Is Self Reliance Becoming a Crime?

It seems as if every week there is another news report about someone getting into trouble for trying to be self reliant. Farmers having their pig herd slaughtered because they were not an approved breed, gardens being ripped up because they are against HOA rules, homes being condemned because they are considered unsafe simply because they are not hooked to the grid. At times it feels like there is an all out war on self reliance. Rather than give examples of this phenominon, there are examples everywhere, we are going to look at the rationale behind why self reliance is considered so strange. This post is not intended to be political in any way. If it winds up being so I promise I will pick on both sides equally.

I know this sounds like a wild, pie in the sky, or even a conspiracy theorist question, but seriously what if being self sustainable became illegal? Does this seem far fetched to you? It really isn't that far off base. In fact there are many areas where being selfish sustainable is very difficult, if not due to laws then due to social pressures.

Why would being self reliant be frowned upon?

I really have to stretch my thinking in order to understand the rationale behind those who want everyone dependent on the system, but after you get to the point where you do understand it makes a distorted sort of sense. We are going to look at a few of the reasons homesteaders and preppers are considered so weird.

Big Business

If you owned your own business would you ever get to the point where you decide that you have enough consumers? A point at which you are making enough profit and no longer wish to expand? You might just get to a point where you only wanted to maintain your level of business, as a small business owner that can be an option. For small and micro businesses there comes a point at which it would be difficult to service additional clients without expansion of workforce. Many professionals in the medical field will do this. Doctors will regularly refuse to accept new patients. Most other businesses are constantly looking for new clients.

Clients and customers have a constant ebb and flow. The number of customers you have will be constantly changing. You may lose one here and gain two there.

Businesses that have stockholders are not only interested in their profits, they are also interested in keeping their stock prices high. This added pressure calls for increased expansion.

Now let us say that we have a big business. Hundreds or even thousands of employees, scattered around the world. We have stockholders as well. If we post a lower than normal earnings report, our stock price goes down. That means it will be more difficult for our company to borrow money. I want to make something clear here. We did not have a loss, we only had lower profits that we projected. We have a decent product or service, we advertise, heck we may even have celebrity endorsements. Somehow though we are not gaining enough new customers to keep our profits growing at the level our stockholders expect. What are we going to do? Enter our friends in government. If what we make is something that a person can make themselves, let's have some regulations passed that deems homemade items unsafe. Yeah that is where we will start. That will discourage people from making their own and from buying any from someone other than a recognized brand.

As soon as we get these homemade versions deemed unsafe, we will start an "informational" campaign on how our product is the safest. We will get bloggers who are easily bought to tout our product and make homemade versions socially unacceptable. Everyone who is anyone buys our brand product.

We will let it go on like this for a while. We don't want to appear too aggressive in the public eye. But this will help us for a while and with a certain percentage of the population.

Look at Monsanto, this company is massive. They had 14.3 Billion in sales in 2014. As concern over GMOs continue to increase so has their strangle hold on their areas of power. What other company will go to extremes of collecting samples from farmers and having them tested to see if their patented genes show up in the competitions produce? There is a massive problem with that. Pollen cannot be contained. Corn is primarily pollinated by the wind. Anywhere pollen lands from a GMO strand cross pollination will occur. Those genes will show up. They are using nature to sue those who refuse to use their products.

The Government

Governments are started for several reasons. Most were started to consolidate power, some were to provide stability to an area, in the United States the government was set up originally to ensure freedoms were not infringed.

At one time the federal government actually encouraged self reliance. This was especially true during both world wars. Resources were tight and the government was actively involved with encouraging self reliance.

Sadly this is no longer the case. In many areas and instances the government is actively discouraging self reliance. I would go so far as to say that in some ways the US government is a little schizophrenic when it comes to self reliance. There are a few agencies that are actively promoting short term self reliance, agencies like the CDC and FEMA. But even they don't agree on how much self reliance is necessary.

The sad truth is most if not all of our politicians are owned by someone. These owners include companies and special interest groups. There has been a growing awareness of GMO genetically modified organisms and people have decided they would like to know if any of these foods are showing up in their diets. Several states have tried to pass laws requiring labeling of foods containing GMOs. At every turn there seem to be politicians that are fighting our right to information. If it stopped there I would be okay, we can dig for the information we want, but it doesn't. It appears that most in government are actively involved in withholding information from people.

Even the programs that appear to be promoting self sustainability have strings attached. If you want to take advantage of tax credits for home-based solar power systems you should be aware that there are requirements that these systems be grid tied. There are several more examples.

Every time you add a layer of government, you add laws and regulations.

