At the beginning of the Roaring 20's, Ralph Borsodi and his family were forced to move out of their rented house in New York City. But instead of searching endlessly in the middle of a housing shortage for worse accommodations at higher prices, they packed up and moved out to seven acres of land an hour and an half away from the city.
Here they set up to become as nearly self-sufficient as possible. Mr. Borsodi developed and promulgated through his books the theory of "production for use", advocating that products should be manufactured and consumed locally, preferably at the homestead level, and not "produced for profit".
Mr. Borsodi is one of the pioneers of the "back-to-the-land" movement. His works predate those of Helen and Scott Nearing by at least a decade, and his ideas are found, uncredited, on homesteads and in books across the country.
Flight from the City is public domain and available from both archive.org and soilandhealth.org.
27 August 2008
26 August 2008
New Favorite Website
I have found a new favorite website: soilandhealth.org , an online library of homesteading and agricultural manuals and books. It is run by Steve Solomon in Tasmania, Australia, according to Australian copyright regulations.
The website explains, "By Australian copyright rules we usually cannot copy books for our users that are currently in print (unless they are also old enough to be public domain material)." But many of the books are public domain, even in the United States. Soil And Health led me to three of the books I am currently reading: Ten Acres Enough, Three Acres and Liberty, and Flight from the City. I also found Construction of a Simplified Wood Gas Generator for Fueling Internal Combustion Engines in a Petroleum Emergency, a U.S. FEMA document from 1989 which seems remarkably prescient in 2008.
I have provided links to all these books in my reading list, but they're pointed to three different providers. Check them all out!
The website explains, "By Australian copyright rules we usually cannot copy books for our users that are currently in print (unless they are also old enough to be public domain material)." But many of the books are public domain, even in the United States. Soil And Health led me to three of the books I am currently reading: Ten Acres Enough, Three Acres and Liberty, and Flight from the City. I also found Construction of a Simplified Wood Gas Generator for Fueling Internal Combustion Engines in a Petroleum Emergency, a U.S. FEMA document from 1989 which seems remarkably prescient in 2008.
I have provided links to all these books in my reading list, but they're pointed to three different providers. Check them all out!
22 August 2008
Book Review: The Humanure Handbook
Joseph Jenkins has written and self-published several books on topics which may be dear to the homesteader's heart, but his 15 minutes of fame is probably based on "The Humanure Handbook". This tome (now in its third edition!) is a discussion of poop, in all its glory.
Jenkins discusses the nutrient cycle, of which every other animal on the planet is part, and shows how humans have broken the cycle (and are breaking the planet!). No other animal, he points out, defecates in its drinking water. And fresh water is becoming a scarce resource worldwide, and only becomes scarcer as population increases.
Jenkins has successfully composted his entire family's--umm, humanure--for nearly 30 years. His process is simple, odor-free, and cyclic, with the compost being reintroduced to the family garden. Many people have an immediate gag reflex to this, but manure from large animals has been used as fertilizer in the fields for thousands of years. Humans are the most numerous large animal on the planet--why should we be any different? This book shows how to do it in a simple, reproducible, sanitary, safe, efficient way.
The book is available from Amazon, or PDF files can be downloaded from josephjenkins.com or jenkinspublishing.com.
Jenkins discusses the nutrient cycle, of which every other animal on the planet is part, and shows how humans have broken the cycle (and are breaking the planet!). No other animal, he points out, defecates in its drinking water. And fresh water is becoming a scarce resource worldwide, and only becomes scarcer as population increases.
Jenkins has successfully composted his entire family's--umm, humanure--for nearly 30 years. His process is simple, odor-free, and cyclic, with the compost being reintroduced to the family garden. Many people have an immediate gag reflex to this, but manure from large animals has been used as fertilizer in the fields for thousands of years. Humans are the most numerous large animal on the planet--why should we be any different? This book shows how to do it in a simple, reproducible, sanitary, safe, efficient way.
The book is available from Amazon, or PDF files can be downloaded from josephjenkins.com or jenkinspublishing.com.
21 August 2008
Family Reunion
I apologize for not writing. Again, I've been busy.On 18 July, I flew out to SLC, UT, where I picked up my kids, borrowed some camping equipment, climbed into the rented minivan, and went to Glacier National Park, MT for a family reunion.
We spent more than a week inside and outside the park, hiking some of the trails, playing with the rest of the family.
I got some GREAT pictures. Some I have stitched together into vast panoramas. (Yes, this one has a visible seam, besides the ones in the sky. It was actually taken from two widely separated points.)
The trail in the first panorama leads to the overlook in the second panorama.And the wildlife was amazing. Mountain goats and bighorn sheep, just as close as they look in the photos.
So now I'm back to work, back to dealing with my condominium association, back to the grind.
I'd rather be in Glacier.
10 July 2008
Imaginary Urban Homesteading
I have been remiss. I haven't posted anything for nearly nine days. As justification, I can say that in that time I have rescheduled my jury duty, cleaned my backyard, painted my back door, and worked a full schedule of hours. I haven't had time!
Yet another reason to homestead: I want to get away from Homeowners Associations and Condominium Associations. Every time they send me a list of "repairs" I need to perform to my house, the "simple" tasks grow and blossom like the Audrey II of "Little Shop of Horrors".
In 2005, for example, the task was, "Paint the rear bandboard" (a 12" plank separating the upper and lower siding). First, I had to wash it, so I wouldn't be painting dirt. That was when I found the soft spot in the corner. "I'll just cut that out and nail in a new piece," I said, and action followed words. But there was nothing to which to nail. Termites had eaten away the stud.
