Independence Days Redux
Sharon April 13th, 2009
Recently someone kindly pointed out that it has been a dog’s age since I bothered to post an Independence Days Update. I really appreciated the kick in the pants – this is a project I really don’t want to let go. It has been nearly a year, and it would be easy to say “ok, I’m done now.” But I’ve found it so valuable that I really want to keep up, if not the “challenge” elements, the idea of integrating your food security and basic preparedness into everyday life.
The idea of the Independence Days challenge was pretty simple – every day (or every week, or every weekend, or whatever) we try and do at least one thing that gets us towards our goals. It came from the wonderful Carla Emery’s observation that from February to July, she tried to plant something every single day, and from May to December, to harvest something each day.
And since all of us - me especially – are vulnerable to letting our lives get away from us, to getting so busy that there’s no way we can allot two hours to weeding the garden, this is the necessary approach. This says “ok, but you can walk down there and pick the sorrel, and while you are there, pull out a half dozen weeds. That’s enough. You can be proud of yourself for that.” And once a week or a month, I get to make a list of everything I did – without all the caveats “well, but I never…” “oh, but I didn’t get to…” That was the best part – it forced me to make a list that didn’t include apologies or my failures, it forced me to look at the accomplishments, not the inadequacies.
Last year, despite the fact that I essentially wrote two books, I planted more, preserved more and kept up better than I ever have before. I certainly didn’t do all I wanted to, nor did I do it all right. But recognizing that just because I couldn’t do it all didn’t mean I couldn’t do anything mattered a lot.
I don’t know if Independence Days was useful for the rest of you, but it worked like a charm for me. I do know that I have a lot of new readers since last year, and perhaps it might be helpful to at least a few of you. So I’m restarting the Independence Days Challenge – all you have to do is do something every day that you can, however large, however small, and credit yourself for planting, preserving, harvesting, adding to food storage, reducing waste, expanding your preps…
Last year I divided things into categories, and there got to be quite a lot of categories – I’m not sure if I should bring them back or just ask people to list what they’ve done in general. What do you think? Is having categories like “increased your preps” or “reduced waste” helpful to you, to remind you to do a little of everything, or is it just distracting? And was I the only one who found Independence Days useful? For those of you who participated, has it helped?
And if this is new to you, please just sign up in comments!
Sharon
- Independence Days Challenge
- Comments(71)
I liked the categories. It kept me organized … and focused on what I needed to accomplish. I didn’t always “show” in every category, but it was always good, for me, to keep my goals in mind.
I’m looking forward to reviving the challenge. I even have some “I planted” updates, already
.
I was just trying to figure out a way to find a group doing an Independence Days Challenge for this year! LOL.. please do start it up again and yes, let’s have categories!
I’m ready!
Yesterday, I planted potatoes. About 1/3 of a bag that had greened and/or started to sprout. I asked my wife to please help remember that those two plots are not good keeper potatoes.
i loved doing this challenge and did it faithfully all last summer and fall. the categories were very helpful for me, a good way to remember what exactly i did all week long!
I liked the categories. They serve to organize people’s comments and blog posts in a way that makes them easier to read and to write, once one is used to the rythym of them.
I did find that it helped! Since I’m not going to bother with a garden this year (maybe I’ll do some low-light indoor stuff, but I don’t have the energy necessary to get anything substantial out of our yard and we have the CSA farm anyway), I think I’ll make my own categories — maybe sub-categories for adding to storage and preservation. One of my goals for this summer is keeping better track of our CSA produce so that less of it goes to waste, and this will help a lot.
I found this extremely useful! I was just outside planting some purple raspberries and blackberries, came in for a drink and a short break, and came across your post. Perfect timing!
I liked the categories, once I accepted that I couldn’t do each one every week, and some times of the year lended better to different categories. For example, preserve something was easy in August and September, while plant something was easier in the spring. I’d love to participate again this year, since I found it so helpful! You’re going to have to make a new doodad for 09!
As a side note, I’ve also decided to make a new garden page on my blog, to help keep up with what’s in the garden. It’s not a means of keeping accountable, but rather a neat record of what I’ve done. If anyone’s interested, here’s the link: http://farmersdaughterct.wordpress.com/garden/
Since we’ve only been living here less than 2 years, it’s easy to keep a record of all our plants. It was hayfield before we built our house (and pumpkin patch and peach orchard before that).
