On Sunday, September 11, 2005, at 03:20  PM, Theola Walden Baker wrote:

> Been there, done that.  Do not take lightly what a serious commitment
> this
> is.  Self-sufficiency is certainly do-able, but not without a lot of
> intensive labor.

Have to agree. I have raised animals and gardened a lot. I suggest
starting small, a few or one species of small animals, and a small
garden.
I'D start with chickens, and eventually move up to rabbits and then to
large animals, unless one already has a background raising animals.
Large animals require strong fences, in good repair. As a boy many a
time we would all run out to the cornfields to chase the neighbor's
cows out of some hole they found or made, or to chase our cows out of
their fields. The pigs were even worse. We had pigs escape to the woods
and live wild for weeks before we could catch them, sometimes.

A small garden, with at first a rather small selection of plants is
easier too. I do all of my work by hand now, but my garden is far
smaller than I would need if I were trying to live off of it. I use it
for fun, and to add some fresher veggies to the diet. If I were
gardening to live I would get a small tractor or a big self propelled
roto-tiller. I am 44 and my body hurts from lots of old sports
injuries. It is possible to garden without tilling, but it requires
lots of mulch to keep the weeds down.

It all depends on your level of experience. Sounds fun though.