Why?

[Hillbilly]

No I havent gone all introspective - just curious.

Why are you doing what you are doing ref SSF (or SSF'ish)? What made you start?

[Martin]

read John Seymour, circa 1973!
Trying to do my bit to get appropriate affordable renewables out there!
Usual stuff- don't fly, don't use NHS, eat local whenever possible, looking favourably upon biodiesel.......

[Muddypause]

read John Seymour, circa 1973!

Blimey, Martin, that's the second time we've agreed today. What's gone wrong?

An important book on my shelf is John Seymour's 'Fat Of The Land' (actually I see it was first published in 1961, though I read it much later than that). Ever since I was a boy I've had the feeling that there was an alternative to 'work' - something about taking charge of your life as a whole and making it work for you - and this book sort of crystalised some of my thoughts. I've always hated 'work' and have diligently avoided it for most of the time.

And I've long been interested in alternatives as a way of achieving what would otherwise be impossible - I like the idea of building your own house, generating your own electricity (or figuring out ways to not need it) or running a car on an alternative fuel. I've always been certain of my ability to do things with my hands - make things, fix things. I guess my real motivation for this has always been as a means of making things happen - as I've never had much money, my first thought is often not 'Where can I buy one?', but 'How can I make one?'. And ever since I was at primary school I've been concerned about the environment, so it only seems natural to tie these things together.

And I've also always had a passing interest in politics - that is to say, the way society works. I know I annoy a lot of people with a certain didactic approach to this, but I get politics in a way other people don't seem to.

But actually, I don't really think I have started yet. I'm still only an aspiring SS-er. I seem to have fallen into the bad habit of doing a lot of things in my head, rather than in the world. It's gonna change, I tell ya; one day soon.

[Shirley]

I don't know what triggered it for me Jo... I guess I've got my grandad to thank for teaching me to grow things and getting me involved in the garden from a very early age... then my dad was into his gardening too although he was more interested in flowers.

My gran was always very frugal - I think most people of that era were.

My mum, on the other hand.. is completely different. I guess she rebelled

I've always been interested in the environment and the effects that we humans and our habits have upon the earth.

Like Muddy I need to push a lot of my ideas into practice... lots goes on in my head - I have lots of ideas but need to get out there and do them.

I haven't read John Seymour... this is something that I must remedy!! It's on my booklist.

[Millymollymandy]

For me it is just something that has evolved as time goes by. I've been into gardening for years and since leaving London have got interested in bird watching, wild flowers, butterflies etc.

I've only started growing organically (properly) since buying this property but then I have a helping hand here with so many beneficial insects that I didn't have at all in my last garden (more suburban).

Other stuff has come about through a necessity to be frugal - using less electricity etc. goes hand in hand with that!

I have a lot to that SSish for as I am thinking more about the environment now than I was before joining.

[Andy Hamilton]

Well Dave would have you believe that I just copied him

I think for years I have dipped my toes in we used to go out collecting blackberries as children, we had four, then three and now two apple trees in my parents home. (My Dad loves hacking things up when there is trouble), I also made nettle soup when I was very young - I found the recipe in an old book and liked the sound of it so away I went.

I started planting things when I moved out of my parents house and sort of progressed from there. Always hated seeing things go to waste so I would plant spuds and garlic out when it started to sprout, never got anywhere with it though as I alway used to dig it up too early.

Now I just love seeing what will grow and what I can make and sharing with this site. Money has been a deciding factor and as I have been pretty skint this summer it has also helped a great deal as I am pretty much living off the land. If only I had shares in a cow so I could make my own cheese.

[Boots]

What a great question...

Self-sufficiency to me... Well, I just plain get a kick out of stepping in and out of the system, I think... Giving lots of cheeky snubs at the government or marketeers...

Takes a lot of work though. Staying on top of things...

Things like water... just had 10 mins of rain... had a momentary celebration and then we all disappeared to our nearest check point to ensure water was flowing freely, and there was no litter or frogs, blocking the flow of the life giving fluid!

Our freezer is half stocked with home grown meats. Will be full when I get something to dope the pig! I like opening the lid and thinking..."$1.50kg!" Makes me feel like I have had a little win.

Picked up the recycled carpet to go into the office today. The Mudbrick extension should be complete this weekend. Bedroom is done, and I have to tell you... Each night I just smile at the walls! Two rooms cost me about $40!

Gardens are not so good. Few carrots. 1 celery. Some slow lettuce. Dunno where the tomatoes went..Citrus always seems to be reliable. Some sunflowers I have to thin. Conditions haven't been good and it bugs me when I have to buy fruit or vegies....

How did I get here? I have no idea. Ethically, I think my grandparents planted the seed. Grandad said if I ever wanted to save any money, I should never pay anyone to do something that I can do or learn to do myself. So I guess I grew up familiar with challenges, change and creative thinking.

I also think there is an entrepreneur in many self-sufficientishers... It takes innovation... A different way of looking at things... a willingness to work...and the strength to say "No, I'm gonna do it different".

Sometimes I get tired... folks criticise you're efforts or minimise them by suggesting "it would be easier to go to the shop wouldn't it?" and it would be, if you were happy being reliant on a greedy and unstable world. I'm not. I don't want to be part of the consumerised world... the one-up-manship... the marketing... the excuses... the business bullshit. I do not for one minute buy into the current fuel price propaganda, and I do NOT like being reliant on the commodity. Have already begun looking for a diesel to convert to vegie oil. Have to.... can't keep walking around shaking my head at this nonsense, have to respond proactively.

