In week two of our preparation and survival meetings, we discussed the topics of gardening and homesteading. Our presenters for this week were Ember Lewis, discussing gardening, and Melissa Reid, discussing homesteading.
Gardening:
Gardening is a crucial aspect when it comes to preparation and survival. It brings a great deal of value to your life by providing you with the ability to have greater control over your health and the nutrients that go into your body. If you are able to put together and maintain your own garden space, then you will be able to not only save money by not having to go to the grocery store as often, but you will also have access to a wider variety of foods. And if there were to ever come a time when the supply chain failed, and the shelves were bare, you would still be able to feed yourself and your family. With that being said, let’s dive into the information that Ember gave us about the different aspects of gardening.
Soil Testing:
There are two different means by which you would test your soil. One of these being for drainage, and the other for the pH.
The reason you would do a drainage test is to figure out how quickly the water in the soil drains away. If the water sits in the soil too long, it can lead to overwatering and can cause root rot as well as death of the plant. If the water is draining too quickly, then your plants will not be able to acquire enough moisture and the nutrients would not be able to absorb as proficiently, leading to deficiencies. To perform a drainage test, dig a six-inch wide by one-foot-deep hole and fill it with water. Let the water drain and then fill it again. Time how long it takes for all of the water to drain. As long as it does not take more than 4 hours to drain, then your soil has good drainage, and you should be able to plant directly into the ground.
The reason for performing a pH test is to determine whether or not your soil is alkaline or acidic. Most vegetables and herbs need to be grown in alkaline soil. There are some plants, such as blueberries, that must be grown in acidic soil. To conduct a pH test, you will need to go out to your garden space and collect some soil. Collect the dirt from several sections of the garden, not just one spot. Divide the dirt into two cups and place ½ cup of white vinegar into one cup. If it fizzes up then that tells you that the soil is likely at a pH of 7 or above, which is what you want. If it does not fizz up, then it is likely you have acidic soil. To test for acidity, you can mix ½ cup baking soda with ½ cup distilled water and place that mixture into the soil of the second cup. If that sample fizzes up, then that will confirm that you have acidic soil.
You can also call your county extension office and send off a sample of your soil to have them test the pH for you. Some counties charge for it and some counties don’t. And some will actually come out to your property and test the soil right then.
Soil Preparation:
If you have a tiller and do not mind doing the work, tilling is always an option to prepare your ground for gardening. Although, a big downside to tilling is that whenever you do this, you are pulling up all of the weed seeds that are further down in the ground. And this, of course, will create a bigger problem for your garden and for you. And you will be stuck with the task of removing all of those weeds from your garden.
The other way to prepare your garden is with the no-till method. This method is great for building up your soil. And it takes away the work of having to till. You are also much less likely to have your garden overrun with weeds. With this method, you would start out by laying down some cardboard to kill any grass and weeds. Then, on top of cardboard you would lay down about 4-6 inches of compost. And once you are finished planting your seeds directly or placing in your seedlings, you would layer it with woodchips to help retain the moisture. One thing to keep in mind about the woodchips is that over time, once they begin to break down, they will pull nitrogen from the soil. And while it will eventually go back in once they are fully broken down, this can rob your plants of the nitrogen they need while they are growing. A good way to avoid this is by creating something called a compost tea. Ember recommends an easy way of doing this by taking some grass clippings or some form of animal manure and soaking it in some water to then add that liquid onto your garden.
If you would like more information about making compost tea or if you have any plans to make large batches, here is a great article about this topic from Farmer’s Almanac:
If you live in an area where you have sandy soil, you can easily add compost to this as well to help create a better balance. But another good thing to add to add to this type of soil is peat moss, as this is what will really help your soil to retain moisture and allow for proper drainage. And if you live in an area that has heavy clay soil and you are wanting to till the ground instead of just layering compost on top, you can get a soil amendment called gypsum and this will help to break down the clay. Then you can add in the compost and till everything up.
Compost and topsoil for raised garden beds are good for areas that do not have well drained soil or for areas that become too saturated during heavy rainfall. Raised garden beds are also a good option to help keep out animals like rabbits, as well as it can be a much easier option for people who are older in age or who have back or knee issues as you do not have to kneel or bend down so much to plant your seeds or harvest your food. It also can create a much cleaner look and provide good separation for your crops.
