Saturday, September 27, 2014

Getting a Child and Yourself Ready for College

hopes and dreams in their eyes as well as the sun


Do you want to know how to make an otherwise youthful and energetic mom feel old? Have a child that is getting ready to go to college. That will do it every time.

There is a lot more to getting one of your children ready for college beside grades. There is the self reliance portion that cannot go  unattended. Not to mention the expense of anyone going to college. Today we are going to focus on the nuts and bolts of selecting the right college and how to pay for it.

Not Everyone Should Go to College


We have developed a mindset that unless someone goes to college they cannot be successful. This is not true. I believe that there are people who shouldn't go to college at all. Two of my sons are not interested in college. One tried college and didn't do well. His grades were fine, he just found out he wasn't that interested. Instead of being honest and telling his mom and I that he didn't want to be in college anymore, he kept going to the school, he just didn't go to class. It wasn't very long before his mom (my ex-wife) received a letter from the school telling her that he had been kicked out and he was going to have to pay back the grant he had received. Yup, he got a grant because of his mom and also my income. He wasn't interested in going part-time, now he is not in school and he is in debt.

For some reason we have come to the conclusion that everyone should go to college. If we were to accomplish this ludicrous goal, we would have no trades people. Having a degree doesn't teach you everything you need to know about anything. A degree is just a beginning. They teach the very basics of what you actually need to know.

I have found this to be true no matter the course of study. I have a degree in business management my wife has a degree in respiratory therapy. We have both found that the real learning doesn't begin to you get a job in your field. College teaches you the basics, that is all. After you get out of school it is up to you to learn the rest.

CEOs would be worthless without the carpenters, plumbers, and sales force. Every job is equally important, no matter what society says or thinks.

Apprenticeship Programs


When I was growing up apprenticeships were everywhere. Machinists, mechanics, plumbers, you name it. You could find someone who was willing to teach you a trade. Slowly all of that has gone away. My dad learned to be a machinist through on the job training and he worked on parts for the space shuttle. Gradually , companies started requiring formal training. There are becoming fewer and fewer options for learning something outside of the system.

I understand the argument given for this transition, that there should be standards that apply across the board. Part of this shift though is a desire for control by the education system.

Self Taught versus Instructor Lead


Now that I have you thoroughly convinced that I am against college all together, we are going to change gears just a little. I am a firm believer that any time a person can teach themselves something, they will have a better understanding of the concept. They may want or need someone more advanced to help with parts, but this is primarily, individual driven.

Lots of the things we take courses to learn could be done this way. My great grandfather was a self-educated doctor. You couldn't do this now because of the organizations and public perspectives. But this can still apply to several other job skills.

This idea should most certainly be applied to almost anything computer related. Anyone can pick up a book and begin learning a programming language. The more a person teaches themselves, the quicker a person will pick up on anything related.

A person should learn all they can about whatever they are interested in before they ever step foot in a classroom. They may find out they are not that interested or that they don't even need the class.

Put the Child in Charge


I kinda feel bad calling my youngest son a child. He is 18 after all, but he is still our child. When a family starts looking at college it is important to make the person that will be going to school, take the leadership role in finding the schools to talk to and learning about scholarships or student aide. They need to prove that they are ready to go to school. Far too many are pushed into college before they are ready. Most should take at least a year and work a job before going to school. This will give them tine to decide what they would like to study.

Our son knows that we will help him all we can. But he has to take the leadership role in finding funding options. He has talked to several schools and has even had interviews with a couple. We talk about each school, but he gets to decide which ones are still in consideration. I am thankful that he values our opinion and is glad that I do some extra research. Due to that alone he has taken some colleges off his list.

Funding

Funding is and is going to continue to be a major issue for everyone when it comes to going to school. For me when I achieved my associates degree I paid for it all, well kinda. The company I worked for at the time reimbursed 50% of all tuition and books as long as you received a grade of C or better. I saved up the money for the tuition my first semester and I actually held a yard sale that made enough to pay for my first set of books. Once I got through my first semester it became easier. I resold the books back and with the reimbursement I only had to add a little more each semester to get through school. I went to school during the day and worked full time at night. It was tough, but I got through. The government actually paid for me to get my bachelor's degree because my job was eliminated due to overseas competition. I guess that was their way of saying they were sorry for creating an atmosphere were companies were sending jobs to other countries.

When my wife was going to school, it was a different story. Her ex husband had left her and she was trying to find a way to support herself and her(our) children. She was able to get a grant and was working a low paying job, but in order to make ends meet she really had no choice but to take out student loans. We are still facing that challenge. 

We are going to talk about some of the ways to fund school.

Working Your Way Through

Working your way through school is tough. Trust me I know. Everyone I know who has worked their way through school has started at a community college. There is nothing wrong with a community college. I have found that a good community college offers just as high a quality education as many of the larger universities at a way lower price tag. If a person is careful they can  take only the classes that will transfer (if a 4 year degree or more is what they are shooting for). A person can take one class at a time if need be and still slowly peck away at their degree. 

Working your way through school has another huge benefit. A person really appreciates the education they receive and I believe applies themselves more if they are picking up the tab themselves. I am not saying that people who receive student aid do not apply themselves, my wife busted her but and did great. I am saying that I saw way too many young people whose parents were paying for their education that just played at school. Some of which dropped out because class was getting in the way of them partying. Even if they are not partying, some children just do not take school seriously if they don't have to pay for at least part of it. Remember the story of my son?

Scholarships

Scholarships are a great way to either pay for or help pay for school. I am going to talk about 2 different types of scholarships. Traditional and non traditional scholarships. 

