This Sunday in week three of our preparation and survival meetings we welcomed husband and wife Michael and Michelle. It was a pleasure to have them both come and talk to everyone about the ins and outs of all the ways in which they have been preparing for what is to come.
They currently have their own homestead and have been spending the last few years trying to get prepared. They have been on their farm for about seven years. But it wasn’t until witnessing what was going on in the world around 2019-2020 that they really started to think about the need to prepare. Their family is also living on the homestead with them, their daughter, their son, and their son’s wife, to help them out with all the work that homesteading entails. As of right now, they have a good garden space, goats, a flock of 50 chickens, and an RV to not only travel in, but to use in the case of emergency where they would have no choice but to leave.
Survival Gear and Transportation:
Some of the items that they have stored inside of the RV are food, gas masks, solar blankets, heating blankets, feet and hand warmers, self-generating flashlights, and water. They keep all these things and more inside of a 26-gallon tote for each person. They also have their things stored inside of metal garbage cans in the event of an EMP attack. But not only do they have these needed supplies inside of their RV, they have them inside of the vehicles of each member of the family as well. And if there ever was a need for communication, they have a base CB radio with an antenna that goes 40 feet in the air, as well as a handheld CB in each vehicle.
Now RVs are a wonderful thing to have if you can afford one. But what about other means of transportation? In this day and age, we are all so reliant on our vehicles. And while people do tend to think about having gas storage or emergency roadside repair kits and extra tires. There is one side that doesn’t seem to be talked about nearly as often. And that is how you would get around if you were not able to use your vehicles. What if something happened to them? What if they were stolen? What if they were unable to be repaired? You would still need a way to get around, at least locally. So, Michael and Michelle decided to purchase bicycles. They bought one for each member of their family, as well as extra tires and extra tubes for each bike. This is a wonderful idea and one that should definitely be considered. You need to be able to get around your community, to visit family, friends, and pick up any supplies that you might need. And this is a great way to ensure that you don’t become stuck in one place, even if it is at home.
Maps are another important factor because you need to be able to find your way around if you ever had to leave home. Most people today use a GPS either in their vehicle or on their phone and the use of paper maps has become a thing of the past. But teaching yourself how to read a map would be paramount in terms of survival. Not only that but they can also be used to draw out plans of exit or plans of travel. That way if you ever needed it, you would know exactly where you needed to go and how to get there. Make sure that you have your maps in your vehicles and in your get away bags and these can be maps of the country, state maps, and even county maps.
Also make sure that you do not forget about your pets. You want to be sure that you have food, water, and any supplies that they may need in the event of disaster, whether you will be staying in your home or if you had to leave. So, pack up a getaway bag or bin for your animals as well.
One other thing to keep in mind is toilet paper. I know we all remember quite well when all of the stores across the country were running out of toilet paper. And not only were they running out, but when they did manage to get more stock, they were putting limits on the amount that each household could purchase. It was something that had many of us scratching our heads. But after seeing what happened during the covid lock downs, seeing everyone scattering to the stores, Michael and Michelle decided that they should be prepared for this as well. So, they have built up their own stock of toilet paper that will last them for several years. And if we ever have another situation like that, they will not have to worry about not being able to get any because of a mass panic. So, this is definitely something for you to think about. And if you are in a situation where you do not have the space to store up lots of toilet paper, invest in a handheld bidet. These handheld bidets are also a great thing to add to your getaway bags because they are compact. All you have to do is add water, screw on the top, and you're ready to go.
Power and Water:
Another purchase they recently made was a generator that runs on both gas and propane. They also purchased propane tanks that are large enough to support continued running of the generator for close to three weeks if there ever was a significant power outage. And if it was needed it further, they could also tap into their gasoline storage, which they always make a priority to keep rotated, as you never want to store your gas for too long.
