I have been impressed to do a series of posts on the basic necessities of twenty-first century life. Why?  Because independent living means that doing all of that stuff on our own, we need to know exactly what to consider. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Heat. All I have to say is wood cook  stove . Why? So long as my land is properly forested, I can supply my own fuel. I can prepare food (hence the name). I can warm my house. All of it. I can heat my water. I can bake. I can dehydrate my foods. Et Cetera... You don't have to believe me: but I have evidence ( Exhibit A ; Exhibit B ; Exhibit C ).  That being said, I encourage you to purchase the following instructional DVD: Getting Started with Wood Cook Stoves: A Hands-On Introduction  by Mountain Media Ministries. It is a quality investment. However, there are precautions that have to be taken when using wood and open fires. Liste...

I have been impressed to do a series of posts on the basic necessities of twenty-first century life. Why?  Because independent living means that doing all of that stuff on our own, we need to know exactly what to consider. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Food. Obviously in order to survive, we need food. How do we move to independent resources of nutrition?  One plant at a time... Planting . There are two main categories of planted foods: garden  foods and orchard  foods. We eat from each section, so we may as well know what they contain. The garden is where I would find my roots and veggies (sorry, the joke was just waiting to be used). Leafy greens, legumes, and ground provision can be planted in gardens. Strawberries would also thrive here, as will other botanical "fruits" that grow only upwards. Note that flowering plants (like quinoa and buckwheat, which are pseudo-cereals) would be ideal in a garden set...