Homemade Compost:
Compost is incredibly beneficial for your garden because it contains all of the micronutrients that your plants need to thrive. And while compost can be purchased from a store or from a company specializing in soil, if you are able to create your own compost, this would be the best way to go. Not only would you have the knowing of everything that went into the making of that compost, but you would also be able to get rid of waste materials that would otherwise just end up in a landfill or burned. Overall, what is needed for your compost is carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and water.
As far as the ratio is concerned, you generally want to have 2-3 times the amount of brown compared to the green. The brown is the carbon, and the green is the nitrogen. The browns are things such as leaves, hay, sawdust, woodchips, or newspaper. If you choose to use sawdust, make sure it is not from treated lumber, as this is toxic for both your plants and for you. The green will break down much faster, and these are things such as grass clippings, coffee, and food scraps. You can add weeds to your compost as well because the seeds from them will get burned up in the process as everything is breaking down. If you are wanting to use coffee grounds in your compost, a great tip that Ember gave to acquire a large amount would be to pay your local coffee shop a visit and ask them for their used grounds. Things you should not add to your compost are meats, citrus, and dairy. You can add the eggshells, but not the egg that is inside.
The way that Ember creates her compost is by taking a roll of hardware cloth and forming a circle with it. She then layers in the leaves, coffee grounds, and food scraps. She says to turn it once a day if it is a smaller pile, and at least once a week for larger piles.
Another good thing about creating your own compost is that you will end up with a garden full of earthworms. These worms are incredibly beneficial for your garden. They will cause a greater production of your vegetables as well as provide the soil with good aeration.
If you want to be sure that your compost is heating up like it should, especially if you have a bigger pile, a good tool that Ember recommends is called a compost thermometer. You want your compost to be between 135 and 160 degrees.
Seeds:
Of course, many plants can be sown directly into the garden. But a good way to start your seeds is indoors, either with a grow light or in an area of your house that gets a lot of natural sunlight. Just be sure that you start your seeds 6-8 weeks before your last frost date.
There are many options available to plant seeds. You can buy premade trays from your local gardening supply store, or you can create your own. You can save your toilet paper rolls or your biodegradable egg cartons and fill them with soil to start seeds. This is not only a cheaper and already available option, but if you choose to use these, they can be planted directly into your garden. If you use the egg cartons, be sure to poke some holes in the bottom and reinforce with a second carton. A good tip to help keep the seeds from coming out when you water them is to plant them to the proper depth and then add a small amount of peat moss on top.
If you are planting your seeds directly into the garden, make sure that you plant your seeds with enough space between each one. The seed packets will usually tell you the planting depth as well as the proper spacing. This will ensure that your seeds sprout, and that the plants will have adequate room to grow.
If you decided to go with the indoor method, once they are about ready to go into the garden, you will need to harden them off for about two weeks. If you plant them without doing this first, then it is highly likely that your plants will not survive.
For more information about how to harden off your seedlings, here is an article from Seed Savers Exchange:
Here are a few examples of some amazing seed companies where you can purchase organic and heirloom seeds:
Companion Planting:
Companian planting is used as a means of providing your garden with pest control, pollination, and good utilization of space. Determining which plants grow well together will help bring in those beneficial insects and produce maximum yield of your plants.
The method of planting that Ember recommends is a vegetable, an herb, and a flower. Not only does the smell of the herbs help to keep the pests away, but many of them also produce flowers, which will aid in the attraction of those pollinators like bees and butterflies.
Flowers like Marigolds are great for keeping the bad bugs like aphids away, as well as attracting the good bugs such as ladybugs that will eat those aphids if they ever were present.
Here are just a few examples of some plants that grow well together:
Corn - Squash - Beans (Three Sisters)
Sunflowers – Tomatoes – Zinnias - Basil
Strawberries – Borage – Marigolds
Cucumber – Okra
And a few last tips are, if you have a smaller growing space, putting up some trellises and growing vertically when possible is a great option. And also, remember to always rotate your crops with each new growing season so as to not deplete your soil. Aside from pesticide use and genetically modified crops, this is one of one of the greatest travesties of modern agriculture and is a big contributing factor to why Americans are so deficient on so many vital nutrients.
