Putting It All Together

My intent here is not to boast and wave in your face everything that we are doing in contrast to everything that you are not.  But rather share with you how our lifestyle has evolved into something that is more sustainable both in terms of health and preparedness.  Understand, we are still learning.  We make lots of mistakes.  We get tired and drop the ball (sometimes a lot).  But we keep moving forward, striving to eat healthier, be more self-reliant and become good stewards over what we have been blessed with.

Living a lifestyle of self-reliance and preparedness is not convenient.  But we’ve decided that life is not convenient. Life is not about recreation, vacation and leisure.  Life is about doing what is right, what is good and being guided and motivated by the deeply spiritual.  While many are still pursuing what we call the recreation-vacation-party lifestyle, several years ago (for us) we’ve decided “the party is over”.  Please don’t interpret this to mean that we don’t have fun.  We have a lot of fun. We giggle, we laugh, we play but we also work and get a lot done. 

Getting Healthy

One of the most important things for each of us to do is to get healthy and stay healthy.  Our physical bodies are tools entrusted to us by the divine. Are you dependent on daily medications to manage your health?  Are you addicted to over-the-counter drugs or unhealthy foods such as soda pop?  Do you knowingly consume foods or drink that you know is not building your health?  My advise to you is to buck up (definition: to summon ones courage) and make the hard decisions to turn things around.  Many adults eat like spoiled children who are trying to pull one over on mom and dad.  You don’t need to reward yourself with sweets and treats every day.  Do you and your children eat candy everyday? When you consider that soda pop is liquid candy – do you allow those chemical concoction to pollute and slowly poison your body? 

Western Botanicals has a vast array of herbs designed to build and restore your health.  We have many programs, which include what herbs to take, how much to take as well as dietary recommendation to guide you back to health from many conditions.  Click on the following links to learn more about:

• Blood Sugar Balance and Diabetes
• High Blood Pressure
• Pain and Inflammation
• Weightloss and Juicing
• Gluten Intolerance, Irritable Bowel, Colitis, and Celiac Disease
• Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia
• Thyroid Conditions
• Allergies
• Cleansing the Body
• ADD, ADHD and Digestive Imbalances

One of the great tragedies in our culture today is that our parents have not taught us what their parents or grandparents taught them or should have taught them.  Too many people today do not know how to prepare a meal from scratch.  Too many people today cannot sew or mend their own clothes.  Too many people today cannot raise their own food.  Too many people today are too dependent on our modern society and culture to meet even their most basic of needs.

Let me share with you some of what we have learned over the past 20 years as we have tired to become healthier and more self-reliant. 

Food Preparation – what we are doing and what you can as well

• Cook from Scratch – could you make a loaf a bread if you were given a couple pounds of freshly harvested wheat?  Remember the story of the Little Red Hen?  Could you do it – gather the grain, grind it to flour, etc.?  By purchasing whole foods – whole grains, beans, vegetables, nuts, seeds, spices, meats – you will save phenomenally.  But delicious nourishing food preparatin does require practice, skill and the desire to learn this lost art.  It really is well worth it.

• Cultured Foods - We have learned to make our own cultured foods such as sauerkraut, rootbeer, gingerale, yogurt and kefir.  Naturally fermented foods are vital to your health and learning how to make them yourself is easy and oh so delicious.  Check out these RECIPES.

• Sprouts – sprouting grains, legumes, and seeds are an easy way to boost your nutrition and health.  We sprout many types of seeds - alfalfa, broccoli, wheat, garbanzo beans, lentils, clover, cabbage, etc.  Add these to salads, sandwiches, stir-frys.  We even have a great recipe for humus made from sprouted garbanzo beans. Get sprouting seeds in bulk from Western Botanicals – 800-651-4372.

• Sourdough – breads, pancakes, muffins – the slow process of making sourdough transforms grains that can be irritating to the digestion into an in veritable powerhouse of nutritional goodness. Making bread without quick-rising yeast is an art that should be learned in every home.

We urge each family to learn how to cook like our great grandparents.  Making some fundamental changes now when resources and information are abundant will be easier now.  Gather your resources and learn how to do things now.

