Please read NAIS Not Dead? and Ding Dong NAIS Is (Not) Dead!
When I first heard that the National NAIS was defeated a few months back, I breathed a sigh of relief. NAIS has got to be the prime example of a government program designed to destroy the small, local farm in favor of large, factory farms.
It is also a great example of people taking part in the political process and saying "NO!" to Big Government, Big Agribusiness, and their unholy union. David bested Goliath, and NAIS got squashed. Unfortunately, NAIS is like one of those horror movie villains- you think they are dead, but they always manage to survive and come back for the sequel. In this case, NAIS is being resurrected under a "new" program that looks remarkably like the old one, just with a more updated look.
Part of the NAIS diguise, ehem... makeover, is a brand new name. NAIS will now be known as the Federal Animal Disease Traceability System. Under the old NAIS, participates registered their operation as "premises". Under the new system, they are called "unique locations". The new system will still use the same ID tags. Again, animals are tracked from birth to death, with every life event in between requiring forms to be submitted. And, it still does nothing to prevent disease.
The new program will run pretty much the way NAIS was intended to operate, but with one big difference: participation in the program would be mandatory for anyone who sells livestock across state lines. NAIS was voluntary (though it probably would have become mandatory). That may not sound like a big deal, except that most auctions and livestock sales include out-of-state buyers. This makes participation in the program mandatory for just about everyone. The problem here, again, is that the program raises expenses for the small producer. Even the individual who keeps a few laying hens will pay higher prices for chicks, due to the added expense the supplier is forced to bear.
At the same time, big breaks in fees are given to the large factory farms. They would only have to have a single cow tagged to represent the entire lot. The small farmer must tag and pay the fee for each individual animal. This would put a lot of small producers out of business. Why would the USDA do such a thing? To help the factory farms sell their meat in the international market.
Here's the part that's so infuriating. Factory farms treat their animals in the most inhumane, disgusting, filthy manner. Their animals live in pens so small they can barely move, sometimes sharing pens with other animals who become sick and die in the same shared, small space. These pens are often filled with the animal's feces. Paying someone to come in and clean these undersized pens would result in higher labor costs, and it's much cheaper just to pump high doses of antibiotics into the animal, which remain in the flesh and are consumed by humans. (Anyone wondering why we are so resist to antibiotics?) This doesn't even scratch the surface on the animal abuse that is typical of factory farms.
Stressful, filthy living conditions, however, lead to disease. In order to make US beef marketable to international markets requiring disease controls, NAIS was created. It did not, however, make our beef any safer, but gave the illusion of safety because it was part of a "program". So, NAIS provided a false sense of security in order to sell meat abroad, but would have financially devastated small, family farms which produce a superior product in cleaner, more humane environment if it had been mandatory.
Let's just go and reward producers for treating their animals like the feces they are forced to live in, while punishing a small, traditional farmer who treats his animals well and gets a superior product for his or her efforts. Brilliant.
This program was defeated once before. It can be done again. If you agree with me that this is a program that should never come to pass, then I urge you to contact your elected representatives. Find out where they stand on the issue, and then let them know that you are an informed constituent, and let them know how YOU feel about this new program.
One more thought... I'd like to see them force us to tag the thousands upon thousands of honeybees in our beeyard. Good luck!
Live better, a little every day.
Showing posts with label Independence. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Independence. Show all posts
Monday, May 17, 2010
Friday, May 14, 2010
The Government Can Tell Us What To Eat?
I couldn't wait to post this, as I just found it too disturbing. Please check out the article, Feds Tell Court They Can Decide What You Eat. Yes, that's right. Our government has officially taken the position that we citizens do not have the right to choose the food we put in our bodies!
In a nutshell, the lawsuit in question is about the sale of raw dairy. The Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund claims that we have a "fundamental right to (our) own bodily and physical health". As health is largely influenced by what foods we eat, this means we have a right to choose what we consume. Seems logical enough.
Our government, however, says, "no", we citizens do not have a "fundamental right" to obtain what food we choose. The government cites safety concerns as the basis for this position. In fact, there is legislation pending to allow the government to take even more control over the food and beverages we consume. Thanks. That's just what we need. More government meddling.
