There are many behaviors and habits that are the normal for
homesteader but elude the minds of the average person. They can be considered
odd or strange to other people that just don’t understand. So I have decided go
into detail to explain some of these things. Kind of a you might be a homesteader if you do or believe these things.
1.
We hoard things. Milk jugs, folders cans, egg
cartons, and 5 gallons buckets to name a few.
Now we wouldn’t hold onto something unless it was a use full
commodity. Those folders cans make
really great feed scoops and I just used some of my five gallon buckets to
cover those blueberry bushes I planted last month so the frost doesn’t hurt
them.
2.
We leave said buckets lying around in random
places to collect rainwater. If you have ever grown a garden you know that you
can water all day long and your plants will not grow half as much as they will
if you water them with rain water.
3.
We save poop. I have yet to find a better way to
increase nitrogen in soil. We have three pear trees here around our house and
one is in our chicken run and since that tree gets lots of chicken manure the
pears get big and by big I mean the size of a soft ball.
4.
We dry our laundry on the line. I think of it like this, every time I dry a
set of sheets or a blanket in the dryer I am essentially just giving my money
to the electric company when I could have just as easily kept it for something
more useful.
5.
Our pets have a purpose. If you think of a farm
in terms of a company structure where every person in the company has a purpose
and a job to do it the same idea. I can’t justify having an animal that will
cost me piles of money if he/she is only going to be “cute.”
6.
Contemplate other uses for thing people would
normally throw out. We just had a
refrigerator go out last month and we have talked about turning it into a
smoker or root cellar. Why not it’s
already here.
7.
Break shovels and hoes. (Oh wait that’s just
me.)
8.
Cringe when you see someone bagging leaves.
Leaves are a great addition to a compost pile, even though it takes two years
for them to fully compost it takes even longer for that plastic bag to break
down. Refer to number nine.
9.
Dirt is a prized possession. We build compost
heaps and save grass clippings, leaves, banana peels, coffee and anything else
that turns into great dirt. Have you ever tried growing a good tomato in bad
dirt?
10.
Mason jars are the house china. We have a lot of
them, did you really expect us not to use them?
So. Are you a homesteader?? Can you relate?? Maybe its time you join us like minds in the forums on modern homesteaders. http://www.modernhomesteaders.net/membership-account/membership-levels/?ap_id=dirtyfeetmaggoo Make sure you sign up to receive all the current post and recipes that I am sharing over at Modern homesteaders. There are a lot of great writers working together on this site making it a great information resource.
