More and more people are trying to live life as organically as possible – and the sentiment applies to more than just the food that’s consumed. When growing your own food, it is possible to be successful even without the use of chemical-filled fertilizers and chemical bug sprays. Chemical products are harmful to our body, the environment, and all of the inhabitants upon Unci Maka - Grandmother Earth.
Living life off the grid can keep you busy with so much that has to be done, but there’s far more to the whole experience than just working. I personally love the life in the woods and think it’s amazing. But more often than not I talk about the work aspects within the walls of this series. Today, I want to talk about the ways in which living off grid is fun, and can help connect you with nature.
When living off the grid, you don’t have to be a large-scale farmer in order to make a little cash. Sometimes I barter and work-trade for supplies I need and vice versa. Today I’m going to share with you 7 ways you can generate an income off the land. You may or may not get rich, but one thing’s for sure: you CAN make a living while living off the land.
As we discussed in part one of Solar Panels: A Beginner’s Guide, solar panels and solar systems can be very simple but at the same time very complex. A simple system is designed to take the power produced by the sun and absorb it into the solar panels.
As the redbud trees begin to blossom and the chickweed pops up a brighter green, I know spring is near and it’s just about time to start foraging the early spring edibles. Some of these wild plants can only be harvested while they’re young and tender, while others will continue to provide throughout the whole season and into the summer.
I love making my own ink! It’s almost like crafting something magical in a weird way. The first homemade ink I ever made myself was pokeberry ink. Let me warn you in advance -- it can be a messy project and some of the ink can permanently stain. My pestle and mortar remained a light magenta color for the longest time. A quick side note: I don’t recommend using the same pestle and mortar for your ink as you do for your food and medicine.
Did you know that maple trees are not the only trees that provide us with the sap necessary to make syrup? There are several different trees that produce a sap sweet and sticky enough to make delicious syrups and sugars. The sugar maple is one of the most well known and most common trees tapped because it has the highest sugar content – which is key to a fine syrup.
One doesn’t truly know the value of something until it is missing from one’s life. Going without and having to work for things brings out the true value in them. Living off of the grid, or even just spending time off of it now and then, can really have a positive impact.
Soap is incredibly amazing and useful. There are many ways to make your own homemade soaps and shampoos, but do you know there are plants out there that do most of the work for you? Some people prefer to make or buy lye to make their soaps, but working with lye in its pure form can be dangerous if not handled properly.
But, fear not: I am not simply referring to the flowers out there that add scents to the soaps. Instead, I am talking about raw fresh soap straight out of nature. In this article, I will teach you about a few plants that can be used to scrub up with.
Pickling a portion of your garden’s fruits and vegetables allows you to bring farm fresh food to the table ALL year . Pickling for preservation may be one of the oldest methods of preserving food, as it traces back to the B.C. time period.