Traditional Scholarships

Traditional scholarships are normally based on either extracurricular activities i.e. sports or academic excellence. I qualified for a scholarship for my bachelor's degree due to my grades at the community college level. This was granted in conjunction with the governmental help that I received due to my job being shipped to another country. There are scholarships for people on the math team as well as the football team. Tell your child to check with their high school counselor or go to the counselor at the college they are wanting to go to and ask about scholarship opportunities. You can find a list of these type of scholarships at www.mycollegeoptions.org. As your child is looking through the list, they will find that a lot of the scholarships listed only apply to certain schools and some apply only to certain majors, there is help out there. 

Non Traditional Scholarships

A lot of large organizations have scholarship opportunities as well. Lowe's Home Improvement offers a scholarship for children of employees. The American Kennel Club (AKC) offer scholarships the American Paint Horse Association (APHA) offer scholarships. Whatever your child or even you are interested in their may be a scholarship out there. Lots of civic organizations have scholarships. They are going to have to do some major digging, but it can be done.

Mini Scholarships

At first I thought about including this in non traditional, but that wouldn't be fair, when most people think about scholarships they are thinking about big money. There are tons, yes tons, of small scholarships out there. While studying for my associates degree I heard about a scholarship opportunity from a horseman's club. The scholarship was for $500.00. I know you may be thinking, "That isn't anything when it comes to an education" You cannot think that way. You have to think that every little bit helps. 

I won that scholarship. How did I do it? I had to write a paper on something to do with horsemanship or raising horses. I wrote my paper on pasture grasses. Yes, I said pasture grasses. I can still tell you all about endophyte infected fescue and how it can cause still births in horses. Hey, I learned something and I got some money that I could use for school. Remember I paid for my associates degree myself and $500 was awesome.

Grants

Grants are a little bit of a sticky subject with a lot of people. The government really doesn't have the money that they are giving away. They are just printing a lot of it and borrowing the rest, but here is the deal. If you or someone who is thinking about going to college refuses to take grant money that they could have gotten, it is not going to reduce the governments spending. They are just going to give that money to someone else, someone who may not use it as wisely as you or your child. Again remember the story of my oldest son. He used the money so unwisely that he now has to pay it back. 

Grants require the student to go to school at least half time. That means at least 6 credit hours per semester, normally two classes. Grants will also pay up to a certain dollar amount per semester. I many circumstances if a person qualifies for a grant their tuition and books will be completely covered by good ole Uncle Sam. I still suggest at the minimum a part time job for living expenses, but if someone qualifies, I would jump at it. The college counselor can assist with filling out the paperwork to see if a student qualifies.

Student Loans

Student loans are a subject that I would like everyone to approach with caution. Please know that a person cannot file bankruptcy  on student loan debt, in fact they can actually garnish your social security payments for student loans. The only way you can get rid of student loans is to pay them and a lot of student loans start accruing interest the moment you sign the paperwork. 

Student loan debt in the US is currently at 1.2 trillion dollars. There are situations were student loans are a must. Remember the story of my wife? She could not have made it without the aide of student loans. I will never begrudge her for taking them. She was doing all she could. Having said that, unless you are in a similar situation, avoid student loans as much as possible. I believe she would tell you the same thing. They feel like a blessing when you are in school, but it doesn't take long for that blessing to turn into a curse.

Research Majors and Minors

Okay, this one is another biggie. When I first went to college, I was studying electronics. It took me two semesters to realize that wasn't for me. I did well in the classes, but I just didn't fit. I know one man who has more college credits at the local community college than some of the instructors. He probably has a doctorate's degree worth of college credit from an associates degree level school. He completed I think 4 different associate's degrees. He is not using any of them. He is an extreme case, but he illustrates my point perfectly. 

It is very easy to get so far into a program that a person feels like they have to finish even if they hate what they are learning. Read, a lot. Encourage your child to find people that are in the field that they are thinking about going into. Have them ask questions about their job, maybe even have them interview people in the fields they think they would enjoy. The more information they have about any given field, the more likely they will make the right decision.

Nossi college Nashville TN

Don't Be a School Snob

It doesn't matter what school has your or your child's favorite sports team. The quality of education should come before that consideration. Look at every size school. Small and medium sized schools can do just as good a job and sometimes a better job than the large schools. Keep an open mind while looking at the facts.

Look at Accreditation. 

The course of study your child chooses will determine how important this point is. I could get my master's degree through several online universities, but if I want to work in any of the community colleges around here, where I get my degree from needs to be accredited by certain organizations. Every school has to list any and all accreditations. Look them up.

Be Supportive but Honest

A child going to school is a big deal. Not just for them, but for the parents as well. My wife does not want our son to go too far away for school. She is not just being the over protective mom either. That is part of it, but not all. He really is not ready for the full responsibility of making his own way. I have no doubt that he would learn it quickly, but if we can ease the transition we will. If he decided to go to a school across country and he was able to obtain funding, there is really nothing we could do to stop him. He is an adult, but he really wants and needs our assistance. 

He also values our opinion. The last school that tried to do a telephone interview didn't make it far. He told me that so and so school was going to call at 4:30 (our time). So I just hopped on the computer and looked up reviews for the school. They were not good. 5% career readiness. Ouch! I showed him everything I found and explained all of the different metrics. 4:30 came and went. No call. 5:30 the phone rings. After about a 3 minute conversation the lady asked to put us on hold while getting an admissions person. We agreed. We were put on hold 3 times only to be told that admissions interviews were running over and requesting another appointment to call back. I was not kind. That one is off the list.

I hope this helps you or someone you know in dealing with a child going to college. College can be a valuable asset for many people, but is not needed by all. I wish you all

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.

