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Want to eat well today and hedge for the apocolypse? Try a family milk cow!
I want to be clear on one point. I am not really a survivalist. I am a thrivalist. What is that? For me, being a thrivalist is a combination of several factors. First, I believe that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand...today...right now...here on Earth...not at some unknown post-apocalyptic point in the future. Second, philosophically and politically, I am very Libertarian with a strong Epicurean streak. For me, these two views are well summarized in the following quotes (and you will soon read why this is germane to the topic):
Life Is a Gift from God.
We hold from God the gift which includes all others. This
gift is life -- physical, intellectual, and moral life.
But life cannot maintain itself alone. The Creator of life has entrusted us with the responsibility of preserving, developing, and
perfecting it. In order that we may accomplish this, He has provided us with a
collection of marvelous faculties. And He has put us in the midst of a variety
of natural resources. By the application of our faculties to these natural
resources we convert them into products, and use them. This process is
necessary in order that life may run its appointed course.
Life, faculties, production--in other words, individuality, liberty, property -- this is man. And in spite of the cunning of artful political leaders, these three gifts from God
precede all human legislation, and are superior to it.
-Bastiat
“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.”
-Epicurus
So, eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorow we may die fighting to defend our person, liberty, and property? Well...kinda, sorta, yes.
Personally, I am a self-made professional and an equestrian-by-marriage. Most important to this post, I am not a prepper focused on some unpredictable future event (thank you Nassim Taleb), but rather a man focused on living well today, and God willing tomorrow, with an eye to practicing disintermediation wherever and whenever possible.
So, where is this leading, and what does it have to do with cows? Well, yesterday, I was asked by Meat Hammer:
This was my response:
A clear mind, a fit body, a few people you trust, a quality blade, a rifle
you know, and a good mare, everything else is superfluous.
I am happy with that response, as those are truly the
ESSENTIAL Shit-Hits-The-Fan items for me.
I have posted a much longer and more detailed TEOTWAWKI article
on ZeroHedge before, with a much broader and more general audience in
mind. However, I think Meat Hammer is
looking for something less general, and a little more personal, specifically
dealing with what some people call homesteading, but I like to think of simply as
thriving. At the top of that list is a
small bit of pastureland proximate to one's home, then closely followed on my
list by the family milk cow, which is really the focus of this article.
Do have a cow, specifically a triple-purpose heritage-breed cow such as a
Milking Shorthorn! She provides milk,
meat, and when trained as an ox she can pull a load.
A cow is a proven way to convert sunlight, water, and
pasture into a usable surplus of protein, fat, calories, leather, and
horsepower. I believe that in many ways
having a family milk cow is both easier and more reliable than raising crops,
although it is pretty darn easy to grow potatoes or yams.
In The Princes of Ireland, one of Edward Rutherfurd's
historical-fiction novels set in Ireland, it is illustrated how cattle have
been the most significant store of wealth for centuries of Irish history, and
how political power and stealing said wealth (by cattle rustling) were often
intertwined. For me, as someone who has
enjoyed historical Wyoming from both horseback and an easy chair, The Johnson
County War came to mind. But I digress.
Let us get to what Meat Hammer really wants to read, which I believe is hedgeless_horseman's
list of things you will need for your SHTF family milk cow. Please understand that neither I, nor
mrs_horseman, were raised on a farm, nor did we study agriculture in school,
nor were we in FFA. However, we both
have had horses most of our lives, kept at a stable or a neighbor's when we
were young, and later at our home for our entire married life. After having a family milk cow for more than
five years, I will say that cattle are much easier, and infinitely more
productive than horses.
First, you need pasture-with some source of water. A spring-fed pond is best, but anything from
a garden hose and a metal tank to a windmill and stock tank will work. How much pasture is entirely dependent on
your local climate. In the South we can
keep a dairy cow and her calf year-round, without hay, on just a few
acres. In the West you need to have many
acres and/or feed hay. In the North you probably
also need a barn and hay storage, or a small silo, to get through the winters,
but we have no experience with this situation.
Your county Ag Extension office is a great resource for these
calculations, testing the soil, etc. If
you are in Wisconsin, ask a Cheese Head.
