We Aren’t All Farmers, Soldiers, or Master Gardeners

Survival Blog ^ | 9/9/14 | Sootgrinder

[bgill]

Hmm, I equate it with sewing and stained glass. Ok, separate the fun sewing with crafts and the not so fun with have to chores. It's all joining pieces together to create something.

In high school, I was the first girl they let into Ag. class and the men teachers weren't happy. Turned out, I was the best welder in the class so the teachers were totally ticked. They wouldn't let me work on the big outside projects because that just wasn't for girls, don’cha know. I got the smaller shop projects I could do on my own. When they'd get frustrated with a guy, they'd send him in to help “the girl”, sigh... Of course, I'd end up having to teach the disgraced boy so he could be taken back into the he-man club. Maybe that's why I like welding. More of a neener, neener, take that you chauvinistic jerks.

[greeneyes]

I know how to sew, crochet, and embroidery, but don't do much of it anymore. Like many things, I just don't enjoy it as much as I once did.

I seem to be of the type that likes to learn new stuff, especially purely brain stuff involving lots of reading, and then move on after a year or so to something else new.

I do understand what you mean about the Ag. class. I was a mathematics major in college, and the only girl in most of my senior classes. I did enjoy beating the boys. LOL My grand daughter was the only girl in her Ag. class. The teacher was fine with it. He said all the guys liked her too. I'll bet they did. She was a cutie.LOL

My oldest daughter was really into science, math, and basketball. At the time there was a girl's team, but they had so summer program. So she went and played with the boys during their summer clinics.

Now the boys didn't like it much and so she had harassment, but she just gone even by beating most of them, and holding her own with the few others. It made her a good player. The coach was good with it and encouraged her.

She was the only freshman girl on the varsity team the next year, and she got to start quite a few games too. So, I think she gained a lot of respect from the coach for not quitting and staying in there even though the guys were acting like jerks - which he did address, when he could catch them at it.

[Marcella]

“Check online for Lehmans in Ohio ; they are hardware supplier of antiques and current Amish goods.
THey offer a catalogue of Amish goods, and tools , and some interesting Amish culture books which are useful, especially in a SHTF situation.”

In the not distant future, I will be in Ohio and will go to Lehmans. One item I will get is a manual coffee grinder (I may order that before I go there). Going to Lehmans is a long time wish of mine and it’s going to come true. What a joy it will be to be in that store.

[Marcella]

“It will not be my job to close with the enemy and defeat them with fire and manuver. Others need to do that. I am set to act in a variety of roles that enable others to do their job.”

I was an EMT and will depend on those medical skills and my medical equipment/supplies to keep others healthy. I can use my medical staples and butterfly closures to close a wound, have an oxygen tank and cannulas to deliver that oxygen, have splints for broken arms and legs and I can deliver a baby. I have a special medical bag full of equipment to save a life in a true emergency situation. I became an EMT to be a first responder in my subdivision and I'm so glad I got that training.

[greeneyes]

They have the rocket style bucket to use for manual access to wells also. I have seen it on line. I wonder if a wheat mill could also be used to grind coffee beans.

We have a 2 and half year supply of vacuum packed coffee, and none of it is coffee beans. The kids did give hubby an electric coffee grinder and some fancy beans for Christmas one year, but we haven’t used it in at least 4 years, so a manual coffee grinder isn’t high on my list. Nice to have some day.

If we lived in a warmer climate, I’d try to grow the beans and roast them and grind them, so then I’d need to get one, but being in Missouri, not much chance of growing our own.

Push come to shove, we’ll probably substitute dried chicory root, and/or ground persimmon seeds for our breakfast drink.

[JRandomFreeper]

I can deliver a baby.

Yeah, so can I. No thanks, give me something easy like digging a trench under enemy fire or something.

/johnny

[JRandomFreeper]

I did recently get to buy some more of my green coffee beans from Costa-Rica. Mmmmm. I'm good until sometime in 2015/2016.

/johnny

[greeneyes]

It’s all good. I have so many things left on my list, and so little money to do it all, but I prioritize and keep on plugging along.

[JRandomFreeper]

It was cheaper for me to buy a bag of green beans than pay every month for nasty coffee at the grocery store.

More work with the roasting, etc.... but less $$s in the long run.

I just did without a few things for a few weeks.

/johnny

[greeneyes]

Well, I grew up on the nasty stuff, so I don’t miss what I never had. LOL

I got most of mine on sale for at least 50% off. Wish I had bought another year’s worth, but I didn’t want to appear greedy.

The other customers were sticking with one or two years worth. Also, I needed some room in the cart for other stuff.

[Marcella]

“We have a 2 and half year supply of vacuum packed coffee, and none of it is coffee beans.”

My problem is, Bob is a coffee bean buyer and blends his own mixture of beans. If there is no power, all I have is bags and bags of coffee beans. Hence, I need a manual grinder.

[Ellendra]

Plants are more sustainable,since it takes eight pounds of vegetation to make one pound of meat which may not be harvestable until sexual maturation, and that doesn't include the amount of healthy water necessary for meat production.

I expect you've probably gotten this answer already, but, if you choose your animals wisely that isn't a problem. Chickens can eat bugs and table scraps, reducing the insect population by quite a bit and thus saving your garden from a lot of damage. All while providing eggs. Rabbits can eat weeds, grass, and certain tree trimmings. Geese can eat mostly grass and will double as a perimeter alarm. Goats can eat brush and garden wastes.

A lot of people have trouble getting their protein requirements from vegetables. It takes the right mix of enzymes and not everybody produces that. Just adding eggs to the mix can help a lot.