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Meet the Homestead and Preparedness Writers Jess with 104 Homestead



I love getting to know writers from all over the country. This week we will be talking with Jess from www.104homestead.com. Jess lives in Maine, which seems like nearly a world away from here and it is a completely different climate.

Jess took a desperately difficult situation and turned it into a positive. I know what it is like to have a sudden job loss, but to have that loss while expecting a child? That has to be bad. Jess teaches us how to be healthier and save money at the same time. I hope you enjoy getting to know her and her site.

How old are you?

30 

 Do you consider yourself a prepper, a homesteader, or a mixture of both?

Actually, I define them as one in the same. Although I refer to myself as a homesteader, by knowing how to homestead, I am equipped with the knowledge to sustain myself and my family. That makes me prepared for anything that may come my way. 

On your site you state that you began homesteading after you were laid off and while expecting your third child. Tell us how you became proactive about a solution instead of falling prey to depression and a give up attitude. 

I would love to say that my pro-activeness was due to inner strength, but truly it was a lack of options. I had two children to care for. My husband's plate was full with his job and the last thing he needed was more stress. I started developing frugal alternatives for things we were spending money on. When I discovered that these frugal alternatives (like making my own personal care items and cleaning products) were healthier as well as frugal, I was hooked. I looked into more and more healthy and inexpensive changes I could make in my home. 

What do you think the greatest challenge our society faces?

The greatest challenge our society faces, in my opinion, is comfort. We are comfortable doing things the easy way. We are comfortable with the way things have "always been done". It's only when we step out of our comfort zone that we really learn to live and appreciate our lives. 

You live in Maine. Quite different from here in the Southeast. How do you extend your growing season? Also please share your description of the seasons in Maine.

There is a joke here in Maine that says our seasons consist of It's Winter, It's Practically Like Winter, Thank Goodness It's Not Winter (lasts about a week), and It Could Be Winter Any Day Now. Our growing season is over in the blink of an eye and with the fluctuations of temperatures in both fall and spring, deciding when to plant and harvest can pose some challenges. I am a huge fan of winter sowing to give my plants a head start. I try to choose varieties that have a short growing period and I equip beds with plastic tunnels in case bitter temperatures come sooner than expected. 

On your site you talk about learning to make your own cleaning and personal care products. Tell us a little about the learning curve making things on your own that you had become accustomed to purchasing at the store. Have you had any failures making one of these type of products.

All aspects of homesteading have been a process of trial and error for me. There are so many great DIY recipes available online. Unfortunately they don't work for every person or every situation. The basic element water seems to be the hardest part. Hard water versus soft water can greatly affect how well a cleaner or product works. My advice is to try different recipes until you find one that works for you. After two years, I'm still experimenting with dishwasher detergent. I know the right ratios of ingredients is out there, I just haven't quite found it. 

I love the fact that you state you cover a little of this and a little of that. Why do you think being a generalist, when it comes to homesteading, is better than being a specialist.

My goal with The 104 Homestead is to teach people to homestead no matter where they live. Not everyone lives where they can garden outdoors. Not everyone lives where they can raise poultry or small livestock. By focusing my writing on just one topic, I alienate some of the population. I firmly believe that everyone is capable of becoming self-sufficient. I want to share a variety of skills so they are available to those that can use them. 

 Did any of your family members try to discourage the lifestyle you have chosen?

The only skill I chose to develop that wasn't fully supported, was my desire to cook from scratch. My household was fully on board until I served that first fully-from-scratch meal. The bread was so bad that the dog wouldn't eat it. Plates were practically untouched. I refused to take this apparent failure as a reason to give up. I realized that I needed to hone in on one skill at a time instead of tackling the all at once. I learned how to manage my time in the kitchen so everything was ready at one time. I picked up tips to making bread so it rises and crusts properly. Success involves taking things in baby steps. 

IF you are a homesteader tell me a little about your homestead. How long have you been homesteading, prepping or both?

I would say I've been homesteading for three years now. I have focused on planning for the future (canning ahead for the winter and storing supplies) for the last year. 

If you could tell every person one thing what would it be?

You can do it! I know everyone uses the phrase "If I can do it, you can do it", but it's true. When I began I could hardly boil water, I couldn't keep house plants alive. Now I make all of our meals and snacks from scratch and I have a thriving garden that provides enough food to feed my family produce year-round. I'm even writing a book about raising poultry. 

What do you think your best asset is in helping others achieve self sustainability?

As I said, I am far from the poster child of a domestic goddess. I live on a small property with village restrictions. I had a lot of odds stacked against me, but I persevered.

I hope you enjoyed getting to know Jess with www.104homestead.com. When you drop by her site please tell her The Rural Economist sent you.

Jess is just one of the many writers who are trying to help you achieve your
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.

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Getting Prepared for Beginners #17 A Case for Long Term Preparedness



This series has primarily focused on short-term preparedness, getting ready to keep your family safe and comfortable after a storm or other acute "all of the sudden" event. We have made it clear that until you are ready to deal with a hurricane, you will never be ready for the zombie apocalypse. Even now when we talk about longer term preparedness, we are not going to try to get ready for a Global Polar Ice Shift.

For the purpose of this discussion short-term preparedness is anything 10 days or less. So long term preparedness by default would be anything 11 days or more. You will have to look at preparedness a little differently when you consider longer-term preparedness.

What are some of the reasons that people who would never appear on Doom's Day Preppers get ready for that would be long term? Oh I am so glad you asked. So here we go.

Job Loss

Everyone has either been laid off from a job or knows someone who has. This is a very common event and there is nothing "out there" about it. I have found that the older you are and the higher you are on the pay scale the more difficult it is to find a comparable job when you lose one. 

