Welcome to the Myers

My beautiful Staub casserole dish, kitchen utensils, and a spice rack for pegboard

         My excuse for not writing -  being a newlywed. 

        

         No apologies.

        This is my home. We have a two bedroom apartment in the middle of the Tehachapi Mountains. I love it. 

        

         My husband and I are getting things done. I have an idea; he goes to Home Depot. One day he came home and there were dozens of tiny green sticky notes all over. I had been Pinteresting. 

        Spellcheck may say its not a word, but we know it is an active verb.

         I took my inspiration from Julia Child's kitchen. Ever since Meryl Streep graced the screen with her onion mincing and crying, I knew she was my hero. Julia Child, not Meryl Streep.

         

         Eric took me to out to HomeDepot and had them cut industrial pegboard to size, while I dreamily looked at pegs. 

         When we got home, Eric used wall anchors to mount the nails, putting in a nut to space the pegboard out from the wall. Besides the four corners, he braced the middle, so it can hold my Les Creuset Dutch Oven. 

         Organizing my kitchen has never been so easy, all I had to do was have my husband dry and put away while I wash. Instead of putting all the utensils in one jar, he dashed out of the room to grab the hooks.

        He also used screwdriver holders for our molinillos, Mexican hot chocolate whisks.

        I took the racks we picked up and use the small ones for spices, medium for Ball jars with utensils, and the large ones for pot lids and napkins.

          As an after thought we put up invisible bookshelves for our cookbooks and travel guides which had been lining the counter. All we needed was two L-brackets per shelf, more wall anchors, and Velcro pieces.

         After mounting the brackets at level, we tacked a small piece of Velcro to the back inside cover of a hard cover book and the other on the bottom of the bracket. The trick is spacing out the Velcro evenly on the book, so that it matches the bracket. The perfect distance is about 6 inches between the brackets.

      As a last note, I pulled out all of the odd shaped dishes, large pots, and my cheese grater and hung them on an overhead pot rack. My husband has to duck and weave to get the coffee pot in the morning, but he wants to be in fighting shape. 

      We still have a lot to do, but that's part of the fun. We are learning to conserve space, reduce clutter, and build a home together.  

Plan To Eat... On Sale SOON!

It's good to get updates every now and then on products I've reviewed in the past. One that I'm still raving about... PLAN TO EAT.

Yes, I'll be renewing my subscription at the end of this month in order to save B.I.G. when it goes on sale because I use it just about every. single. day. Now I can't say I always actually PLAN, but I do use it for storing my recipes if nothing else. I love how they easily input from websites and can be printed for my 3 ring binders. With photos!

I don't want to give the impression I NEVER plan... no, no, no. I just don't plan as often as I'd like. Life is just kind of messy like that. Did I ever mention that the older kids get, the less predictable life is?

For some of my past reviews of PLAN TO EAT, just do a search over on the right sidebar... all my past posts on the subject will appear before your very eyes.

Be sure to check out some of the NEW FEATURES, such as the cooking view... I LOVE it!! (Thank you PLAN TO EAT for continually making fantastic improvements!)

• Mark your calendar for Nov 29 - Dec 2.
• Access PLAN TO EAT though Homestead Revival if you would be so kind (it's about the only thing I'm still an affiliate for and I will earn a small commission).
• Renew or Purchase a subscription at 50% off - woo hoo!!
• Enjoy the benefits of organized recipes just in time for all that holiday cooking and baking.
• Pat yourself on the back for being so thrifty and smart.

You go girl!

Best Coffee Maker On Grid or Off?

As appliances in our home have "bit the dust" (that's southern talk for died... kicked the bucket... no longer working), I've looked for alternative replacements that are truly "simple machines", needing little in terms of fossil fuels. So when the expensive drip maker started giving us trouble many months ago, I pulled out a French Press I had stored away and used that for my morning brew.

My husband, not so eager to let go of his electronic gadget (he adores technology), continued to use the drip maker by pouring water in the basket over the grounds every time he wanted a cup. Since this contraption had a spring release in the bottom of the basket in order to stop the dripping when you pulled out the carafe, the process took some time. Let's just say... it wasn't very efficient. And it never seemed clean to me. And it took up a lot of space on the counter. And it was ugly. And... 

