Vanessa , always a pleasure to see you sharing with your viewers. Thank you for you reminding people that every time you eat meat , poultry , or fish , a live animal was killed for us to have that choice. I"m a hunter and also try to tell non hunters that meat does no just appear at the grocery store in a white styrafoam tray. Look forward to seeing more of your cottage in the woods when you can. Stay safe. From Ontario Canada.
Most people don't realize how much work there is on a farm. Working from the time you get up until the time you go to bed. Do what is best for you and your happiness. Be safe and stay well.
I admire your ability to make difficult choices, Vanessa, and do what's best for your animals. You are a good steward of your homestead. Thank you for sharing your challenges with us.
You are making the right choice. Self sufficient, farming as all farming, is a lot of work. You have 3 children. They can learn much from farming but the farm can crowd them out too, keep balance. Harvesting animals for food and to balance your herds and flocks is a natural part of life I appreciate your honesty. I think so many people are to far removed from this part of life to be able to handle watching it. We lift you up in prayer.
I admire everything you do, everything you stand for and above anything, I admire your true-warrior personality. I think you’re the only one who knows what needs to be done... just know that all of us who follow and watch your channel, support you all the way, unconditionally. 💙
Vanessa , people have processed their animal's for hundreds of years,because it was a way of life. Today it is still a way of life. I process myself, I'm intrested to see if I can learn something new by watching you. Who knows someday we may all be living like in the 1800s. You are looking great Vanessa ! ❤ from Texas.
I can hear the sound of frustration in your voice. Not a farmer but my Uncle was & I used to help him on summertime, takes a lot of perseverance , determination & a big amount of patience🙏💪
I love your video's Vanessa. You are a wonderful teacher and I think all children should learn the subjects that you cover. You were looking wonderful today Vanessa. Keep getting better and I wait anxiously for your next post. Thank you for all your vlogs and your journey.
Self-sufficiency & hobby farms get glamorized on RUclips a lot. It's not glamorous. It's just really hard work. There's a good reason why most people have abandoned doing it.
Vanessa, You have my utmost respect, growing ,raising, harvesting is a lifestyle that involves many things. The amount of time, money, energy, is at times overwhelming to say the least. You have to have a mindset from the first time you find yourself saying (I'm going to get a farm and be SELF-SUFFICIENT) to choose if you have the personal strengths to process your animals or spend more time and money to find a reputable business to dispatch and package for you. These types of choices can be taxing,but this is short lived when the next lambing or chick's hatch this the best experience for the SELF-SUFFICIENT farmer.
As a kid I spent my summers with my farmer grandfather and watched him and my uncles sacrifice goats, sheeps, cows, and pigs. I was made to watch. It was part of the culture. Like you said it, if we like to eat meat we should know the process. I will watch your video on how to sacrifice an animal for food. Thank you for being so authentic and real.
Sometimes in our lifetime, we all must made hard decisions, one of them is to decide how many animals a person can reasonably keep and keep them well, well fed and healthy. It is hard as we all have our "dreams" but sometimes those are really unattainable so we must do what we can do, to keep what we have and do it in the most humane way possible. A very good video, and one that should make others think about what they are doing, and how sefl-sustaining they can reasonably be, and not go into debt further than a person already is.
There's a channel i follow in Canada who had their videos de - monatised because of graffic scene's on the sheep farm,would hate to see you lose out, i love your content and honesty.
I have lived on o a working farm since 29 62. It's been good for me and my family.hard at times but made me the person I am. I see the best in you. Stay strong wild woman. Love you from NC USA.
Good luck Vanessa, life is not always easy and right now for you. You make though decisions and sometimes you have to make them. You are a thoughtful young woman and you know what you are doing. Good sunday and take care of yourself and your boys.
Your book is certainly wonderful You have beautiful animals and you treat them with a lot of love and passion, to raise them well and healthy, on your beautiful farm. Hello good day 👋
Thank you for an honest view of homesteading. So many people only show the romantic side of that existance. That is so unrealistic. Keep up the good work. I really enjoy your videos.
You do what you feel you need to do, and never apologize for it. If you feel you won't be penalized for a video then I have no problem with it. You are correct that many people never consider where their food comes from.
Vanessa, the natural process for small farms or large farms is that we must harvest. We harvest grain vegetables and fruit for food and money. Our animals are no different, we harvest pigs, goats, wild animals and our stock animals. So, the decision is really made for us by nature. Over crowding and over grazing will both kill our animals. We usually pick our harvest animals early and feed them for harvest to produce more food for our families. That is why we thank God for each meal. He is the provider. Some will not agree with me and I understand. The harvest video will be good to teach others how to care for the animal harvest. We must eat to live. Thank you Vanessa you are a smart and sweet lady.
Great Vanessa! Now I see that both of your eyes are blinking again. Concerning self sufficiency: Well, I have been through this too. I just did not have that many animals. I had a dog and some chickens, and I grew vegetables and fruit. I wanted to have sheeps to eat my grass instead of using a noisy Lawn mower, but you can't just have a few of them, because they are pack animals, and thereby my garden were not large enough for this, and I could not afford to buy a bigger piece of land. I also wanted to travel, but I could not of the same reason as you. Nobody wanted to help me to live this way, so after 14 years trying to become off grid living I had to give it up. Vanessa I know exactly what you are talking about.
Hello Vanessa, I understand what you're saying about decisions to make about your animals. My grandparents were ranchers in Colorado USA and I saw and helped with the slaughter of the sheep for personal consumption and for sale or barter . So carry on this is as you say right thing to do . All the best to you and your family.
