You have never picked a ripe blackberry.
I have never picked a truly ripe blackberry.
No one, in the history of the world, has ever picked a truly ripe blackberry.
When a blackberry is allowed to fully ripen on the cane, the slightest bump will send it tumbling to the ground. If you approach it very carefully, and in one quick motion grasp both sides of the very ripe blackberry with equal pressure, you will be rewarded with a sweet sticky mess on your fingers. Licking off your fingers will make every other blackberry you have tasted pale in comparison.
There are two kickers, of course. Visually a truly ripe blackberry looks very much like an almost ripe blackberry, so you never really know when you will get one. Once the berry starts to dry out and look leathery, it is overripe. It still will make a decent tea, though. The other thing is that if you use gloves to protect your fingers from the prickles, the effect is not nearly the same.
The larger point is that you will never have this experience unless you are out there in the blackberry patch picking berries. Okay, maybe a really good friend will let you lick his or her fingers, but you still have to be out there with him or her. A pack of berries you buy will never have ones quite that ripe, even if you get them from a farmer's market. And while you can buy the blackberry bushes to plant, chances are good that if you live in an area where blackberries do well, some bird will come along and deposit the seeds naturally. Once you get a number of these, you will probably want to only keep the best and cut out the rest, as I have done.
On the Long Ascent, you can find, for free, simple pleasures that are better than any you can buy.
Showing posts with label Frugality. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Frugality. Show all posts
Friday, July 20, 2012
Friday, May 18, 2012
Living on the Land
Many people who are concerned with Hubbert's Mesa want to "live off the land". It is a wonderful dream to find a place that will provide you with all your needs. By all means, if you have the ability to do so, finding a good place to crash is well worth pursuing. (If you're looking in western Pennsylvania, I can even help you.)
However, first and foremost, you need to realize that perfection is not possible. REAL real estate will always have something missing. Some deficiencies can be corrected, which is all the more reason to start sooner rather than later. Other problems are not feasible to change, you will have to decide whether it is something you can live with. Consider your needs in their time order both when deciding where is an appropriate place to live and what projects to start with. Also consider the kind of community you will be living in, including the neighbors' attitude and the local zoning codes.
What if you can't afford to move? You can still do your best to live off the land you live on, like William Hunter Duncan. You may have more to be more creative in finding solutions, but the most important advantage is that you can start doing things now, like planting a garden. Invest in your skills today and "live on the land". It may even help you save enough pennies that finding the perfect place becomes feasible.
The Long Ascent begins where you are right now.
However, first and foremost, you need to realize that perfection is not possible. REAL real estate will always have something missing. Some deficiencies can be corrected, which is all the more reason to start sooner rather than later. Other problems are not feasible to change, you will have to decide whether it is something you can live with. Consider your needs in their time order both when deciding where is an appropriate place to live and what projects to start with. Also consider the kind of community you will be living in, including the neighbors' attitude and the local zoning codes.
What if you can't afford to move? You can still do your best to live off the land you live on, like William Hunter Duncan. You may have more to be more creative in finding solutions, but the most important advantage is that you can start doing things now, like planting a garden. Invest in your skills today and "live on the land". It may even help you save enough pennies that finding the perfect place becomes feasible.
The Long Ascent begins where you are right now.
Friday, May 4, 2012
Going to Market
Tomorrow starts the new season for the Slippery Rock Community Farmer's Market (SRCFM). The theme for this season is "Grow by Growing". I'm particularly excited for the new season, as I have been preparing to participate as a vendor. This is a bit of a homecoming for me, as I attended regularly the first two years, mainly selling sprouts and pizzelles. If I recall correctly, it has already been ten years since we were in the unpaved parking lot behind the bank on the main corner of Slippery Rock. Most days I would come home with no more money in my pocket but with a lot of different produce.
