@Rick Borghuis Same here. My mother says why I can't make lettuce and carrots in quantity when his father (who was a mason, not the other granpa farmer) just threw seeds and they went sick eating all kinds of vegetables all year. I still fail to grow lettuce, plenty of tomatoes, but slugs and snails are impossible to control. Nor I can have birds to roam free, my cats would eat them.
Agreed! Feeling so blessed to have grown up with parents who gardened and raised animals for food (we had rabbits, chickens, pigs and steer at various times through the years) as well as venison and other game through friends and family. And as I've grown older, and moved to a more "suburban" environment and live and work around so many that grew up there, I realize how atypical my childhood was. I have been keeping chickens for 3 years (and always wanted chickens even before 'urban chickens' were 'cool'! :) ), and I have gardened in some way off and on my whole life. It just seems like you should have a few skills or at least an idea of how to do some things yourself.
I’ve gardened for 16 years straight, even while in a wheelchair, through back surgery and bed ridden, thanks to my amazing husband. I’m limited in what I can physically do, but I can, preserve, forage, grow and cook foods from my yard and surrounding areas. I also bake and can make homemade candy to rival sweet shops. I’ve made soap for years. All these skills are forgotten by many my age and very few of the younger group know how to do them. I am teaching my kids to do this too. These are as important as keeping a budget, doing taxes, and paying bills. Life skills have been neglect3d for too long.
Im glad then that Im not of that generation. Im a Country gal in North of Sweden and my family and I have always grown some veggies and my uncle breed pigs and hens although not in a big way only like 50 pigs. and my mothers cousin breeds cattle for the meat its eko friendly, and they are living in free range all year around but they can go inside an lay on heated floor and hay. Calfs, cows and bulls go together. then there are the hunters in the family. I have killed creatures for the meat with my two hands its the natural way and its quick and painless and the animals are given the best care we can give them before that they are happy as far as we can tell. and Im happy to know that in a crisis like this I know how to feed myself from using the land both by hunting/fishing, gathering plants and grow plants and keep animals for food.
Fasting is okay. I find going weeks without because im poor an refuse to be a part of the butchery. Fruit only baby. An im still doing two finger pushups. Get you some
The Home Styling Guide has been designed for people who want to improve their home and decorate it professionally. In times of a global pandemic people spend more time at home and and many of us have taken this time to look for ways to make our personal spaces more beautiful. The Home Styling Guide is like a crash course in Interior Design. It imparts the same knowledge as a certficateion course, however does not have any exams at the end of it. It is rather designed to be a pleasant read with lots of beautiful images and graphics, that help translate the theory into practical examples. The 8 chapters comprise: 1. Introduction to Interior design 2. The basic design principles 3. Color Theory 4. Materials used in Interior Design 5. Interior Lighting 6. Space Planning 7. How to create a Design Concept 8. Styling tipps www.digistore24.com/redir/350912/kavindu876/
I really appreciate the advice, "You don't have to be self-sufficient in everything, just something." I easily get obsessive and fall into the cognitive distortion of all-or-nothing thinking, overwhelming myself and halting progress.
I'm the exact same way and it's certainly the reason why I have yet to try my hand at any of The gardening projects that I have always Wanted to attempt.
@@Curtis.Carpenter I'm trucking along with my new vermicompost system. Second attempt! Still too scared of failure to put plants in the ground myself, so I'm building up to it by focusing on soil health first. Baby steps, right?
@@homeiswonderland Well, you ARE starting a garden. Baby steps all the way! =) Last year I had a really bad manic episode where I spent hundreds of € setting up garden beds. Followed by extreme anxiety which had me only occasionally water plants after sundown, lest I be seen f-ing up. I‘m trying to do better this year. Since the basis was already built, I just had to freshen the beds up, get some mowed grass to top the soil, and then put the classic seed combo of onions, carrots, radishes, and salad in. I also have some felt gardening bags for tomatoes. The garden bed stuff is mostly upkeep free, just check moisture occasionally and space out seedlings. And the tomatoes get a daily water check. So… I have kind of a good feeling. If you don’t know where to even start: One valid option is buying one bag of planting earth and a few seeds. But the bag down, cut a few holes into it. Turn over, cut a few holes into it. These top holes, you fold the foil to the inside and put your seeds/seedlings in. It’s a mini raised bed. In late autumn after everything is done, you cut the bag open and spread the earth out a bit. It’s good for herbs and salads. Rucola and lettuce are extremely easy to take care of. And if you don’t manage to eat all of it, rucola has some really beautiful flowers that bees love. =)
Start really small… we started with a patio garden of a few pots of tomatoes and Basil, a bag of potatoes, and a container with carrots. That gave us the confidence to then grow in the ground those same plants plus try some like cucumbers and zucchini which are easy and prolific without much work.
In these crazy times... the calm & friendly voice of a dinkum Aussie gardener helping us make good choices for the future is reassuring and infinitely helpful... thank you.
honesty i never realised how calming this bloke is till i read this comment. I wish my wife would watch these vids as it might calm her down haha (she's super stressed with the lock down) roll eyes!!
Mark, your videos helped me get through 2020, now in 2021 my wife and I have a successful homestead started. Many raised garden beds producing tons of veggies, 15 Chickens, 14 ducks and 2 geese! Thank you for showing us the beauty and love of backyard farming. Gardening is so good for your mental health in these hard times.
Well done Randy. I have everything I need but leave the place for 5 months a year to avoid having to live in a miserable cold environment. So I find it hard to establish all the above and then leave it, maybe someone has a suggestion.
I feel like your point about how people underestimate their abilities is a super important one. Not only that I think that people almost get blocked by perfectionism and think that cobbling something together is worse than doing nothing which couldn't be further from the truth! If it looks stupid but works, it ain't stupid!
I remember when we were kids, we built billy carts and cubby houses. Half the time they fell apart, especially if there was a storm but it was how we learned things and did it a better way next time. People are too afraid of making mistakes, treating them as failure rather than a learning experience.
So true. The flip side of watching gardening videos for inspiration, is feeling like I have to do it perfectly, or why bother? Some of these growers are just amazing. And for those of us who cannot afford a ton of amendments, a $300 water bill, sprays, fertilizers, wood chips and the lumber for raised beds, it can be discouraging to even start. That is why I plant fruit trees. I can't be out in the Florida sun chasing bugs off my lettuce (if I had any). I want to be able to walk outside, do a bit of watering if it's needed, put a bit of extra mulch around, and not worry about it. There is stuff to learn, like how to prune properly, but sometimes fruit trees do splendidly with neglect, too. Local nurseries have a large selection of appropriate trees for your area, and when you start with a 5' tree just planted, it can make you feel like you grew it yourself!
Even when you fail at something, you usually learn something. My first time growing tomatoes, I got nothing. This is my 3rd time and I have dozens of huge beautiful tomatoes. If someone with my brown thumb can learn, so can everyone else.
Sooo...I didn't take into account that I live in a newish cul-de-sac where there is no top soil. The techniques that were successful for my grandparents just down the street are not effective because they have soil that was once farmland. I have the clay bed of Death inhabited by devils grass and fire ants. My poor soil required copious amounts of clay breaker and compost to be successful. Also the tomatoes like the side of the house that gets morning sun rather than afternoon...idk. Also my heirloom plants react to their environment differently than the hybrids favored by my grandparents. So far this year, I have harvested about 11 gallons from 16 plants and I will process the 3 boxes I picked this week today! Woo learning!
Indiana, USA…This was so well done. I am 68 yrs old and have never really built much but in 2020 have scrounged around for wood, dragged out my dad’s old hand saw and gave it a go. Have constructed 10 or so garden beds and am growing in containers inside many of them. Went to goodwill and bought what canning jars I could, running them through the sanitizing cycle in my dishwasher, asked around among family and friends for canning supplies,etc. I put up an inexpensive greenhouse all by myself. It has all been by myself. By the end of 2021 I have fine-tuned and better organized my efforts, eating my canned goods, etc. I am anxiously looking forward to 2022 as I mulch leaves, break up sticks, add food scraps, shredded paper etc to the two new pallet compost bins I have held together with zip ties! Having a good time creating, getting exercise, growing and eating my foods. I am vegetarian so have not branched out into keeping animals. You stay safe. I appreciate learning so much from you. Thank you.
This is encouraging. I just turned 60 and am just getting started. I was afraid it was too late, but you changed my mind. 😊 I still have a few more years before I can retire, so this is a great head start.
Hi beefriendly!! I was just looking you up yesterday to see where I can buy more of your honey. Was shocked to see where you're located. Thanks for great honey ❤️
When the educational system abroad has people caught up in this “quick and easy” consumer hustle culture, they make it seem as if there is no fun and joy in taking the time out of the day to develop life skills.
I thnk having a garden makes people live longer. Not from eating the food, but from the feeling it gives the gardener. It is the most peaceful pursuit. Can be a lot of work, especially in the beginning, but it is peaceful work, the food TASTES better and knowing you grew it is a satisfying feeling. You are a good presenter as well. BB
Dude. I want you to know I’m eating up every little thing you’re putting out. Especially as an educator, currently not educating due to our quarantine. You’re inspiring me daily.
I’ve just found you and I think you are going to change my life. I retired nearly two years ago and I’m caring for my 97yr mother and have my wonderful 21 yr grandson living with us. He’s just finished building us four quite large raised beds. Seeds have also just arrived and so a new adventure awaits us. I’m relying on you my friend to walk us through this lol. Subscribed😊🇬🇧
I started gardening at the age of 20 and have been doing it for almost 2 years now . You have helped me a lot into creating a different lifestyle for my self and future family . Thanks for all your knowledge !!
When I see good videos like this I usually take my time to appreciate the experts who make these videos possible, it's not easy to help a lot of people make money
Current events have rekindled my interest in self sufficiency. I've been using the extra time I have at home to start some small projects on my 1/4 acre lot. Happy to have found this channel, much more relatable than some of the "prepper' info out there.
I love second hand materials and the homemade “shoddy” look. I have much more respect for it than say something already made overpriced items in markets. When you try, you learn valuable lessons. You also save the planet by piecing together leftover lumber, etc. As long as it serves its function, you did good! There’s also something beautiful about things handmade that become heavily relied upon.