This is new to me but I would like to know more. Sounds like a good way to keep me focussed.
I love the categories idea – keeps me on track.
I am in agreement with everyone else — categories please! I remember the concept but not the categories other than plant something.
I also liked the categories. It helped keep me from ignoring certain areas that might skate out of view otherwise. Even if I didn’t do anything in such-and-such category, I have a way of remembering that it’s there to be worked on.
Love this challenge and it did help me accomplish goals that were previously just a “list”!
I am still doing it (plan to complete a full year)
and have been faithfully (other than combining weeks
over the winter) recording my accomplishments since last spring.
In fact, I have never participated in a blog challenge so well!
I am a fan of the categories as well for most of the reasons others have mentioned.
I just altered them to fit my own needs.
Just another vote for keeping the categories — they were very helpful.
Wow, okay – I’ll be the solitary vote for no categories. I found the list of categories was so long that it was overwhelming to me, and it started feeling like A LOT to do every day, which to me sort of goes against the spirit of the thing. I seem to be the only one who perceived it that way, though.
We thoroughly enjoyed the categories and this challenge took us to a new level like no other.
In the last week? Just BUSY! New chicken tractor, organized greenhouse, planted lettuce and kohlrabi and quince trees, the potatoes and peas and new garlic are up, harvested onions, kale, maple bracts, leeks, chives, broccoli, chard, and elephant garlic, divided the rosemary, peppermint, chives and rhubarb, baked bread, moved the new chickens, moved the new ducks, built nesting boxes, renewed the compost, patched the dining room ceiling, and caught a trout.
Oh, and! The parsnips are up.
Downsides: Some of the tomato seedlings got too much sun. Starting over. Birds got a lot of the new pea vines — they never did that before. Getting netting.
I liked the categories even though I couldn’t always keep them straight (manage v. prep?). Reduce waste for us was more reuse/repair, etc. One good thing about the categories was even in weeks when I didn’t feel like I’d done much, I could find something in one or another the categories to feel productive about. Plus it was a good checklist.
The seeds that I’ve planted out (peas and fava beans) don’t seem to be doing much — casualties of too much rain and critters I think, but I was seduced by the suddenly greens option of starts at the garden center and spent Sunday potting up 9packs and 4packs. I now have a table filled with kale, chard, lettuce, parsley.
This is new to me and I love a challenge as long as it motivates me to get off my butt and away from the computer screen. Help!
I have to admit that I didn’t actually DO the challenge…but I enjoyed reading about it! As I followed along, I found myself remembering all the things I got done myself, and felt good about it (even though I didn’t write it down.) I like the breadth of categories, because I tend to become obsessive about one area and ignore much else for awhile. But then I’d read a post, and be reminded of other things I could be doing. Thanks for bringing this back, Sharon. And maybe I’ll actually record things this time!
Yeah categories! I’ve sort of half-played along at home but have been gearing up to more active participation (and tracking). This spring has been crazy busy with things that have kept me away from home and garden, but now I have some more time. Feel bad that I haven’t planted anything yet but I started this weekend with just getting at least one thing planted a day. And yesterday started my 2nd attempt at no-knead bread, plus made some strong tea to revitalize my neglected kombucha scooby. The categories will help keep me on track. It does all add up!
I was surprised by how good it felt to list what I had done, and really look at and appreciate it, but still had a hard time letting go of the “Oh, but I didn’t …” end of things. Good reminder to relax, and accept that the list is too long, and always will be.
And hey, I Did get the peas planted! Along with a replacement tart cherry tree, for the one that died last year, and a start from a friend’s rhubarb (thanks to DH, who did the actual digging). And more than half the blackberries ripped out of the back yard. We’re enjoying overwintered leeks from the garden, along with vegetables from our year-round CSA.
I vote for categories too! It really helped me to stay on track with what needed to be done when and to see where I might need to concentrate more of my efforts.
I realized that my food storage has not had much attention lately as we are trying to eat down some of what we have before restocking. It has been a while since I did a good inventory. The challenge was great for keeping me on this task more than anything else!
The challenge was also a great motivator!
How about FEWER catagories. I found the list overwhelming and hard to remember. Maybe an alphabetic list of half a dozen catagories?
I’m with Hummingbird. I like the idea of categories, to keep me from focusing on one thing to the exclusion of other important activities, but I got WAY overwhelmed with the volume.
