Estimated reading time: 22 minutes
We are embarking on a new world that is heavily reliant on technology and convenience and forgetting about basic skills our ancestors relied upon. We are weaker because of it.
Our grandparents and their grandparents knew how to get things done without technology. They didn’t even think twice about whipping up some butter for dinner or baking a loaf of bread from scratch. For them, it was the only option. They knew nothing else.
You could say they took the skills their parents taught them for granted. Progress has made many of the skills our ancestors relied upon obsolete. They are no longer being passed down to future generations, which is a tragedy.
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1. Gardening
Gardening was the way things were done a hundred plus years ago. If you wanted to eat, you grew a garden. Pioneers that were settling new, unsettled areas didn’t have access to grocery stores. They couldn’t count on deliveries either. They had to grow as much of their own food as possible. They had to grow enough food to sustain their families all year long, even through the winter months.
Survival gardening is a skill every single person should know how to do. It’s all about making the most of space, big or small. Understanding crop rotation and how to enhance soil to get the best harvest possible. It’s about growing plants that will produce seeds that can be harvested for the next crop.
You will need to know pest control and the best way to fertilize your garden when Miracle-Gro isn’t available. Harvesting seeds and storing them for the following year ensured they would always have food to put on the table.
2. Animal Husbandry
Raising animals for eggs, meat and milk was just part of life back in the old days. Dairy never came from the store. It was either traded amongst the pioneers or they raised their own. Chickens, goats, cows and pigs were all very common animals on the homestead.
Pioneers knew how to raise the animals as well as how to keep them healthy. They built pens and knew how to feed them and make sure they produced offspring. It’s a skill most people in the modern world don’t even think about.
3. Making Butter
Can you imagine life without butter? Neither could the pioneers. It was a normal chore to churn butter every week. The butter was stored in a jar and usually kept at room temperature—remember, they didn’t have refrigeration. Fresh, homemade butter is a real treat. It’s very easy to make as well.
4. Making Cheese
Cheese was another staple in the pioneer pantry. The cheese the pioneers made wasn’t the perfect…