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With winter ebbing and spring headed our way, some folks are probably thinking a little more frequently about getting out of the city once and for all.

Having “been there done that,” it saddens me to read comments on SurvivalBlog from people wanting to start living a simpler more self-reliant lifestyle in the country but they just can’t seem to make it happen. For some of those, I’m confident they could turn their hopes into reality if they could learn to think out of the box, rethink normalcy, toss some of their fears aside, and make some sacrifices to make it all happen. Once settled in and growing accustomed to their new lifestyle, the “sacrifices” they made will seem trivial in comparison to the lifestyle they’re now enjoying.

I hope by sharing my own story of how I was able to finally start living the dream the reader might be inspired to take a fresh look at their life and see what kinds of trade-offs they can make to achieve their goal of getting out of the city. While it’s never too early to start preparing for TEOTWAWKI, even if it never happens the joys that come from living a lifestyle in a rural area cannot compare to the way of life many are living at the present time in cities and suburbia.

My First Desires for Self-Reliance

It’s not too often that kids read life-changing books in elementary school. For me, the book My Side of the Mountain had that effect. The story of a boy running away from home in New York City to live a self-reliant lifestyle in the Catskill Mountains set me on a course which would eventually lead me to where I am today, living on my homestead and striving to live that self-reliant lifestyle I’ve dreamed about since elementary school.

After reading My Side of the Mountain, my desire to learn the skills required to live a self-reliant life began. The self-reliance/survival genre became my favorite books to read and that’s never changed. I read the Robinson Crusoe and Swiss Family Robinson books my grandfather gave me in grade school, bought How to Stay Alive in the Woods in 7th grade, Alas Babylon in 8th grade, enjoyed The Last of the Mountain Men, and read every survival adventure story I could get my hands on, even the grisly ones like Alive and its unauthorized predecessor, They Lived On Human Flesh. My family subscribed to The Mother Earth News back when it was still a fairly new magazine dedicated to self-reliance, edited by a couple of hippies living off-grid somewhere.

From reading these kinds of books, even though some were romanticized fiction, I realized early on that living a self-reliant lifestyle would probably mean giving up some conveniences in order to make my dream a reality. But they also taught me that it’s possible to live with few possessions yet still live a good life.

I eventually ended up working in one of the larger…

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My love for chickens began in 2020 when my parents decided to get backyard chickens for eggs. We started with five Rhode Island Red hens and a Barred Rock rooster, named Doodle Doo. I didn’t know much about chickens when we got them, but I fell in love with them immediately. 

I learned as much as I could about chickens by listening to podcasts and researching online. I even took a poultry class! My dad converted my playhouse into a beautiful coop and made a run under it. The chickens are my responsibility, and I have become a crazy chicken lady already—even though I’m just 10 years old.

When my flock started free-ranging, our basset hound, Flash, made himself their babysitter. He is the gentlest dog and follows them around watching their every move. The cats don’t think as lovingly about them. The chickens will steal food from the cats and pull their fur by pecking them if they hang around the cat food bowl or try to fight for the food.

First Unique Chicken

After I fell in love with our chickens, I started to research chickens and follow Instagram accounts about chickens. I decided I wanted a Silkie and went to a local poultry breeder. However, while trying to pick out my chicken, I realized that keeping a Silkie looking clean and beautiful might be a challenge.

All the adorable little Cochin bantams had caught my eye, as well.  

The breeder told me if I wanted a “lap chicken,” the Cochin bantams would be a perfect fit. I went home with a lovely, molted Cochin that I named Speckles. What made Speckles even extra special is she was the only one of 50 other bantam Cochins to survive at their farm. 

She quickly formed a strong bond with our family. The other chickens, however, bullied her so badly that her neck was bare. 

I decided the little Cochin needed to come inside the house to get away from the bullies at night when I couldn’t separate her. My mom wasn’t happy about a chicken in the house, so I trained her to sleep on the toilet! This helped my mom not be upset about her in the house, and there was no mess to pick up.

Speckles slept on the toilet a few weeks until the bullying was under control. 

Speckles was the only chicken I have had that went broody. I loved watching the process of seeing the chicks grow through the eggs. Before I knew it, it was day 21, and chicks were hatching! Unfortunately, soon after hatching, the chicks died. This was very sad and hard for me.

However, Speckles quickly went broody again, and now has a healthy baby named Blossom. Speckles is a very good and protective mother, and I am so happy to get to see Blossom grow up.

Read more: Childhood chickens offer valuable learning experiences.

One Cute…

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Note: If you missed the first piece in this series, focused on introducing the AI Risk Management Framework and breaking down the “Govern” Section, check it out here.

