Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Chemicals and ADHD

So I'm reading about how all my daughters favorite foods are soaked with organophosphates. There goes my joy and relief that she loves green beans and strawberries. How are these pesticides even aloud to be used when they are being linked to ADHD and prenatal brain damage? I mean I can't get my own acreage fast enough. But now even the organic stuff is being contaminated by persistent herbicides. They don't break down, that's part of their charm, and down fall. So now your compost or manure might be contaminated with a Persistant herbicide that will kill and contaminate your crops.
They also have linked phthalates in baby shampoos, lotions, and powders to ADHD. It's a fragrance chemical.
Look out for lead. Especially in older homes. its not just an issue of lead paint, but in the plumbing. Homes built before 1986 are more likely to have lead pipes, fixtures, and solder pipes. Did we learn nothing from the down fall if Rome? Newer homes which should have lead free plumbing, can legally contain up to 8% lead. And with the slap up cheap rush building jobs of the 90's you can bet there's some lead in there some where. Chrome and brass fixtures can also leach lead so look out for those too.
Be careful with your garden, lawn, and house hold pest control sprays. In fact, your better off just ditching them for a more natural approach. Like planting native plants, and organic natural forms of pest control. Like attracting birds and lady bugs.
Lastly, avoid smokers, they're gross, they smell bad, and their nicotine laden clothes can absorb through your child's and your skin.

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Things to Consider

Going off the grid alone is one thing, going off the grid married is another, and going off the grid with children is still quite another. Where ever we buy a home or land, we have a few things to consider; safety, schools, healthcare, clean water, and clean air. It's getting harder and harder to not be downwind or down stream from pollution. It's getting harder to live some where safe, with the economy in the dumpster, our nations need to take on more immigrants than there are jobs, high unemployment, college graduates with no jobs available. Look at me I'm an ASCP laboratory technician with a Class A CDL, all my endorsements, and 7 years of driving experience. I've been unemployed for 6 months, mostly my own choice, though. I've had it with the rat race. This nation, the employment market, and everything in it, is akin to rats racing to the mast of a sinking ship. I want off the ship, period. All this has made people, even God fearing people, desperate, more people are turning to drugs and alcohol and crime to solve their problems and fulfill their needs. So my advice is to get a shot gun and a dog. A dog is better than a gun any day, but having both at least gives you some piece of mind. No one's gonna bother the crazy hermit with an angry German shepherd and a double barrel shot gun. I'm not going to anyway. As for schools, well, unfortunately Georgia is known for having some of the worst schools in the country. So finding an area with land near a good school is going to be the biggest challenge. Now most of a child's education and spiritual upbringing starts and ends at home. But sending them to a failing school isn't going to help them reach their potential either. Neither is bothering with a church that has nothing important to say. We are planting seeds here, seeds of knowledge and faith.

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Going off the Grid, in Georgia

Georgia presents it's own unique challenges for going off the grid, but I also think it may offer it's own advantages. Coastal Georgia has an abundance of sunny days and ocean breezes that could be harnessed for solar and wind energy. But what about the interior, or mountain regions? We are currently scouting out land in the northern Georgia area for our possible homestead sight. I need to figure out what would be best. land with hills, flat, open, tree cover, water access, maybe all of that? Is Georgia just too hot for off the grid living? Then again, they were off the grid longer than most of the country. You need to employ the passive home building technology that was lost when air conditioning was invented. Think Dog Trots, wrap around porches, pyramid roofs, angling the house away from direct sunlight, placing the home in the path of prevailing winds, ect. It can be done. Then you add today's sustainable technology and you're off to the races. We have a few options, but fewer than perfect since we don't have unlimited funds, but more than many. We can either buy land and put up a home, or buy land with a home and green up the existing home, or buy land with a decent trailer and built our dream home later or over time, or buy land, a trailer, build our home and sell the trailer. Build our own home or have it built? Prefab or local builder?