Author Topic: Starve the Beast Challenge  (Read 933 times)

Offline JohnyMac

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Starve the Beast Challenge
« on: March 12, 2019, 01:03:45 PM »
I have been posting ad nausem since November 2016 that since Mr. Trump is now president you can CAN NOT relax. Many of you have not heeded my caution and continue to keep your heads down and not get ready to what is coming down the pike. You are wasting the time that the good Lord has given you to prepare both spiritually and educationally.

Jackalope posted the most recent rant from ThePatriotNurse on USA CW II Subject Line and I finally got a chance to watch it. Well in my honest opinion, she nails it.

One idea that she came up with was to "starve the beast" and in this case she means not paying taxes. No, no, not paying your taxes on April 15th of each year but by not buying things in actual retail establishments. Barter when you can. Grow your own vegetables. Raise your own protein. Share tasks with your neighbors. Trade your time for the needs of others for products and their time or expertise in the present or future. In essence, starve the food that feeds the government.

The government that takes YOUR money and turns it back onto you in the spirit of, infanticide, religious persecution, further restrictions on the original Ten Bill of Rights Amendments - YOUR guaranteed rights. The list goes on and on. The way you can fight back now is to stop paying the beast.

If you think that, "when the SHTF, I will start my victory garden" and start to raise my own protein - You will fail and run with your tail between your legs back to the federal teat for food. I have been seriously gardening since 2013 with a goal of producing 80%+ of MrsMac and my vegetables for a year. The best we have ever done was 50%. However, every year our production gets better and better. We are learning from our mistakes and what mother nature may throw our way at times.

How much protein do you procure through hunting, fishing, or raising protein on your homestead. That is a rhetorical question hence no question mark. Okay, I have raised a hog every year since 2013 except for this year. I have bought feed from a feed store but never raised feed on my own. Yes, I am part of the problem. I now grow chickens not for meat but eggs. Again, I buy their feed from the local Agway - My bad on both accounts. With that written, I bet I know a shiton more about doing it then most folks nowadays.

When are you going to at least grow enough veggies for you and your family with enough left over to barter or feed your protein? Depending where your homestead is, you need a minimum of 1,000-sf per person just to grow enough vegetables for a single person's diet. More if you want seed for the following year and for bartering let alone for your protein stocks.

With this rant almost done, I challenge all the folks at UP to begin growing vegetables if you haven't in the past this year. If you do have a small garden, I challenge you to enlarge it this year, then can your excess. If you have a big garden, big enough to feed your family, then start to grow protein. Chickens at first, then expand to what your property will support. Rabbits, turkey's, goats and sheep come immediately to mind.

If you take up this challenge, not only will you be putting quality products into your family's belly - You will learn things today for when the SHTF down the road. Plus, you will be starving the beast.

Freedom Through Self-Reliance! 

   
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Offline patriotman

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Re: Starve the Beast Challenge
« Reply #1 on: March 12, 2019, 02:05:07 PM »
AMEN.

 :fuckYeah: :fuckYeah: :fuckYeah: :fuckYeah:
Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight: My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me.

Psalm 144:1-2

Offline Jackalope

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Re: Starve the Beast Challenge
« Reply #2 on: March 12, 2019, 04:03:14 PM »
   Good post Johny.  However, I would take it a step farther, and suggest becoming as self reliant as possible.  I've mentioned before that homesteading goes hand in hand with prepping.  I suggest working on weaning your household off of the grid.  By grid, I mean not only the electrical grid, but off of the society grid.  Try to produce as much of your own electric power as possible.  Heat your home with firewood.  Don't be dependent upon fossil fuel transportation, look at the alternatives, both organic and non-organic. Network and barter services and goods with friends and neighbors.  Try to learn a trade, a trade that will be productive when society goes down the tubes.  I don't see programming, attorneys, or politicians being real useful when the SHTF, but hairdressers, blacksmiths and gunsmiths could do well.