To get 3 estimates was a matter of 3 MONTHS; then the work could not begin for 2 more months. I had to replace all the siding, remediate the termite damage, and replace the glass door and windows on the back of the house--$15,000 dollars--before the job was finished. The loan will be paid off next month.
This time, I am painting and scraping, washing and raking...and trying to convince myself that I'm enjoying it, that I'm creating my homestead. It really does help.
Yet another reason to homestead: I want to get away from Homeowners Associations and Condominium Associations. Every time they send me a list of "repairs" I need to perform to my house, the "simple" tasks grow and blossom like the Audrey II of "Little Shop of Horrors".
In 2005, for example, the task was, "Paint the rear bandboard" (a 12" plank separating the upper and lower siding). First, I had to wash it, so I wouldn't be painting dirt. That was when I found the soft spot in the corner. "I'll just cut that out and nail in a new piece," I said, and action followed words. But there was nothing to which to nail. Termites had eaten away the stud.
To get 3 estimates was a matter of 3 MONTHS; then the work could not begin for 2 more months. I had to replace all the siding, remediate the termite damage, and replace the glass door and windows on the back of the house--$15,000 dollars--before the job was finished. The loan will be paid off next month.
This time, I am painting and scraping, washing and raking...and trying to convince myself that I'm enjoying it, that I'm creating my homestead. It really does help.
02 July 2008
On Growing Up: Part 2
Specialization REQUIRES community. If you can't do everything yourself, you need a community to support you.
Community ENCOURAGES specialization. If you are a member of a community, you can focus on developing your skillset to the benefit of the community.
Specialization leads to commerce. I'll trade my skill for yours!
A specialist without a community is DEAD, sooner or later.
Dangers of overspecialization: you die faster outside the community.
Sex-based differences lead to the smallest, simplest communities: families.
Commerce leads to Currency. If we can agree on a system of value (valuta), then our exchanges are simplified. Barter becomes complicated when several parties are involved.
But any item only has value because we AGREE it has value. All currency, whether gold or paper, has only the value we agree that it has. All currency is fiat currency.
As skill in a specialization increases, the time to perform a task decreases (within limits). Therefore, the less time the specialist needs to spend on a task, the more his time is worth.
The process of learning and teaching may lead inevitably to guilds. One teacher and her students have different techniques and methods than another teacher and his students, and all it takes is one teacher who refuses to share his work.
Community ENCOURAGES specialization. If you are a member of a community, you can focus on developing your skillset to the benefit of the community.
Specialization leads to commerce. I'll trade my skill for yours!
A specialist without a community is DEAD, sooner or later.
Dangers of overspecialization: you die faster outside the community.
Sex-based differences lead to the smallest, simplest communities: families.
Commerce leads to Currency. If we can agree on a system of value (valuta), then our exchanges are simplified. Barter becomes complicated when several parties are involved.
But any item only has value because we AGREE it has value. All currency, whether gold or paper, has only the value we agree that it has. All currency is fiat currency.
As skill in a specialization increases, the time to perform a task decreases (within limits). Therefore, the less time the specialist needs to spend on a task, the more his time is worth.
The process of learning and teaching may lead inevitably to guilds. One teacher and her students have different techniques and methods than another teacher and his students, and all it takes is one teacher who refuses to share his work.
26 June 2008
On Growing Up: Random Thoughts
You become an adult when you realize you DON'T know everything. Perhaps you become wise when you realize you don't know ANYTHING.
You can do anything, but you can't do EVERYTHING.
The acquisition of infinite knowledge requires infinite time.
Since you can't do everything, you must have others DO for you. Since you can't KNOW everything, you must rely on the accumulated knowledge and wisdom of the race.
This is called COMMUNITY, and CULTURE, and COMMERCE, and THE RULE OF LAW.
Only an adult who knows he doesn't know everything can begin to learn enough to know when a culture's entire accumulation of knowledge and wisdom is WRONG.
Many people NEVER become adults. You must be an adult to join the community, to participate in the culture, to profit from the commerce.
Since the child doesn't have the tools to delve deep enough into the bedrock laid beneath the culture, they do not have the ability to challenge the rule of law. Only an adult CAN do that, and they will have to face the judgment of the culture.
Adulthood is not a matter of age, directly. Being 18 or 21 doesn't make an adult, but it helps because you MAY have accumulated enough experience to THINK about your experiences.
The next step is to put the good of others before self. This builds community. Community IS self-sacrifice.
You can do anything, but you can't do EVERYTHING.
The acquisition of infinite knowledge requires infinite time.
Since you can't do everything, you must have others DO for you. Since you can't KNOW everything, you must rely on the accumulated knowledge and wisdom of the race.
This is called COMMUNITY, and CULTURE, and COMMERCE, and THE RULE OF LAW.
Only an adult who knows he doesn't know everything can begin to learn enough to know when a culture's entire accumulation of knowledge and wisdom is WRONG.
Many people NEVER become adults. You must be an adult to join the community, to participate in the culture, to profit from the commerce.
Since the child doesn't have the tools to delve deep enough into the bedrock laid beneath the culture, they do not have the ability to challenge the rule of law. Only an adult CAN do that, and they will have to face the judgment of the culture.
Adulthood is not a matter of age, directly. Being 18 or 21 doesn't make an adult, but it helps because you MAY have accumulated enough experience to THINK about your experiences.
The next step is to put the good of others before self. This builds community. Community IS self-sacrifice.
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