Okay... I confess I didn't like it.

For the most part, I was okay with the French Press. It made a decent cup of coffee, but it always seemed slightly bitter. Not my favorite flavoring, but REALLY not my husband's favorite! We needed something we both liked. Something efficient, clean, and non-electric.

Enter the Chemex.

Now I know you've probably seen one of these. I even remember my dad using one when I was a kid (he'd make coffee with anything, IN anything!). They've been around a long time; 1941 to be exact. And it is totally S.I.M.P.L.E. Even more simple than the French Press.

But that's not the only reason I like it so much. The coffee isn't bitter at all! With the French Press, the grounds sit in the water and continue to do so (which is why I think it takes on a bitter taste). However, with the Chemex, the water passes over the grounds, just like in a drip maker, but instead of using an electric pump to get the water over the grounds, it uses gentle muscle action combined with gravity.

That's right... you lift your arm and pour the water over the grounds and gravity pulls the water through the filter into the bottom of the carafe. It takes just a minute and it's basically a no fail method as long as you have a heat source for a water kettle.

Here's a little brewing tip from Chemex... pour just enough hot water over the grounds to wet them through and allow them to "bloom". When the little bit of water you poured over them has drained out, you know to go ahead and pour the rest of the water over the bloomed grounds.

 

The little "belly button" on the side is an indicator of 

how many cups of water are at that mark 

(ie: for a 6 cup pot, the belly button denotes 3 cups). 

One of the biggest drawbacks for me with the French Press was the fact that I had no way to keep the coffee hot once the water was poured over the grounds. With the Chemex, you have two alternatives that seems to work... a simmer plate on a gas stove or a stainless steel wire grid for an electric stove. The manufacturer does not recommend placing the Chemex directly on an electric stove, nor over an open flame, but with a simmer plate or wire grid, it works great! Just be sure there's some coffee in it!

Glass lid sold separately.

We'd had our pot almost a month when someone left only a couple of tablespoons of coffee in the carafe on the simmer plate. I came in MUCH later, only to find dried up crusty coffee all over the bottom. Seriously, I thought it was totally ruined. I allowed the pot to cool completely and then I rinsed the inside with water... almost every single bit of it washed right out! The remaining bit came out with some soap and a bottle brush. Whew! A piece of cake (although I do NOT recommend this!).

The bottom of the Chemex resembles a glass beaker, like you'd find in a laboratory, while the top also hails from the chemist's lab: a glass funnel. Combined into one continuous piece, the Chemex has very little to clean.

My hand can't fit down inside, but by using another simple tool, the bottle brush, I can easily and quickly make a pass through the inside with a bit of soap and water... and clean up is complete! However, I do prefer to remove the wood collar most of the time so as to prolong the finish. I thought this would be hard to take off and on, but it's been much easier and quicker than I anticipated. In the end, I have a spotlessly clean coffee maker every single time.



Finally, there is the cost issue. Many electric coffee pots range from $50 - 150. And unfortunately, their lifetime is only about 2 - 3 years... at least in our home. The cost of electricity is also added to raise the bottom line of these devices.

With the Chemex, you can expect to pay $35 to less than $50, unless you select a handblown model (mine is a Classic 6 cup pot). And, you only have to heat the water once (again, this is unless you use the simmer plate to keep it warm, but it's always an option to just enjoy your coffee immediately after brewing). Certainly the glass could break, but the replacement cost is so much less than an electric pot! And with almost every drip maker, there's a glass carafe anyway. Have you ever tried to replace that? A new one is at least half the price of a Chemex.

In the spirit of full disclosure, you should know Chemex sent me their product to try at my request. Without a doubt, I'm sold! I can not reasonably see why I will ever go back to an electric drip maker when I can have the same thing, only better, for less money and save some extra bucks in electricity costs. With all the electric coffee pots I've purchased over the years, I just scratch my head and wander why I didn't figure this out sooner?