The Home Styling Guide has been designed for people who want to improve their home and decorate it professionally. In times of a global pandemic people spend more time at home and and many of us have taken this time to look for ways to make our personal spaces more beautiful. The Home Styling Guide is like a crash course in Interior Design. It imparts the same knowledge as a certficateion course, however does not have any exams at the end of it. It is rather designed to be a pleasant read with lots of beautiful images and graphics, that help translate the theory into practical examples. The 8 chapters comprise: 1. Introduction to Interior design 2. The basic design principles 3. Color Theory 4. Materials used in Interior Design 5. Interior Lighting 6. Space Planning 7. How to create a Design Concept 8. Styling tipps www.digistore24.com/redir/350912/kavindu876/
@@dentside78 Nice one. I have a paper factory less than 1km from my house and they are only too pleased when I come and take the pallets away. You can make fences, tables chairs, raised gardens and no doubt some other things too with pallets. A bit of wire and some pallets and you can build a house if you need to!
Making self sufficiency accessible to everyone. We live in a 'specialism' driven world where we shouldn't try to do what we are not trained or qualified to do. It's frustrating. Thank you for reminding us that we are capable of so much.
I found you 50 years to late. There were 12 of us and my parents never really taught us to help grow and cook etc. Too late now. Almost 70 yrs young in mind but not so much in body. I can just watch you and pretend I'm by your side. Thank you for being real and sharing your videos
I watched all the videos, I really enjoy his style, in a year (after my marriage) I'm starting my homestead in North Africa and all thanks to "Self Sufficient Me"!!! Thank you man you're a treasure!! Keep up the good work!!! Cheers 🥂
Not gonna lie, I get way too attached to animals to be able to raise them for meat - luckily for me, eggs are a great source of protein all on their own 👍👍
We did get attached to our chickens, so it was just the eggs that were the use...also they eat most anything, Your coops will be insect free for sure. But for me, they compete for my compost material and that is a balancing act. Get some peeps, and watch there personalities grow.
@@davidbocek Yeah, now I just need a house with a backyard and I'll be all set! Until that happens, I've got a good amount of dried lentils and a freezer full of veggies to tide me over. I'll be going vegan by necessity at the end of this, but I don't mind - I've got a tiny freezer in my studio apartment, and fresh veggies don't last long. I'll keep saving up for a house, not like I'll be doing a lot of shopping for the foreseeable future 😅
FaerieDust I think that if I know ahead of time that I am going to slaughter them, I’ll be ok with that idea. I wouldn’t treat them like pets from the start. I do have two chickens in my house and they are my little babies
This 71 years young enjoys your videos. I'm a prepper-but it started in my youth from living with relatives that survived the Great Depression in Oklahoma. Everything you say in your videos is spot on. Thanks.
Hi Vicki, My Mom was just a baby in New York during the Depression. Forty years later, at the age of 10, I realised that the homemade soap that she made from recovered meat fats was a tradition borne of Midwestern and Texan necessity (to keep those forebears clean). An hour in the garden was required of us kids every weekend. I would spend more than my share of hours helping her grow in the Garden State, New Jersey, building the first of many compost screeners and nourishing the fabulous strawberries and tomatoes that flourished there. A friend's mother met his Dad in France during WWII and I learned about 'sheet composting' from her (digging kitchen scraps into the periphery of the garden) as it was practiced during the war in Europe. More than 70 years after my Mom was born, two of her grandsons learned to garden at their local primary school, a small rural school in New Zealand. They too have a tradition of keeping these skills alive - attach a reward to it and the ones that don't excel in sports or academia find a strength or passion to pursue. All the best for a fantastic New Year!
Many years listening to the stories as the previous generation spoke to their friends and watching their skills in the garden sets the Boomers up to be self suffient. Skill sets for which I am very thankful. Thanks for sharing.
It really does. I’m super jealous. I wish we could live like this. But how? We don’t own land. We don’t have wealth. Mark says Often people don’t get started because they don’t know how to build stuff. NO. More often, it’s because people don’t already own land and/or can’t afford to quit their jobs ... DUH
@@indigo22284 Well, not to tell you what to do, but that's where you can start with containers! There are also youtube channels about urban sustainability, you might be inspired by videos about guerilla gardening or foraging. It's amazing what'll grow in a container. Five gallon buckets are great, or empty milk jugs, or even plastic grocery bags. (I've seen people hang them by the handles in front of their windows and plant in them!) I know it's not the whole farm, but it's a start, and when you find things you like and can grow well, it starts cutting down your grocery bill amd encourages you to grow more. (And I know he makes it seem easy, but being self-sufficient is still a lot of work, starting small is a good idea for anyone!)
@@sullendragon8900 Exactly. You can start when living in a prison cell. I lived in Tokyo where there was NO garden. So I turned a 2 sq metre patch of garbage into a garden and everyone around was amazed at what I had achieved. There is NO excuse for not having seeds growing as soon as the temperatures get above 10˚c at night. We all know. Water is still not taxed. A lot came down on us today. ~Such a thing.
@@kennethkeen1234 well, that is a bit harsh, I was aiming more for inspiration. People don't *have* to do anything, and time and willpower are certainly obstacles for some people. But I am impressed that you managed so much in so little space! :)
Thank you for giving these tips in such a positive way. I've temporarily stopped watching some of the other RUclipsrs who are clearly panicked. Keep calm and garden on 👍🌿
How can anybody dislike and put thumbs down for this fantastic channel. Mark is uplifting hopeful positive and spreads joy and good cheer. His teachings with great humour benefiting many people who have lost their jobs.
they want to heard everyone into concrete boxes in the sky packed millions into small cities so the ultra rich can buy up all the arable land and further enrich themselves by keeping the majority of the population hostage to their whims.
It started with the school system. Don't homeschool your children and teach them how to fend for themselves by cooking, growing, harvesting, storing and building your own just send them to us and we'll teach them they are poor, they need higher education which doesn't teach them how to survive just become enslaved to the economic system we are brewing up so they'll depend on our system for ever.
You were taught by society to be a mindless worker so that you'd stay in a factory or in front of a computer. "Dependency" comes with the expectation that they'll take care of you. They won't, they'll replace you with another mindless worker--or a robot, whichever is cheaper.
Another very charitable approach is "rescue hens" - we got 6 battery hens which were in sort-of okay nick when we got them, but you should see them now! We get 5 eggs a day, not sure why the sixth isn't producing, but hey, that's still seriously totally heaps of eggs! And they are AMAZING!!!
I love this guy and his content. He has so much credibility because he's showing what he's already done as opposed to an average youtuber who sticks a seed in the ground and then asks for donations. This property has been transformed for almost two decades. Imagine how many mistakes this man has made, how much he's learned, how many questions he has asked? Support this man, he's teaching you how to live.
You can also rent land to use to grow a garden, if it is for agriculture people are willing to allow the use of their land for an exchange for food or pay the property tax for the owner. Just ask around and the word will get out, don’t be afraid to make it happen!
If you use all parts of the garden you can grow a whole lot of veggies. Use the fences / walls with hanging pots. Use the same planter with a low lying fruit / veg with a trellis to grow beans / peas above them. You can keep quail in a rabbit hutch just fine.
Better to start learning the skills now and make your mistakes on a balcony garden, then you'll be much more experienced when you get your land one day, rather than buying the land now and making the mistakes on a much larger scale!
@Self-sufficient Me From your own backyard, you have been planting seeds all across the world by inspiring us, teaching and leading by outstanding examle. The humble, good nature & honest approach to hard work is what makes you a 'bloody legend' in my book Mike. Thank you! Greetings and warm regards from SAfrika
The Home Styling Guide has been designed for people who want to improve their home and decorate it professionally. In times of a global pandemic people spend more time at home and and many of us have taken this time to look for ways to make our personal spaces more beautiful. The Home Styling Guide is like a crash course in Interior Design. It imparts the same knowledge as a certficateion course, however does not have any exams at the end of it. It is rather designed to be a pleasant read with lots of beautiful images and graphics, that help translate the theory into practical examples. The 8 chapters comprise: 1. Introduction to Interior design 2. The basic design principles 3. Color Theory 4. Materials used in Interior Design 5. Interior Lighting 6. Space Planning 7. How to create a Design Concept 8. Styling tipps www.digistore24.com/redir/350912/kavindu876/
I've been watching you for a little while now, and I just had to leave a comment. You present yourself to me, as such an honest, kind, entertaining, passionate, charming, charismatic, intelligent, knowledgeable & inspiring person. You have taught me a great deal in the numerous videos that I've watched now. You can always put a smile on my face, and a few chuckles here, and there. 🥰 I'm not one to comment publicly very often, if at all. However, I really felt the need to Express my feelings, and opinions for you & what you do. You're doing an excellent job, and you're very much a person to look up to. Thanks So Much! P.S.- Bad Nematode infestation on old widespread/farmland property...what can someone do in a situation like that? Where to even start? If you have any knowledge on the subject, or any good resources, I would love to hear! Much Appreciated!! Sincerely, Chelsea
You can also buy good nematodes to inoculate your soil with. The good ones actually eat the bad ones. If you can get the good ones to work for you they will spread and drive out the bad ones. This way mother nature is working with you rather than against you. Good luck.
I am 67 and my grandparents always had gardens, grapes, rhubarb, asparagus, and hunted and fished. Oddly, I do not know how to do much with it all, but, am learning more as I can. I love this channel, and am sharing too!
OMG - we laughed so hard when you said that you're not a master carpenter, as anyone who's watched you can attest! You have a wonderful dry wit and make very smart suggestions. Thank you for making the video! We've subscribed!
How can we ever thank you enough? I am so brand spanking new to this type of THINKING, yet alone living, and videos like these are such a good place to start! You have so much wisdom and I am so thankful that you share it with us newbies!
Diane from 'Cape Town, SAfrica. Sit for hours learning from you. Our climates are similar. Thank you. Starting to eat more from my potted garden. Please don't stop. 👏
YES! "Get rid of that grass..." lawn is like the most *USELESS* "crop" to endeavour to cultivate. Fortunately, our chooks love to "mow my lawn" in the back, so my back lawn isn't a total waste of.