I have never had my own farm but have worked on two in my lifetime .. It's a lot of work and a person has no idea until you have a farm .. It's not easy and it goes on every day .. I'm looking forward to your book ..
Although I'm not squeamish about animal slaughter, I can see it having a negative effect on your channel, so probably not a good idea. I always look forward to your fun and inspiring videos, thanks Vanessa and take care 👍🙂❤
@@WildWomanBushcraft I think you should not show the animal harvest. I think it would get flagged by some who do not understand and do not want to understand.
@@WildWomanBushcraft I agree with Mike and Rembrandt. Although you are right in what you say, I think it would hurt your channel. Telling the audience that you choose to eat meat, and you choose to raise and harvest it humanely, is enough. This is the reality of eating meat. I appreciate your honesty and openness. Please don't show the harvest of animals. Thank you.
@@WildWomanBushcraft Also, remember that Survival Lilly had to make a restricted channel. RUclips might restrict your channel. This is not worth the risk for you, in my opinion.
Nobody ever said it would be easy. I think you've done a fine job, now tough decisions have to be made. I'm sure you know what to do and how to do it to maintain your lifestyle. Will be interesting to see the results. My best wishes for you in your endeavor. Be safe. See you next time.
You are right, having animals and being self sufficient is hard and your sincerity and being realistic is part of the process. I grew up most of the time on our Grandparents farm. The whole family came together to help from the planting of crops, gardening, milking the cows, feeding the animals and yes slaughtering the animals for meat. We were taught everything from a young age. I believe that you are doing the right thing teaching your children together as you family grows to respect and love your animals and treat them well. It was hard to slaughter but it was done in house by us so we respected them. It is all part of life. I found over the years that many of the people who visited us from the city really did not know about where their food came from. It’s almost like we’ll it comes packaged from the store. We did everything as a family, harvesting the crops, canning, freezing, packaging our food. I think is a survival need to know also. Decisions in life are real and we both can see your sincerity in what you teach your children. It is what brought us to your videos. We have like the majority of your viewers the highest respect for what you and your family do. We have no doubts that your children will appreciate everything you have taught them and they in turn will teach their own children. You touch our hearts and reminds us of how we were taught. God bless you all. 👍
A difficult, stressful situation, but you are a strong woman and will overcome it. Having only recently discovered your channel I am glad to see you have been making new videos, especially since I learned of your health problem which is now behind you. 🙏🏼❤️❤️❤️❤️ (one for each of you and your children)
I would like to see Everything that is needed to be self sufficient, especially regarding the slaughtering, identification of what parts of the animal to eat and how to manage the products from the animals. I have noticed that you seem to be doing a lot better with your illness as well and i hope that you manage to recover from it as soon as possible. Thank you for all the content you have posted and shared with everyone.
I too am a naturalist and love to watch your exploration. I do not have enough land for self sufficient living, but I do what I can. I would like to see how you butcher to see if I can learn ways to improve my own process.
I think it is a great idea to cut down. Especially since you want to be able to leave for a few days. At least chickens and geese you can leave for a couple of days, make sure to leave enough food and water, they should be fine. At least the chickens & geese produce eggs and meat. Also it costs less to feed them. Maybe for now you should not have sheep. Maybe wait until you have more land and time to stay at home. Found your channel a few months ago. You are such an amazing and unique person. Love all the information you give.
I had the small ranch and it is rewarding to grow your own food,,,, Some may not like the picture of where their food comes from but it is a fact of life.I did set things up so we could leave for a few days..... think automatic water and free feeding.
Whatever you choose to do, you have my support. You will do it thoughtfully. In a way that gives any animal you care for the best life possible with the use you put it to. You eat meat and you should be prepared to kill what you eat. You don't have to display those skills practically, but if you choose to, I am sure, you will be humane and an example of the best practice. We are all partially self-sufficient. Acquiring skills allows us to be less reliant on others and able to provide for those less able in our communities.
I grew up on a farm by a lake and a ranch 80 miles apart ... we raised our own meat (beef, pork and goats), produce, fowl and eggs, caught fish in the lake and hunted wild game ... I know your problems, but we had a mile by mile acre ranch and a 40 acre farm. There is nothing more satisfying than self sufficiency, but you need the land to do it right and that means a lot of work. If you have the energy to show videos of your achievements, I'll watch your videos with glee. Thumbs up!!! Clark
So right. Starting with eating for the season. Keeping food animals is costly and a pain. I live in Alaska. Grow what you can, stock up for the cold season. Goat's and chickens, give the best bang for the buck. Chicken.. eggs, meat, feathers for insulation in clothes, feces contain high phosphorus for potassium nitrate.
i,m in full agreement with gerrry,farms have to be practical,also i,m very pleased your lives have improved since stalker,thanks for all the work you put into these videos,i don,t think most folks realize just how much work and money and time and etc. goes into producing these and make them enjoyable, as well as educational.take care
As a person who comes from a subsistence farming bakground, I always had to realize that farm animals were not pets. We raised them for food and we could not afford to feed them unless we could eat them. We raised corn and hay for feed and harvested it ourselves. No part of the animal was wasted. You need fields and pasturage to raise livestock and the ability to harvest yourself. When the time came we also did our own butchering so the animals could not be pets as you would never be able to kill them and process the meat.
