Put down the Chicks!
Reality Check: Self Sufficiency
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Okay everyone, put down the baby chicks! Those cute bundles of food security have a price tag related to them. Being self-sufficient and secure might be more about community connections now than ever.
I am a wholehearted advocate for becoming more food independent. Growing and raising your own food in whatever capacity you can. HOWEVER here’s the unvarnished reality of it, you are going to spend more feeding that chicken than you would on just supporting your local farmer and buying eggs.
A discussion we had in Civic Agriculture was about how we define local. In crazy times like these strengthening local businesses, farmers and makers are more important than ever. Raising chickens at home and you’ll be spending about $15 dollars a month on their feed.
If you have the desire, space and the time to be a true homesteader or farmer go for it. This article is for the millions of people who have a bit of land, a desire to be self-sufficient as another part or full-time job they’re pursuing.
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Grow it or Buy it?
I will forever remember coming home one break from college and proudly bragging to my Grandpa Jim how fugal I had been. I’d been making my own pasta from scratch I told him, glowing with the praise I expected him to lavish on me.
Instead, he paused, then said, “But how much is your time worth?”.
BAM! I had been doing my math wrong, a pack of pasta is about $2 the materials might have come out to be $1 but I had to spend time learning how to make the pasta, making the dough, rolling the dough out, hanging it to dry and put it away. Even at minimum wage, I was making some damn expensive pasta there.
So, we should just buy everything? Not exactly!
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Define Local
This is where we talk about what your time is worth. How in these uncertain times you can support others and improve your quality of life? I will be doing the research for you on everything from tomatoes to goats. Giving you a picture of care, benefits and recipes.
Let’s go back to our Egg Example. If you go to the local feed store and get a chick, you’ll be coming back to buy feed, equipment and other things supporting that local business. GREAT! You’ll spend time raising, cleaning up after and feeding your new egg making pets. If you go out and buy eggs at the farmers market you’re supporting a farmer, building a connection with that person. If you shop at the grocery store and it’s easier on your time to buy there go for it.
Are you trying to be a little castle of independence at the end of the world? Or a member of a larger strong community of people? There’s no right or wrong answer just proceed in a mindful manner.