If either my wife or myself were to lose our job our income would be cut in half. Ouch! It is very difficult to imagine how we would make it. I know that there would be unemployment, but that only pays a very small part of what either of us would normally make. Talk about painful. 

Enter preparedness. Say you have been prepping for some time and have accumulated, say a 4 month food supply. You have accumulated it a little at a time. The deep pantry has given you confidence. Now is a time to use those supplies. I am sure there are some that are saying, "But that is for an emergency." Here is the deal. For your family, THIS IS AN EMERGENCY. Just imagine how much stress can be taken away if you only had to buy very little food for 4 months while you are searching for another job. The money that you would have been spending on groceries can now be spent on other things that are needed. You can always put them back after you are working again.

Extended Illness

All of the things I said above also apply here, but there is more. If you have the opportunity to obtain short-term disability affordably through your work place, do it. Disability insurance pays better than unemployment would, but it is still not the full amount that you would normally get. In this case you might only use part of your food supplies, you might have to use some of your medical or first aid supplies. 

Skill Development

This is one place where a multitude of skills may come into place. Unless you are completely incapacitated you can still do something, even if you cannot perform your normal job duties. Small craft skills are great. If you can knit or crochet you can provide yourself a small trickle of income to assist the income you have from disability insurance. Gloves, toboggans, and scarves sell fairly well. I have even heard of people typing resumes and proofreading papers for college kids for some extra income. Get creative every little bit helps. 

A Death in the Family

I know this one sounds odd until you think about it. If you have small children or an aging parent and your spouse or parent dies you will have to step up and take care of the members of your family that are still with you. It takes time to get everything in order after a loved one passes. Trust me unless you have been through it you have no idea what you will have to go through.. 

When my grandfather died in April of this year, as bad as it hurt me, that was nothing compared to what my grandmother went through. My dad, aunt, and uncle had to slowly and methodically go through all of the insurance plans, all of the bills, file all of the paperwork to take care of my grandmother. In the end my dad and step mom moved in with my grandmother to assist her with the bills and because of her health. Dad and my stepmother had to change jobs and move in order to make sure that someone was always there for my grandmother. It was a big deal and a huge change. If it were not for food preservation and a lot of cost cutting, this situation could have been devastating. 

Preparedness Just Makes Sense

See, no zombies, no dirty bombs or anything like that. Just life. Life is so much easier if you are prepared. Four months of food is not excessive. Even a years worth (if you have the storage) is not a bad idea. You never know what life is going to throw at you, so it is better to be prepared.

Have you gone through something that was made or could have been made easier if you had been prepared? I would love to hear your story.  Please share this post with someone who is not preparedness minded. It just might make them look at things a little differently. I hope this post has made you stop and think about what you can do to secure your

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.

Monday, September 22, 2014

Mega Giveaway

sep giveaway

I am actually a little jealous of all of you. You can enter this giveaway and I cannot. That just would not be cool for me to enter. Seven winners, yes I said seven. I wish you the best of luck.

In honor of this month being Preparedness Month, The Prepared Bloggers are proud to present a Mega giveaway. We are proud to partner with 6 great companies for seven great prizes. These prizes are the perfect way to either begin your preparedness journey or add to your preps. We will have seven winners in this giveaway. Each winner will win one of the following prizes listed below. The giveaway starts September 22nd, 2014 @12:15 am (CST) and ends September 29th, 2014 @ 11:55 pm (CST). This giveaway is open to anyone 18 years of age and older who is a US resident of the 48 Continental US States only. Each winner will be sent an email and the winner must respond within 24 hours or another winner will be chosen
Berkey


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sun-oven
 
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propur
 
 1 Propur Big with 2 ProOne 7" G2.0 Filters--From End Times Warehouse--A clean water supply is super important in every situation. This gravity fed water treatment system makes it super easy to always have clean water.
72-hour-kit
 

 2 Seventy Two Hour Kits--From Survival Based--Be prepared for a sudden storm or power outage with this all in one 72 hour kit. Complete with fuel to cook the food contained in the kit. Keep this kit in your car, house, or grab it if you need to evacuate.  Two lucky people will each win one 72 hour kit.
Cox-Honey-two
 

1 Case of Six 5lb Creamed Honey (30lb total)--From Cox's Honey--Honey is the prefect item to place in you food storage. It's also great for a number of other uses. Cox honey is raw and unfiltered making it some of the best honey on the market. Thanks again to all of our sponsors. Enter below a Rafflecopter giveaway sep giveaway two
I wish you all luck and I hope you win. As always 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, September 20, 2014

Community Fair Arab Alabama



I know what you might be thinking. Why is there a town in Alabama called Arab? There are two stories about how Arab got it's name, both of them involve a misspelling.

Story #1 and the one that is on Arab City wiki is that a postal worker misspelled the name while filing a request to have a post office. The error was not found until after approval was given, so the name had to stay. The town was supposed to be named Arad.

Story #2 is the one I heard my whole life growing up. The name of the gown was supposed to be Ahab. Some painters were hired to paint a water tower. They painted what they read on the order or should I say what they tried to read. They painted Arab. They refused to repaint because that is the way it appeared on the order. Both are cool stories.

Why I Love Small Town Festivals

I have been to festivals in both large and small towns. I will be the first to admit that many times a larger town will have more to look at and in some cases learn, but you cannot beat the atmosphere of a small town festival.

You can talk to almost everyone at a small town festival. Especially the ones who are manning the displays. Each one has their own story.

At the Arab Alabama City Park they basically have a historic mini town inside the park complete with house, general store, smoke house, blacksmith shop and more. Each building has it's own story and if you are lucky enough you will find someone to tell you it's story.