Second, you must have time, man-power, and passion 365 days
per year, often twice a day. On our
little farm, this comes primarily in the form of the dynamo known as
mrs_horseman, with assistance from the lil_horsemen, yours truly, and our
friend and neighbor, juan_caballero. It
is important to convey that being a female equestrian, mrs_horseman is blessed
with super-human endurance and strength, as well as a burning desire to spend
vast amounts of time in the barn...bordering on insanity...aka horse crazy. If it is not already obvious to you, animals
need to be attended to every morning and every evening. If a cow does not have a calf and needs to be
milked, and is not milked, it is very bad.
Having a hand like juan_caballero to fill in for us several times a
month is absolutely critical, and surprisingly easy to arrange, when one
realizes how valuable fresh-raw milk is in today's world. However, please understand, the time
commitment is a very good thing, as it teaches us real responsibility (especially
important for kids), which leads to huge amounts of self-esteem (important for
stay-at-home mothers), eventually gratitude (important for happiness), and periodically
when taking care of the animals we can even experience complete bliss. It goes right back to the Bastiat and Epicurus
quotes, above.
You will need to have fencing. If you have horses that share pasture, like
we do, then three-board rail fences work just fine, as long as you don't have a
bull on one side and a cow on the other.
You do not need barbed wire or hot wire.
Our cows have always been very domesticated, the never jump the fence,
and are not prone to damaging the fence, especially relative to horses.
You may need to feed hay.
Horse hay and cow hay are two different things. Horse hay needs to be kept dry. Cattle hay is found sitting out in the rain,
and is much cheaper. You can have a big
round bale loaded into the back of a pickup truck, and roll it out into the
pasture. Buy one of the roundbale hay feeders. You
lift it over the round bale to keep the cow from shitting, pissing, and
standing in her food, and this dramatically cuts your feed cost. We can pick up a round bale today for $65 and
it would last our cow about a month.
When you buy your family milk cow, get her just before she
calves, or just days after she calves.
It needs to be her first or second calf.
She and the calf will probably cost you as much as $2,000. At first, the calf keeps you from having too
much milk for your family, and you can separate them at night, and thus only
need to milk once in the morning. If you
have a dual-purpose breed of cow, and mate her to a beef bull, then when the
calf eventually goes off to freezer camp it will provide your family all the grass-fed
hormone-free beef it needs for a year.
About once a year you will need to either artificially
inseminate your cow, have someone AI her for you, or take her to visit a bull. NEWSFLASH: Cows only produce milk after they
give birth. The trick is determining
when she is in heat. If she is trying to
mount her calf, the dog, or you, then she is in heat. If she is mooing all night long, then she is
in heat. It is that simple.
You need a stainless steel bucket for milking, a plastic
bucket or a stool to sit on, and a place to tie her. It helps if you feed her a little treat at
milking time. Our cow gets the ends and
tops of vegetables, fruit rinds, banana peels, etc. Remember the lesson from Napoleon
Dynamite...no onions or garlic. Hamby
Dairy Supply has everything you need such as teat wipes, teat dip, strip cup,
stainless filter and paper filters, cleaning brushes, and soap.
You may eventually decide to build a stanchion for your milking parlor like I did...
Your hands will get stronger milking by hand, and it is faster because there iss less clean up. A Surge Bucket Milker with vacuum pump, like
the modern conveniences of a refrigerator and chest freezer, are not absolutely
necessary, but very convenient and very expensive. They do work incredibly well.
Order two dozen one-gallon glass jugs and metal lids at
Specialty Bottle's website. They can be
cleaned and sterilized with a normal cycle in your kitchen dishwasher.
When the milk sits in the refrigerator for a day the cream
will rise to the top. Use a stainless
ladle to skim it. Fresh, real, heavy
cream in a cup of french-press coffee is heavenly. Whipped it is absolutely sinful. This is more of that epicurean stuff.
For making butter you will need a butter churn like this one available at
Lehmans (we cheat and use our MagiMix), a wire-mesh wood-rim sieve, and a
wooden butter paddle. Ceramic butter
crocks and molds are nice to have, but you can also just wrap the butter in wax
paper and put it in the freezer.
For making cheese, it is important to use only stainless
steel pots and utensils. You will be
able to purchase all the recipe books, cheesecloth, rennet, molds, presses, wax,
etc. from Ricki at New England Cheese Making Supply.