S. 510, the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2010 is another lengthy, disasterous piece of legislation that sounds good (supposedly promotes food safety), but will ultimately have the opposite effect. It is legislation that, yet again, seeks to undermine the small, independent farmer, while supporting the large, corporate, agri-businessness farms. It is the mass-produced, giant farms that are putting our food supply at risk in the first place! Further legislation regulating the small farmer isn't going to help make our food supply any safer. It will only cause more family farms to suffer. But, that is what the larger food producers what, so that's what our politicians give them.
In this specific case dealing with raw dairy, most of the general population in the US would be horrified to drink unpasturized milk. When you take a step back and think about it, pasturization is a relatively new process when considering the entirety of human history, and our practice of drinking the milk of other mammals (cows, goats, sheep, etc.). Somehow, we managed as a species to survive drinking raw milk.
The purpose of pasturizing milk is to prevent pathogens developing in the milk and making us sick. These pathogens thrive in the filthy, dirty, feces-infested conditions common to commercial cattle operations. For most people with common sense (and a sense of decency to the animal), the answer would be to prevent the problem from existing in the first place. CLEAN UP THESE COMMERCIAL DAIRIES! Give the cows a healthy place to exist. Cleanliness prevents disease. But, these dairies are just so large that they don't want to pay for the labor that would be necessary to keep their facilities clean, and they simply don't care about the wellfare of their livestock.
Small dairy farms, on the other hand, have a much easier time maintaining the cleanliness of their facility. They take pride in their operation, and both the animals and the product reflect this. The only dairy licensed to sell raw dairy in Massachusetts is only a couple of towns away. There is just no comparison in taste between raw and pasturized dairy. They offer a superior product, from an inspected clean facility. I feel much safer drinking this local raw milk than I do eating prepackaged foods that are increasingly being recalled for salmonella contamination from their factory-farm packaging and shipping methods.
The product is sold directly from the farm to consumer. No middle men. No shipping, warehousing, minimal packaging, etc. This sounds like a good thing, right? Less fuel and waste consumed in getting product to market is ecologically sound. Everyone, including the government, is supposedly going green these days. This seems like the perfect arrangement. So, what's the problem?
A very important point to consider: the government loses a ton of money in taxes when farmers sell direct to consumers. While there is no sales tax on food, there is tax on the fuel used to ship food, taxes on the income of the truck driver delivering the product, taxes on the energy used to pasturize and to keep the milk cold in storage, and so on. Every time another hand gets involved, there's another tax.
By cutting out the middle men, we also cut out income through taxation, and that's not good for the government. This may not seem like a big deal, but when you consider the increasing number of people growing their own food these days to help stretch the budget a bit further, and the growing number of people who join the push for fresh, local foods every day, it adds up to a big deal.
This isn't just about raw dairy. The more disturbing aspect is that the federal government is claiming that we do not have a right to chose what we put in our own bodies. If this line of thinking is accepted and becomes legal precedent, we will then have a very dangerous situation. The government could take it a step further and then argue that citizens have no right to grow our own fruits and veggies in our backyards. Will this be used to confiscate, or (more likely) tax us, for each chicken or duck that we keep?
This is simply too much power and control for our government to have. We do not need more government meddling and power-grabbing. If we want better, safer, more sustainable food, we need to encourage the local farmer- not stifle him or her. I urge you to contact your representatives, and object to this proposed legislation. But even more than that, I urge to plant something edible- even if it's a single basil plant in a window sill, more if you can.
Live better, a little every day.
In a nutshell, the lawsuit in question is about the sale of raw dairy. The Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund claims that we have a "fundamental right to (our) own bodily and physical health". As health is largely influenced by what foods we eat, this means we have a right to choose what we consume. Seems logical enough.
Our government, however, says, "no", we citizens do not have a "fundamental right" to obtain what food we choose. The government cites safety concerns as the basis for this position. In fact, there is legislation pending to allow the government to take even more control over the food and beverages we consume. Thanks. That's just what we need. More government meddling.
S. 510, the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2010 is another lengthy, disasterous piece of legislation that sounds good (supposedly promotes food safety), but will ultimately have the opposite effect. It is legislation that, yet again, seeks to undermine the small, independent farmer, while supporting the large, corporate, agri-businessness farms. It is the mass-produced, giant farms that are putting our food supply at risk in the first place! Further legislation regulating the small farmer isn't going to help make our food supply any safer. It will only cause more family farms to suffer. But, that is what the larger food producers what, so that's what our politicians give them.