I agree... a perfectly manicured lawns IS a big waste. However, I just planted out a new lawn at the end of last Summer luckily. Did a mixture of grass that ruminants love (Orchard grass and others in the mix) and white Dutch clover. The clover will feed the soil/grass 3,000 lbs of nitrogen per year, feed the bees with their flowers, and feed the chickens. I only have 1 acre of grass that I plan to mow. I will be bagging said hay type grass several times a year and using it to make COMPOST for the garden AND HAY for the chickens/other animals. To make hay... just spread it out on a tarp on the driveway. Then bag it in burlap bags and hang in a dry place. Did you know that grass can arrest carbon faster than even a forest? I had no idea. Just have to wait right before it goes to seed and then cut it. That will cause it to drop a lot of it's deep roots and build the soil/arrest carbon.
He never said grass was useless, his poltry feeds of the insects and what not hidding in grass, once you mow the lawn, collect the grass, it's rich in nitrogen and good green material for compost. Useless... nothing in nature is useless. Just simply turn some of the grass into a vegetable garden, you can have a nice lawn and a vegetable garden. Look at his land...
The take out message for me is to lower the amount of lawn and raise the vege growing areas. When the kids were really little lawn is a great idea. Now as they are close to grown up, I would rather have more raised beds (just got to convince the rest of the family!)
Just wanted to say, re: affordable raised bed/planters....I use cinder blocks,in a pentagon shape,three rows high,(four hi around my peach tree)...very affordable and the extra added plus;I can crack open the sides,slide the entire plant out and into a wheelbarrow when the first freezes encroach(Colorado),wheel plant into garage,and back out when it warms up. Good exercise. Plus,I re-purpose old speaker boxes into planters,for winter time in and out portability as well...and just put an old glass window over re-purposed small freight containers...boom;greenhouse. Grow baby grow ! (save them seeds)
I asked my grandmother, years ago, how do you know when to slaughter the chicken. She said, " when the kids are hungry enough and the chicken is fat enough" I think if your kids really were hungry, you could do it.
Same here. Was inspired by this channel to build my first raised beds. If you known kzn, we had to make it monkey proof. 21day in isolation family project.
@@leannrobb8567 How would that be better than this? I think it be drastically inferior and destroy his autonomy with generic rules. People simply need to realize that TV is crap compared to RUclips.
I’m having another bad day and am feeling pretty stressed out right now. This was surprisingly soothing and in a way encouraging. Hope I can do what you’re doing one day, cheers.
Thank you for stating the difference between storing in vinegar and true fermenting. True fermented good, without vinegar, are probiotic foods containing trillions of colony-forming units (cfu's), and are highly beneficial to gut health. Thank you for your site. I'm really learning a lot👍
Thank you! It was a long Saturday editing and then I realised I couldn't get the video out that night so I got up early today (Sunday) and edited for another 8 hours for a Sunday afternoon upload. All good - I enjoy creating videos as much as growing food but they both take effort which I'm happy to do especially for all those generous people donating their time to watch my content. Cheers :)
I really loved the 'build' portion of this, it is totally about ANYONE being capable of putting some type of structure together if they need to! And I loved that he didn't get stuck on 'pushing organic rice' purchases, which I'm sure he would personally prefer! Just buy and store some rice, you can't make it yourself! Some things have to be PURCHASED during a crisis. It will depend on your situation and your WANT TO. Some of our newly minted 'gardeners' will stop after the crisis has passed. Not everyone is truly interested or SUITED to be a veggie gardener or Homesteader. (or real Farmer).
Thank you for saying not everyone is suited in being a gardener. I'm in this category. I also rent and I think my landlord would be more than a little annoyed if I dug up his lawn to grow vegetables, or put in a chook house and run.
If you're in the US you either buy Lundberg rice or get organic. Rice is grown on old cotton fields which were drenched in arsenate pesticides, and rice grown there tests many times too high in arsenic. Lundberg was the first to start sourcing rice from untreated fields
8:10 here in eastern europe we have this trick for making quick DIY latches, where you hammer in a nail half way and then bend it over. You can then rotate the bent over nail to lock something.
All I can hear in my head: "Bodgy Builder can he fix it? Bodgy Builder, yes he can!" Lol! I completed Geoff Lawton's permaculture design course about 6 years ago and due to life circumstances didn't really keep up. Getting inspired again. Loving the content mate, thank you!
10:41...wait for it...10:50...wait for it...10:58 - BAM! That is some gorgeous corn! I was not prepared for that color! Fantastic. That was worth the wait. :)
I'm reclaiming and replanting my veg garden which has been fallow for two years. Being isolated at home has motivated me. Thank you, Mark. Your videos have been inspiring!
This was a valuable and lighthearted public service. Excellent short overview. This is also a good time to become familiar with wild plants to forage in your area, you know, just in case.
Greetings from the US brother. I'm a old Marine and I always work on improving my survivability. My wife is old Army. Together we work as a team to build a sustainable life if things turn south. We've prepped food storage to the roof in our pantry. We know that this food isn't just for us but for our neighbors in that great need time that will be a blessing from God to both us and them. Found your channel and really appreciate your tips. I've bought a fantastic book that has forgotten knowledge of the pioneers that will be very handy in a time which I believe we're heading towards. But this was a great beginning to help with sustained food. Subscribed and looking forward to learning from you as well brother! God bless!
What a wonderful video! Thank you! I live in an apartment in Jordan Amman I had bought while I was working in Iraq. But now that I moved back to Jordan and life is getting more and more expensive, this is exactly my future plan- to sell the apt, buy a big piece of land, a decent size house built in the middle, and a wonderful self-sufficient garden and life.
Mark, I'm in Oklahoma, USA, I couldn't agree more! Your locks on the chicken coup are what my granny had on her chicken coups! To me, that's brilliant and ingenuity. I do love watching your videos!
Summary: • Growing your own food (vegetables & fruits) • Making your own carbohydrates (pasta, bread etc) • Having animals, eating their meat or their eggs and milk (poultry is the best and easiest) • DIY (make your own creations, constructions, pottery, electricity..) • Storing the plants you harvest (pickling them etc)
@@indigo22284 Dead easy Amanda. Grab the empty bottles from the bin. Cut the top quarter not completely off but almost. The plants will grow in the bigger part. Poke a thrownaway broom handle through the round screwcap hole (it is EXACTLY THE SAME SIZE AS ALL BROOM HANDLES) and then HANG as many as you want from the broom. Collect soil from where ever you can pick it up. Don't even TALK about "dirt" since that is yankcrap, it does not exist in the real world. Then gather up your cents and splash out some day and buy a 40cent packet of seeds. Get your friend to so exactly the same and each get different seeds. Give your friend half the seeds. Do it with six people and end up with six different vegetables. Put the seeds in the soil in the bottles and then water them EVERY SINGLE DAY. But you don't know how to get the 40 cents? Well I will give you tips for that if you say you just can't manage those hard to find bits of metal. No more complaints - just do it and then sell the pots with veg in them or later with flowers to rich people who want to hang some alternative flowering pots on their verandas. You don't know where you can buy seeds? Well give me your address and I will explain. You don't have time? OK I understand. Then lie down and die. Someone will come along and clear the mess.
We too are horrible at building. But our run is a portable carport with chicken wire around it and a couple used screen doors. A Rick rack coop we keep clean. Free chickens. I use my front lawn as a nice clean place to let them hang out. They run in the garden a little as pest control. LOVING YOUR LOCK. so helpful.
I've always wanted to be self-sufficient, but difficult to do when renting a unit or a house with strict landlords and dodgy real estate agents. Aiming to rectify this buy saving up to buy a property in the countryside.
Grow in pots and buckets. I live in a unit and my courtyard is small so buckets are the easiest and when you need to move, your garden goes with you. Plus you can get a head start on any trees that take ages to produce, like avos.
@@markbaker311 Isn't that what caused the GFC? (BTW wasn't that a huge assumption you have made there? That is, that the OP was a US citizen or permanent resident? I am not certain about this but don't Americans use the term "apartment" rather than "unit"?).
Love your philosophy: functionality over appearance, self-sufficiency in whatever possible, doing the best you can, conserving rather than wasting, & making do. Thank you, & best wishes 👍
I am addicted to binge watching all of these videos now since yesterday, which is probably the healthiest addiction I could ever ask for haha. I have already lost count of how many episodes I watched but its amazing how much I have learned already. It is inspiring to see you make this all look so easy Mark. I helped my grandfather with his garden when I was 18 but since then I have only had the opportunity to plant and sprout a bean. I am so excited for when I move to a house in the summer and am going to see what crops will do well in June here in Texas (May have to buy some plants that I can transplant this year if its too late by then to start seed for most things). Hopefully I will have space to plant a small vertical garden or a few patches to get some good variety this year of fresh natural/ organic fruits, herbs, and veggies. If I do not have room to grow spices I will continue to at least buy them whole because they taste so much better also. Making curries and fusing that into even standard dishes such as meatloaf and barbecue chicken is incredible. It also helps me with my chronic pain and inflammation/ gut issues also plus I have been using alot of other spices that are not typical to learn all the different flavors available to see what works. I feel this is an undiscovered art in itself and the more healthy herbs/ spices/ veggies you can sneak into your food without altering the flavor too heavily can really enchance your dishes but if nothing else you get all of the whole plant medicine at its best even if it ends up a bit "wonky" haha. It is a trial and error learning process but I would not have it any other way! All fresh edible plants are truely medicinal in their own unique ways. Its through our deeper understanding of this that we will hopefully rely less on modern medicine, in place of simple time tested remedies that work better for simple things that dont require less appealing drugs (think antibiotics or unnatural drugs that kill all your good/ bad bacteria when there are natural alternatives that only kill the bad stuff while simultaneously promoting growth of healthy bacteria. ) The mycorrhizal network is also so magical and I wish people understood that nature communicates/delivers nutrients to all plants using this network. Without fungus breaking down old life turning it into new life I do not think any life could possibly exist so it is important that we take care of mother nature and "see the world through her eyes as you say". Just as I am empathetic towards others I am also empathetic toward nature. We have to take care of it now to reverse all these horrible side effects from depleting the earths nutrients. This is in part due to over farming low quality food and then wasting it on top of that. Instead of feeding those who need it or preserving it so much just gets thrown out while people starve everyday around the world who would kill even for a bland GMO vegetable over none at all. I wish more people in this world were genuine and optimistic because we can get through this together united if we put our minds to it. I am staying optimistic for the future, with this kind of accelerated learning maybe we can all get more people interested in growing their own food by word of mouth all around the world so they can tune in to watch you do it like a pro. This will not only make us self sufficient but able to feed our neighbors as well like you mentioned. If one person on every street or small block grew a decent size garden "we" as in all the people of the world may never have to worry about a lack of produce. Another good thing is being able to store all this long term so I am definitely going to be investing in pickling jars and probably more than one deep freezer so I can have fresh frozen foods all year round even out of season! I have already rediscovered my love for cooking and this will make my food so much better. I am so tired of all this waxy bland produce at the grocery store. Especially the tomatoes!! They are nothing like the huge tomatoes pee -paw grew on his small farm down by the crick! 😆 Keep up the good work Mark, you are a true inspiration to us all. I aspire to be even a fraction of the positive force in this world as you my friend!