I was lucky to run into a man that was willing to tell us the story of his grandfather's well and smoke house. He even let me video his story. I have included a video of some of the sights and sounds of the Arab Community Fair. I hope you enjoy.


There was a soap making demonstration, potato candy, cooking over a fire, homemade apples sauce, and of course like 3 acres of arts and crafts. It was a great time and I plan on going back.


Find a small town festival close to you and remember when everyone had
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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.

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Meet the Homestead and Preparedness Writers Stacy with Game and Garden



For this week's interview I am super excited to have someone from my home state. Stacy with www.gameandgarden.com is very widely published and highly educated. She left a career as an attorney to live a simpler and more sustainable life. I do not know if she has read my blog at all, but if she hasn't we are "preaching" the same message about not being motivated by fear.

I would like to point out that Stacy is the only one so far who has refused to answer how old she is. That is fine, I just found it funny. I tell all of the writers I interview that if they do not want to answer any of the questions I send them to just leave them blank and I will delete them. 

I really enjoyed getting to know Stacy and I think you will too. She has a lot of good things to say.

Do you consider yourself a prepper, a homesteader, or a mixture of both?


I don’t really consider myself in any particular category, but by default, I probably fit the mold for both and more. I believe that all thinking people that aim to live a healthy, abundant, quiet life will have many of the characteristics of a prepper and a homesteader. It is just common sense that we need to be prepared for disasters, grow our own foods or get it from reputable farmers, eat honest pure foods free from added hormones, genetically modified organisms, and to be as self-sufficient as possible so that we can help others. I have been making this my ambition for the past 20 years.

I am a prepper to the extent that I believe it is only wise to be on the watch at all times and to be prepared for future events, good and bad. They will both come. My step-dad was a Green Beret and taught me self-defense, to be aware of my surroundings in parking lots, schools,…everywhere. With the world changing today, this is a must. We should NOT be motivated by fear, but not we should not walk around with our heads in the clouds either. As for disasters, they happen all the time. We had a stint in Alabama about 15 years ago where there was no power for up to a month. Preparation for this kind of disaster will save a lot of heartache when disaster hits, and it will hit.

I certainly fit the bill as a homesteader, but never really set out to be a homesteader.I suppose you could call me an accidental homesteader. One of the reasons is quite simple. Fresh food tastes better and is more healthy. I know their are more added reasons to be a homesteader such as being self-sufficient (which I love), but everyone in the world will agree with that statement. It only seems natural to grow and harvest your food yourself. The two go hand in hand. Throughout the years I have increased the size of our garden to suit the size of my family, developed a hydroponics system with the help of my husband and boys, raise chickens and bees, have an outdoor oven built of clay, sand, and water (incredible fun and great food to boot!), use compost for fertilizer, and love wild edibles from our foraging adventures. 


On your site you state that you left a career as a lawyer. What were the reasons for making that decision, especially when popular convention states that everyone should pursue a career?


Popular convention also says, “Make as much money as you can”, but true worth isn’t wrapped up in what you have in the bank. Practicing law is a very important job, but being a wife and mother is more important. Although some women may be able to do both, I couldn’t give my all to my clients and my all to my husband and children at the same time in my life. I already had a baby when I graduated law school and once I had my second child, I needed to focus on caring for my children.

The world’s definition of success is far different than true success. "And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul,” or to me my children’s souls. My place was at home. I continued to have more children and they needed me there. I also wanted to learn how to produce healthy tasty meals, how to inspire creativity and hard work in my kids from an early age, and tend to my husband’s needs.

I am now able to do more “in the world” than I was able to when I had all small children and my older kids help a ton (and enjoy it) which enables me to share the things I have learned along the way. 

What do you think the greatest challenge our society faces?


I believe apathy is a very real and great challenge in our society. The moral fiber in our society is being torn to shreds and at times seems to have to be legislated which ties the hands of those of us desiring to make a difference. Our freedoms and rights are gradually being overtaken and “we, the people” sit idly by allowing it to happen. I think people aren’t finding motivation and purpose in much of anything. I also feel that people have given up on having their say in the government and their communities. We need men and women to stand up for the freedoms that America was founded upon. We need people to CARE and feel that their vote means something; that THEIR VOICE MATTERS. I am beginning to sound like a politician, but we are all politicians because we DO have a say…WE NEED TO SAY IT.


You have chosen to home educate 7 children. Can you tell us why you made that decision and some of the challenges of home educating your children? 


While my oldest children were still babies, I was reading about home education. Quite frankly, I had a hard time with the fact that I was going to miss the best parts of the day with my kids. I really wanted to be with them when they were at their best and I was my best. I wanted conversation in the mornings, work and school mid-day, walks in the afternoon, dinner preparation in the evening, and so on without being rushed.

As far as education is concerned, my husband and I feel that all of life is education.For instance, children learn math, genetics, basic science, chemistry, history, reading, and horticulture from gardening. How many asparagus plants do I plant for a family of 9? What is the origin of pumpkins? Why are there so may varieties of pumpkins. All learning leads to more learning.

I wanted to teach the kids everything that I know as well as learn with them a life of self-sufficiency that would give them the confidence to overcome problems, excel in life, and enable them to share with others. I would have missed so many opportunities for sharing my knowledge, my struggles and how I overcame them, and so much more had we not homeschooled. I am sure there would have been other opportunities had they participated in the traditional form of education, but I am quite sure we made the correct decision to homeschool.

There have been challenges to home educating as there is in most everything worth anything. For me, managing my time and the time of my kids has been a challenge. There is so much work in the home, in the gardens, and life interruptions that a clear schedule needs to be attended to. The schedule has changed every year with the addition of children, or as of late, two of my children graduating and entering college.

