Australia and many other countries around the world are currently debating man made pollution, in particular carbon, the effects these pollutants have on our environment and how we can stop or at least quell the amount released into the air in the future. Carbon Debate Before I get into talking solar, I would like to
Have you ever purchased a fresh vegetable or fruit from the supermarket or green grocer only to find once you bite-in the taste doesn't live up to your expectations? Well, you're not alone (not surprisingly because ever is a rather large window), but also, it seems the trend in tasteless vegetables and fruit is becoming
Introduction (This article was reviewed for currency on 10 Apr 2015) Raising or keeping quail isn't the first thing that comes to mind when one ponders self sufficiency. Needless to say, poultry have always been a favourite for self sufficiency and backyard farming because they are relatively easy to keep compared to livestock, they grow
When I first started adventuring into self sufficiency, in particular vegetable growing, I was extremely proud to have built my first vegetable patch – a square wooden sleeper style 2.4 x 2.4 metre raised box. My first few attempts at growing vegetables in this patch were encouraging but not terrific; however, after some trial and
Introduction I imagine many (or even most) people who practice some sort of self-sufficiency involving DIY slaughtering would hold some reservations with the whole process. The subject of DIY slaughtering or even commercial slaughtering is a difficult one but it is part of life. For the majority who eat meat, we shouldn't take for granted
Article revised on 10 April 2015. This article is a very basic outline but we have plenty of other articles also about chicken keeping in our poultry section. When I initially decided to investigate getting chickens the very first question that came into my mind was how easy are chickens to keep? At the time I
Introduction I know this save money by growing your own food subject has been covered ad nauseam over the past two decades; however, I have never written about the subject and mixed it with politics and today with the squeeze on peoples incomes all around the world becoming alarming I think both subjects could mix
Introduction It's all well and good to produce your own food, however, if you don't cook it correctly or at least with some imagination your home-grown produce can be a tad bland. So true is the notion you don't need to do much to make good food taste great and I'm the first to preach
Here I go getting political again… Protest movements around the world are rising like a phoenix song from the sixties. The times they are a changing – I can feel it too. Recently, groups like Occupy LA http://occupylosangeles.org/ have been camping out and “occupying” locations around Los Angeles associated with the wealthy, big corporations and stock
Sweet potato has become quite trendy lately. I've seen this easy to grow vegetable featuring in magazines, on TV in cooking shows (and advertisements). Many Pacific Island countries rely on sweet potato as a staple food source. This oblong tuber is a good source of vitamin A (one of the best) and is high in
Introduction This article is about tuning back-in to the nature around us and how we can learn about doing that by looking at self sufficient cultures (like the Australian Aboriginal). Also, in this article I explain how a survival course taught me about bush tucker and self sufficiency. Survival Course in the NT One of
Turn 1kg of potatoes into 20kgs without divine intervention! Growing potatoes isn't difficult no matter where you live. It's just a matter of timing, a little digging, some potato food, and then a few short months of growing for you to produce the best tasting taters you'll ever eat. Just a few articles back I
The act of preservation through drying is one of the most popular methods of keeping food for extended storage. Dehydration naturally (by sun or air) or artificially ( by a drying device) allows us to grow or acquire a surplus product in season and then have the opportunity to consume that product at a much
Introduction Jalapeno chillies are one of the most famous and well known chillies in the world and it's for good reason. Here are some reasons why we should grow jalapenos: They germinate easily from seed (where other chillies can be temperamental). The plant isn't large so pots and small spaces are fine. It fruits quickly
Introduction In our tomato variety reviews we rate and review each variety based on the following criteria: Size of Fruit vs Productivity Taste & Meatiness (texture) Disease and Pest Resistance Growth X-Factor So, without fear, let's get started! Characteristics # 1 in our tomato series is the Black Russian. This odd coloured tomato might be “different”
Introduction Plucking a fruit from your own tree or bush; there's nothing like the taste and satisfaction of doing such a task. The freshness and flavour not lost to travel or disruption and the pride in knowing you've helped create this treat from nature is what keeps us food gardeners out there working the land.
This is just a short article on how to quickly preserve excess jalapenos (and other chillies) through pickling. So if chillies through winter are difficult to grow where you are, then pickling them to save for the cooler times of the year is the way to go. Pickled Jalapeno Chillies in Jars Step 1
Introduction The ethos behind Self Sufficient Me is as much about health & fitness as it is growing your own and eating healthily. Therefore, I hope some of you enjoy reading my take on the subject of self sufficient fitness because eating healthy and growing organic food is all good but unless you include some
There are many subtle variants of the Yellow Beefsteak (some with quite different attributes) but this particular variety could be slightly different (or not) from what others grow with the same name. As with all the tomato reviews on SSM, the article will summarise by giving the tomato variety a final rating score by averaging the rating
I have a black hen who loves to come and visit me. She's a smart girl and definitely the smartest chicken out of all my hens and I say this because she's the only one (out of 15) that deliberately finds a way under my temporary fencing only to navigate 60 metres up to the
Self Sufficient Me is a blog about self-sustainment by growing our own produce (plant/animal), and self-fulfilment by looking after our health (physical/mental) through exercise and slowing life down a little.
