Learning the skills to survive on a farm or in the woods
 

I am a city boy born and raised in the heart of the city. I recently met a friend of a friend who's father owns a ranch in South Africa and I was offered a job to come out and work on the ranch and learn a bit about that kind of life. It pays close to nothing but I would be able to pick up some useful skills that I have been desperately wanting to learn. I am about to set off on an around-the-globe trip that I have been planning for years but I am seriously thinking about going to this ranch for several months to learn all I can. Sometimes I imagine myself in that kind of setting but I know nothing about horses or pigs or farming or whatever. I don't know how to hunt, and if I killed a damn deer or anything else I wouldnt know the first thing about skinning it. I have never even sattled a horse, etc, etc... All this probably sounds really pathetic to some of you old timers. Do any of you guys feel this way/? I am not married and I don't have any kids maybe you guys can nudge me into doing this... what do you think?

Re: Learning the skills to survive on a farm or in the woods
 

:D Gee...that's a toughy.

You could actually go to the library and bone up on survival and farming the easy way.

I admit dressing a pig or a deer is a bit much to swallow in the textbook version...but if you have the desire to learn...well anything is possible.

South Africa ranching ?

Might be a hoot...and fun if you look at it from a learning perspective.
Otherwise it's dirty,boring,and hard physical labor.

Yeah...I would go for it...just make sure you got a prepaid ticket back home in case the government is overthrown and you're suddenly an ethnic minority...if you get my drift.

:eek: :eek: :eek:

Re: Learning the skills to survive on a farm or in the woods
 

Farmers Murdered in South Africa

:smile: Don't go des00s

Re: Learning the skills to survive on a farm or in the woods
 

http://www.escapeartist.com/efam/74/...nic_Farms.html

http://www.wwoof.org/

Re: Learning the skills to survive on a farm or in the woods
 

I did something like that, but in Australia and New Zealand. It was fun on some levels, I learned stuff, some of it was hard work. I probably wouldn't use the same methods I was taught to do the same tasks now as there's ways of doing things that suit me better, but on the whole it was a very valuable experience and gave me some fond memories. It sure beat gaurding pineapple farms in Ghana.

Anyway, I would tend toward doing the South African ranch experience. Maybe they'll make a burly man out of you. Just bear in mind that HIV is a huge problem in all of Africa, don't get too frisky with the local women.

Re: Learning the skills to survive on a farm or in the woods
 

Two books you need to own right now...

Storey's Basic Country Skills by John and Martha Story

http://www.amazon.com/Storeys-Basic-.../dp/1580172024

http://www.pancakebay.com/catalog/images/BOO52_th.jpg

And

The Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carla Emery

http://www.amazon.com/Encyclopedia-C.../dp/0912365951

http://www.countrysidemag.com/books/eocl_bk.jpg

Both of these books contain over 90% of what you can learn about "Country Living" from books.

Re: Learning the skills to survive on a farm or in the woods
 

desOOs:

No wife, no kids and wanting to travel. Have something you want to learn, and an opportunity to do it? What are you waiting for? Go!

Yeah, some of it will suck, but even those days will be fondly remembered. As long as you have a way to leave at your leisure, what have you got to lose?

The reason for most of the angst in the world is because people have never spent anytime outside of their own cultures. Find out how the rest of the 6 billion people on this earth live, not just the spoiled 5% who live in North America. Maybe they can teach you something you would have never learned by doing the European back pack thing.

Re: Learning the skills to survive on a farm or in the woods
 

gasilat,

Every time I see your pictures I turn green with envy. Good for you.

Re: Learning the skills to survive on a farm or in the woods
 

Thanks for the suggestions. Rmac I will check out those books.

Re: Learning the skills to survive on a farm or in the woods
 

DO IT books are great but sooner or later the real thing (doing it) is going to
be your best teacher even if all you learn is what you dont want to do.

Re: Learning the skills to survive on a farm or in the woods
 

I'm with consensus, do it. Sth Africans can be a real hoot, there are almost no rules though as the force is bursting with too much horrible crime to be bothered with the normal 'regulation' enforcement of our democracies...

Fortunatly if your are not black you almost feel like the establishment is ignoring you (!)...however u have, shall we say, a certain 'target' factor about you...minimise this by learning certain safety routines when in large cities...like maybe NOT STOPPING AT A RED LIGHT, the people will guide you...just listen to them.:wink:

Re: Learning the skills to survive on a farm or in the woods
 

You don't have to leave the states!

1. Go get riding lessons/safety from a local stable;
2. Go get your hunter's safety from your local State; they have beginner's
classes, this is for firearm safety, basic operation, rules/laws, etc.
3. Join a hunters/shooters club in your area; eventually you'll meet some people
that will train/assist you in this area.
4. Find out who your local farmers are and ask if they need some free help in
exchange for teaching you operations.
5. Buy books and read how to grow veggies, fruit, gardening, preserving, etc.
6. Subscribe to Country Living, Peterson Hunting magazines and read.
5. Do all this before you make any big decisions.

Don't go to South America.

Re: Learning the skills to survive on a farm or in the woods
 

P.S. There are also working ranches in the U.S. you could contact and tell them your plans and I bet you could go to one of those as well to learn a lot of helpful survival skills.

Re: Learning the skills to survive on a farm or in the woods
 

5. Buy books and read how to grow veggies, fruit, gardening, preserving, etc.

Actually you can do this in an aprtment, not a lot of growing but herbs, spices, small tomato and other vegitables....
6. Subscribe to Country Living, Peterson Hunting magazines and read.
Barnes and Noble/Borders carry some magazines on country living. what and how to do stuff and of course the farmers almanac. There's one that most older new englanders read, I can't remember what it was/is. I might be thinking of Mother Earth, but I don't think that's it
here's a link to some more
http://www.magazines.com/ncom/mag?su...=3694469457403



Don't go to South America

Re: Learning the skills to survive on a farm or in the woods
 

Sorry to venture off-topic.

gasilat, is that a hand built home or a kit? Just learning more about building a log home and learned butt and pass, what method is yours built with?

Re: Learning the skills to survive on a farm or in the woods
 

Same here, have lived all over but always medium to large cities.

Absolutely started in the same position as you. Like other areas in my life that I wanted to master I broke down the learning process into manageable chunks (based on what I knew at the time and revise as I learn) and am checking stuff off one-by-one. There are so many resources available out there once you start looking, for example in my area there are workshops on 'processing' goats, sheep etc. you just need to visit some of the yahoo groups and ask around. Found checking around at the farmers markets and local organic homesteading groups was a big help. There are many here and in a few other 'valued' forums that have helped me start to learn in other areas but looking back a couple of years I've come a long way but have much further to go, Life is a Highway.