Another challenge has been home educating different ages with very different learning styles and interests. I believe that each person has a certain bent that needs to be developed, therefore, my teaching is very individualized to each of my students. Time management is a must! By nature, I am not a very organized person, but homeschooling has certainly forced me to become more organized. I have to admit it is still a struggle, but a discipline that I am leaning and get most excited about sharing with other moms.
 

On your site you talk about learning to prepare wild game and how at first you were not a fan. How did you begin to change your opinion of wild game?


My husband is an avid outdoorsman and quite the cook. He loves great food. For the life of me, I could not figure out how to make venison taste as good as the beef from the supermarket. I wanted to please the “hunter gatherer” side him as a newlywed, therefore I began searching ancient recipe books on how to cook meat. The meat that our ancestors cooked was what today we call “wild” or “free-range, organic” meat. As I studied and mastered the ability to cook wild game, I began to understand how the flavor was developed from the fact that it was free-range. The health benefits were evident to me and I determined that I could control much of my health by my control over my food source. From then on, our family has made it our ambition to harvest and “put up” as much of our food as possible for optimal health. This is where my first book,Happy Healthy Family Tracking the Outdoors In, comes in. I wanted to make it easy for others to cook wild game, and free-range/organic meats and fresh vegetables as possible. That is what the book is all about.

What are some tips you can give to those who are hesitant about eating game? My wife is not really thrilled about eating what I harvest either. With wild game, it is all in the preparation. To extract the best flavor and texture (not gamey or though), you will need to treat each animal and cut of meat a particular way. In my book, Recipes and Tips for Sustainable Living, I give you a chart on how to treat each cut of meat as well as a substitution list for meats you don’t have available. If prepared correctly, you are going to treasure the wild meat any day over the farm raised unless of course it is raised as God intended - without unnecessary added hormones, GMO’s, and antibiotics. 


You are quite widely published. Tell us a little about which of your books you think would be the best starting point.


I will tell you a little about each book and let you decide. Photographs are very important to me in that I am a very visual person. All of my books have a photo accompanying any subject or recipe.

Happy Healthy Family Tracking the Outdoors In is my first book written to encourage people to cook wild foods for their family as often as they get the chance to do. I also have wonderful vegetables and salads and a few tips on growing your own vegetables.

Recipes and Tips for Sustainable Living is my latest book and gives tons of tips for growing heirloom vegetables, herb pots, saving seeds, raising chickens and bees, composting, as well as tons of great recipes using the vegetables, fruit, chicken, eggs, and game that you harvest.

My DVD,Gourmet Venison, takes you through 15 venison recipes, some of which can be found in my book, Recipes and Tips for Sustainable Living. I take you through every step of each cut of venison and how to make it tender and succulent. 

Which magazine publication did you enjoy doing most?


I have loved every one of them. I know that sounds crazy, but they have all come from different angles and have shown the truths of how I live and why. I am just as excited and honored every time I do a magazine, tv, radio, or blogger interview. Each article takes on a different personality because each interviewer has a different personality. It is really quite enlightening.

Did any of your family members try to discourage the lifestyle you have chosen?


Not at all. We have always lived a little outside the box, but really there is nothing tremendously unusual about our lifestyle. Almost everyone back in the 1950’s had a kitchen garden and a few chickens running around in the back yard, canned overflowing vegetables for future use, and bought local honey from their neighbors. Food has always been a big part of life. Only recently have people entrusted large supermarkets for their sustenance and trusted the government to take care of them. 


What do you think your best asset is in helping others achieve self sustainability?


I want to encourage people to start where they are. You don’t have to own 50 chickens, a few cows, bee hives, run a top notch garden, have a composting bin right now. Learn a little and put it into practice. Learn a little more, put it into practice. Enjoy the process and soon enough you will be pretty well self-sufficient or at least locally-sufficient. I think my gifts are mostly to inspire and teach and make it as EASY as possible for people to get started and finish with pride. My books are full of EASY tips about living sustainable, eating wild, preparing beautiful delicious foods. 


If you could tell everyone one thing what would it be?


Be thankful. Find joy in living the day to day mundane as well as the exciting times. Put your sufficiency in Christ because no matter how much you prepare for the future, you are not completely in control. This is an ongoing lesson in my home. No matter what the situation, if you can give thanks, attitudes change and you will make better decisions. Take nothing for granted. 

I hope you enjoyed getting to know Stacy with www.gameandgarden.com. When you drop by her site please tell her The Rural Economist sent you.

Stacy is just one of the many writers who are trying to help you achieve your
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.

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

What is Your Mission?



Unless you are someone who believes that everything around you happened by accident and life has no purpose, you believe that you are on this planet for a reason. I know a couple of folks who call themselves atheist, who believe they are destined for greatness.

I am not going to get into a debate about religious beliefs. I have mine, you have yours and they really don't matter for the discussion we are going to have here. Having said that, we all have talents that can and should be used for the betterment of our world. 

How to Decide What Your Mission Is

I am a firm believer that over 80% of the people in the world never figure out what they are supposed to do with their lives. I am no exception. I am actually writing this to help me figure out what I was made to do. It is far too easy to get so wrapped up in the day to day, earning a living and paying bills that we never have the opportunity to discover who we really are. I am not talking about traveling the world to find yourself, I am talking about finding the career or the calling in your life that makes you feel fulfilled. 

I am a big fan of writing things down. If you are truly trying to figure out what you were meant to do you will need to list your talents. By talents I mean the things that you are really good at. Here is the problem. A lot of people think they are great at something when they really are not. If this were not true there would not be so many people who show up to the American Idol tryouts that the entire country makes fun of. Some may go just to be on television, but others truly believe that they have what it takes to make it in the music industry and they are actually tone deaf.

