pike and a 10 inch Yellow perch, they will make a nice meal tomorrow. We also caught three nice size largemouth bass but unfortunately they are not in season yet.
Along with seed starting I am also planning new improvements to the hydroponic and container gardens I started last year. Working to improve those systems and make them more productive, I'll post pictures when they are done and up.
Rice I have decided is truely a life saver, taking what would otherwise be just enough meat for a single meal and turning it into a week long dish for taking to work for lunch. The rice scare had me worried but luckily the large bags of rice I had purchased were from the USA.
Turkey season is coming soon, in just a couple weeks, with any luck I will be able to bag a couple. Then the long haul to fall will start when there is no hunting seasons in and fishing will be the primary source of meat.
Weekly shopping was 40 dollars this week so that continues my trend of saving money.
My thoughts also return to the farm idea from last year. I remain convinced that with the proper funding I could raise enough food to feed the entire city of Burlington, and South Burlington and do it in a manner that would keep the cost affordable to everyone. But big floods start out as a small rain drop as my friend Bill says. So since I don't have the money to go big to start I will keep things small and build it up. To that end my wife and I are actively looking for a house of our own, where we could truely do what we wanted in terms of growing and alternate power options.
Anyway in closing thanks for reading and again I apologize for being a little late on this post, stay tuned as I'm sure things are going to get even more interesting.
Monday, April 15, 2013
Week 6 Fish On!!
Fishing has begun! On April 13th most of Vermont's lakes and rivers opened to fishing. And all though this Friday was a terrible day to go fishing the rest of the opening weekend was perfect. Overcast and a little chilly kept everything interesting to be sure, but I was able to bring in 6 good size Bull Head catfish. While I know that is not enough to feed myself or my family for the week, it is a good start. Currently the fish are cleaning out a bit in a tub of fresh water and on Tuesday my plan is to fillet them up and serve them with rice.
In case anyone is curious about where I caught them I was in the South Slang or Little Otter Creek in Ferrisburgh. Using my fathers old canoe my oldest son and I paddled out into the current and around noon the fish started biting. In all we hauled in 12 but we tossed 6 back on account of their size. Telling each of them as they hit the water to go back and get bigger.
Sunday we headed over to Shelburne pond with no luck, though a buddy of mine did catch a good size bass, they are not in season yet so it went back in the water. Talking to the local fishermen at Shelburne Pond brings me to another topic that I wanted to bring up however. That is water quality.
Here in Vermont we like to think of this place as a pristine rural enviorment. Clean and relatively unspoiled but urban sprawl. This sadly however is not the case as I learned Sunday in talking to folks. Apparently though it appeared quite clear on Sunday due to the colder temperatures Shelburne pond has been under attack by invasive aquatic plants over the past decade. To the point of which the pond has experianced several large die offs of fish. The fish there also according to the locals are typically found with round worms. While the round worms are not a threat to humans as long as the fish is cooked, it's still unsettling to think about eating one. Mercury of course is the true threat from fish and unfortunately I know of no way to test a fish for it before eating. But how sad is it that we can no longer trust eating fish from such a large body of water in Vermont. For years even before this people would say to stay away from Lamoille river and the lower end of the Winnoski river for the same reasons.
Blue green algae has become an issue in the state recently, and again while concentrations of it are not harmful to humans it is harmful to animals, such as dogs. I can only imagine though I couldn't find any studies on it that the same is true for deer and other wildlife.
So what can be done? Aquatic plants steal oxygen from the water and cause fish to die, worms are unsightly and I can't imagine fun for the fish to be carrying around and have been shown to stunt growth, and algae poses threats to wildlife all though unconfirmed at this time.
We all know that introducing a new species of fish to combat say the plants is not reasonable, what do you do with them when all the invasive plants are gone, what impact would they have on the food chain in the water. Poisoning the plants and algae is not a smart option as I'm sure such things would kill off fish as well. Perhaps increasing the number of fish in the ponds and lakes is a good answer. I'm not sure, overfishing on a scale like in Vermont is a possible threat to the ecosystem as a whole. And while Vermont Fish and Game stock some species every year, I find it hard to believe the stock more than are caught every year in the state. This idea of trash fish, as I have heard it called is another things that leads to decline, sadly this Sunday I found 4 large bull head catfish dead beside the pond just steps away from the water. Someone had discarded them on shore rather than putting them back in the water. Why you might ask would someone do this I have heard the common excuse over and over again, "Well I don't want to have him bite my line again" Let me tell you something, if I poked you with a needle stuck inside a banana, how likely are you to just go chomping into another one immediately after, or even for the next few days, or even years. Without any scientific information to back it up I'm willing to bet the same thing is true of fish who have just been hooked.