Give Away: A Time for Everything's Divide-It Wallet!

Okay friends... I know many of you are Dave Ramsey fans, Crown Ministry fans, Mary Hunt fans... and you're very frugal and wise with your money, so I think you're going to LOVE this new give-away! And for those of you who WANT to be better stewards, this item is for YOU!

Little secret here...

I studied consumer science and did an internship in college for one of those consumer credit counseling agencies... you know, the kind that help people that are WAY in debt pay off their obligations. We would have them cut up their credit cards and then go through their bills and budget with a fine tooth comb, nixing anything that wasn't necessary for life (such as cable TV). Next we would organize their debts from greatest to least in terms of rates, balance due, etc. Each client would then contact their creditors and try to negotiate a lower rate or balance and arrange a new monthly payment til each creditor was paid off the agreed upon balance.

Now I'm not saying this is the way it should be done. Truthfully, if I owe $1,000, then I should pay back the $1,000. But putting that aside, the point I'm making is the fact that we would have them cut up the credit cards and use only cash.

Here's another little secret... a confession...

Despite what I KNOW about budgeting, we've had one little credit card we've kept. {Sigh.... }

Long ago we cut up all the others. This one was not only for "just in case", but for ordering on line... that kind of thing. I can't speak for my husband, but in my own mind, I've justified it because we get cash back for using it. And use it I have. Not frivolously (I pay it off monthly), but to be totally honest... I've made a few purchases that I would NOT have made if I had only been using cash. Instead, I would have waited, made do, figured out another alternative, or done without altogether.

In case you haven't heard, California is in a debt crisis and it's affecting EVERYONE. So it's definitely time to go CASH ONLY.

Now, I tried this once before, using a cash wallet that had paper envelopes and it didn't work so well. For one thing, I got frustrated trying to get into them quickly at the cash register. Soooo embarrassing to hold up the entire line while I dug out my cash and then quickly tried to write down the amount (because this was printed on the front of the envelop and therefore, I felt compelled to do it). I also found the envelopes weren't big enough for a lot of smaller bills, not to mention they would tear on occasion. This lasted about 3 months and I ditched the system entirely.

I realized that if I was going to go to a cash based system, it had to be easy, quick, and uncomplicated while still holding up to the wear and tear of every day use. So I hit the Amazon, eBay, Etsy stores... anywhere I could find cash wallets. And I looked at them for a LONG time, asking myself questions like:

• Can I get into this easily without a fuss?
• What can it hold, realistically?
• How well is it organized?
• Will it hold up to wear and tear?
• Will it work for the way I shop? (Grab my wallet out of my purse and run in to grab one item at a store)

Finally, I asked myself, if I could design a system that fits ME and how I shop, what would it look like? Here's what I envisioned...

And you know what? I found it at Melissa's Etsy shop, A Time for Everything.

FYI here... I sought out Melissa, not the other way around. She didn't email me to do a give away, I purchased from her and then asked her if she was interested. Why? Because this is exactly what I think most of us need... a SIMPLE, well constructed cash bag with dividers. That's it. (I like SIMPLE tools!)

Just to be clear, let me list why I picked her cash wallet...

• This would be easy to get into... just a zippered bag. Much like those big bank bags that businesses use for transporting cash or for using as their petty cash bags.

• The fabrics were not only very cute, but laminated! Do you know how dirty a fabric wallet could get in my purse or in the console of my car? This one can be wiped clean.
• Melissa's sewing skills are impeccable. Doesn't look "homemade" at all! Very professional.
• It had sturdy dividers that I could label to fit my needs. These are plastic and while they flex, they are also fairly firm, supporting the structure of the bag. (You label these yourself or you can purchase custom labels for $2).

• It was roomy enough to expand for my needs (at least to a reasonable point). No struggling to get the cash out because it catches on the ends. AND, I've even tucked my cell phone in there a time or two).
• The coin pouch I purchased from her would easily fit into the front of the cash stash wallet as well as my driver's license and any other store cards (the kind where you earn points).
• The price point was hands down, one of the best of all the systems I looked at. Most were around $30, but Melissa's was only $18.