This is the earliest it has ever started, and at the beginning they will be selling seedlings to raise funds for the market. I will have a few of my own seedlings to sell this year, although if I don't sell any, I'll go ahead and use them myself. (That is a major part of my "business plan", to literally "eat my losses". I won't expand beyond what I can use until I'm sure others want to buy my stuff.) I also have packaged up some biochar to sell; I've been holding back from using it myself in case people want to buy any. (Don't worry, I will give you the full details on biochar in a future post -- hopefully with pictures.)
I tried last year to get into selling at the farmer's market in a major way, to the extent of buying a 10x20 foot greenhouse. I knew my place was windy but didn't realize how major a problem it was until I found the twisted wreckage of the greenhouse lying next to my house, one side still attached to the ground. I realized then that I would need to focus on staying low to the ground. I've been building frames and planter boxes for that, a few of which I will have on display tomorrow if people want to order them. I've actually had decent success starting seedlings in the cheap plastic peat pellet greenhouses, surrounded by 2x6 frames with a lath lattice on top.
This may seem like shameless self-promotion, and to a certain extent so far it has been. But there is a larger trend here. At the organizational meetings for the SRCFM, there have been a lot of new faces -- not just new to Slippery Rock, new to any market. As the global economy deteriorates, and as food prices rise, more people are looking to make money by selling to their neighbors, and more people are looking to save money by buying from them. Cutting out all the processing, transportation, and middlemen is a win-win situation for both buyers and sellers, and it helps build local economies while lessening the risk of global shocks.
Going to the local market to buy locally grown food and locally produced goods will become more frequent on the Long Ascent.
This is the earliest it has ever started, and at the beginning they will be selling seedlings to raise funds for the market. I will have a few of my own seedlings to sell this year, although if I don't sell any, I'll go ahead and use them myself. (That is a major part of my "business plan", to literally "eat my losses". I won't expand beyond what I can use until I'm sure others want to buy my stuff.) I also have packaged up some biochar to sell; I've been holding back from using it myself in case people want to buy any. (Don't worry, I will give you the full details on biochar in a future post -- hopefully with pictures.)
I tried last year to get into selling at the farmer's market in a major way, to the extent of buying a 10x20 foot greenhouse. I knew my place was windy but didn't realize how major a problem it was until I found the twisted wreckage of the greenhouse lying next to my house, one side still attached to the ground. I realized then that I would need to focus on staying low to the ground. I've been building frames and planter boxes for that, a few of which I will have on display tomorrow if people want to order them. I've actually had decent success starting seedlings in the cheap plastic peat pellet greenhouses, surrounded by 2x6 frames with a lath lattice on top.
This may seem like shameless self-promotion, and to a certain extent so far it has been. But there is a larger trend here. At the organizational meetings for the SRCFM, there have been a lot of new faces -- not just new to Slippery Rock, new to any market. As the global economy deteriorates, and as food prices rise, more people are looking to make money by selling to their neighbors, and more people are looking to save money by buying from them. Cutting out all the processing, transportation, and middlemen is a win-win situation for both buyers and sellers, and it helps build local economies while lessening the risk of global shocks.
Going to the local market to buy locally grown food and locally produced goods will become more frequent on the Long Ascent.
Friday, April 13, 2012
A Penny Saved...
... is two or three pre-tax pennies earned.
Seriously.
If you work in the United States, you pay Social Security and Medicare taxes on the very first dollar you earn. (I'm not well-versed in the tax codes of other countries; some are better, some are worse.) Your employer pays an equal amount, too, and if you're self-employed, you get to pay both. That's almost 1/6 of your income off the top, unless you happen to earn more than the cap on Social Security taxes.
Next comes income taxes. If you're poor, you do get a break. You can earn almost $10,000 before you start paying federal income taxes. If you have children, you can do even better through the Earned Income Credit. But once you start earning more, you can end up paying up to 35% of your income to Uncle Sam. Add to that state income taxes of up to 11% (for Hawaiians who earn over $200,000).
If you spend what money is left, you may have to pay state and local sales taxes up to 9.45%. At least you get to see that. When I was in Poland, the 22% sales tax was included in the sticker price. Other countries hide their sales taxes as "value-added taxes" that the companies pay.