Solar is another good option to have on hand. Right now, Michael and Michelle have a 2300-watt lithium-ion battery and 1200-watt panels. And they are planning to expand on their solar in the near future. But this is also something you could utilize to help you preserve your propane and gas. You could either start out with using the solar or you could switch back and forth to make your fuel last longer. There are also many survival tools out there that use solar power, such as flashlights and device chargers, that you could buy to pack away into your getaway bags or put inside of your vehicles. Also, when you are considering the purchase of solar power or generators, figure out how much power you are going to need by asking yourself questions like these:
How much energy does your deep freezer take?
How much energy does your refrigerator take?
How much energy does your heater take?
How much energy does it take to keep your lights on for a certain period of time?
You will need to know how much energy and how much fuel you are going to need.
As far as water is concerned, they wanted to be able to pull their water straight from the ground, straight from its source, instead of having to rely on purchasing water elsewhere. So, when they moved onto their property, the first thing that they did when they moved in was had an 80 foot well installed. They also had two pumps installed so that if they ever did lose power, they could hand pump the water themselves and would still have access to clean water.
If you have a sprinkler system at your house, one thing you can do for this is to buy a hand pump. They usually have a cost of around $75. And what you will do is disconnect your sprinkler pump from the well pipe and install your hand pump and then you would have fresh water if you lost power.
Now let’s take a look at the information they gave us when it comes to animals. As stated before, they currently have a flock of 50 chickens. They do have a large number of roosters, but they are considering culling some of them for consumption. This is always a great option when you end up with an abundance of males. But it is always a good idea to keep a few of them in your flock if you plan to produce more chickens in the future. Keeping some roosters around will ensure that your eggs are fertilized, and you will be able to hatch out some of the eggs that you collect.
Egg Preservation:
There are several options available for the storing and preservation of your eggs and these are all methods that can be researched further if you have your own flock. When it comes to counter storage, here is what Michael had to say:
“So, an egg that comes out of a chicken can last on the countertop for 60 plus days. You don't have to do anything to it, just don't get it wet. It comes with a protective coating on it. So, we have egg baskets that we rotate weekly. If you have a flock that's giving you a bunch of eggs, just write the date on it. Just take a sharpie and just write the date on it. You're not gonna bother the protective coating, but you'll know when that egg was produced. But don't keep your eggs on the counter unless you know they came straight from the nest.”
The protective coating that he is referring to is called the “bloom” or the “cuticle” and this is what keeps bacteria from getting in through the pores of the shell. Here is a list of different ways that eggs can be stored and preserved:
Countertop
Refrigeration
Freezing
Freeze-dried
Dehydrated
Pickled
Water-glassing
Salt curing
And here is a good article to look at for more information on these different methods:
Some good tips that Michelle gave us as well is that when it comes to the feed you are giving your flock, organic is always best if you are able to provide that. And while the chickens will go and peck around to find bugs to eat, meal worms is also a good thing to provide them with to help give them that extra protein and nutrition. Also, if you are planning to eat your chickens, a good thing to add into their feed is oregano and garlic. Because as she said, “We are trying to keep them as healthy as possible so that we keep ourselves as healthy as possible.” And this is absolutely true. The healthier your chickens are, the healthier their eggs are, the healthier the meat is, and the healthier you will be.
Goats:
About six years ago they bought their first pair of goats. They bought them with the intention of milk production as well as for future soap making. They wanted to not only provide their family with another good food source, but they also wanted to come up with another way that they could create products to help offset the costs of upkeep for their homestead. Once the goats had their kids, they quickly realized that goats could reproduce much like rabbits, very quickly. And since they were keeping their heard together instead of separated out in different pens, they needed to come up with a way to keep their heard from producing so many babies. So, what they did was a method called “detaching.” This is a form of castration. And this is done by tying a rubber band around the testicles of the males until they eventually just fall off. So, this is something to keep in mind if you are considering a heard of your own and are planning to keep them all together.
Here is some more information on the process of castration:
If you are interested in the process of collecting, storing, and using the goat milk as well as the process of utilizing the milk to make soap, go and check out our preparation and survival article from the previous week (week 2).
