If you want to walk on water…..

You have to get out of the boat. This is an old saying that well fits my occupation. And speaking of occupations, I’m often asked how I make a living. My response to them is that I teach people about self sufficient living. It is not only my occupation but it is also my passion. And I practice want I teach.

I spent 20 years as a classroom teacher in public school education. But always wanted to return to the hills in which I was reared. Well, I decided to make my move. That’s when I planned to diversify my farm and have multiple streams of income from farming cattle, goats, chickens and gardening. Not only do I sell livestock and produce, but it also provides me with all of my meats and vegetables years around. Now, that alone is a big savings especially in today’s economy.

I also constructed a greenhouse so that I could grow fresh vegetable through the winter months. I focus primarily on tomatoes because they are so expensive in the grocery store and could be very marketable throughout the year, especially in the winter months. This adventure became quite profitable and is well worth the time and effort.

Having an energy efficient home is also very important and can save you lots of money. I began researching renewable energy sources such as wind and solar powered systems. This alone was a big step and is something I am currently still working on. I heat my home in the winter with wood which is plentiful and in my opinion provides the best heat possible. If you’ve ever experienced wood heat, you know what I’m talking about.

As I have the opportunity to teach about self sufficient living, I became better known and in more demand. And it became quite clear to me that I couldn’t help the world if I had to stay in a classroom. I had a great career in the school system, but it was time to move on. As I prepared my resignation papers, I had to answer the question, “reason for leaving.” I wrote, “To teach the world self sufficient living. “ I thought to myself, World, here I come. I just knew that once my message got out, people would jump all over it. Wow, was I ever wrong. In fact, most people were to lazy to even think about how to become more self sufficient. But, since our country’s economical downturn, people began listening and actually began implementing many strategies that I teach.

I think that all of you would agree that the subject of self sufficient living is at an all time high. During the next few issues of this newsletter, I will show you in detail how I took my small farm and have made it a profitable business. I’m going to help you “walk on water.”