In this specific case dealing with raw dairy, most of the general population in the US would be horrified to drink unpasturized milk. When you take a step back and think about it, pasturization is a relatively new process when considering the entirety of human history, and our practice of drinking the milk of other mammals (cows, goats, sheep, etc.). Somehow, we managed as a species to survive drinking raw milk.
The purpose of pasturizing milk is to prevent pathogens developing in the milk and making us sick. These pathogens thrive in the filthy, dirty, feces-infested conditions common to commercial cattle operations. For most people with common sense (and a sense of decency to the animal), the answer would be to prevent the problem from existing in the first place. CLEAN UP THESE COMMERCIAL DAIRIES! Give the cows a healthy place to exist. Cleanliness prevents disease. But, these dairies are just so large that they don't want to pay for the labor that would be necessary to keep their facilities clean, and they simply don't care about the wellfare of their livestock.
Small dairy farms, on the other hand, have a much easier time maintaining the cleanliness of their facility. They take pride in their operation, and both the animals and the product reflect this. The only dairy licensed to sell raw dairy in Massachusetts is only a couple of towns away. There is just no comparison in taste between raw and pasturized dairy. They offer a superior product, from an inspected clean facility. I feel much safer drinking this local raw milk than I do eating prepackaged foods that are increasingly being recalled for salmonella contamination from their factory-farm packaging and shipping methods.
The product is sold directly from the farm to consumer. No middle men. No shipping, warehousing, minimal packaging, etc. This sounds like a good thing, right? Less fuel and waste consumed in getting product to market is ecologically sound. Everyone, including the government, is supposedly going green these days. This seems like the perfect arrangement. So, what's the problem?
A very important point to consider: the government loses a ton of money in taxes when farmers sell direct to consumers. While there is no sales tax on food, there is tax on the fuel used to ship food, taxes on the income of the truck driver delivering the product, taxes on the energy used to pasturize and to keep the milk cold in storage, and so on. Every time another hand gets involved, there's another tax.
By cutting out the middle men, we also cut out income through taxation, and that's not good for the government. This may not seem like a big deal, but when you consider the increasing number of people growing their own food these days to help stretch the budget a bit further, and the growing number of people who join the push for fresh, local foods every day, it adds up to a big deal.
This isn't just about raw dairy. The more disturbing aspect is that the federal government is claiming that we do not have a right to chose what we put in our own bodies. If this line of thinking is accepted and becomes legal precedent, we will then have a very dangerous situation. The government could take it a step further and then argue that citizens have no right to grow our own fruits and veggies in our backyards. Will this be used to confiscate, or (more likely) tax us, for each chicken or duck that we keep?
This is simply too much power and control for our government to have. We do not need more government meddling and power-grabbing. If we want better, safer, more sustainable food, we need to encourage the local farmer- not stifle him or her. I urge you to contact your representatives, and object to this proposed legislation. But even more than that, I urge to plant something edible- even if it's a single basil plant in a window sill, more if you can.
Live better, a little every day.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Planting Time Begins
Even though I'm still waiting for labor to start (any day now), it's time to get planting. The sun has chased away the clouds that brought historic floods to our area. We have a much bigger garden planned this year than last year, divided into three shares. The first is for our consumption throughout the season, the second is for preserving for the winter, and the third is for sale or barter. We also have several new additions to our gardening efforts, and that has us very excited.
Today was a great opportunity for Eddie to get outside and prep one of our beds for planting, and he Onions, carrots, and beets are going in this week. We have flats of sauce and slicing tomatoes, cucumbers, and bell peppers, along with swiss chard is repurposed yogurt cups, just doing their thing in the windows. They will get transplanted to containers and hardened off on our balcony before finding their home in the back yard.
This year's seed purchase total was a mere $35. While we have more edible varieties planned, the ones that I'm particularly excited about are the melons and pie pumpkins. But, those are still some time away.
And now, back to hoping that labor will start soon!
Today was a great opportunity for Eddie to get outside and prep one of our beds for planting, and he Onions, carrots, and beets are going in this week. We have flats of sauce and slicing tomatoes, cucumbers, and bell peppers, along with swiss chard is repurposed yogurt cups, just doing their thing in the windows. They will get transplanted to containers and hardened off on our balcony before finding their home in the back yard.
