Thursday, October 30, 2014

Meet the Homestead & Preparedness Writers Angi with Schneider Peeps



This week we get to know Angi with www.schneiderpeeps.com. Angi has written 4 books and shares her experiences homesteading and homeschooling. Their family has gone through some tough times, but have grown through them all. I hope you enjoy getting to know her.

How old are you? My husband and I are both 46

Do you consider yourself a prepper, a homesteader, or a mixture of both?
I consider us a homesteading family but with homesteading comes a natural tendency to prepare for the future and for emergencies. We preserve produce from our garden each season with the goal of not having to purchase vegetables (and one day fruit) from others. That could be considered prepping; we like to consider it being good stewards of what we have.


You are mother to 6 children. What are some of the challenges and victories of raising a large family?
Our first five children were born within eight years. I think these were the most challenging years. It is very physically exhausting to have little ones who depend on you for so many things. During these years the extent of our homesteading was having a garden that we could enjoy with our children. There was no way I could handle any livestock at time in our lives.

When our youngest child was 7 we had another baby, which makes six. Because of the large age gap and because all of her siblings adore her, our 5 year old has a much different life than our older children did. The challenge here has been to not be so teenage focused that her childhood is rushed or be so baby focused that our older children do not get to do the things they want to “because we have the baby”.

Even with a five year old, I feel like I’m on the downward side of the parenting mountain. Or oldest son married last year and we now have a grandchild. Our second son has graduated and is in college and working. It is so rewarding seeing our children having the confidence to follow their dreams. They all know how to work hard (well, the 5 year old is still learning) and are often hired by church members or neighbors to work for them. They also have compassion for others. When a widowed neighbor called to ask our beekeeper son (who was 14 at the time) to come remove some bees from her porch, he did…and then declined payment. I’m very proud of him for that, not many 14 year olds would have thought to bless someone like that on their own.


What do you think the greatest challenge our society faces?
I think the biggest challenge is to raise children who actually become adults instead of kids in adult bodies. We have to stop giving our children everything they want and nothing that they need. We have to teach them to work, to give and to save. And it has to happen BEFORE they reach 18. We are raising a generation of children who never become adults. It is a child who wants mommy and daddy to fix whatever problems they get into. And a child who refuses to delay pleasure (and so goes into debt for school, food, cars and anything else he desires.)

How involved are your children in the homestead?
Our children are pretty involved in our homestead because they all like eating. ;-) Any of our older children can pretty much do anything on our homestead that needs to be done. We believe that teaching our children these skills will make them a more productive member of society. Now, whether they use these skills as adults is up to them.

The 50 chickens belong to two of our children. They are losing interest in raising chickens and so we will not be replacing hens all the hens when these stop laying. Our 16 year old son is the beekeeper. It is completely his endeavor and he loves it.

When we purchased our property 3 years ago we were very careful to purchase only what we felt like we could reasonably care for without our children’s help, because they were already growing up and leaving. Homesteading is mine and my husband’s dream. Our children each have their own dreams they want to pursue. Like all parents we want to encourage them to follow their dreams, not have following our dream trample their dreams.

On your site you talk about homeschooling. Why did you make the decision to home school? 
We originally started homeschooling because my husband was in graduate school and worked in the evenings. If our oldest son had gone to a traditional school he would have only seen his daddy on Sundays. And I figured I probably couldn't mess up kindergarten. I went into homeschooling reluctantly but that didn’t last long. I truly believe there is no better education a person can receive than one that has been designed just for him based on his interests, abilities and challenges.

What are some of the challenges of homeschooling different ages of children?
The biggest challenge for me is time. With several of my older children we had some reading and speech challenges, these were stressful years. Because I would spend extra time focused on speech therapy activities and reading lessons, other things like history and science got taught all together. I learned that I really liked that approach, so until my oldest son was in the 9th grade all history and science learning was done as a family with each child learning at his level.

Now that my older children are teenagers (and adults) I find that I’m more of mentor/tutor than teacher. They take several classes at our home school co-op and at the community college. They are also very independent learners so even with things like math I’m really just the tutor and grade keeper instead of the teacher.


In what section of the country is your homestead?
We live along the Texas Gulf Coast.

Did any of your family members try to discourage the lifestyle you have chosen? Our family is pretty cool with the fact that we have a garden, orchard chickens and bees. It reminds our parents of their childhoods and our siblings love hanging out at our place.

If you are a prepper what preparations have you made or do you feel everyone should make? The only natural disaster we prepare for is hurricanes. Other than that we prepare for things we think everyone should prepare for like power and water outages, medical emergencies, death and finances.