Life Style Changes

• Gardening – I hated pulling weeds in the garden when I was a kid.  Looking back, my father never had much of a garden – not like my grandfathers.  I think we had a “token” garden because my parent felt like we should but we never had anything that could come close to feeding us.  However, we are gardeners and we try to implement principles of permaculture as well as grow our foods organically. 
• Livestock – we began with chickens, then added a couple of beehives and this last summer rabbits.  We have found that chickens are great for eggs, rabbits are great for meat, and bees for honey.  The rabbits also give us fertilizer and we’re learning how to tan the hides. I teach my children as well as my scouts, that if you are going to eat meat, you need to be willing and learn how to take it from the source.  The same goes for each of you.  Rabbits are by far the most efficient meat to raise. (The biggest hurdle was “harvesting” but like I said if your going to eat meat . . .) This year we’ve added a couple of turkeys – for Thanksgiving. We also trade for deer, elk and pheasant.  We’ve handed over the egg business to my six-year-old daughter who saved enough money to buy all of her own school clothes this year.
• Putting Food By – we are long time canners.  We can peaches, applesauce, salsa, marinara, pears, grape juice, hot sauces, chutneys, butter, jams, jellies, meat, cherries, and whatever else we can get.  We also dehydrate a lot of fruits and vegetables.  In addition, we have in cold storage, potatoes, onions, garlic, and winter squash.  Jackie Clays book is worth having.
• 4 Season Harvest – a couple years ago, we put up a greenhouse.  It’s not really a greenhouse, but we’ve adapted it so that it works like one.  In our winter greenhouse, we grow beets, carrots, parsnips (which we’ve discovered are delightful), lettuce, Swiss chard and leeks.  By covering these crops with row covers inside the greenhouse, we can protect from the wind and cold allowing us to harvest into January and February.
• Food Storage – as you have guessed – with all of our food production we have stored some food.  We encourage everyone to have a minimum of a 3 month supply of things you would eat on a daily basis.  Once you’ve got that, expand to a year supply.  That is how our progenitors lived and it certainly makes a lot of sense today.
• Growing herbs – one of the principles of permaculture is companion planting.  Nothing in nature grows by itself.  Plants can be mutually beneficial to each other.  We have growing in our yard and garden herbs for just about anything “that ails ya”.  We have about 12 types of mint, yarrow, oregano, thyme, savory, valerian, stevia, basil, elecampane, motherwort, horseradish, garlic, onion, mullein, comfrey, hibiscus, cornsilk, fennel, dill, sage, dandelion, etc.  Our goal is to have growing in our yard herbal medicine that can be used for most of our needs.
• Seeds – this is an interesting topic in the preparedness community.  No doubt you have seen advertisements for “Survival Seeds” – “Enough seeds to plant a whole acre of food”, etc.  What these companies don’t adequately address is calories on the table.  The implication is that if you grow enough tomatoes, lettuce, and cucumbers then you will provide for your nutritional needs.  What they fail to address is what is known as the calorie crops.  Those foods that will provide the nutrition as well as the calories to fill your belly.  The principle calorie crops that have sustained populations and sadly are neglected in the survival seed packages are: Potatoes, Dry corn, Dry beans and Winter squash.  Most have corn, beans and squash – but their sweet corn that ripens and needs to be eaten during a two-week period is a far cry from Flint or Dent Corn that can be ground into flour and made into tortillas or cornbread.  Green beans are nice, but if I need to feed my family I’d rather have 50 pounds of dried pinto beans than 50 pounds of green beans.  Potatoes will fill your belly, providing the calories that no other vegetable can.  It’s difficult to sell and keep potato seeds for long term use, so this crop is neglected by the seed sellers.  Winter squash, of course, is very satisfying which is why it is considered the third of the Native Americans Three Sisters for growing food – Indian Corn (to them as it should be for us – was for eating not just a decoration), Dry Beans and Winter Squash. Our emphasis with gardening is shifting to emphasize calorie crops.
• Water – We collect water runoff from the roof that is used in the garden. We also have water stored in plastic barrels, just in case.  You should to.
• Fuel – So the power goes out during a winter storm.  Have you figured out how you will keep warm and how you will prepare hot meals. One of the first things we did when we moved into our home was install a wood-burning stove.  We love the cozy warmth and feel secure that should the power go out, we will be warm.
• Bartering Skills – We have enjoyed learning a variety of skills that are useful in trading with others.  One of the great benefits in bartering is the friendships that are created.  Many hobbies and interests can be turned into skills, services and goods that are welcomed at the trading table.  Examine what you can bring to the table. 

A few additional thoughts

Becoming Self-Reliant also involves getting and staying out of debt as well as learning to live on less.  Additionally, we must each understand that we are ALL in this together.  So while others may not share the insight and motivation to prepare for more difficult times, it is important that we show compassion to those who are less fortunate than us.  Even if (and is often the case) that the unfortunate have brought upon their own misfortune.  Understand that when you care for others, God will care for you.

My father taught me that service is never convenient.  But as we serve others (by giving of our time and means) we will develop relationships.  Relationships will build community.  Community builds safety and strength.  As our lives and hearts are knit together, we will find more joy and satisfaction in life. 

I challenge each of us to do what we can to live healthier, happier and more self reliant lives. Begin by simply asking yourself the question, “What should I do first?”.  Listen to what first comes to your mind and then get to work.

Dr. Kyle D Christensen - Western Botanicals, Inc. November 2011