How do you list your talents honestly? That is tough. But here goes an honest attempt.
  1. Ask for input. Don't ask your mom. She is likely to tell you that you are the greatest even when she knows you are not. Ask your spouse, ask a true friend. A true friend will tell you if you stink at something. They may not do it very tactfully, but they will tell you.
  2. What do you like to do? Okay, I know that there are tens of thousands of teen age boys and sadly even thirty something men that would list video games as number one, that is fine, but list more than just one thing. In fact, list at least 10 things that you like to do. If possible list 10 things you love to do.
  3. Be honest with yourself. I have wanted to be a lot of things throughout my life. I have wanted to be a farmer, an attorney, a singer, a musician, even a college professor. But I have to admit I did not have the discipline to be a singer or musician. I got to know too many attorneys and couldn't be like that. I am not willing to go in debt enough to become a college professor. 
A professor is still a desire, but I am not willing to feed the beast that is the system. Let me explain. At the time I am writing this I am 44 years old. I have a Bachelor's degree, but in order to teach I would need a minimum of a masters degree. It would cost me a minimum of $52,000 to get my masters degree. Even if I started next year, I would be 47 before I graduated. That means I would have 18 years to pay off $52,000 of student loans, depending on where you live that could be as much as an additional house payment. Not going to happen.

List your weaknesses. If you do not like children you are not going to want to be a day care owner no matter how good the money is. Again be honest. I would like to think that I have no weaknesses, but if I said so I would be lying.  I love creating, but maintenance? That is different. There are times I have to force myself to get things done that I know need doing. Oh and I hate paperwork, HATE IT. So maybe a college professor wasn't the best idea after all.

Look for Alternatives

Okay, so a traditional teacher is out of the question. No big deal. I can be a non traditional teacher. I have held demonstrations for school teachers, children, and even the elderly. What can I teach? Lots of things. If you are good at something and enjoy it (yes I said and, believe it or not there are people who are really good things they do not enjoy) do some research and see if there is a market for that skill. If there is not a market is it game over? No. Dig deeper and see if a market can be created. People don't know they want something if they do not know it exists. The same is true for learning. A person doesn't realize all of the things they do not know.

There are people who are making their living teaching people how to make soap and selling the very soap they make while teaching the class. Get creative.

Start Small

Unless you are creating a brick and mortar business, it is best to start a business without any debts. That sounds like common sense right? Well, its not. There are people shouting at you from every corner about small business grant and loans. Nearly any business you can imagine can start small and part time. Machine shop? Yup, it has been done. Cabinet shop? Yup. Hair salon? Yup. Tutoring? Yup. If you start small and get some satisfied customers out there, it gets easier. Think of it as a cottage business.

If something is your mission, it will also be a passion. A mission, once you find it is something that helps you feel fulfilled. You really want to keep doing it, not just because you should. Once you find your mission you cannot honestly see yourself not doing it. How do I know this? I know this by talking to people who firmly believe they have found their mission in life.

You Cannot Just Use Logic

I know. After all of the things I have covered so far you would think that this is counter intuitive. It is not. Pray, meditate, do whatever you do to calm your mind. Search for peace in an idea before you pursue it. I am not saying to not do something til you have complete confidence, if you wait on that you may never do anything.

Here is a story that I heard that rang true for me and I believe applies to any mission in life. 
A young man was attending a church service. He went to church every opportunity he had. One night when the minister offered the call to pray, the young man went to the alter and told the old preacher that he felt like God was calling him to preach. The old preacher asked why he thought that. The young man said "I don't know for sure, I just feel like it is what I am supposed to do". 
The old pastor gave the young man some advice that he did not expect. He told him to run from the call to preach. "Don't do it. It will break your heart. You may never have any money. Everyone will look to you for help. You will be held to a higher behavior standard than everyone else."
The young man didn't know what to say or think. He was expecting encouragement, that was not what he received. The young man did as the pastor told him, he ran from the desire to be a preacher. He was miserable for months. Finally, he went back to the old preacher and told him that he didn't care what the old man thought, he was supposed to preach and that he had been in terrible shape since that night. The old pastor smiled and told him that if he could have avoided the call to preach then he wasn't supposed to preach.
Once you realize what you are supposed to do in your life, you will not be happy until you have at least started down the path to what you were destined to do.

I am Still Struggling

I wish I could tell you that I have found exactly what I am supposed to do with my life, but I haven't, or at least I don't think so. I do a lot of things that bring me joy. That is very important. I love writing all of the articles for all of you and I believe that this is part of what I am supposed to do, but I do not think this is all I was created to do.

What is your mission? Do you know? How did you figure it out? I would really like to know. Maybe you sharing your experience will help me and maybe, just maybe countless others.

I wish you all

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, September 13, 2014

The Homestead and Gardening Expo


I am just going to be covering my thoughts and observations on the recent Homestead and Gardening Expo that was held in Oxford, AL and hosted by The Southern Preppers. I only attended on Saturday, so keep that in mind.

I would consider this a fairly small event. The Oxford Civic Center is not a very large venue, but it was almost filled to capacity. The gymnasium portion was covered quite well with vendors. Two classrooms were running continuously. There were classes on several homestead and preparedness topics. I was only able to attend two classes, but I would have really liked to attend almost all of the classes that were offered.

The Classes


The two classes I attended were Go for Green Living and the suturing class by Armageddon medicine. I really wanted to be in the herbal medicine class, but I was talking to someone and lost track of time. There were lots of classes and had I had more time I would have attended as many as I could.

