Self sufficient 'ish'.com - The urban guide to almost self sufficiency.
Please look on the columns either side to see our encyclopedia of self sufficiency articles.
Don't forget if you want to chat to other self sufficiency folk, or share your ideas with us then please use our forum.
Not all of us have the means the space or are perhaps unwilling to give it all up and suffer the highs and lows of going it alone on a smallholding. That is why self sufficient 'ish'.com came along. We provide a growing database of self sufficiency articles for the organic grower. Take some time to read Dave and Andy Hamilton's Philosophy and press release if you want to find out more about us and our version of self sufficiency (homesteading). We hope to make your road to self sufficiency an easier one. If you are a self sufficient 'ish' person who wants to contribute then please email us
(organic people only please) - Dave and Andy Hamilton
March is by far my favorite month of the year the daylight hours are getting longer and you can't start off your planting in earnest. March to me is the season of dreams for the coming season. You don't know what the summer month will offer, or if it will be a good or bad season but it is full of hope. It is also the first month (here in the UK) that you might be able to go out in your shirt sleeves, excellent.
For what to sow in March then have a look at my article.
Depending on which statistics you choose to believe our homes account for between 25% - 35% of carbon emissions. This means that by making small changes in our day to day activity we can make a real difference to climate change. If you follow the advice on this page then not only will you be making a difference but you will be saving money. In this article I offer some obvious and some not so obvious ideas.
Its that time of year again when we all start to think about the season ahead and what we are going to grow. Nev is here to help your seedlings on their way with his potting compost mix. Nev writes for Australia's leading self sufficiency magazine Grass Roots and has years of experience in urban self sufficiency. There are a number of tips of his around the site and he is also a member of our very popular forum. To see his article on making a seed raising mix (potting compost) have a look here or click on Nev.
The Jerusalem artichoke is a plant originally native to Peru. It was first brought to Europe from Canada where it was a staple food eaten by the indigenous population. Unlike corn and quinoa, staples in the Southern Americas, Jerusalem artichokes are suited to the Canadian climate due to their ability to grow in extremes of temperature. Considering its botanical origins then it is curious then that not only is this vegetable not from Jerusalem but also has no relation to the Globe artichoke.
Many people might be put off organic growing due to the cost. It need not be that expensive. Lets face it to be self sufficient or even self sufficient ish the whole point is that it saves you cash. In fact organic growing should be cheaper than conventional gardening. When I took stock and worked out how much cash I save from some simple ideas it was more than a few shillings. So for the frugal, thrifty organic gardeners out there here are a few handy tips to help you on the road to organic self sufficiency at a fraction of the cost.
Coriander is both a herb and a spice the leaves are a herb and the seeds a spice. The oldest coriander fruits were discovered in the Nahal Hemar cave in Israel. They are considered to be over 8,000 years old. Some Sanskrit (Sand script) texts talk of coriander's cultivation in ancient India nearly 7,000 years ago although there are but a few plant fossils exist to back up the literature. Want to find out more? Check out our article for organic growing advice and more.
As we have had such a lot of interest in our previous nettle beer recipe I thought it was time for a stronger one. Many thanks to Stonehead (aka Dennis) for allowing me to use this. Many sites will tell you to drink responsibly, we would rather you were as irresponsible as possible with this beer. - well as long as you don't take us to court for finding your self upside down in a skip with a traffic cone on your head. more.....
We only get involved with a few campaigns on selfsufficientish as, unfortunately, there are so many out there that we could support and our site would end up being just about campaigning. I was appalled to hear about future plans for Lower Shaw Farm in Swindon UK as my home town of Northampton has been changed beyond repair by developers. I felt that if we could help in any way we would - Stewart (a good friend) first posted this article on our forum and brought my attention to it is plight. The eleventh hour has not yet approached and you can still make your voice heard to save this little oasis in Swindon.
There are currently more carrier bags in existence than people. Most will only be used once and then up in a land fill. We at self sufficient 'ish' are taking steps to try and reduce the amount of bags that people use. Do you want to help us in our campaign just try and ensure that you 'carry a bag'. For more information including how to pester your MP's (and why the Liberal Democrats are the most eco-friendly) to get them to do something and a statement that you can give to your local shop to get them to join our campaign to stop people using so many plastic bags please have a look here...
If you want us to feature your site please tell us about it on our forum. Organic, ethical and relevant sites only please.
Friends of the Earth - Sustainable truths
Soil Association - The organic people
The self sufficient house - Paul Norris's project to create an energy self sufficient home
Weather - Reliable weather from the BBC
Wild food book - a self sufficiency must
Envolve
Allotments for all
Eden Project
Centre for alternative technology - A must for all self sufficient people
Rain forest site - visit to save the rain forests
Self sufficiency in style - Pat Gardiners version of self sufficiency
Backwoods Home
- American Self sufficiency site
Site Cartoonist Spence's Site (second home of self sufficient Trish)
Record breaking poetry with Mr Harry Man
NEEPS - North East Scotland Environmentally friendly forum
If you want to feature us and also see more self sufficiency sites and others that we like have a look here.
Contact Dave and Andy Hamilton
©2004-2005 Selfsufficientish.com. Self sufficient 'ish' (Dave and Andy Hamilton) are not liable or responsible for what anyone does with the information that they find on any of our pages. Also, if you want to advertise with us and you think that you fit in with our ethos then please contact us If you would like to write for us or give us any feedback then also please contact Dave and Andy Hamilton. Any reproduction of anything on this site without prior consent of the owners will result in us being pretty upset, we may even cry a bit. All certified organic
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