Here are some actual photos of my own cash stash wallet Divide-It Wallet* and coin pouch...

In the second photo, you can see my phone and coin pouch inside, while the last photo has all that in it with the cash wallet zipped up. Not bulky at all! Keep in mind that this is soft sided and not ridged, so on it's own it would be floppy, however, if you keep the dividers and money inside, it maintains it's shape.

The only thing I would have done differently on this (just being honest here)... I would have added a tiny tab on the side seam where the zipper pull starts so it would be just a tad easier to start unzipping. However that probably would have made the seam bulky, so I'm not sure it's really a good idea. Instead, I just pinch the side seam and it unzips easily.

One more thing... these aren't just good for cash only systems. If you are a coupon clipper, check this out...

I don't use coupons for food (make it from scratch), but I do save store discount cards, preferred customer cards, and flyers with discount codes, so this would be EXCELLENT for organizing them in your purse!

Maybe you need two? I thought so.

Enter the Give Away!

Melissa has kindly offered a Cash Stash Wallet Divide-It Wallet* and Coin Pouch (in fabric of your choice from her current collection) to a Homestead Revival reader! Here's what you need to do...

• Visit her Etsy store and see the goodies! She has more items than just these two. Come back here and leave me a comment with your favorite fabric choice. If you don't have a blog, please leave your email address so I can contact the winner!

• For an extra entry, like her facebook page or follow her blog. Come back here and tell me which one you subscribed to.  Again, if you don't have a blog, please leave your email address so I can contact the winner!

• For one additional entry, follow my Pinterest page (see right side bar under "FOLLOW"). Then come back here and tell me that you've completed this step. Once again, if you don't have a blog, please leave your email address so I can contact the winner!

This give away closes Monday, October 1, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. PST. is now closed. 


Get a Discount!

Melissa has also offered anyone making a purchase during the month of September FREE SHIPPING! Just use the code "HOMESTEAD" when checking out (under payment choices there is a link that says "apply shop coupon code" where you can type in the code). While this code only works for U.S. shipping addresses, those who purchase internationally can add a note when checking out and she'll refund you the equivalent of the U.S. shipping fees for that item. Melissa can ship first class world wide for reasonable rates (since the product is very light weight).

There really is a time for everything... don't you think NOW is the time to get those finances in order?

*Due to a new vendor who named their shop after the same name (Cash Stash Wallet), Melissa has opted to rename her wallet.

No Time to Read?

As busy moms and homesteaders, reading isn't a luxury we typically get to indulge in unless it's late in the evening. And by that time, who can keep their eyes open very long? Regardless, I always have a stack on my nightstand.

But then again, I also keep a book in the bathroom. (Too much information? Sorry, but it's true... I try to read every moment I can!).

I take a book of some kind with me almost every time I go to town. After all, you never know when you might get stuck... waiting... and waiting. I've found I get a lot less irritated that I'm "wasting my time" if I have a something to read (and I typically require the children to bring a book as well).

But, what I really want to share is a few sources for books on line that are FREE! And it gets even better...

they're AUDIO BOOKS!

In fact, I just deep cleaned the entire pantry today and managed to get through a good portion of Barbara Kingsolver's best seller, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle at the same time! (Don't you just love multitasking!) Although I'd read it before, her book has been just as good the second time through (and I highly recommend it!).

A couple of weeks ago, I listened to Michael Pollen's book, In Defense of Food. Now I've had that book for almost two years, but it never seemed to make it to the top of my reading list. Something else always edged it out. Then I found it on line... SCORE!

So, what's my source?

My local library. {cheers, clapping, whoorah!}

Many libraries subscribe to a service called One Click Digital where you set up an account through your local library and then down load free books on your computer, phone, or other device, typically for a period of 10 days, after which they expire. You can always recheck them if necessary, but I find listening is much faster than reading. (Well {blush}, at least for me.) Just contact your local library and ask if they have this service or one similar.

