Homesteading reality - in a picture

[British Red]

We liked pickled onions. Both of us. I pride myself in being good at making them. Here is twenty six pints of pickled onions (which equates to twenty pounds of onions plus vinegar).

A years pickled onions? by British Red, on Flickr

Does that look a lot?

A pint jar holds about 12 large pickled onions.

We have about 26 pints - so a jar every two weeks.

6 pickled onions a week.

Between two people.

Three pickled onions, per person, per week.

Or, if you like, the garnish on a decent ploughmans.

That "huge amount" of pickles is enough to garnish one meal, per person, per week.

Makes you think doesn't it.?

It certainly makes me appreciate the value of food.

Red

 

[Mesquite]

Not just the value of food Hugh but the time, facilities to process and store such quantities.

 

[bigroomboy]

Looks good to me. I've just moved house and am now the proud owner of a small veg patch. It's been too much of a whirlwind this year but I did manage to stew the remaining apples on the tree. Next year I really plan on getting something going in the patch but I am going to have to do some serious reading over the winter to know what I'm doing!

 

[sunndog]

a question for ya red, if you don't mind.....what is a homesteader?

Are we talking tom and barbera good?. No job, living through barter

Or own a smallholding one goes out to work while the other grows, makes, builds as much as possible?

Or both have day jobs and grow, make, build what you can in you're spare time. think normal semi detached house, veg patch in the back garden and maybe an allotment?

I realise the first one is pretty unlikely just interested how rigid the definition of a "homesteader" is.....what about smallholder is that sommat different in you're eyes?

And yeah, it never ceases to amaze me how much food we get through when you try and put a few months or a years supply in one place


.....adam

 

[British Red]

a question for ya red, if you don't mind.....what is a homesteader?

Are we talking tom and barbera good?. No job, living through barter

Or own a smallholding one goes out to work while the other grows, makes, builds as much as possible?

Or both have day jobs and grow, make, build what you can in you're spare time. think normal semi detached house, veg patch in the back garden and maybe an allotment?

I realise the first one is pretty unlikely just interested how rigid the definition of a "homesteader" is.....what about smallholder is that sommat different in you're eyes?

And yeah, it never ceases to amaze me how much food we get through when you try and put a few months or a years supply in one place


.....adam

We would love to be Tom and Barbara (although BB is better looking )

but in reality we have to do some work. That works out to one of us working six months of the year. We do what we can through barter - so through helping people I have cut ans stacked a years firewood in the last few weeks - but we still need to pay council tax and electricity. We want to go full off grid on the electric, but we aren't there yet.

We can manage to be independent in heating and cooking, most veg, beer and wine, many other things.

Cars, petrol and electricity we still have to buy.

 

[sunndog]

Cheers

So a fair definition (in this case at least) of homesteading is actively being as self sufficient as practically possible, and workin for "the man" as little as practically possible

As opposed to someone who grows a bit of veg and perhaps keeps some chickens. But still does 9-5 5 days a week

 

[British Red]

I'm not really worried - its not an exclusive club or anything

We are trying to get by on as little money as possible and do as much for ourselves as possible. But we can't do everything - in the photo above, I can grow the onions and make the vinegar, but I can't make the jars.

I think its great to try to be as self reliant as possible - whether that means keeping a few chickens or bees, growing some veg, making your own clothes or cutting your own wood for a wood burner. But you don't have to go the whole hog. Each to their own

 

[g4ghb]

Think you need to do another batch Hugh, wouldn't want to run out and 3 a week is a bit mean in my oppinion!

 

[British Red]

I agree Graham.

Its a funny old feeling though, because as I pickle these, I have set aside the shallots, onions and garlic for planting out next week. You really "feel" the seasons when you garden for food.

 

[Dreadhead]

superb! swmbo loves pickled onions, that's certainly to go on the list for when we get some space to grow things

 

[TeeDee]

I think its great to try to be as self reliant as possible - whether that means keeping a few chickens or bees, growing some veg, making your own clothes or cutting your own wood for a wood burner. But you don't have to go the whole hog. Each to their own

+1.

Doesn't matter if you are approaching growing your own from a A) Green Organic, B) Food miles ,C) Organic, D) Fun , E) Self Reliance F) Cost , G) Education perspective , any move to growing more ( but not necessarily all ) of your own food is a good thing - no need for anyone to attempt to quantify it.

 

[sunndog]

I hope may posts didn't come across wrong lads.
just about the only other time I hear the word "homestead" is in cowboy films.....forums and groups in general tend to have a vernacular of their own so I was just wondering if homesteading meant something more specific on here than the general use of the word


Teedee, agreed mate, but it may still have a specific name

 

[British Red]

Its something that lacks a good word I think

To me I want a word for "more than house". A place where I grow things, make things, cut wood, maybe keep a few animals.

Homestead is as good as any I think - but it really doesn't have much of a specific meaning. I use the term here because its the term Tony chose for the sub forum. Something to evoke those interesting and perhaps old fashioned things one does at home - soap making, beekeeping, all that stuff.

Is there a better term?

 

[Goatboy]

They look stonking Red, do like a good pickled onion, though pickled eggs are my real thing. (Folks wonder why I never share a tent!) And the thought of a ploughman or a good pork pie without pickles is criminal. Though they may be a bit big for my favourite cocktail - A Gibson. (Unless it's a really big gibson!)

 

[sunndog]

I use the term here because its the term Tony chose for the sub forum. Something to evoke those interesting and perhaps old fashioned things one does at home - soap making, beekeeping, all that stuff.

Is there a better term?

Perfect explanation mate thanks
I certainly can't think of anything better, homestead is more evocative than smallholding I think

Using "homesteading" as a description of activities makes far more sense than me thinking it was more a description of a lifestyle

Anyway, that's more than enough pedantry from me today, back to the onions

 

[British Red]

Is a Gibson a martini with an onion instead of an olive?

 

[Goatboy]

Is a Gibson a martini with an onion instead of an olive?

Yup, invariably a gin one rather than vodka. And lovely they are too. Sparkle like liquid crystal. (Always like that description of chalk streams as being "gin clear". My good lady however has nicknamed them liquid rohypnol!

 

[British Red]

Ahh well...I'm not allowed Gin

 

[Goatboy]

Ahh well...I'm not allowed Gin

They can be made with Vodka, just more traditional with gin. I must admit that they're a rare treat for me these days, only really have a drink at Christmas or Hogmanay these days. Just seem to have grown out of it. Do like one when it arrives though.

 

[Haggis]

When first we bought our 100 acre "homestead", Wolf Cairn Moor, I kept both beef and and dairy cows, pigs, chickens for meat and eggs, and rabbits. Herself wanted a garden, but she won't tend it, and I don't in general eat garden produce. Because of our very short summers, raising feed for our animals was nigh impossible, and buying feed is quite demoralizing. In the end, I sold the cattle, ate the pigs and rabbits, and most of the chickens. Now I really more on hunting and gathering. There are deer, bear, grouse, and hare my own woods, and I don't need to feed, house, fence, or tend them. We have raspberries and blueberries growing on our 100 acres in a larger quantity than we can eat. Very near our "homestead" are several lakes for catching fish, and other lakes nearby have wild rice for harvesting in the Fall. Our woods provide all the firewood we need for our long winters, and we have our own well for water. I still think of myself as a "homesteader", but a homesteader who nether a farmer, nor a herdsman. All this being said, I do take a special delight in seeing the produce of other homesteaders who do enjoy growing and canning their own foods. Any time any one takes more of a part in feeding themselves, I'm a happy camper. great looking onions by the way, and thanks for sharing,,,