Self-Reliance: How do you?
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Tex_77 yeah the dryer was more of a functionality test for the generator to see if there was a load in the house that I could put on it that will trip the kill switch. We inherited the generator, it’s a portable unit. Gasoline consumption is definitely the weak point. Water well, lighting and furnace blower were my main concerns, that should run it at about 50% or less capacity so I should get about 10 hrs a tank on it. Damn thing is noisy though. It will also run my little welder that I can throw on a trailer with it to have a portable welding unit. Thanks, that is interesting on the solar setup. I’ve got a bathroom remodel to finish and I want to get a wood stove put in our living room after the bathroom project. Solar is behind those two items at the moment.
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Checked another to-do off of my list on property maintenance/improvements. I wired in a generator plug into our service panel. I have a 10KW generator that I can now hook into the house, when necessary. It runs the water well, HVAC blower, lighting, two refrigerators and two freezers.
The microwave operated well on it, as well as our range/oven.
It’s not quite big enough to serve all the household power demands, the dryer really bogged it down, but didn’t trip a breaker or kill it. All in all, a nice peace-of-mind improvement for the time being. Solar/battery backup is definitely on my mind, long-term.
RafterW This is a great idea. I have a detached garage which has 10-3 run out to it. Was there when we moved in. Running my table saw, dust collector, lights, and radio nearly exceed this. The pole with the transformer from the power company is within feet of the breaker box in the garage, so I have wanted to add a separate service out there and use the existing 10-3 to act as the supply coming from a generator similar to a switch like you have for some essential services.
I would have a note with the steps below:
- Flip all breakers off
- Switch source load from grid to generator
- Switch essential breakers on in order of importance (and give each breaker a priority number in case you need to back off the load a family member can do so without needing to think too hard)
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RafterW , As you probably already know, most emergency generators see very little use and therefore tend to get little maintenance.
Every emergency generator should be exercised periodically to make sure it is fit for duty when the time comes that it is needed.
Also, replacing the gas every 6 months or so is a good idea since gasoline definitely has a shelf life.
Back when I was still working, we and emergency generators at our remote communication sites. Those generators were programmed to automatically rune every other week. If they didn’t run, we got a remote alarm and were dispatched out to find out why.
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Ridley Acres you are correct in your steps. I have a 3 way switch right under my meter for my primary service. On top is service from the pole, middle is off, and down is service from a generator. From here, the load goes to a panel on the other side of the pole with the primary breakers, I have the waterwell, shop #1, shop #2, and primary service to the house leaving from there where it then goes into the house panel with all the smaller individual breakers. I need to do some more labeling though so I know what is what.
I turned the pole service off and tripped all the primary breakers at the pole. Powered on generator, turned off the automatic idle control and then started to reset the individual breakers. It worked well.
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processhead yes, that is certainly a concern of mine. I don’t get around to starting it once/week but do so once a month. I don’t store it with too much gasoline in the tank either and I stabilize it and store it with the fuel switch turned to off. I let it run with the fuel turned off, to keep the carb empty before putting it back up. If I’m working with some saws or powertools outside, I sometimes get that generator out to run them, rather than running from a shop outlet, to give it some exercise.
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I’m going to go out on a limb and assume many of you are like-minded to myself in that you not only find enjoyment in meat processing as a hobby but also the connection to a sense of self-reliance that the skills we’ve developed and equipment we have obtained brings to us and our families. It’s a good feeling to know that you are working toward a life that is less reliant on other people, services and the status quo of modern day living.
Some may call it prepping, I wouldn’t consider myself a prepper….but I’m not living in an ignorant bliss of unawareness either. You may call it self-reliance or homesteading. Whatever you call it and wherever you land on the spectrum, I wanted to share with you what I’ve been working toward for my family and friend circle and am looking for others to share their ideas and methods if there is interest.
In the last year, my family has moved from a town of 200, previously had lived in a town of 7K-ish to a 12 acre piece of land of our own. It’s mixed vegetation of grassland and wood lot about 50/50. There is a spring fed pond and our place is at the dead-end of a dirt road. We got lucky, really lucky. A PA owned the place with plans that fell through but that’s another story in itself.
House was a mess and a lot of work to get it to where it is today, with more to go. Anyway I like the idea of working toward self-reliance. We keep a well stocked pantry, we harvest game, we buy family beef and have plenty for each year. I have a well and septic system and most appliances are electric with a few propane exceptions. Working toward adding a fireplace and wood burning stove. Solar is on my mind as well. Maybe not full capability but a supplemental system that could run a select few circuits would be nice if a fully sized system was too expensive. This spring I got a few ducks that we collect eggs from daily, the pond has some panfish and carp in it so far that I’ve caught. There is an abundance of wildlife and foraging resources (several mushroom species, sandhill plumb, prickly pair fruit. We broke ground for a garden but I think it is too shaded. It has not done very well. Planning on changes there.
