What to do in Winter

Well it's winter here in Michigan. A strange winter, but still way to cold to plant anything. Which is giving me time to do some planning. I've had gardens in the past but never really put allot of thought into moving toward homesteading, like I am now. REALLY trying to use this time to put on my thinking cap.
Here's what I've been using this time to think about:

• Garden planning-extreme garden planning compared to what I am used to. What do I want to can/freeze/preserve....how much of what do I need to do that....and what's the best strategy for planting so that I'm not overwhelmed by all of it coming in at the same time.


• Organizing our home. This is going to be huge, but needs to be done. What we don't use needs to be shipped off to salvation army and what remains needs to be put where it can be used or stored in a way that we can actually find it when we need it.


• Organizing my sewing room. This is a headache and a half and pretty self explanatory. But I really want to start doing some real sewing again and that's hard to do when I have to dig my machine out every time I want to use it.


• Learning to do things like....bake bread, make homemade sauces, stews and granola.

So I feel like I'm heading in the right direction and that is exciting to me.

Bread was a big triumph for me, because I have been trying to make bread for a while now. Usually I end up with a rock that has a doughy center. yeeee! I have found a basic sandwich bread recipe and a recipe for tasty crunchy bread. They both take some time to make, but are simple and have turned out for me. YUM

Victory Gardens As part of the war effort, the government rationed foods like sugar, butter, milk, cheese, eggs, coffee, meat and canned goods. Labor and transportation shortages made it hard to harvest and move fruits and vegetables to market. So, the government turned to its citizens and encouraged them to plant "Victory Gardens." They wanted individuals to provide their own fruits and vegetables.Nearly 20 million Americans answered the call. They planted gardens in backyards, empty lots and even city rooftops. Neighbors pooled their resources, planted different kinds of foods and formed cooperatives, all in the name of patriotism.Farm families, of course, had been planting gardens and preserving produce for generations. Now, their urban cousins got into the act. All in the name of patriotism. Magazines such as the Saturday Evening Post and Life printed stories about victory gardens, and women's magazines gave instructions on how to grow and preserve garden produce. Families were encouraged to can their own vegetables to save commercial canned goods for the troops. In 1943, families bought 315,000 pressure cookers (used in the process of canning), compared to 66,000 in 1942. The government and businesses urged people to make gardening a family and community effort.The result of victory gardening? The US Department of Agriculture estimates that more than 20 million victory gardens were planted. Fruit and vegetables harvested in these home and community plots was estimated to be 9-10 million tons, an amount equal to all commercial production of fresh vegetables. So, the program made a difference.Kelly Holthus remembers that it was hard to find fresh produce, and it was a way for individuals to do their part on the home front. "It was a great moral thing," he says. "And for young people like me, it was, you know, I could do my part. I was a part of the effort!"When World War II ended, so did the government promotion of victory gardens. Many people did not plant a garden in the spring of 1946, but agriculture had not yet geared up to full production for grocery stores, so the country experienced some food shortages.

The above is from www.livinghistoryfarm.org

I know that we are not currently engaged in a war the likes of WWI or WWII, but our country is in a bad place right now. Resources are dwindling and the economy is in the hole. Even worse is the fact that we are eating food that's not really food, we have no connection to the earth or the process in which we get food, and often that results in a disconnect at the dinner table.

So maybe it's time that we all start thinking about what we can do to help. Help make our country stronger, our communities stronger and families stronger. I think they were on to something with the Victory Garden. I think it's time for our country to be victorious once more....one ear of corn at a time.

I like my modern conveniences just as much as the next girl. And just the few changes I've tried to make have been a little bit of a challenge. But I'm loving it. I feel empowered....I CAN make my own bread....wooohoooo! So here it is...the journey into homesteading.