227_Seven Not-so_Obvious Strategies to Level Up Your Self Sufficiency

Adventures in Sustainable Living Podcast

Episode 227

Seven Not-so-Obvious Strategies to Level Up Your Self Sufficiency

Chores, chores, chores. Some days on the homestead it seems as if the chores will never end. At times I get discouraged and ask myself if it would not be easier just to skip this whole process. Sometimes simplicity seems difficult.

Would it not be easier to do what most other people do and just take full advantage of our modern conveniences and live a life of ease.

But in many respects this is exactly the attitude that most people have today and that is one of the reasons that the skills required for self sufficiency are slipping away.

If you want to learn how to reverse that, then stick around for some tips on how to level up your self sufficiency.

Welcome back everyone to the Adventures in Sustainable Living Podcast. This is your host Patrick and this is E226 Seven Not-so-Obvious Strategies to Level Up Your Self Sufficiency.

My talking about ways to be more self sufficient is nothing new. But this time I want to discuss some strategies for self sufficiency that are far less obvious, perhaps some things that people never really think about. So, I hope you will stick around. But first, let’s start out with this week’s good news story

Good News Story of the Week

This week’s good news story is about the environment restoration of a highlands are in Ecuador, which is a place I’ve actually been. At the time I was hiking there, I had no idea how unique and valuable this area was.

The paramos as they are called, cover slopes above 10,000 feet elevation all over the Andes. The vegetation acts like a giant sponge which absorbs and condense moisture before releasing it in streams and rivers further down the mountain.

The Nature Conservancy, which is a U.S. non-profit,  estimates that in Colombia, where páramos cover just 2% of land area, provides 70% of all municipal water. It is also estimated that páramos sequester 6 times more carbon than tropical rainforest.

This restoration project in Ecuador started 25 years ago, funded the protection of water this critical ecosystem, which is unique to the entire planet, and allowed the reclamation of vast tracts of landscape formerly used for agriculture. Now that the wetlands have been restored people are seeing the return of wildlife such as whitetail deer, Andean bear, fox, puma, and even condors.

Years ago the Nature Conservancy partner with Quito’s water utility company and formed the Fund for the Protection of Water. This fund as accumulated $2.5 million in annual donations and has protected 55,000 hectares so far, which is about 136,000 acres, with plans to protect 150,000 hectares of paromas.

Local communities have also become very involved in this restoration work. Two dozen locals have become páramo rangers, local ranchers have moved their animals to lower elevations, agriculturalists have worked to switch to low-impact methods of cultivation away from watersheds, and the Nature Conservancy runs a nursery that grows many of the endemic páramo plants for use in reforestation.

So, once again we see a perfect example of how a smaller country was far more forward thinking than some of the more developed nations of the world. So, this week’s round of applause goes to the 25 year old restoration of the paromas in Ecuador.

So, with that, let’s move onto this week’s episode.

One thing is for sure, I am not a newbie when it comes to the challenges of living off grid and trying to be as self sufficient as possible. But, there are times when it is more challenging than others. And believe it or not there are times when I get discouraged and think it would be so much easier to be an urbanite. Just recently I had one of those experiences that made me question what I am doing and why.

Fortunately I do not get sick very often. There are fewer times when I get so sick that I am flat out in bed. But, that is what happened recently. It was 4 days before I could move any faster than a snail and a week and a half to full recovery. Unfortunately, when such a thing does happen the homestead chores still need to be done. Chickens and turkeys have to be cared for, water has to be hauled in and sometimes firewood has to be split.

It is times like these when I think it would be easier to live in the city and take advantage of the ease and convenience. However, that has its drawbacks as well and those disadvantages are often easily overlooked. 

Modern Society and Self Sufficiency

Perhaps too many times I go back to my experiences on the farm when I was younger. I certainly do not mean to infer that those were the wonderful days of long ago. But it does emphasize how much different life use to be. We were not 100% self sufficient because that is indeed difficult to achieve. However, we provided a tremendous number of things for ourselves.  We never wasted anything because what we had was exactly what we needed.

In comparison to today’s world, certainly it is not too much of a stretch of the imagination to say that modern society is indeed losing the skills of self sufficiency. With increasing centralization and globalization of products and services, as well as specialization in production, society as a whole is becoming more reliant on external sources for even our most basic needs such as food and clothing. Not to mention that the time and skills required for self sufficiency are often lacking because of work-life pressures and the fact that both parents need to work.

Granted I will be the first to admit that living the way we do takes some time and commitment. It is not always easy. Having to haul in water when it is below zero instead of being able to turn on the faucet and sit quietly by the wood stove is a perfect example.

