Living off the land - one step at a time...

[The-Great-Nothing]

Hi guys

For a few years I have had a goal/dream to live from what I could grow, raise, hunt or forage for one week of the year.

Unfortunately I have yet to get myself in a position to meet the challenge.

With this years poor harvest & my hunting / foraging skills coming on slowly I have decided it might be wise to tweak the plan for now.

So I thought, as a starting point to learn & focus, I would try and complete the week with with the same goal - but not necessarily "supplied" by me. So if I wanted potatoes, carrots and rabbit for dinner, and have dug the last of my carrots - it is ok to buy them.

But no cheating - so i wont say that I would grow a field of wheat, so I can have flour/bread. It has to be in keeping with what I can achieve in the next couple of years. Maybe the wheat is phase 2....

It is quite a cop out - but I think it will teach me a lot of lessons about how we might live after a huge SHTF event. Which will obv help me hone the right skills and improve my preps.

What are people's thoughts? Anyone fancy the challenge?



Cheers

Matt

[Arzosah]

Erm, not that I could get anywhere *near* that challenge, but I don't get it ... a week, but not a week, because you'll buy some stuff if ... if what? Sorry.

[unsure]

if you are going to do it , do it by the rules you`ve set your self .
i`d think finding / forageing would be easy right know , the feilds are full and wildlife every were .
i`m not saying go raid the farmers feilds , but they do tend to miss alot of smaller potatoes and carrots ect .rabbits and pidgeons should be easy to spot as well .

[Ferricks]

I think that's a sensible thing to do - right now, i would struggle without a degree of "pre packedness" in my diet, even if only a tin of beans! so trying to plan what to REALLY eat if this was all unavailable is an excellent idea..... I'm mulling this over and wondering how to convince OH and 5 year old of the benefits of life without dairylea for a week.....

[jansman]

Me and me Brother (in another post) did a forage trip with fishing rod and catapult. We decided to do one meal a week with that in mind. We also use garden ingredients too, in season. Today we had a game stew- roadkill rabbit/catapulted pheasant. New spuds, and runner beans. And loads of beer!

Lovely.

[nickdutch]

Me and me Brother (in another post) did a forage trip with fishing rod and catapult. We decided to do one meal a week with that in mind. We also use garden ingredients too, in season. Today we had a game stew- roadkill rabbit/catapulted pheasant. New spuds, and runner beans. And loads of beer!

Lovely.

That sounds brilliant !

[jansman]

Nick, we were brought up with catapults. Our Dad ( passed on now, sadly)was a SUPERB shot. He rook game back then when we were bloody poor. If he could see the advance in catapult elastics and ammunition he would be in his element! We now use Theraband tubes and flatbands. 14 mm lead too. Not the Any-old- square- elastic from the tackle shop and a handful of pebbles. But that DID work for Dad.
Wednesday is forage day. Sooo we will raid the garden and in the afternoon I will fish/ catapult. We may be veggie!!! OMG!
Alternatively we may pick up some road kill when we go to fetch a car for my eldest. She had a crash and this is costing me !!!!!
Me an Bro are eating forage. Must be a Dad thing !

[diamond lil]

Brilliant jansman way to go! Imagine the power that gives you - to eat for free. Combine that with an open fire or woodburner and foraged wood - save a hell of a lot of money. We should all be doing it if at all poss depending on circs.

[jansman]

Brilliant jansman way to go! Imagine the power that gives you - to eat for free. Combine that with an open fire or woodburner and foraged wood - save a hell of a lot of money. We should all be doing it if at all poss depending on circs.

Lil, it does give you a certain feeling of freedom/ independence, call it what you will. We have had a woodburner now for ten years, and that and the garden, the fowls and my new hobby of foraging can make the difference.

Going back to the original post, the full 'Good Life' thing is a tough call.

Old Chinese Proverb, "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."