If you want to do it all yourselves, butchering equipment
and supplies include a cold place to hang the carcass, gun, hoist, spreader,
hanging hooks, skinning knife, butcher knife, sharpening stone, steel hone, shovel
and garden for the offal, butcher saw, meat grinder, several large plastic
buckets, butcher paper, freezer tape, and a marking pen. Alternatively, load the heifer or steer in the
trailer and driver to the butchers. Your meat will be correctly aged, butchered, and ready in a few weeks.
If you have read this far, then you may also be interested
in my article on killing fascists by raising rabbits.
Happy New Year, and peace be with you!
»
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Must be Military Training. But people have been hunting with hand guns since like 1990 as far as I know.
I never imagined someone taking a shot at 150 yards.
Hand gun ought to be a bit safe since there are housing in the direction of fire??
Thompson is my favorite. Single shot, 4\10 plus .45. Keeps the range down. Gave my buddy a book on raising chickens and sure enough he built the coop. Next up booze. I like the rabbit idea....don't like goats. We've been talking about a pond for ducks, etc. Lots of good hunting and fishing... grabbed a couple of pickeral there a few months back.
Of course property taxes still a bear...but at least the priorities are right.
Most people are takers not givers. We all are consumers.
Can't say I know the difference between a liar and a good story teller other than the latter matters and the former does not.
I will pass this article on. One cow can go a long way. Plus I like the rabbit set up too.
The original Contender designs have an adjustable trigger, allowing the shooter to change both take-up and overtravel, permitting user selection of a range of trigger pulls ranging from a fairly heavy trigger pull suitable for carrying the pistol while hunting to a "hair trigger" suitable for long range target shooting.
I sort of remember this. I guess I didn't want black powder or a one shot at the time.
I see the Judge Model for sale with 5 rounds I think, but barrel is too short for hunting. Still want to shoot something in 45/70... maybe just need .45 plus 410 ga. I guess in SA you loose muzzle velocity, so revolver or single shot would reach out better.
A pond to attract wild ducks, or domestic ducks? Domestic ducks can be messy critters to look after, and they'll want to go into your garden right after you water or it rains and root through the mud.
I love my Thompson Contender. Hubby makes fun of it but it's a great barn varmint gun.
A couple of general observations from reading this thread as it appears so far.
1) Cows are herd animals. If you have 1 cow and your neighbor has 6. he will soon have 7. Cows can hang with horses or other critters. Cows are much less work than horses, but a lot more than a puppy. Mr. H alludes to the fact that milking is a "no-days-off" job and that means zero. Somebody has to milk that sucker.
2) Rabbit manure is the only fertilizer that can be put right onto your garden fresh, due to its low acidity. Everything else needs at least a year in the pile or else it will burn the new plants.
3) A rabbit warren inside a greenhouse can heat the darned thing due to their extremely high body temp.
4) Horse manure will produce more weeds than cow manure due to the inferior digestive tract of a horse that allows seeds to pass all the way through.
5) For those of you who are just getting started on the country life, I strongly urge you to buy an already-operational property rather than raw land to be developed yourself. Some of the things you would like to do will take 5-10 years before they get going properly. I've done it both ways and the expense of development from scratch is much higher than buying out a bank-owned property. Here are a couple of current estimates out in the West. Land: 500 an acre in large chunks, 1-2000 an acre in smaller sizes. Power- 5-10,000. Well and septic- 15-20,000. Phone - 500. Fences- 2000. House-- 50000 Barn 10-20,000. Bank-owned properties can get you in for 50 cents on the dollar of actual value. Provided, of course, that you can pay cash. Also, the only thing that really counts in rural property is water. Pay to have the well checked before you buy, if that is how you are getting your water. There is a word for rural property that has no water and the word is wasteland. Make sure you can get a well permit if you are starting from scratch, and make sure you understand the terms of that permit. Water laws are very different on each side of the Mississippi. Water rights are based in the age of the right. New permits can be shut down completely while old ones can draw their entire allotment. New permits also tend to come with fewer acre-feet and more restrictions. I know of one area here that is popular for the survivalist-on-a-budget crowd that offers well permits that allow you to have water inside your house-- but not a drop for a tree, or even one tomato plant outside. Make sure you know your water rights before you buy. Utilities often cost more than the land. If you can find an old burner that has water and electric and land, but no building, that's a good halfway starting poiint.
