Our Self Reliance
Our Self Reliance
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Can Food Growing be Beautiful? Pollinator Garden, Compromising Aesthetics with Production
Welcome to our self reliant homestead! Join us, Shawn and Dervla, as we create a resilient, abundant and sustainable ecosystem that feeds our families from the land in Ontario Canada. Using permaculture as our guide, we strive to become independent in water, food, energy and shelter, focused on beauty in form and efficiency in function.
Our Self Reliance is a life of compromise between my two daughters and my wife's preference for culture, comfort and formality, and I, with my love of chaotic and beautiful but challenging and often uncomfortable wilderness living. The resulting homesteads are an eclectic blend of modern with traditional, whimsical with practical, formal with informal, civilized with rustic.
Over the last five years, my wife and I designed and built our dream homesteads from scratch with very little outside help; from undeveloped, declining forest to a comfortable home and cabin with a prolific edible landscape for people and wildlife equally. For many years, we have strived to lessen our burden on others by taking full responsibility for the health and welfare of our immediate family while building a strong community around us, both online and offline. Now that the infrastructure is in place here, we will be spending more time working cooperatively with community members, including extended family, to collectively become more resilient while living a deeply satisfying and meaningful life. Thank you for being part of that!
#homestead #sustainability #farming #offgrid #selfreliance
มุมมอง: 38 122

วีดีโอ

Digging a Pond | Permaculture Principle 1: Observe and Interact
มุมมอง 41K2 หลายเดือนก่อน
After 4 years on this land and observing the cycles of nature, it's become clear that there's an ideal pond location in the forest that would create more resilience on the homestead and add important wildlife habitat. Welcome to our self reliant homestead! Join us, Shawn and Dervla, as we create a resilient, abundant and sustainable ecosystem that feeds our families from the land in Ontario Can...
Building Soil to Regenerate an Old Pasture with Hay
มุมมอง 30K2 หลายเดือนก่อน
The soil conditions are so poor on this old pasture that cover crops are not helping as they can't get enough nutrients and moisture to grow. To solve this problem, my wife and I spread hay to add carbon and organic material to the soil and to act as a mulch to aid in germination of rye and buckwheat. We'll follow this up with the addition of several head of livestock to manure the ground and s...
Homegrown Chicken Feed | Growing, Harvesting and Curing Corn, Sunflower, Garlic and Barley
มุมมอง 34K2 หลายเดือนก่อน
An early start to the growing season, adequate rain and good soil leads to early ripening of the crops I grew for chicken feed this year. I harvest flint corn, sunflower and black barley and prepare cured garlic for freeze drying and powdering for cooking and feeding to the animals. Welcome to our self reliant homestead! Join us, Shawn and Dervla, as we create a resilient, abundant and sustaina...
Regenerating an Old Homestead, Building a Cedar Rail Fence | These Dogs are Driving me Crazy!
มุมมอง 54K2 หลายเดือนก่อน
Using permaculture methods, I'm helping my sister regenerate an old, neglected homestead, starting with restoring the pasture and building old fashioned fences to contain livestock - cows, goats, pigs and chickens. Welcome to our self reliant homestead! Join us, Shawn and Dervla, as we create a resilient, abundant and sustainable ecosystem that feeds our families from the land in Ontario Canada...
Installing a Rain Water Barrel with Nipples for my Chickens
มุมมอง 50K2 หลายเดือนก่อน
To prepare to leave the homestead for a week, I install a 35 gallon rain barrel with nipples so that the chickens have plenty of water while I'm gone. Welcome to our self reliant homestead! Join us, Shawn and Dervla, as we create a resilient, abundant and sustainable ecosystem that feeds our families from the land in Ontario Canada. Using permaculture as our guide, we strive to become independe...
6 Families, 3 Homesteads | Regenerating an Abandoned Pasture | My Mentor
มุมมอง 70K2 หลายเดือนก่อน
My sister Coreen and I walk her homestead property and discuss where the fences should go, the location of a food forest and the existing flora on the future pasture that will have to be replaced over time with forage for livestock. Welcome to our self reliant homestead! Join us, Shawn and Dervla, as we create a resilient, abundant and sustainable ecosystem that feeds our families from the land...
Letting Chickens Loose in the Vegetable Garden!
มุมมอง 43K2 หลายเดือนก่อน
Now (early August) that the vegetable and grain crops are mature and less susceptible to damage, I'm giving the laying hens free range access to half of the raised bed garden to forage all of their own food. They are quickly consuming all of the pests, chasing the chipmunks away from the grains and eating many of the weeds that I've allowed to grow in the garden specifically to feed to the chic...
Efficient Method for Weeding and Watering Raised Vegetable Garden Beds | Cali Steals Our Blueberries
มุมมอง 59K3 หลายเดือนก่อน
Welcome to our self reliant homestead! Join us, Shawn, Dervla, and our dog Cali as we create a resilient, abundant and sustainable ecosystem that feeds our families from the land in Ontario Canada. Using permaculture as our guide, we strive to become independent in water, food, energy and shelter, focused on beauty in form and efficiency in function. Our Self Reliance is a life of compromise be...
Regenerative Farming on an Old Log Homestead Step 1: Restoring the Pasture on my Sister's Homestead
มุมมอง 66K3 หลายเดือนก่อน
After decades of decline, this old homestead is in need of restoration and regeneration so that it can once again provide sustenance to a family and a community. Step 1 includes building up organic material in sections of the pasture and converting the remainder from sedges, blackberries and ferns to a biodiverse blend of grasses and forbes that are nutritious for cattle, goats and fowl. Welcom...
A Bumper Blueberry Crop Brings in the Bears!
มุมมอง 30K3 หลายเดือนก่อน
It's been a perfect year for wild and cultivated blueberries and it looks like we're going to harvest and store enough to eat berries almost every day for the next year. In this video, I'm sitting in an Ontario Parks field that was burned last year, which restarted the successional growth pattern by setting back the forest species and encouraging pioneer and somewhat shade intolerant species li...
Growing All of Our Fruit and Vegetables in the Forest: Amazing Transformation in 1 Year
มุมมอง 37K3 หลายเดือนก่อน
Starting with a dense forest in March 2020, I clear 1/4 acre of trees and using native soil, leaves, natural compost and rotten logs, grow a huge amount of food for my family before winter hits in November. Welcome to our homestead! Join us as we create a resilient, abundant and sustainable ecosystem that feeds our families from the land in Ontario Canada. Using permaculture as our guide, we st...
Harvesting and Curing Garlic from My Edible Landscape, Bumper Chicken Garden, What's My Wife Doing?
มุมมอง 94K3 หลายเดือนก่อน
An update on the crops I'm growing in raised beds to feed our chickens, and while I'm walking through the garden, I notice that it's time to harvest and cure the 160 garlic bulbs that I planted last November. Welcome to our self reliant homestead! Join us, Shawn and D, as we create a resilient, abundant and sustainable ecosystem that feeds our families from the land in Ontario Canada. Using per...
Planting a Pear Tree Guild | Growing Food Naturally and Sustainably
มุมมอง 32K3 หลายเดือนก่อน
Planting a Pear Tree Guild | Growing Food Naturally and Sustainably