Homesteading:
Melissa gave us some great information regarding the topic of homesteading. I think we all know just how crucial this lifestyle can be when it comes to survival. Many people in this country have strayed so far away from truly being able to care for themselves and their families on this level. This country has become so dependent on city life and on being able to find anything and everything you could possibly need at a grocery store or a retail store. There are many people in this country who homestead and are well aware of all the ins and outs of living this kind of life. But there are also many people out there today who are completely clueless on how to grow their own food, care for and slaughter livestock, and make their own goods like soap and cleaning products. It is time that we get back to our roots and become more self-sufficient.
While gardening is also a part of homesteading, and this is also something that Melissa is doing on her property, another big factor is raising livestock. Chickens and goats are good starter animals for people who are just beginning. But before you make the decision to go out and purchase these animals, you must plan ahead and ensure that you are equipped with everything you may need, including feed, medicine, proper shelter, and adequate fencing.
Chickens:
Chickens were Melissa’s first animals and she currently own 25 chickens, 6 of them being roosters. They are a great animal to begin with and there is a lot of satisfaction to be gained in raising them. She free ranges her birds most of the time and she gets around 15 eggs per day. She is also in the process of incubating some of those eggs to continue to grow her flock. And this can be done either with an incubator machine or by a hen who has chosen to go broody (ready to sit on the eggs).
A breed that you may consider aside from the traditional layers is called a Cornish Cross. These birds are bred specifically as meat birds. They grow quickly and you will typically not have them longer than 16 weeks before they are ready to be harvested.
As mentioned in the previous week, chickens are a great tool when it comes to soil preparation. Melissa uses her birds for this purpose as well, allowing them into the garden to help mix everything around and create a richer soil. Chickens will likely be a topic of conversation that will be touched on again in the future, especially considering what we are seeing unfold with the destruction of the food supply. We have seen farms burn down, chickens slaughtered over fears of bird flu, as well as a massive rise in issues like chickens not being able to lay eggs as well as a possible attack on chicken feed.
Goats:
As of this moment, Melissa has four females and two bucks, and they are expecting to have kids (baby goats) very soon. And she tells us that goats are not only a great resource, but they are also surprisingly entertaining.
One thing to be aware of when you are making the decision to purchase bucks is that they are incredibly smelly. So, this may be something to keep in mind when you are preparing a location for them on your property. And the bucks need to remain separate from the females except during the time of breeding. If you purchase the males while they are still bucklings, they will be ready to breed at around 8 weeks of age. You will need two fenced off areas and two separate barns for their shelter if you plan to do your own breeding. Another thing to be aware of is that goats are able to jump very high and will require fencing that is not only sturdy enough, but also tall enough to keep them from escaping.
Three common goat breeds to look into are Nubians, Lamanchas, and Nigerian Dwarfs. Nubian milk has a higher fat content and is great for making butter. Lamancha milk has less fat content, but they are high producers. Nigerian Dwarfs are tiny and cute, and sweet, but they have much smaller teats due to their size and do not produce as much milk.
When it comes to food, sweet feed is a good choice. This type of feed is a mixture of pellets, grains, and molasses and will provide your goats with much of what they need in nutrients. You should also provide them with hay or alfalfa, especially during the winter months. Alfalfa hay is higher in protein and contains more vitamins and minerals than other grass hays. Another thing you should be offering to your goats is minerals. Some people prefer to give it as a paste by mouth, but another option available is to lay out free-choice minerals for them to consume as they need it. Here is a great article on the topic of goat minerals:
On the subject of milk, Melissa tells us that on average she gets around 12 cups of milk per day from each goat. As long as you are continuing to milk them, they will continue to produce. But they must be bred and birth a kid in order for them to produce milk. And it is recommended that you milk them every 12 hours. You can milk them by hand, or you can opt to use a tool called a milking machine. Before you milk them, make sure that you clean the teats. This will help to keep any debris or bacteria out of the milk. Once you collect the milk into a bucket, you can place a cheese cloth over a mason jar or other glass container and strain it. This will help to filter out any hair or dirt that may have gotten in. The raw milk can then be taken inside and stored. If you choose to pasteurize it, just be aware that this may leave the milk with an unpleasant odor, likely due to the removal of beneficial antibodies and enzymes. Pasteurized milk also will not last as long. It tends to spoil much quicker than raw milk. Goat’s milk is also a really good option for people who have stomach sensitivities or are lactose intolerant. It is also a good skincare choice as it contains a great deal of vitamins E and D and aids in repairing dry skin.