Anyway I will stop ranting there, and end with an update as usual on my weekly grocery shopping, this weeks groceries also included some other things we needed and I had not thought of namely trash bags and dish washing soap, so the total for this week was 55 dollars. Still landing me a savings of 100 dollars on average. Putting me now 220 dollars ahead I believe. So once again thanks for reading and stay tuned.
In case anyone is curious about where I caught them I was in the South Slang or Little Otter Creek in Ferrisburgh. Using my fathers old canoe my oldest son and I paddled out into the current and around noon the fish started biting. In all we hauled in 12 but we tossed 6 back on account of their size. Telling each of them as they hit the water to go back and get bigger.
Sunday we headed over to Shelburne pond with no luck, though a buddy of mine did catch a good size bass, they are not in season yet so it went back in the water. Talking to the local fishermen at Shelburne Pond brings me to another topic that I wanted to bring up however. That is water quality.
Here in Vermont we like to think of this place as a pristine rural enviorment. Clean and relatively unspoiled but urban sprawl. This sadly however is not the case as I learned Sunday in talking to folks. Apparently though it appeared quite clear on Sunday due to the colder temperatures Shelburne pond has been under attack by invasive aquatic plants over the past decade. To the point of which the pond has experianced several large die offs of fish. The fish there also according to the locals are typically found with round worms. While the round worms are not a threat to humans as long as the fish is cooked, it's still unsettling to think about eating one. Mercury of course is the true threat from fish and unfortunately I know of no way to test a fish for it before eating. But how sad is it that we can no longer trust eating fish from such a large body of water in Vermont. For years even before this people would say to stay away from Lamoille river and the lower end of the Winnoski river for the same reasons.
Blue green algae has become an issue in the state recently, and again while concentrations of it are not harmful to humans it is harmful to animals, such as dogs. I can only imagine though I couldn't find any studies on it that the same is true for deer and other wildlife.
So what can be done? Aquatic plants steal oxygen from the water and cause fish to die, worms are unsightly and I can't imagine fun for the fish to be carrying around and have been shown to stunt growth, and algae poses threats to wildlife all though unconfirmed at this time.
We all know that introducing a new species of fish to combat say the plants is not reasonable, what do you do with them when all the invasive plants are gone, what impact would they have on the food chain in the water. Poisoning the plants and algae is not a smart option as I'm sure such things would kill off fish as well. Perhaps increasing the number of fish in the ponds and lakes is a good answer. I'm not sure, overfishing on a scale like in Vermont is a possible threat to the ecosystem as a whole. And while Vermont Fish and Game stock some species every year, I find it hard to believe the stock more than are caught every year in the state. This idea of trash fish, as I have heard it called is another things that leads to decline, sadly this Sunday I found 4 large bull head catfish dead beside the pond just steps away from the water. Someone had discarded them on shore rather than putting them back in the water. Why you might ask would someone do this I have heard the common excuse over and over again, "Well I don't want to have him bite my line again" Let me tell you something, if I poked you with a needle stuck inside a banana, how likely are you to just go chomping into another one immediately after, or even for the next few days, or even years. Without any scientific information to back it up I'm willing to bet the same thing is true of fish who have just been hooked.
Anyway I will stop ranting there, and end with an update as usual on my weekly grocery shopping, this weeks groceries also included some other things we needed and I had not thought of namely trash bags and dish washing soap, so the total for this week was 55 dollars. Still landing me a savings of 100 dollars on average. Putting me now 220 dollars ahead I believe. So once again thanks for reading and stay tuned.
Monday, April 8, 2013
Week 5 Unexpected problems
So I have to admit I may have made a judgement error in picking March to be the month to start all this. Living in Vermont for the last 15 years I should have realized that no matter what the previous year was like the next year will be different. Trends never seem to happen here in Vermont and this year was no exception. Last year we enjoyed an early spring and thaw which opened lake fishing much earlier than usual. This year while the temperature has been mild for the most part, it stayed cold enough to keep most of the lake under ice for a substantial amount of time. This in turn has made getting meat a challenge. As I took stock of what I have left for meat yesterday I came to a realization that at best I will be able to stretch out the supply for at most another 2 weeks. After that it looks like I will be playing vegetarian much to my displeasure.
