Peak Oil Homestead Plans

roebuck · Tar Sands Joined: Dec 19, 2004 Posts: 50

Hey jato,

"If nature & the economy don't allow for 5 more years & TSHTF I will just have to improvise."

Believe me, once TSHTF, we're ALL going to be improvising! Smile

I will reiterate my take on the situation: Practically no one will be "self sufficient". Humans never have been. I believe you want to be "community sufficient", insofar as possible. Get away from big cities, settle in a small community, have some land, grow a garden, learn and live some useful PO-skills, know and be known by and be friends with everyone. As someone said, developing the skills takes a long time, and so does developing relationships with people and place.

I bought my place in a small rural community here in NH about 12 years ago without PO in mind at all. I just wanted to live a certain way. I have 15 acres, most of it wooded, the rest of it rocky as hell (come to think of it, the wooded areas are rocky as hell too). I won't be growing major field crops, however I have some excellent garden beds that I've developed over the years, and can grow lots of good produce. And I can pasture my sheep and horse. I use my horse to log my woodlot for firewood, and for driving around. The sheep make tons of wool, and lambs. I've got maples to tap for syrup. I've got a couple of little streams for water. Deer, moose, and turkeys are plentiful, and I'm not a bad shot with my 30-30 or .22.

Am I self-sufficient? No, not even close. But I have skills, friends, lots of tools, and stuff to contribute to and trade with the community. You know, although there are challenges to come, there's no reason why this can't be a positive... it all depends on how people handle it.

Both the "totally self-sufficient homestead" option and the "Rambo" wilderness option seem impossible to me. (It's not that I can't imagine times when a Rambo mode could be useful, but getting by PO doesn't seem like one of them.) I think we're looking at a more long-term, chronic thing here...

But who knows!?

- roebuck

pip · Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2005 1:13 pm Post subject:

Nobody since the Indians has been self-sufficient.
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The road goes on forever and the party never ends - REK