I don't mind seeing it Vanessa, it's part of life and you have a much bigger respect for the way farming life is and what it entails. The humane dispatch of food stock is an important learning curve for so many. What a shame that kids today grow up thinking that beef, bacon and lamb come from a supermarket instead of the truth. I grew up learning the truth and tonight, I brought home a pheasant hen for a roast dinner Monday evening. The rats, I'd say get yourself a Jack Russell...excellent ratting dogs
Congratulations on your decision to change your life! It is not success or failure. It is change, which is growth. You have entered the next stage of your life! I look forward to seeing videos of your new process. Perhaps a Patreon channel for videos that not everyone will be glad to see?
I think it will be very educational for this young generation to see the animal slaughter. Many young people dont have this life skill, knowledge and values. Really really important.
Vanessa as always I enjoy your video and you are such a wonderful and intelligent young woman. I would love to read your book I may get it even though I do not speak nor read German , or I may wait to see if you get an English version. You look great today I am loving seeing those dimples again. Keep smiling
it's nice that you've recovered so nicely . i was worried . i wouldn't mind seeing you harvest an animal . as a retired dairy farmer, i understand the demands animal farming puts on a person.
Said it before, I'll say it again... Your unique Vanessa. Your range, shall I say "width & depth" of living is just astonishing to me and the work that requires must often have you run ragged yet you remain dedicated. I've never met you, probably never met anyone even remotely like you. You understand balance which in its own right is pretty rare these days in the modern portions of the world. So I just have to ask you since you have so much width/depth as a person how do you keep YOUR balance. Farm, I get... You stubborness & tenacity I get, the more a "Person is" per se the more balanced they need be to actually be that person. Most folks are not that. You take care of an entire family young and old, you take care of a farm, you have a literal lifetime of knowledge yet are not old and atop that embrace the old and the new. Exactly how do you do that and stay balanced more or less grow as a person? That astonishes me.
Dear Vanessa we can the see stress in your soul you have love for your animals I don't think anyone likes to see animals destroyed look after yourself and I hope things work out all my love and God bless
You have to do what you need to do to live and survive Vanessa, I give you great reward and respect Vanessa, may Father bless you, your family, and farm all your days, and your families days, thank you Vanessa, very happy to see you again.
I grew up on a farm and in my area I would only be able to have 2 sheep per acre per year I don’t know what your situation is but everything on the farm has to support itself . I wouldn’t show the dispatching of the animals but the processing of the animals is always interesting to me . If you don’t have the property to grow hay then the sheep will have to produce enough lambs to be sold to buy hay with enough lambs for home use. This would go for everything else on the farm chickens,geese ,rabbits. 2 males one goes in the pot . Hen stops laying eggs she goes in the pot .
I wish you a lot of luck. Farm animals always want to get out. I grew up on a farm. It's a lot of work, but I would go back if I could. As for the butchering, it's part of life on some farms. Take care, sweet lady. :)
Excellent video . I think that it is important to know where food comes from and how it gets to the final destination,which is dinner plate . RUclips may not like it . Some people may not like it . But put in a informational , educational way I think it is beneficial. It is never easy to kill animals for food but it is life . A process of life that many people are disconnected with . I support your decision to show it or not show it . It is your channel .
Thank you for your comment! If you want, please visit and subscribe my second channel " Vanessa Blank - Bushcraft & Adventure" ruclips.net/user/OutdoorBavaria Thank you for your support! Best regards, Vanessa ruclips.net/user/OutdoorBavaria
Hi Vanessa......sorry to hear about your difficulties on your farm. I have heard that farms require a large family to keep up with all the work (7 people or more depending on the size). You are both a courageous woman but also a hard working person to have tried to keep the farm working. I hope things work out for you.....Eagle Eric
Vanessa, In the states we call your set up a hobby farm, we enjoy just having animals around us because its a (hobby), you have to pay for your hobby. If you have a (farm) then its different, life and death circle.comes down to a (choice). When it comes to animals the grass is always greener on the other side. Love you, Vanessa, Circle of life.
Thank you for your comment! If you want, please visit and subscribe my second channel " Vanessa Blank - Bushcraft & Adventure" ruclips.net/user/OutdoorBavaria Thank you for your support! Best regards, Vanessa ruclips.net/user/OutdoorBavaria
I personally don’t want to see you kill your animal. I know it has to be done when you have a farm. I think if you need to downsize your farm , than you should. I believe Balance is one of the keys in life.
@@rembrandtshadows In Germany they raised a bar of 8,5 meters representing the 85 million citizens. There is a yellow line of people that possibly died with, at or covid19. That line is 4 mm and consist of mostly elderly people. Those who gave up freedom for a little bit safety, deserves none of them.
Hi Vanessa. 👋🇨🇦 It's not easy as you said. It's the circle of life. All homesteaders face this day. I wouldn't be offended. People need to know your steak isn't just going to fall onto your plate. Lots of trapping and hunting videos show almost everything involved. Especially knowing the process of using the whole animal. Blessings from Manitoba 🇨🇦 Some may not like to watch such things and I understand that way of thinking too. Our process as Native Peoples...we teach our kids this from the start. To respect the life and know it's a gift. To only take what you need and respect all life. I enjoy the truth you share and your way of living . From seeing some comments I wouldn't show the kill just the knowledge of how to process properly and safely. Have a wonderful weekend Vanessa. All the best to you and yours 👋🇨🇦
Even though ive farmed all my life and am an avid hunter and fisherman, processing myself most of my own meat i would recommend not doing the video-all it takes is one city slicker to get offended and report you. Its not worth the possible hassle.
