`The Self-Reliance Weekly Report: Acts of Nature, Farm Fresh Eggs, and DIYs

(Psst: The FTC wants me to remind you that this website contains affiliate links. That means if you make a purchase from a link you click on, I might receive a small commission. This does not increase the price you'll pay for that item nor does it decrease the awesomeness of the item. ~ Daisy)

The Self-Reliance Weekly Report discusses acts of nature, along with a healthy helping of information about eggs from the backyard and, of course, unique and frugal DIYs from across the web.

Despite the epic drought in California, the state also has a long history of devastating floods. We have received record amounts of rain recently, and many of us are dealing with just that. 

Sometimes we don’t spend enough time thinking about the weather and how it affects our efforts to be self-reliant. Too much rain and your plants and livestock are at risk, too little rain and your plants and livestock are at risk. Add to this the fury of Mother Nature when she unleashes high winds and tornadoes, and any sensible person begins to realize that we can prep all we want, but we are still at the mercy of the weather.

The Self-Reliance Weekly Report is a collection of strategies, made up of the articles, books, DIYs, and products that I found useful on my own little prepper’s homestead.

Prepping

Tis the Season…for Tornadoes

Anyone who lives in an area prone to tornadoes knows that the season for them is fast approaching (and here already in some places). While some believe that you can’t really prep for a massively destructive act of nature, there are a few things you can do. For example, you can learn the signs of an impending tornado (and even volunteer as a storm spotter to provide valuable information for others), you can make a plan with your family, and you can stock your storm shelter in the event that you must hunker down there to wait out a threat.

The Disaster Isn’t Over When the Storm Passes

After a massive windstorm like a tornado, there are many threats: drinking water may be compromised, live power lines may be down, structures may be compromised, and people will be shell-shocked. Do you know how to take charge in a situation like this? It’s very important to get ahold of yourself and function effectively as quickly as possible. If your home has been destroyed, you will need to take steps right away to replace important documents. This is an essential step to making insurance claims and rebuilding.

Other Favorite Prepper Articles This Week

How to Brew Coffee without Power (Ummm…yes, please. You’ve gotta have numerous ways to make that vital elixir!)

How to Cook for Survival in a Power Outage Emergency (from the author of an incredibly thorough new book, Prepare Your Family for Survival)

Old-Fashioned Skills

Homesteading

Eggstravaganza: How to Preserve Eggs When They  Are Abundant

I have eggs running out my ears right now. Anyone else?  If you’re in the same boat, here are 4 time-tested ways to preserve them, plus some bonus methods from the 19th century. As well, here is a very detailed primer on preserving eggs with water glass. If you’re wondering whether your eggs are still fresh, this article explains how to test them. Of course, you can always use them up. This handy book has 70 simple and delicious egg recipes.

The Benefits of Farm Fresh Eggs

Did you ever wonder what the real difference is between store-bought eggs and ones from the farm?  It’s bigger than you might think.  Want more info about farm fresh eggs?  Here’s a list of Frequently Asked Questions that I learned quite a lot from.

Are You On the Fence About Growing a Garden?

If you aren’t sure about enlisting part of your yard for raising food, here are 5 reasons why you should consider it. If your excuse is that you’re new to gardening, then there’s no time like the present. Here are some tips to get you going. Many people have a dream that “one day” in an emergency, they’ll simply plop the seeds from their emergency seed bank into the ground and boom – the family is fed. But it’s not that easy. Take it from me – you need to practice well before you intend to be dependent upon the food that you raise. If you take the plunge (and you should!) Tthis is a great reference to keep on hand. It will answer nearly every question that a gardener might have and offer simple, inexpensive solutions.

DIY

Farm Blog

Our move is rapidly approaching, and my house is full of boxes.  There’s nothing like packing it all up to make you realize how much stuff you actually have.  (Answer: LOTS!)

Of course, a move wouldn’t be complete without a couple of monkey wrenches. And for us, that monkey wrench is mud. For years, California has been in the midst of a historic drought, and we are thrilled that there seems to be light at the end of that tunnel with the rainiest year since the drought began.

