Over the next three years, I dedicated myself to achieving self-sufficiency. It was a process of trial and error, fueled by resilience and resourcefulness. Each challenge became an opportunity to learn and innovate.
Here’s how I built a sustainable lifestyle from the ground up:
Water Management: Installing water tanks to collect and store irregular municipal water supplies. This ensured a steady source of water for daily use and irrigation.
Energy Solutions: Setting up portable solar panels and an inverter to provide power during frequent outages, which sometimes lasted up to two weeks.
Food Production: Expanding the vegetable garden into a food forest, harvesting crops like beans, tomatoes, and leafy greens. Excess produce was preserved through sun-drying, pickling, and freezing (when power was available).
Preservation Techniques:
Drying: Using natural sunlight as dehydration method to preserve fruits and vegetables.
Pickling: Simple vinegar-based pickles for vegetables.
Storing: Utilising glass jars, reusable containers, and root cellars for extended storage.
Seed Saving: Harvesting and storing seeds for future planting seasons.
Recycling and Repurposing: Glass bottles, tins, and other discarded items were creatively reused. Wood from the property became fuel and construction material.
Cooking and Heating: Gas was used for cooking and heating water, minimising reliance on external energy sources.
Baking and Basics: Learning to bake my own bread and limiting store-bought items to essentials like rice, pasta, and oil.
Transportation: A mountain bike became my sole mode of transport, allowing me to travel to town for supplies.
Despite the simplicity of this lifestyle, it came with profound rewards. My health, which had been severely compromised, began to improve as I embraced a natural diet, physical labour, and the healing power of the land. Even my companion, an abused street puppy, played a role in this recovery, offering companionship and motivation.
Financial Sustainability:
To support this lifestyle, I explored various income streams:
- Selling excess produce locally.
- Offering small workshops on sustainable gardening and basic off-grid living.
- Bartering goods and services with neighbours.
- Writing and sharing my journey online through blogs or e-books, which could be monetised.
