Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Could I Get it/Grow it/Make it vs. Should I Store it



Photo credit: "Matadecacao"by Luisovalles - Own work. 
Licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons 

When I started “preparing” it certainly wasn't because it was popular. It started from the realization that we simply didn't trust the economy. Later we found what is called the “prepping community”. Yet our journey quickly became paradigm shift to self sufficiency and honing our skills. Lately we have become even more focused in this direction. It probably has a lot to do with our new house/land.
One way that has changed the way I prepare and store items, especially what I continue to add to my storage vs. what I work towards growing/making my own.
Could I Get it/ Grow it/ Make it vs. Should I store it

It took awhile to get to this point & it would have saved a lot of time and money in my initial storage.
Here are just a few ideas to get you started on this thought process:
Could I grow a lemon tree? We are considering purchasing a lemon tree (among other trees)
Other fruits:
Pineapple: At this point I can't envision growing a pineapple plant without building a hoop house or greenhouse. Maybe down the road. Until them, I will continue to store, can & dehydrate.
Apples: Another tree we are considering, though I have ways to get apples or seeds if need be.
Blueberries, Elderberries, Persimmons, Kiwi, Ginger and myriad of other tasty fruits: I am blessed to have friends that grow all of these (and more) items.
What about cocoa? Another items which at this point this point I don't have immediate plans to even consider growing. But, the nice thing about cocoa itself, is that is has an indefinite shelf life. I continue to simply add cocoa to my stores.
Spices: I have friends who are growing all sorts of hot peppers. I could easily get seeds if needed to start producing chilies. Yet, I am not sure about black pepper or salt, so I am storing these items up.
The list just goes on: Baking soda & yeast (store), Water and milk kefir grains will be self sustaining and will grow. Vinegar is easy to make, no need to store.
This is just a jumping off point, but it gives you an idea of how my mindset has changed.
Skills is another thought process altogether. I will share more later on that. Suffice it to say, I think you are able to see the change in my posts, that I am focusing a lot more on adding new skills to my repertoire.
You who are journeying with me, I really, REALLY want to hear your thoughts on this process. Do you utilize a similar thought process?

What you see here on my blog and on facebook is original work (and pictures) that I (Perky Prepping Gramma) actually do myself. I simply share my journey on preparing. If you liked this article, please feel free to like me (Perky Prepping Gramma) on facebook & keep up to date on things I post. I appreciate the support. Thank you.


6 comments:

  1. Oh my goodness gracious! Great idea. I am now going to change my mindset as well. We are in negotiations regarding the purchase of our Farm. I like the idea of not storing hundreds of quarts of things that we can produce ourselves. One area I really need to think about is spices and herbs.

    Thank you for opening up a new way of thinking for us. Excellent food for thought. I will be on the same wave-length as you once we settle the negotiations and get moved.

    As always, in appreciation for your time to share and teach us - Bobbie :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bobbie,
      I adore your persistence. So things are moving along for your new place? ~Perky~

      Delete
  2. Hubby ran well test - pump went dry after 1-hour! Gulp!! In contact with water locators and setting up test using the latest technology to see if we can find water. If so, and it's adequate to our needs and wants, we will have to drill a new well and purchase a new pump (cha-ching). House inspection done but the inspector was a total loser and missed a lot of import things (example: missing brick in the fireplace brick {inside the house-and very obvious} which is a serious safety hazard; and the list goes on). We hope to meet with our Realtor today or tomorrow to submit a counter-offer and the counter will be contingent upon successfully finding a good water source for the well. I'm ready to pull my hair out, but this is all part of being prepared and doing one's due diligence. I'm walking around with a Cheshire Cat grin on my face--like a looney-tune character. We will keep moving forward. Let's hope things start looking up. If not, we will cancel the deal, postpone our Buyers closing date and start back on square one. The good news is, our Buyers want to stick with us and will keep their $5,000 earnest money on the house (that helps because our purchase of a new property (if needed) won't have to be subject to contingency on selling our current home.
    Have I made perfect sense here?? So I am being persistent but keeping things real. We love the Farm and truly want to live there, but when reality hits, I want it to hit BEFORE we purchase property that could possibly end up being a total nightmare.
    Phew - I'm worn out! ~ Bobbie :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. It makes perfect sense. I pray that things continue to go well, if this is truly the place you are supposed to be. Excellent news! ~Perky~

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hello MissPerky! Great things to consider. I think the answer to should you store is contingent on how much land you have to work with and how much grow time you have. I live in Florida, so I have more grow time than someone in northern climes. But if I don't have much land to utilize, I need to prioritize what I can grow, and try to network with people who are open to trade(of goods, services or my time) of things I can't grow. When considering these things, you need to be brutally honest with your capabilities. I would love to add fruit trees to our yard, and I plan on adding a few, but I don't have the space for as many as I would love to have. I would love to have a bee hive, but I am quite allergic, so I know people in my area who do have hives and buy honey from them. ( for food and medicinal storage). And, as I have admitted, I am in the process of learning how to can and dehydrate, to be able to put away for the future but also to move to a more healthy diet.

    To Miss Bobbie ~ I hope your farm purchase works out! If you need to re-drill your current well, or drill a new one, you may want to look into adding a hand pump section to your well piping so that if you lose electricity, you could still have access to your water. We have a well, but at this time we rely only on electricity for our pump, so if we ever lose that, we will be left high and dry! No drinking water and no potty! It is top of my list for things to do, but I will need to contract that to someone with proper knowledge. Just a thought from me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. K Tate yours is an excellent example.
      I think that is why I avoid lists of things people "should" store. It's not as cut and dried as everyone thinks. I like the process of determining what really works for the individual.
      Thanks for sharing.

      Delete