This Is The Year Of Food And Fuels

The cost of fuel this year has opened our eyes! We have decided this year is to be the year of Food & Fuels. This means we are going to work doubly hard on cutting the amount of money we pay out for either one of those things. Food we grow. But there are many things we use that we do not grow. I am going to grow more produce and herbs and use them to get the things we do use. Either by bartering or by selling.

As of today, I have started my goal of using my propane cook stove as little as possible. I will use it in the morning to brew the coffee, but the rest of the day's cooking will be on the wood stoves. I admit, I have gotten lazy lately and was using the propane stove more than usual. It is easier. Just flip the switch. The cook stove is a little more complex than that. I want to see how little propane we can use if we concentrate on doing just that.

Windmax HY400

Gasoline for the generator, the chainsaw and the truck is something I can't do much about. At least not right now. My husband has been wanting a crosscut saw and I know we have to try to get one of them in the near future. But this year we bought a wind turbine instead. So the crosscut saw will have to wait. The wind turbine hopefully will cut our use of the gasoline generator.

During the spring, summer and fall, we will be working hard this year, growing and harvesting food. Gathering kindling and wood. Hoping to get a couple of loads of logs dropped for firewood for next year. Foraging for wild foods in the forest and land around us. Cutting down the amount of trips we make to town unless we have many errands planned. Not just going for one thing. Making smart choices in the use of all food and fuel is essential for survival. Especially this year.

Copyright © 2011 Kathleen G. Lupole

Old-Fashioned Blended With Modern Technology

In this day of the technology era, being a homesteader, even a "modern homesteader" sounds to others like you are living like the Amish or like they did in the 1800s. People will always say, "You are living old-fashioned." Nothing could be further from the truth. Even our own family members think that.............even though we know more about the new modern technology than they do!

I have quoted my husband many times, saying, "We are  not living old-fashioned at all, but of the future.............blending old ways with new technology and ways of the modern world. One of the ways of the modern world we are trying to overcome is in the use of gasoline. Fuels. Propane for our gas stove. Kerosene for our light in the evening. Gasoline for our chainsaw, generator and truck. Some day our dream is to own an electric vehicle and charge it with our own system.

We already use an electric lawn mower and garden cart. In the garden we use an old fashioned tool, the wheel hoe. No gas fumes coming from a rototiller on our garden beds or the person using it. Plus, no buying the gas to run it or all the maintenance to keep it running or all the break downs. I can even use the wheel hoe in my beds. Not to mention the modern technology of using solar for electricity. Now who can call that old-fashioned?

The chainsaw and the generator are two items that will be hard to replace. One item my husband keeps wanting to buy is the crosscut saw. He says it will be easier to use than a chainsaw and he won't have to buy the gas. I know many people would not want to use one because the chainsaw is quicker and less work. But the fumes from one is reason enough to not want to have to use one. They also take a lot of maintenance and money for repairs. Our chainsaw is a good one, but replacing the chains, sharpening chains, etc. would all be eliminated with the crosscut saw. My husband says he would enjoy cutting wood in silence immensely.

Using computers makes us able to keep on top of technology and ways to make our jobs easier. The jobs or tools we use that are old-fashioned are often being used by us because it is a better alternative. Just because a tool is manual or doesn't use any other energy source other than your hand power doesn't mean it is not a good alternative. You can pick and choose what you want to use for each job.

What about you? Are there any tools you use around your home, in the kitchen or outside that have been used in past and are considered old-fashioned? Why do you like them? I will be doing some future posts about some of the tools I use or that I have used or plan to use. Some will be old-fashioned or antiques. Some will be new modern technology. Let me know what you would like to use that you don't use. Maybe I can do some research on those too.

Copyright © 2011  Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2011  Kathleen G. Lupole