Modern Homesteading Revisted

Relying On Ourselves With No Near Neighbors

In October of 2005 I wrote:

 "Carla Emery died last week. I feel numb. She was my inspiration to homesteading. When I first purchased her book, The Encyclopedia of Country Living, I was just awed by what it represented. The idea to be self sufficient and able to take care of yourself and family. Wow! And this lady was offering you the directions and help to problems you would confront and nobody would have the answer. Many times over, I have hauled her book out to look up something I was stumped by.

 

My book is ragged & torn, but used daily!

 She was only 66 years old, and it was disheartening to learn that a woman who lived a healthy lifestyle, had passed away at such a young age. But in her short time on this earth, she touched many people and if they, in turn, do the same, she will have kept the "back to the land" movement, alive and well in the new century. She fired people up! She said she did it, why can't you? She said if you need help, look it up in my book, it's probably there. And it was.

Potatoes Growing In Raised Beds!

People who put down the homesteaders just have no idea what it means. But they will. When there is no food in your grocery stores, no gas in the gas stations, no drugs in the drugstore, no doctors that will see patients that don't have insurance, then you'll be wanting to know where to turn. Well, you will have to learn from the homesteaders, the people who have been busy for the last 20 years or so, setting up their homesteads. Setting up their homesteads, while their friends, family and others were laughing at them. Saying "it's just like 2000!"

Cherry Tomatoes From Our Garden!

Anybody can be taught to live like this, but not all want to. It's a matter of whether you have what it takes. You have to be able to grow a garden and take care of it and make it produce enough food for your family for the next year. You have to be able to raise chickens for eggs, if you need eggs for your family. The same with a cow and milk. If there is something you need or want to survive, you must attain it somehow. If you can raise it or grow it, that's the best way. You may be able to barter for it from other like minded homesteaders. All the money in the world won't be worth much if there is nothing to buy with it, will it?

Learned To Can!

You better start thinking of shelter, water, food, security, clothing, medical needs, heat, cooking fuel, cleaning needs, lighting, food preservation, transportation (without fuel), items to barter with for things you need. Forget about your recreational activities, going to movies, out to dinner, bar hopping, gambling, driving a motor vehicle, working a outside job (won't be any), credit cards, fancy clothes, fancy houses. Time to wake up and take a look at this world we live in. If you never heard of Carla Emery, Jackie Clay, Countryside Magazine, Small Farmer's Journal, Backwoods Home Magazine, Mother Earth News, Back Home Magazine and Homesteading Today - then you better start catching up! These are the teachers, the mentors of the homesteaders of today. Time for them to shine!"

Things haven't changed much since I wrote that. So I thought it deserved being reposted now.

Copyright © 2011 Kathleen G. Lupole 
All Photographs Copyright © 2011  Kathleen G. Lupole