UNCONVENTIONAL HOMESTEADING : The best reasons why you should start being self sufficient. PT2

 

Is it crazy to live a self-sufficient life?

I have always thought of a life, free from debt... free from the rat race. Being self-sufficient is not much of a choice for me, I have to be. I am disabled and I need to stay close to home to care for my son with food allergies. Sure I could live off of cheap microwave dinners the rest of our lives. But that's not the life I want for ourselves. What is your reason?  

In times of economic hardships...

The Great Depression was a trying time in America. Many begged, borrowed, and stole whatever they could to try to get by. Resourcefulness and thrift were necessary.  The people who weren't impacted by the economic depression as much were those who already grew their own food crops and raised livestock.

In times of war  when supply chains may be cut off, it is important to have a supply of food available. I believe everyone should produce at least half of what they need from home. 

The quality of our food...

The quality of our food has been declining for some time. Whatever you think about GMOs and pesticides, you can't deny that they have some effect on our health. More and more food production is being outsourced to countries where safety is not much concern.  Most of the food products in stores are variations of wheat, antibiotic fed chickens,  soy, corn, and artificial and natural flavoring... limiting variety and limiting available nutrition. 

Control the food, control the people

Food supply can be used as a means of control by government agencies and corporations.

 

Food not lawns

How many hours do you spend on your lawn and garden? You could spend a similar effort and gain the reward of potatoes, herbs, and other edible vegetation.  

Our society won't stay like this forever, there will be a tipping point someday. The more people who know how to make soil, and grow produce the better... The more people who keep chickens and rabbits, the less danger we will all be in if we come to a point where it is necessary to provide for ourselves again. 

 

In keeping with tradition...

I have recently read that most humans have farmed at least some of their food until about 100 years ago. When the industrial revolution happened the world slowly switched over to a more mechanical-career focus and left the farm behind. I was shocked! What we think of is normal has not been tested on a long term scale to see if it is feasible for humanity, and half of the world is starving. We feed off of food that is not meant to be consumed in large quantities (wheat, corn) because of the machines that make it possible.

Perhaps there are some flaws in my logic, but I believe that we should all do something about this... make it personal!

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 Till next time! follow me @homesteads