You can also get classic books for free through LibriVox. Each book is read by volunteers, so often you get some really fun readers with terrific accents. However, I did get one very precocious French girl whom I had difficulty understanding, but that was the exception, not the rule. (She sounded darling though!)

And finally, there is Lit2Go, another source for classic works that can be accessed through your iTunes store.

So when I need to do something less than pleasant or shall we say, something I've been avoiding, like dusting the ceiling fans, vacuuming the baseboards, or walking that extra mile for exercise... I now have something to treat myself to at the same time. No longer am I procrastinating and dreading the inevitable... no, no. I just plug into a good book and savor the moment!

Gotta run... I think the living room has some cob webs that need tending to.

Analyzing the Family Budget

It's good to take stock periodically and review your budget to see if you're spending the family money wisely. But sometimes, you also need to stop and evaluate how far you've come in making progress. When I was starting to fret over the bottom line this past month, I stopped and made a list of things that we were doing RIGHT; things we had already done to cut back.

And I was pleasantly surprised! It lifted my spirits a bit, just knowing we were making progress. (Imagine what the budget would be like if we HADN'T made these changes!) Here's a few things that I believe have made a difference...

How We've Cut Back on Expenses

• Converted from propane to natural gas. This required an initial investment, but we started saving about 1/2 on our monthly bill right away. Over time, the conversion will pay for itself and save us big money!

• Zoned the house for efficient heating. We have a two story farmhouse with all the bedrooms downstairs on one side of the house. The upstairs is just a large bonus room. A door at the top of the stairs can be closed to keep the heat from traveling up the stairwell and out of the main living area. Another door (a single french door) was installed between the entry and the hallway. The duct work was cut off so the two areas are now totally separate heating zones.

The living area is strictly heated with a wood stove and the bedrooms on a very small heating unit on a timer for only a small portion of the day. In time, we hope to install a second stove and turn off the heating unit entirely. (The current wood stove could not heat all of the downstairs sufficiently, so this option seemed best).

• Cut out the air conditioning. Since we live in the mountains, we only get a couple of weeks each year that seem a bit unbearable. So instead of running the A/C, even on those hot days, we've opted to just open up the windows. We built several screen doors as well to allow for even more air flow and it really makes a difference. I've learned that if you open up the house in the early morning and close it before the temperature gets above 75 or 80, you can trap the cool air for most of the day. Then open the doors again in the evening as soon as it cools down, and you can bring the indoor temperature down for bedtime.

• Cut down on the dryer use. With the installation of my lovely clothesline (thanks to my sweet husband!), we now use the dryer for about 1, MAYBE 2 loads a week... bath towels. I also have a very nice drying rack in the laundry room and I hope to install a ceiling mounted drying system for winter drying (I have 12 foot ceilings and heat rises! Best to make good use of that.)

• Make our own laundry soap. We've been doing this for about 2 years now and it's worked great! A load costs just about 3 cents and cleans really well. (My recipe can be found HERE).

• Make almost 100% of our cleaning supplies. I'm down to just one cleaner that I still purchase and as soon as I can figure out a suitable solution for it's replacement, that will be gone as well (small steps, right?). Instead, my cleaning closet only contains baking soda, vinegar, Borax, Zote soap, and other natural items I can purchase in bulk for a fraction of the cost.

• Cut off the satellite TV. Instead of spending lots of $$$ on channels we never watch, we pay less than $16 a month for Netflix and we watch when we really want to see something at a much more convenient time. There are many more family friendly choices as well. And if we only watch one or two movies for the entire month, we're still saving over going out to the movies and certainly saving over the cable/satellite choices!

• Use the public library more. We're a family of bibliophiles and if there's anything we L.O.V.E. spending money on, it's a good book! We've nipped that in the bud for the most part. Now we really only buy reference books (just in case!), an occasional classic, or something else that we know we'll read again and again. AND, before we buy any of the above, we try to check it out at the library FIRST to make sure it's a good choice. Yes, they're really getting to know us down at the library (and our very unusual reading selections!).