Governments do not want people to be self reliant for several reasons. First is decreased tax revenue. It is very difficult to tax something that a person makes or raises themselves. Exterior trade makes taxation easy. By having to purchase everything from an organized business there is a paper trail that can be followed, so taxes are naturally collected at the point of sale. If you buy something from a neighbor, unless it is something that has to be registered, there is no way to collect taxes on that transaction.

The second reason governments do not want people to be self reliant is control. If a person or community is self sustainable there isn't much this side of violence that will make that person or group follow the predesignated path that government wishes.

Society

Society is a strange beast. Social programming occurs every day. Almost everything is acceptable in the name of diversity and tolerance, but don't be found guilty of moving against the desired direction.

Right now we have a perfect example of this. The Confederate flag has effectively been banned from all public places and many businesses because of a prejudicial past. It is there, not for everyone, but there are those who used the St Andrews Cross in the name of racism.

The hypocrisy of this move is made clear by the fact that you cannot purchase confederate flag items through Amazon but there are several Ku Klux Klan items available. Really?!?

The strange thing about society is that it will embrace anything in the name of tolerance except anything that requires personal responsibility.

Think about it, if you want to see just how far tolerance will go, just make a stand and believe that something is wrong. You will find out quickly that standing for something will make the tolerant people hate you.

That is enough of my rant. 

Just look around. Anything to do with self reliance is ridiculed on every turn. Municipalities and HOAs make it very difficult. There are some areas that are very difficult to do anything that improves your self sustainability. Gardens, solar panels, water catchment, and even wells are becoming illegal in many areas. If you aren't dependent on the system, you can't live there. They will condemn your property. 

There have been rumors of anti food hoarding laws, but as of yet I have not been able to prove them to actually exist, but civil forfeiture is a real concern. Have we gotten to the point where self sustainability is so foreign that people would feel justified in taking what you have worked so hard to provide for your family? Sadly, I think we have. 

I would like to hear your thoughts on this subject. Let me know either in the comments or on the forum.

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Gardening Smarter Not Harder

I have gardened my whole life, but it is funny how a change in environment can really increase the challenge. For most of my life my gardens have been successful, some years better than others, but all in all its been good.

After the 2011 tornadoes, I moved to a new county, new agricultural zone, and a new soil type. I thought gardening would be just as easy as I had always found it before, but I was wrong.

My First Year's Garden on Our New Homestead

My first years gardening was pitiful. Corn didn't produce well at all. Peppers did okay and we got a few tomatoes. All in all a very disappointing harvest. The only bright spot was the squash and zucchini, they did great. I was starting with what would be called new ground. That is ground that has not been cultivated in a long time. I just took part of the yard and made it into my garden. Our okra did fair.

Problems and Challenges Year One

The soil wasn't in great condition. It was compacted and heavy. The soil just wasn't very healthy. We didn't have much money for fertilizer and I really didn't want to go the chemical route anyway. I had not been here long enough to have a good supply of compost and I just couldn't justify spending the money on organic certified soil amendments. I learned that where I planted the corn just didn't receive enough sunlight and the soil was too poor to support a heavy feeding crop.

Victories and Lessons Year One

I learned that if I was going to continue to garden I would have to improve the soil and work to retain moisture. I learned where I could put what crops because of the amount of sunlight. I learned that a compost pile is an absolute must. I started my compost pile during my first year's garden, but didn't have enough to make a difference. You can read more about composting in my post The Low Down on Compost.

I did some experiments with Americanized Hugelkulture and No Till Gardening. I was trying to use wheat straw as a mulch. This quickly became expensive and several of my plants just had bare cardboard around them. 

The Second Year's Garden

The second year's garden was much better. We had taken another part of the yard back from Chinese Privet. This was as new a ground as was imaginable. In this new ground I found a great place to grow corn and it produced very well. With 4 very small rows we had fresh corn and even put some up in the freezer. The tomatoes did well too, but the battle of the weeds was lost about mid season. Peppers did okay. Okra did great. The squash was a bust because squash bugs invaded. 

Problems and Challenges Year Two 

My two biggest problems in the second year can be summed up very simply, weeds and time. I had too many weeds and not enough time. It is very disheartening to have a really good start only to have your garden grow up to the point that you eventually just mow it down because it is too far gone. You can read my post on Farming on New Ground.

Victories and Lessons Year Two

The soil was getting healthier. We were not having to water as much because the soil was retaining more moisture. Compost was most certainly a friend. Cardboard is also our friend. I used a lot more cardboard this year then I did the year before. Everywhere I used the cardboard I didn't have as large a problem with weeding. This was a massive leap forward for me and our food production. 

My wife and I both work and our time that we have together is very precious to the both of us. I am the primary gardener, so I have to prioritize my time so as to spend as much time with my family as possible while still maintaining my garden. By the end of year two I realize I had to garden a lot smarter or I would need to reevaluate my priorities. 