Haven't really answered the question, have I? I think its just in some people - and definately not in others. I have met some folks who are really, really interested, but just can't, and won't ever, make the cognitive and lifestyle shift. No amount of available (or diminishing) resources or education would change their thinking...

Then there are others who are just ALL education... their life is lived between books... philosophical leanings...not much intention of ever actually trialling what they talk about.

Then there are those, who as a result of whatever 'awakening', conditioning or sense of responsibility can't help but strive for it... it is part of their intrinsic drives... it fulfills some need... independence maybe? Security? Indebtedness? Earthly Co-dependence?

...Dunno... Who knows?

It just feels good.

[Hillbilly]

I have to say it. The other answers so far are not less important or no less meaningful than your answer Boots but holy cow, you've got a way with words woman

[ina]

My parents were really quite SSish - without it being called that. They had just gonge through two wars, and realised in all that time the advatages of growing your own stuff, re-using, recycling, and being generally quite frugal!

Back then, they were seen as oldfashioned. I grew up without car or TV. We were the last family in town to have a vacuum cleaner, a fridge, a washingmachine, a freezer. Instead, we had a garden that was almost entirely veg and fruit (with a few flowers thrown in for light relief, but no lawn), plus an allotment, and another share of one. Even back then, before the threat of water shortages, my mum used to collect all the water from the washing machine and use it for the loo. Whenever it rained, we ran out to place all available receptacles on the patio and collect rainwater for watering the potplants. Although my parents were very busy in their shop, they still managed to make all our own jam, and bottle loads of fruit and veg (later freeze it), make juice, and in good years we dried fruit in the attic. (I well remember one particularly good year when we had a glut of dried pears! Lovely...)

When I got to my late teens and tweties, I suppose I had to rebel a bit, but somehow I never lost this basic attitude to life, and now I'm getting more and more into it, while I see how right my parents were... (Even if it's hard to admit that! )

[cir3ngirl]

I remember as a child go to my grandparents house. When we arrived you couldn't ask granny what was for lunch because she had no idea until grandad came in from the garden laden with veg and fruit. I loved that and want my children to be out everyday picking and watering. Then planning the meal round what ever we have.

This is really the first year I have tried potatoes, runners, peas, pumpkins and corn all doing well.

Why this site? Thats easy. You're a friendly lot with answers that a newbie like me needs. Also as a single mum I used to spend evenings on my own. Now I have you lot keeping me company. Thank you.

Davina

[Andy Hamilton]

Why this site? Thats easy. You're a friendly lot with answers that a newbie like me needs. Also as a single mum I used to spend evenings on my own. Now I have you lot keeping me company. Thank you.

Davina

This is always the best thing that I hear about the site and really not what I expected in the dark times of first setting it up. It really makes the 16 hours a day that I put in the first months worth while. I think I was almost single a few times, so you should thank Emma too for being so patient with me.

[den_the_cat]

I grew up always having veg from the garden and meat from the farm (Grandad was a head gardener and half of the family were farmers) and we didn't have much money when I was a kid so the whole recycling thing was bred into me too.

I'm about to loose the veg patch for a couple of years because the new (rented) house has a garden we're not allowed to dig up, so it'll be carrots in containers next year, but I'm taking the opportunity of moving to change to eco-electric, buy more locally produced produce, work only from home, buy a bike etc etc and get planning for when we can move to wind generated power and get some ducks in our own place.

I'm never going to be totally SS but ish seems achievable to me. I like my travelling and luxuries too much to ever be really eco friendly but I really do think every little counts and 90% of the time its no hardship at all to do things 'ethically', which is where I want to be.

[Wombat]

G'Day All,

Well as for me, the start was a book by Michal Allaby called "The Survival Handbook - Self Sufficiency for everyone" Which I read back in the mid '70s. It had several articles in it by.....................wait for it..................John Seymour!

Due to moving, lack of cash and some other bits even I don't understand in my childhood I have always suffered from a certain level of insecurity. My first reaction to that was survivalism, which has now matured into a more ecologically aware philosophy.

Why self sufficientish? apart from Andy and Dave themselves and obviously my friends here on the forum, what first attracted me was the basis in urban self sufficiency, which is where I believe the work needs to be done. There will always be cities so that's where we need to be generating ideas on improving their sustainability. The other part is the name - Self sufficientish - for 30 years I have striven (strove? Strived?..........hmmm perhaps strived to acheive self sufficiency - can't be done in my current set up. So the philosophy is liberating - it is much easier to be self sufficientish than to go the full monty (so to speak)

Rave over!

Nev

[The Chili Monster]

I arrived here on the back of a Copernic Search for growing garlic and never left.
Chilli growing was originally both an ego trip and an obsession: rearing a chilli plant far from its original habitat and a determination to grow (and sample) every variety of chilli pepper going. Over time, however, my horticultural ambitions have broadened and I look forward to the day that the veg element of my mexican and indian meals are home-grown.
I have found though that this selfsufficiency thing does tend to breed patience, tenacity and brings about a sense of satisfaction and pride.

My Grandfather had several allotments plus the run of most of the gardens on his street and so I was exposed to growing food from an early age. His retirement was short-lived too as he quicky found a part-time gardening job.
Perhaps it's in the genes? I don't know.