If you are a homesteader tell me a little about your homestead. Our homestead is 1.5 acres just outside the city limits. We can be anywhere we need to be in town within 15 minutes, which is really great with active kids in the house. We have about 48 hens and 2 roosters – yes, I know the numbers are not ideal, but the roosters aren’t complaining. Our son also has a small apiary. We are fortunate to live where the winters are mild and can keep our garden going year round. The hardest months for gardening are mid-July to mid-September, because of the extreme heat. When we moved here we had a lemon tree, two pecan trees and a mulberry tree that is on our neighbor’s property but hangs over our fence. We have since added fig, orange, grapefruit, lime, apple, pear, peach, plum and pomegranate trees; along with blueberry bushes and grape vines.

We’d love to add some more fruit trees, like avocado but we have no intention of adding any other livestock.


How long have you been homesteading, prepping or both? We've been gardening for over 20 years and have always had a mind to the future. But we've only had chickens for four years and bees for three.


What do you think your best asset is in helping others achieve self sustainability? I think letting people see what really takes place on our homestead is one of my greatest strengths. When our garden is being burned up and eaten up in July, I still post our monthly “what’s happening it the garden” post –with photos; even though everyone else on the internet is posting beautiful photos of their amazing harvests and beautiful gardens. I often get comments from people thanking me since they thought they were the only ones with burned up gardens.

Also, I don’t have strong opinions about most homesteading things. I really think that people need to experiment and if something works they can keep doing it and if it doesn't work for them, they should try something else. So, I share what we’re doing and how it works. If someone tried it and found it didn't work for them, I love for them to (nicely) comment on the post so others can learn from them. There are just too many variables in homesteading for any one way to be the best way for all homesteaders everywhere.



You have written 4 books. Which book was the most difficult to write? Which was the most rewarding?  The most difficult of my four books to write was Hope-Thriving While Unemployed, which I co-authored with my husband. Writing with my husband wasn't the reason it was hard, though, I loved that part. Since the birth of our second son (18 yrs ago) I have been a stay at home mom and Carl has been the breadwinner for our family. Like many families we have experienced a layoff or two over the years. Most of the time Carl has been able to find another (better) full-time position very quickly.

However, from April 2008 to May 2012, Carl did not have a full-time job. Yep, that’s four years. During that time he worked 3 to 4 part-time jobs – concurrently. On so many levels it was an extremely hard season of life. It was also during this time that our youngest daughter was born, my dad passed away suddenly, we moved three times, four if you count the our semi-homeless two months that we lived in RVs in an RV park while we waited for our mortgage to be approved for the property we now live on. Even now, writing about that four year season hurts my heart.

But it also brings Hope to my heart. During this time we saw God do some really amazing things in our lives, like bless us with a baby after 7 years, give Carl a part-time job that he loved that eventually became a full-time job and give us a forever house. God also provided for us in so many ways and through so many people that we know (and so do our kids) that there is nothing we can go through that God will not be there to walk with us though it.

But because I am somewhat shallow emotionally, these emotions were really hard work through as we wrote. Fortunately, Carl is very deep emotionally and kept the book from being just a bunch of bullet points and encouraged me to go deeper. We’re a good balance for each other. This is also the book that I think has the ability to truly help people change their lives and their circumstances. I've received many emails from people who have read the book thanking us for writing it and telling us how it is helping them. That makes the hard work worth it.

The book that was the most rewarding to write was The Gardening Notebook. This is the first book I wrote and I learned so much about the writing and publishing process. The Gardening Notebook was born out of my own garden notebook that I had kept for years. I saw a need in the market place for something more than just a notebook with blank pages for the gardener to fill out. But I didn't want to write a gardening book because so much of successful gardening is about observing your garden and your climate. So, I took the notes I had for many fruits and vegetables and created notebook pages with plenty of white space for gardeners to make their own notes. With over 100 pages there is plenty of information to get a new gardener started and a seasoned gardener organized. It is, by far, my most popular book.

If you could tell every person one thing what would it be? Grow some food. Put seeds in the ground, water them and watch them grow. It really is simple.

I hope you enjoyed getting to know Angi with www.schneiderpeeps.com and will swing by her blog and say hi. If you do go by her site please remember to tell her The Rural Economist sent you. Oh and check out her books. 

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Monday, October 27, 2014

A Trayer Wilderness Christmas

Trayer Wilderness Handcrafted Christmas Giveaway

Trayer Wilderness Handcrafted Christmas Giveaway

Trayer Wilderness is offering

(1) $75.00 gift certificate

usable on their website towards any combination of their handcrafted items!

Who is Trayer Wilderness?

Welcome To Trayer Wilderness

I have gotten to know Tammy over the past several months. She and her family are living a dream of mine (only in a different part of the country). Every time I have communicated with her, she has been friendly and very helpful. They are achieving a level of self sustainability that I am still striving for and as such their family is an inspiration to me and mine. It is with great pride that I am now introducing you to them and their store. I hope you swing by and check them out. I am very proud to call them friends and if they have anything you would like to have, I hope you support them. Who knows maybe you will win this gift certificate.