But since our property has been dug up to deal with the septic issues, the dirt wasn’t packed down afterward and it’s a giant mud puddle. My daughter was coming in from the barn the other evening and stepped into what looked like just a puddle but instead, was mud that sucked her in up to her knees. After assuring myself she wasn’t in life-threatening peril, I took a quick photo (shared with her permission). I had to rescue her by yanking her legs right out of her boots.

Mud Collage

Next week is moving week, and then I’ll have lots of photos from my new home in the mountains to share with you guys!

Give Us Your Self-Reliance Weekly Report!

What’s going on at your farm or urban homestead right now?  How’s the weather in your area? Please share your updates in the comments below!

Daisy Luther

Daisy Luther

Daisy Luther is a coffee-swigging, globe-trotting blogger. She is the founder and publisher of three websites.  1) The Organic Prepper, which is about current events, preparedness, self-reliance, and the pursuit of liberty on her website, 2)  The Frugalite, a website with thrifty tips and solutions to help people get a handle on their personal finances without feeling deprived, and 3) PreppersDailyNews.com, an aggregate site where you can find links to all the most important news for those who wish to be prepared. She is widely republished across alternative media and  Daisy is the best-selling author of 5 traditionally published books and runs a small digital publishing company with PDF guides, printables, and courses. You can find her on Facebook, Pinterest, Gab, MeWe, Parler, Instagram, and Twitter.

Leave a Reply

  • Daisy,

    Thank you for all you do to encourage and educate folks about preparedness! I always learn something new in your articles.

    Living here in the mountains of Kentucky, I especially enjoyed the article about “How Cherokees Used Trees of Southern Appalachia for Food, Medicine, and Craft”

    Hope all goes smoothly with your upcoming move.

    Hope you have a great day! 🙂
    KY Mom

  • I am still debating if I should grow anything this year. In glorious contrast to the dead grass of the lawn the chives and strawberries which I placed into the ground from their containers overwintered well and are sprouting. The chives are about three inches tall and the strawberries have some new leaves growing.
    Their unsolicited growth is encouraging me to consider planting other things. At the very least I may take some indoor potted plants outdoors,… and then…

    Spring really is making an appearance this year (highs in the 60’s) the warm weather is so refreshing. The rain seems to be just about right. If this keeps up I think this year will be good for Morel mushrooms, too.

  • Hi Daisy: Hope your move goes well even in the mud. I think I told you before we move 13 times in the 1st 5 years of marriage & no the creditors weren’t chasing us. It was DH job in sawmills that kept moving to new cuts. Mom in law said 3 moves is as good as a fire. For the stuff you had to get rid of.

    Here on the farm we are getting an early spring but we still quite a bit of snow. Of course March is the snow & blizzard month here on the Canadian prairies so who knows for sure. We are glad for the warm, sunny days.

    My peppers are up & doing well now that we got them under the grow lights. That’s it for our gardening so far except our seeds have been here for quite a while & we are doing some planning of where to plant what.

    Again, have a happy move!!!

  • Hope your move goes well. I love your blog and just wanted to thank you for all the inspiration you give me. We have had some beautiful weather here in Virginia and we’ve been preparing the gardens and pig pen getting ready for them. The chickens have been loving the warmer weather and laying more regularly now. I’ve been treating a couple of them for wet butt, but both girls are fine now. The amazing powers of yogurt and ACV. But, of course it’s calling for snow this weekend, uuuggghhh! So, I’ll organize the freezers and pantry, get some spring cleaning done and hopefully start our garden seedlings. Take care! Lori

  • Dear Daisy. I’m sure that more than I, are really hoping your move is going well. If you only have a couple of moments to put your feet up & write a sentence or two in this answer area we would surely appreciate knowing how you are doing. You are like family.

    • Hi Canadagal! Having some issues with internet up here in the mountains! I’ll be back in action next week, if not sooner. We are all moved, just getting unpacked. 🙂 Thank you for thinking of me!

  • Glad you are safely moved in. Hope the unpacking goes well & you can find everything you need easily. Hope you didn’t get any of that blizzard that hit the other side of the mountain. My son & family pulled into Cheyanne late Tue. & overnight a blizzard hit & he had to shovel his truck out of a waist deep drift. Only 14″ of snow so I guess some areas must have blown bare. Fun to be in a camper under those conditions. Any ways I can rest assured that you are now safely moved.

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