Formally released on January 26, 2023, the A.I. Risk Management Framework is a four-part, voluntary framework intended to guide the responsible development and use of A.I. systems. The core of the framework are recommendations divided into four overarching functions: (1) Govern, which covers overarching policy decisions and organizational culture around A.I. development; (2) Map, which covers efforts to contextualize A.I. risks and potential benefits; (3) Measure, which covers efforts to assess and quantify A.I. risks; and (4) Manage, which covers the active steps an organization should take to mitigate risks and prioritize elements of trustworthy A.I. systems. In addition to the core Framework, NIST also hosts supplemental resources like a community Playbook to help organizations navigate the Framework. Over the next few weeks, EPIC will continue to distill the A.I. Risk Management Framework’s recommendations into more actionable instructions. Particularly, the different function sections have specific “Suggested Actions,” which comprise the list below.

The Manage section urges companies to devote resources to establish a meaningful transparency and accountability structure, document key activities, and critically, stop using AI tools when evaluation shows they are not trustworthy for one reason or another. Another key set of recommendations focus on urging companies to take responsibility for third-party systems they integrate, not just tools they develop themselves. The main recommendations EPIC divided the “suggested actions” from NIST into are:

• Devote Resources to Establishing Robust TEVV (Test, Evaluation, Verification, Validation) Infrastructure Including Staffing 
• Maintain Documentation for TEVV Infrastructure, A.I. Risks, and Evaluation Procedures
• Regularly Evaluate the A.I. Systems You Use, Including Third-Party A.I. Systems
• Align Efforts with Industry Standards and Legal Requirements
• Monitor Policies and Evaluation Protocols Surrounding A.I. Systems for Effectiveness on an Ongoing Basis
• Communicating to Stakeholders Throughout your Entity and Outside of it
• Decommission Systems that Exceed Risk Tolerance

Devote Resources to Establishing Robust TEVV (Test, Evaluation, Verification, Validation) Infrastructure, Including Staffing 

• [1.2] Assign risk management resources relative to established risk tolerance. AI systems with lower risk tolerances receive greater oversight, mitigation, and management resources.
• [1.3] Identify risk response plans and resources and organizational teams for carrying out response functions.
• [2.1] Verify risk management teams are resourced to carry out functions, including (1) establishing processes for considering methods that are not automated, semi-automated, or other procedural alternatives for AI functions; (2) enhancing A.I. system transparency mechanisms for A.I. teams; (3) enabling exploration of A.I. system limitations by A.I. teams; and (4) identifying, assessing, and cataloging past failed designs and negative impacts or outcomes to avoid known failure modes.
• [2.1] Identify resource allocation approaches for managing risks in systems (1) deemed high risk, (2) that self-update (adaptive, online, reinforcement self-supervised learning or similar), (3) trained without access to ground truth (unsupervised, semi-supervised, learning or similar), (4) with high uncertainty or where risk management is insufficient.
• [2.4] Apply protocols, resources, and metrics for decisions to supersede, bypass or deactivate AI systems or AI system components. 
• [3.1] Monitor third-party AI systems…

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The following Pasta Va Zul recipe is from reader Nurse Michele. She writes:

“This is a simple pasta dish that has been around for centuries. I learned it from my Naples-born grandmother. She never wrote it down, or measured any ingredients. And, for years, neither did I. But at the request of friends some years ago, I paid attention as I made a pot of it and wrote the amounts and specific steps as I went, so that I could pass it along. And, Ecola! (Italian equivalent to Voila!)… a tasty, filling, nutritious and affordable recipe.”

Ingredients

• 2 (15 oz) cans Cannellini beans (white kidney beans)
• 1 lb Ditalini Pasta (preferred, in a pinch, elbow macaroni will do)
• 5 (15 oz) Cans tomato sauce
• 1/3 C olive oil
• ¼ C very thinly sliced onion (vidalia is particularly good, if on hand)
• 1 tsp dried basil
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ½ to 1/3 tsp salt (plus more for the water to boil)
• 1 tsp sugar

Directions

Cook 1 lb pasta in well-salted water. Under-cook the pasta, as it will continue to cook in the sauce later. Rinse pasta in cold water (to stop cooking), drain and set aside.

Put oil in bottom of a large (6 qt) sauce pot. Heat on medium and add onion. Saute onion slices until soft and translucent but do not let them brown. Add salt, pepper and basil and saute a minute or so more. Add tomato sauce all at once (it will splatter!). Stir. Bring to a very slow simmer. Add sugar. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in drained, rinsed beans. Continue to simmer over low heat for an additional 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in pasta. Remove from heat and cover. Let stand at least 30 minutes to let flavors blend, but it’s fine to make ahead and let it sit for a few hours. The sauce will thicken as it waits. Its final consistency will resemble stew. It is served in a bowl and eaten with a spoon.

SERVING

“Delicious topped with grated cheese. Makes a lovely complete meal served alongside crusty bread and a green salad.

