What Should I Do?

Many months ago, we learned about growing fodder for livestock (Growing Sprouted Fodder for Livestock) and how large-scale systems are being developed to reduce animal feed costs, provide better nutrition for animals, and reduce the amount of water needed to produce said feed. The small-scale commercial systems looked great, but the upfront costs and production level were simply too high to justify such a system for a small homestead like ours. We started to look for other options and ways of producing our own fodder at a lower initial cost.

This article details our current process and success at creating a system that can meet the needs of small backyard farmers and homesteaders. For less than $70 in initial setup costs, we have developed our own little home system that is surprisingly time-efficient and effective. » Read more

Having a store of clean drinking water is one of the most important and crucial components of resiliency building and emergency preparedness.  It has been said many times that a person can live for three weeks without food but only three days without water.  There are many emergency situations and events that can cause your everyday water supply to become unavailable or undrinkable.  The unexpected natural disaster or perfect storm will typically wreak havoc on the powergrid. When widespread power outages occur, water may not flow from the tap, or treatment plants may not be working to properly treat and deliver safe water. It is events like these that we all must prepare for.  Here we explore ways to ensure you are prepared to meet these types of situations without much effort or concern. » Read more

Overview

As a resident of the coastal Pacific Northwest, I set out to set up a backup power source never thinking I’d be a candidate to discuss the pros and cons of such a setup. After receiving a strong reference from Jason W., I contacted Denis Korn of “Prepare Direct”. I checked his products and blog and came across the Extreme 350 Base Camp kit manufactured by GoalZero. Because of my particular situation (living in a fairly urban environment, in the PNW) I didn’t want to purchase a large system that was going to be tied to the grid for several reasons:

1. I didn’t think it’d generate enough energy to make a difference.
2. A larger system would be a ‘permanent’ addition to my home, which I don’t intend to stay in for long.
3. If I ever had to leave quickly, I wanted to be able to take a “renewable” energy source with me.

The experiences of extended power outages of up to a week due to past ice storms in New England showed that my household systems were fairly resilient. I normally use wood for heat and propane for cooking, neither requiring electricity. The town water system that supplies my household has a backup generator at the treatment plant, and my onsite septic system is gravity-only. Minor loads such as a radio and lights can be powered by rechargeable batteries or a small inverter in my truck. However, the inability to operate my refrigerator/freezer during an extended power loss, while not a matter of survival, was a significant inconvenience. Protecting the year's supply of frozen vegetables and chicken produced from my backyard was desirable, especially during warmer months when food cannot simply be placed outside in the snow. » Read more