Hi Adam!

Welcome to the world of paleo!

I don't know if I am considered self-sufficient, because no cavegirl is an
island, but here's how  I do my thang..

I raise my vegetables in the summer, with the emphasis on things that will
"keep" - cabbage, onions, leeks, brussel sprouts, kale, collards, and some
winter squash (not paleo, but delicous...).

I do lots of rotational planting of non keeper items like salad greens, and
less hardy veggies to fill in the empty spots of my garden. (cukes, tomato,
okra)

Directly on the other side of my garden fence, I raise 100 chickens and
sometimes up to 30 ducklings.  Whatever weeds, or flubs from the garden can
then be conveniently tossed over the fence to the birds.  The birds are feed
on organic mix and are allowed to free range once they get to be 8 weeks old.
 They get butchered at 14 weeks.  I have two upright freezers, and one is
just for storing the birds.   One year, I tried to just raise them on pasture
alone, but they were all skin and bones and not worth eating....

One year we raised a lamb on the garden side for the benefits of the manure.


We have tons of deer on our land, and we harvest at least 3 per season which
gives us enough for several months supply of jerky, frozen roasts, loins.  I
take all the trimmings to my local butcher, and he runs the "garbage" meat
through his grinder and I get at least 17 pounds of ground venison meat per
deer  which I freeze in 2 pound segments.  That gives us plenty of burgers,
meatloafs, etc.

I still like to food shop because Ray Audette says that's my historical
holdover from being the "gatherer"  (he he he ...).  I find Chinese groceries
to be really cool places to find things like tripe, and fresh greens during
the winter months.

I am fortunate enough to live on the other side of a hill which has a u-pick
blueberry farm, so I make sure the kids and I pick enough in July to freeze
or dry for the winter.

I buy a gallon bucket of coconut oil 2 times a year which I supplement with
olive oil in my cooking.

Well, that's all I can think of.  Where are you planning on buying land?

Cheers,

Judy Genova, cavegirl ([log in to unmask])