6) Hay prices are radically different in different parts of the country. Out in the drought-stricken West, $65 a round is not going to happen.
Anyhow, interesting topic and hope this helps add a little extra context. Happy New Year.
So long as the water table is high enough, I would not be getting a permit for any well, nor would I be letting people know that it existed. Last time the irrigation well here went out, I just drove the new one myself. My neighbor does the same. It is not beyond the realm of possibility that some jackass up in Santa Fe says "you know, we're hurting for revenue, what could we tax?" I saved a shitload of money doing it myself too.
On the horse manure and weeds thing, if you are willing to go to the effort of hot composting it, you can kill a lot of the weed seeds, which doesn't matter here because weed seeds and elm seeds blow in every year anyway. I hate elm trees.
Good comment. I just want to underline the bit about unproductive land. This is THE common mistake I see with rich newbies who come out into the country. Unproductive land is cheap for a reason. In some cases it can be turned around, but you better have a monsanto-size budget.
is what it is.
Thanks. Wow.
Little girl sitting in her seat on the plane reading her little book. politician comes down the aisle and sits in his seat right beside her.
After a bit, politician looks down and says to little girl, "You know, sometimes the trip goes faster and is more interesting if you have a good conversation with someone." Little girl looks up at him and says "What is it you might want to discuss?" politician says "Oh, I don't know, healthcare, global warming, the economy." Little girl closes her little book and says "Well, I suppose that would be alright, but first let ask you just one question."
"You know, horses produce clumps, and cows produce flat patties, and deer produce pellets." "Why do you suppose that is?"
politician thinks for a bit, and says "I don't have any idea."
Little girl says "What makes you think you are qualified to discuss global warming, healthcare or the economy,
WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW SHIT?"
Hedgeless
Thank you for the small dose of reality. Actually put a grin on my face this evening.
We, and many around us, are trying to get closer to what is real and meaningful.
My children grew up on our farm, and are in college or graduated. One just returned from NYC after a couple internships there.
She thanked me for showing her what was real.
And your children too will be part of this very special and small group.
Its worth the effort to do this.
Thrivalist. I like it.
And, yes, I was referring to your other list, but this will do just fine.
Thanks again and best wishes to you and yours in the New Year, HH.
MH
I am also going to "borrow" the word thrivalist. Congratulations Meat, on finding some land. For those of you wondering, I and wife/daughter have a six day a week job (for now) and carry two Jersy cows, 30 chickens, seven goats, and a dog alarm. It can be done, but it means coming in at night to feed/water the animals during the winter and cold. It means assisting in the birth of our goats when necessary, and lancing boils, cleaning out, applying hydrogen peroxide. We have two Nubians along with a cross on the rest of Boar/Kiko which are meat goats. The easiest chicken pen ever built is a six foot high 10x10 dog kennel. Put a roof on (used tin) with a foot overhang all around, fence wire centered underneath, and in about three hours, you will have enough space to comforably house 15 chickens. Put milk crates on the "walls" to give them a place to nest. Run some branches, metal through the corners for roosts.
This is not intended to be a boast post. No, it is intended to let others who work hard and want to become a "thrivalist" to know it can be done. We are in the country on 150 acres with a seven acre pasture. We have aligned ourselves with a gunsmith and a few ex military who have set up base camps on our land to assist in defending what is to come, and come it will as most everyone who reads these posts will attest. I am 61, and it has taken twenty years to get from raw land to where I am now without having a bunch of money to hire it all done.
The one thing that has to be abundant on any property as another poster has noted, is water. Water is set to become the new "gold" of the age. We have two springs on our property that feed a seven acre pond. What we also have is approximately thirty acres for sale at $2,500 acre directly across the pond with 2,000 feet along a dead end road. Seeking likeminded zero to purchase described thirty acres upon review if the idea of being only thirty minutes from a city of 150,000 does not offend. I see opportunities of health care and civilization a better option than being two hours away from everybody. Also allows me to live where I will bug out too, and develop infrastructure that will aid in like minded survival of a select few. We are in middle GA, and you can contact me at wildtreeglb at yahoo dot com if interested.