But by comparison you would think that modern technology and conveniences would free us more of our time. However, most people seem to be busier than ever.  We also tend to completely lose sight of the benefits of self sufficiency, such as resilience, sustainability, and a sense of accomplishment because those qualities are too often overshadowed by the conveniences of modern society that we enjoy so much.  Our highly interconnected world makes some sense of self sufficiency more difficult than ever due to the complexity of modern technologies that we depend on almost every day.

Furthermore, modern lifestyles and societal structures often discourage self-sufficiency. People are increasingly dependent on complex infrastructures and systems for basic their basic needs, making it difficult to break away from this dependence.

Another barrier is that this concept of self-sufficiency can vary widely among individuals, making it hard to establish a universal definition or approach. Some people even feel that self-sufficiency is unnecessary or that they can rely on others indefinitely. Even procrastination and a lack of action hinders any sort of progress towards self-sufficiency.

But I also think it's crucial to define what self-sufficiency means to you and take steps towards it, rather than waiting for the perfect moment or conditions. Developing some level of self-sufficiency enhances both personal resilience and independence, which are valuable in both everyday life and certainly in emergency situations.

While I think it is widely understood that absolute self sufficiency at the household level is difficult if not impossible in most cases, there are still ways to improve our personal resilience and independence.

Simplicity

By far the best thing you could ever do for yourself is to simplify your life. I cannot over emphasize this enough. But for so many reasons these days the simplicity of life is elusive and difficult for most people to grasp.  We are constantly influenced by so many outward pressures that we tend to define ourselves through various external factors instead of looking inward and fully understanding who we are as a person. We further complicate our lives because we are always trying to please others, which leads to over commitment and even more clutter. Additionally, societal pressures and the pursuit of material success overshadows the value of simplicity, making it more difficult to achieve a simpler lifestyle.

However, simplifying life is an important goal due to numerous benefits. For example, more free time and reduced stress which allows you to focus on what truly matters. But this involves intentional efforts to strip away unnecessary noise and clutter, which can be challenging in a culture that often promotes a 'bigger and more is better' mindset. But if you have been listening to me for awhile, you know where I was years ago and the 5 years of work it took for me to simplify my life. So, it is possible but it does takes commitment and somethings you have to make some tough choices.

And if you want to know more about having a simple life, I did devote an entire episode to this topic which is called The Value of Simplicity. I would recommend going back and listening to that episode.

Practice, practice

My next tip is simple: practice, practice.

That is to say, always be willing to try new things and challenge yourself in new ways. Read a book, take a class, watch a video, help a friend that is working on a project that you have never done before. These are all ways that you learn new skills.

I will tell you that when I first bought the homestead property I did not possess the skills that I have today. I learned a lot of things along the way. For example, when I wanted to install a full solar array I knew nothing about electricity. In fact, I was afraid of it. I took a class taught by a master electrician and then worked with a solar supplier to order all the equipment I needed. Still, once I had everything, I was standing there looking at a huge pile of equipment with virtually no instructions. So, I went through the process step by step and learned a lot.

My point being, once you tackle enough projects that are unfamiliar to you that require learning something new, sooner or later you become comfortable with being uncomfortable. As you know, it is impossible to know everything. Consequently, sooner or later, creativity and ingenuity become your best friends.

Practice, practice.

Continuous learning

My next tip reenforces what I said above and that is the concept of continuous learning, which is crucial for self sufficiency. You can keep learning new skills related to home maintenance, finances, or even personal development. For example, you can take classes or read books on practical skills such as gardening, carpentry, plumbing, and even culinary skills. These skills not only help you be independent but also give you a sense of pride and accomplishment.

One of my favorite quotes is “As a way of life, adopt the attitude of continuous improvement though education. This way you can leverage the one thing you always control-how you use your mind to develop yourself.

Build stronger social networks

The next best thing you can do may not be what you expect. Self sufficiency also requires building strong social networks. Now this may seem somewhat counterintuitive because we think of self sufficiency as a means of independence not dependence on others.

However, in our modern culture people are increasingly isolated. Our social connections are often defined by the fact that on average we spend 6 1/2 hours a day in front of one screener another. True friendship and social connection requires face-to-face personal interactions, some level of reciprocity, and even some level of conflict and working through that difficulty.

There are three families that live on the 160 acre inholding property where our homestead is located. We have all known each other for years. Because we are spread out and we all have different personal schedules, it may be weeks or even a few months before we see each other. But if any one of us needs help the others are there in a flash.