This year's seed purchase total was a mere $35. While we have more edible varieties planned, the ones that I'm particularly excited about are the melons and pie pumpkins. But, those are still some time away.
And now, back to hoping that labor will start soon!
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
A Look Back on the Day
Today's efforts have been spent writing. Whether this was a true creative and inspired day, or a subconscious procrastination to avoid some household chores, who can say? (None of those chores were crucial, and they will all still be there tomorrow, so does it really matter?)
I'm currently working on four projects:
Second, we're taking our beekeeping to a new level this year. And, as every business needs a web site, we're putting one together. The site is not up yet, but the future internet home of Ellis Apiary will be www.NewEnglandBeekeeper.com. When it is up and running, I will repost the link. The site will contain infomation on sustainable beekeeping, the importance of strengthening the local honeybee population, the truth about the commercial honey you buy at the supermarket, honey-based recipes for food, mead, home remedies, and at-home spa treatments. Of course, there will be a sales page with our honey, beeswax, candles, and any other bee-related product we may offer in the future.
Third, one of the things we learned from meeting honey consumers at farmers' markets was that most people seemed to think of honey as a sweetner only for their tea. While planning our participation in this year's markets, we tossed around the idea of handing out new recipes each week. Ultimately, that would lead to a lot of wasted paper, ink, and a lot more time and effort. Instead, I'm putting together all the honey recipes I have into one publication that we can display along with our honey, that customers can look through, and hopefully purchase. The cost will be minimal- I'm not looking to make a living writing cookbooks. It's all about promoting the honey!
Fourth, and finally, I've been writing little bits and pieces here and there, more like opinionated essays, and just saving them on my lap top. They have started to take a larger, more cohesive shape into a guidebook for opting out of the various broken systems upon which most of our nation currently is dependent. It is about cultivating the highest degree of freedom that is afforded to us under the law, and how to keep these freedoms from being erroded any further. I have no idea when this project will be done, just that I'm working on it.
How do these projects help us live a little better? Well, the beekeeping related stuff should be obvious in that they will be tools to help us make our own way and provide our own income. The podcast and the guidebook to creating more freedom will help in a different way. These projects will become part of a growing movement happening all across the nation. More and more people are bringing homesteading and survivalism into the mainstream. People are fed up with being slaves to their debt, McMansions, and jobs that they hate, and they are looking for a way out. It is my position that self-sufficiency through homesteading is the most direct and accessable way to achieve those goals.
Of course, some people have careers that they love, but many people are just working for a paycheck to keep themselves and their families afloat. Meanwhile, our government ignores our protests, and instead continues to support the interests of Big Business and Big Banks.
People are starting to look for alternatives, like preparedness, homesteading, survivalism, gardening, and producing their own energy. Just search online and you will find hundreds, if not thousands of people, just like me, blogging and podcasting about their efforts to better their circumstances, increase their self-sufficiency and their freedoms, and hoping to inspire others. People are writing books and publishing YouTube videos teaching self-sufficiency skills. Most importantly, people are tuning in, listening, reading, watching, and learning.
If the podcast and the book help people to become more self-sufficient, it absolutely betters our family's situation because it improves everyone's situation. If you don't understand what I mean by that, well, hopefully you'll tune into the podcasts and check out the book when it eventually becomes available. (wink)
On an individual level, spending so much time writing today has been almost meditative, and certainly helped me to refocus on my own personal goals. It just helped to gel and crystalize certain concepts and information that have been rattling around in my noggin for a while.
Live better, a little every day.
I'm currently working on four projects:
- the companion podcast to this blog
- a web site for our beekeeping operation
- a cookbook dedicated to cooking with honey
- a practical guide to personal sovereignty
Second, we're taking our beekeeping to a new level this year. And, as every business needs a web site, we're putting one together. The site is not up yet, but the future internet home of Ellis Apiary will be www.NewEnglandBeekeeper.com. When it is up and running, I will repost the link. The site will contain infomation on sustainable beekeeping, the importance of strengthening the local honeybee population, the truth about the commercial honey you buy at the supermarket, honey-based recipes for food, mead, home remedies, and at-home spa treatments. Of course, there will be a sales page with our honey, beeswax, candles, and any other bee-related product we may offer in the future.