I’m new to this challenge, and I really want to participate, and I vote for categories.
I feel so overwhelmed by my unpreparedness that I don’t know where to start! Categories will definitely help.
And I think I could plant something today…
YES, YES, YES!!! Keep it up, please!!!! It’s been such a blessing, seeing what others are doing on a week to week basis. And the categories have helped immensely! I look forward to starting back into my updates here in the next week, personally. (Heck, yesterday we planted for the first time this year! It was fabulous fun to get my fingers back in the dirt again!)
Please don’t give this challenge up, I think it’s a great one and I was looking forward to another year of seeing other’s progress as well as being challenged in my own.
Yes, it certainly helped me. It probably goaded me more towards some deep thinking rather than extra activities, but that’s alright. Today I’ve already planted 6 asparagus crowns and one cherry tree. I’m taking a break but will definitely have a second cherry tree planted before the end of the day. And I’ll probably be at least half way done with building a second raised bed for more asparagus. If the weather holds, tomorrow it’s two pear trees to go into the ground.
I love spring, but I’m grateful it only accounts for 1/4 of the year. Too much of it would kill me!
I’d like to do this. I like the categories, and friends who have been doing it seem to find them useful. How do I sign up?
I think I failed every single week, but just going through the categories to make my list kept them in my mind, so I ended up doing a lot more than I would have otherwise.
I did more last year than I have ever done and I credit you and the challenge. I found the categories extremely useful, when recording what I had done I would notice an empty space and try to fill it.
I spent the past couple weeks planting over 30 fruit trees and bushes as well as a few nut trees. Last weekend was spent moving the huge compost pile to the garden and spreading it.
We will rototiller the garden this weekend and start planting.
Thank you again for the inspiration!
~Traci
Vancouver, WA
Yes, I’m all for signing up for this challenge! I just read the posts last time, but am very excited to participate and track progress.
I’m new to the whole idea but it sounds fantastic! Count me in
I’m up for an Independence Days challenge; count me in. Don’t know if the categories will be helpful or not. I’ll work with whatever structure you set up.
I’m just getting into the busy garden season now … should be planting but the ground is waterlogged. Have had 3.0″ of rain so far in April, 2.6″ of that in the past week, just when I should be planting the cool-season veggies. Oh well, hope to at least get the weeds cleaned off the garden later this week, and maybe start digging then. In the meantime, I did at least get the new herb bed mulched.
I’m all for the idea of everyday including a positive event—wasn’t aware of last year’s going-ons; but I think I would be in favor of fewer but inclusive categories. It’s very easy for me to get too scattered.
I’ve undertaken a varmint-prove cage for my veggie’s this year; if it works, I’ll do a few more of them.
i missed it last year so, by all means, sign me up!
IDC was the single-best thing I have done in years. I kept up with weekly updates for almost a year. I have begun to understand the annual cycle, where different “categories” are more or less important at different times of the year. I did customize the categories to my family, and rolled some together in the beginning. I like the way they serve as a checklist. I can see when I am neglecting one of the categories.
After a while, my updates where huge. I started to see more and more of what our family did as related to IDC. I used my blog updates to work identify failures and work out solutions. I really valued the ideas and suggestions that were traded back and forth among other Indy bloggers.
Over the course of the year, I worked out most of the parts that confused me, read widely in books and blogs, and identified what is within my physical and family capacity, what I think will work in my urban region. I don’t live in the middle of nowhere, and I will not be keeping animals for milk or fiber. But I might keep bees and chickens or rabbits one day, and I have found local partners I can barter or pay for milk, eggs, and meat.
I am derailed from blogging lately. It’s time for a major family transition. We are cleaning my mom’s house, helping her slowly accept that she can no longer live alone, and planning to move into her house. This is actually the The Plan that we developed when I took Sharon’s Adapting in Place course last year. It has been much more painful and and difficult than I expected. I’m a pretty rational person, and my mother’s dementia does not respond to rationality.
And yet – the food stored in my basement has helped with *this* family crisis. We are eating out of the pantry and freezer. I am cooking and storing less, anticipating that we will deplete some of our stores, and build them back up after we move.
The Indy Challenge has made a permanent change in how I look at life, food, home, and community. I plan to keep doing it, and hope to get back to blogging it in the near future.