• Driving less. Well, sort of. We're really trying! And by being conscious of the fact that we need to drive less, we actually are making less trips to town. With the distance (and dangerous, narrow road), it isn't possible to use a bike, but by careful planning, combining errands, sharing a ride, etc., we're getting there!

• Eating out less. This has been VERY hard. Not that we eat out all that much, but because my goal was to eat only one meal out a week. While I can't think of a week we've achieved that, just having the goal has helped tremendously. We've been much more diligent to plan or come up with something at home.

• Eating more beans. Although I can't say we've had a lot of bean meals this last month, we definitely have had more the other 6 months of the year. And we'll continue to do so once the heat wave is over. (No one is all that hungry in the heat anyway!). We're getting pretty creative with bean ideas.

• Buying meat in bulk. While we could certainly eliminate meat or buy a cheaper quality, the fact that we were paying more at the store has made bulk meat purchasing a frugal alternative. (Read about our bulk meat purchase HERE).

• Make all our own bread products. I've fudged on this and bought about 6 loaves all year long (usually for a special occasion). The rest of the time, I buy my own grain, grind it, and make our sandwich bread, biscuits, rolls, etc. I've even learned to make English muffins in the GNOWFGLINS Sourdough class. If we don't have some made, we do without. Talk about motivation!

• Growing our own vegetables. Let me be clear... we are not growing ALL our food. Not yet. But every season is one step closer. And in the meantime, it's making a difference. It's amazing how your attitude about food changes, too. You get what God provides that day! And any food that comes through our door... we're being extra careful to utilize it by canning, dehydrating, or freezing if we can't eat it right then.

• Raising our own dairy products. Having chickens and goats means no more store bought eggs, milk, half-half, yogurt, or other milk related items (if I get them made!), including ice cream. We've started making our own raw goat milk ice cream and it's wonderful!

• Cutting back on electronic purchases. When we started looking into going off grid, it was apparent that we needed to first cut back on our electric usage. Every chance I get, I'm trying to opt for a non-electric alternative. So while we still have electronic devices (and will continue to do so), we're at least trying to consider where we want to actually spend that power. And it's starting to show on our electric bill... YAHOO!

• Cutting our own hair. I'm the only person in our family that is still paying for a haircut. The girls have let their hair grow long and I trim it about twice a year. We also invested in an electric hair clipper and I cut my husband's hair (if he doesn't get to it first - yikes!).

• Reduced gift-giving at Christmas. Oh, I do hate to sound like Scrooge, but truthfully, our Christmas budget was waaaay out of line. Over the last 5 years, we've steadily cut back. And this year... we're slashing it! Gifts will almost all be hand made (mostly food) and our emphasis will be to participate in a local charity, Operation Christmas Child, and Samaritan's Purse via their Gift Catalog (similar to Heifer International).  

So there's the list so far. I think I left off one or two things, but these were the big areas that I think are really adding up for significant savings. I realize, not everyone can do all these things; and perhaps you've cut back in an area I can't. But by posting this, I'm hoping that it will help you look around and see areas where you've already cut or perhaps where you can in the future.

In time, we want to continue to trim other categories, like clothing (we don't spend a ton anyway), but let's be honest... there are few budget items, that have actually INCREASED.

Ways We're Spending More

• Animal feed & needs. You've heard the saying, "There's no such thing as a free dog". That's a true statement. Animals cost money. Do I think it's wisely invested? You bet! Chickens, goats, bees... even dogs and cats. All serve a purpose on our homestead and all contribute. But they have to be sheltered, eat, and have regular care. So, yes... we're spending more in this area.

• Almost 100% organic, non-GMO food. We're paying in advance for our health care! My earlier post, Why You Should Shun Cheap Groceries covers my thoughts on this subject in detail.

• Homesteading projects. Did I already mention animal housing? Yes... that costs money, too. Barns, mini-barns, coops, fencing, animal runs, animal protection, the clothesline I mentioned above, and so on and so on... There's always a project that needs attending to and yet, I see this as an investment. My husband likes to build really well, one time, so most of these items should last for many, many years.