Trayer Wilderness is a family of three homesteading traditionally off-grid in northern Idaho with 100% solar power. Their family consists of the Mountain Man, Glen Trayer, his Mountain Woman, Tammy Trayer and their Mountain Boy Austin. They utilize the land and their God given talents to earn an income while living their dream. All their items are handcrafted on their homestead offering a little bit of something for everyone with their girly homemade goats milk soaps, candles and melting bricks by the Mountain Woman, the elk hide leather moccasins and paracord survival items such as gun slings, belts, bracelets and more made by the Mountain Boy and the Mountain Man's hand forged tools, survival fire tools, paracord items, decorative metal art and decorative metal horse shoe art. The Mountain Man also invented and fabricated three different tools for fire making called the Trayer Fire Tool, the MultiFlame Tool and the MultiFlame Mini Tool for the outdoor enthusiasts and survivalists. 

The Mountain Woman also has several e-books soon to be released at their website TrayerWilderness.com which will educate on solar living, building a traditional cabin, building a traditional smokehouse and more. Additionally, they will be adding e-courses in the new year offering more in depth education and training on blacksmithing, brain tanning, canning, soap making, etc. They offer a weekly newsletter that will keep you well informed on all they offer. Here are some reviews on the Mountain Man's Fire Tools: Trayer Fire Tool MultiFlame Mini Tool MultiFlame Tool They not only handcraft items in the wilderness, but they also educate on homesteading, natural health, healing and essential oils, wilderness survival, traditional and primitive skills, autism, whole foods and a gluten free and casein free diet, living off the land, off-grid and solar living and so much more. The Mountain Woman has a weekly radio podcast on the Survival Mom Radio Network and they share their information on many social media platforms and on YouTube. The Mountain Woman also writes for the New Pioneer Magazine, American Frontiersman, Prepare Magazine, Self Reliance Illustrated, Backwoodsman Magazine and Cabin Life Magazine. Be sure to connect with them below and check out their website to see what items you would purchase if you were the winner of their $75.00 gift certificate!
#TrayerWilderness
email trayer wilderness Trayer Wilderness on Facebook Trayer Wilderness on Google+ Trayer Wilderness on Twitter Trayer Wilderness on Pinterest Trayer Wilderness on YouTube Trayer Wilderness on Instagram Mountain Woman Radio from Trayer Wilderness on iTunes Tammy Trayer of Trayer Wilderness on LinkedIn Trayer Wilderness RSS Feed
 

Meet the Participating Bloggers


The bloggers listed in the Rafflecopter form below have come together to purchase this prize for one lucky contestant. As you click "Like" on the form, visit their pages and get to know them. Every time you like, comment on or share one of their posts, you are supporting their page. We all appreciate you so much.
Enter to Win

This giveaway is open to residents of the United States only. Entrants must be age 18 or older to enter. Giveaway runs from 12:00 am MST October 27th to 12:00 am MST November 3rd. Winner will be drawn November 3rd and emailed. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the email before another entrant is chosen, so check your spam folders too!

Good luck! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Trayer's personify my saying. They are living Rural Dreams and Homestead Wishes. When you go by their site please tell them The Rural Economist sent you. I would appreciate it.
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Merry Christmas Cox's Honey Giveaway

Merry Christmas Coxs Honey Giveaway Oct. 27th-Nov. 2nd, 2014 by FoodStorageMoms.com 

I don't know about you, but I love gifts I can actually use. When I receive a gift like that I try to remember the person who gave me the gift every time I use it. What better way to have sweet thoughts of someone than the gift of honey. Yup, I said honey. We have another great honey giveaway going. I like this one more than the others, why? Because if you win your friends or family win as well. The details are below.

The holidays are right around the corner so what better way than to have Coxs Honey involved in a giveaway again! This giveaway is a little different. We will have one winner chosen through our Rafflecopter system. Then that winner will give the names and addresses to Cox's Honey for FIVE of their friends to receive the same giftpack shown above! WooHoo! This is a sponsored group giveaway and we thank Cox's Honey for these awesome prizes. Have you tried their creamed honey....fabulous! Have you seen: Cox's Honey Website

If you win I would be more than happy for you to give me one of the gift packs. Just kidding, I know you have lots of people on your list. 

This Cox's Honey Gift Pack Giveaway is open to any resident who is 18 years of age or older who lives in one of the 48 US Contiguous States. This giveaway starts on Monday, Oct. 27th at 5:00 am (MDT) and ends on Sunday, Nov.2nd, 2014 at 5:00 pm (MDT). The winner will be notified by email and will have 24 hours to respond. If we do not hear back from said winner in the designated time period of 24 hours we will choose another winner and they will have 24 hours to respond from the time the notification email is sent. Please check your SPAM email folders. Good luck to everyone! Let's be prepared for the unexpected!


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Saturday, October 25, 2014

Planning on Bugging Out? Some Things to Consider

Have a plan if you need to evacuate

This like so many of the things I write started out as a conversation, actually several conversations with many people. We have all heard and possibly said "If things get bad I am getting out of Dodge". This sounds like a great idea and could be if we use proper prior planning. Without prior planning we may be jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire so to speak. We are going to talk about several aspects of bugging out and how to make them work if we need them. Ready? Great!