The Third Year's Garden and Gardening Smarter

I have faith that this year's garden will be our best yet at this location. Over the course of the past couple of years I have learned some valuable lessons.

Cardboard is My Friend

Most large retailers will give you cardboard boxes just for the asking. I have been bringing home 10 or more boxes a week. I place the cardboard around the plants. This does a couple of things for me. First it is a weed barrier and second it slows evaporation. I am picky about the boxes I am willing to bring home. I do not want boxes that have contained chemicals of any type. I know that all of the chemicals are in their own individual containers, but I have seen too many bottles and jugs that have leaked during shipping to take that chance. 

Cardboard breaks down during the growing season, increases organic matter in the soil and as long as you don't use the boxes with the shiny finish or colored writing there shouldn't be anything harmful in them. They are just helpers. Be sure to wet the cardboard really good after you lay it down, but before you mulch. 

Mulch is My Friend

Mulch magnifies the benefits of the cardboard. Mulching on top of the cardboard keeps it in place, if you don't mulch your cardboard it may just blow away. Mulching further decreases moisture loss due to evaporation, increases the weed barrier effect, gives a home to beneficial insects, and to be honest just looks better. 

There are places where you can get mulch for free. Two towns nearby have mulch giveaways once a year. You can go with your pickup and load the back full if you want. The cool thing about mulch is it really doesn't have to be mulch. I know that sounded confusing but allow me to explain. I have seen people who have used shredded newspaper and even wood shavings or sawdust. If you have a sawmill close most of those will let you take as much of their shavings and dust as you want for free. The finer the material you use for your mulch the quicker it will break down. 

You can even make your mulch yourself if you have a chipper. I have an electric wood chipper and I love it. Pruning, cleaning up brush, even fallen limbs. Anything that is small enough to go through the chipper does. I will even run larger weeds through it. Anything that is too large to run through the chipper goes onto the woodpile. 

Inter Planting Helps

I have read and read and read about inter planting and I have even played around with it in the past, but this is the first year I have seriously tried it and so far I have to say I am liking what I see. I have incorporated flowers in the vegetable garden, something I would have never done before. After doing some research I have found that there is significant evidence that flowers can be used to ward off bad insects and attract beneficial insects. 

With all of the additions I have talked about, so far I have seen very little insect damage. I am hopeful that this will limit the damage from squash bugs and tomato worms. Even though there are insecticidal soaps, I would really prefer to get my soil healthy enough to not have to worry about them at all.

I have been impressed with Jobe's Organic Fertilizer so far. I have been using this in addition to compost. My soil still is not where I want it to be, but it is much better than it was when I started. I am really excited about this year's garden.

One more good thing about gardening this way is you can do it a little at a time. Constantly growing your garden in area as well as productivity.

If you would like to watch the video, here it is.

 

I would love to hear about your gardening adventures.

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Verilux Solar Flashlight: a review

I am one of those guys that think you can never have enough flashlights. My wife has even joked about it. When Christmas comes around I am very likely to give a flashlight as a gift as anything. When I was offered the opportunity to review a solar flashlight, I was thrilled.

If you had rather watch the video review you can below.

 

Design 

 

 

The verilux solar flashlight is a little weird looking, but I understand the design. The design is so the solar panel can be large enough to charge the battery pack. The design feels a little strange to your hand at first. The on/off mechanism is a button not a switch. So far it has given me no trouble, but it has been my experience that buttons fail more often than switches. The light is water and impact resistant.

Batteries

The batteries are metal nickel hydride NiMH. These are the far better than NiCd and are comparable to lithium ion  rechargeable batteries. I do whish they were regular AA batteries and not a battery pack, but the pack is easy to install and Verilux does offer a replacement battery pack, the information about which was included in the box, but after checking Verilux does not have these replacement battery packs listed on their site. The battery pack appears to just be 3 AA batteries that have been made into a pack. You might be able to use batteries for many of the rechargeable phones that have a similar pack, but I have not tried that so I cannot be sure.

Function

It provides a good quality light. Not blue not yellow a good full spectrum light. The first charge takes 10 hours of true sunlight, not ambient light. After the first charge 8 hours of sunlight will give you a little more than 4 hours of shine time. This thing WILL NOT go all night. The Readylight has a little glow in the dark ring right above the led area which is kinda nice for locating the flashlight in the dark.

For the quality of light

For how long the light lasts

Durability

The flashlight is fairly lightweight, but feels rugged. It is water resistant, not water proof and it can take a few drops and bumps. The carabiner style clip is a nice addition. It does clip well onto a belt loop, backpack, or gear bag. However, after a little use the clip seems to not be as secure, it is still functioning properly, but I wish the hinge were a little more formidable.