Thank you I'm 54 and from papua new guinea, next 20 years left in my life, will do exactly do as you have shown. Really appreciate it .I will subscribe to you channel,
And thank you for being so encouraging to those of us who decided to wait for the freeking world to end before trying to get our shit together 😂 I used to garden and be so into natural medicine, being so healthy and bright all the time when my children were younger... Some tough spots in life distracted me from that way of Being and before I knew it life went by so fast...working hard, struggling to get by, being caught up in the grind.. always knowing there's a better way of doing things... It takes more work but the type of work it takes actually energizes me and feeds my spirit. Now my kids are 17 and 19 and I'm trying not to kick myself... To think, every romaine lettuce I could have turned around and planted, every onion, everything. Oh man it really hurts. Not because I'm afraid of what's happening but because of everything it stands for, everything it means. Maan, it hurts. But I can't let that regret pull me down. Everyday I do more and more, I appreciate every little thing in ways I never knew. If get hit by a bus and die tommaro I would be so greatful that I at least had the chance to get my heart into a space of true appreciation for life. So really, thank you for not giving us Extreme procrastinators shit lol. It really really means a lot.
Oh my I thought I was the only one who felt this way. My children are young, one is chronically ill due to allopathic medicine damage. We have found literal miracles in nutritional healing and for the past 3 years, my mother intuition has been itching at me to start growing our own food because that produce is the only thing my son can eat. I feel like I have wasted that time worrying about so many things...mismanaging my time, energy, finances, and resources. I briefly worked 2 seasons on an organic farm as a csa worker. I LOVED it, and better yet, we earned SO much produce.. almost all of my son's dietary needs. Unfortunately, we have gotten ourselves into quite a hole of medical and student loan debt and the heaviness of depression over the state of the world has become quite challenging. I am confident that with a little creativity, educating ourselves, and if we do not lose our freedoms, I promised myself that I would make this life for our children and not let anything hold us back again. I have been in a panick that it is too late, but I guess if I have never been one to give up before, I should not now.
I have some plants like Mexican Sun flower that require zero time or effort to grow. I use it as chop and drop fertilizer, shade for new plants, and it is a natural trellis for my peas. My ducks eat it so I cut feed costs. The flowers bring in pollinators and the plant is used as a sacrificial,because aphids and ants prefer it to my vegetables . It also grows quickly and makes a great sound , sight and wind barrier. This one plant never needs care and can be started by simply cutting a piece and sticking it in the ground, then walk away.It just does not get any easier. Thank you for the videos. I love the channel.
I was excited to learn about Mexican Sunflower, but disappointed it's not suitable for my climate zone. Anyone have any suggestions for something else that might work for a natural pea trellis? Zone 8
I’m new here, in the uk on my own, thank you so much for not suggesting we have everything required. I am trying to get started growing as fast as possible as I a finding it difficult to get food due to being at risk category. I’m learning from you as quickly as I can. Love that you’re so real and no b.s. :)
Love this episode. I built my own greenhouse/ wood shop over 20 years ago, no power tools. I built raised beds and now am focusing on mason bees and Monarch butterflies. I planted every tree on my property. I really enjoy your videos because I need to be with like minded folks. My husband and son could care less. Interesting that now we are quarantined, they realize there is food, medicine and N95 masks in my stash! Go figure.
Thank you for mentioning the shoddy craftsmanship! I'm building my own raised beds and planning on building a chicken coop this year and am a little intimidated!
6:52 What you said here man touched me. Following your dreams like this, the struggle to having to learn every little thing along the way. Not ever knowing if you just have an expensive hobby, or you can make it work financialy you know. I know the feeling. I think i'll be never 'experienced'. learning to much, every day.
But also, this man is just an absolute gem of a human being
Agreeds!
What makes you say that? I haven't heard or seen anything from him outside of this channel.
@@playdoug12 By then you should already understand why he is a gem.
He's seriously a good dude.
Totally agree.. addicted to his videos. Such a great person
It took less than two generations for us to forget how to feed ourselves. Mark is reintroducing the art. Good on ya brother! Cheers from Wyoming!!
Totaly. My grandparent's grew all their own veg. Made own wine from Berry's dandelion flowers etc and I even went forageing for muchrooms with them
@Rick Borghuis Same here. My mother says why I can't make lettuce and carrots in quantity when his father (who was a mason, not the other granpa farmer) just threw seeds and they went sick eating all kinds of vegetables all year. I still fail to grow lettuce, plenty of tomatoes, but slugs and snails are impossible to control. Nor I can have birds to roam free, my cats would eat them.
Agreed! Feeling so blessed to have grown up with parents who gardened and raised animals for food (we had rabbits, chickens, pigs and steer at various times through the years) as well as venison and other game through friends and family. And as I've grown older, and moved to a more "suburban" environment and live and work around so many that grew up there, I realize how atypical my childhood was. I have been keeping chickens for 3 years (and always wanted chickens even before 'urban chickens' were 'cool'! :) ), and I have gardened in some way off and on my whole life. It just seems like you should have a few skills or at least an idea of how to do some things yourself.
I’ve gardened for 16 years straight, even while in a wheelchair, through back surgery and bed ridden, thanks to my amazing husband. I’m limited in what I can physically do, but I can, preserve, forage, grow and cook foods from my yard and surrounding areas. I also bake and can make homemade candy to rival sweet shops. I’ve made soap for years. All these skills are forgotten by many my age and very few of the younger group know how to do them. I am teaching my kids to do this too. These are as important as keeping a budget, doing taxes, and paying bills. Life skills have been neglect3d for too long.
Im glad then that Im not of that generation. Im a Country gal in North of Sweden and my family and I have always grown some veggies and my uncle breed pigs and hens although not in a big way only like 50 pigs. and my mothers cousin breeds cattle for the meat its eko friendly, and they are living in free range all year around but they can go inside an lay on heated floor and hay. Calfs, cows and bulls go together. then there are the hunters in the family. I have killed creatures for the meat with my two hands its the natural way and its quick and painless and the animals are given the best care we can give them before that they are happy as far as we can tell. and Im happy to know that in a crisis like this I know how to feed myself from using the land both by hunting/fishing, gathering plants and grow plants and keep animals for food.
"You may get sick of eating eggs but thats better than starving"
Like how you keep it simple,cheers
Ain't that the truth!
lol..good answer
Boiled eggs make good bait.
Fasting is okay. I find going weeks without because im poor an refuse to be a part of the butchery. Fruit only baby. An im still doing two finger pushups. Get you some
This didn't age well lol. I miss eggs lol
"Let me try to do this quickly so you don't get bored"
Don't you worry. I could literally listen to you talking about gardening for hours.
Same, and I don’t even have a garden 🤷♂️ shizz is just interesting.
@@alexcollazo7796 Me either but I am becoming inspired to create one 😆
Exactly, I can't believe how much work I can finish while listening to this man.
@@KitKat-wt6ed that's great, I wish you prosperity.
Same!
Mark needs some kind of international award for being such a great influence on the world.
I second the motion!!!
The Home Styling Guide has been designed for people who want to improve their home and decorate it professionally.
In times of a global pandemic people spend more time at home and and many of us have taken this time to look for ways to make our personal spaces more beautiful.
The Home Styling Guide is like a crash course in Interior Design. It imparts the same knowledge as a certficateion course, however does not have any exams at the end of it. It is rather designed to be a pleasant read with lots of beautiful images and graphics, that help translate the theory into practical examples.
The 8 chapters comprise:
1. Introduction to Interior design
2. The basic design principles
3. Color Theory
4. Materials used in Interior Design
5. Interior Lighting
6. Space Planning
7. How to create a Design Concept
8. Styling tipps
www.digistore24.com/redir/350912/kavindu876/
NOOOO,he is a humble man and he cares not for stuff like that. Take care and be good.
@@kavindu-ai The powers that be will be foreclosing homes .Sorry to say.
Except rewards generally suck. hahaha He's good to go here.
I really appreciate the advice, "You don't have to be self-sufficient in everything, just something." I easily get obsessive and fall into the cognitive distortion of all-or-nothing thinking, overwhelming myself and halting progress.
I'm the exact same way and it's certainly the reason why I have yet to try my hand at any of The gardening projects that I have always Wanted to attempt.
@@Curtis.Carpenter I'm trucking along with my new vermicompost system. Second attempt! Still too scared of failure to put plants in the ground myself, so I'm building up to it by focusing on soil health first. Baby steps, right?
@@homeiswonderland Well, you ARE starting a garden. Baby steps all the way! =)
Last year I had a really bad manic episode where I spent hundreds of € setting up garden beds. Followed by extreme anxiety which had me only occasionally water plants after sundown, lest I be seen f-ing up.
I‘m trying to do better this year. Since the basis was already built, I just had to freshen the beds up, get some mowed grass to top the soil, and then put the classic seed combo of onions, carrots, radishes, and salad in. I also have some felt gardening bags for tomatoes.
The garden bed stuff is mostly upkeep free, just check moisture occasionally and space out seedlings. And the tomatoes get a daily water check.