Of course, part of the money that you pay for stuff you buy goes to other peoples' wages, which gets taxed all over again. If the money goes to a corporation and generates any profits, they get taxed again; if it pays out a dividend to its stockholders, they get taxed once again on that.
Direct taxes are not the only issue. Other expenses are involved in having a job, such as commuting and having nice clothes. I have known several couples where they ended up better off financially when one person quit working and took care of the household.
Cutting expenses by doing more for ourselves will get us further on the Long Ascent.
Seriously.
If you work in the United States, you pay Social Security and Medicare taxes on the very first dollar you earn. (I'm not well-versed in the tax codes of other countries; some are better, some are worse.) Your employer pays an equal amount, too, and if you're self-employed, you get to pay both. That's almost 1/6 of your income off the top, unless you happen to earn more than the cap on Social Security taxes.
Next comes income taxes. If you're poor, you do get a break. You can earn almost $10,000 before you start paying federal income taxes. If you have children, you can do even better through the Earned Income Credit. But once you start earning more, you can end up paying up to 35% of your income to Uncle Sam. Add to that state income taxes of up to 11% (for Hawaiians who earn over $200,000).
If you spend what money is left, you may have to pay state and local sales taxes up to 9.45%. At least you get to see that. When I was in Poland, the 22% sales tax was included in the sticker price. Other countries hide their sales taxes as "value-added taxes" that the companies pay.
Of course, part of the money that you pay for stuff you buy goes to other peoples' wages, which gets taxed all over again. If the money goes to a corporation and generates any profits, they get taxed again; if it pays out a dividend to its stockholders, they get taxed once again on that.
Direct taxes are not the only issue. Other expenses are involved in having a job, such as commuting and having nice clothes. I have known several couples where they ended up better off financially when one person quit working and took care of the household.
Cutting expenses by doing more for ourselves will get us further on the Long Ascent.
Friday, February 3, 2012
The Cheapest Bed Warmer
Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow again yesterday, so we are in for six more weeks of winter. One adjustment people are making on Hubbert's Mesa is turning down the thermostat to save money as energy prices rise. We bundle up as we move around during the day and pile on the blankets at night. However, the transition as we get into a cold bed can be jarring.
While this is mainly a matter of comfort, this is a practical matter too; you can waste a lot of time trying to fall asleep when you are too cold. Many solutions have been devised: electric blankets, hot water bottles, metal contraptions to put hot coals in, even putting blankets in a clothes dryer for a few minutes.
My method is one I haven't seen others use. I like to lie down on top of my blankets (and pajamas) while I'm fully dressed. For 20 to 30 minutes, I'll read, listen to podcasts, play with my latest iThingy, or type on my laptop. Then I'll quickly change for bed and get under the covers while they're still warm and cozy.
This is nothing major. But this solution is almost totally free (since I would spend my time doing those things anyway.) It is just another example of putting your pants on both legs at the same time. Small changes in behavior can be simpler and more effective than complicated technical solutions.
The more creatively we can solve our problems, the easier the Long Ascent will be.
While this is mainly a matter of comfort, this is a practical matter too; you can waste a lot of time trying to fall asleep when you are too cold. Many solutions have been devised: electric blankets, hot water bottles, metal contraptions to put hot coals in, even putting blankets in a clothes dryer for a few minutes.
My method is one I haven't seen others use. I like to lie down on top of my blankets (and pajamas) while I'm fully dressed. For 20 to 30 minutes, I'll read, listen to podcasts, play with my latest iThingy, or type on my laptop. Then I'll quickly change for bed and get under the covers while they're still warm and cozy.
This is nothing major. But this solution is almost totally free (since I would spend my time doing those things anyway.) It is just another example of putting your pants on both legs at the same time. Small changes in behavior can be simpler and more effective than complicated technical solutions.
The more creatively we can solve our problems, the easier the Long Ascent will be.
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