Both of the instructors knew their topic, the only thing I would suggest for the Go for Green Living guy is please have an outline in the future. I still learned things from him, but I was told that the class was going to be about greenhouses. He did mention greenhouses, but that is all. The best tip I got from this guy was for blossom end rot. Whenever you see blossom end rot ,crush some Tums into your watering can and water the plants. Blossom end rot is caused by a lack of calcium. Great tip.

Armageddon Medicine hosted the suturing class. This was cool. I loved this class. I have taken a suturing class in the past, but this one was ran a lot better than the first. I really enjoyed adding this skill and am going to teach my entire family this skill as well. Will I ever use this skill? Don't know. Don't really care. I just like knowing that I know how to do this.


The Vendors

There were a good number of vendors. I am going to talk about the ones that I noticed most. Also I am giving my opinion only. Just because I do not think something is cost effective for me does not mean that it might not be good for you.

The Biggest Winners

Without any doubt there were a couple of big winners for me. 
White Harvest Seed Company. I love talking about seeds, gardens, and growing things. The folks with White Harvest were good down to earth people that I really enjoyed talking to. I found myself going to their booth just to hang out and talk. I am hoping to work with them in the future. Heirloom seeds are where the future of sustainability lives. Guys, if you read this I am very happy to have met you.

The Aquaponics guy. I really enjoyed looking at the aquaponics set up that they had at the event. Very informative presentation. This is something that I have thought about doing, but I am not real sure how I would add this to my homestead. You may be able to add this system more easily to your home.

The Southern Herbalist.  I had actually heard of Mr. Patton from several people. If you have followed my blog for any period of time you will know that foraging and herbal remedies are very high on my want to learn more about list. I consider myself an advanced beginner at a minimum. This guy though is a master. He had a tincture of American Pokeweed. I loved talking to him about all of the different tinctures and extracts that he had for sale. I am hoping to learn a lot from this man. Below is my video on American Pokeweed.


The Vendor That I had the Most Questions For

Without any doubt the vendor that I had the most questions for was the company that was selling the home freeze dry system. There is no doubt that freeze dried food tastes better than dehydrated food. The company is Harvest Right. The equipment is very impressive. I really like the idea, but with an entry price of $3900.00 the big question is, would it be cost effective for a family?  The answer is; it depends.

If you have lots of fruit or even a lot of leftovers, maybe. I would have dearly loved to have been the lucky person who won a freeze dryer. I can easily see an extended family or a close nit community taking advantage of this technology. 

There are lots of benefits of freeze drying, a 25+ year shelf life of your food is a big plus. The nutritional benefits are also a big plus. 

The unit plugs into a 110 outlet and it takes about a day to a day and a half to freeze dry the food (depending on what you have in there). This is an item that I am looking at in the long term. Is it right for me right now, no, but it could be in the future. I have included lots of pictures below.



The Biggest "You Have Got To Be Kidding Me"

Okay. This one is my opinion only. The item I am going to cover next is without a doubt the coolest product that was at the event, but it was in my opinion also the biggest overkill. The item I am talking about is the Bug-Out Survival Trailer.

I love the basic idea behind this trailer, what I do not like is the $19,000 price tag. This is a bug out camper on acid and is designed for the people who are worried about everything. Now first I am going to tell you everything I like about this trailer and there is a lot.

I love the energy system. This trailer was designed with self -sufficiency in mind. It includes propane, solar, and wind power generating capabilities. Not only that, but also has the traditional ability to charge the batteries from you vehicle or being plugged in. This was very well thought out, my hat is off to you on this.


The kitchen was very intelligently designed. I could cook almost anything with this kitchen. The trailer comes with built in water storage and even a water still. The shower and bathing facilities are more than adequate. 

The trailer will easily sleep, say three, without having to add the outside tent. If the outside tent is added and turned to sleeping quarters, I would say it would sleep 5 maybe 6. The salesman said 8, but in order for it to sleep 8 several would have to be small children. The upper sleeping quarters looked comfortable, but here is one major issue. No air conditioning or heat. Air Conditioning is not a necessity, but sure is nice especially here in the South where we can see near 100 degree days with very high humidity, heat on the other hand is a necessity. I know you can bundle up and cuddle, but adding heat would be a really good idea.

The storage of the trailer was well thought out. It even includes a gun safe. According to their website this trailer fully supplied will provide 30 days of self reliance for 2 people. I can believe it. If it had heat, I wouldn't mind having one for a hunting cabin.

The Overkill

Alright, here is where I am going to deviate from many. The entire electrical system is enclosed in a Faraday cage. I just do not think an EMP is very high on my worries list. Also the side door has what they call a grab and go area. This area is where the first aid kit is kept, great idea. It is also where the gas masks are kept. If you need gas masks you have not gotten far enough out of the big cities. In our situation, if we were to want gas masks we would basically have to fill the door up with nothing but masks, because if our whole family were together we would need 7 masks. I could not put myself in a situation where I had to decide which member of my family would have to do without a mask. 

Conclusion on the Trailer

Great idea, still needs some adjustment and cost is out there for most people. I would rather have a nice travel trailer. I can do most of the same things with it.

Ending Thoughts

I loved the Expo and plan on going again next year. I may try to attend all three days. It was well worth my time and effort. I strongly encourage you to find a homestead or preparedness show near you. Go and learn all you can. 


Or maybe come join me next September at the Homestead and Garden Expo hosted by www.thesouthernpreppers.com 

Learning will help you achieve your
Rural Dreams and Homestead Wishes

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You can like The Rural Economist on Facebook follow on The Rural Economist on Gplus. Or you can even follow The Rural Economist on Pintrest. We now have a YouTube channel and are doing a series on wild edible and medicinal plants. Hope on over and check them out, oh and don't forget to subscribe.

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.