So… I have kind of a good feeling.
If you don’t know where to even start: One valid option is buying one bag of planting earth and a few seeds. But the bag down, cut a few holes into it. Turn over, cut a few holes into it. These top holes, you fold the foil to the inside and put your seeds/seedlings in. It’s a mini raised bed. In late autumn after everything is done, you cut the bag open and spread the earth out a bit.
It’s good for herbs and salads. Rucola and lettuce are extremely easy to take care of. And if you don’t manage to eat all of it, rucola has some really beautiful flowers that bees love. =)
Good point. I’m alittle the same
Start really small… we started with a patio garden of a few pots of tomatoes and Basil, a bag of potatoes, and a container with carrots. That gave us the confidence to then grow in the ground those same plants plus try some like cucumbers and zucchini which are easy and prolific without much work.
In these crazy times... the calm & friendly voice of a dinkum Aussie gardener helping us make good choices for the future is reassuring and infinitely helpful... thank you.
honesty i never realised how calming this bloke is till i read this comment. I wish my wife would watch these vids as it might calm her down haha (she's super stressed with the lock down) roll eyes!!
AGREED!
ozr2mus he reminds me a little of Peter Cundall, just the easy going attitude while being very engaging and fun to watch.
FACTS!!!
@@BloodySeaGullsRoss reminds me of that barefoot aussie survival guy can't remember his name though.
It's the accent, it's the clever one liners, it's the ease of "you can do this" attitude. A wonderful break from the static around us. God bless you
He's an Aussie from Australia - that's the
Aussie accent you are hearing. 👋😊
Aussie..we really get being being sufficient here
Accent? 😳😳 [Joke😁]
Hi from Australia 🇦🇺 love listening to him ..
I can listen to Mark all day!
Mark, your videos helped me get through 2020, now in 2021 my wife and I have a successful homestead started. Many raised garden beds producing tons of veggies, 15 Chickens, 14 ducks and 2 geese! Thank you for showing us the beauty and love of backyard farming. Gardening is so good for your mental health in these hard times.
Well done Randy. I have everything I need but leave the place for 5 months a year to avoid having to live in a miserable cold environment. So I find it hard to establish all the above and then leave it, maybe someone has a suggestion.
@@kennethkeen1234 house swap?
Good job.. ✊👍👌
Nice work Randy :-)
We got some Indian runner ducks and khaki Campbell's. Well love them! How are the geese with them?
I feel like your point about how people underestimate their abilities is a super important one. Not only that I think that people almost get blocked by perfectionism and think that cobbling something together is worse than doing nothing which couldn't be further from the truth! If it looks stupid but works, it ain't stupid!
I remember when we were kids, we built billy carts and cubby houses. Half the time they fell apart, especially if there was a storm but it was how we learned things and did it a better way next time. People are too afraid of making mistakes, treating them as failure rather than a learning experience.
So true. The flip side of watching gardening videos for inspiration, is feeling like I have to do it perfectly, or why bother? Some of these growers are just amazing. And for those of us who cannot afford a ton of amendments, a $300 water bill, sprays, fertilizers, wood chips and the lumber for raised beds, it can be discouraging to even start. That is why I plant fruit trees. I can't be out in the Florida sun chasing bugs off my lettuce (if I had any). I want to be able to walk outside, do a bit of watering if it's needed, put a bit of extra mulch around, and not worry about it. There is stuff to learn, like how to prune properly, but sometimes fruit trees do splendidly with neglect, too. Local nurseries have a large selection of appropriate trees for your area, and when you start with a 5' tree just planted, it can make you feel like you grew it yourself!
Hahahaha if it works it works! End of story.
People look at parts of my garden and are like “Really?” Results answers the question. 🤷🏼♀️
Best comment. 💯
Best comment. 💯
Even when you fail at something, you usually learn something. My first time growing tomatoes, I got nothing. This is my 3rd time and I have dozens of huge beautiful tomatoes. If someone with my brown thumb can learn, so can everyone else.
It's more productive to learn from other people's mistakes/teacher so share your mistakes so others dont make them...
Sooo...I didn't take into account that I live in a newish cul-de-sac where there is no top soil. The techniques that were successful for my grandparents just down the street are not effective because they have soil that was once farmland. I have the clay bed of Death inhabited by devils grass and fire ants. My poor soil required copious amounts of clay breaker and compost to be successful. Also the tomatoes like the side of the house that gets morning sun rather than afternoon...idk. Also my heirloom plants react to their environment differently than the hybrids favored by my grandparents. So far this year, I have harvested about 11 gallons from 16 plants and I will process the 3 boxes I picked this week today! Woo learning!
Methinks your brown thumb is turning a lovely shade of green ☺️‼️
Good onya lass
Indiana, USA…This was so well done. I am 68 yrs old and have never really built much but in 2020 have scrounged around for wood, dragged out my dad’s old hand saw and gave it a go. Have constructed 10 or so garden beds and am growing in containers inside many of them. Went to goodwill and bought what canning jars I could, running them through the sanitizing cycle in my dishwasher, asked around among family and friends for canning supplies,etc. I put up an inexpensive greenhouse all by myself. It has all been by myself. By the end of 2021 I have fine-tuned and better organized my efforts, eating my canned goods, etc. I am anxiously looking forward to 2022 as I mulch leaves, break up sticks, add food scraps, shredded paper etc to the two new pallet compost bins I have held together with zip ties! Having a good time creating, getting exercise, growing and eating my foods. I am vegetarian so have not branched out into keeping animals. You stay safe. I appreciate learning so much from you. Thank you.
Have you tried growing beans if your vegetarian. Bok chocolate is great
Choy
This is encouraging. I just turned 60 and am just getting started. I was afraid it was too late, but you changed my mind. 😊 I still have a few more years before I can retire, so this is a great head start.
Outstanding!
150 bee hives here in Baltimore and more on the way, 8 laying hens, and ZERO lawn converted to all veggies, fruit, and flowers for pollinators
Where do you sell your honey? I'm in NE Baltimore.
Hey Baltimore! We're down in Bowie also rocking some bees and chickens and getting the garden going! Harvested our first honey last year!
that's awesome!
Hi beefriendly!! I was just looking you up yesterday to see where I can buy more of your honey. Was shocked to see where you're located. Thanks for great honey ❤️
Why did you keep your lawn?? Just go all the way and raise veggies, you can do it!
Enthusiasm like this cannot be faked, and is very contagious
No it's a fake. He is paid to say all this by some international banking conglomerate. It cannot work. If it did then everyone would be doing it.
When the educational system abroad has people caught up in this “quick and easy” consumer hustle culture, they make it seem as if there is no fun and joy in taking the time out of the day to develop life skills.
I thnk having a garden makes people live longer. Not from eating the food, but from the feeling it gives the gardener. It is the most peaceful pursuit. Can be a lot of work, especially in the beginning, but it is peaceful work, the food TASTES better and knowing you grew it is a satisfying feeling. You are a good presenter as well. BB
Also, gardening is a workout.
Practical exercise, healthy eating, mental relief.
Dude. I want you to know I’m eating up every little thing you’re putting out. Especially as an educator, currently not educating due to our quarantine. You’re inspiring me daily.
Ditto.
Eating his crops? D: That's ninja as hell!
I’ve just found you and I think you are going to change my life. I retired nearly two years ago and I’m caring for my 97yr mother and have my wonderful 21 yr grandson living with us. He’s just finished building us four quite large raised beds. Seeds have also just arrived and so a new adventure awaits us. I’m relying on you my friend to walk us through this lol. Subscribed😊🇬🇧
@Ros
Many thanks l will👍
Perfect situation ❤
I started gardening at the age of 20 and have been doing it for almost 2 years now . You have helped me a lot into creating a different lifestyle for my self and future family . Thanks for all your knowledge !!
Good that you're listening! Bravo girl!
So, your like 30 now?
@@gaywizard2000 what is 20+2?
@@diegogardner6218 I dunno 35?
@@gaywizard2000 down bad
"If I can learn to do it, so can you". This is the golden rule.
You're right, Mark, Its never too late to start gardening and being self sufficient!
When I see good videos like this I usually take my time to appreciate the experts who make these videos possible, it's not easy to help a lot of people make money
I would blame myself if I heard of an opportunity like this and let it go to waste, please am interested how can I do business with him
Classic bot thread. Gtfo.
Current events have rekindled my interest in self sufficiency. I've been using the extra time I have at home to start some small projects on my 1/4 acre lot. Happy to have found this channel, much more relatable than some of the "prepper' info out there.
I love second hand materials and the homemade “shoddy” look. I have much more respect for it than say something already made overpriced items in markets. When you try, you learn valuable lessons. You also save the planet by piecing together leftover lumber, etc. As long as it serves its function, you did good! There’s also something beautiful about things handmade that become heavily relied upon.
Most gardners are good at that stuff! I do that all time. I’ve called it, “recombobulating”.
The Home Styling Guide has been designed for people who want to improve their home and decorate it professionally.
In times of a global pandemic people spend more time at home and and many of us have taken this time to look for ways to make our personal spaces more beautiful.
The Home Styling Guide is like a crash course in Interior Design. It imparts the same knowledge as a certficateion course, however does not have any exams at the end of it. It is rather designed to be a pleasant read with lots of beautiful images and graphics, that help translate the theory into practical examples.
The 8 chapters comprise:
1. Introduction to Interior design
2. The basic design principles
3. Color Theory
4. Materials used in Interior Design
5. Interior Lighting
6. Space Planning
7. How to create a Design Concept
8. Styling tipps
www.digistore24.com/redir/350912/kavindu876/
@@dentside78 Nice one. I have a paper factory less than 1km from my house and they are only too pleased when I come and take the pallets away. You can make fences, tables chairs, raised gardens and no doubt some other things too with pallets. A bit of wire and some pallets and you can build a house if you need to!
mark, my name is bruce. 64 year old american. so glad i found your videos today. i also have 3 acres here in the
Mate, you should do vids to show how to pickle and preserve.
I agree!
agree; very interested in pickled boiled eggs!