I was a latecomer to the last Independence Days challenge but have found it quite helpful! I love the categories- they help keep me accountable for what I’m doing- not that I need to account to anyone. I even added my own category of ‘behavior change’ since I tend to be a terrible procrastinator. I have never been quite sure what to do with the ‘regenerate what is lost’ category, though.
All in all, I whole heartedly support a continuance!!!
I’ve never done a challenge like this before, but it sounds like a great way to organize and encourage my family and myself. Count me in!
have never done a challenge or nor have I left a comment on a blog – your thoughtful work means a lot to me SO – the timing is wonderful and count me in too. (first year gardening, started in the fall, learning lots, grateful to have found hope). looking forward to participating.
I’d love to participate – and I like the categories.
i saw the categories on someone else’s blog. i think they would be very helpful
Categories work best for me even if I didn’t always post what I’d been up to. Too busy doing and not enough time to comment on it!
Spring is just around the corner up here in the high latitudes but I’ve been planting since January (heat mats and fluorescent lights rock!). The peppers and tomatoes are getting on to nearly a foot tall and nearly all 55 corn seeds I planted a couple weeks ago have sprouted! Nothing will go outside until nearly the end of May and I’m a bit apprehensive about where all 150+ plant starts are going to fit between now and then. Still, in a week or so I might be able to get peas and favas in the ground if it dries out enough. Breakup is in full swing and more of the yard and garden are snow free every day.
Pretty soon I’ll turn into a planting fool but for now I can relax and admire all my plant babies! Bring on the IDC!
Kerri in AK
I think this would help me tremendously to organize my efforts and to ensure I don’t miss or even deliberately skip some areas. Sign me up please! (and catagories would be great, maybe a weeded list if it has gotten awkward)
I loved the Independence Challenge last year!
This year I try to update every friday on my blog (but it’s in german).
As others said, the challenge keeps me focused. Last year I wrote a long “peak oil related wish list” like – a comfortable bicycle, a grain grinder, WECK canning jars etc. About half of the things I purchased yet(or found in the attic…) – it takes time when you have to look for bargains.
It’s nice to think every week about thinks I would love to learn in the coming week – aka “learn a new skill”.
Bettina
I’m in. I’m new to this challenge too, but I’ve been reading about the challenge so far and I think this is just what I need to get me focused and get out there without feeling utterly overwhelmed by the long list of jobs to be done. I’m off to plant something …
I’m new to reading your blog and would like to give this challenge a try! I’ve already been trying to do something small each day, but the extra motivation would be great.
I like the categories, too. It was helpful to see what others were doing – like preserving purchased pineapples in January – things I wouldn’t have thought of otherwise, but could do as well.
It would be useful to know everyone’s general location, too.
I have been more successful with keeping track on a monthly basis, rather than weekly, in my notebook. I add things to the categories as I do them.
The concept has been a great help. It keeps me motivated.
I like this challenge and plan on reinstating it this year. I had been doing a monthly challenge to see how much I could downsize or get rid of (extra clutter). Thanks for this again!
I loved this challenge last year! It was very helpful for me. But I have to agree with so many categories feeling overwhelming. But then again, it did help keep them in my mind even if I didn’t accomplish much in some of the categories.
It was helpful to me until we started preparing to move. Since then (months ago), we’ve done minimal gardening and tried not to buy too much more because we’d have to move it. I can’t wait to get moved and settled in a new home. Then I’ll really kick this challenge into high gear!
I love this idea! I am new reader so it’s all new to me. I especially liked the list of what you accomplished. I tend to only focus on how far I
we have to go, not how far we have come.
Also I love the one accomplishment a day like planting one thing a day. Count me in for the Challenge.
Rosa-
Don’t forget, with the IDC you don’t fail if you just do one little thing!
Hooray for IDC! I played along last year and got amazingly busy in the garden and the pantry. Hardly ever managed to post about it though. This year I’ll write it down as I go – it must be wonderful to be able to go over the full list of accomplishments in the depths of winter.
So far this year I’ve got 2 types of peas planted and a bit of salad (which I’m hoping will be big enough to serve to my Environmental Club at next week’s earth dinner — tho at the rate it’s growing, the kids will be dining on a very trendy micro-green salad). Also a pile of other seeds started (tomatoes, onions, broccoli, herbs, flowers etc).
Started off preserving season with my annual batch of marmalade (so not local) and had some friends over for that. More friends want to come over when growing season gets going so it’s looking like I’ll be having canning parties right through the summer. Before then though I must get myself back into the basement for the annual pantry and freezer rotation & cleanout – preferably before CSA season kicks into gear next month (one of those detail things I learned the hard way last year).
