Self Sufficiency I

Learn how to live self sufficiently in this modern age!

• Develop your ability to be self sufficient.
• Learn about food and nutrition, and making the right decisions about changes in lifestyle

Lesson Structure

There are 10 lessons in this course:

1. Understanding the possibilities
2. Health, Nutrition and Clothing
3. Horticulture - Fruit and Vegetables
4. Horticulture - Herbs
5. Animal Husbandry - Poultry and Bees
6. Animal Husbandry - Grazing Animals & Pigs
7. Building - Earth & Mud Buildings
8. Appropriate Technology/Alternative energy
9. Craft & Country Skills
10. Making Decisions - Small Scale Production, How To Make Decisions.

What is self-sufficiency?

The concept of self sufficiency is all too often bandied around without people properly understanding what it all means.

To become self sufficient usually involves making certain compromises or concessions in your
lifestyle. You might have to wear different types of clothing, adapt to a different level of mobility
or change your diet. The degree to which you can achieve self sufficiency is usually related to
the degree to which you are willing to make compromises.

•  Large areas of land are not necessary to become self sufficient. Depending on what you produce and how you produce it, you can become relatively self sufficient on even a standard suburban house block.
•  Bartering or swapping goods and/or services is a way of living often adopted by those interested in self sufficiency; although this does not strictly fall in line with a true self sufficient life-style, the barter system helps by removing (mostly) dependence on the monetary system.
•  The concept of a system that is self-perpetuating, working within the cycles of nature is often part of the self-sufficient ideal. The concepts of permaculture, companion planting and alternative medicine all become part of that ideal - seeking to establish a self-supporting system both economically and environmentally.

What is needed to make a successful change?

Firstly In order to make the change from a reliant to a self-reliant way of living, a trade needs to be made: money for time. People who do successfully make the change often have a feeling of empowerment; they have reduced their reliance on purchased goods, finding that they really can live without the so called ‘trappings of modern society.’ Some have a sense of freedom; a narrowing of choice requires less energy. This time and energy must then be used to build, grow, sew, cook and so on in order to supply basic daily needs that were previously supplied by the money earned.

Once people realise they can trade money for time they need to consider their approach to everyday life; evaluate their real needs as opposed to their perceived needs. You may need to compromise to achieve a balance between the things you would like to have and the things you are able to provide yourself with. A self sufficient lifestyle might make you less dependent on society, but this might only be possible at the expense of giving up luxuries.

This course can be started when you like and completed at your own pace.