Living off the Land

When I was a child I read a book about surviving and supporting yourself off 5 acres of land. Since, my father was farming 200 acres and never had any money ... I didn't get it, but we never went Hungary. After I retired and was on a fixed income, I tried the 5 acre theory. I moved to WV on 5 acres. I began developing for self sufficiency. I cleared land for a garden, dug a root cellar, built a green house and a dry room. I collected exotic chicken that each laid a different color egg. Every thing from silkys to Chinese. Built a barn for beef, which ended up becoming a home for a giant donkey stud. The hawks were a constant challenge to keep out of the chicken pen. I finally had to totally enclose it with wire, after a severe hand to claw combat. It soon became apparent, it was much cheaper to buy eggs than feed and maintain chickens.

The horse, mule and donkey left shorty after the chickens. I would have had to become a vegetarian, but when the fence came down the deer, squirrel, rabbit and turkey took over. Now mother nature supplies my meat. I maintain a well fenced garden and am living happy ever after. If the stock market keeps fluctuating and gas keeps getting higher, you may want to consider learning to live of the land. You may not have a lot of money, but you won't starve.