I would like to thank HH for all the great posts I have read through the past years, as I have bookmarked a couple to be able to review as my memory fades. I hope that the next year brings peace for all readers; but I am trying to be prepared to face the worst if the time has come to do so.
Molon labe
Keep on beating it, Meat Hammer!
Happy New Year!
Lol. Happy New Year to you, himaroid!
Mazel Tov to you for 2015.
Seems like this crash is a day we wait for that never comes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5j_-T4cfSYE very interesting vid....... tense towards end
I think for most folks a cow would be a little too much animal to handle, they would be intimidated, and unable to control it. That usually doesn't end well. Not to mention that an animal of that size needs large amounts of food, etc.
I think goats would be far more user-friendly for most people. Obviously less expensive to maintain, but you get milk, and meat if you want it. And they're easier to hide...
I know someone who had to help tag and give shots or medicine to cows... the cows will try to bite or or hurt you.
Alpacas or Llamas can be bought to defend your chickens if you just buy one of them. They are very protective and good wool... I wanna say it was the Llama.
Locally someone built Aqua farms in a warehouse. I think each pool has a separate pool attached and often you can use the refuse or waste for plants. I haven't read up on it for a while. Of course like cows you have to feed them a lot.
http://www.fishfarming.com/
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/aquaculture/
http://www.ksla.se/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Fisheries_sustainability_a...
http://www.appropedia.org/Micro-livestock:_Little-known_Small_Animals_wi... (Rabbits)
the New Zealand White Rabbit has traditionally displaced most other breeds for commercial meat production. A full-grown New Zealand White weighs 4-5 kg, giving about 2 kg of meat at 8-10 weeks of age. Old World rabbits represent one of the most economically important mammal species.
http://www.appropedia.org/Original:Micro-livestock:_Little-known_Small_A...
http://www.appropedia.org/Micro-livestock:_Little-known_Small_Animals_wi...
Micro Breeds:
These small breeds deserve to be studied and developed in their own right. Throughout Africa, Asia, and Latin America, these usually hardy animals are especially adapted to traditional husbandry practices and harsh local conditions. Some have remarkable qualities and are well adapted to resist hostile weather, ravaging pestilence, and poor diets. In remote places and in areas of extreme climate, they are often vitally important for basic subsistence.
1. Micro Cattle, The following chapters in this section describe microcattle, microgoats, microsheep, and micropigs
9. Part VI: Lizards
Green Iguana
Black Iguana
Granny Miller
A Journal Of Agrarian Life & Skills
http://www.granny-miller.com/the-home-canning-of-rabbit-chicken-small-game/
"Fact is your neighbors do not need to know that the rabbits in your basement or garage are for food and are not pets. Rabbits reproduce very quickly and can be harvested with little trouble several times in a year. By canning rabbit you can meet some of your food storage goals."
"Now when using canned rabbit or chicken you don’t have to worry about tough meat."
"That’s because the meat was already pressured cooked and is very tender and moist. "
"When leaving the bone in the favor of the meat is just a bit stronger. I don’t notice it too much with rabbit but it is noticeable with chicken or squirrel."
http://www.therabbitwringer.com/
Goats are cantankerous and can and will jump most fences.
Try sheep....they're passive and stupid and easily sheared like people
Most people should probably start with chickens and work their way up the ladder. And you're right, cows eat a lot, Ranchers spend a lot of time moving hay in big, dually diesel trucks and huge trailers.
Most people on ZH should probably stick to working an ant farm because they are so busy licking Pootin's crank.
Let's get to point - when the shit hits the turbo prop me and my family are going to need a place to stay. Preferably one that is well stocked. So, where do you live exactly? NAD 83 DD please.
When the SHTF that cow will be the first thing the mobs come for! Sure, if you presently have the space, the time, the patience and the interest in having a pet cow, go for it. But a cow as a "prepper instrument" is absurd. No amount of prepping will be of any use in the event of a total breakdown of social constructs, other than making you a prime target. Looting, raping, pillaging, aka: Mad Max and GTA V is what would happen, and the preppers will be the first targets of the insuing mobs of lawless warlords roaming the land after the fall! Fat pigs get slaughtered first.
