Action from the Home Front

I've been organic gardening since I was 18, almost 40 years now (which shocks the heck out of me) but it makes me a "high ranking amateur" in the gardening world. I've successfully grown asparagus from seed and tried establishing my own variety of okra (alas, unsuccessfully) and have hand killed barrels of insect pests. Watered tomatoes by hand with my saved shower water. You get the picture.

But there is so much more to the Self Sufficiency arena. I will leave the off the grid and chemical toilet ideas for other, braver folk. I am going to explore and share ideas pertaining to whittling away at our dependence on others (and the associated costs). Some ideas may be WAY out there, just laugh and move on. However, maybe another might be doable. In your own home. With your own spin.

Although gardening and it's close sister, cooking/food storage will be my primary focus, we'll venture off that pathway on occasion. Self sufficiency is usually frugal, but not always. Sometimes it costs more money, or maybe more time. I would never dream of making my own toilet paper, although those mullein leaves are awfully soft...

I digress. Whenever I think of mulleins I am reminded of the recipe for helping children earaches, made with olive oil and the tiny yellow mullein flowers. I've used lots of homemade ointments and distillations. We will touch upon them from time to time. But sometimes problems really are medical problems and need medical interventions. I always hope folks use common sense.

As the title to this blog states, I'm looking at what I can do, as an individual and as a family, to decrease my carbon footprint (apparently one of the catch phrases of the year) and utilize my home front for more than just living space. Although I currently live in the suburbs and garden in my backyard, I've lived in apartments, farms, and once (in my youth) an urban commune. I've learned bunches.

Tomorrow, I'll start with the basics. Assessing your own personal home front resources.