Been there, done that. The whole I can make it myself; I'm over it now. I spent 2 days making raviolis; my own wheat, eggs from the chickens, cheese from the milk of our goats, onions, all the herbs out of the garden. That was quite a task. It was good, but worth it as a good use of my time? Not on your life.
Have you seen "Pioneer House?" If not, you must. Even "Survivor" sheds light on the daily task of providing food. There aren't enough hours in the day to grow, and make your own food, clothes, furniture, housing, etc. And self sustaining is a myth. Observe your day and try to figure out how you could do it yourself? Can it be grown? Made? Where do the resources come from? This is why division of labour and globalisation make much more sense.Now I do what I like to do and what I am good at and trade, barter, sell or buy for what else I need or want. Just like everyone else.
The way I see it, it's important to have that information available, do it once to prove it, and set it aside in your own personal archive.
The day when that information is lost, and some of it is already on a re-discovery track, is when we will see how important it would have been to *know* of it.
Spread the information out among us all and it has a better chance of surviving to when it might be needed.
The current state should not be confused with the eternity state.
Well, I grew up on a "farmette", so I have some inkling of what it's like. I milked goats at 6:30 a.m. before school, weeded in the garden on hot August days, slopped pigs, etc. We made our own cheese, put up peaches and zuchini from the garden, butchered and skinned rabbits. My parents built their own house twice.
I readily agree that saving money probably isn't a good justification for doing many things yourself. And I'm well aware of the benefits of trade and specializing in your comparative advantage.
However, psychologically, I have a strong desire to be as self-sufficient as possible. I'm also interested in seasteading, where many self-sufficiency techniques would be useful. Finally, I simply enjoy reading and learning about self-sufficiency techniques, even if I choose never to implement them myself.
Well first of all, I think self reliant is a much closer term.
I am all for do it yourself. I hate having anyone else do something that I could do or learn how to do. My bedside reading material consists of a welding manual, construction manuals and home finishing books But growing tomatoes in the backyard is a far cry from being self sufficient, unless all you eat are tomatoes that you grew from seeds you raised yourself and watered from a well you dug yourself with a shovel you built yourself. See my point?
I agree, learning this information is all good, I have all the Whole Earth Catalogs, I live with old farmers and am always asking them for help. But this is not self sufficiency by a long shot.
self-suf·fi·cient (slfs-fshnt) adj. Able to provide for oneself without the help of others; independent.
"Self-sufficient" is not an either/or propisition; one can be more or less self-sufficient. I think we both agree that it's impossible/unwise to try be completely self-sufficient.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2004-03-20 09:42 pm (UTC)The whole I can make it myself; I'm over it now.
I spent 2 days making raviolis; my own wheat, eggs from the chickens, cheese from the milk of our goats, onions, all the herbs out of the garden. That was quite a task. It was good, but worth it as a good use of my time? Not on your life.
Have you seen "Pioneer House?" If not, you must.
Even "Survivor" sheds light on the daily task of providing food.
There aren't enough hours in the day to grow, and make your own food, clothes, furniture, housing, etc.
And self sustaining is a myth.
Observe your day and try to figure out how you could do it yourself?
Can it be grown? Made? Where do the resources come from?
This is why division of labour and globalisation make much more sense.Now I do what I like to do and what I am good at and trade, barter, sell or buy for what else I need or want. Just like everyone else.
Jack of all trades and master of none.
no subject
Date: 2004-03-20 10:43 pm (UTC)The day when that information is lost, and some of it is already on a re-discovery track, is when we will see how important it would have been to *know* of it.
Spread the information out among us all and it has a better chance of surviving to when it might be needed.
The current state should not be confused with the eternity state.
no subject
Date: 2004-03-21 12:40 am (UTC)I readily agree that saving money probably isn't a good justification for doing many things yourself. And I'm well aware of the benefits of trade and specializing in your comparative advantage.
However, psychologically, I have a strong desire to be as self-sufficient as possible. I'm also interested in
no subject
Date: 2004-03-21 01:00 am (UTC)Did the first one sink into the swamp?
no subject
Date: 2004-03-21 01:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-03-21 01:54 am (UTC)I am all for do it yourself. I hate having anyone else do something that I could do or learn how to do. My bedside reading material consists of a welding manual, construction manuals and home finishing books
But growing tomatoes in the backyard is a far cry from being self sufficient, unless all you eat are tomatoes that you grew from seeds you raised yourself and watered from a well you dug yourself with a shovel you built yourself.
See my point?
I agree, learning this information is all good, I have all the Whole Earth Catalogs, I live with old farmers and am always asking them for help. But this is not self sufficiency by a long shot.
self-suf·fi·cient (slfs-fshnt)
adj.
Able to provide for oneself without the help of others; independent.
no subject
Date: 2004-03-21 04:16 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-03-20 09:43 pm (UTC)It is a ball and chain.