Third, one of the things we learned from meeting honey consumers at farmers' markets was that most people seemed to think of honey as a sweetner only for their tea. While planning our participation in this year's markets, we tossed around the idea of handing out new recipes each week. Ultimately, that would lead to a lot of wasted paper, ink, and a lot more time and effort. Instead, I'm putting together all the honey recipes I have into one publication that we can display along with our honey, that customers can look through, and hopefully purchase. The cost will be minimal- I'm not looking to make a living writing cookbooks. It's all about promoting the honey!
Fourth, and finally, I've been writing little bits and pieces here and there, more like opinionated essays, and just saving them on my lap top. They have started to take a larger, more cohesive shape into a guidebook for opting out of the various broken systems upon which most of our nation currently is dependent. It is about cultivating the highest degree of freedom that is afforded to us under the law, and how to keep these freedoms from being erroded any further. I have no idea when this project will be done, just that I'm working on it.
How do these projects help us live a little better? Well, the beekeeping related stuff should be obvious in that they will be tools to help us make our own way and provide our own income. The podcast and the guidebook to creating more freedom will help in a different way. These projects will become part of a growing movement happening all across the nation. More and more people are bringing homesteading and survivalism into the mainstream. People are fed up with being slaves to their debt, McMansions, and jobs that they hate, and they are looking for a way out. It is my position that self-sufficiency through homesteading is the most direct and accessable way to achieve those goals.
Of course, some people have careers that they love, but many people are just working for a paycheck to keep themselves and their families afloat. Meanwhile, our government ignores our protests, and instead continues to support the interests of Big Business and Big Banks.
People are starting to look for alternatives, like preparedness, homesteading, survivalism, gardening, and producing their own energy. Just search online and you will find hundreds, if not thousands of people, just like me, blogging and podcasting about their efforts to better their circumstances, increase their self-sufficiency and their freedoms, and hoping to inspire others. People are writing books and publishing YouTube videos teaching self-sufficiency skills. Most importantly, people are tuning in, listening, reading, watching, and learning.
If the podcast and the book help people to become more self-sufficient, it absolutely betters our family's situation because it improves everyone's situation. If you don't understand what I mean by that, well, hopefully you'll tune into the podcasts and check out the book when it eventually becomes available. (wink)
On an individual level, spending so much time writing today has been almost meditative, and certainly helped me to refocus on my own personal goals. It just helped to gel and crystalize certain concepts and information that have been rattling around in my noggin for a while.
Live better, a little every day.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Book Review- Backyard Market Gardening
Backyard Market Gardening: The Entrepeneur's Guide to Selling What You Grow
By Andy Lee and Patricia Foreman
I begin this review by prefacing it with a valuable concept gleaned from another book, Rich Dad, Poor Dad, by Robert Kiyosaki. Many people consider their house to be their biggest investment. An investment is something, however, that is supposed to ultimately earn you income. If you buy rental income property and become a landlord, then it makes sense to call the house an investment. However, if your home is not drawing an income of its own, but is instead consuming your funds through utilities, taxes, repairs, and a mortgage, then it is more of a money pit than a sound investment.
Don't ever let anyone sell you on the lie that buying a house is an investment unless they can demonstrate that the property has a clear potential of drawing an income. Considering that any appreciation of property value over time will be completely overshadowed by the amount of interest paid on the mortgage, how many people can really say that their house is working for them? An interesting side note: the roots of the word mortgage mean "death grip". That sounds about right.
And now, back to the book review at hand!
If you have ever wondered how to make your house (or, in this case, your yard) work for you, instead of the other way around, you need to get this book! While this book will not teach you how to grow a garden, it teaches you the most effective ways to sell what you grow.
The authors present several business models that work for a wide variety of individual growers ranging from those who have a couple of acres to less than one eigth of an acre. The how-to's of farmers' markets, membership and subscriber gardens, road-side stands, as well as home deliveries are explained in detail. Also presented are sample budgets, and oodles of marketing ideas that you can mix and match to meet your own unique circumstances. The book is very readable, providing solid information without being dry or tedious.
Once upon a time, being a land owner was supposed to free you by being a source of both sustenance and income. Owning property was not supposed to chain you to a job, fearful of whether or not you can make the mortgage payments. Why not reclaim that old sense of being a property owner by making your land, however small, work for you?
This is a gem of a book.
Live better, a little every day.