Community Organization:
Coming together with your neighbors and your community is one of the best things you can do when it comes to ensuring the safety and survival of you and your family. This is something that will allow you to set up a plan of action for those circumstances where you may need to barter and trade. This will also give you greater peace of mind knowing that if there ever was an attack or infiltration of your neighborhood or your community, that there was a plan in place to make sure everyone is safe. This is an aspect that Michael and Michelle understand very well. And because they understand this, they have made it a priority to communicate with their neighbors and are in the process of creating a community co-op. They are organizing and charting out who is growing what and when they are growing it. They also have an agreement with their neighbors for safety and security. Michelle pointed out that while they all do not agree on everything, there are many things that they do agree on. And if there was ever a situation where someone, or a group, tried to come into their neighborhood for nefarious means, they have plans put in place to make sure that things did not go south. They are all there for one another, and this is how things should truly be. A nation divided is a nation that falls. We must learn to put our differences aside and come together.
Another good thing to start up in your communities are organizations centralized around the children. Come together and meet up once a week, take the children, and go out to a local park or a state park and get involved in providing them with real world education as well as survival education, much like what the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts are supposed to do. This will not only provide them with valuable knowledge, but it will also provide them with the opportunity to be more involved and make friends with the other kids in their communities, and these could turn out to be relationships that are carried out into the future.
Gardening:
One thing to consider when it comes to growing your own food is trees. Many people think of gardening as growing your own vegetables, herbs, and other crops such as legumes or grains. But fruit trees are another good source of food to add to your property as well because they are a gift that keeps on giving every single year. Michael and Michelle have peach, mango, and soursop trees that run along the borders of their property. Having them placed in this way also makes for a great point of defense. And the great thing about fruit trees is that they will produce an abundance of food that can be harvested and prepared for long term storage with methods such as dehydration or canning.
When it comes to growing food, they are not only growing food for themselves, but they are also growing food for profit as well. They are utilizing a section of their land for green houses to grow plants for their clients. This is a great thing, because not only is this producing extra income, but it is also letting the community know where they could go to barter and trade for good healthy crops if they were to ever need it.
Another good tip they gave was to keep track of everything you are growing in a notebook. Write down everything that you plant, where you plant it, when you plant it, as well as all of the things that did or did not work. This will help you to remember everything you’ve done. And if there was ever something you could not remember or you were questioning something, you could just go back to your notes.
Storage:
Storage is another aspect to consider when it comes to homesteading, prepping, and survival. It’s great to be prepared with everything you may need and to be able to produce your own food on your own property. But what are you going to do with everything once you have it? How are you going to protect everything? What Michael and Michelle have done is they have purchased four shipping containers and had two of them placed on the east side and two of them placed on the west side. Shipping containers are watertight, so they are great for keeping out water and wind. But one thing to keep in mind if you are using these for your storage is humidity. Though there are several options available to look into to alleviate this issue if you are planning to use them and live in a high humidity environment.
If this is something you are interested in, here is a good article on how to keep moisture out of the containers:
Electronic storage is another thing to keep in mind, especially in the case of a power outage. Anything that you may have on your computer that is of value, be it photos, videos, documents, e-books, anything of that nature, is subject to damage or loss. A great thing to do to keep these things safe is to go out and buy an external hard drive. But if you are going to do this, make sure that you buy a faraday cage for it as well to block any EMP damage. These can also be used to store any other electronic device you may have like a cell phone.
Property Defense:
Having your own homestead, your own animals and food, and your own supplies is only as good as the means by which you can protect it. There very well may come a time when other people decide that they want to take what you have. So being prepared to defend your land is also something you have to keep in mind, especially if we ever come to a point where there is an economic collapse. Hungry people will do anything to get a meal. And we all know that there are people out there who would love to take what is not theirs. But there is more than one way to protect your property. Of course, being in the United States, being armed is number one. But there are also measures that can be taken to keep things out of view. One way to do this is by having a privacy fence installed. And this is exactly what Michael and Michelle have done. They also had cameras installed all throughout their property. And they made sure to have a backup battery for them in case they ever lose power. As Michael put it, “Nobody can enter my property without me knowing it.” But they even took things a step further and had a laser grid installed that runs the entire property. And each one has its own sound, depending on where it is located. You can never be too prepared when it comes to protecting what you value most, your family, your home, and your means of living and survival.