Fishing does officially open on all lakes, ponds and rivers this coming weekend so who knows things may turn around. As for muskrat well without a thaw to drive them up out of their holes, finding them has been a challenge and thus far unsuccessful. The season on them ends in 11 more days so there is still time, but along with the need to get seeds started and the time better spent on catching fish, I don't think I will allocate any time to this endeavor.
Other than that things have been going well. A group of us went out and did a bit of fishing this weekend with minimal success. But it was good to be out and we did get to witness an osprey catching what looked like a large salmon. Though the excitement of it was quickly met with jeers of ridicule for the bird of prey for being more successful than we were.
My friends and I have decided to start filming our fishing adventures in a sort of spoof on the pro fishing shows you see on TV and the show River Monsters on Animal Planet. So watch for these when we start posting them to YouTube I'll include the link in this blog to the channel. I can guarantee you won't learn anything about fishing by watching it, but it should be good for a laugh.
Weekly grocery shopping again came out to 40 dollars and this marks the 2nd week of actual savings even when taking into account the supply run. Putting me 160 dollars ahead over my average cost before starting this experiment.
I know a number of people are reading this blog now from the stats I'm receiving I would love to hear any suggestions you may have or advise on things concerning fishing or hunting. So feel free to post a response to any of the articles here. Also feel free to ask any questions if you have any and I will try to respond in a timely manner. Thanks again for reading and stay posted.
Fishing does officially open on all lakes, ponds and rivers this coming weekend so who knows things may turn around. As for muskrat well without a thaw to drive them up out of their holes, finding them has been a challenge and thus far unsuccessful. The season on them ends in 11 more days so there is still time, but along with the need to get seeds started and the time better spent on catching fish, I don't think I will allocate any time to this endeavor.
Other than that things have been going well. A group of us went out and did a bit of fishing this weekend with minimal success. But it was good to be out and we did get to witness an osprey catching what looked like a large salmon. Though the excitement of it was quickly met with jeers of ridicule for the bird of prey for being more successful than we were.
My friends and I have decided to start filming our fishing adventures in a sort of spoof on the pro fishing shows you see on TV and the show River Monsters on Animal Planet. So watch for these when we start posting them to YouTube I'll include the link in this blog to the channel. I can guarantee you won't learn anything about fishing by watching it, but it should be good for a laugh.
Weekly grocery shopping again came out to 40 dollars and this marks the 2nd week of actual savings even when taking into account the supply run. Putting me 160 dollars ahead over my average cost before starting this experiment.
I know a number of people are reading this blog now from the stats I'm receiving I would love to hear any suggestions you may have or advise on things concerning fishing or hunting. So feel free to post a response to any of the articles here. Also feel free to ask any questions if you have any and I will try to respond in a timely manner. Thanks again for reading and stay posted.
Monday, April 1, 2013
Month 1 in review
So my first month of subsistence living is over and I have learned a lot about what it takes to make this type of lifestyle work. Put simply it takes WORK. Instead of sitting around and watching tv or playing video games or reading my favorite book. I have to put in the time to ensure that all the needs are met to make it through the next day/week. Forward planning, and as I talked about in a previous post, good time management are essential. Such as thinking about what meals can be made ahead of time or prepped ahead of time to shorten the cooking time, that way I have time for bread making or packing the kids school lunches in advance. Setting up the coffee maker the night before, and even running the same grounds twice, something that was unheard of for me before have all helped make this month possible. Getting the family involved has also been a huge help. From my wife helping with the cooking, so I was freed up to go fishing or hunting, to my sons helping bring in firewood, go hunting with me to act as look outs for rabbits, even my 7 year old helping make the bread, have all been a huge help. Ultimately too, though I won't tell them this, it is getting them up and moving, and learning. The days of them sitting watching cartoons or movies while I cooked dinner or my wife did laundry are gone. And because we make it fun to do they don't even realize they are working to help the family.