By Andy Lee and Patricia Foreman
I begin this review by prefacing it with a valuable concept gleaned from another book, Rich Dad, Poor Dad, by Robert Kiyosaki. Many people consider their house to be their biggest investment. An investment is something, however, that is supposed to ultimately earn you income. If you buy rental income property and become a landlord, then it makes sense to call the house an investment. However, if your home is not drawing an income of its own, but is instead consuming your funds through utilities, taxes, repairs, and a mortgage, then it is more of a money pit than a sound investment.
Don't ever let anyone sell you on the lie that buying a house is an investment unless they can demonstrate that the property has a clear potential of drawing an income. Considering that any appreciation of property value over time will be completely overshadowed by the amount of interest paid on the mortgage, how many people can really say that their house is working for them? An interesting side note: the roots of the word mortgage mean "death grip". That sounds about right.
And now, back to the book review at hand!
If you have ever wondered how to make your house (or, in this case, your yard) work for you, instead of the other way around, you need to get this book! While this book will not teach you how to grow a garden, it teaches you the most effective ways to sell what you grow.
The authors present several business models that work for a wide variety of individual growers ranging from those who have a couple of acres to less than one eigth of an acre. The how-to's of farmers' markets, membership and subscriber gardens, road-side stands, as well as home deliveries are explained in detail. Also presented are sample budgets, and oodles of marketing ideas that you can mix and match to meet your own unique circumstances. The book is very readable, providing solid information without being dry or tedious.
Once upon a time, being a land owner was supposed to free you by being a source of both sustenance and income. Owning property was not supposed to chain you to a job, fearful of whether or not you can make the mortgage payments. Why not reclaim that old sense of being a property owner by making your land, however small, work for you?
This is a gem of a book.
Live better, a little every day.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Extra Income Ideas
Our country is facing a massive unemployment problem. Thousands of people are being laid off, and there are precious few new jobs available. To drive this point home, I know of a local company that posted a single advertisement for bus drivers and monitors in our local paper. The ad ran for one day. They received over 370 applications for only 7 positions.
To compound the problem, many folks have exhausted their unemployment benefits, and do not qualify for any further benefit extensions. Some are considering themselves lucky to find minimum-wage, part-time work. I say, we can do better.
We do not have to wait for the government to stimulate the economy. We can create our own economies. We do not have to wait for the government to create jobs. We can create our own jobs. Everyone has talents, skills, resources, abilities, and knowledge that someone else wants. You may not think you do, but yes, you do.
What are your hobbies? What do you like to read about? Can you cook? Do you enjoy writing? Do you like fixing things? Can you plant a seed in a pot? Can you tell a story? Maybe you even know something obscure, like how to reads cards or the stars? Any of these can lead to your own business.
Here is a list of potential homegrown jobs to get you thinking. Some may be seasonal, some may be part-time. But, if you get creative, you will be able to find something in your skill set, that can supplement your current income that can eventually become your primary income.
Prouction/Services
Do you know a lot about something, or even a moderate amount that you could teach to a beginner? Then you can hold classes and offer lessons. Here are some ideas.
Live better, a little everyday.
To compound the problem, many folks have exhausted their unemployment benefits, and do not qualify for any further benefit extensions. Some are considering themselves lucky to find minimum-wage, part-time work. I say, we can do better.
We do not have to wait for the government to stimulate the economy. We can create our own economies. We do not have to wait for the government to create jobs. We can create our own jobs. Everyone has talents, skills, resources, abilities, and knowledge that someone else wants. You may not think you do, but yes, you do.
What are your hobbies? What do you like to read about? Can you cook? Do you enjoy writing? Do you like fixing things? Can you plant a seed in a pot? Can you tell a story? Maybe you even know something obscure, like how to reads cards or the stars? Any of these can lead to your own business.
Here is a list of potential homegrown jobs to get you thinking. Some may be seasonal, some may be part-time. But, if you get creative, you will be able to find something in your skill set, that can supplement your current income that can eventually become your primary income.