Hard to fuck it up, not sure you need another video on the subject
@@janeblogs324 good point
Making self sufficiency accessible to everyone. We live in a 'specialism' driven world where we shouldn't try to do what we are not trained or qualified to do. It's frustrating. Thank you for reminding us that we are capable of so much.
Truth!!
I found you 50 years to late. There were 12 of us and my parents never really taught us to help grow and cook etc. Too late now. Almost 70 yrs young in mind but not so much in body. I can just watch you and pretend I'm by your side. Thank you for being real and sharing your videos
It's never too late to expand one's mind and capabilities!
Some day not far off, somebody very young will be thanking you for the knowledge you've gained. Hang in there!
That melted my icy heart. I also like to live vicariously through these videos.
containers,’patio pots
I'm 74 and i grow a lot of my own food. You can also. Just get some pots put in some soil and plants or seeds and you have a garden good luck
I watched all the videos, I really enjoy his style, in a year (after my marriage) I'm starting my homestead in North Africa and all thanks to "Self Sufficient Me"!!! Thank you man you're a treasure!! Keep up the good work!!! Cheers 🥂
All the best with your homestead Dhahbi! :)
@@Selfsufficientme you're always welcome to visit :D
@@dhahbiabderrahmen4978 Will you make videos? Would be interesting to watch .
If you make RUclips channel, I'll watch!!
Not gonna lie, I get way too attached to animals to be able to raise them for meat - luckily for me, eggs are a great source of protein all on their own 👍👍
We did get attached to our chickens, so it was just the eggs that were the use...also they eat most anything, Your coops will be insect free for sure. But for me, they compete for my compost material and that is a balancing act. Get some peeps, and watch there personalities grow.
@@davidbocek Yeah, now I just need a house with a backyard and I'll be all set! Until that happens, I've got a good amount of dried lentils and a freezer full of veggies to tide me over. I'll be going vegan by necessity at the end of this, but I don't mind - I've got a tiny freezer in my studio apartment, and fresh veggies don't last long. I'll keep saving up for a house, not like I'll be doing a lot of shopping for the foreseeable future 😅
I hear the trick is to not give them a name if it comes time for a roast chicken ;)
Sprouted lentils are quick and a good source of protein AND greens
FaerieDust I think that if I know ahead of time that I am going to slaughter them, I’ll be ok with that idea. I wouldn’t treat them like pets from the start. I do have two chickens in my house and they are my little babies
This 71 years young enjoys your videos. I'm a prepper-but it started in my youth from living with relatives that survived the Great Depression in Oklahoma.
Everything you say in your videos is spot on. Thanks.
Hi Vicki,
My Mom was just a baby in New York during the Depression. Forty years later, at the age of 10, I realised that the homemade soap that she made from recovered meat fats was a tradition borne of Midwestern and Texan necessity (to keep those forebears clean). An hour in the garden was required of us kids every weekend. I would spend more than my share of hours helping her grow in the Garden State, New Jersey, building the first of many compost screeners and nourishing the fabulous strawberries and tomatoes that flourished there. A friend's mother met his Dad in France during WWII and I learned about 'sheet composting' from her (digging kitchen scraps into the periphery of the garden) as it was practiced during the war in Europe. More than 70 years after my Mom was born, two of her grandsons learned to garden at their local primary school, a small rural school in New Zealand. They too have a tradition of keeping these skills alive - attach a reward to it and the ones that don't excel in sports or academia find a strength or passion to pursue.
All the best for a fantastic New Year!
@@PIESvcs What a wonderful story! Thanks so much for sharing. And a Happy New Year to you as well.
Many years listening to the stories as the previous generation spoke to their friends and watching their skills in the garden sets the Boomers up to be self suffient. Skill sets for which I am very thankful. Thanks for sharing.
There are times when I wish my family lived like this. Having your own land and a little garden or farm just seems so cool.
It really does. I’m super jealous. I wish we could live like this. But how? We don’t own land. We don’t have wealth. Mark says Often people don’t get started because they don’t know how to build stuff. NO. More often, it’s because people don’t already own land and/or can’t afford to quit their jobs ... DUH
@@indigo22284 Well, not to tell you what to do, but that's where you can start with containers! There are also youtube channels about urban sustainability, you might be inspired by videos about guerilla gardening or foraging.
It's amazing what'll grow in a container. Five gallon buckets are great, or empty milk jugs, or even plastic grocery bags. (I've seen people hang them by the handles in front of their windows and plant in them!) I know it's not the whole farm, but it's a start, and when you find things you like and can grow well, it starts cutting down your grocery bill amd encourages you to grow more. (And I know he makes it seem easy, but being self-sufficient is still a lot of work, starting small is a good idea for anyone!)
@@sullendragon8900 Exactly. You can start when living in a prison cell. I lived in Tokyo where there was NO garden. So I turned a 2 sq metre patch of garbage into a garden and everyone around was amazed at what I had achieved. There is NO excuse for not having seeds growing as soon as the temperatures get above 10˚c at night. We all know. Water is still not taxed. A lot came down on us today. ~Such a thing.
@@kennethkeen1234 well, that is a bit harsh, I was aiming more for inspiration. People don't *have* to do anything, and time and willpower are certainly obstacles for some people. But I am impressed that you managed so much in so little space! :)
Thank you for giving these tips in such a positive way. I've temporarily stopped watching some of the other RUclipsrs who are clearly panicked.
Keep calm and garden on 👍🌿
How can anybody dislike and put thumbs down for this fantastic channel. Mark is uplifting hopeful positive and spreads joy and good cheer. His teachings with great humour benefiting many people who have lost their jobs.
We've all been taught by society to not know how to do anything. They want us to stay dependent.
Word!
they want to heard everyone into concrete boxes in the sky packed millions into small cities so the ultra rich can buy up all the arable land and further enrich themselves by keeping the majority of the population hostage to their whims.
It started with the school system. Don't homeschool your children and teach them how to fend for themselves by cooking, growing, harvesting, storing and building your own just send them to us and we'll teach them they are poor, they need higher education which doesn't teach them how to survive just become enslaved to the economic system we are brewing up so they'll depend on our system for ever.
You were taught by society to be a mindless worker so that you'd stay in a factory or in front of a computer. "Dependency" comes with the expectation that they'll take care of you. They won't, they'll replace you with another mindless worker--or a robot, whichever is cheaper.
True they want us computerized in A.I. zone. What are we going to eat? Steel?
Another very charitable approach is "rescue hens" - we got 6 battery hens which were in sort-of okay nick when we got them, but you should see them now! We get 5 eggs a day, not sure why the sixth isn't producing, but hey, that's still seriously totally heaps of eggs! And they are AMAZING!!!
The 6th may be a rooster😁, just kidding.
What do you do with all the extra eggs?
@@CoolBreeze640 Eggs are quite versatile in terms of what you can make with them. The eggs aren't huge, and so they get used up pretty quickly.
Battery cage eggs can get cancer of the reproductive system, I mean to them it's like forcing a human being to have their period every single day
I love this guy and his content. He has so much credibility because he's showing what he's already done as opposed to an average youtuber who sticks a seed in the ground and then asks for donations. This property has been transformed for almost two decades. Imagine how many mistakes this man has made, how much he's learned, how many questions he has asked? Support this man, he's teaching you how to live.
I’d like to get a chunk of land but since we aren’t able, we are trying to build these skills you mention. Love the videos
You can also rent land to use to grow a garden, if it is for agriculture people are willing to allow the use of their land for an exchange for food or pay the property tax for the owner. Just ask around and the word will get out, don’t be afraid to make it happen!
I do it in around the 100 m2 on a normal 600 m2 city block with a house on it. You'd be surprised at what you can do on a balcony with pots.
In in Cascades in Oregon,
If you use all parts of the garden you can grow a whole lot of veggies.
Use the fences / walls with hanging pots.
Use the same planter with a low lying fruit / veg with a trellis to grow beans / peas above them.
You can keep quail in a rabbit hutch just fine.
Better to start learning the skills now and make your mistakes on a balcony garden, then you'll be much more experienced when you get your land one day, rather than buying the land now and making the mistakes on a much larger scale!
"Need" and "want". Consider these words when shopping, you can save a bundle ;)
yes and need can be wants (I need a phone< I want an brand new iPhone)
Yes. And I need my tea.
Huge difference between the two
I piktured it .. great expression
Biltong! Now you're talking mate. I'm South African and spent 5 years in Oz. I made it while living in Dubbo. Back home now and loving it.👍
@Self-sufficient Me
From your own backyard, you have been planting seeds all across the world by inspiring us, teaching and leading by outstanding examle.
The humble, good nature & honest approach to hard work is what makes you a 'bloody legend' in my book Mike.
Thank you!
Greetings and warm regards
from SAfrika
The Home Styling Guide has been designed for people who want to improve their home and decorate it professionally.
In times of a global pandemic people spend more time at home and and many of us have taken this time to look for ways to make our personal spaces more beautiful.
The Home Styling Guide is like a crash course in Interior Design. It imparts the same knowledge as a certficateion course, however does not have any exams at the end of it. It is rather designed to be a pleasant read with lots of beautiful images and graphics, that help translate the theory into practical examples.
The 8 chapters comprise:
1. Introduction to Interior design
2. The basic design principles
3. Color Theory
4. Materials used in Interior Design
5. Interior Lighting
6. Space Planning
7. How to create a Design Concept
8. Styling tipps
www.digistore24.com/redir/350912/kavindu876/
@@kavindu-ai what a disappointment that you have to try and monetise yourself on this channel. Shame on you.
g'day from america! :)
love all your videos, such an inspiration. keep it up!
I keep coming back to this inspiring video because of Mark's honesty and simple "you-can-do-it-too" attitude.
11:06 Wow, that Aztec corn looks amazingly delicious!!
I've been watching you for a little while now, and I just had to leave a comment. You present yourself to me, as such an honest, kind, entertaining, passionate, charming, charismatic, intelligent, knowledgeable & inspiring person. You have taught me a great deal in the numerous videos that I've watched now. You can always put a smile on my face, and a few chuckles here, and there. 🥰 I'm not one to comment publicly very often, if at all. However, I really felt the need to Express my feelings, and opinions for you & what you do. You're doing an excellent job, and you're very much a person to look up to. Thanks So Much!
