Lessons From Living Off Grid and the Corona Virus - Response to Ecotrain Question of the Week...

in ecoTrain3 years ago

@Ecotrain 's question for this week (details here) is

In what ways is living off grid the answer to the many consequences of corona virus?

I don't live off grid but we set up our homestead to be able to live comfortably off grid if need be. We know that the grid system is not something we can really rely on plus as the cost of living goes up it is nice to know that you can still have a quality of life without the huge bills from being tied to the grid.

The effects of the lock downs had many people losing their livelihood and changes to their economic status where it became hard to meet those bills. Luckily this time round I was not effected but I still listen to the words of Robert Kiyosaki:

prepare for the worst of times so you will only know the best of times!

We live out in the country with a rather isolated lifestyle so when we were told by our Prime Minister to

go home and stay home (those were the actual words he said, the same commands I give to my neighbor's dogs when they come into our yard)

We were prepared for that. Living where we live, we never knew if or when we would be snowed in plus we were kind of like preppers investing in bulk foods, setting up gardens both outside for summer and indoors for winter so we had most things that we needed on hand. It was at times like this that I really appreciate the work and investments we did before hand so we can ride through these tumultuous times.

Overview of Gardens and Berry Bushes By House

overview of greens garden and greenhouse taken from above on hottub.JPG

Indoor Garden

overview of indoor garden view from door.JPG

I had also learned about our supply system to stores - that there is only about a 3 day supply on hand and if it is disrupted the shelves could be empty. We prepared but it was strange to see things that we normally felt would be available just not be there and it strengthened our determination to be more self sufficient.

My husband and I made choices all along while building our life together that would make us more self sufficient and with all the controls that are coming down with this Corona virus I'm happy with the choices we made for we are still able to live the life we want to and not be dependent on the government or living on the grid. We can live peacefully in the forest and leave the craziness of the world behind!

What did we do to be ready to live off the grid and be more self sufficient? Here's some things -

  • we put in a wide mouth well so we can draw water by hand plus we have large clay cisterns for storing our drinking water plus large barrels for catching rainwater in the summer and a few indoors for storing water and melted snow in the winter.
  • we have a wood heater that we can also cook on plus a large woodlot and tools for cutting our own wood.
  • we have oil lamps with oil plus solar powered lights. We do have a solar power set up on our camperized van that we can use to power up electrical equipment
  • we added on a 4 season sunroom/greenhouse for our indoor garden (great to have with our long cold winters plus all the other extreme weather conditions that are coming up)
  • we have good storage rooms which are cool and dry for our bulk foods that we store in metal containers away from rodents and insects.
  • we invested in bulk buying of foods that keep well and those we use regularly
  • we have planted fruit trees and perennial vegetables and have developed a few different gardens trying to make the most of our land productive.
  • we developed the skills or have the resource material for being more self sufficient like making are own medicines, harvesting from the wild and raising chickens and such.
  • we have a good library and different hobbies with the supplies for those hobbies
  • we also chose to live in a good community which would stand together if need be, helping each other

My hope is that peace and harmony will prevail in this world and that people may live happily, living their lives the way they want.

Thanks for stopping by!


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You have an amazing set up @porters. I have started to bulk buy but don't really have a lot of storage so can't buy that much, but you are very prepared and it is very impressive xxxx

I have been at it for a long time and you forget what you have accomplished until you look back and start writing it down or work with someone who is just starting out.
Your land you are developing seems very productive. I was surprised to hear in one of your posts that you were looking to move to a different location because of the water situation. Do you ever think of a system of water catchment?

 3 years ago  

i just Love seeing your posts on this topic! Thanks so much for sharing so much! Your greenhouse is looking Very cozy! ;-) I think you are good for some time if the system grinds to a halt <3

 3 years ago  

This post has been submitted to the OCD community curation initiative for some great upvotes! OCD are currently supporting posts in HIVE communities! Congrats and keep posting great content!

we have good storage rooms which are cool and dry for our bulk foods that we store in metal containers away from rodents and insects

This work is great and i like it. Thanks for sharing your ideas.

I’ve featured your post in The Lotus Garden newsletter, which will be published tomorrow.

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 3 years ago  

Thank you for posting on this weeks question! Your post has been featured in our TIE UP post.. come check it out and see what others wrote.. and maybe make some new connections ;-)

https://peakd.com/hive-123046/@ecotrain/ecotrain-question-of-the-week-25-tie-up-post-in-what-ways-is-living-off-grid-the-answer-to-the-many-consequences-of-coronavirus

You are well prepared in case the situation worsens. I would like to draw your attention to the kingdom of mushrooms. Tinder fungi such as can be found in the forest all year round. This is a real eco-pharmacy.
//
Вы хорошо подготовились на случай ухудшения ситуации. Хочу обратить ваше внимание на царство грибов. Такие как трутовики можно найти в лесу круглый год. Это настоящая эко-аптека.

I'm familiar with a few edible mushrooms that grow in our area. Are you talking about the shagga mushroom that grows on birch trees? Anything that grows on the ground is covered with a number of feet of snow in the winter so there is no mushroom harvesting until the morels in June.
I'd be interested in the tinder fungi.

Not only chaga. Tinder fungus or Fomitopsis pinicola This is a very useful mushroom.
https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trutovik_border
My search engine shows Wiki in Russian, but you can find an English version.
Young mushrooms can be used as medicines. And the old ones are for making a fire on a hike or at home.
If you want to collect chaga (also a very useful mushroom), then you need to take those that grow taller than your height on healthy birches.
Both those and others must be crushed and dried without increasing the temperature. Tinctures, decoctions, ointments, as a finely ground powder - these are ways of using.
Try it.
//
Не только чага. Трутовик окаймлённый или Fomitopsis pinicola.Это очень полезный гриб.
https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Трутовик_окаймлённый
Мой поисковик показывает Вики на русском языке, но ты можешь найти английскую версию.
Молодые грибы можно использовать как лекарственные средства. А старые для разведения огня в походе или дома.
Если вы захотите собирать чагу (тоже очень полезный гриб), то надо брать те, что растут выше вашего роста на здоровых берёзах.
И те и другие надо измельчить и высушить без повышения температуры. Настойки, отвары, мази, в качестве тщательно измельчённого порошка - это способы использования.
Попробуйте.