Some really interesting information that Josh pointed out is that cow’s milk contains certain enzymes, these being casein A1 and casein A2. During the 1970s, commercial crops started to become genetically modified. Crops like corn and soy as well as other grains, but these two being the major ones. And not only were these foods added to many of our processed food products, but the cows were also put on diets containing these same foods. And what this did was it modified the casein A1 enzyme that is found in the cow milk. Our consumption of GMO corn, soy, and grains as well as our use of cow milk, cream, and cheese, has produced a massive spike in diseases like celiac disease, lactose intolerance, as well as obesity. Also, there is a link to these genetically modified foods and the consumption of casein A1 for people who have problems with acne. It is likely that these people drink a lot of cow’s milk or eat a lot of cheese. And typically, once these foods are discontinued the acne tends to clear up. Casein A2 on the other hand is the enzyme that you want to consume, the one that people do not have a reaction to. And the good thing is, this is the enzyme that is found in goat’s milk.
Goats are highly susceptible to worms as well as pneumonia. And it is also possible for a female goat to get mastitis in their teats while they are producing. It is for these reasons that you should always be prepared with whatever you might need to provide them with proper medical treatment. Make sure that you have a sufficient stock of antibiotics, dewormers, and wound care. One thing you could also do to help keep away illnesses is to mix herbs in with their feed. And if you have your own garden, you could grow your fresh own herbs for them. Baking soda is also a good thing to feed to the goats and this will help them if they are having issues with bloating.
A few last tips in regard to the goats are to be aware of any plants that the goats have access to. There are some plants that could be native to your area that are actually incredibly toxic to livestock. Wild cherry trees and black nightshade are some examples. And just like rabbit and alpaca manure, goat manure is considered a cold manure and can be added straight onto your garden without the harm of burning the plants.
Soap Making:
Melissa also uses her goat’s milk to create her own soaps. She also uses other ingredients in her soaps such as olive oil, coconut oil, shea butter, and herbs that she collects from her own garden. And she started her business with the intention of trade purposes. Because if we do ever end up in a situation where the economy collapses and we are forced to really put these skills to the test, it would be a good idea for you to have stock of something that you could barter and trade with for other resources.
Here are the tips she gave for anyone interested in creating their own goat milk soap:
Lye is corrosive so you need to exercise extreme caution when using it.
Use protective eyewear and gloves and the lye will burn you and eat away at your skin.
Do not use aluminum because this metal mixed with lye creates a toxic gas. Use glass or stainless steel. You can use wood, but the lye will eventually eat away at it.
Goat milk must be frozen before using it to create the soap because it contains a lot of sugar. If you mix milk that has not frozen with the sodium hydroxide, it will scorch it.
If you prefer, you can buy powdered goat milk.
Use 10.2 oz frozen goat milk to 5.5 oz of lye. Put this into an ice bath in a bowl and stir it around. Once you create that mixture, you can then melt down your butters/oils in a double broiler.
Then you can combine them, but this is where the process can become tricky and possibly dangerous due to temperature and movement, so make sure that you do your research before making your own soap.
At the end of the meeting there was a wonderful discussion about homemade products, haircare, and skin care. We had some great input from some of our members as well regarding detoxing, deodorant, and cleaning products. There are so many things that you can create just with vinegar, baking soda, citrus peels, essential oils, and castile soap. Rosemarie also gave us some important points regarding the skin barrier and the proper ways to care for this protective layer. These are some topics that will likely be expanded on in the future because it is of the upmost importance that we learn how to take back our health in every way possible as well as begin to move away from being so dependent upon big corporations. If we ever had to go without these products, what would we do? How would we maintain our health and hygiene? It is definitely a good thing to think about.
In our next meeting we are planning to get into some discussions about the topics of guns and gun safety, and community organization, as well as expanding upon water purification and sourcing. So, stay tuned for another week of preparation and survival tips to help us all get prepared.