When to Bug Out?

This question can have several answers. The reasons we might feel like we need to bug out are many and greatly depend on where you live. If you live in an urban area some of the reasons you might want to evacuate are different than someone who lives very rural. My family and I are somewhere in the middle so we will talk about both.

Civil Unrest

We are about an hour out of a major metropolitan area and not really on a major route either, but if civil unrest were to occur I will be watching to be aware if it starts spreading. Something centralized like the riots that occurred in Ferguson Missouri, I would stay put. But if the violence were to start spreading to the outlying areas, I would be watching. If I lived closer evacuation plans would go into action sooner, a lot sooner. There is a town between where I live and the major city that if violence spreads to it, we are out of here. Every person has to figure this one out on their own, but as a guide, I would say that if violence started say 50 miles from where you live and has spread to 25 miles from your location be looking to get out. 

I will be totally honest. If civil unrest becomes a concern for us something else very big has happened. We are far enough out that I can be certain of that. Even though I am convinced of this, it doesn't mean I do not have a plan.

Natural Disaster

For us a natural disaster is a statistically more likely reason for us to have to evacuate. Natural reasons to bug out include things like major storm damage, wild fires, and even floods. Floods would not commonly be a concern of ours. We are up on a hill and if we have to worry about flooding we will already be out looking for neighbors because some of them will have been swept away. Not a nice picture, but true. Storm damage is another issue. Storm damage can happen to anyone anywhere. We have to deal with tornadoes. They are not fun. The problem with natural disasters is there is very little advanced warning so you have to be ready at anytime during the times of the year that these types of events are likely to occur.

Where to Bug Out?

Here is where prior planning gets some big time consideration. There are several ways a person or family could bug out to. Each have their pros and cons. We will talk about each and where they excel and where they do not.

Hotels or Motels

I know this doesn't sound very "preppery". Yes I know that is not a word. There are several times that you do not have to have a definite location. A flood or even a semi truck spilling chemicals comes to mind. If a tractor trailer spills a chemical in your community and you have to evacuate it will be very short term, generally only 24 hours or so. Being able to go somewhere and turn something bad into an adventure is a great opportunity. You and your spouse should know of a couple of hotels in each direction away from your home and have their phone numbers handy, so in the event of a needed evacuation you can just call and make reservations. By having this information handy you will have a place to stay even when everyone else realizes they will need one as well. It is a great thing to have reservations when all of the hotels fill up because people waited till the last minute. A clean bed away from a toxic spill turns into a true preparedness asset.

Family or Friends

If as I talked about above civil unrest were to spread or say our home was damaged by a storm, my family would need a longer term, but still temporary place to stay while things calmed down or repairs are made to the house. Friends or family may be the answer. We have two directions we could go, but one would not be preferable if the reason we were leaving was civil unrest. One place we could stay would take us right through the edge of the large city that we talked about earlier. That direction is also completely reliant on the system. If grocery stores were to be emptied that family member would have to come to us not the other way around. But for smaller events that would be an option.

The other direction are family members that are also of the preparedness mindset. No need to run to the grocery, they have it covered. There is room though it would be cramped. Fishing and hunting are an option to add to the food stores and in this area we could hunker down for a much longer period of time if needed. Why would we not go there automatically? Well in order to get there we have to go through a smaller town and if say we were facing a winter weather event, it would be very difficult to get there if we waited too late.

Into the Wilderness

This is the one that every time I hear it I have several questions for the folks who claim they are going out to live off the land. For the majority of people trying to do this is a really bad idea. Here is why.

Do You Have the Skills?

Unless you are a very avid outdoors man there are certain times of year that living off the land is difficult at best. I have no doubt that I could live off the land in late spring, summer and even early fall. I know enough plants and how to get game that I could feed my family at least enough to survive during those times. The winter months would be way more difficult. People who live completely off the land full time stock up all growing season long in order to have enough to make it through the winter. There are still things out there you can eat, but they are fewer and farther in between and during the winter you and everything else that is still awake are competing for the same things. You are not promised game or even a dry place to stay unless you can make it yourself. If this is an idea please take this advice. Go camping during each season. Do not take anything with you that you wouldn't take in an emergency. Try it. It is more difficult than you think.

Do You Know the Area?

Even if you have the skills to make it with nothing in the wilderness not knowing the area amplifies the difficulty level. If I were planning on escaping to the national forest I would do better than someone who just had a map and was going to "make a go of it". Why? I know where there are caves and bluffs that would give protection. I know where there are streams that, depending on time of year, could supply fish or even crayfish. 

A warning about caves and bluffs, they are wonderful sources of natural shelter, having said that every animal out there knows that too. I have walked toward a cave that I had camped in before only to find that it had been taken over by a pack of coyotes, wasn't going to use that again until they had moved out.

Do You Have the Gear?

