The lovely Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall in River Cottage Cookbook writes:"Each household or family unit operates somewhere on a 'food acquisition
continuum' (a phrase I've just invented) from, at one end (the far right if you
like), total dependence on the industrial food retailers to, at the other (far
left) end, total self-sufficiency."
The point of this blog is to describe our journey from somewhere near the far-right of this continuum to somewhere closer to the left. Earlier this year we got an allotment and started producing some of our own fruit and vegetables. Later we got two chickens and now have daily home-produced free-range eggs. More recently we have been picking wild fruit in the hedgerows near our house.
But we're still a long way off being self-sufficient. You could describe us as "self-sufficient-ish", which is also the title of a rather good website.
Created by twin brothers Dave and Andy Hamilton it is a mine of informative and useful articles about how to bring a little self-sufficiency into the most urban life. For example, there's an article on "The Self-Sufficientish Office" and "Tips For Those Living In Rented Accommodation", as well as the more ambitious "No-tech Solar Oven" and the extreme-green "Home-Made Washable Menstrual Pads". There's also a very lively forum. I spend some time there most days, either reading articles or chatting on the forums. It's been in my Links section (in the right-hand sidebar) for ages, but if you haven't checked it out yet why don't you go and have a look?
3 comments:
After some thought and study, I have come to the conclusion that self-sufficiency comes at a cost -- not just work, but the cash needed to buy land and equipment. I'm sure we are paying more for the chicken meat and eggs that we raised ourselves than if we purchased them at the local Wal-Mart. They are a whole lot better, though.
We are working toward self-sufficiency, but slowly. With technologies like solar cells (may get cheaper soon -- I'm not holding my breath), digesting organic matter to create methane (gotta shovel a lot of um... stuff), wind power, and thermal depolymerization (turn just about anything organic into oil), it may be possible to thumb our noses at the supply chain that has so many people over a barrel.
Alas, I have more nerdy plans than money, so it may take a while.
You have to be rich to live like a peasant these days.
Hiya. Yeah, this blog couldn't be called 'saving money' or 'the economical household' yet, though hopefully by being less consumer-driven Mel could get there eventually.
Last few weeks my son & I have been tye-dying t-shirts. Now, we got the t'shirts for £1.50 for 2 from TESCOS!!! And the dye is chemical dylon stuff, not vegetable dyes (though I've been experimenting with them too) But now my son won't wear any other of his t-shirts but those he made. So I'm considering making a batch a Christmas pressies.
Making them was better than any clothes shopping trip we've ever had, and daddy tied the best string knots.
We've all just got back from the free Discovery Museum in Newcastle Upon Tyne & we had a ball. Anything that gets away frm consumerism & enriches our experiences with our families gets a huge thumbs up from me.
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