They are learning too, though again I won't tell them that. My 7 year old can identify most animal tracks now on sight. He has learned the behavior of different types of animals in terms of habitat. Even my moody 14 year old is learning these things, and along with that learning why it's important to conserve and protect these things. They are learning what it takes to make food, and where it comes from. They understand that there is work involved in cleaning and skinning the animals. These activities I have used to demonstrate even grocery store meat has to go through. Planting and growing vegetables is a topic, as we near spring, that will become a larger part of the day.
Most importantly I think they are starting to learn that work doesn't have to be work. It can be fun, and helpful to not just themselves but to others.
My 14 year old asked the question a few days ago. "What if we actually lived in a place where you couldn't buy the stuff we eat for school lunches?" This was an excellent question and allowed me to explain how real subsistence living can be done. Of course a lot of this is area dependent, but for this answer I told him lets say we are living here in the North East Kingdom.
It takes less then 1 acre to raise a dairy cow. A bred dairy cow will supply 6 gallons of milk per day. Now of course you need to feed the cow. And while I was at my in laws farm I should have asked how much hay and corn it would take to feed 1 cow, I will for a later post. Now since that cow has to be pregnant to produce milk she will have an off spring, which can be used for 1 of 2 things. More milk or meat. In terms of meat you can expect on average about 600 lbs from a single full grown adult.
Since you have all that milk from your one cow, you can now make your own butter, and cheese.
Chickens even just 5 as the city I live in allows would supply more eggs than you know what to do with. And they take up less then 40 square feet of space. With a single roster you could allow breeding for meat birds if you wish. Setting aside the off spring for meat and so that less in breeding would occur.
Raising your own oats and berries and honey bees would give you all that you need for a nice cereal for the kids to eat in the morning, or why not just have eggs since you have the chickens.
Of course that takes some space or you can simply buy the oats by the 50 lb bag
Apple trees, pear trees, berry bushes would supply fruits for snacks through the year either as canned or dried.
So I think that covers a lot of ground so far this month. In the coming months more things are going to be piled on, gardening, college courses for myself, fishing, cutting splitting and stacking wood for next winter, beekeeping. All are going to keep piling on, so as I move into spring keep reading because I'm sure it's going to get interesting. And thanks for reading.
They are learning too, though again I won't tell them that. My 7 year old can identify most animal tracks now on sight. He has learned the behavior of different types of animals in terms of habitat. Even my moody 14 year old is learning these things, and along with that learning why it's important to conserve and protect these things. They are learning what it takes to make food, and where it comes from. They understand that there is work involved in cleaning and skinning the animals. These activities I have used to demonstrate even grocery store meat has to go through. Planting and growing vegetables is a topic, as we near spring, that will become a larger part of the day.
Most importantly I think they are starting to learn that work doesn't have to be work. It can be fun, and helpful to not just themselves but to others.
My 14 year old asked the question a few days ago. "What if we actually lived in a place where you couldn't buy the stuff we eat for school lunches?" This was an excellent question and allowed me to explain how real subsistence living can be done. Of course a lot of this is area dependent, but for this answer I told him lets say we are living here in the North East Kingdom.
It takes less then 1 acre to raise a dairy cow. A bred dairy cow will supply 6 gallons of milk per day. Now of course you need to feed the cow. And while I was at my in laws farm I should have asked how much hay and corn it would take to feed 1 cow, I will for a later post. Now since that cow has to be pregnant to produce milk she will have an off spring, which can be used for 1 of 2 things. More milk or meat. In terms of meat you can expect on average about 600 lbs from a single full grown adult.
Since you have all that milk from your one cow, you can now make your own butter, and cheese.
Chickens even just 5 as the city I live in allows would supply more eggs than you know what to do with. And they take up less then 40 square feet of space. With a single roster you could allow breeding for meat birds if you wish. Setting aside the off spring for meat and so that less in breeding would occur.
Raising your own oats and berries and honey bees would give you all that you need for a nice cereal for the kids to eat in the morning, or why not just have eggs since you have the chickens.
Of course that takes some space or you can simply buy the oats by the 50 lb bag
Apple trees, pear trees, berry bushes would supply fruits for snacks through the year either as canned or dried.