• Preparedness. Stocking up? Yes, some. But it's more than that. Self-sufficiency, emergency needs, medical... It's one of those things that's easy to say we'll do "someday". My monthly Preparedness Challenge helps me to stop procrastinating and we're actually making progress. A little each month is easier on the budget, but it still costs something.

• Increased cell phone and internet bill. Ouch. What can I say... I like to blog. Seriously, we have made some choices as a family that have increased our cell phone and internet usage. For example, three of our children do school through on-line schools, so it is what it is. Some budget items are unique to each family and I've just had to swallow hard to get this one down, cause it isn't going to go away. Would I like to run away at times and join the Amish? You bet! But then again, I'd miss all of you!

Looking through your own budget, what's been your biggest money saving change?

Why You Should Shun Cheap Groceries

I'm sure by now, everyone has heard we can expect an increase in food prices before the summer is out. As if they don't seem high enough already! But what we fail to realize is that historically, food prices have always been high and it's only in the last 30 years or so that we've enjoyed the benefits of a lower grocery budget.

At the turn of the 20th century, families spent approximately 43 percent of their income on food for the table. Woah... let that sink in a minute. That's more than the average house payment. In fact, that's nearly HALF one's income! Take out another 10% for tithe and 10% for savings and you're left with only 37% of your salary. Of course, taxes were much lower then, but how many of you could pay the utilities, gasoline (much less buy a car), clothe your children, and provide the other "necessities" on that kind of money.

You may have to soon. And perhaps it wouldn't be a bad thing.

With the dawn of regular farming subsidies, prices at the market started falling. Today, only about 11 - 19% is spent on food. And what did we do with all that "extra cash"? We began entertaining ourselves. (I have a LOT to say on this topic, but I'll reserve that for another day).

But what's worse is that it's come at a price. Perhaps delayed, but unavoidably obvious... our health is on the line. The health of the soil, the animals, and our bodies.

And there's more! All those government subsidies opened the door for our government to control crop production. And whoever controls the food production, controls the world. Hmmm... I don't think this is what God had in mind when He said, "Take dominion over the earth".

Really, I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but I do believe in human greed. It's in the heart of all men (and women). Over time, the way we've managed food has become a vicious cycle allowing greed to flourish, not only on the part of government, but farmers, and yes, even consumers. We want cheap food and lots of it! In fact, we want any food, at any time, at a cheap price. We even want "healthy" food at bargin prices.

Can anyone say "gluttony"?

Just what do we think that word means, anyway?

At this point in time, we've convinced ourselves as a nation that government subsidies and scientifically modified, chemically laced foods are the only way to farm and feed people. Perhaps YOU may be enlightened, but the majority of the population still believes this.

For example... I pulled over on the side of the road to buy some "local" honey from a man on the corner and I asked him a bit about his product. I only needed to pose two questions to know I was NOT getting what I had hoped... "Where do you keep your hives?" (turns out it was "a friend" over 135 miles away) and "Does your friend use chemicals to treat them for mites and disease?", at which point he started to tell me that you really can't raise bees without treating them, blah, blah, blah...

If he was using natural methods, I'm sure he would have been quick to offer this up, but instead, he started in on a long, round about way of trying to convince me that there really wasn't such a thing as naturally raised honey. Now, I'm a beekeeper myself, and I know very well I can't control where my bees fly. But I can control what methods I use in the hive itself.

Look... I think most of you already know this stuff. Even if you've only had a nagging feeling, tugging at you in the back of your mind... you've known for a while something isn't right with all that food in the supermarket.

Why am I addressing this, yet again? 

• Because I need a constant reminder why I'm going to pay more to a local farmer for in-season, non-GMO, grass fed, pesticide-free, non-subsidized, real, whole food.

• Because I need constant encouragement to grow my own, especially when it's hot outside or a crop fails. And I need to keep at it until I produce food my family can eat and eventually, provide 80 - 90% of what we need.

• Because I need to adjust my budget so I set aside a larger percentage of income for our food. And accept the fact that the "golden age" of food is over. Something else on the budget will have to go (or be cut back).

