Task 21: Off The Grid

images (35)Growing up in Montana on a farm and ranch, I learned from an early age about raising a lot of our own food.  We had a large garden, fruit trees, raised cattle, and I even milked cows twice a day.  I remember my mother and grandmother spending tireless hours canning during the summers to store all the produce raised to help get us through the winters.  I picked up a few of these techniques, but will admit, they can be labor intensive.

When we went to “town’ to get supplies, it was maybe once or twice a month.  As i got out on my own, and moved to the PNW, I found myself transitioning a bit.  Partly because of storage, but also because of ease, I found easier to be able to run to the grocery store daily.  Now I do not do this often.  I still usually shop only once a week or so.  But there are days when I really do not feel like cooking, that it’s easier to run to store.

In the past couple years, I have tried to get back to my roots a bit more.  I started raising a garden, I added some storage shelves in the basement, and purchased a small chest freezer.  My shelves now have home canned vegetables, the freezer has proteins I have been able to purchase in bulk, and during the late summer, early fall my home is filled with my own produce.

I will admit, I am spoiled.  Some of those canned vegetables on the shelves, are from my mother.  She still loves to can, and shares with me yearly.  But I have starting making and freezing my own items too, including pickles, and marinara sauce.

Each year my garden gets a little better as I add something else that I decide to tackle. Besides the simple joys of knowing I raised my food myself, knowing what is in the foods I eat has also been a win for me.  It doesn’t take a lot of room to grow a few vegetables, and I have seen more than one container garden on patios of apartments.


DAY 21 ACTIVITY:  

2 Pts – How self resilient are you?  Show us and share what types of activities you have done to improve your disaster resilience.

Bonus:  Share a trick of your trade in how it helps you be resilient.

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