Surviving in the wild unless you are REALLY used to it requires a bit of gear, especially if you have a family. Now that I have gotten older I really do not want to sleep on a rock slab. I have done it and when I was younger it was no big deal. Now it would be a huge deal. Things you might want to have are a tent (the tent you would want will depend on how many people will be with you, the terrain you will be setting up in, and the climate in which you are), sleeping bags (climate plays a major role in sleeping bag selection), definitely a way to start a fire (a friend has an incredible tool to help start fires and so much more you can see them HERE), and some cooking utensils also known as a mess kit each person should have at least some if not all of these items. You really do not want to have to make a burn bowl before you are able to sterilize some water unless you absolutely have to.

A Bug Out Location (BOL)

A bug out location take prior planning to the max or at least it can. BOLs can be a different as the people who have them. A BOL can simply be some land that you own or lease that will be the place where you pitch your tent all the way up to a small home where you can ride out any storm and anything in between. I know several people that their hunting property is also their BOL. Some of these have older houses on them that if needed could be used, heck I know of one hunting property that the people who own it actually had barracks and a mess hall built on it. 

A BOL can be just the basics or fully stocked, it is up to you. A BOL should be close enough that you will visit it often. I have heard of people that their BOL is hours away. Every time they go to visit their home away from home there are so many repairs that have to be made. I just don't think it is worth it unless you are willing to check in fairly often. This is a goal of mine. I have family that have enough land that are willing to let me put a tiny house on and get everything ready in case we need it, but I am wanting some land of our own.

Has this post made you think about your plans?
What would you do if you had to evacuate your home?
Do you have a plan?
Does your family know what your plans are?

Think about it. I want you to be able to live your
Rural Dreams and Homestead Wishes

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Affiliate Link Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I may receive compensation for links, endorsements, testimonials, or recommendations for any products mentioned on this blog. Any time you use one of our links for Amazon, if you purchase something The Rural Economist receives a small commission and it doesn't cost you any more. Even if you do not purchase the items I list. In this way you will help support us trying to teach people about self reliance and homesteading. Thanks for your consideration.

Friday, October 24, 2014

Wonder Oven Giveaway

Top Ten Features of My Wonder Oven

My Wonder Oven Slow Cooker Giveaway-Oct.24th-29th, 2014 by FoodStorageMoms.com 

Have you heard of a wonder oven? No, I hadn't either until very recently. It is a way to slow cook or even keep things cool while using a lot less electricity. How does it work? There is a short explanation below, but basically if uses the heat more efficiently by keeping it with the food. The best part is a friend of mine has started making and selling these and to celebrate her launch she is giving one away to help get the word out. Good Luck.

The picture of our yummy, deliciously Autumn giveaway was taken by Joyce at My Wonder Oven.com. A group of bloggers decided to let you know about these awesome energy-saving, non-electric slow cookers. In order to slow cook food, all you do is use a pan with a lid and bring the food to a rolling boil for about 10-15 minutes. Quickly place the lid on your pan and place it in the Wonder Oven. By entering the giveaway below, you will have a chance to win one of these awesome My Wonder Ovens! Good luck!

My Wonder Oven Top Ten Features:

1. 100% Cotton

We promise the fabric won't melt!

2. Double Stitched

We want to make sure those beads stay right where we put them!

3. Filled with 3 mm polystyrene beads

Smaller beads conduct the heat better because there is less air space around them. Bigger is NOT always better.

4. VIRGIN beads

My Wonder Oven beads have not not been recycled from someone else's bean bag.

5. Floppy rather than overstuffed

My Wonder Oven Slow Cooker Giveaway-Oct.24th-29th, 2014 by FoodStorageMoms.com 

This feature makes it easier to store, and allows you to fit it into a container (which is great when you're cooking on the go) or wrap it around your food. Go freestyle, baby.

6. Washable

If My Wonder Oven gets soiled, simply wash that area with soap and water and allow to air dry. It's a good idea to wrap your pot with a towel to avoid spills. A solar blanket also works great to catch spills and reduce condensation.

7. Cook on the road!

Think of it as a non-electric slow cooker. My Wonder Oven Slow Cooker Giveaway-Oct.24th-29th, 2014 by FoodStorageMoms.com

8. Refrigerate on the road

Great for keeping groceries cool, or even frozen, on the ride home.

9. Made is the USA

Even better, made in TEXAS.

10. Affordable pricing

Because I can purchase the fabric and those 3 mm VIRGIN beads here locally, I can keep the costs down.

Terms & Conditions:

This My Wonder Oven Giveaway is open to any resident who is 18 years of age or older who lives in one of the 48 US Contiguous States. This giveaway starts on Friday, Oct. 24th at 5:00 am (MDT) and ends on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2014 at 5:00 pm (MDT). The winner will be notified by email and will have 24 hours to respond. If we do not hear back from said winner in the designated time period of 24 hours we will choose another winner and they will have 24 hours to respond from the time the notification email is sent. Please check your SPAM email folders. Good luck to everyone! Let's be prepared for the unexpected! 


