# Positive , Negative and Stupid comments



## TripleD (Feb 12, 2011)

I was wondering what are some of the comments you've heard about your lifestyle... Positive , (Oh you need a walkin cooler I got you can have !!! ) Negative, (You dont need that much food stored things cant get any worse than they are now..) Stupid, (Have you seen the price of beef at the store , we might need to slaughter 1 of your steers !!!!) Give me some of your best......


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

Do you eat your animals?

Your kids are always so helpful...(no iphone, playstation or internet at home)

Do you really eat beans that often?


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## hurryiml8 (Apr 15, 2009)

How do you even keep fences with goats? I thought they ate cans and everything. You don't leave the eggs in the nest all day do you? Won't they go bad?


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## Terri in WV (May 10, 2002)

Why do you bother canning when it's easier/cheaper to just go to the store?


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## unregistered29228 (Jan 9, 2008)

How can you kill that innocent bunny?

How do your chickens lay eggs without a rooster?

That's not food storage, that's obsessive hoarding! (quote from my Mom)

Your hands wouldn't be cracked/broken nails/old looking if you didn't abuse them like you do. (manicured high maintenance friend, being "helpful")

Why are most of the books on your shelf about doing things by hand?

Positive comments:

Can you teach me to can?

Your garden is beautiful!


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

why do you want all those fruit trees.....they make a mess when fruit falls off

you know how to can....you're a man....how do you know to do that.

you can cook too??? and do laundry?? ah....my reply....yes i never been married so if i want it done i mostly do it myself....you think those jobs are for women only....


you put up how many quarts of food a year....why....my reply...because its how i eat when all the garden has is snowballs in it in winter.....roflmao

well you only can in summer....ah no...its a year round thing depending on the harvest.....what ya can in winter....ah deer....ewwwwww.....well thats what you were just eating and enjoying....they usually gag a few times....lol

what ya need them wheel weights for...

aint that a lot of trouble....

thats to much trouble and effort as they complain about cost of everything and commuting to work and unhappiness at work place.....

you live on how much a month.....
you only burn how many gallons of gas a week...
you only go to town once every two weeks...how can you do that.

it freaks them out to know i am debt free......and i only drove 2500 miles last year....lol

debt free...i couldnt live like that.

cash....cash...who carries cash around these days

i better stop now......and get back to my glider and spittin seeds and countin deer going to my pond....later yall.....lol


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## ovsfarm (Jan 14, 2003)

Negative: Well, you might want to raise your family half Amish, but we don't. (My brother) I think you are really making a mistake feeding your baby only homegrown or organic food. She will be messed up for life. (My mother) I think you are making a terrible mistake homeschooling your daughter. She will be messed up for life (My mother) I don't think it is fair expecting your daughter to work so hard. She should be goofing off at the mall and daydreaming about boys. (Dh's mother - dd was 8yo at the time)

Positive: This is one of the most peaceful places I have ever been. (Family friend) You are so lucky! You mean no one objects if you shoot things right here in your yard? (cousin) Your daughter has such great social skills. (Parent of dd's friend) You seem so grounded, not flakey or flighty like so many other people I know. (acquaintance)

Stupid: Does the river make a circle? How do we get back here after canoeing? (acquaintance) Do roosters lay eggs? (family friend) Chickens have 4 legs like all the other farm animals, right? (dd's Sunday School teacher) You're home all day, so you have plenty of time to help me, right? (countless people over the years)


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## Surge223 (Jun 27, 2008)

Anything bad ever happens, we're coming to your house!


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## Peggy (Feb 14, 2010)

Surge223 said:


> Anything bad ever happens, we're coming to your house!


same response I get from the dumb people I work with in the city. I don't tell them where I live!!


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## Becka03 (Mar 29, 2009)

"You do realize you can buy this crap at Walmart" - a response to me making 18 pints of Strawberry jam.....

"Why would you keep more than you can eat in 6 months? Isn't that hoarding?" - in response to me canning 72 quarts of spaghetti sauce


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## wannabechef (Nov 20, 2012)

Surge223 said:


> Anything bad ever happens, we're coming to your house!


This...

And they are usually lazy folks who couldn't do anything for themselves...yeah right, when the shtf my doors will be locked and I'll pretend as if I never knew ya!


