Is Earthing just a craze or a real health benefit?

So I'll start this out by admitting something, I'm a little bit hillbilly. I'm 36 but grew up very old fashioned for my age and just a hair on the hillbilly side. Now, I'm not ashamed of that and I certainly don't think my childhood has in anyway hurt whom I have become. I would like to think I am a fairly cultured and well read and yes, a little hillbilly. 

I say that because I was told that a lot as a child. I went without wearing shoes every chance I could. I hated wearing them and I am still that way today. If I did wear something on my feet I preferred the moccasins I made or maybe some flip flops. To this day I get poked at for doing yard and garden work barefoot. It's hard to explain why I am this way. I just love the feel of the earth. I love the smell of the grass and dirt, and the feeling of the dirt between my toes as I walk on it. I joke that my feet are just another of my senses. I'm smelling the dirt with my feet. 

It's really no big deal I'm this way. A lot of people walk around barefoot so maybe that's why I've become a little amazed and humored at this new "craze" of walking around without shoes and that it even has a name, earthing. Now before I get the hate mail coming in I'm not hating on earthing or people walking around barefoot. I think everyone should do it. I just find it a little comical that it now has a such an eloquent name. I guess it's just because it was so natural for me growing up and now there is sort of a fad with it. But pushing that aside let's talk about it and see if there really is any benefit to it. 

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My Top 10 Book List on Self Sufficiency

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and assume that the majority of those in the sustainability community that might have a thing for books. I'm not sure why but it just seems they go hand in hand. So as a fellow bibliophile I want to share with you my favorite reading list on the subject of self-reliant homesteading. This certainly isn't a complete list, I'm sure many of you would have several to add to this list but I wanted to make a sort of top 10 books that I have felt gave me a better insight or maybe inspired me in the subject of permaculture. 

These are listed in no particular order. I have provided links to Amazon for each of these but I am making no money if you choose to buy from them thanks to a recent law passed in my state. Hope you enjoy. 

1. Back to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills, Third Edition. This is a widely well known book and was originally published as a Readers Digest book. This covers a wide variety of subjects regarding family homestead life and even though it doesn't delve deep into each I highly recommend this one. I'm pretty sure this is the book that sparked the self-sufficient fire in me. This one is also recommended by several of my friends. 

2. Country Wisdom & Know How. This book has been around about a decade but is already a classic. It's actually part of a series of books on the subject and covers over 200 topics. This is a great book and series for your library. 

3. One Acre & Security: How to Live Off the Earth Without Ruining It. This book was originally printed about 40 years ago by a then well know survivalist and back to earth proponent. This is really a great book for those looking for ideas on living self-sufficiently but yet not primitive survival. The author covers a lot including what to look for in that secluded property that's still not too far from the city. 

4. The Self-Reliant Homestead: A Book of Country Skills. This is one I wouldn't want to be without. It's detailed and yet easy to read much like a text book. This book really covers a lot of info and I highly recommend this one. 

5. The Encyclopedia of Country Living: An Old Fashioned Recipe Book. Many consider this the homesteaders bible. This is one of the first books I purchased on the subject. The author updates and comes out with news editions ever few years. There is so much information in this book, I learn something new every time I pick it up. This is a great reference book to have around the house to quickly look up the answer to that homesteading question. 

6. Five Acres and Independence: A Handbook for Small Farm Management. This book was originally published in 1935 and has been revised several times but don't be dismayed on the age, there is a reason it is still being published. This book is a pretty low cost but important addition to your library. It's interesting because of the age it does give some insight into the old ways of doing things. 

7. Self Sufficiency for the 21st Century. Another great book and with some modern insight. There is a lot of information here and it is good whether you are living in the country of finding your self sufficiency in the city. A great addition to your library. 

8. Homesteading: A Backyard Guide to Growing Your Own Food, Canning, Keeping Chickens, Generating Your Own Energy, Crafting, Herbal Medicine, and More. From the author of Back to Basics this is a more in depth guide in the same series. Great full color illustrations and very practical information. Great for beginners or the experienced. 

9. The Modern Homestead Manual. This was written by a husband and wife team that has many years of experience in building a homestead from scratch. There is a lot of good advice here even how to build relationships with neighbors. A very easy to read writing style. I believe it was published in small numbers so it may be difficult to come by a copy but it's worth it. 

10. Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why. This one comes recommended by my friend Jessie. It talks more about the mentality of survival and sustainability and comes highly recommended by her. 

Well that's my top ten book list. I also want to list some magazines I would recommend if you are into subscriptions. There are a growing number out there and many are good but I want to highlight three that I feel are the best. 

1. Countryside & Small Stock Journal. This magazine has been around almost a century and before the advent of the internet it was the best way to communicate and network with others living the country life. This still is probably my favorite. All of the articles are from the readers and unlike a lot of magazines it's mostly articles and not a lot of advertising. I love reading these over and over again. 

2. Mother Earth News. By far the most popular magazine on this subject but still it is one of the best. Lots of beautiful pictures and great, helpful articles. They also put out several special editions every year with tons of great information. 

3. Back Woods Home Magazine. A lesser know publication but a very good one. This is for the serious homesteader. A lot of great information on just about every aspect of living off the land. I love every issue. 

Well that wraps up my lists. I hope they were helpful and maybe a good starting place for you to begin filling up your self-sufficient living library. Let me know what your favorites are. 

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How to make enough money to keep you self-sufficient.

So you've embraced permaculture, sustainable living, off-grid life, modern homesteading or whatever label you want to put on it. You long for the simplicity and self-reliance this life can bring. You dream of gardening, natural houses, solar power and strong likeminded communities. You believe what you are doing will help create a better tomorrow because you know how it has changed you for the better. You've planned it all out, you've read anything you can get your hands on to help you learn more and you've saved all you can to begin this life. There's only one problem. How to make enough money to be able to sustain this life?

Sure one option is just to keep working at your mundane, never going anywhere, non-fulfillment job but there's so much life and work you miss out on at your dream home. I mean why work to achieve this to only spend all your time off in your cubical. Many do this. They try and make some semblance of a sustainable life but keep working their normal job to pay for it and all the other amenities they haven't given up. If this is your plan let me warn you it's not usually a successful one. It will wear you down trying to work to keep up two lifestyles. This may be ok for a short time but in the long run many can't keep it up and end up reinserting themselves back into the matrix. 

Another option is to live so primitive that well, you just don't need money. All that you need to live off of is found in the wild. While this is possible it is not the life for most and usually isn't what most dream of, at least not in a practical sense. Sure I've read stories of people living without money in some kind of a hobbit hole but most of those stories are single people or maybe two adults. So what is your option if you have a family? 

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