Having our own homestead and living off what meat & vegetables we raise is a dream come true in the environment we live in. Unfortunately the imbalance isn't convenient for everyone for whatever our separate situations maybe due to not having enough land or living with limited space. Understandably reasonable but sadly you have to trim the sheep to balance your situation. I am rooting for you to figure it out and with the help of your family, things have a better chance for improvement when they are dealt with and thought out thoroughly. From what I perceived in viewing your past videos, you have this strength & perception built into you naturally👍! As we continue to follow your postings.......
Shepherds raise sheep for milk and wool in the mountainous regions of the Himalayas. They've mostly female sheep in their herds except a few males. Full-time farmers, who do not have time, give their milking pets to labor families who give half the milk to the farmer and keep half of it themselves. Adopt 'where there's a will there's a way'.
I know exactly what you are going through. I grew up on a ranch in Colorado. We had about 1000 acres to use. We had to be careful not to overgraze. We could have about 100 cows plus 4 milk cows a few sheep and always a lot of chickens and other birds. Mountain lions and coyotes were always a problem as well as birds of prey. We also had a huge garden and fruit trees plus we collected wild fruits and berries. Everything had to be preserved for winter. Some smoked or dried and lots of things in jars. It was always hard to slaughter one of our animals. We sold the calves when they were big enough and we sold milk and eggs. Everyone had to work from kids to grandparents. It was a hard life but also the best years of my life. Yes we were self sufficient but it was not an easy life.
He Vehessa I personaly totaly understand your delimmer in what to do I personaly understand your predicadement as I grew up ona very diverse farm in victoria Australia where we grew & produced many animals but rerality & finaccccnces always take prioroty over sentemrnt, we all have to live and survive & that is exactly how God designed it God bless you & your own special family .
I agree with u and understand the situation. I was raised on a horse farm and my grandpa had cattle. I think humane slaughter is necessary and important to understand. It is a sensitive topic but done in a very respectful and reverent way, it provides viewers with some very valuable information. I vote to see the process. If it bothers someone, they can always stop the video and choose not to watch
Thank you for your comment! If you want, please visit and subscribe my second channel " Vanessa Blank - Bushcraft & Adventure" ruclips.net/user/OutdoorBavaria Thank you for your support! Best regards, Vanessa ruclips.net/user/OutdoorBavaria
Great video As I was growing up we had to to what you do Food from grocery store is filled with things to make then grow fast I think what you do is great By 7 years old I was helping my parents dispatch the animals I’m 63 now helping with slaughtering didn’t hurt me If anything I have more respect for the animals
Vanessa, I had a small family farm for years,. You need to focus on Raising more chickens for both meat and eggs for your family use. It is easy to have many chickens. Also you can sell eggs and meat chickens for extra income. We also got an incubator and hatched our own baby chicks to increase our flock and sell babies. Go on line and study poultry farming to avoid making mistakes... Sheep are very difficult and not cost efficient. I know because we had sheep before. Sheep are trouble! Good luck. I love your videos... I wish I could talk to you more to help you.
I suppose it depends on what mood I am in, whether or not I could watch a killing. Like others, I think it's useful information to know. Also, like others, I think YT may block it. Best wishes to you. I am grateful that you show various sides of self sufficiency.
Very good video. Reminds me of my time on the farm with my grandad. And I remember those tough decisions also. As to the slaughter video, I think it might be interesting. Plus it would be a good reality check for some folks. You just need to know the reality of what you're getting into. The good and the bad.
I realize how lucky we are in North America because land is relatively inexpensive. That allows us to have families (like the Amish) who live almost entirely on subsistence farming. This usually does include some type of other commerce like selling produce at local markets or doing some outside work with crafts, etc). And their lives are rather modest because their lack of ready cash precludes them buying many manufactured items like appliances, cars, etc.
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
Showing life in self living is not easy. Thank You for sharing this To those who are not educated in life.
Vanessa , always a pleasure to see you sharing with your viewers. Thank you for you reminding people that every time you eat meat , poultry , or fish , a live animal was killed for us to have that choice. I"m a hunter and also try to tell non hunters that meat does no just appear at the grocery store in a white styrafoam tray. Look forward to seeing more of your cottage in the woods when you can. Stay safe. From Ontario Canada.
Thank you for showing the realities of subsistence-farming. Many people have no clue.
Vanessa Thank You for sharing, a farm is an incredible amount of work ❤️
Most people don't realize how much work there is on a farm. Working from the time you get up until the time you go to bed. Do what is best for you and your happiness. Be safe and stay well.
Oh my gosh I'm so glad to see how much better you're doing. Your blink is back! And overall you look great! I 'm so happy for you.
I have much respect for this woman 🦋
I admire your ability to make difficult choices, Vanessa, and do what's best for your animals. You are a good steward of your homestead. Thank you for sharing your challenges with us.
You are making the right choice. Self sufficient, farming as all farming, is a lot of work. You have 3 children. They can learn much from farming but the farm can crowd them out too, keep balance. Harvesting animals for food and to balance your herds and flocks is a natural part of life I appreciate your honesty. I think so many people are to far removed from this part of life to be able to handle watching it. We lift you up in prayer.
People need to see the whole process of farming that way they know how and where their food comes from
I admire everything you do, everything you stand for and above anything, I admire your true-warrior personality. I think you’re the only one who knows what needs to be done... just know that all of us who follow and watch your channel, support you all the way, unconditionally. 💙
Vanessa , people have processed their animal's for hundreds of years,because it was a way of life. Today it is still a way of life. I process myself, I'm intrested to see if I can learn something new by watching you. Who knows someday we may all be living like in the 1800s. You are looking great Vanessa ! ❤ from Texas.