Location is really the issue. Mad Max mobs start in the inner cities and work their way out. By the time they got to my neighborhood, they would be walking and dying of thirst. One poisoned windmill tank would probably keep everybody around here safe and sound for years.
I've got to say, I really question the assumption that in a crisis, cities will necessarily empty into the countryside. I just don't see much to support that as the default result of a breakdown in law and order or supply disruptions.
LOL, the old ways are best.
You are quite the idiot aren't you Machination. A man who has his own milk cow will for sure have the means to defend it(if not his wife will). And do you really think that the rabble who comes around will recognize the cow for what it is. You are a Yankee or a fool or both. Happy new year.
Well Sonoftx, I am an idiot. In fact all humans are indeed idiots, it is only the degree of idocy that makes us all a bit different. I'm on vacation in the cool mountains of Northern Thailand, and have time to give you a nice idiotic response laying out my experiences with disasters as an idiot.
My comment is directly reflecting the headline of the original poster's story, which includes the phrase "hedge for the apocolypse". That phrase is the only point I was commenting on, because the fact is in the event of an "apocolypse" that cow is not going to help much, and yes even if you have sub machine guns for you and your wife to use in the event of a mob riot after your cow.
My first disaster was in 1976 when I was young traveling up the Big Thompson canyon with my grandparents. We pulled over, and watched from 1/2 way up the mountain as an 80 foot wall of water came down the canyon watching cars (and come people) going with it. We were fortunate.
Second disaster was the Taiwan earthquake of 1999. I lived about 70 KM from the epicenter. I had to go visit factories near the epicenter the next day (the earthquake was in the middle of the night), and got to see looting, dead bodies, and as close to I have seen to apocolypse like situation. No power, rubble everywhere, sightings of people looting cars, shops, houses, about 50% of them in groups. Of course there was power back online within a couple of days. But in an "apocolypse" there will be no return of power, no return of social infrastructure, and chaos will ensue rest assured.
Third disaster was the Thailand Tsunami of 2004. I was with my wife and son on the beach when the water receeded hundreds of meters out. We figures something was wrong and by the time we got to the 3 meter retaining wall of the beach resort, water was waist deep. We literraly barely missed death many people died as they were thrown into the plate glass of the 1st floor hotel rooms by the initial wave. Yes we saw a lot of blood and dead bodies that day. We escaped to the roof. I helped a guy sort out a tournaquet on his lacerated leg. People hurt, screaming running everywhere. We were lucky and made it to an inland hotel right away. Soon after the injured came pouring in the doors of the hotel. You would see people so scared they could barely talk, let alone think.
Fourth disaster was the Thailand floods of 2011. Before the floods even started stores were emptied within a day of news that floods were coming. No water, no food, no emergency supplies, everything sold out. Looting of valuables ensued. It was very clear what would happen if things were to remain in chaos, and the looting of food and resources would be next.
So yeah, I'm an idiot Sonoftx, but I have seen enough of what happens in an emergency to understand that having a cow as a "hedge for the apocolypse" is not exactly going to help anything in the event of a real apocolypse. Bug out bag, maybe, but then again even that is only going to get you so far. Second, third, fourth week and beyond is when things will get nasty....everywhere. That is of course, assuming there is a real apocolypse and not some temporary emergency.
Machination, that is quite the list of survival stories, and I think you are right, that when the true apocolypse gets here it's going to be really, really ugly. So what is your plan for that? But then, as ZH reminds us, on a long enough timeline, none of us are going to be here. What are your plans for 100 years from now and 500 years from now? We all should do long-range planning, right?
For every crisis scenario there are circumstances that will be survivable for some and situations that will lead to certain death for others. There are no guarantees.
Having said that, I'm not going to just lay down and say "fuck it - I'm doomed" before I know what challenges/threats are heading my way.
My goal is a quality, rewarding, and healthy life that offers more resiliency for my family than reliance on increasingly fragile global JIT delivery systems.
Yes, if a city empties and a swarm of looters convenes on my property, I'm probably in for an uncertain future. So what? There are 100 more likely scenarios where having a small homestead farm with a deep larder located within a tight rural community of other self-resilient types would lead to a much better chance of thriving in hard times than relying solely on my paper-pushing city job.