Price and Conclusion

The Verilux Readylight solar rechargable flashlight is a little pricey compared to many that you will find on Amazon, but it is the best of the ones I have tried so far. Most of the lower priced solar rechargeable flashlights either do not put out a lot of light or they just fail to function well. If I were going to score this flashlight just on my expectations it would have scored a little lower, but when I take into consideration the ones I have tried in the past I must give it at least a half acorn bump. A lot of the solar powered units on the market are garbage, this one is not.

I keep this light with me in the truck. It is the first one I grab unless I need both of my hands. If you want a decent solar rechargeable flashlight without breaking the bank, this one may be a good option for you. BUT, there is a chance at winning one for free below. Good luck.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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One Day in Seven to Rest: Wednesday Devotion

Genesis 2: 1 - 3

1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 

2 And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. 

3 So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.

The thoughts and rules about observing a day of rest vary from one extreme to another. There are some who believe that on a rest day, nothing should be done, no cooking, no cleaning, no outside activities. Others see a day of rest as an opportunity for enjoyable activities and adventure. Like so many things I believe the truth lies somewhere in the middle.

Why Did God Rest?

It isn't very difficult to imagine that God might need to rest. We get tired and after all we are made in His image. I however do not think that God was exhausted from creation. I believe that He took a day of rest as an example to humanity. If we look at the totality of scripture we see that God never sleeps. 

Psalms 121: 3

3 He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber.

Most of the rituals for gods involved making a lot of noise. Why would this be the case? Well, what if your god was asleep? 

Rules for a Day of Rest

In the beginning the only rule was to rest every seventh day. Like so many things the rule was strengthened over time. At first there were just a few simple rules. As time progressed the rules were strengthened, because that is what rules do. I would like to point out that few of the orthodox Jewish rules for the Sabbath actually appear in the Bible.

According to Jewish tradition there are 39 categories of activities that are prohibited on the Sabbath day. These categories are then further defined.

Planting, plowing, reaping, gathering, threshing, winnowing, sorting/purification, grinding, sifting, kneading, cooking/baking, shearing, carding/combing wool, dyeing, spinning, weaving (including multiple steps), sewing, tying, untying, tearing, trapping, slaughtering, skinning, Smoothing, writing, erasing, cutting, building, construction, demolition, well you get the picture. 

Most of these prohibitions were by interpretation, eventually these restrictions even included how many steps a person could take in a day. When a person was found guilty of breaking any of these prohibitions the punishment was death. Pretty strict don't you think? There were exceptions to the laws. If a fire broke out and it was going to damage property, by law you had to let it burn. But if a person's life were in danger everyone was required to try to put out the blaze. A person's life was more important than the law.

What had started out as a day of rest had turned into a very strict ritual. When Jesus came along there had been thousands of years of adding restrictions. Jesus and his disciples were not very legalistic when it came to the Sabbath. Jesus regularly healed people on the Sabbath, an activity that made the religious leaders hate Him.

Mark 2: 27 NLT

Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath.

That statement was very powerful. God instituted a day of rest for the benefit of mankind, not for an observation of ritual. God knew that our bodies and minds require time to rest for us to be healthy. That was what God intended. God knew that for many of us to really rest, we need to have a full day and we need encouragement to do so. I am the worst at resting. If I think of something that needs to be done, I am going to get up and do it. 

Saturday or Sunday

All of Jewish tradition the day of rest was a Saturday, or to be more correct from Friday night through Saturday at nightfall. A full 24 hours. 

I am not going to get into a theological debate with anyone. Each has their own reasons for how they believe and how they worship. The early Christians kept the Sabbath and went to the synagogue, then on Sunday they had their "Jesus" meetings. The reason the Christian services were on Sunday is because the Bible says that Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week. Sunday became known as the Lord's day. Revelation 1: 10 actually refers to Sunday as the Lord's day.

During the time of Paul the apostle there were Jewish converts that were trying to get Gentile Christians to follow the law. This was a constant battle for Paul and the first Christians.

Romans 3: 28

For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the actions prescribed by the Law.

Constantine the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity passed a law that required Christians to worship on Sunday. There are still many that believe the Sabbath is the correct day on which to worship, but thankfully since we are no longer under the law, we don't have the restrictions.

Worship can take many forms. I love my church and I really enjoy good sound doctrinal teaching, but there is something to be said for time in nature. Everything around us proclaims the glory of God. Don't get caught up in legalism. Pray, spend time in God's word and allow Him to guide you.

Take time to rest. Take time to enjoy God's creation... after all He made this world for our enjoyment.

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