2011 Homesteading Skill-A-Month Challenge

[nuisance26]

~Want to learn to knit? Make a quilt? Build a fire? Keep chickens?
Join us as we learn to be more self-sufficient in 2011 by choosing just one new skill to learn every month. Any size project qualifies, from making yogurt to building a greenhouse. Whether you want to live off the grid or just want to reduce your dependence on others, being a part of this challenge will help motivate you and keep you accountable.
What skills do you want to learn in 2011?~

[nuisance26]

~Ok, here's a starter list of ideas for what I want to do in 2011:
bigger and better garden
mozzarella cheese
pepperoni
peanut butter
growing mushrooms from a kit
basic foraging
solar cooker
baby food(have made some but want to make all)
dandelion root coffee
making lard
fishing/cleaning fish
~

[Debbie-cat]

Thanks for getting us started early nuisance. Great idea so our new lists don't get lost in the old thread.

Love you list and now I would like to try mozza cheese and the danelion root coffee! Will be searching the web over the holidays and want to find lots of new ideas.

Since starting this challenge two years ago, I have learned so many skills I didn't even think I could do!

I hope many people join us this year and give us lots of inspiration be ideas!

[Labontet]

I have never done this challenge before so I am a little lost.
I am sure I will be inspired by others as to things I can teach myself.

1. One thing I intend to do is reteach myself crocheting.
2. Want to learn how to make bath salts, soaps, etc.
3. Make a better garden, want to build raised beds this year.
4. Maybe get about 3-4 chickens and all that goes with them for eggs
5. Get back into doing crafting (the ideas are endless)
6. Bake my own bread
7. Learn to use a pressure canner
8. Need to create a compost bin and maintain it correctly
9. Propagate new plants from existing plants to increase the number of them in my yard.
10. Build a butterfly garden
11.
12.

[monkeywrangler71]

I've been thinking about this the last couple of days. Now that I'm more or less settled in the house I really have an urge to be more self sufficient and feel like I'm producing something rather than just consuming.

Some of the things I want to work on this year are:

• Soap making
• Gardening and fruit trees
• Homemade wine and/or beer
• Preparing a blueberry field for production
• Harvesting our own wood - although this is more a skill for dh to learn since I don't intend to go near a chainsaw
• Learning to knit mittens
• Change a tire & oil change by myself
  ...to be continued

I guess I should start with the mittens in January, since we need them.

[Judi Dial]

Here's a cut/paste of my list from the old thread:
Winter:
winter sowing (keep talking about it and haven't done it)

Spring/Summer/Early Fall:
expand our veggie garden
grow more herbal tea plants
start seriously drying food
Get a clothesline up and get used to using it
Get a cold frame and/or root cellar analog in place before next winter

Anytime:
bake most of our bread
make crackers
finish the rug(s) or at least the first one!
cottage cheese
Christmas stockings/tree skirt

Maybes:
?put in a new hearth?
?make heat grabbers or get DH to?
?Get Tom to teach me how to make fruit wine?

I'm going to add these: finish putting the new insulation in the basement and write an article about making the rugs, which means I need to make a 2nd so DH can take pics!

btw, after a time I stopped working on the rug, about a month, I picked it up again. I'll have the 3rd block done today, the 4th has already been started, as has the 5th. Once I get the 4th done, then I need to determine the order I'm putting the thing together as that will affect the whole rest of it!

Judi

[Debbie-cat]

Welcome labontet and monkeywrangler! Great lists, new ideas! I love it.

Was looking on the web earlier and think once spring hits I am going to try cattail roots. They siad they taste like cucumbers and we love cucumbers plus we have a ton of cattails! The site even showed how to make twine from the leaves so I will definitely look more into this.

I want to research natural plants for homeopathic properties. We have so many plants on the property, I might as well use what we have!

.....tbc.....(to be continued)

[zakity]

The list (as I think of them, not the order I want to learn them):

How to make a no-sew rag rug
chickens
chicken tractor

[madjen]

My January skill is learning to crochet (scarf is my first project once I learn all the steps)

I'd love to learn something each month for 2011. Some of the things I'm interested in learning...

canning/jarring
candles
bath soaps/salts
bread
garden expansion
composting

[kaebuzz]

I'm in, I will start working on my list.

[daylily]

I'm torn! Should I list things I really want to learn or things I know I need to learn but do not want to learn. Learning to load and shoot the gun comes to mind for the latter. We are having issues not to far from us with rabid animals and I keep thinking what if I'm here without one of the men and a rabid animal shows up?

[thefrugaltribe]

Well I am only new to this website but I love this idea.

I am not a very ummmm homely person but would love to be able to use myself more!!! I am sure I have a skill there somewhere??? Here is some of what I would really like to do;

1. Baking my own bread and rolls and snacks for my daughter
2. Making my own yogurt
3. Making my own cleaning products and body products
4. Making my own dish cloths
5. Learn how to recyle clothes or buy second hand and upgrade with basic sewing
6. Start basic herb and vegetable pot garden

Thats all I can really think of now but it is enough to get me started and I can go from there for January I will start at the top of the list...

You guys have some great ideas...

[Debbie-cat]

Welcome to all the newcomers! Great ideas being tossed around. I love this thread!

[nuisance26]

I'm torn! Should I list things I really want to learn or things I know I need to learn but do not want to learn. Learning to load and shoot the gun comes to mind for the latter. We are having issues not to far from us with rabid animals and I keep thinking what if I'm here without one of the men and a rabid animal shows up?

~List both. You may have time each month to do more than one!~

[hotprincesscm]

I am in....I have lots of things I would like to learn. Now finding the time to do them is going to be another thing! I will get started working on my list and post it soon!