livesovereigntoday.org

Category: Self Sufficient Living

  • Welcoming New Life in the New Year

    On the second day of January, as I was in the camper making breakfast, my husband came bounding in exclaiming, “there’s a baby cow out there!”

    For months, I had been eagerly anticipating the arrival of Charlotte’s calf. I’d been watching her womb expand, and her milk bag grow with the excitement of a child waiting for Christmas. We weren’t exactly sure when the calf would arrive, but as the holidays came and went, I could tell she was getting close. And now, finally, the moment was here! I was jumping up and down laughing and hugging my husband in a frenzy of joy and excitement, causing my one-year-old son to speed around the camper clapping and giggling. We got dressed and ran outside. There she was! A perfect little black baby girl, standing next to her momma in the snow.

    Both cows looked healthy and relatively content. Charlotte had already cleaned the calf up and someone, either her or one of the dogs, had ensured that the placenta was nowhere to be seen.

    Despite being confident that Charlotte was more than capable of giving birth, having a drama-free calving was actually a major relief. I had been regaled by so many people’s stories of stuck calves, still born births, and horror stories of all kinds. This admittedly made it difficult to be completely at ease.

    I breathed a sigh of relief. All was well with the world. Well, almost. There was far too much hubub surrounding this newborn calf. Four energetic dogs and a curious cat were noisily swarming the area with zero respect to the personal space of mom and baby. And then, the horse got involved. Seemingly feeling threatened by this unknown creature in his paddock, he lunged toward her as if to chase her away. Charlotte scattered, and the poor baby was left to fend for herself. She was new to walking, let alone running, and the ground was covered in snow and ice. She slipped and fell, and my horse stepped on her right back leg! It all happened so fast that there was nothing I could do but watch in horror. I knew in that moment that this was not a proper environment for them. The stress they were under was palpable.

    Being the resourceful person that he is, my husband set up a wooden plank across the entrace to the paddock’s shelter, high enough to let the cows in but keep the horse, Kenobi, out. He covered the baby in his jacket to keep her warm and stood guard, protecting her from Kenobi while I grabbed the pickaxe and began prying frozen manure of the ground in the shelter. We bedded it down with lots of straw and shavings, put in water, hay & the salt block, and allowed mama and baby to settle in. They were both exhausted and were soon laying down cuddling and resting.

    I was pretty excited to take a look and perform my postpartum cow midwifery duties. We did not want to interfere unnecessarily, but after a few hours of observation, we began to get nervous that the calf hadn’t been seen nursing. Still biding our time and hesitant to step in, Brandon ran to the local feed store to get a bottle before they closed, just in case.

    Eventually, the pair had enough rest, and Charlotte got up and began to eat and drink. Yes! Another sigh of relief. The baby got up too and was sniffing around, trying to find the teats. All we had to do was help her out a little bit by guiding her to the correct area and squeezing out a bit of milk onto her nose. Soon, she was happily suckling, and I was able to clean and bandage the cut Kenobi had made on her leg.

    Now, the little calf, who we have named Ventress (IYKYK) is almost two months old. She brings so much joy to our lives every day! She is sweet and silly and full of boundless energy. Since she can easily hop through the paddock fencing, she runs around wherever she wants, exploring the homestead. She plays in the pack with the dogs and seems to think she is one of them. Right now, she appears to have the robust build of an Angus. But that could change, and I am having a wonderful time watching her grow up.

    And best of all, it is so great to finally have fresh raw milk again! The quality far exceeds anything we have previously had. So far, I have learned to make butter, cheese, and sour cream with no plans to stop there. The adventure of the family dairy cow continues to be one of my favorite homestead experiences as it provides a nutritious bounty and plenty of lessons!

  • On Self & Community Sufficiency

    When I moved onto 20 acres of forested mountain, a half hour drive from the nearest small town, I imagined myself becoming a hermit in the woods. I had been living in national forests and developed an intolerance for the noise humans make. And I really am deeply cranky if I don’t spend enough time in solitude in nature. So, I figured I would build the skills to live an entirely self-sufficient life. I would be entirely outside of society and rely on nobody but my husband. About a year later, some of that remains. However, I no longer desire the burden of the label “self-sufficient”. It is still my main goal to live off of the abundance of this land and to be able to provide for a thriving family regardless of any circumstance. But I’ve learned a lot this year. I no longer think that the highest calling for myself and my family exists apart from everyone. This shift in my understanding of life has brought about a change in my opinion on self-sufficiency. The incredible community that I have found here, and the support from my out-of-town family have shown me a different way. I have learned to embrace the notion of a “community sufficient” life.