Discrediting attempts to prepare for any supply disruption or breakdowns in order based upon worst-case roving hoard scenarios are not particularly valid arguments IMHO.
If I know I'm going to be facing a roving horde, I'm de-assing the place and going to a remote location that has water and game, places to hide, and very few people realize even exists. Very few are going to want to chance the trek across what looks like endless desert.
No one bothered to mention that the mindless horde will not contain the people who know how to convert a cow into food. Picture MDB facing a cow.
I woudln't be surprised if MDB's alter-ego knows how to butcher a cow. But yes, take a noob out into the field and say "gut that deer," and it won't be pretty.
"Hey, what's that greenish/yellowish stuff spilling out here?"
"You fucktard! That's bile! You punctured the gall bladder!"
Or slitting into the intestines and getting shit everywhere. Never mind knowing where the tenderloin and the backstrap are, or even how to make jerkey out of it.
+1
My father in law made the drive down the canyon to Loveland, CO the day of the flash flood in 76. Made it through maybe an hour before the wall of water.
Small world.
Are there cool mountains any where in Thailand?
I was in Chiang Mai once. Seemed pretty hot.
They won't recognize or be able to profit from it's true value ... but once the hunger sets in they will see it as a pile of meat.
Large animals are reliant on infrastructure ... vets and access to a real herd to buy a replacement when stuff inevitably goes wrong. You can rely on your neighbours for that, but if you can rely on your neighbours you could also leave it to a cattle farmer neighbour with a herd. You're only ever going to be a hobbyist, before and after shit hits the fan.
You might consider adding a high tunnel greenhouse to your animals.
It will stretch out your food production and is a lot harder to steal than a cow.
This is a real good informing article on a family milk cow. The daily care and feeding of family cow is complex enough that a beginner should be coached by an experienced dairy worker and by a farm veternarian. Know your cow and her needs. Feeding a barn cow is complex. A pasture cow, less so.
If you are planning to raise healthy children, any amount of effort and expense to put a pail of new milk on the table every morning is well worthwhile.
I agree, great article. Mr miffed was raised on a Jersey dairy and was an only child. He woke up every day at 4AM to load 1/2 ton of hay in the mangers by hand and bring in the cows to the holding pen for his mom to milk. He then rode his bike to school. Right after school he had to go home immediately to help with the nightly milking and feeding. I was from the city and thought it would be fun to see the farm life so I offered to help. That was an education. I couldn't lift the 150lb bales over my head to drop in the mangers and he laughed at me cutting the wires and dropping the flakes in one at a time. You're going to take all night doing it that way.
That day we had one cow with milk fever. I held the bottle of calcium as it was being infused. One cows calf was breach and I watched him time the contractions and with his arm buried inside a cow up to the shoulder, pushed the calf back and pull the forelegs around. Walking up to the house covered in blood and muck I was amazed at his strength and stamina to do this work day in and out. I was exhausted. Over weeks I watched him dehorn, artificially inseminate, calve, castrate and help slaughter. In summer when I was having fun he was helping his dad hay and fill the barn for the coming winter. The work never seemed to end.
I have asked if it was feasible for us to get a milk cow but, without pasture and hay priced between 15-25 dollars a bale he said no. I realize part of that decision may be not wishing to revisit such a back breaking time in his life. He never had a childhood like his peers which he has mentioned some regret. However, he is extremely hard working, resourceful, practical minded and not afraid to get dirty though he is a respected computer architect today.
Funny, though I respect his choice of career, I really think the life on the farm was what truly made him the man he is today. In his heart I see the farm boy still and that makes me happy.
Happy New Year HH and all.
Miffed;-)
My people still grow the very finest bright leaf tobacco in the world.
There is just as much love that goes into it as the best peach on earth.
It is different now, but do you ever really get the best for less?
Thanks for all y'all do.
When I return, I shall tell y'all about the time my granddaddy blamed his fart on that old bird dog.
So funny it hurts.
Miffed, you are a rare one. I really appreciate your comments here. Happy New Year!
Whatever the method, those in true power share the idea that as planet managers, (self appointed), the goal population of humans is under a billion.
You can find that info out for yourself on the web courtesy of the comments of elites, (the ones that go public, not the true power guys), I found 2 that said "under 2 billion", the other 30 said "under 500 million".