This recipe yields about 12 cups. Which works out to about 6 hearty 2 cup portions or 8 moderate 1 ½ cup servings, depending on appetite and what it accompanies.”

—

Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? In this weekly recipe column, we place emphasis on recipes that use long term storage foods, recipes for wild game, dutch oven and slow cooker recipes, and any that use home garden produce. If you have any favorite recipes, then please send them via e-mail. Thanks!

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[]EPIC, the Center for Digital Democracy, and the Consumer Federation of America submitted comments to the California Privacy Protection Agency to recommend strong regulations implementing key provisions of the California Consumer Privacy Act. The comments include proposals on cybersecurity audits, risk assessments, and automated decision-making systems and urge the agency to protect Californians by drawing on strong existing frameworks and ensuring that consumers’ rights to opt out and receive information are easy to exercise.

[]“As the agency formulates regulations concerning cybersecurity audits, risk assessments, and automated decision-making, we renew our call to ‘protect consumers’ rights’ and ‘strengthen[] consumer privacy’ at every opportunity, consistent with the expressed will of California voters,” the organizations wrote.

[]EPIC provided extensive input on CCPA regulations in November 2021, May 2022, August 2022, and November 2022, arguing for consumer-friendly interpretations of the CCPA to guard against exploitative commercial data practices. EPIC also published a detailed analysis of the California Privacy Rights Act—a ballot measure that made substantial improvements to the CCPA—before voters approved it in 2020.

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New regulations implementing the California Consumer Privacy Act have officially gone into effect following approval by the state’s Office of Administrative Law. The rules reinforce a wide range of privacy safeguards for Californians, including data minimization requirements; transparency obligations; access, correction, and deletion rights; and the ability for consumers to opt out globally from the sale or transfer of their personal data.

EPIC provided extensive input on the rules in November 2021, May 2022, August 2022, and November 2022, arguing for the strongest possible construction of the CCPA to protect consumers from exploitative data practices. EPIC also published a detailed analysis of the California Privacy Rights Act—a ballot measure that made substantial improvements to the CCPA—before voters approved it in 2020.

Meanwhile, the California Privacy Protection Agency is moving forward with an additional round of regulations that will implement the cybersecurity audit, risk assessment, and automated decision-making provisions of the CCPA. EPIC provided detailed feedback to the agency this week, calling on the agency to take account of the full spectrum of data-driven harms; establish strong cybersecurity audit standards; require businesses to conduct and publish robust risk assessments; and ensure that consumers enjoy effective disclosures and opt-out rights with respect to automated decision-making systems.

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With rising inflation, worldwide political instability, out-of-control grocery prices, and social unrest, more and more people are looking for ways to feed themselves and their families without relying on antiquated systems that no longer guarantee food during emergencies and crisis situations. Because of these concerns, backyard chickens are rapidly gaining popularity as more and more people are looking to learn how to raise chickens to gain some independence and food security.

Before the days of Walmart, raising chickens was a pretty normal thing to see. Even in the city, people would keep chickens as a way to have fresh eggs and control bug problems. However, with more people turning towards organic foods and backyard gardens, raising chickens is starting to increase in popularity again. From knowing where your food came from to making sure your family has fresh food during an emergency, there are several reasons that people decide to raise chickens.

Benefits of raising your own chickens:

Fresh and Nutritious Eggs: One of the most obvious benefits of raising your own chickens is the access to fresh and nutritious eggs. You will always have access to eggs laid within the last 24-48 hours and contain more vitamins and beta-carotene. A single hen can lay up to 200 a year, and you give yourself a fresh organic food source, free of pesticides and chemicals.

Cost Savings: When you have your own chickens, you will be able to save money by not having to purchase eggs at the store. In addition, chickens can be raised for their meat as well, providing a cost-effective protein source.

Pest Control: Chickens are a great way to keep bugs from infesting your garden. Chickens can help control pests in your garden by eating insects, ticks, and other bugs. This can help reduce the need for chemical pesticides and keep your garden healthier.

Fertilizer: Chicken manure is an excellent source of natural fertilizer that can help improve soil quality and produce healthier plants. They produce good nitrogen-rich manure that when mixed with your compost, is excellent for plants.

Education: Raising chickens can be a great way to teach children about the responsibility of caring for animals, the source of their food, and the basic principles of biology.

Personal Satisfaction: Many people find raising chickens a rewarding hobby providing a sense of pride and accomplishment. It can also be a stress-relieving and peaceful activity.

How to get started and things to consider when deciding to raise backyard chickens

While there are a couple of breeds of chickens that produce eggs and meat, most chickens are bred either for their meat, or for their eggs.

For the beginner, we recommend either buying a couple of young female chickens that have just started to lay eggs, or a few baby chicks that have already hatched. You can also buy fertilized eggs and keep them in an incubator until they hatch, but baby chicks are much easier to deal with when you’re just starting out.

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