Saving on energy helps us all achieve our
Rural Dreams and Homestead Wishes

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Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Give a Gift of Sustainablity

Samaritan's Purse



Warning: This post is going to contain religious content. If you do not like that please pass on this post, but if you will take the time to read you might just find that you agree with most of what I am going to say.

Before we even get started. If you shop on Amazon you can elect to have a small portion of your purchases donated to many charities, including Samaritan's Purse for more information follow this link http://smile.amazon.com/

Get ready...I am sure this holiday season we will be inundated with those depressing commercials. You know the ones I am talking about, "For only X dollars a month you can feed a starving child". I understand these commercials from both a marketing as well as a humanitarian point of view. We as a people want to help those in need, this desire is natural for most people. I am sure some of these organizations are honestly trying to help people, but I do have some concerns. Here are some: 

Are they only feeding the children and allowing the parents to starve?
Are they actually feeding the parents also and just not telling us?
Are the parents eating all of the food and allowing the children to starve? If this is the case there are a lot of other problems.



"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day,
Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime"
Anne Isabella Ritchie 1800's

The above is a very wise saying even if it really wasn't coined by a wisened Asian philosopher. The heart of the saying is that just giving a person what they need instead of helping them learn skills to do for themselves keeps them in the same situation. What if there were an organization that actually helped those people who are in desperate need with a way to provide for themselves? 

For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: 
"The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat."
2 Thessalonians 3:10


I have heard people say that questioning a person's ability to work was un-Christian. We have just proven that not to be the case. If we can take both of the above statements and make them work together do you not think that the ones we apply this to will have a better future?


Samaritan's Purse


Samaritan's Purse is most widely know for Operation Christmas Child. This is a program where people all over the world can pack a shoe box sized container with small gifts and things to be given to a child that would otherwise not have a Christmas gift. I love this program. We have participated in the past and will continue to do so. I am certain that these small boxes of gifts, hand packed with small toys and other items like action figures, trucks, cars, dolls, card games, and even personal hygiene items bring great joy to the children that receive them. But do they help them? Do these gifts really change their situation? They do teach the child that someone cares about them even though they have never met them, but it does not improve their everyday life. Again, let me state that we will continue to support this ministry.


Last week we received the Samaritan's Purse catalog and to my great surprise there is so much more to offer. There is a way to help the families of these children in their everyday life. There is a way to help teach them the value of work and personal responsibility while sharing the love of Christ.

I do not mention my beliefs very often, but I hope they show through. My wife calls me a very hard person and to be honest I probably am. I believe what I believe and I do not apologize for it, but helping others is important. 


What I found as I was thumbing through the Samaritan's Purse catalog made me sit straight up in bed. An opportunity I can believe in and an opportunity that I think many of you can believe in as well. Are you ready? Let's go.


That's right. I said chickens. For $14 you can send a dozen baby chicks to a family in need. Not only are they given the birds, they are taught how to care for them. This provides a family with food and an opportunity for income by selling excess eggs and offspring. Each family gives one baby chick from their first clutch to bless a neighbor. This could create an atmosphere of mutual benefit, imagine that.


Yup, you see where this is going. Dairy goats are actually something I have thought about adding here. For me it would be a way to help improve the quality  of the food we consume. For someone in the less fortunate countries in the world a couple of dairy goats can mean the difference between surviving on whatever someone gives you or being able to provide for yourself and your family. Not only do dairy goats provide milk and the ability to make cheese, but they also produce other dairy goats which can then be sold to pay for other things you family needs. Talk about a cottage business. For a donation of $70 you can help someone work toward self sustainability. Not only does Samaritan's Purse provide the animal, they help build the animals a place to stay and provide training and basic veterinary care.

Livestock

For a donation of $350 you can send an ox, donkey, or even llamas to someone in need. The ox or donkey can really help lighten the load of a family trying to provide for themselves on a small farm. If you have ever tried to ploy a donkey or even an ox you will know that it requires a bit of skill, trust me I have done both, but with their help you can accomplish so much more than you could without them. I don't know much about the llamas, but I do know they are used as pack animals and they produce fiber that can be used or sold.

Fruit Trees, Gardening, Beekeeping, and Even Aquaculture




Alright all of you permaculture folks. Just imagine teaching a family in need how to harvest rainwater, how to better irrigate their gardens, how bees can improve their food production and provide income at the same time, how to better raise fish, what types of seeds to plant if you are in an area prone to drought. How about providing tools to help someone produce more food on the same amount of land? We are not talking about tractors here, we are talking about the tools that many of us take for granted. There are many opportunities to help someone provide themselves with a better future and not just help them stand in a soup line day after day.