ความคิดเห็น

  • @briankerrison8504
    @briankerrison8504 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

    Is that water butt food grade plastic.. ? 🤔🤔

  • @benweir665
    @benweir665 5 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Comments for the algo

  • @tgtg4512
    @tgtg4512 13 วันที่ผ่านมา

    How do you keep the squirrels away from the apple trees❓ My apples are destroyed every year❗😔😔😔

  • @1formation8
    @1formation8 18 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Awesome channel!

  • @1formation8
    @1formation8 18 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Our cat here in Alaska is amazing and keeps the voles and things in check 🙂

  • @andersmartensson1851
    @andersmartensson1851 25 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Låt boskapen gå i skogen och beta , Hänga in ett mindre område och låt djuren beta av område för område

  • @antonia2353
    @antonia2353 26 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Consegui a tradução em português.

  • @chongseitmooi2593
    @chongseitmooi2593 หลายเดือนก่อน

    iadmire ur good living style ❤

  • @ronhobbs8038
    @ronhobbs8038 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Do you do any form of structured physical exercise other than the hard work you put in?

  • @laurenrush3170
    @laurenrush3170 หลายเดือนก่อน

    You can have run off water and also under ground water in close proximity. If you can easily find the under ground you have the best place to dig your pond and much better water and better supply

  • @patriciaarmstrong9845
    @patriciaarmstrong9845 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Love the unity in your family, I’ve learned a lot from your skills, I’m one can talk, , I just wanna look and be taught, I was brought up in the country, we had men like you, but they served this country , and left the farming along, our elders got to old to carry on … In Nature I find Peace, I get the peace and I created the world I’m in!!! Thanks, Shawn James, I can feel your love for nature and family, Oh by the way, Mr. James, Cali is my favorite, I hope to see just as much content of your projects with your sister,and know , I have a baby puppy 🐶, I call PUP, he’s a Chihuahua and a mix Jack Russell, a very small puppy… HOTEPDEEP Family Strong 👨‍👩‍👦❤️🐶💪🏾🙏🏾.., I enjoys all of your shows on TH-cam 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽

  • @TonyMalerba-y3n
    @TonyMalerba-y3n หลายเดือนก่อน

    You're looking very healthy and in shape man. Still on the AG1 ? Can you do a video on what you eat in a day?