Yes. A important part of having a farm !!! This is how you feed your family . I love your video, it touched my heart 💜
I can hear the sound of frustration in your voice. Not a farmer but my Uncle was & I used to help him on summertime, takes a lot of perseverance , determination & a big amount of patience🙏💪
I would really love too hear everything about self sufficiency you have to teach. These are Excellent videos!
I love your video's Vanessa. You are a wonderful teacher and I think all children should learn the subjects that you cover. You were looking wonderful today Vanessa. Keep getting better and I wait anxiously for your next post. Thank you for all your vlogs and your journey.
It's always nice to be part of your adventures. Thank you
Self-sufficiency & hobby farms get glamorized on RUclips a lot. It's not glamorous. It's just really hard work. There's a good reason why most people have abandoned doing it.
Vanessa, You have my utmost respect, growing ,raising, harvesting is a lifestyle that involves many things. The amount of time, money, energy, is at times overwhelming to say the least. You have to have a mindset from the first time you find yourself saying (I'm going to get a farm and be SELF-SUFFICIENT) to choose if you have the personal strengths to process your animals or spend more time and money to find a reputable business to dispatch and package for you. These types of choices can be taxing,but this is short lived when the next lambing or chick's hatch this the best experience for the SELF-SUFFICIENT farmer.
As a kid I spent my summers with my farmer grandfather and watched him and my uncles sacrifice goats, sheeps, cows, and pigs. I was made to watch. It was part of the culture. Like you said it, if we like to eat meat we should know the process. I will watch your video on how to sacrifice an animal for food. Thank you for being so authentic and real.
Sometimes in our lifetime, we all must made hard decisions, one of them is to decide how many animals a person can reasonably keep and keep them well, well fed and healthy. It is hard as we all have our "dreams" but sometimes those are really unattainable so we must do what we can do, to keep what we have and do it in the most humane way possible.
A very good video, and one that should make others think about what they are doing, and how sefl-sustaining they can reasonably be, and not go into debt further than a person already is.
There's a channel i follow in Canada who had their videos de - monatised because of graffic scene's on the sheep farm,would hate to see you lose out, i love your content and honesty.
Vanessa working a farm is hard and I enjoy your video and I am glad you are feeding much better. I look foward to getting your book. Have a nice day.
I have lived on o a working farm since 29 62. It's been good for me and my family.hard at times but made me the person I am. I see the best in you. Stay strong wild woman. Love you from NC USA.
1962 , old and blind lol
Good luck Vanessa, life is not always easy and right now for you. You make though decisions and sometimes you have to make them. You are a thoughtful young woman and you know what you are doing. Good sunday and take care of yourself and your boys.
Your book is certainly wonderful You have beautiful animals and you treat them with a lot of love and passion, to raise them well and healthy, on your beautiful farm. Hello good day 👋
Thank you for an honest view of homesteading. So many people only show the romantic side of that existance. That is so unrealistic. Keep up the good work. I really enjoy your videos.
You do what you feel you need to do, and never apologize for it. If you feel you won't be penalized for a video then I have no problem with it. You are correct that many people never consider where their food comes from.
Vanessa, the natural process for small farms or large farms is that we must harvest. We harvest grain vegetables and fruit for food and money. Our animals are no different, we harvest pigs, goats, wild animals and our stock animals. So, the decision is really made for us by nature. Over crowding and over grazing will both kill our animals. We usually pick our harvest animals early and feed them for harvest to produce more food for our families. That is why we thank God for each meal. He is the provider. Some will not agree with me and I understand.
The harvest video will be good to teach others how to care for the animal harvest. We must eat to live.
Thank you Vanessa you are a smart and sweet lady.
Your looking really beautiful recently van. X great video. And no I don't want to see animals die.
We all have these problems. Welcome to the club
Great Vanessa! Now I see that both of your eyes are blinking again. Concerning self sufficiency: Well, I have been through this too. I just did not have that many animals. I had a dog and some chickens, and I grew vegetables and fruit. I wanted to have sheeps to eat my grass instead of using a noisy Lawn mower, but you can't just have a few of them, because they are pack animals, and thereby my garden were not large enough for this, and I could not afford to buy a bigger piece of land. I also wanted to travel, but I could not of the same reason as you. Nobody wanted to help me to live this way, so after 14 years trying to become off grid living I had to give it up. Vanessa I know exactly what you are talking about.
Hello Vanessa, I understand what you're saying about decisions to make about your animals. My grandparents were ranchers in Colorado USA and I saw and helped with the slaughter of the sheep for personal consumption and for sale or barter . So carry on this is as you say right thing to do . All the best to you and your family.
I have never had my own farm but have worked on two in my lifetime .. It's a lot of work and a person has no idea until you have a farm .. It's not easy and it goes on every day .. I'm looking forward to your book ..
Although I'm not squeamish about animal slaughter, I can see it having a negative effect on your channel, so probably not a good idea. I always look forward to your fun and inspiring videos, thanks Vanessa and take care 👍🙂❤
Thank you Mike! Maybe you are right. We will see if I show it or not.
Best wishes, Vanessa
@@WildWomanBushcraft I think you should not show the animal harvest. I think it would get flagged by some who do not understand and do not want to understand.