I didn't know all of the wonderful things that Samaritan's Purse did for people around the world. If you are going to give to a charity this holiday season, consider sending a give to Samaritan's Purse through one of these programs. This is something great. Remember

The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
Matthew 25:40 NIV

I think it is great that we can wish the world
Rural Dreams and Homestead Wishes

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This post contains NO affiliate links. I was not reimbursed in any way for the writing of this post. I only wanted to share the incredible things that Samaritan's Purse are doing for people around the world in the name of Christ. 

Monday, October 20, 2014

All American Sun Oven

Win An All American Sun Oven in this Giveaway!


  Sun Oven Giveaway  

I have been playing around with the idea of making a solar cooker for almost two years. I have drawn up plans and have figured materials, but like so many projects it has some how gotten placed on a back burner. I really like the idea of having a solar oven. Being able to cook without heating up the house has a major appeal, not to mention the savings on the energy bills from the appliance itself. Here is your opportunity to win a fully equipped Sun Oven. 

The folks at the All American Sun Oven company have teamed up with a large group of bloggers and we are giving away a deluxe Sun Oven! The retail price of this set is $399! But that is only the start of the  reasons why you should enter to try and win this oven.

Using a sun oven can help you be more frugal by cutting your utility bills. Wouldn't it be great to have that bill lowered. Cooking in a sun oven is just as easy as using a conventional oven and really only takes a few minutes longer in the cooking cycle. Prepare your recipe using a little less liquid in casseroles, soups and stews. For baked goods use the same amounts of liquids as the recipe calls for. Find the optimal direction of the sun and get cooking. Of course, using a sun oven does require the sun to be available. However, it is possible to obtain good results even on a partly cloudy day. The All American Sun Oven is manufactured right here in the USA. The company stands behind their product. Globally, Sun Oven has worked to bring this off grid cooking solution to many undeveloped parts of the world, allowing people to eat healthier, cooked foods. I am happy to work with a company that has a giving mission. With all the benefits of lower utility bills, being prepared to cook without fuel or electricity, and supporting a wonderful company, who wouldn't want to own a Sun Oven! So lets get to the giveaway.

The Terms

(otherwise known as the small print)
The All American Sun Oven Giveaway is open to any resident who is 18 years of age or older who lives in one of the 48 US Contiguous States. This giveaway starts on Monday, Oct. 20th at 5:00 am (MDT) and ends on Sunday, Oct. 26th at 5:00 pm (MDT). The winner will be notified by email and will have 24 hours to respond. If we do not hear back from said winner in the designated time period of 24 hours we will choose another winner and they will have 24 hours to respond from the time the notification email is sent. Please check your SPAM email folders. Good luck to everyone! Let's be prepared for the unexpected!

I wish you Rural Dreams and Homestead Wishes

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Affiliate Link Disclosure: The post may contain affiliate links. I may receive compensation for links, endorsements, testimonials, or recommendations for any products mentioned on this blog. Any time you use one of our links for Amazon, if you purchase something The Rural Economist receives a small commission and it doesn't cost you any more. Even if you do not purchase the items I list. In this way you will help support us trying to teach people about self reliance and homesteading. Thanks for your consideration.

Saturday, October 18, 2014

The Psychological Effect of Ebola



By now everyone has heard of Ebola, a nasty and deadly disease that has taken the lives of thousands of people in West Africa. It is a horrible disease and it has come to the United States.

I am sure you all know that Ebola came to the U.S. by a man from Liberia who has since died. Two nurses that treated this man have been confirmed to have contracted the Ebola virus. Thus far and to the best of my ability I have only been able to confirm 8 cases of Ebola in the U.S.

In Africa there have been 8,997 confirmed cases of Ebola, 4,493 of those have died. That is a terrible number. Basically 50% of confirmed cases have died. According to the BBC, the number of deaths would really be closer to 12,000. We know the actual number of deaths is much higher than the official number because in Liberia there are more confirmed deaths than confirmed cases (at least they are not just adding confirmed deaths in so the whole world can see there is a problem).

There has been a lot written on this disease so I am going to take this  in a different direction.

Here is what we know.

Somewhere between 50 and 90% of the people who contract this disease die. There are people who survive even without the best medical care money can provide. This disease is very painful and very disturbing. Vomiting and bloody diarrhea are reported in every case. Bloody fluids leak out of every opening. If a person survives they are likely to have terrible scarring. Like I said, bad deal.

Ebola is easier to contract than we were first told. The first article I read about Ebola made it sound like you almost had to finger paint with an infected person's blood, saliva, or feces to be infected (sorry for the visual). This turns out not to be the case. Ebola, much like the flu, can live outside the body on hard surfaces for up to 21 days. Ebola is not airborne (kinda). There is a difference in definitions here.

Airborne disease- any disease that is caused by pathogens and transmitted through the air. Such diseases include many that are of considerable importance both in human and veterinary medicine.

This is technically true. The disease cannot be spread by just air, but it can be spread by vapor also called droplets. What are droplets? You know the stuff that flies out of your mouth and nose when you sneeze? Those are droplets. Droplets become airborne for shot distances every time a person sneezes or coughs. Most of these droplets only go a short distance, say up to 6 feet but longer distances have occurred.