    My view in the Fall

    Living off-grid was the highest priority when my husband and I began our homesteading adventure. We are completely unwilling to rely on city utilities in any way. We are working on many additional pursuits of independence from modern society. But, in order to have some agreed upon luxuries such as a refrigerator and the ability to charge our cell phones, we use a dual fuel generator in addition to our solar system. This means that we still purchase gas and propane in town. I complain incessantly about it. I hate the noise, smell, and cost of running it. Over time, we will continue to develop the robustness of our solar system and stop purchasing fuel to convert into electricity. But even right now, could we survive through all seasons without it? Absolutely. I know that I have developed a hardiness that would allow me to utilize my wood burning stove and outdoor fires for our basic needs. We are self-sufficient enough to render the generator a true luxury. And that feels really good!

    On a rare day I got dressed for town

    I am uncomfortable living a life where I outsource responsibility for my existence to others. That applies to relying on the opinions of experts, and it also applies to relying too heavily on the generosity and resources of my community. A life built on even the most stable outside assistance is a false sense of security. Even money, which is often considered a good measure of security, can lose value almost instantly. In fact, it is only worth anything at all if there are goods to buy and people to hire to fill the gaps in your skillset. This is particularly meaningful if you believe, as I do, that we live in a society teetering on the brink of collapse. In many ways, the only true security comes from self-sufficiency. It comes from having robust systems in place for your basic needs, backups for those systems, and the knowledge that you can further adapt to anything that might come along. Therefore, amassing knowledge and building competence is a part of my daily work. I intend to develop skills as a gardener, herbalist, and cook (just to name a few key interests) for the rest of my life. My husband feels the same and continues to develop his skills with an equal intensity.

    However, humans seek out what lies beyond the basic necessities of survival. We dream and plan. I tend to exist on the ambitious end of that spectrum. Over the last year I have learned a lot about the possibilities that materialize through accepting assistance from other people. Our friends and family have been such a blessing. With their help, the struggle of survival in our first year was eased. Instead of just focusing on making it through the seasons, we have been able to live an expansive life we never could have achieved by insisting on being self-sufficient. Buying our family dairy cow, raising a flock of chickens and ducks, bringing my horse home, and starting a mead company are just a few of the things that collaborating with our community has made possible.

    Our neighborhood

    We arrived in the Fall and immediately needed to work on our plan for the winter. Many people offered us emergency housing if we got too cold. People stopped by to discuss camper winterization strategies. New friends opened their homes to us on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Discovering that we would be without a well for up to two years, our neighbors offered water from their well. After my first attempt to garden in this climate didn’t yield much, we received an abundance of produce from the gardens of friends and neighbors. We’ve been able to borrow machinery and enlist help to move forward on countless projects. The list goes on infinitely. And then there is the enjoyment of conversation, shared meals, river floats and rowdy game nights which enhance our quality of life as much as anything.

    Roosters given to us by friends

    We have also been fortunate enough to be supported by an incredible community of out-of-town family who have shown an extraordinary desire to be of service to our dream. Without them, times would be much leaner, projects would move slower, and life would undoubtedly be less sweet.

    Teaching our son to swim during a recent visit with my parents.

    Community-sufficiency is not transactional. However, as I embrace this way of life, I find myself more motivated than ever to be of service. To give back as much as I have received. If my neighbors and friends need a hand, I want to give one. And that spirit will only deepen as I settle into life here and develop my capacities. Admittedly, at the moment, I get more help than I give. My husband, on the other hand, has developed a community with the other husbands on the mountain. They all help each other out with a myriad of projects and share the use of the tools that move these things forward.

    I am excited to share the highs and lows of life with a community. I am excited that my children will be raised around a close-knit group of people who can share unique skills and perspectives. I am excited to create that, even though it is outside of my comfort zone. Will I ever be able to be the hermit I imagined myself to be? That vision is shifting to one of a matriarch with skills developed over decades of homesteading and Earth based living. My plans still absolutely include walking about in the woods alone, making tea, talking to plants, and meditating in solitude. However, now I plan to do that while cultivating relationships with neighbors and friends. And the delectable tidbits of homegrown goodness that will bake and simmer in my kitchen will be destined for the bellies of the people my family loves.