Some of those saying 250 million.
war, poison, dropping metal missles from the sky while claiming it is comet debris, whatever, the reason to prep is because it is understood by the planet managers that it must and will be done. (in their view).
Those that think they cannot come up with enough money to prep, how cheap are sardines? Small and stored for years, you can buy them for a buck, on 10 for 10 specials. Dont like them? Buy Bakers Chocolate and have a square afterwards. The bakers chocolate is a top notch antioxident, which we do need. Greens are all around you, but your downfall will be what you drink. Do not trust corporation liquids when death roams. Your beer today is now high fructuose corn syrup, but you dont care ! Buy beer made from hops only. Notice there is no ingredient list. Local only. That goes for your other drinks. What does your family drink? Educate them on ingredients. Be the rare one that cares about liquid. It is everybodies achilles heel. Smile and Carpe Diem (sieze the day)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0UapMLF2UY#t=16
You care about your family and freinds and strangers, well stock up for them also. david rockefeller was reported to be "pissed" (a few years ago) that at 92 the -new atlantis- was not here yet. Dont ask me what the new atlantis is, I dont know. Not all places will be unaided. If you will spend some thinking time on a go to location, that will be time well spent, and when you see a new temple in jerusalem, you will know to pack. Before that, relax.
Yes this article appeals to the inner farmer in all of us.
But who can do this before retirement?
My wife and I are doing it right now - and yes, while we're both working. What it mainly takes is drive and commitment. Yes, some spare duckets will help, however, willingness to dedicate your otherwse "free-time" to working you ass off is the most important thing.
It's all about priorities, sticking with a long-term game plan, and managing trade-offs.
It takes time, but the results are very worthwhile. START NOW. No matter if it's just planting a couple things in a tiny garden, DO IT. It takes YEARS to achieve proficiency in all the things required to have real productive knowledge that add to your quality of life when the SHTF. If you learn to grow just one or two tomato plants, in a 5-gal bucket, etc, you will find every year you learn something and get better at it. When you retire you will have already climbed the learning curve. Livestock is tougher because of the land requirement.
World record on tomato yield is almost 350 lbs per plant. I've been growing tomatoes for years and haven't gotten more than 40 lbs yet.
If you have an inner farmer, just get started and best of luck!
I would rather rely on smaller yields not from multiple tomato plants, but multiple cultivars of tomato plants. Everybody in the area was complaining that their tomato plants were not doing well. Some bug or disease was hitting them hard. I had planted several plants of several cultivars, and still got tomatoes. Some plants got sick, started to whither and got ripped out. Some thrived.
Thanks El Vaq. This is a really important concept, not just for crop types - but for planting productive gardens in general.
Plants that wither in one part of the yard, thrive in another - separated by only 20ft sometimes. Some kind of insect or blight decimates one variety, but leaves another untouched. The more my wife and I garden, the more we use a shotgun approach to find out what plants like which micro-climates where. If they are happy, they stay, if not, they get transplanted somewhere else.
You also never know what the season will be like. One year might favor tomatoes, another might lead to a bumper potato crop. You never really know, especially if you live in an area with a variable climate.
Farming monocultures is an all-or-nothing proposition that must be supported by intense infrastructure to "guarantee" success and usually require more inputs - particularly pesticides. Letting go of that part of modern food production for a diversity of species, and strains/breeds leads to another kind of resiliency that is often overlooked by budding farmers IMHO.
Yup. I tried three sisters for the first time this last season. My summer squash got hammered with squash bugs. The winter squash planted in with the corn and beans? I think I pulled 5 off all year. Maybe 6 or 7. I wasn't keeping tally, but they just weren't hitting it. The other thing is saving seeds from the plants that thrive when others don't. I don't care about keeping cultivars pure. I only care that I don't get any crosses with the Buffalo gords that grow wild here and the squashes in my garden. I'm adapting the crops to my climate and soil, not adapting my soil. Sure, I try to replace what is taken from the soil, but I don't give a shit about PH and things like that. If it can survive in my alkaline soil, brutal summer sun, high altitude and low humidity, then great. If not, fuck it, I'm not going to bust my ass adapting the environment to a mismatched plant.