This emphasizes the value of a social network, having people you can depend on when you need it. As independent as you may want to be, sooner or later you are going to need help with something. As I always like to say, the best time to make a friend is when you don’t need one.

Build consistency in your routines and habits

My next tip is something else that may not seem obvious.  Build consistency in your routines and habits even when it seems easier just to skip over them.

It is far easier to be complacent and allow someone else to do something for you. For example, it is far easier to buy an unhealthy salad dressing at the supermarket than it is to take 15 minutes and make one at home. It is far easier to grab take-out food on your way home than it is to do meal prep on the weekends.

My routine is to do small amounts of meal prep on the weekends and then supplement that with salads, a small piece of fish, or some homemade bread. This has been a consistent routine with me for years. The point is that this habit has become second nature. I automatically figure out a way a consistently eat homemade meals as opposed to eating highly processed foods. Consistency in your routines and habits steers your thoughts toward reaching for an apple or a carrot instead of a piece of candy.

Maintain your health through proper nutrition

Admittedly, this may not sound like a way to be self sufficient. However, consider the following rationale.

Food self-sufficiency, the ability to produce enough food without needing to buy or import additional food, can be achieved with modest initial agricultural training, a small parcel of land, and surprisingly, only a single day of labor per month on average, according to a study published by Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, to which I have provided a link. This simple approach can sustain nutritional self-sufficiency over an extended period and is compatible with working full-time outside the farm and engaging in regular leisure activities. This study shows that self-sufficiency is a feasible goal for individuals.

Nutritional sufficiency, which means fully satisfying the body's nutritional requirements, is crucial for lowering the risk factors for poor health and disease that are so common in our modern society due to a diet focused on red meat, high fat and highly processed foods. Achieving nutritional sufficiency involves ensuring that your body receives the specific nutrients it needs for optimal function and good health.

Proper planning is essential for achieving food self-sufficiency at the individual, community, or national level.

As far as the individual household is concerned,  with a little training it is feasible for even beginners to establish a successful backyard garden and eliminate the use of pesticides and chemicals through composting and other natural gardening techniques.

In conclusion, while food self-sufficiency and proper nutrition require planning and effort, they are achievable with the right approach and can lead to a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle. As you can see, food self sufficiency, proper nutrition and sustainability are all connected.

Seek and maintain a balance

At times it seems as if managing everything in our lives is impossible. It also seems that finding some sort of balance is laughable. Yet, it is our clear lack of priorities that sets our lives up for the daily chaos we are experiencing now.

What you have to understand is that everything in our world is designed to suck up our time. Our endless commitments, constant test messages, emails, voicemails and social media. The thousands of advertisements we are exposed to daily are intentionally designed to grasp our attention and keep us looking, shopping, searching and spending money. Most of the news we hear is all bad so it keeps us stressing about what is going to happen next.

The vast majority of things such as this in our lives produces zero value. It in no way helps us to achieve a lifestyle that is inline with our personal values, one that brings us happiness and a sense of personal self worth.

But to achieve some sort of balance, we first have to determine what is truly important to us. What I would suggest is to sit down and think very carefully about the top five things in the world that mean the most to you, the tops five things that will produce a lifestyle in line with your personal values. Once you have your list, focus on that and get rid of everything else. This will help you to set your priorities and consequently maintain a healthy balance in your life. 

Final Comments

In our modern world, self-sufficiency is often seen as an ideal, a challenging goal, with which many people struggle to achieve for various reasons. One reason is that self-sufficiency is often misunderstood or ill defined, leading to unrealistic expectations. Obviously from this episode, there are strategies to build your self sufficiency that are often not mentioned in articles and books focused on this topic.

Most people I’ve met that live a self sufficient lifestyle are motivated, flexible, self-starters. They are hardy do-it-yourself types, critical thinkers, and problem solvers. They are at times very creative and even ingenious. But these are the very skills that our modern world overshadows. We are so dependent on the complexities of this world and we can’t think for ourselves. We are allowing someone else to make our decision for us and allowing our systems of society to herd us in a direction that is the exact opposite of what you really need to be doing.

Always remember that you are the only person who is going to be around for every moment of your life. You are the only person that can create a life and lifestyle that is truly meaningful to you. The more self sufficient you become the more you learn to rely on yourself, think for yourself and sort out problems no matter what the situation. These are not the skills our modern culture tends to cultivate. And that is the very reason you need to never stop learning.

Well folks, I hope you have enjoyed this week’s episode and I also hope you will join me again next week. Until then this is your host Patrick signing off. Always remember to live sustainably because this is how we build a better future.

Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, Individual nutritional self sufficiency: a viable option in the present era.