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## unregistered29228 (Jan 9, 2008)

Surge223 said:


> Anything bad ever happens, we're coming to your house!


I get that one too (although I show off my canning but keep the buckets and other stuff hidden) and I get secretly furious. These same people are happy to take my eggs and garden produce, but couldn't care less about learning how to do it themselves. When they say it I'm thinking "better hope you never try it".


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## KrisD (May 26, 2011)

You got any free eggs? - neighbor every week! When I say no her first response is "I would get rid of those chickens if I were you"! 

You don't really eat your animals right? You should buy your meat fom the store. 

Do you paint all those eggs you have? (Yes because I have time to PAINT eggs!! 
How do you get the eggs that color? (From a Doctor!) 
How do you make the chickens lay eggs? (I squeeze them! Duh) 

I buy my milk from the store so it's really fresh. (Huh?) 

I can't understand why you want to live like this. Why don't just want to live like everyone else? (My dad) 

We did raise you to live like this. (Yeah thanks mom for NEVER listening to me my entire life) 

*and my favorite*

Why on earth do you want MORE land? 

But when I'm making cheese who do you think is lining up to "help you get rid of it all we'll take some"? All these people^^^^!!!!


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## unregistered168043 (Sep 9, 2011)

Negative; ( cousin ) You're basically on vacation all the time.

Positive; You're so lucky ( friend ). I wish I could do this ( friend )

Stupid; I don't know how to prepare these potatoes...they are like ..right out of the ground! ( friends wife )


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## Rainy (Jan 21, 2010)

It's such a waste to spend that money on all that food, you could have a nice vacation for what you spend...(Friend, who is always in debt but can always go on vacation) Your garden is awesome, I can't wait for fresh tomato's, do you want to help me? no I will get my hands dirty plus I can go to the store for it(DIL would rather buy it than help me). (Friend) I see no point in why you do all this stuff but I will be at your house if something really happens... uh..no you won't..


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## Laura Zone 5 (Jan 13, 2010)

*Positive*

Thanks mom.
I love having a grocery store in the house.

*Negative*

She has a hormonal imbalance / chemical imbalance
She has no Faith
She's going through a phase
*Eyes roll* when I talk about it to certain people.

*Stupid*

There's a grocery store on every corner crazy.
I'm coming to your house!
FEMA does a great job, I am not worried.


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## TripleD (Feb 12, 2011)

Positive " Can I stash some food and guns at your house ?" Negative " Oh no we dont eat wild eggs" Stupid " How come you dont have any fresh tomatoes?'' It was April....


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## Usingmyrights (Jan 10, 2011)

I actually had to explain the whole chicken/egg/rooster thing to someone. They couldn't figure it out even after explaining it to him. I had to use women passing eggs every month, fertilitization, babies, etc for him to finally "get it". This was a grown man with two kids. Hopefully he realizes how it happens.


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## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

Most of the stuff is innocent or naive. I once had to coach a 30 YO assistant manager how to drown a mouse caught in a glue trap. I'm not sure he ever got over the trauma. City folk especially are too protected from nature and the realities of life.

I had a friend here as a house guest a couple of times. The LAST time he started making fun of my blanching greens for the freezer. I've been too busy for him since then.

There are very few people left who will, when put into a new situation, try to learn and adapt. They commonly just try to keep their own little world tucked safely around them.


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## unregistered29228 (Jan 9, 2008)

Harry Chickpea said:


> I once had to coach a 30 YO assistant manager how to drown a mouse caught in a glue trap.


Off topic, but this caught my eye. I've never drowned an animal caught in a live trap or glue trap - it's quick and relatively painless? When I get a mouse in our glue traps, I usually turn the paper over and stomp on it with my work boots.


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## partndn (Jun 18, 2009)

Oh Mom of Four..........

ound:


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## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

Stomping is undoubtedly faster, and probably a little kinder. No way was the assistant manager up to dealing with that though. I think he became a big fan of snap traps.


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## bassmaster17327 (Apr 6, 2011)

Why do you always carry that gun, this is a safe area
Its cheaper to just buy your food than grow it
You don't eat the rabbits with floppy ears do you
Good you have a lot of tomato plants, I won't have to buy any
I won't eat your eggs, you have a rooster

Edit: I am not eating food you cook, you use that water from your spring


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## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

Surge223 said:


> Anything bad ever happens, we're coming to your house!