Offline JoJo

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Re: Starve the Beast Challenge
« Reply #3 on: March 12, 2019, 06:36:50 PM »
Some people will think this post is negative but these things also have to thought about and I don't want to step on anyones toes with my opinions.
 Your going to move to a safer place, live off the grid, grow your own food heat with firewood. Your going to need a bunch of money to buy a tiller, log spliter, a chain saw and other tools.
 The real hard part is if you have adult children and/or grandchildren would your wife want to leave them. How about your’s and her siblings and parents. I know this from experience.
 One thousand Sq. ft. is ok for greens but you will need at least 20acres to grow corn, wheat and soy beans. The soy bean puts back in the earth what the other two took out (rotate crops) besides its great animal feed and you can make tofu with it.
Just my opinion. :shitStorm:
 
In principle, no less than in practice, socialism is the ideology of thieves and tyrants.

Offline Jackalope

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Re: Starve the Beast Challenge
« Reply #4 on: March 12, 2019, 08:16:38 PM »
Some people will think this post is negative but these things also have to thought about and I don't want to step on anyones toes with my opinions.
 Your going to move to a safer place, live off the grid, grow your own food heat with firewood. Your going to need a bunch of money to buy a tiller, log spliter, a chain saw and other tools.
 The real hard part is if you have adult children and/or grandchildren would your wife want to leave them. How about your’s and her siblings and parents. I know this from experience.
 One thousand Sq. ft. is ok for greens but you will need at least 20acres to grow corn, wheat and soy beans. The soy bean puts back in the earth what the other two took out (rotate crops) besides its great animal feed and you can make tofu with it.
Just my opinion. :shitStorm:
   Jojo, family dynamics can be complicated.  However, it's important to get family on one page, so there's a consensus.  It's not something that can be done in one meeting, and some of it is dependent upon how children are raised.  Sometimes there are family members that will never agree with your concerns or your life style.  I've experienced that type of situation first hand.  However, once the crap hits the fan be prepared for those naysayers to be knocking at your door.

    Regarding the need for equipment for a homestead, yes, it's true it does cost money.  But equipment can be purchased used on craigslist or on eBay.  I consider that equipment to be a long term investment.  Jim Rawles frequently talks about having tangibles, rather than money in the bank.  If there's an economic crash, that money in the bank doesn't do anything for you.  But a working crosscut saw can help keep your home warm, and a rototiller will help put food on your table.

      In last couple of decades there's been some great advancement in food production, so that even small plots can provide large quantities of food.  Here are a couple of examples of what can be accomplished on small lots: https://thegrownetwork.com/how-much-food-can-you-grow-on-14-acre/  and https://www.treehugger.com/sustainable-agriculture/how-grow-all-your-food-tenth-acre.html   Both biointensive gardening and permaculture offer large yields.  So large acreages are no longer needed.  The classic "Five Acres and Independence" by Kains discusses alternative gardening and that book was written in 1940.  Protein can come from chickens which can free range.  They can be fed a diet of mangel beets during the winter months, which take less space and less effort than raising corn.  I'd avoid corn as a crop due how much nutrients it takes from the soil.

     Anyways, those are some ideas regarding the homesteading lifestyle.  It's not easy and it's a lot of work, but you can reap substantial rewards of independence and a healthier lifestyle.

Offline JohnyMac

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Re: Starve the Beast Challenge
« Reply #5 on: March 13, 2019, 03:09:50 PM »
I feel for you JoJo. You have mentioned in past posts that your XYL and some of your family do not have the same view of the future. My brother and his wife were totally onboard with prepping but alas post the Trump win, he has moved away from that path. The sad thing is I know when the SHTF, he will be the first one knocking on our door. All good comments sir and thanks for writing about them.

Jackalope is 100% correct, Craig's List or a farm action is a great way to pick up cheap items in good to very good condition. With the exception of my Kubota tractor, that is where all of my 3-point attachments have come from. My Ford 8N/9N Frankenstein tractor came from a want ad.

The important thing is to think ahead to what you would like to accomplish. Once you have that list prioritize it by importance and then buy, trade, or barter for what you need. Rome wasn't built in one day. A lot of what we have accomplished has happened over the past 14-years. With it has come a very much appreciated education earned by trial and error.

Good stuff gents...Keep it coming.  :coffeeNews:
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