  • @billmitchell7731
    @billmitchell7731 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Get a rat terrier for those rodents 😂

  • @167curly
    @167curly หลายเดือนก่อน

    Your blend of beauty and food production is wonderful.

  • @giselecontassotdesayvre8090
    @giselecontassotdesayvre8090 หลายเดือนก่อน

    il faut avoir une très bonne connaissance du terrain, pour en tirer partie...vous êtes pris à cent pour cent pour améliorer votre environnement, je vous admire..bon courage et bonne continuation Shawn.🍁🍂

  • @ksmithkatcarving
    @ksmithkatcarving หลายเดือนก่อน

    Shawn somebody's trying to imitate you on Facebook, I think they're on my Facebook site and they're saying message me. I got something for you. And I know you said in one of your. contemporaries that you were leaving Facebook.

  • @tontocasimirmary-lou4961
    @tontocasimirmary-lou4961 หลายเดือนก่อน

    ❤🐈🐈‍⬛❤

  • @mai_chan2023
    @mai_chan2023 หลายเดือนก่อน

    is this channel trying to copy Shawn James's My Self Reliance channel?

  • @joanntucker2742
    @joanntucker2742 หลายเดือนก่อน

    You have a lot of pretty flowers.👍l love the chicken coop. 😍

  • @ellevictory1339
    @ellevictory1339 หลายเดือนก่อน

    See u in person o look forward to our private chat and them with Nadine

  • @ellevictory1339
    @ellevictory1339 หลายเดือนก่อน

    No spells u can't run away josh see u tomorrow ir Sunday like planned i mustvgo eith or without u i can't pretend wr created anything yet or children sex sone ksnd buildings thats it I have to be there discuss everything with wirjers nit fo anything else

  • @ellevictory1339
    @ellevictory1339 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Thats why ur afraid to talk to me u can't stall there is s conversation about everything we must discuss thats what I want choose its needed then i decide everything what I want to do continue and my kufe is private trust is not a thing its fake human experience u can't break trust i Gave u to earn it back lots to discuss o have to know everything every single thing this is important yo me my way im tbe creator this won't change so tve sooner tbe better i have to go I can bit wait everything is fine fir us u csn explain yhe fsje fight why udess seem real to experience especially fake evil

  • @ellevictory1339
    @ellevictory1339 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I need s real worker thats good not sn actor who plays bad we can discuss everything ig i keep u and what position u get u might get demoted we eill discuss everything in person ots needed thx 👌💪👍

  • @ellevictory1339
    @ellevictory1339 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Ur an actor ad an idea i need a real goid person by my side no offense

  • @ellevictory1339
    @ellevictory1339 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Nothing exists yet i have yo discuss everything in person huw what why who i will create ad my worker right hand 👌😂😂😂

  • @scottshultz8443
    @scottshultz8443 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I agree. Whatever you can get down this fall, will go a long way toward the land's recovery next spring. It's a slow process, but well worth it.

  • @giselecontassotdesayvre8090
    @giselecontassotdesayvre8090 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Très bonnes récoltes Shawn, bon weekend..un jardinier éleveur de poules heureux!!...😁

  • @JulieCrawford-l8r
    @JulieCrawford-l8r หลายเดือนก่อน

    Very informative!❤

  • @JocelyneSteele
    @JocelyneSteele หลายเดือนก่อน

    Beautiful ❤ how about bringing in few cats for pest control?

  • @sharnale
    @sharnale หลายเดือนก่อน

    Thank you for showing and naming so many of the flowers and plants. Each day I search, looking forward to enlarging the picture and leaning back to enjoy a beautiful, calming, educational work of art.

  • @nicolasbertin8552
    @nicolasbertin8552 หลายเดือนก่อน

    In our community garden, which is in an urban environment, we decided to include fruit bushes and tree that would be just to feed the birds... Coz birds are eating all of our cherries, so let's hope other berries will mean they'll leave us some cherries. We have now big areas for perennials too, and in our alkaline soil, what work best are eryngium, echinops, campanulae, achillea, veronicastrum, eupatorium, agastache, monarda and all kinds of asters. For spring flowering yeah many bulbs, and some aquilegia, geum, that kind of thing. Perennial geraniums are also amazing to fill the small spaces, as well as the dry shade under the trees. There are species for dry soils, moist soils, full sun or shade... it's amazing. In the legume family, baptisia is stunning.