My sister said that to me. My reply was "sounds more like a threat than a plan." it went right over her head.

WWW


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## unregistered29228 (Jan 9, 2008)

partndn said:


> Oh Mom of Four..........
> 
> ound:


Didn't mean to :stirpot: haha

I thought of another negative - my kids are obsessed with expiration dates, and tell EVERYONE that I serve expired food.


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## nostawmama (Dec 29, 2011)

My husband and I were talking to the neighbor about deer hunting and about processing our own deer and he said something to the effect of "man you guys know so much- if shtf ya'll would do alright but us city folk would be in trouble". 

We don't share what we have/what we do with a lot of people but the ones that know don't offer negative comments-even though they might not get it. I guess we are pretty blessed with that.


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## Usingmyrights (Jan 10, 2011)

Harry Chickpea said:


> Most of the stuff is innocent or naive. I once had to coach a 30 YO assistant manager how to drown a mouse caught in a glue trap. I'm not sure he ever got over the trauma. City folk especially are too protected from nature and the realities of life.





Mom_of_Four said:


> Off topic, but this caught my eye. I've never drowned an animal caught in a live trap or glue trap - it's quick and relatively painless? When I get a mouse in our glue traps, I usually turn the paper over and stomp on it with my work boots.


I was helping someone run their trap line one time. Here in FL most traping is done with live traps per the law. We came across a opossum in one near the creek. He tossed the whole thing in the creek until the way back to the truck. He shoots other animals in the traps in his side yard within full view of the street. I guess its all in what you are used to.


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## backwoods (Sep 12, 2004)

Just after we'd bought 70 acres & built a new 1,600 sq ft house on it, my aunt said, "You know if you'd sell this house & all this land, you could buy one of the nicest, BIG houses of any one in the family & move back into town, of course you'd have to get rid of all those animals."

My mom, when learning I'd bought a Country Living grain mill & buckets of wheat, "Why would you want to make bread, when you can BUY it in any store?"

Step granddaughter, "Why do you all, do all that work to cut, split, & stack firewood, only to have to carry it into the house & build a fire? We live in the "lap of luxury." All I have to do to get warm is go turn up the thermostat dial," (said with a smirk) And they had to be evacuated to a school gym a few years back when the electric was off for 2 days!

"Well, if anything BAD ever happens, I'm going to be showing up at YOUR door!" said by above step granddaughter and her mother. 

"What do you mean you HAVE to leave to go home & milk the goats?" said by relatives at a family dinner.

At seeing a mounted deer head on my living room wall, "HOW can you STAND to look at SOMEBODY'S head hanging on your wall? Did your husband KILL THAT???" Me, "Yep, we ATE him too! And YOU just ATE some of him in that "wonderful" chili you just had here."

"What in the world are you going to do with all this food?" said by a friend, when she saw my pantry. Hee hee, she didn't see all the buckets & cans that are "stashed, just my everyday "eating" pantry. I said, well we do have a big family, and it's a loong way to the grocery store from here, ya know."

"Why do you keep those stinky chickens, don't you get tired of taking care of animals?" by a friend, who when offered, was thrilled to take home a couple dozen fresh eggs from them, an called me later and said she wished I didn't live so far, she could get "used" to those eggs!

Hmm, Positive comments? "It's beautiful here, BUT, (wait for it...) don't you get BORED living waaay out here???" LOL...people are too funny!


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## terri9630 (Mar 12, 2012)

backwoods said:


> Just after we'd bought 70 acres & built a new 1,600 sq ft house on it, my aunt said, *"You know if you'd sell this house & all this land, you could buy one of the nicest, BIG houses of any one in the family & move back into town, of course you'd have to get rid of all those animals."
> *
> My mom, when learning I'd bought a Country Living grain mill & buckets of wheat, "Why would you want to make bread, when you can BUY it in any store?"
> 
> ...


That is almost exactly what my MIL. Said last month. Except it was "those stinky old animals".


