Practical Real World
Self Sufficiency Skills

PRACTICAL SKILLS FOR THE AVERAGE FAMILY:

Self sufficiency doesn't necessarily mean quitting your job, selling your worldly belongings, getting off the grid, and disconnecting from the rest of the world.

It certainly CAN mean that...but it doesn't HAVE to.

That level of independence simply isn't practical for most of us.

Search this website for specific topics you are interested in:

SELF SUFFICIENCY PAIRED WITH COMMON SENSE:

Aside from housing and transportation, food is the single most expensive necessity that most families have to deal with. A recent USDA study indicates that the average monthly grocery cost for a family of four is somewhere between $500 and $700. This is far more than the cost of utilities like electricity and water.

Learning and implementing self sufficient food skills can impact a families expenses far more and far quicker than just about anything else a family can do.

Installing solar or wind power generation units or buying a brand new green vehicle, for example can certainly reduce your dependence on outside sources, but the expense of doing so is extreme and the pay back is many years at best.

By comparison, supplies for growing collecting and preserving your own food is far less expensive, and the payback is much quicker (almost immediate in some cases).

That's not to say that these high tech, high dollar items don't have an important role in today's society, it's simply that it may not be practical or realistic for the average family struggling to make ends meet. Technology will catch up and pricing will come down someday, but as of today, it's extremely difficult.

Self reliance can be achieved in more realistic ways, and only to the degree that you are comfortable with.

HERE ARE A FEW EXAMPLES OF PRACTICAL SELF SUFFICIENCY:

-buying fresh locally grown produce in bulk.

-canning and freezing fresh foods for use all year.

-growing your own vegetable garden.

-planting your own fruit trees and berry plants.

-raising your own poultry and small livestock for eggs and meat.

-making you own wine, beer, cheese, sauerkraut, pickles and other things.

-collecting food from the wild like berries, nuts, mushrooms, and greens.

-catching fish and hunting wild game.

YOU CAN LEARN TO BE MORE SELF SUFFICIENT

If you:

want to reduce your food budget...
have landed on hard times...
want to put up an emergency food supply...
or are just looking to eat a healthier diet...

I can help. I've spent most of my life learning ways to do these very things, and I'll share those skills with you.

The more of these skills you learn for yourself, the more self sufficient you become. You have the chance to become the master of your own destiny, as you and your family become less dependent on others.

My Grandpa used to put it in simpler terms. He used to tell me...

"Nobody takes care of your business like you do."

Or stated another way...

"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders, and so that you will not be dependent on anybody"
1 Thessalonians 4:11-12

THERE'S NO MAGIC TO IT.

There's no magic in becoming more self sufficient, although it can seem pretty magical when you start enjoying the "fruits" of your own efforts! People practice these types of skills every day, all over the world.

Your grandparents or great-grandparents probably practiced many of them during the Great Depression, just to "get by". Mine certainly did. If they could do it back then, you can do it now. All you need is motivation, knowledge and resources.

My family passed their skills & knowledge on to me. It is my goal to pass it on further to as many people as possible. Sadly, it seems many of these skills are becoming lost as the older generations leave us.

This website will give you the basic information that you need to increase YOUR level of self sufficiency. You supply the motivation and desire. I'll help you with the knowledge.

LET'S GET STARTED...

Food and Self Sufficiency Blog

The Self Sufficiency and Food Blog keeps you up-to-date with all additions and changes to the Food-Skills-for-Self-Sufficiency.com web site. Subscribe here.

About Me

About me and the lifelong journey that lead to the making of this site

Contact Us

Contact food-skills-for-self sufficiency webmaster wtih your questions and comments

Vegetable Gardening

vegetable gardening skills for self sufficiency, seasonal gardening, seed sources, soil quality, composting, gardening tools and gardening with kids

Home Orchard

Growing and managing a successful home orchard - basic know how

Growing Berries

Growing berries at home. Information on varieties, planting instructions, maintenance and care, as well as harvesting and preserving your home grown berries.

Growing Grapes

Growing grapes - planting and care of grape vines. How where and when to plant, as well as pruning, propagation and harvesting of these versatile vines.

Growing Nuts

Growing nuts and seeds at home. Small bushes and plants with big crops for the home nut grower - Hazelnuts, peanuts, almonds, sunflower & pumpkin seeds and more.

Home Canning for Self Sufficiency

Learn about home canning methods. Pressure (steam) canning, water bath canning, inversion method,

Freezing Food for Self Sufficiency

Techniques for freezing food for preservation and home consumption.

Vacuum Packing

storing dried and frozen food using vacuum packing method

Bulk Food

Bulk food - where and how to buy bulk food for increasing self sufficeincy and decreased food costs.

Bulk Food Sources

Readers share their favorite bulk food sources!

Collecting and Using Wild Fruit

Collecting and using wild fruit for self sufficiency. What kinds are out there, where to look, when to collect, and how to use the bounty.

Collecting and Using Wild Nuts

Collecting and using wild nuts for self sufficiency. What kinds are out there, where to look, when to collect and how to use the bounty.

Catching Fish for Self Sufficiency

Catching fish is one of the easiest ways to collect meat and stock your freezer from the wild. This isn't about catching trophies, it's about putting food on the table!

Raising Chickens for Eggs and Meat

Raising chickens for your own eggs and meat. Basic information to get started right.

Making Apple Cider

Making apple cider - When your orchard over produces apples, what do you do??? Make your own cider!!!

Making Vinegar

Making vinegar - a guide to making your own home made vinegar. It's easier than you might think.

Making Peanut Butter

Making peanut butter - who needs to buy peanut butter when you can make your own from fresh roasted peanuts. Easy and quick instructions for homemade peanut butter.

Home Made Bread

How to make home made bread, yeast rolls, and cinnamon rolls from scratch. A family recipe.

Making Horseradish

making horseradish - that wonderfully hot condiment made from ugly roots.

Making File

Making file - how to make this essential cajun spice used to thicken and flavor soups and stews.

Sassafras Tea

How to make sassafras tea or spring tonic from the root of the sassafras tree

Making Maple Syrup

Making maple syrup - How to collect sap from maple trees and boil your own maple syrup at home.

Making Sauerkraut

Making Sauerkraut at home or, what to do with a bumper crop of cabbage. Easy instructions for making and canning sauerkraut that anyone can follow.

Making Ketchup

Making ketchup from home grown tomatoes. Why buy ketchup when it's easy to make yourself? It just takes some time. Here's how...

Making Sweet Pickles

An old family recipe for making sweet pickles (14 day pickles). Easy step by step directions that anyone can follow.

Making Wine

Basic steps to making wine at home. Easy step by step directions and supplies needed to make your own homemade wine. Part one...

Making Wine Part Two

Basic steps to making wine at home. Secondary fermentation and bottling. Easy step by step directions to make your own homemade wine.

Making Cornmeal and Grits

Making cornmeal and Grits. learn the simple steps to grinding your own home ground cornmeal and grits.

Making Noodles

Making noodles - a VERY simple, quick and tasty method for making homemade egg noodles.

Making Pancake Syrup

How to make quick easy maple flavored pancake syrup at home with simple ingredients

Making Yogurt

making yogurt in your home. supplies, ingredients, and methods.

Privacy Policy

Food-skills-for-self-sufficiency.com Privacy Policy