How did we get here? How did we get so out of touch with providing for ourselves? What can we do now, to change our future, to secure our future?
Times once again are changing. We are realizing how fragile our basic needs are. We are seeing right now, how a hiccup in time, can alter what we’ve blindly accepted as normal. We’ve now seen our dependency.
It wasn’t too long ago that the majority of our regular household foods were grown right in our own yards. The neighbors often provided what we couldn’t and barters were common amongst each other. In today’s society, we have lost the ability to provide for ourselves. We’ve become dependent on big chains to provide for our basic needs. I propose we get back to our roots…. in sorts, a resurrection of our ancestral roots.
You have the ability to provide, to grow, to change, and to touch base with the basic abilities that our grandparents & great grandparents did. You have the ability not to be dependent upon the system. Your power, is in your hands… your freedoms, are in your hands… your choice to health, is within your resolve.
Let’s grow a little something. Let’s support our local plant nurseries, farmers & ranchers. Let’s trade skills for products we may not be able to provide for ourselves. Let’s learn from those who do know how.
Where do you get started? Right in your own yard! Plant the basics… summer veggies & root vegetables that last through the winter. Familiarize yourself with how to store them. There is so much information online and neighbors that may be willing to help you learn. It is not too late to put some potatoes in the ground, plant a spring mix of lettuces, grow some zucchini or squash and if you’ve never had your own tomatoes… youre missing out! Start with something easy and get your hands dirty!
Not everyone can raise their own meat, but that doesn’t mean you can not be prepared.. Plan ahead, contact a local rancher and invest in half or a quarter of beef as well as pork. These times are tough for them too. It will save you money in the long run. Not to mention, the security you feel having a freezer full of meat that will last you the year.
Adopt a few hens…. two hens for every member of your family. In fact, you’re chickens can turn kitchen scraps & yard waste into fertile fantastic soil for next years garden! They are excellent for bug control as well. Put them to work while they produce you hours of comedy relief and delicious protein.
Start cooking at home again. We’ve strayed to the convenience of boxed foods loaded in preservatives, additives filled with sodium & sugars. It’s no wonder we have type 2 diabetes, all the metabolic & autoimmune diseases as well as the inevitable weight gain we see as our community gets sicker. You are what you eat. Every cell in your body is shaped and developed by what you put into it. Cook with fresh ingredients. The ability to know how your food is produced or raised can change your life and your immunity! There is no better time than now to have a tip top immune system!
Learn new skills! It’s so easy to come home from work and just plop down in front of the TV. Why not learn how to bake? Try to perfect some fresh breads. Learn how to can, ferment, or pickle foods! It’s easier than you think! Take advantage of Farmers Markets and buy enough to put extra food away for the year. Find friends & family with fruit trees that would love your help harvesting, while taking their extras and store some for later on. There’s nothing better than cracking open a jar of Apple pie filling topped with whipped cream on a cold winter night! Get creative… there are tons of possibilities and plenty of folks that would be happy to teach you.
Take control of your future while taking your health to the next level with home grown and prepared foods. These lost skills our ancestors used brought peace of mind and health. Resurrect your family roots!
Amy and her husband, Lincoln County residents, live among their livestock on a little piece of paradise. They’ve worked over the years to cultivate their gardens and property to restore the living land. Follow her Facebook page @ www.facebook.com/SeekinsHeritageHomestead
