You can't learn everything which the pioneers did,or, at least I don't think you can. The best way of dealing with all this, if it ends that way, is at the community level.
Most rural communities have at least one or two folks who have several of the vital skills, so that almost everything can be dealt with. In areas like mine, there are still old timers who, if they didn't practice these skills themselves, at least watched their elders. A town the size of mine won't need more than one or two blacksmiths (how do I know? We already have a few, so maybe we will need more). Grow more food than you can eat, and trade it for skills.My ex used to clean, spin, dye, and knit with her own yarn, from angora goats and rabbits, using natural dyes. Beekeeping is fairly easy, and honey is a desirable product. Somebody might well make you a nice pair of boots in exchange for a gallon of honey. Chickens are easy to raise, and are a good source of income, plus they can reproduce faster than you would believe. (They also make good bug catchers; one of the bigger organic growers double fenced his garden, and ran his chickens between the two; did a lot to keep insects out of the garden. Oh, and blue (Aracana) and brown eggs are better than white.) Etc, etc, etc.
There is probably a community garden or two in your city, where you can begin growing. |