So I think that covers a lot of ground so far this month. In the coming months more things are going to be piled on, gardening, college courses for myself, fishing, cutting splitting and stacking wood for next winter, beekeeping. All are going to keep piling on, so as I move into spring keep reading because I'm sure it's going to get interesting. And thanks for reading.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Week 3 Making large meals
So I find myself finishing the first 3 weeks of this experiment and I have to say, so far it appears very doable. One trick I have learned is making a larger than normal amount of food. This serves two purposes it gives me lunches to take to work every day as well as lunches for my wife, and so far it has been a source of 2 days of dinners for the family as a whole. While at first everyone was a little upset about eating the same things over and over, they are now starting to except it and actually enjoy it. Small changes to things like stew, in terms of making rice and putting the stew over rice helps to break the rut a little.
To date I still have a bulk of the supplies I bought. Making it clear that I should be able to last another 5 months before the next supply run. Fishing is getting ready to open everywhere in the state, which should open up a wealth of meat options. Muskrats have come into season though I have not been able to get any yet. In speaking of muskrat it has come to my attention from talking to some of my co-workers that not many people are familiar with eating these animals. So I think after I have gotten a few and tried some different recipes I'll post them here for people to try out.
The weekly grocery run came out to 45 dollars this week, so that still amounts to a 105 dollar savings on average and after the last week of march is over I should now start to see the savings from such a reduced bill.
This coming weekend also will start my preparing for next winter in terms of cutting and splitting firewood. I will also be planting my seedlings to get them started for planting in the next few weeks with any luck.
Another side effect of how we are eating that I don't think any of us has thought about was the loss of weight. I have dropped 10 lbs in the last 3 weeks and my wife and kids are also reporting similar weight losses. I attribute this to two things, first the small portion sizes that we are all eating, and second the fact the majority of food we are eating is healthier. No more soda, no more store bought bread, no box meals, and all the additives and chemicals in those foods.
Stay tuned the first full month is coming to a close soon.
To date I still have a bulk of the supplies I bought. Making it clear that I should be able to last another 5 months before the next supply run. Fishing is getting ready to open everywhere in the state, which should open up a wealth of meat options. Muskrats have come into season though I have not been able to get any yet. In speaking of muskrat it has come to my attention from talking to some of my co-workers that not many people are familiar with eating these animals. So I think after I have gotten a few and tried some different recipes I'll post them here for people to try out.
The weekly grocery run came out to 45 dollars this week, so that still amounts to a 105 dollar savings on average and after the last week of march is over I should now start to see the savings from such a reduced bill.
This coming weekend also will start my preparing for next winter in terms of cutting and splitting firewood. I will also be planting my seedlings to get them started for planting in the next few weeks with any luck.
Another side effect of how we are eating that I don't think any of us has thought about was the loss of weight. I have dropped 10 lbs in the last 3 weeks and my wife and kids are also reporting similar weight losses. I attribute this to two things, first the small portion sizes that we are all eating, and second the fact the majority of food we are eating is healthier. No more soda, no more store bought bread, no box meals, and all the additives and chemicals in those foods.
Stay tuned the first full month is coming to a close soon.
Monday, March 18, 2013
Week 2 Time Management
So now that I have gotten through the 2nd week of my subsistence living experiment I have a few things to talk about. First of all time management is essential. In order to make this a more realistic experiment I have added some other things to the parameters. Since last november the fireplace in my house has been working and usable. So I decided to make that part of the experiment, while we still heat the house with a traditional furnace fueled by natural gas, I have made it a point to light a fire every night and simulate the act of heating the home through wood. This of course has added to my chore list in the means of bringing in firewood and making kindling to light a fire with.I have also decided to make things from the pelts of the animals that I kill and therefore use as much of the animal as possible. Letting nearly nothing go to waste. Again another chore added to my list.
And this is where time management is key. I hold a full time job working for the local hospital as does my wife. This leaves very few hours left in the day when I get home to do all the things I need to. I like anyone else like to come home and relax after a long day at work. But I have learned the hard way that while I still have time for relaxing I have to better manage my time to get everything done. Otherwise like on Tuesday last week I end up making bread at 11pm at night. (Not a fun thing to be doing mind you) So I'll recap the week for you all so you can get a better idea of what I'm talking about.
Sunday- Went hunting for rabbits on the last day of the season for 4 hours in Newport, which is a 2 hour drive one way from where I live. I did manage to get a rather large snowshoe hare but got home at around 7 pm. As is usual friends and family came over at 8pm to watch The Walking Dead until 10pm. Which meant I didn't get around to skinning and cleaning the rabbit till 1030pm. And I finished that at around 1130pm.