Mental Health:
Maintaining your mental health, especially during a time of crisis is something that most people usually do not consider. But it really is something that more people need to start thinking about. And getting yourself in a good state of mind before hand is only going to makes things that much easier if we ever were put in a survival situation. One thing that Michelle recommends is learning how to practice meditation. But not only that, learning how to do so in complete silence. There are many ways that you can meditate. But learning how to sit in silence, without any distractions or music or anything of the sort is where you will truly find your peace. And if you ever lost power and were without access to any music or guided meditations, you would not find yourself in a state of frustration once you had to go without it, because you taught yourself how to be in silence. As Michelle says, “Learn to sit and just be quiet. Learn how to sit under a tree and find your center.”
She also talked about the aspect of fear. That getting prepared and paying attention to what is going on in the world around us is just about having that awareness, and making sure you are ready, and not becoming overwhelmed with fear. That we are doing these things not from a “scarcity mentality,” but from a “want to be self-sustainable.”
“Anything that you do, if you're doing it out of love and exploration and adventure of finding yourself, great. If you're doing it out of fear, not so great. So, the energy in which you're doing something makes the difference.”
-Michelle
For all of the parents out there, making sure that your children are safe and protected is the top priority. But keeping them happy and keeping their moods lifted is also something that is incredibly important. There are many things that can be done to keep your kids from getting bored or feeling down and out during difficult times. The first thing, of course, is to spend that quality time with them. Not only that, but also try to get them involved in the process as well. Show them how they can help you to maintain the homestead. Show them how to grow food, harvest it, and preserve it if they are old enough. Show them how to care for the animals. Teach them how to forage, how to recognize toxic plants and predators, how to start a fire, etc. And teach them how to meditate as well. But also make sure that you have things that your children can use and be involved in if you ever had to leave home or if you ever had to go without power. Ask them what their favorite books and board games are and stock up on those things. Make sure that you have crafts, colors, coloring books, and journals for them to entertain themselves with. And make sure that you have some of these items stored away in a bag or a bin, ready to go.
Restricted Living:
For people who may live in a smaller environment like an apartment building or who live in an HOA with restrictions on animals and growing food, there are still things that you can do to prepare and to grow your own food. Some things that they recommend for this is to buy a deep freezer if you have the room. And if you are able to get a source of backup power for it then great. But if not, it may be wise to learn how to can and how to dehydrate. And if you are interested in learning more about those topics, go check out our week one preparation and survival article. But you can still do what you can to grow your own food. You can place containers indoors next to a good source of sunlight. You could also invest in some grow lights that can then be placed in any area of your home. Or if you have a porch or a balcony, you can grow your own food out there as well. And vertical gardening is another great way to grow your food when you live in an apartment. Utilize as much of your space as you can.
Another great tip from our host, Josh, is for people who live in condos or apartments:
If you have the extra $75- $100 a month, get storage lockers. Storage lockers typically will have an electrical outlet. And they always have some form of backup power. So, you could easily go get a large chest freezer, throw it into your storage locker, and utilize that, knowing that it has backup power, as well as put your storage of your canned goods or my patriot supply or what else ever in there. Because it's gonna be a dry place, it's humidity controlled, and it's not gonna break the bank for a lot of you.
We want to give a big thank you to Michael and Michelle for presenting in this week’s meeting and for bringing us such an abundance of information. These two have done a phenomenal job in trying to cover every aspect to ensure their family suffers as little as possible. And this is exactly why we are doing these meetings and trying to put this information out there. We want to ensure that people are prepared for what is likely to come. We want to make sure that people are equipped with the knowledge and resources that they need to not only survive, but to thrive, in the event of disaster or societal collapse.