@@WildWomanBushcraft I agree with Mike and Rembrandt. Although you are right in what you say, I think it would hurt your channel. Telling the audience that you choose to eat meat, and you choose to raise and harvest it humanely, is enough. This is the reality of eating meat. I appreciate your honesty and openness. Please don't show the harvest of animals. Thank you.
@@WildWomanBushcraft Also, remember that Survival Lilly had to make a restricted channel. RUclips might restrict your channel. This is not worth the risk for you, in my opinion.
I wouldn’t say either.
Self-sufficiency is another term for subsistence living (working all day to provide, food, warmth, water and $$).
Nobody ever said it would be easy. I think you've done a fine job, now tough decisions have to be made. I'm sure you know what to do and how to do it to maintain your lifestyle. Will be interesting to see the results. My best wishes for you in your endeavor. Be safe. See you next time.
You are right, having animals and being self sufficient is hard and your sincerity and being realistic is part of the process. I grew up most of the time on our Grandparents farm. The whole family came together to help from the planting of crops, gardening, milking the cows, feeding the animals and yes slaughtering the animals for meat. We were taught everything from a young age. I believe that you are doing the right thing teaching your children together as you family grows to respect and love your animals and treat them well. It was hard to slaughter but it was done in house by us so we respected them. It is all part of life. I found over the years that many of the people who visited us from the city really did not know about where their food came from. It’s almost like we’ll it comes packaged from the store. We did everything as a family, harvesting the crops, canning, freezing, packaging our food. I think is a survival need to know also. Decisions in life are real and we both can see your sincerity in what you teach your children. It is what brought us to your videos. We have like the majority of your viewers the highest respect for what you and your family do. We have no doubts that your children will appreciate everything you have taught them and they in turn will teach their own children. You touch our hearts and reminds us of how we were taught. God bless you all. 👍
Self-sufficiency is constant continuous hard work.
A difficult, stressful situation, but you are a strong woman and will overcome it.
Having only recently discovered your channel I am glad to see you have been making new videos, especially since I learned of your health problem which is now behind you.
🙏🏼❤️❤️❤️❤️ (one for each of you and your children)
Wunderschöne video, sehr profi-mässig gemacht.
Thank you! I think this is your best Video.
I'd love to see your process in dispatch of your animals. Glad to see you're doing good!
Thank you Vanessa , very good and informative
I would like to see Everything that is needed to be self sufficient, especially regarding the slaughtering, identification of what parts of the animal to eat and how to manage the products from the animals.
I have noticed that you seem to be doing a lot better with your illness as well and i hope that you manage to recover from it as soon as possible.
Thank you for all the content you have posted and shared with everyone.
I too am a naturalist and love to watch your exploration. I do not have enough land for self sufficient living, but I do what I can. I would like to see how you butcher to see if I can learn ways to improve my own process.
Looking so pretty in this yellow jacket ❤️👍
I think it is a great idea to cut down. Especially since you want to be able to leave for a few days. At least chickens and geese you can leave for a couple of days, make sure to leave enough food and water, they should be fine. At least the chickens & geese produce eggs and meat. Also it costs less to feed them. Maybe for now you should not have sheep. Maybe wait until you have more land and time to stay at home. Found your channel a few months ago. You are such an amazing and unique person. Love all the information you give.
I had the small ranch and it is rewarding to grow your own food,,,, Some may not like the picture of where their food comes from but it is a fact of life.I did set things up so we could leave for a few days..... think automatic water and free feeding.
Whatever you choose to do, you have my support. You will do it thoughtfully. In a way that gives any animal you care for the best life possible with the use you put it to. You eat meat and you should be prepared to kill what you eat.
You don't have to display those skills practically, but if you choose to, I am sure, you will be humane and an example of the best practice.
We are all partially self-sufficient. Acquiring skills allows us to be less reliant on others and able to provide for those less able in our communities.
I swear Vanessa saying sheeps is the cutest thing I’ve ever heard, it’s cuter than a basket of cute kitten video’s
And the gooses.
I grew up on a farm by a lake and a ranch 80 miles apart ... we raised our own meat (beef, pork and goats), produce, fowl and eggs, caught fish in the lake and hunted wild game ... I know your problems, but we had a mile by mile acre ranch and a 40 acre farm. There is nothing more satisfying than self sufficiency, but you need the land to do it right and that means a lot of work. If you have the energy to show videos of your achievements, I'll watch your videos with glee.
Thumbs up!!!
Clark
South Carolina LOVES YOU!!
So right. Starting with eating for the season. Keeping food animals is costly and a pain. I live in Alaska. Grow what you can, stock up for the cold season. Goat's and chickens, give the best bang for the buck. Chicken.. eggs, meat, feathers for insulation in clothes, feces contain high phosphorus for potassium nitrate.
i,m in full agreement with gerrry,farms have to be practical,also i,m very pleased your lives have improved since stalker,thanks for all the work you put into these videos,i don,t think most folks realize just how much work and money and time and etc. goes into producing these and make them enjoyable, as well as educational.take care
As a person who comes from a subsistence farming bakground, I always had to realize that farm animals were not pets. We raised them for food and we could not afford to feed them unless we could eat them. We raised corn and hay for feed and harvested it ourselves. No part of the animal was wasted. You need fields and pasturage to raise livestock and the ability to harvest yourself. When the time came we also did our own butchering so the animals could not be pets as you would never be able to kill them and process the meat.
We share the same back-ground.