• Because our current food system is fragile and the warning system is going off - loudly! Too many of us assume that a famine only occurs as a result of drought. Oh, we have that alright, but what about a famine as a result of the fact that our food has very little nutrition anymore? Or that it fails to reproduce? Or that it will kill bees and butterflies when they try to extract it's nectar?

• Because I'm voting with my dollars and my fork. And I want to encourage you to do so as well. There is power in numbers and where greed has a hold of a system, money talks.

• Because I do not want to be slave to the system. Freedom always comes at a price. Even food freedom. And we have our head in the sand if we don't acknowledge the importance of this fact. A while back I read Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky and I must say, I got a real education about life and food in general. It's really amazing to a 21st century American that entire wars could have been fought over a product on the bottom shelf of the grocery store that sells for just a few dollars and is so common that we use it to make play dough and any number of other things just for the fun of it. We (I) really are clueless...

• Because food can become an idol. While shunning "cheap" groceries and spending more on it may seem idolatrous at first glance, the opposite is more likely to be true. By recognizing that the system is fragile, that quality food is of great value, and that it requires extra time and effort to obtain nutritious groceries, we begin to realize that it's not something we should take for granted.

The harder we work for our food, the more we appreciate it as a gift from a loving God who provides daily for our needs. Few things help us to see this as much as trying to actually grow our own food. Perhaps that's why God designed Adam and Eve to toil in the garden, fighting weeds. The punishment was actually a gift; an antidote for their souls when they took their food for granted and ate whatever they desired. Ever since, man has labored in the dirt and often met God in the process, realizing that it all comes from Him. Unfortunately, our modern food system makes it difficult for us to make this connection.

What can you do?

• Do not buy the cheapest groceries you can find. Please. PLEASE! Invest in your food. That does not mean you should pay the most expensive prices out there, either. But you should be willing to pay a fair price without grumbling or complaining to the small farmer. They're not making a killing on you, but rather they're trying NOT to depend on the government. The sooner you adopt a mindset that food costs good money, the sooner you'll be on your way to real food freedom.

There are lots of different avenues to securing good food (and most of us will do this in combination)...

• CSAs (farm subscriptions)
• Farmer's Markets
• Roadside stands
• Bartering (neighbor to neighbor)
• Food swaps (group events)
• Food co-ops (such as Azure Standard)
• Direct from the farm
• Community gardens
• Grow your own

• Make a plan to gradually increase your food budget. Which means you're going to need to cut back somewhere else (unless you have a money tree in your backyard?). This also means you'll need to make sacrifices. We really need a reality check on NEEDS v. WANTS and what that should look like. I fear we're all much better at talking the walk and not so good at walking the talk.

• Cut back in consumption of expensive items such as fruits, meats, and dairy products, and increase your vegetable intake. (If I'm not mistaken, that's what the doctor REALLY would like to see you eat.) The good news? You'll appreciate the more expensive items when you do eat them.

Both my husband and my daughter have traveled to various third world countries where they were guests in the home of some local family. In both cases, they were served chicken. This was a feast to these villagers, an offering of their very best. Something that they had on rare occasions, not 3-4 times a week (like most Americans). At first, this baffled me a bit... why was it such a rare treat?

I totally get that now. I'm raising White Rock chickens (not Cornish Cross) and its going to take about 5 months to raise a modest bird for the freezer. That's a lot more feed, which translates into one expensive meal. Even with free ranging as much as I can, it would be outrageously priced if it were to end up in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. Honestly, I've quit tracking my feed costs for the most part, knowing that I need to free range these guys every chance I can, even sending the kids out to "chicken sit" every now and then so the wild animals don't get the birds. (I'm sure someone would like to notify child protective services on that one!)

When we sit down to eat that meal, I guarantee you... it will be appreciated! I'll be thanking the Lord that the bobcat didn't get it before us, that I had grain to feed it when the grass was lean, that it scratched in the dirt and ate my bugs, that we saw it from chick to table and know how it lived, and that we had the physical strength from God to labor over it all those months.

It will not be cheap and it will not be taken for granted.