P.S.- Bad Nematode infestation on old widespread/farmland property...what can someone do in a situation like that? Where to even start? If you have any knowledge on the subject, or any good resources, I would love to hear! Much Appreciated!! Sincerely, Chelsea
There are plants that repell nematodes, like Sinapis alba or targetes
You can also buy good nematodes to inoculate your soil with. The good ones actually eat the bad ones. If you can get the good ones to work for you they will spread and drive out the bad ones. This way mother nature is working with you rather than against you. Good luck.
You put our thoughts into words perfectly
took the words right out of my mouth!
Chelsea Spears beautifully said. 💐
I am 67 and my grandparents always had gardens, grapes, rhubarb, asparagus, and hunted and fished. Oddly, I do not know how to do much with it all, but, am learning more as I can. I love this channel, and am sharing too!
OMG - we laughed so hard when you said that you're not a master carpenter, as anyone who's watched you can attest! You have a wonderful dry wit and make very smart suggestions. Thank you for making the video! We've subscribed!
How can we ever thank you enough? I am so brand spanking new to this type of THINKING, yet alone living, and videos like these are such a good place to start! You have so much wisdom and I am so thankful that you share it with us newbies!
Diane from 'Cape Town, SAfrica.
Sit for hours learning from you. Our climates are similar. Thank you.
Starting to eat more from my potted garden.
Please don't stop. 👏
YES! "Get rid of that grass..." lawn is like the most *USELESS* "crop" to endeavour to cultivate. Fortunately, our chooks love to "mow my lawn" in the back, so my back lawn isn't a total waste of.
I agree... a perfectly manicured lawns IS a big waste.
However, I just planted out a new lawn at the end of last Summer luckily. Did a mixture of grass that ruminants love (Orchard grass and others in the mix) and white Dutch clover.
The clover will feed the soil/grass 3,000 lbs of nitrogen per year, feed the bees with their flowers, and feed the chickens.
I only have 1 acre of grass that I plan to mow. I will be bagging said hay type grass several times a year and using it to make COMPOST for the garden AND HAY for the chickens/other animals. To make hay... just spread it out on a tarp on the driveway. Then bag it in burlap bags and hang in a dry place.
Did you know that grass can arrest carbon faster than even a forest? I had no idea. Just have to wait right before it goes to seed and then cut it. That will cause it to drop a lot of it's deep roots and build the soil/arrest carbon.
People look at me like a freak when I explain this to them.
A lawn isn't worthless if you let it grow and know about wild edibles.
He never said grass was useless, his poltry feeds of the insects and what not hidding in grass, once you mow the lawn, collect the grass, it's rich in nitrogen and good green material for compost. Useless... nothing in nature is useless. Just simply turn some of the grass into a vegetable garden, you can have a nice lawn and a vegetable garden. Look at his land...
The take out message for me is to lower the amount of lawn and raise the vege growing areas. When the kids were really little lawn is a great idea. Now as they are close to grown up, I would rather have more raised beds (just got to convince the rest of the family!)
Just wanted to say, re: affordable raised bed/planters....I use cinder blocks,in a pentagon shape,three rows high,(four hi around my peach tree)...very affordable and the extra added plus;I can crack open the sides,slide the entire plant out and into a wheelbarrow when the first freezes encroach(Colorado),wheel plant into garage,and back out when it warms up. Good exercise. Plus,I re-purpose old speaker boxes into planters,for winter time in and out portability as well...and just put an old glass window over re-purposed small freight containers...boom;greenhouse. Grow baby grow ! (save them seeds)
What a great idea!
Genius idea! Thanks for sharing it.
Cinder blocks are made from cinders. Mercury, chrome, dioxins, and on and on
I learned something new today. You and I were both soldiers. Even more of a fan now. Only those that have served understand those that have served.
I asked my grandmother, years ago, how do you know when to slaughter the chicken. She said, " when the kids are hungry enough and the chicken is fat enough" I think if your kids really were hungry, you could do it.
Im a big supporter from south africa hi
Same here
seems a few of us SA viewers here today :)
Same here. Was inspired by this channel to build my first raised beds. If you known kzn, we had to make it monkey proof. 21day in isolation family project.
Hello from Pretoria.
Love your videos, I suffer from green thumb envy every time I watch them!
Small farmer from Washington state.
Love the channel.
This man should have his own show! 😃
What do you reckon you're watching?
I agree with Sue Moore. I think a tv station should pick him up. And give him a self sufficiency program. God knows we all need it at the moment.
@@leannrobb8567 How would that be better than this? I think it be drastically inferior and destroy his autonomy with generic rules. People simply need to realize that TV is crap compared to RUclips.
@@leannrobb8567 don't wish that on him. TV is dead
He does! We just watched it!
I’m having another bad day and am feeling pretty stressed out right now. This was surprisingly soothing and in a way encouraging. Hope I can do what you’re doing one day, cheers.
💜💐🍰
Man ever time I watch or rewatch your videos I am always getting little nuggets of gold. Always appreciate it. Cheers from the PNW of the 🇺🇸
Thank you for stating the difference between storing in vinegar and true fermenting. True fermented good, without vinegar, are probiotic foods containing trillions of colony-forming units (cfu's), and are highly beneficial to gut health. Thank you for your site. I'm really learning a lot👍
You might enjoy off grid with Doug and Stacy... check them out!
thanks for all your hard work making these videos, its appreciated more than you'll ever know.
Thank you! It was a long Saturday editing and then I realised I couldn't get the video out that night so I got up early today (Sunday) and edited for another 8 hours for a Sunday afternoon upload. All good - I enjoy creating videos as much as growing food but they both take effort which I'm happy to do especially for all those generous people donating their time to watch my content. Cheers :)
Greetings from Georgia in USA. Best gardening videos on you tube. I have learned so much. Thanks for all your efforts.
I really loved the 'build' portion of this, it is totally about ANYONE being capable of putting some type of structure together if they need to! And I loved that he didn't get stuck on 'pushing organic rice' purchases, which I'm sure he would personally prefer! Just buy and store some rice, you can't make it yourself! Some things have to be PURCHASED during a crisis. It will depend on your situation and your WANT TO. Some of our newly minted 'gardeners' will stop after the crisis has passed. Not everyone is truly interested or SUITED to be a veggie gardener or Homesteader. (or real Farmer).
Thank you for saying not everyone is suited in being a gardener. I'm in this category. I also rent and I think my landlord would be more than a little annoyed if I dug up his lawn to grow vegetables, or put in a chook house and run.
Ha! Necessity is the mother of Invention!
If you're in the US you either buy Lundberg rice or get organic. Rice is grown on old cotton fields which were drenched in arsenate pesticides, and rice grown there tests many times too high in arsenic. Lundberg was the first to start sourcing rice from untreated fields
8:10 here in eastern europe we have this trick for making quick DIY latches, where you hammer in a nail half way and then bend it over.
You can then rotate the bent over nail to lock something.
My grandpa did that in a pinch. Lol
YEA THATS WHAT MY DAD DOES! And he’s from Europe to
Do the same in Fiji.. we also have those shoddy bird coops.. not pretty but hey it works 👌🏽
get a proper latch from the Bunnings, just knock it off.
My coop isn't perfectly square but not a single chicken has complained about it.
Mate you are Man with honor, please keep you channel up and running. Thank you. Dennis-Michael.
Thanks for the great content!!
Everyone, take care of one another. ❤
All I can hear in my head: "Bodgy Builder can he fix it? Bodgy Builder, yes he can!" Lol! I completed Geoff Lawton's permaculture design course about 6 years ago and due to life circumstances didn't really keep up. Getting inspired again. Loving the content mate, thank you!
this man is so sweet and honestly i'm not breeding anything in my life but i'm so into it right now.
10:41...wait for it...10:50...wait for it...10:58 - BAM! That is some gorgeous corn! I was not prepared for that color! Fantastic. That was worth the wait. :)
I'm reclaiming and replanting my veg garden which has been fallow for two years. Being isolated at home has motivated me. Thank you, Mark. Your videos have been inspiring!
I love the pep talk after tip number 3!! 😭😭😭💙💙 God bless you from Texas 🇺🇸
This was a valuable and lighthearted public service. Excellent short overview. This is also a good time to become familiar with wild plants to forage in your area, you know, just in case.
I would take "shoddy" looking reused materials over pristine new material any day :-)
Yeah, but it's so much more expensive in these trendy times.
@moon shadow Good stuff!
I love the good olé “Guoodaiy” in the beginning. So humble!
Greetings from the US brother. I'm a old Marine and I always work on improving my survivability. My wife is old Army. Together we work as a team to build a sustainable life if things turn south. We've prepped food storage to the roof in our pantry. We know that this food isn't just for us but for our neighbors in that great need time that will be a blessing from God to both us and them. Found your channel and really appreciate your tips. I've bought a fantastic book that has forgotten knowledge of the pioneers that will be very handy in a time which I believe we're heading towards. But this was a great beginning to help with sustained food. Subscribed and looking forward to learning from you as well brother! God bless!
What a wonderful video! Thank you! I live in an apartment in Jordan Amman I had bought while I was working in Iraq. But now that I moved back to Jordan and life is getting more and more expensive, this is exactly my future plan- to sell the apt, buy a big piece of land, a decent size house built in the middle, and a wonderful self-sufficient garden and life.
Mark, I'm in Oklahoma, USA, I couldn't agree more! Your locks on the chicken coup are what my granny had on her chicken coups! To me, that's brilliant and ingenuity. I do love watching your videos!
Summary:
• Growing your own food (vegetables & fruits)
• Making your own carbohydrates (pasta, bread etc)
• Having animals, eating their meat or their eggs and milk (poultry is the best and easiest)
• DIY (make your own creations, constructions, pottery, electricity..)
• Storing the plants you harvest (pickling them etc)
Sooo ... don’t have a job? Right? How to do all this with no existing wealth, no income, no land or property of your own???
@@indigo22284 Dead easy Amanda.