I don't mind seeing it Vanessa, it's part of life and you have a much bigger respect for the way farming life is and what it entails. The humane dispatch of food stock is an important learning curve for so many. What a shame that kids today grow up thinking that beef, bacon and lamb come from a supermarket instead of the truth. I grew up learning the truth and tonight, I brought home a pheasant hen for a roast dinner Monday evening. The rats, I'd say get yourself a Jack Russell...excellent ratting dogs
Congratulations on your decision to change your life! It is not success or failure. It is change, which is growth. You have entered the next stage of your life! I look forward to seeing videos of your new process.
Perhaps a Patreon channel for videos that not everyone will be glad to see?
Always interesting to see how different people in the world live .
Homesteading is popular here ( USA)also .
All the best !
I think it will be very educational for this young generation to see the animal slaughter. Many young people dont have this life skill, knowledge and values. Really really important.
Vanessa as always I enjoy your video and you are such a wonderful and intelligent young woman. I would love to read your book I may get it even though I do not speak nor read German , or I may wait to see if you get an English version. You look great today I am loving seeing those dimples again. Keep smiling
nice to see your face and eye are back to normal :-)
it's nice that you've recovered so nicely . i was worried . i wouldn't mind seeing you harvest an animal . as a retired dairy farmer, i understand the demands animal farming puts on a person.
People act like they want REALITY what they really want is fantasy.... Major problem in the world today!!! Thank you very much for REAL REALITY......
Fantastic informative, think you should show it all and if people don't want to see it's a choice that everyone has x
si, si quiero ver la parte dos. muy lindo video
Said it before, I'll say it again... Your unique Vanessa. Your range, shall I say "width & depth" of living is just astonishing to me and the work that requires must often have you run ragged yet you remain dedicated. I've never met you, probably never met anyone even remotely like you. You understand balance which in its own right is pretty rare these days in the modern portions of the world.
So I just have to ask you since you have so much width/depth as a person how do you keep YOUR balance. Farm, I get... You stubborness & tenacity I get, the more a "Person is" per se the more balanced they need be to actually be that person. Most folks are not that. You take care of an entire family young and old, you take care of a farm, you have a literal lifetime of knowledge yet are not old and atop that embrace the old and the new. Exactly how do you do that and stay balanced more or less grow as a person? That astonishes me.
Dear Vanessa we can the see stress in your soul you have love for your animals I don't think anyone likes to see animals destroyed look after yourself and I hope things work out all my love and God bless
You have to do what you need to do to live and survive Vanessa, I give you great reward and respect Vanessa, may Father bless you, your family, and farm all your days, and your families days, thank you Vanessa, very happy to see you again.
Hello Harold,
thank you for your support! That means a lot to me!
Best wishes, Vanessa
@@WildWomanBushcraft ❤
❤
I grew up on a farm and in my area I would only be able to have 2 sheep per acre per year I don’t know what your situation is but everything on the farm has to support itself . I wouldn’t show the dispatching of the animals but the processing of the animals is always interesting to me . If you don’t have the property to grow hay then the sheep will have to produce enough lambs to be sold to buy hay with enough lambs for home use. This would go for everything else on the farm chickens,geese ,rabbits. 2 males one goes in the pot . Hen stops laying eggs she goes in the pot .
MARAVILHOSA...........INCRÍVEL...............ESPETACULAR...........
I wish you a lot of luck. Farm animals always want to get out. I grew up on a farm. It's a lot of work, but I would go back if I could. As for the butchering, it's part of life on some farms. Take care, sweet lady. :)
Excellent video . I think that it is important to know where food comes from and how it gets to the final destination,which is dinner plate . RUclips may not like it . Some people may not like it . But put in a informational , educational way I think it is beneficial. It is never easy to kill animals for food but it is life . A process of life that many people are disconnected with . I support your decision to show it or not show it . It is your channel .
I can relate Vanessa. Love you from Colorado.
Thank you for your comment!
If you want, please visit and subscribe my second channel " Vanessa Blank - Bushcraft & Adventure"
ruclips.net/user/OutdoorBavaria
Thank you for your support!
Best regards, Vanessa
ruclips.net/user/OutdoorBavaria
Hi Vanessa, you are awesome. Nice video!
Hi Vanessa, how ever says being selfsufient is all sunshine and Rose's are dreaming. That's alot of hard work. Stay safe and healthy.
Hi Vanessa......sorry to hear about your difficulties on your farm. I have heard that farms require a large family to keep up with all the work (7 people or more depending on the size).
You are both a courageous woman but also a hard working person to have tried to keep the farm working.
I hope things work out for you.....Eagle Eric
Vanessa, In the states we call your set up a hobby farm, we enjoy just having animals around us because its a (hobby), you have to pay for your hobby. If you have a (farm) then its different, life and death circle.comes down to a (choice). When it comes to animals the grass is always greener on the other side. Love you, Vanessa, Circle of life.
Thank you for your comment!
If you want, please visit and subscribe my second channel " Vanessa Blank - Bushcraft & Adventure"
ruclips.net/user/OutdoorBavaria
Thank you for your support!
Best regards, Vanessa
ruclips.net/user/OutdoorBavaria
Hello Vannesa happy week 💞
I would watch your video it's part of living on a farm. Not a good day for you but it has to be done. Stay safe Vanessa.
Thanks for sharing
Thank's for this video in farm, like!
I personally don’t want to see you kill your animal. I know it has to be done when you have a farm. I think if you need to downsize your farm , than you should. I believe Balance is one of the keys in life.
Killing for a living. Nothing has changed for 50.000 years. Now, the government is killing our elder people with a so called 'vaccine'.
