Why Should I Care About Being Self Sufficient?

A lot of people talk about self sufficiency and providing for their families all on their own as if it is the only choice or the right choice. I don't think they are really thinking through all the ramifications of being literally self-sufficient, though, nor do I think the right choice for one person is the right choice for another person.

Imagine you were living in the western US during the early 1800's. Yes, those settlers had to do a lot of things on their own, but they weren't completely self sufficient, either. Neighbors pitched in to help with barn raisings, the preacher traveled through every once in awhile to help out and traveling tinkers and the town store supplied products that were tough to make at home. Perhaps a better goal is to strive to be less dependent on far away places for the things you need.

I try to support local agriculture and local craftspeople while doing more things for myself than I used to. I learned to make my own cheese, put up a lot of food like tomatoes and peaches and am working on year round gardening. I doubt I will ever make my own fabric before I cut out a dress pattern, though. Just as many women in the early Wild West did, I will buy my fabric off the bolt instead. I also don't generate my own electricity, but I do try to conserve as much as possible. Eventually, I hope to do at least part of my own energy generation with solar panels.

What about you? Do you think a goal of complete self sufficiency makes sense?

 Although I'd never want to be self sufficient forever, there are times when I might need to be able to make it on my own for awhile. We had a week without power, during which the stores didn't have much on the shelves, a few years ago. Hurricane victims in New Orleans and other areas have had devastating messes to deal with. So, I think it is a good idea to prepare to be self sufficient for a finite period of time and partially dependent on local resources the rest of the time.

• Do you have a way to get water or purify water that was contaminated by flooding?
• Do you have portable, easy to prepare food?
• Is there a heat source besides your furnace?
• Do you have flashlights and other light creating devices?
• Is there a good medical kit in your household?

Taking some basic steps to ensure your family is prepared for a disaster allows you to check worrying about disasters off your list and go on with your day to day life. You know if something does go wrong, your family can make it a few weeks without running to the grocery store or getting too cold.