I’d like to add a small orchard with some
Apple trees, a grape vine or two, black berries, blueberries and the wife wants a peach tree even though winters are hard on peaches here.I have an un insulated shop next to the house as well and have been hitting up auctions to fill it will items that help me to be more self-reliant. An old welder, drill press, chop saw and some carpentry tools are where I’ve started. We have an ATV that we inherited. In the shop I am planning to partition off a corner and insulate it and finish it out. It will be my home processing plant/hobby kitchen. I hope to start that this fall when I finish an ongoing bathroom remodel that I’m working on for my wife.
I love to travel as well and want to work toward a lifestyle that allows for more travel experiences with my growing family. My wife and I are very much in the working class, I hope we are able to inspire others who are wanting to build a similar path.
I’d like this thread to serve as a resource to share what we’ve implemented/experienced and learned along the way for those who may be working toward or who may have achieved a higher level of self reliance.
RafterW Just saw your post. I live in a town of 117. Try to do alot of what you’re doing. I would say, go ahead with the peach tree. I’m north of you and have had one producing for about 7 years. It’s coming to the end of it’s productive years so need to start another one. It has survived our winters so far. The life expectancy is only about 15 years for a peach tree here. A neighbor has a pear tree that’s much older and still producing.
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wdaly Thank you. I’m planning on getting one started this spring.
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I have a whole house generator and a 100 lb. propane tank to run it and my stove the man that hooked it up said that running at capacity it would burn about 1 gal. per. hr.
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I have a whole house generator and a 100 lb. propane tank to run it and my stove the man that hooked it up said that running at capacity it would burn about 1 gal. per. hr.
craigrice that is less than 24 hours of run time in a best case scenario.
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I meant to say 100 gallon not lb.
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Welp, I’m getting into livestock this weekend. Going to pick up three bred cows in the morning. Just picked up some fencing materials to build some temporary paddocks. I plan to strip graze these girls at a pretty high stock density to get a good graze and manure load. My main goal for this is native pasture and soil health. It has been a long time since this property has seen a grazing animal. Looking forward to learning new things and to the source of meat! My little boy is going to love it too!
Matt W.
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Welp, I’m getting into livestock this weekend. Going to pick up three bred cows in the morning. Just picked up some fencing materials to build some temporary paddocks. I plan to strip graze these girls at a pretty high stock density to get a good graze and manure load. My main goal for this is native pasture and soil health. It has been a long time since this property has seen a grazing animal. Looking forward to learning new things and to the source of meat! My little boy is going to love it too!
RafterW Sounds like you better go get yourself a 10 gallon cowboy hat son! Have you got yourself a registered brand yet?
Isaiah 5:22 Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine and champions at mixing drinks
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RafterW Sounds like you better go get yourself a 10 gallon cowboy hat son! Have you got yourself a registered brand yet?
Tex_77 A long way from a brand lol. I don’t even have an ag tax exemption yet. Paid taxes on my fencing materials and mineral tub today!!
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Tex_77 this was a pretty spur of the moment deal lol. I have a good friend who is downsizing his herd, due to drought and cut me a deal I couldn’t say no to.
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Tex_77 A long way from a brand lol. I don’t even have an ag tax exemption yet. Paid taxes on my fencing materials and mineral tub today!!
RafterW All you have to do is fill out the form to be tax exempt!
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Here are a couple of the cows that I picked up. They are 5ish year old Corrientes that have been bred with either angus or simmental. We have three cows, hoping for two calves in September. If any of the cows do not calve, I will cull them. The more research I do on butchering mature, grass fed cows, the more comfortable I’m getting with the idea. If it tastes anything like elk or deer, I will be pleased. It’s interesting to look back on my viewpoint and how it has changed on animals, how they are fed, treated and handled and what kind of proteins I want to feed myself and my family.
Matt W.
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Tex_77 He must have been watching too much Yellowstone?
Get more help with your processing questions and learn more about processing meat by subscribing to our waltonsinc.com youtube page at https://wltns.link/waltonstv I am a Gorilla, love yourself
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Jonathon Ya I would probably agree. I mean if RafterW was anyone off of Yellowstone he would be Jimmy.
Isaiah 5:22 Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine and champions at mixing drinks
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Tex_77 said in Self-Reliance: How do you?:
Jonathon Ya I would probably agree. I mean if RafterW was anyone off of Yellowstone he would be Jimmy.
Tex_77 Jonathon I wish I knew what you were referencing lol. My wife and I may be the last people in Kansas who haven’t seen any of the Yellowstone series.
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Here are a couple of the cows that I picked up. They are 5ish year old Corrientes that have been bred with either angus or simmental. We have three cows, hoping for two calves in September. If any of the cows do not calve, I will cull them. The more research I do on butchering mature, grass fed cows, the more comfortable I’m getting with the idea. If it tastes anything like elk or deer, I will be pleased. It’s interesting to look back on my viewpoint and how it has changed on animals, how they are fed, treated and handled and what kind of proteins I want to feed myself and my family.
RafterW from the picture I do not think that they are Seminole the bone structer is not large enough for that breed but it is hard to tell
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