@@peerx7866 I think you have been indoctrinated with propaganda. I suppose you support insurrection in the USA as well?
@@rembrandtshadows In Germany they raised a bar of 8,5 meters representing the 85 million citizens. There is a yellow line of people that possibly died with, at or covid19. That line is 4 mm and consist of mostly elderly people. Those who gave up freedom for a little bit safety, deserves none of them.
Have you thought about camping pods on your land? You could rent them out and get people to come and stay and help out on the farm for a short time.
But you still will have your garden and fruits !!!
Hi Vanessa. 👋🇨🇦 It's not easy as you said. It's the circle of life. All homesteaders face this day. I wouldn't be offended.
People need to know your steak isn't just going to fall onto your plate.
Lots of trapping and hunting videos show almost everything involved. Especially knowing the process of using the whole animal.
Blessings from Manitoba 🇨🇦
Some may not like to watch such things and I understand that way of thinking too.
Our process as Native Peoples...we teach our kids this from the start. To respect the life and know it's a gift.
To only take what you need and respect all life.
I enjoy the truth you share and your way of living .
From seeing some comments I wouldn't show the kill just the knowledge of how to process properly and safely.
Have a wonderful weekend Vanessa.
All the best to you and yours 👋🇨🇦
Even though ive farmed all my life and am an avid hunter and fisherman, processing myself most of my own meat i would recommend not doing the video-all it takes is one city slicker to get offended and report you. Its not worth the possible hassle.
Having our own homestead and living off what meat & vegetables we raise is a dream come true in the environment we live in. Unfortunately the imbalance isn't convenient for everyone for whatever our separate situations maybe due to not having enough land or living with limited space. Understandably reasonable but sadly you have to trim the sheep to balance your situation. I am rooting for you to figure it out and with the help of your family, things have a better chance for improvement when they are dealt with and thought out thoroughly. From what I perceived in viewing your past videos, you have this strength & perception built into you naturally👍! As we continue to follow your postings.......
Shepherds raise sheep for milk and wool in the mountainous regions of the Himalayas. They've mostly female sheep in their herds except a few males. Full-time farmers, who do not have time, give their milking pets to labor families who give half the milk to the farmer and keep half of it themselves. Adopt 'where there's a will there's a way'.
Good success👍💚
I know exactly what you are going through. I grew up on a ranch in Colorado. We had about 1000 acres to use. We had to be careful not to overgraze. We could have about 100 cows plus 4 milk cows a few sheep and always a lot of chickens and other birds. Mountain lions and coyotes were always a problem as well as birds of prey. We also had a huge garden and fruit trees plus we collected wild fruits and berries. Everything had to be preserved for winter. Some smoked or dried and lots of things in jars. It was always hard to slaughter one of our animals. We sold the calves when they were big enough and we sold milk and eggs. Everyone had to work from kids to grandparents. It was a hard life but also the best years of my life. Yes we were self sufficient but it was not an easy life.
I’d love to live like that. We plan to have something similar in a few years. I’ve seen a pig being slaughtered at a home.
He Vehessa I personaly totaly understand your delimmer in what to do I personaly understand your predicadement as I grew up ona very diverse farm in victoria Australia where we grew & produced many animals but rerality & finaccccnces always take prioroty over sentemrnt, we all have to live and survive & that is exactly how God designed it God bless you & your own special family .
I agree with u and understand the situation. I was raised on a horse farm and my grandpa had cattle. I think humane slaughter is necessary and important to understand. It is a sensitive topic but done in a very respectful and reverent way, it provides viewers with some very valuable information. I vote to see the process. If it bothers someone, they can always stop the video and choose not to watch
Thank you for your comment!
If you want, please visit and subscribe my second channel " Vanessa Blank - Bushcraft & Adventure"
ruclips.net/user/OutdoorBavaria
Thank you for your support!
Best regards, Vanessa
ruclips.net/user/OutdoorBavaria
Great video
As I was growing up we had to to what you do
Food from grocery store is filled with things to make then grow fast
I think what you do is great
By 7 years old I was helping my parents dispatch the animals
I’m 63 now helping with slaughtering didn’t hurt me
If anything I have more respect for the animals
Vanessa, I had a small family farm for years,. You need to focus on Raising more chickens for both meat and eggs for your family use. It is easy to have many chickens. Also you can sell eggs and meat chickens for extra income. We also got an incubator and hatched our own baby chicks to increase our flock and sell babies. Go on line and study poultry farming to avoid making mistakes... Sheep are very difficult and not cost efficient. I know because we had sheep before. Sheep are trouble! Good luck. I love your videos... I wish I could talk to you more to help you.
i used to raise cows and horses. you have to have more then one pasture so you can rotate then on the land so the land can recover from then.
I suppose it depends on what mood I am in, whether or not I could watch a killing. Like others, I think it's useful information to know. Also, like others, I think YT may block it.
Best wishes to you. I am grateful that you show various sides of self sufficiency.
Very good video. Reminds me of my time on the farm with my grandad. And I remember those tough decisions also. As to the slaughter video, I think it might be interesting. Plus it would be a good reality check for some folks. You just need to know the reality of what you're getting into. The good and the bad.
I realize how lucky we are in North America because land is relatively inexpensive. That allows us to have families (like the Amish) who live almost entirely on subsistence farming. This usually does include some type of other commerce like selling produce at local markets or doing some outside work with crafts, etc). And their lives are rather modest because their lack of ready cash precludes them buying many manufactured items like appliances, cars, etc.