Prouction/Services
- Produce/ornamental grower (can sell at farmers markets)
- Handyman
- Keep chickens and sell the extra eggs
- Keep sheep, goats, alpacas, or rabbits, and sell their hair/fiber to knitting or fiber clubs and associations
- Baker (get your kitchen certified in your state and sell in small specialty shops or farmers markets)
- Sell home-canned goods, anything from jellies to soups (sell in same places as above)
- Babysitting (find out how many children you can watch without becoming a day care, then work towards getting those qualifications)
- Beekeeping (honey & wax sales, pollination services)
- Computer Servicing (check into certification courses)
- Crafting- soap making, candle making, knitting, etc.
- Become an herbalist (some training is necessary, much of which can be done from home)
Do you know a lot about something, or even a moderate amount that you could teach to a beginner? Then you can hold classes and offer lessons. Here are some ideas.
- Music
- Knitting
- Crocheting
- Weaving
- Sewing
- Food Preservation- canning, dehydrating, smoking
- Gardening
- Beekeeping (help the newbies with their new bees- sorry, I know that was bad)
- Lead a mediation group (everyone is stressed out these days!)
- Write a book, doesn't matter- fiction, non-fiction, an instruction book, and inspirational book, anything. You can get picked up by a publisher or self-publish, either way you work once, but payment is on-going
- Write articles- many magazines and web sites will compensate those who contribute to their subscription issues.
- Write a blog- there are some bloggers who get paid to write blogs. I don't know how much a person would actually have to write in order to get paid for blog entries, but it is something to look into if you have the talent.
Live better, a little everyday.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Canning Meals Now to Save Money Later
Today is the last day of September. The days are comfortable and the nights are cool. This is a great time of year to can some food for the winter. While the opportunity to can the summer veggies has past, you can still can fully prepared meals to add to your food storage.
There are two major benefits to canning food now. First, and most obvious, it is cooler. Heating up the kitchen isn't a big deal right now. (Just compare the experience to canning back in August!). The second reason is less immediately obvious- you will save money.
Yes, preparing food at home almost always saves money. No surprise there. However, in a month or so, the utility companies will be raising their rates. Soon, it will cost more to turn on the stove regardless if you use gas or electric. By canning prepared meals right now, you can take advantage of the lower seasonal utility rates. When you are ready to eat, all you have to do is reheat the meal, which will use much less power when rates are at their highest, than to cook from scratch. Not to mention, it will save you time as well.
Consider making double or triple batches of cheap meals, and canning the surplus. Assuming you have a pressure canner (not a pressure cooker), you can safely can recipes containing low-acid veggies, as well as meat and dairy. Some meals to consider are chili, American chop suey, and all types of soups. I canned the leftovers from a pork roast I made in the crock pot, and it turned out beautifully.
A pressure canner is a one-time expense. The glass jars, unless you break them, are also a one time expense. The cost of new lids are ridiculously cheap. If you have a little extra money, you can purchase jars with rubber gaskets and clamps, and then you don't have to worry about buying new lids each year. You can purchase all these supplies for around $300, which isn't much when compared to a week's worth of groceries from the store.
Of course, if you cook on a wood cook stove, it is not advisable to use a pressure canner. But, if you're cooking on wood, you're not paying a utility bill in the first place.
Quick political note: spending less with the utility companies means less associated tax money the government collects. Each utility pays taxes associated with the operation of their business. You, the end user, is ultimately the source of revenue that pays those taxes. I don't know anyone who thinks the government has done a good job of managing our money. I would just as soon not volunteer to give the government any more money than I am absolutely required to do. That would be like giving an irresponsible teenager a credit card with no limit. I think it is far more patriotic to save the resources to shore up the security of our family. Your mileage may vary.
Live better, a little every day.
There are two major benefits to canning food now. First, and most obvious, it is cooler. Heating up the kitchen isn't a big deal right now. (Just compare the experience to canning back in August!). The second reason is less immediately obvious- you will save money.
Yes, preparing food at home almost always saves money. No surprise there. However, in a month or so, the utility companies will be raising their rates. Soon, it will cost more to turn on the stove regardless if you use gas or electric. By canning prepared meals right now, you can take advantage of the lower seasonal utility rates. When you are ready to eat, all you have to do is reheat the meal, which will use much less power when rates are at their highest, than to cook from scratch. Not to mention, it will save you time as well.
Consider making double or triple batches of cheap meals, and canning the surplus. Assuming you have a pressure canner (not a pressure cooker), you can safely can recipes containing low-acid veggies, as well as meat and dairy. Some meals to consider are chili, American chop suey, and all types of soups. I canned the leftovers from a pork roast I made in the crock pot, and it turned out beautifully.