Thanks as always for the inspiration Sharon!
-Nicole
I watched this with interest last year, and would be interested in joining this year.
My activities would be different from yours and many of your readers. I live in a small (very) urban apartment – planting means sprouting beans, and perhaps something on a windowsill. (At least I now have a window with sun – everything died in my last apartment… no sun at all.) And I have very little storage room. This is the tradeoff for living without a car, in a small space, etc.
But I get my vegetables and meat from a CSA and a famer’s market, buy my staples in bulk, bake, pickle and dehydrate… This is all part of it.
I am new to your blog. Count me in for the ID challenge and i vote for categorie too.
Lilyane
This is very new to me but I’m willing to sign up and would like to have categories to be able to be a little more organized. I’d love for our farm to be independant but the reality is it probably never will.
Sharon, thanks for reviving the challenge.
I got 50 broccoli plants started yesterday, and about 15 sunflower starts today.
I’ve got my garden measured out, and will start digging it out (little by little) tomarrow.
Will sow the lettuce seeds as soon as I have turned some manure into my beds.
I check in before bedtime, and I’m in, too!!
Never met a category I didn’t at least consider in this prep work! Table for one, and I’m grateful for the company.
Tomorrow, the bird netting comes out to preserve the sprouting cukes, summer squash, and mellow melons along the new (made with recycled metal) 25′ trellis with adoring manure mixture at its feet.
Contain excitement: Never!
~d
I’ll try it again this year.
So far I’ve planted lettuce, chard and potatoes in whiskey barrel halves.
(Chipmunks eat a lot of what’s put in the ground. This is an attempt to foil the critters. Last year I live-trapped three, but they become increasingly wary as the season wears on.)
Can’t remember the rest of the categories.
Newbie, here! I’d love to participate in the challenge. It’s so easy to get overwhelmed when starting out and I would love to have some guidance to keep me focused and on-track. Don’t know about the categories since I haven’t done this before, so I’ll just do the best I can with whatever format you choose. Thanks so much!
Count me in – I feel the need to do more!
I like the categories. I missed it last time ’round, I think a bit on purpose, I didn’t think I could do it. I think I’m ready for it this time though!
–Erika
Count me in! I moved last June and with all the repairs etc., I didn’t participate though I wanted to. This year, I’m settled and ready to go.
Ok. And I like the idea of categories.
And I liked Jean’s request that we identify our locations.
BTW Jean, where ARE you located?
Bought a poultry feeder and a small poultry waterer for my new ducklings: a pair of Pekins and a pair of Cayugas.
(Laid on the floor and watched them for an hour …
Mixed up more “potting soil”. Harvested cabbage, parsley, and garlic chives.
Purchased PVC supplies to finish building my dry composting toilet.
I think I’ll give this a go. I’ll probably record in a notebook, though it might work in Basket Note Pads (a Linux KDE utility). I’ve been keeping gardening and preserving notes in it. The challenge’s categories might help me keep my other efforts more organized.
Lilyane … “Épluchez-vous vos tomates?”
… jamais.
Sharonnnnnn — I want to put up your IDC icon on my site but it still says “Independence Days 2008″ on it … what shall we do?
I’m signing up. I’m in bed with cold (!) while it’s 80F out and I still need to dig the raised beds and transplant the spinach and… No matter, I’m signing up!
It sounds great – how do I get started? The folks who participated last year seem to be very enthusiastic about it. Where do I go for information/categories?
I am joining in. I love the categories. I have started a notebook with a category on each page and a printout of the descriptions so I can remember what they are
. I am in the desert in Albuquerque, NM on a small suburban lot. And I work full time. So I may not post often, but I will be reading and trying to do something each week. I am container gardening right now. Today I planted two tomato plants, two pepper plants, a zuchini, and some flowers. I plan to save the seeds this year for planting next year and I am planning for a three-season garden starting now.
A bit late, but I am four weeks postpartum so I have a good excuse!
Count us in!
And I like categories – but perhaps a more manageable number, definitely less than ten.
This has become such a part of my daily life… I have been faithfully updating everyweek. LOL I even had to start sprouting in the winter so I would have something to harvest! I am so appreciative of this challenge YOU BET I AM IN for another year.
Rob