Monday- Out of work at 5pm made dinner of a baked chicken for the family and ate then made the bad decision of sitting down at 8pm and relaxing. Nothing else got done.
Tuesday- Work, then made dinner of beans and rice and left over chicken. Brought in wood for the night and the following night but didn't realize or think about needing more loaves of bread until 10pm by the time they were done it was 1130 or so.
Wednsday- Work, dinner of left overs, made kindling and finished prepping the hides from the three rabbits in a salt and alum powder solution. Made kindling for the night and night after.
Thursday- Work, made home made mac and cheese and some green beans for dinner, cleaned the fireplace, took out garbage.
Friday- Work, then it was my anniversary for my wife and I had dinner out and stayed at the Inn where we got married, which is a tradition we have been doing since we got married 3 years ago. ( I know eating dinner out violates the rules of the experiment but better to keep my wife happy.)
The weekend was filled with things like bringing in wood, making kindling,( something I am starting to do for the entire week all at once.) I boiled the rabbit meat and made a stew of him. Worked out the rest of the pelts and now have them ready to be made into something. Got fishing gear ready, sighted in my hunting rifles. I also did the weekly grocery shopping which came out to the same as last week 40 dollars. All of which was a large box of cereal for the children, snacks for the kids lunches, milk, a bunch of bananas and a bag of apples, all of which is for the children to take to school in their lunches. Another weekly savings of 110 dollars on average on top of the saving money not buying my work lunches or buying coffee. For a total weekly saving of about 175 dollars.
What I have taken away from this week is work smarter, I was able to make the stew and 4 loaves of bread at once which saved me time. The 4 loaves should make lunches for the kids all week and allow us to eat some bread for dinner, the stew will last us for about 3 meals or so and lunches for most of the week at work. Instead of making kindling on an as needed basis I have decided to spend a couple hours and just make enough for the entire week all at once and keep it in a small box next to the fireplace. With more things to do coming in the spring with planting a garden, fishing and hunting and cutting and splitting firewood for next winter these things will be essential to make it all work.
And this is where time management is key. I hold a full time job working for the local hospital as does my wife. This leaves very few hours left in the day when I get home to do all the things I need to. I like anyone else like to come home and relax after a long day at work. But I have learned the hard way that while I still have time for relaxing I have to better manage my time to get everything done. Otherwise like on Tuesday last week I end up making bread at 11pm at night. (Not a fun thing to be doing mind you) So I'll recap the week for you all so you can get a better idea of what I'm talking about.
Sunday- Went hunting for rabbits on the last day of the season for 4 hours in Newport, which is a 2 hour drive one way from where I live. I did manage to get a rather large snowshoe hare but got home at around 7 pm. As is usual friends and family came over at 8pm to watch The Walking Dead until 10pm. Which meant I didn't get around to skinning and cleaning the rabbit till 1030pm. And I finished that at around 1130pm.
Monday- Out of work at 5pm made dinner of a baked chicken for the family and ate then made the bad decision of sitting down at 8pm and relaxing. Nothing else got done.
Tuesday- Work, then made dinner of beans and rice and left over chicken. Brought in wood for the night and the following night but didn't realize or think about needing more loaves of bread until 10pm by the time they were done it was 1130 or so.
Wednsday- Work, dinner of left overs, made kindling and finished prepping the hides from the three rabbits in a salt and alum powder solution. Made kindling for the night and night after.
Thursday- Work, made home made mac and cheese and some green beans for dinner, cleaned the fireplace, took out garbage.
Friday- Work, then it was my anniversary for my wife and I had dinner out and stayed at the Inn where we got married, which is a tradition we have been doing since we got married 3 years ago. ( I know eating dinner out violates the rules of the experiment but better to keep my wife happy.)
The weekend was filled with things like bringing in wood, making kindling,( something I am starting to do for the entire week all at once.) I boiled the rabbit meat and made a stew of him. Worked out the rest of the pelts and now have them ready to be made into something. Got fishing gear ready, sighted in my hunting rifles. I also did the weekly grocery shopping which came out to the same as last week 40 dollars. All of which was a large box of cereal for the children, snacks for the kids lunches, milk, a bunch of bananas and a bag of apples, all of which is for the children to take to school in their lunches. Another weekly savings of 110 dollars on average on top of the saving money not buying my work lunches or buying coffee. For a total weekly saving of about 175 dollars.
