What are you doing to increase your self reliance and self sufficiency?

Jack Spirko's definitions:

• Self Sufficiency – The percentage of your needs met by your own systems
• Self Reliance – The duration in time you can live well without systems of support (or to live well with YOUR systems of support)

Let's face it - the 2024 election is not going to go well. The side that loses is not going to accept the results. There will be civil unrest. Plus WW3 conditions are looming.

Change is coming. People can feel it.

What would you do in another 2020-type situation? What lessons learned can you apply from the last time?

What could you do to be able

Long term/short term -

• Plant trees
• Cultivate gardens
• Tend livestock

More short term:

• Look at your gaps in energy, food, water. What can you improve so that you can live well with your systems of support?
• Fight the mind virus and the fear
• Prepare mentally and spiritually
• Build community
• Learn skills through self study and networking
• Expand your other forms of income

I share what I am doing to become more self reliant and self sufficient.

Episode website: Ep. 142 - How Are You becoming More Self Reliant?

Sponsors:

Grow Nut Trees - Chestnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, elderberry - all adapted to the Midwest. Now taking orders for shipping in Sept/Oct.

Thriving Food Forest Design

Permies digital marketplace is YOUR source for all things permaculture for your homestead, side hustle, and designing your intentional life: from video courses, to blueprints, to books.

Lindsay Brandon, CEO and Permaculture Consultant at Permaculture Canada joins me to share about Armagarden, her new project to integrate community design into the permaculture design.

We discuss Armagarden and how it contrasts with the usual permaculture design.

From the website:

What is Armagarden?

Armagarden was born from the desire to get back to the land and live a lifestyle that is connected to family, place and community. Through strategic design methods considerations are made through the design process towards food/water security, community resource management, and holistic design from a community perspective. With the recent increase in people desiring a homesteading lifestyle many realise that self-reliance is best when combined with the skills of their community. That we are stronger, more resilient, and can accomplish much more when we pool our resources, talents and skills together.

The community resilience is created with elements including food production, on-site (off-grid) energy production, infrastructure for community events, educational courses and sustainable construction and energy efficiency practices for all buildings.

Episode website: Ep. 141 - Armagarden - Regenerative Community Design, with Lindsay Brandon

Sponsors:

Grow Nut Trees - Chestnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, elderberry - all adapted to the Midwest. Now taking orders for shipping in Sept/Oct.

Permies digital marketplace is YOUR source for all things permaculture for your homestead, side hustle, and designing your intentional life: from video courses, to blueprints, to books.

With tough times, more people are looking for homestead property, or to add gardens, fruit and nut trees, and chickens to their existing suburban property to be more self sufficient.

Kerry Brown of Strong Roots Resources joins me to share tips to find your homestead property:

• Look for off-market properties.
• Properties are selling before they show up in Zillow or MLS.
• Contact your network of folks, like realtors to give you a heads up when something is coming available.
• If you are in the Tennessee area, Kerry recommends Marcie and Jeff Yadon. On FB as on fb as Marcie n Jeff Yadon or email: Marcieaeasttnhomes@gmail.com
• Intentional Communities
• Some have a membership model or you can live there seasonally.
• FB Group - Homestead Roommates
• TSP Land Group on Telegram
• Permies SKIP program on Permies.com

What to consider when looking at a property:

• Water source
• Access
• Solar aspect
• Foraging and trees - what is on there now?
• Suburban tips:
• Look at space and think of "what else could that be used for?" (stack functions)
• Avoid HOAs
• Don't discount garage space (like for aquaculture).

Episode website: Ep. 140 - Tips to Find Your Homestead Property - with Kerry Brown

Sponsors:

Permies digital marketplace is YOUR source for all things permaculture for your homestead, side hustle, and designing your intentional life: from video courses, to blueprints, to books.

Grow Nut Trees - Chestnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, elderberry - all adapted to the Midwest. Now taking orders for shipping in Sept/Oct.