  • A Special Buzz: Herbal Mead Hand Crafted the Natural Way

    Imagine drinking sunshine. Imagine drinking the four elements. Water, Earth, Fire, and Air coming together – the magic of nature in a glass. Your favorite herbs, spices, and fruits provide flavor directly from Mother Earth. The energy of the plants moves through you, balancing and healing. No preservatives, chemical additives, dyes, or sweeteners involved. No confusing labels and unknown ingredients. The drink of the Gods, gently crafted by human hands. This is the potential of natural mead.

    Experiencing mead and other fermented drinks in this way is available for those who wish to seek it out. Fermentation occurs spontaneously in nature. All that winemakers, meadmakers, and brewers need to do is to guide the process and support what wants to happen naturally. When alcohol is fermented in this way, the taste, the buzz, and the vibes are unmatched.

    Homemade mead by the glass


    When I mention mead, people often seem confused. “Meat?” and a quizzical look is perhaps the most common response. So, in case you’re wondering, mead is the alcoholic beverage created when honey is fermented into wine. Considered by many to be the oldest alcoholic drink in the world, it is said that honey wine was made in northern China, Africa, India, and Greece many thousands of years ago. Indeed, the enjoyment of fermented beverages has been a part of the human experience since ancient times. It was monks and church officials in many communities who dedicated themselves to the art of fermentation, crafting some of the most revered bottles of beer and wine in history. An excellent vintage fermented with intention honors God. And, at certain times in history, alcohol helped our ancestors stay alive when there was no access to safe drinking water. Mead is mentioned in books, poems, and songs. Perhaps its biggest claim to fame is that the Vikings drank it in celebration and with their Gods in the halls of Valhalla.

    There is a growing community of producers offering small batches of natural alcohols. People who are craftsmen and artists who respect the product and their customers. This is across wine, beer, and spirits. Trust me, finding them is well worth the effort! I am one of those people. On my homestead, I craft extremely small batch mead, which will be for sale soon.

    Me with a dandelion mead fermentation

    Over the past 12 years, I have been a professional winemaker. When it came time to move on from corporate life, I dove deeply into the process of fermenting alcohol at home for myself. What joy I found in making those initial batches! The process I use is so natural and simple that I was able to continue making mead for myself in a travel trailer and out in the forest during my time living on the road.

    Fermenting mead at a campsite

    There are so many reasons to make fermented alcoholic beverages yourself!Grocery stores and online retailers are full of products with unpronounceable ingredients, preservatives, chemicals, sweeteners and other additives. Alcoholic beverages are no exception! In fact, it isn’t even required for alcohol producers to list their ingredients on labels. When you make your own natural fermentations, you know exactly what is in them. Other reasons include pride in craftsmanship, the ability to customize flavor, and saving money. For me, one of the biggest reasons is self-sufficiency. The life I am building on my homestead is centered around being able to provide for myself and my family from the land, in connection with nature, with my own hands. Being able to produce my own alcohol to drink is a beautiful part of that. One day, I intend to raise the honey bees that will provide the base ingredient of my mead. But until then, I am happy to support a local honey farm.

    As I was beginning my journey with honey fermentation, I was also being drawn down my plant path. The world of herbs, flowers, and trees was opening up to me like never before. I was drawn in deeper and deeper as I began to see the healing and therapeutic wisdom of these plants. In herbalism, there are many ways to extract potent healing and energetic compounds from the leaves, seeds, fruits, flowers, and roots of plants. Three common substrates for extraction used by herbalists are honey, water, and alcohol. Which is exactly the components of natural mead! I don’t think that is a coincidence. My intuition is that, in moderation, mead is an excellent way to benefit from plants. And honey itself is known to be a potent natural healer. It is with this intention that I am developing my understanding of the whole plant medicine technique in herbalism and connecting this to the ancient craft of fermentation. What a fun and delicious way to incorporate healing plants into life!

    Adding lavender flowers to a batch of mead


    Mead is, in my opinion, the best option for homemade alcohol. I have a free PDF guide to making your own natural mead on the Wilson’s Big Mountain Mead Instagram. If you’re intrigued by the possibilities, head on over and download it from the link in bio! While you’re there, give us a follow to watch our family meadery activities, and to be in the know when we are able to offer our high quality, natural mead for sale!

    Cheers!

    Wilson’s Big Mountain Mead on IG

    (WilsonsBigMountainMead.com coming soon)