  • @lidijabirsa7768
    @lidijabirsa7768 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I just figured out you have a new channel! The third?! I actually thought someone is trying to steal your original ch name - MY self reliance, so I didn't even want to check this one! Lol. Anyway, too much for me..... I'm staying on the first one, good luck. 😊

  • @susantremblett2280
    @susantremblett2280 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Hey Shawn can you talk about your tools you use to clear those weeds,,, I have 8 arc and newly cleared lot about 1 arc but the woods is of course is trying to take it back. I think that tool would help me allot

  • @scottshultz8443
    @scottshultz8443 หลายเดือนก่อน

    The ongoing battle of the sexes, between practicality and aesthetics. Hopefully, a compromise will be found. Im excited to see the farm's evolution.

  • @bettybryson9637
    @bettybryson9637 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Thanks for showing us the flower garden!!! My yard is small but full of fruits and flowers, birds and insects! Thankful for what we have!

  • @BsjjdjxjchBsjjdjxjchxcy
    @BsjjdjxjchBsjjdjxjchxcy หลายเดือนก่อน

    Wauuuuuu

  • @BsjjdjxjchBsjjdjxjchxcy
    @BsjjdjxjchBsjjdjxjchxcy หลายเดือนก่อน

    Eu vou morrer😂😂

  • @BsjjdjxjchBsjjdjxjchxcy
    @BsjjdjxjchBsjjdjxjchxcy หลายเดือนก่อน

    Eu tenho q te esqueser?

  • @MirtaRoman-wq6rj
    @MirtaRoman-wq6rj หลายเดือนก่อน

    y admire you mr blless

  • @TrentGunnellGeorgiaExposure
    @TrentGunnellGeorgiaExposure หลายเดือนก่อน

    Shawn, I'm a big fan of your content. You seem like a very reasonable and friendly guy. With me being a "TH-camr" myself, I think you made a huge mistake trying to run a 3rd channel. You had a successful channel with over 2M subs and averaging 300 - 500k views a video. And now, you're new channel hasn't pick up the subs you thought it would. You are only getting a fraction of the views now. You are doing the same work as you used to, but not getting the audience. There is no shame, you are trying new things. Go back to your other channel and let everyone know, that you are going back to the way it was. I realize you believe that your other channels are maxed out and are dying. That is fine because they are big enough to where it doesn't matter. They will sustain their platforms as long as you put out new content. Best of luck to you - Trent Gunnell Georgia Exposure!

  • @jspidey2k
    @jspidey2k หลายเดือนก่อน

    If you're not interested in honey or the work to manage hives, consider getting Mason Bees. They are super pollinators and ridiculously easy to care for.

  • @danielluma2948
    @danielluma2948 หลายเดือนก่อน

    We have a problem with chicken hawks killing our chickens, we put a fence over top of their runs, but still, they have been dying from fear of these bird

  • @jerrystout3032
    @jerrystout3032 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Outstanding Craftsman ship 👍!😇

  • @eneidialawhead8920
    @eneidialawhead8920 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Great job!

  • @susanhamilton1822
    @susanhamilton1822 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Beautiful Shawn! How about Squash flowers fried in batter?

  • @texastx8247
    @texastx8247 หลายเดือนก่อน

    So many great plants all offering great benefits… but comfrey is a all time favorite of mine!

  • @janamcq.3713
    @janamcq.3713 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Get a bunch of CATS and your rodent problem will quickly fade!! 😁

  • @AnneCarter-r2g
    @AnneCarter-r2g หลายเดือนก่อน

    Just a kind note. I find your videos thoughtful, meaningful and most enjoyable not to mention beautifully crafted. Your zen-like approach to creating building and gardening is so helpful and educational. You dogs, the Golden in particular, has my heart.

  • @afieldsy8236
    @afieldsy8236 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Gardening in North America zone 6A, I tend to let Borage grow in between the plants in the veggie garden for pollinators. It seeds itself and attracts many varieties bees, small and large. For humming birds I use red Zinnias and purple Salvia. Bee balm is a big hit with them all.

  • @duncanwilkie179
    @duncanwilkie179 หลายเดือนก่อน

    A regular botanic wonderland. A more practical type of video.