How to Become More Self-Sufficient with a Country Lifestyle

Drying laundry in fresh, clean country air lessens your dependence on your utility company. Country life brings joy and self-sufficiency.

Living in the country provides all the stereotypical perks such as being close to nature and wildlife, leisurely strolls under the stars and fresh, clean air to breathe. But there is more to country life than watching the sunset and sipping iced tea on the front porch. To be self-sufficient in the country requires both work and effort and a willingness to educate yourself on skills that may be new to you.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Garden tools
• Seeds
• Food preservation equipment
• Cooking and baking equipment
• Basic home repair tools
• Solar or wind power supplies

1. Growing your own fruits and vegetables reduces your reliance on others. Martin Poole/Digital Vision/Getty Images

   Grow a vegetable garden to provide your family with fresh fruits and vegetables throughout the year. Not only are garden vegetables good for you, they save money on the grocery bill and reduce your need to depend on others to support your family.

2. Pick wild foods, such as berries, to supplement your garden. Jupiterimages/liquidlibrary/Getty Images

   Forage for wild foods. Nearly every area of the country has wild foods available. Contact your local cooperative extension or sign up for a class to learn about foraging for wild foods in your area. Wild berries, fruit, mushrooms and greens are all packed with vitamins and minerals and provide healthy meals for your family.

3. Learn to preserve your own foods. Jupiterimages/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images

   Preserve garden produce and wild food for the winter. Drying, canning, pickling and freezing foods reduce your need to depend on others during the winter months. If you are unsure of the proper procedures for preserving foods safely, visit you local extension office for advice.

4. Raise poultry or livestock. Thinkstock Images/Comstock/Getty Images

   Raise poultry or farm animals for food. This requires more expertise and a greater investment of time, but can do wonders for your self-sufficiency. Start with chickens for eggs and a cow for milk and dairy, and add other animals as your skills increase.

5. Stock your pantry with staples. Hemera Technologies/PhotoObjects.net/Getty Images

   Stock your pantry with staples purchased at the grocery store to eliminate the need to run to the store often. Keep commonly used items, such as flour and cornmeal, on hand to supplement your farm produce.

6. Bake your own breads and muffins. Hemera Technologies/AbleStock.com/Getty Images

   Learn to make homemade foods, instead of depending on packaged food from the grocery store. This includes yeast breads, muffins, sauces and stews. Your cooperative extension provides recipes and instructions for nutritious homemade foods.

7. Do your own home repairs. Thinkstock Images/Comstock/Getty Images

   Obtain the tools you need for home repairs, snow removal and basic lawn care. Becoming a do-it-yourselfer can be rewarding, but you will need quality tools to do the job right.

8. Harness the power of the sun or wind to generate electricity. Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images

   Convert to solar or wind power to produce your own electricity and heat your water. Many resources are available for constructing your own solar energy systems, which range from simple passive solar for heating water to whole house systems for generating electricity. Alternate energy systems typically require a financial investment, but more than make up for the cost over time in savings in electricity and heating.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't ingest a wild food without being absolutely sure what it is. Some plants are poisonous, and can be deadly when eaten.

References

• New Self Sufficient Living: Self Sufficient Living Gives You an Affordable, Enjoyable and Sustainable Way of Life
• Self-Sufficiency Guide: Self Sufficient Living
• A Self Sufficient Life; How Big Should the Vegetable Garden Be?; Mr. Dirty Boots

Resources

• Allotment: Self Sufficiency Information
• Low Cost Living: Low Cost Living -- The Self Sufficient Home