The officials have lied to us.



This section could almost be called We Can't Handle The Truth

Just from the above facts that have recently come to light we know that we have not been given full disclosure and with the director of the CDC trying to blame the nurse who contracted Ebola for traveling only to have someone say "She called and asked about traveling and was given the green light." ,one begins to question the honesty of many of our leaders.

Now to the part I really want to talk about. 

How is all of this affecting the general tone of the nation?

This "crisis" has reaffirmed something for me. It takes all kinds. When it comes to Ebola there are really only 4 types of people with 1000's of shades between. There are the folks that think this is just a bunch of garbage (I was one of these at first), there are the ones who are ready to lock themselves in their house for 21 days just to be sure, there are the ones that unless it is talked about during their favorite sporting event have no idea what is going on. No doubt you know someone who falls solidly in one of those categories. Then there is the rest of us. We are trying to get as much information as possible while going on with our everyday lives.

Transportation

It doesn't really matter which group you fall into this disease could affect you. Here is what I mean. We have had 8 confirmed cases in the US, with now hundreds of people under observation and already there are companies advertising Ebola supplies. If a single person on the flight from Cleveland to Dallas contracts Ebola you can expect all of the airlines to suffer. People will refuse to fly.In fact that is already occurring. All of public transportation will suffer. Buses, ships, planes, passenger trains everything. Fear paralyzes people.

Herbal and Alternative Medicine

Sales and prices of colloidal silver have gone up big time as have sales of essential oils. I am all for herbal remedies and I think there is probably an herbal treatment for this disease, I don't know what it is but I am convinced that God provided a cure for everything in nature.

The FDA has actually sent threats to  bloggers and essential oil companies warning them not to give medical advice and not to suggest that herbals can treat anything because that would make it medicine. Sorry FDA. I respectfully disagree, you are owned by the pharmaceutical companies anyway.

Calls for Flight Bans

This one I understand the thought process behind. There are quite a few politicians calling for a flight ban from all infected countries. At first glance this sounds like a good idea. Just stop everyone from coming here from Sierra Leone and Liberia and any other country where the disease is spreading. The trouble is the disease is spreading to other countries. If we begin to systematically close our boarders to countries that have the disease this number will be steadily increasing. Every time we shut off a country it will affect our economy (it's hurting enough on it's own). I know, I know. Better safe than sorry. It is yet to be seen what we are going to do about travel. In many cases over reaction is as bad as not reacting at all.

The Media Doesn't Tell Us the Truth

I am a bit of a news geek. On my Twitter I have news agencies from every continent that I scan through. Other countries reported the death of the first Ebola patient a day before a single US news outlet did. I came home and told my wife the guy had died and she said that the news said he was in intensive care. The foreign news was right. Why? I don't know. The effect of both the CDC and the news outlets not telling us the truth are that people are not trusting what they have to say. These organizations had a credibility issue before this started and now it is even worse. I realize that the traditional news sources are struggling to get our attention, but sensationalizing or down right minimizing a situation is not the way to regain relevance.

Another thing is we only hear the bad. Out of the 8 confirmed cases 5 have recovered, 2 are in treatment, and 1 has died. That is a much better survival rate than the 60 to 70 % fatality rate that is being reported world wide. We have better medical facilities and nutrition. 

Conversations

One thing is certain; everyone who halfway pays attention is talking about Ebola. I have multiple conversations everyday about it. There are some who claim all they want to do is stay home with their families. If you are independently wealthy that might be an option. If you are like the rest of us you do not have that option until it is absolutely necessary. I have already pointed out that sales of colloidal silver and essential oils have increased since the news of U.S. cases hit. Something you might not realize is sales of Tyvek suits, goggles and surgical masks have also increased. I have talked to several people who are trying to develop a plan to deal with this situation. That is great, but do not try to plan out of fear. Learn all you can. Research as much as possible. I don't think it is a bad idea to have some of the above items around. Construction workers and painters use them fairly often. If things get bad you can bet that I will be sporting these.  

I want you to be prepared. I want you to be safe. I just do not want you to be gripped by fear. The truth is there is not much we can do for now except be as healthy as possible, learn as much as we can, be as clean as we can, and go on with our lives.

I would love to hear your take. What do you think about the Ebola scare? What is your plan if things get bad? Nasty comments will be deleted, if any occur. This is my opinion, I believe it is well reasoned and balance. You can disagree with me all you want as long as you are respectful. I promise I will be respectful of you. 

Do not let fear rule you. Be smart, be aware but keep working toward your
Rural Dreams and Homestead Wishes

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Affiliate Link Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I may receive compensation for links, endorsements, testimonials, or recommendations for any products mentioned on this blog. Any time you use one of our links for Amazon, if you purchase something The Rural Economist receives a small commission and it doesn't cost you any more. Even if you do not purchase the items I list. In this way you will help support us trying to teach people about self reliance and homesteading. Thanks for your consideration.