The Self-Sufficiency Specialist. Alan Bridgewater

Considering your options

       How can I get started?

      To become self-sufficient, there are many ways to begin. You could stay as you are and make lots of small modifications to your life; you could go for one massive life-changing upheaval and move house and career; you could make it work in the town, or in the countryside, or abroad. There will almost certainly be an option to suit your specific needs. There are lots of ways of reaching the same destination.

       MAKING SMALL CHANGES

      You could turn your garden over to producing food, change your diet, adopt different shopping habits, change the way the house is heated, change your use of electricity, gas, oil or solid fuel, change your vehicle, walk to work, only work half of the week, and so on. You could run an allotment, rent a piece of land, keep chickens and sell the eggs, or keep bees, for example.

      A good solar heater will help reduce your water-heating costs.

       MAKING A MAJOR CHANGE

      We are all very different – different ages, and with different family and financial commitments – but in my opinion the best, and perhaps even the easiest, method of going self-sufficient is to move to a plot in the countryside. Certainly, such a major change would involve a lot of forward planning, and you would have to build in all sorts of safety nets, but it would be a great goal to aim for. Of course, you could in the mean time prepare the way by making lots of small changes as described above.

       GATHERING INFORMATION

      As with any great journey or scheme, it is vital that you prepare by gathering as much information as possible. You must talk to your friends and family, visit possible locations, look at your assets, talk to people who are self-sufficient. You must consider every aspect of what is possible, and then research all the implications. If you want to move to the countryside, you should have an extended visit. If you want to keep animals, you should try working on a farm. You must base your dreams and subsequent plans on good, solid, reliable information.

       Questions to ask yourself

       If you do want land – how much do you need?

       Could you make it all work in the town or city, or do you need to move to the countryside where the land and property are often less expensive?

       Could you make it work by moving abroad?

       If you do have plans to move to another country, can you speak the language?

       If you have children, how will your plans affect their lives? Are they at a critical stage in their schooling?

       Do you want to go off-grid – no mains electricity, water or gas?

       Do you have practical skills in woodworking, electrics, plumbing, cooking, gardening or animal husbandry?

       Can you make it happen by staying put and renting fields and allotments?

       Do you want/need the support of a like-minded group – a community?

       Do you want/have to make a complete career change, or can you make it happen by adopting a career that backs up the self-sufficient set-up?

       Do you have enough assets to make your plans possible?

       Could you join forces with your parents, your partner’s parents, friends or family? If yes, have you ever lived and/or worked together?

       If you go in with parents or friends – how will such an arrangement affect other members of the family?

       If you go in with friends, partner or family, what happens if one party wants to pull out?

       Could you form a co-operative with friends and neighbours, with you all clubbing together to buy land?

       Could you join forces with family members to purchase a good-sized country house complete with land?

       Do you want to go the whole hog – move house, grow your own food, keep livestock – or would you be content to stay put, concentrate on beekeeping perhaps, and sell your produce in order to buy in other goods and services?

      GETTING DOWN TO DETAILS

      Once you have decided in broad terms that you want to be in the town or the countryside, you must start looking at the fine details of what is possible. The following will point you in the right direction.

      Town

       In the UK, allotments are low-cost, sometimes even free for people who are on a small income.

       Lots of allotment associations traditionally allow chickens, rabbits, goats and other stock.

       A large garden could be turned over to food production – you could have one or more greenhouses.

       You could rent ground – from neighbours, private individuals and local councils.

       Keeping livestock in town can be a problem – people will complain about smells and noise.

       Town-based self-sufficiency has to be tightly controlled because space is at a premium.

       There will be local restrictions – how many chickens, how much noise, and so on.

       You might not be allowed to have a wind turbine, but you could insulate your house and fit solar collectors.

       You will be able to draw inspiration from cultural activities such as visiting museums, art galleries and theatres and attending lectures.

       You could bring public transport into the overall equation.

       You will easily be able to do part-time paid work to support your go-green activities.

       You could sell produce like goat’s milk, cheese and fresh vegetables at the garden gate.

       There are a growing number of inner-city community farms; perhaps you could join such a set-up.

       Your children will easily be able to get to school.

      A large number of allotment holders are already completely self-sufficient in organic fruit and vegetables.

      For some people the off-grid option complete with a wind turbine is at the heart of the dream.

      Countryside

       The feeling of space can be spiritually uplifting – you will be very aware of the changing seasons.

       In the context of self-sufficiency, living in the country equates with more space, which in turn equates with more choice.

       If you have a large garden – 0.2 hectare (half an acre) or more – you will be able to keep livestock – anything from chickens through to a cow.

       Living in the country will give you greater access to tools and materials – all the things that you need to set your self-sufficiency dreams in motion.

       Noise pollution is low, which is very important. You will be able to hear yourself think, the birds singing, your animals calling, the wind in the trees, and so on.

       Light pollution is low. You will be able to see the stars at night