What I have taken away from this week is work smarter, I was able to make the stew and 4 loaves of bread at once which saved me time. The 4 loaves should make lunches for the kids all week and allow us to eat some bread for dinner, the stew will last us for about 3 meals or so and lunches for most of the week at work. Instead of making kindling on an as needed basis I have decided to spend a couple hours and just make enough for the entire week all at once and keep it in a small box next to the fireplace. With more things to do coming in the spring with planting a garden, fishing and hunting and cutting and splitting firewood for next winter these things will be essential to make it all work.
Monday, March 11, 2013
Week 1 Into the Fray
So the first week of my subsistence living is over, and for the most part I'm very encouraged by the results. My buddy and I were able to get a couple rabbits on Thursday before this whole thing started and I made those into two dishes that lasted me and my family the week. The first of which was a standard rabbit stew, potatos, carrots, onion and the like in a thick broth. And the second was a rabbit, rice and red bean combination that was seasoned with Frank's Hot Sauce and salt. In fact I'm eating that as I type this post today.
On Sunday we went out again and I was able to bag another large snowshoe rabbit which again I will make into a stew for this week. Unfortunately Sunday was the last day for rabbit season here in Vermont so there will be no more of those to come until Sept. when the season opens back up. However, due to an early thaw coming possibly this week I may be able to start fishing as early as next week and start bringing in that for meat.
Bread making has been a work in progress. White bread has been easy to learn and come out very well, but potato bread has been a bit trickier. I'm going to attempt that one again tonight when I make bread. I made 4 loaves of white bread that lasted me and the family through the week and to be honest may start cutting us back on bread anyway which would not be a bad thing in terms of health.
Speaking of the family the whole thing has been a huge hit so far with them, while they were first apprehensive of the idea they now see that it can be fun and possible and have gotten on board. My youngest son is very excited by the hunting and devours anything that has been shot or fished at a rate that I may have to get under control to make it through next winter. My oldest son is still adjusting to more time outside and less time on the electronic devices in the house but he will get there, he's a teenager, everything is terrible when first offered but a whole lot of fun when he gets out doing it.
On another note and to be completely open about this whole thing there are things that I continue to have to buy for them. Milk, cereal, peanut butter and jelly and snacks for their school lunches but that is all. This weeks shopping trip cost me 40 dollars for those things. Which when put into perspective is much less than I use to spend per week. Which is something I will start posting at the end of each weeks blog is my expenses for you to watch and see how this, if it works, will save money in the long run also.
To Date: 375 dollars spent on initial supplies Average weekly grocery bill pre-experiment
40 dollars week 1 groceries. 150 dollars
So that means that as of right now I am still 265 dollars in the hole as it were. but this week alone I saved 110 dollars in the grocery store.
On top of those savings I no longer by lunch at work average 5-7 dollars a day or coffee from the store 1.50 a day. For another total weekly saving of about 32.50.
Not to bad to start off with, but the question still remains is it sustainable. Only time will tell. Watch for the week 2 post around this time next week. And I will post in between if anything major changes. Thanks for reading.
On Sunday we went out again and I was able to bag another large snowshoe rabbit which again I will make into a stew for this week. Unfortunately Sunday was the last day for rabbit season here in Vermont so there will be no more of those to come until Sept. when the season opens back up. However, due to an early thaw coming possibly this week I may be able to start fishing as early as next week and start bringing in that for meat.
Bread making has been a work in progress. White bread has been easy to learn and come out very well, but potato bread has been a bit trickier. I'm going to attempt that one again tonight when I make bread. I made 4 loaves of white bread that lasted me and the family through the week and to be honest may start cutting us back on bread anyway which would not be a bad thing in terms of health.
Speaking of the family the whole thing has been a huge hit so far with them, while they were first apprehensive of the idea they now see that it can be fun and possible and have gotten on board. My youngest son is very excited by the hunting and devours anything that has been shot or fished at a rate that I may have to get under control to make it through next winter. My oldest son is still adjusting to more time outside and less time on the electronic devices in the house but he will get there, he's a teenager, everything is terrible when first offered but a whole lot of fun when he gets out doing it.