A pressure canner is a one-time expense. The glass jars, unless you break them, are also a one time expense. The cost of new lids are ridiculously cheap. If you have a little extra money, you can purchase jars with rubber gaskets and clamps, and then you don't have to worry about buying new lids each year. You can purchase all these supplies for around $300, which isn't much when compared to a week's worth of groceries from the store.
Of course, if you cook on a wood cook stove, it is not advisable to use a pressure canner. But, if you're cooking on wood, you're not paying a utility bill in the first place.
Quick political note: spending less with the utility companies means less associated tax money the government collects. Each utility pays taxes associated with the operation of their business. You, the end user, is ultimately the source of revenue that pays those taxes. I don't know anyone who thinks the government has done a good job of managing our money. I would just as soon not volunteer to give the government any more money than I am absolutely required to do. That would be like giving an irresponsible teenager a credit card with no limit. I think it is far more patriotic to save the resources to shore up the security of our family. Your mileage may vary.
Live better, a little every day.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Make Your Own First Aid Kit
To take a break from blog posts about the garden, I thought this would be a good time to address a simple preparedness tool- the first aid kit.
As stated in the blog description, "We also recognize that in an emergency, it is better to be prepared than to rely on an outside source for rescue." While any serious health condition should be checked out by a physician, many minor issues can be handled at home. First aid kits should be part of your basic supplies. It is a good idea to keep one at home and one in each of your vehicles.
Most ready-made first aid kits are filled with cheap, limited supplies. You're best bet is to make your own kit. You can find all manner of plastic bins that will work well to hold your first aid supplies. I like to have a mix of allopathic, herbal, and homeopathic supplies. You have to know what to use when, but they make for a comprehensive kit.
Here is a list of useful items to keep in a first aid kit.
As stated in the blog description, "We also recognize that in an emergency, it is better to be prepared than to rely on an outside source for rescue." While any serious health condition should be checked out by a physician, many minor issues can be handled at home. First aid kits should be part of your basic supplies. It is a good idea to keep one at home and one in each of your vehicles.
Most ready-made first aid kits are filled with cheap, limited supplies. You're best bet is to make your own kit. You can find all manner of plastic bins that will work well to hold your first aid supplies. I like to have a mix of allopathic, herbal, and homeopathic supplies. You have to know what to use when, but they make for a comprehensive kit.
Here is a list of useful items to keep in a first aid kit.
- Variety of bandages and band-aids
- Sterile gauze pads
- Cloth tape
- Snips (to cut the tape)
- Hand sanitizer
- Metal tweezers
- Triple-antibiotic ointment
- Hydrocortizone cream
- Calamine lotion
- Alcohol/Antiseptic wipes
- Cotton balls
- Non-latex gloves
- Thermometer
- Breathing/CPR barrier
- Blood pressure cuff & replacement batteries
- Aspirin
- Ibuprofen
- Diphenhydramine (Benadryl)
- Guiafenesin
- Instant cold compresses
- Ace bandages
- Aloe vera gel
- Lavender essential oil
- Goldenseal Tincture
- Elderberry Tincture
- Arnica gel
- Crystallized ginger
- Kaopectate
- Witch hazel
- Variety of homeopathic tablet remedies
Of course, there are many other things that could be added to a first aid kit. If you have the means to purchase a defibrillator, that would make an incredible addition to your kit. If you have children, then you should add children's formulas of common medications. You could also include any pet medications as well. If you feel the need and have the necessary knowledge, you could also stock up on antibiotics. These can be obtained affordably and without prescription from feed stores.
If you don't have a first aid kit, consider putting one together. While you might not need to use it often, when you do need to use it, you'll be glad that you spent the time building a well-stocked kit.
If you have additional suggestions for items to go into a first aid kit, let's hear them! Post a comment!
Live better, a little every day.
Friday, July 3, 2009
A New Independence Day
This Independence Day, our household chooses to assess our actual level of Independence. We will evaluate our current position in regard to debt freedom, food & energy independence, and identify ways to improve our level of independence.
We assert that we have a right to pursue:
We assert that we have a right to pursue:
- A safe food supply
- Renewable energy
- A debt-free life
Over the next week, I will address each concern individually, providing strategies to accomplish each.
Live better, a little every day.
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