Grab the empty bottles from the bin. Cut the top quarter not completely off but almost. The plants will grow in the bigger part. Poke a thrownaway broom handle through the round screwcap hole (it is EXACTLY THE SAME SIZE AS ALL BROOM HANDLES) and then HANG as many as you want from the broom. Collect soil from where ever you can pick it up. Don't even TALK about "dirt" since that is yankcrap, it does not exist in the real world.
Then gather up your cents and splash out some day and buy a 40cent packet of seeds. Get your friend to so exactly the same and each get different seeds. Give your friend half the seeds. Do it with six people and end up with six different vegetables. Put the seeds in the soil in the bottles and then water them EVERY SINGLE DAY.
But you don't know how to get the 40 cents? Well I will give you tips for that if you say you just can't manage those hard to find bits of metal.
No more complaints - just do it and then sell the pots with veg in them or later with flowers to rich people who want to hang some alternative flowering pots on their verandas.
You don't know where you can buy seeds?
Well give me your address and I will explain.
You don't have time?
OK I understand.
Then lie down and die.
Someone will come along and clear the mess.
I would LOVE a new more in-depth video on how to be more sustainable in the kitchen/garden/house. This was great. I just enjoy seeing these
We too are horrible at building. But our run is a portable carport with chicken wire around it and a couple used screen doors. A Rick rack coop we keep clean. Free chickens. I use my front lawn as a nice clean place to let them hang out. They run in the garden a little as pest control. LOVING YOUR LOCK. so helpful.
I've always wanted to be self-sufficient, but difficult to do when renting a unit or a house with strict landlords and dodgy real estate agents. Aiming to rectify this buy saving up to buy a property in the countryside.
Save up your money because lots will be crazy expensive once this pandemic is all over. Many people will be moving out of cities.
Have you considered sprouting? Just need some Mason jars and seeds.lots of nutrients
Grow in pots and buckets. I live in a unit and my courtyard is small so buckets are the easiest and when you need to move, your garden goes with you. Plus you can get a head start on any trees that take ages to produce, like avos.
Look into USDA loans. I don't remember the qualifications but you can get 100% financing.
@@markbaker311 Isn't that what caused the GFC? (BTW wasn't that a huge assumption you have made there? That is, that the OP was a US citizen or permanent resident? I am not certain about this but don't Americans use the term "apartment" rather than "unit"?).
I love it!
It doesn't have to be pretty or perfect. It just needs to function.
Your peaceful and confident nature helps beginners so much
Love your philosophy: functionality over appearance, self-sufficiency in whatever possible, doing the best you can, conserving rather than wasting, & making do. Thank you, & best wishes 👍
I am addicted to binge watching all of these videos now since yesterday, which is probably the healthiest addiction I could ever ask for haha. I have already lost count of how many episodes I watched but its amazing how much I have learned already. It is inspiring to see you make this all look so easy Mark. I helped my grandfather with his garden when I was 18 but since then I have only had the opportunity to plant and sprout a bean. I am so excited for when I move to a house in the summer and am going to see what crops will do well in June here in Texas (May have to buy some plants that I can transplant this year if its too late by then to start seed for most things). Hopefully I will have space to plant a small vertical garden or a few patches to get some good variety this year of fresh natural/ organic fruits, herbs, and veggies. If I do not have room to grow spices I will continue to at least buy them whole because they taste so much better also. Making curries and fusing that into even standard dishes such as meatloaf and barbecue chicken is incredible. It also helps me with my chronic pain and inflammation/ gut issues also plus I have been using alot of other spices that are not typical to learn all the different flavors available to see what works. I feel this is an undiscovered art in itself and the more healthy herbs/ spices/ veggies you can sneak into your food without altering the flavor too heavily can really enchance your dishes but if nothing else you get all of the whole plant medicine at its best even if it ends up a bit "wonky" haha. It is a trial and error learning process but I would not have it any other way! All fresh edible plants are truely medicinal in their own unique ways. Its through our deeper understanding of this that we will hopefully rely less on modern medicine, in place of simple time tested remedies that work better for simple things that dont require less appealing drugs (think antibiotics or unnatural drugs that kill all your good/ bad bacteria when there are natural alternatives that only kill the bad stuff while simultaneously promoting growth of healthy bacteria. )
The mycorrhizal network is also so magical and I wish people understood that nature communicates/delivers nutrients to all plants using this network. Without fungus breaking down old life turning it into new life I do not think any life could possibly exist so it is important that we take care of mother nature and "see the world through her eyes as you say". Just as I am empathetic towards others I am also empathetic toward nature. We have to take care of it now to reverse all these horrible side effects from depleting the earths nutrients. This is in part due to over farming low quality food and then wasting it on top of that. Instead of feeding those who need it or preserving it so much just gets thrown out while people starve everyday around the world who would kill even for a bland GMO vegetable over none at all. I wish more people in this world were genuine and optimistic because we can get through this together united if we put our minds to it.
I am staying optimistic for the future, with this kind of accelerated learning maybe we can all get more people interested in growing their own food by word of mouth all around the world so they can tune in to watch you do it like a pro.
This will not only make us self sufficient but able to feed our neighbors as well like you mentioned. If one person on every street or small block grew a decent size garden "we" as in all the people of the world may never have to worry about a lack of produce. Another good thing is being able to store all this long term so I am definitely going to be investing in pickling jars and probably more than one deep freezer so I can have fresh frozen foods all year round even out of season! I have already rediscovered my love for cooking and this will make my food so much better. I am so tired of all this waxy bland produce at the grocery store. Especially the tomatoes!! They are nothing like the huge tomatoes pee -paw grew on his small farm down by the crick! 😆 Keep up the good work Mark, you are a true inspiration to us all. I aspire to be even a fraction of the positive force in this world as you my friend!
Thank you I'm 54 and from papua new guinea, next 20 years left in my life, will do exactly do as you have shown. Really appreciate it .I will subscribe to you channel,
And thank you for being so encouraging to those of us who decided to wait for the freeking world to end before trying to get our shit together 😂
I used to garden and be so into natural medicine, being so healthy and bright all the time when my children were younger... Some tough spots in life distracted me from that way of Being and before I knew it life went by so fast...working hard, struggling to get by, being caught up in the grind.. always knowing there's a better way of doing things... It takes more work but the type of work it takes actually energizes me and feeds my spirit.
Now my kids are 17 and 19 and I'm trying not to kick myself... To think, every romaine lettuce I could have turned around and planted, every onion, everything. Oh man it really hurts. Not because I'm afraid of what's happening but because of everything it stands for, everything it means. Maan, it hurts.
But I can't let that regret pull me down.
Everyday I do more and more, I appreciate every little thing in ways I never knew. If get hit by a bus and die tommaro I would be so greatful that I at least had the chance to get my heart into a space of true appreciation for life.
So really, thank you for not giving us Extreme procrastinators shit lol.
It really really means a lot.
Oh my I thought I was the only one who felt this way. My children are young, one is chronically ill due to allopathic medicine damage. We have found literal miracles in nutritional healing and for the past 3 years, my mother intuition has been itching at me to start growing our own food because that produce is the only thing my son can eat.
I feel like I have wasted that time worrying about so many things...mismanaging my time, energy, finances, and resources.
I briefly worked 2 seasons on an organic farm as a csa worker. I LOVED it, and better yet, we earned SO much produce.. almost all of my son's dietary needs.
Unfortunately, we have gotten ourselves into quite a hole of medical and student loan debt and the heaviness of depression over the state of the world has become quite challenging.
I am confident that with a little creativity, educating ourselves, and if we do not lose our freedoms, I promised myself that I would make this life for our children and not let anything hold us back again.
I have been in a panick that it is too late, but I guess if I have never been one to give up before, I should not now.
wow, that red corn is amazing!
instant thumbs up for your amazing Australian accent. very informative and I thank you.
I have some plants like Mexican Sun flower that require zero time or effort to grow. I use it as chop and drop fertilizer, shade for new plants, and it is a natural trellis for my peas. My ducks eat it so I cut feed costs. The flowers bring in pollinators and the plant is used as a sacrificial,because aphids and ants prefer it to my vegetables . It also grows quickly and makes a great sound , sight and wind barrier. This one plant never needs care and can be started by simply cutting a piece and sticking it in the ground, then walk away.It just does not get any easier. Thank you for the videos. I love the channel.
Sounds like it is invasive?
I was excited to learn about Mexican Sunflower, but disappointed it's not suitable for my climate zone. Anyone have any suggestions for something else that might work for a natural pea trellis? Zone 8
I’m new here, in the uk on my own, thank you so much for not suggesting we have everything required. I am trying to get started growing as fast as possible as I a finding it difficult to get food due to being at risk category. I’m learning from you as quickly as I can. Love that you’re so real and no b.s. :)
Julie P - Good for you learning as you go. Education is something we have for life. And it is a gift you can share with others. Happy gardening!
I m from Greece i just find you, i love the way you talk to us and your channel.
Love this episode. I built my own greenhouse/ wood shop over 20 years ago, no power tools. I built raised beds and now am focusing on mason bees and Monarch butterflies. I planted every tree on my property. I really enjoy your videos because I need to be with like minded folks. My husband and son could care less. Interesting that now we are quarantined, they realize there is food, medicine and N95 masks in my stash! Go figure.
Thanks so much for taking care of the Monarchs. I've been planting milkweed for years and it keeps dying out. But I keep trying.
Get em working Beth.....well done
Holy shit I just found the holy grail of RUclips channels!!!!! Thank you 🙏
Amen Sir dont matter what things look like as long as they are functional!!!!! Blessings from Wisconsin
I'm trying to be more self sufficient out of my apartment. You're very inspiring and uplifting love you
Thank you for mentioning the shoddy craftsmanship! I'm building my own raised beds and planning on building a chicken coop this year and am a little intimidated!
Thank you for the mention of Biltong! Not enough people outside South Africa know of it's awesomeness
6:52 What you said here man touched me. Following your dreams like this, the struggle to having to learn every little thing along the way. Not ever knowing if you just have an expensive hobby, or you can make it work financialy you know. I know the feeling. I think i'll be never 'experienced'. learning to much, every day.
Just planted 18 fruit trees. You inspired me Mark! 😊
Watching from Pennsylvania, USA and I loved this video. Thank you, Sir.
Love your videos and started my first garden because of you!