On another note and to be completely open about this whole thing there are things that I continue to have to buy for them. Milk, cereal, peanut butter and jelly and snacks for their school lunches but that is all. This weeks shopping trip cost me 40 dollars for those things. Which when put into perspective is much less than I use to spend per week. Which is something I will start posting at the end of each weeks blog is my expenses for you to watch and see how this, if it works, will save money in the long run also.
To Date: 375 dollars spent on initial supplies Average weekly grocery bill pre-experiment
40 dollars week 1 groceries. 150 dollars
So that means that as of right now I am still 265 dollars in the hole as it were. but this week alone I saved 110 dollars in the grocery store.
On top of those savings I no longer by lunch at work average 5-7 dollars a day or coffee from the store 1.50 a day. For another total weekly saving of about 32.50.
Not to bad to start off with, but the question still remains is it sustainable. Only time will tell. Watch for the week 2 post around this time next week. And I will post in between if anything major changes. Thanks for reading.
Friday, March 8, 2013
Subsitance Living
Subsitance living, by definition is growing, foraging or taking from nature only what you need to live, or sustain life. That is going to be how for the next year I plan to live.
It all started by watching the show Yukon Men on Discovery channel. The show follows 4 men in Tanana, Alaska, a small village in the yukon on the Tanana and Yukon rivers. If you have not seen the show I highly recommend it. In the show the 4 men hunt and fish for the bulk of their food, not only for themselves but for their families as well. This got me to thinking about all the things I had done over the past year and how I could incorperate this into a larger experiment.
And to be completely honest it was also inspired by a half joking comment I made to my wife about moving to Alaska with the kids and living there full time. Her response was, "Well show me that you could even do it here in Vermont, I don't think you could."
So I took the challenge. Along with my gardening projects I will hunt or fish all the meat that my family eats for the next year. Starting on March 1st. She did allow in her challenge two supply runs to Costco for bulk ingredients that would carry us through the year.
The list of supplies I purchased are;
100 lbs of flour
100 lbs of sugar
20 lbs of coffee
16 lbs of butter
50 lbs of red beans
20 assorted boxes of pasta
20 peppers that I cut and frove
20 lbs of carrots that I cut and frove
10 lbs of broccoli
16 lbs of ground beef to get through to the thaw
4 whole chickens
20 lbs of salt
5 lbs of pepper
80 lbs of rice
24 cans of cut green beans
20 cans of corn
5 lbs active yeast
All of that cost 375 dollars, and if my calculations were correct should make it through to mid/late summer when I will do another run but without buying any meat. I was successful at getting 2 rabbits so far from hunting and used them to make a large stew and a large pot of rice and beans. I have also learned to make my own bread in the oven.
So lets see how this goes and wish me luck. I will make a seperate post about the first week of this experiment soon which as you can see by the date of this post is fast approuching.
It all started by watching the show Yukon Men on Discovery channel. The show follows 4 men in Tanana, Alaska, a small village in the yukon on the Tanana and Yukon rivers. If you have not seen the show I highly recommend it. In the show the 4 men hunt and fish for the bulk of their food, not only for themselves but for their families as well. This got me to thinking about all the things I had done over the past year and how I could incorperate this into a larger experiment.
And to be completely honest it was also inspired by a half joking comment I made to my wife about moving to Alaska with the kids and living there full time. Her response was, "Well show me that you could even do it here in Vermont, I don't think you could."
So I took the challenge. Along with my gardening projects I will hunt or fish all the meat that my family eats for the next year. Starting on March 1st. She did allow in her challenge two supply runs to Costco for bulk ingredients that would carry us through the year.
The list of supplies I purchased are;
100 lbs of flour
100 lbs of sugar
20 lbs of coffee
16 lbs of butter
50 lbs of red beans
20 assorted boxes of pasta
20 peppers that I cut and frove
20 lbs of carrots that I cut and frove
10 lbs of broccoli
16 lbs of ground beef to get through to the thaw
4 whole chickens
20 lbs of salt
5 lbs of pepper
80 lbs of rice
24 cans of cut green beans
20 cans of corn
5 lbs active yeast
All of that cost 375 dollars, and if my calculations were correct should make it through to mid/late summer when I will do another run but without buying any meat. I was successful at getting 2 rabbits so far from hunting and used them to make a large stew and a large pot of rice and beans. I have also learned to make my own bread in the oven.
So lets see how this goes and wish me luck. I will make a seperate post about the first week of this experiment soon which as you can see by the date of this post is fast approuching.
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