Making the most of the "good times"

Discussion in 'The big picture' started by Tegs, May 4, 2011.

  1. Tegs

    Tegs Junior Member

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    So officially oil has peaked and we are all bracing for what the energy descent feature might bring. My question is this....

    What do you want to achieve during the last years (months maybe?) of cheap energy that may make your life better in the years to come?

    Serious earthworks? (before we cant afford the fuel to power the machinery)
    Accumulating well made tools?
    Selling off oil reliant assets before they become worthless? (the family car??)
    Importing rock minerals from distant lands?
    Establishing a seed bank?
    or simply travelling?

    I have been asking myself these questions. What will best benefit myself and my family as well as my community.

    What are you going to do?
     
  2. warriorpoet88

    warriorpoet88 Junior Member

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    oil has peaked?
    i havent heard a thing....but then again
    in the last 10 days i have been inundated with:

    Obama waving around his birth certificate,
    William Arthur Philip Louis marrying a kate somebody,
    240 tornados in America in 3 days,
    Oh and the MOST WANTED MAN on PLANET EARTH was just found..oh i mean capture...oh i mean killed...amm..err..i mean buired at sea.

    so perhaps just perhaps a few of the major media outlets failed to report it?
    lol
     
  3. Pakanohida

    Pakanohida Junior Member

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    Weather it has peaked or not, the original post makes a person think about a serious up coming problem.

    I am already inundated with the fuel problem as it gets worse, and my descision was to make a plan of important things to be achieved on this property, and in which order.

    Aside from that, the other questions and ideas of wtf2do is certainly going to be thought about and discussed.
     
  4. Michaelangelica

    Michaelangelica Junior Member

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  5. Pakanohida

    Pakanohida Junior Member

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    All I am doing here is pushing my taste buds by learning more about edible plants of my area as well as getting plants I used to not think of. To that end the property here got this week:

    Chocolate Berry (Himalayan Honeysuckle)
    Stinging Nettles
    Saltbush
    Salad Burnet (tasty!)
    White Currant var. Imperial (transparent tasty berries)
    Oca
    Yacon
    Mashua

    & I am just going to keep being a 'Warden' of my property.

    Get rid of a car? Nah, convert it someday to something non-petrol based.

    Serious Earthworks? OMFG I WISH I COULD!! Seriously, there is no way I possibly could. I have to build my swales by doing the deadwood swale method because I simply can't afford Industrial Ag or Earth Moving tools. The largest things I got are a tiller used for new area, and a brush trimmer which broke.

    Importing Rock materials - Well, again, not made of cash so I got some places I can go to in order to fill my truck with urbanite or local rocks from people. I am against the use of rock materials from over seas, or anywhere used as a way to improve soil quality. I prefer bioremediation and paying attention to nature.

    As for the Seed Bank - Already done and getting better all the time.

    Getting Well Made Tools - Only kind I buy, I don't shop at Walmart. ;)

    As for Travel - It is my vice to go to Hawaii and surf. I love surfing and hawaii so much it is always in my heart, and I try to carry the Aloha spirit with me everywhere. However, it is already difficult to travel, so many animals to look after... they don't feed or water themselves.
     
  6. annette

    annette Junior Member

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    Good question and one that has been on my mind for a while now. I think we have seen the best of times but opportunities abound. When energy is too expensive to waste we may see a change in attitudes and creative ways of living.

    This is what I am doing:

    Planning on going part time in my job so I can spend more time developing my property

    Learning as much as I can about growing and harvesting my own food

    Spending less

    Designing animal and plant systems to suit the topography and directions of my property

    Seeking ways of earning a living without commuting

    Getting debt free

    Learning about self sufficiency, including water and energy systems.
     
  7. Grasshopper

    Grasshopper Senior Member

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  8. Grasshopper

    Grasshopper Senior Member

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    cont..
    Community garden set up is a priority this year
    Grey water system installed have the pieces just need to connect
    Next year
    Aquaponics setup,a few wicking beds, Chook/quails run,small vineyard over and around the carport (need some Tempranillo cuttings) and raspberry cage.Pizza Oven,Rocket Stove,Solar Cooker,Solar Dryer
    Following year
    Finnish renovations 2 x cellars and a granny flat (extra income or house the Zombie hordes)
    Cheese and Prosicutto/ Salami cave (thermostat to convert an old fridge)
    Home brew equipment and knowledge (already have the wine making equipment.)
    Cryovac (for long term storage of pulses, cheese and preserved meats)
    Following year
    Scooter or electric bike for local travel
    Would love to travel to Vietnam, before its too expensive to fly too
     
  9. purplepear

    purplepear Junior Member

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    Occupation:
    Farm manager/ educator
    Location:
    Hunter Valley New South Wales
    Home Page:
    Climate:
    warm temperate - some frost - changing every year
    I would like to suggest that it is already too late and that the cost is more than the dollars but is the unnecessary use of valuable resources. - I know it sounds a little glib but it rings true for me and I wanted to share.
     
  10. Tegs

    Tegs Junior Member

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    As I posed the question I should probably share my thoughts....

    I am focusing on getting as many long term crops in the ground asap ( fruit and nut trees that may take as long as 10 years to produce)
    Accumulating knowledge resources in the form of books ect.
    Utilising "waste" to improve my terrible soil. I feel the urge to do this as quickly as possible before they realise the value of the stuff they are throwing away :) ie. coffee grounds, food scraps, cardboard.
    Trying to create a passive home that is more comfortable than it is currently.
    Earthworks for water security on our small acreage
    Establish fodder hedgerows to hopefully increase our stocking rate (I would like to be able to keep 4 sheep, 1 milking cow with calf for meat, raise a couple of pigglets as well as chickens for both egg production and meat) This is a pretty tall order for our six acres! I want to be able to do this whilst building soil not degrading it and pushing it beyond it's limits.
    The biggest one for me at the moment is learning to cook from what we produce and to utilise as much of it as possible. Which as the moment means moving beyond the mental hurdle of eating offal. (deep breath, it's just mind over matter, you can do this, I'm sure it tastes great ...)

    I feel a real sense of urgency to get as much done as possible as soon as possible before so much is out of reach.
    Now I'm off to purchase a few bales of mulch for my fruit trees before the farmers realise that they are selling off their fertility for much less than it's worth!!
     

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