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

Mom_of_Four said:


> Off topic, but this caught my eye. I've never drowned an animal caught in a live trap or glue trap - it's quick and relatively painless? When I get a mouse in our glue traps, I usually turn the paper over and stomp on it with my work boots.



sexxxxxyyyy..........muck boots..or....leather work boots.


iffinya do it bare footed ya get the homestead goddess award !!!

ound: :bouncy: ......just funnin with ya ma4


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

terri9630 said:


> That is almost exactly what my MIL. Said last month. Except it was "those stinky old animals".


my deceased buddy always talked about a few of his friends say ewww that hog lot smells when the wind blows right....but he said they always showed up in fall asking for fresh ground sausage.

me and him ground 400 pounds of sausage once in a afternoon....i miss him a lot.


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## AR Transplant (Mar 20, 2004)

stupid comment " You really wouldn't turn away a starving family if it got that bad would you? ( heck yes, my family comes first)
Negative -" I think it's a sin to hoard up all that stuff." ( better re read that there bible honey)
Negative- You are just weird, why do you have to be so different? ( my mamma)
Positive- Your place is beautiful, if I lived here I would never leave it.


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## strawberrygirl (Feb 11, 2009)

I think I've just about heard it all. Positive, negative, and stupid. But.... The one that took the cake was the day my son's friend was visiting. When his mom came to pick him up he was showing her all of the chicks we had. She turned to me and said, "I have a question. Are the eggs fertilized before or after the hens lay them?"


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## KimTN (Jan 16, 2007)

Here's stupid for you. Had a couple that let there kid walk up to me and go into a rant about how cruel I was for killing and eating my animals. The parents actually looked proud. I looked down at the kid and said," I guess you are a vegetarian??" Had to explain that one to the kid. The kid looks at me and tells me that he gets his meat at the grocery store and no animals were killed. I am standing there with my jaw dropped looking back and forth from the kid to the stupid parents. I gathered myself together and said," so you eat those poor abused animals that are sad all the time and given lots of drugs to keep them from dying in the squalid living conditions." Parents grab kid and disappear. So sad. Those people are breeding.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

you know i think what the real problem with this world is , not enough people care , cause it isn't about home schooling , or raising animals , or teaching kids a certain way , it is about caring about your mother , brother ,neighbor , nature ,child ,friends , country , world if you care about the world around you and not just about what makes you happy this second , that's what brings on all the rest caring is what shapes all the rest 

carring is what makes you learn more and ask questions and decide to do things differently , to raise your own meat , home school , teach others, can , cook , it's the carring about yourself and others that forms these life decisions and gives you a different direction that others.

the missing metric that they school boards around the country can't measure and can't figure out is caring , it is the difference between a failing school and a good school , the most common form of caring in a school public or private is parental involvement 


and yes we get negative and positive comments 

got some real nice positive ones , we hosted coffee hour Sunday had coffee cake , lemon bars , cheese, crackers and sausage , everyone was thanking us , then we asked them to thank DD 11 she did all the cooking for coffee hour we just made the coffee. lots of positive ones on that.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

strawberrygirl said:


> I think I've just about heard it all. Positive, negative, and stupid. But.... The one that took the cake was the day my son's friend was visiting. When his mom came to pick him up he was showing her all of the chicks we had. She turned to me and said, "I have a question. Are the eggs fertilized before or after the hens lay them?"



I have heard dumber questions , fish and aquatic invertebrates do externaly fertilize , and some frogs change gender if needed to prolong the species , some insects are self fertilizing , it is really more of a shame that no one taught animal reproduction in most schools , think of all the lessons about life that can be attained from a simple rabbit project . this is why we must ask the questions about how things work that just to push them aside and remain oblivious to creation.


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## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

Had a teenage boy tell me that we could solve all the power problems if we shut down the power plants and built more power lines. 

WWW


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

wy_white_wolf said:


> Had a teenage boy tell me that we could solve all the power problems if we shut down the power plants and built more power lines.
> 
> WWW


see now that's stupid


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## unregistered5595 (Mar 3, 2003)

My 17 year old son leaned against the door jam and non-nonchalantly asked me this. Do you ever think I'll understand women?:stars:


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## d'vash (Apr 25, 2013)

Why do you have a room in the ground [storm cellar]? There are so many horror stories about psychos locking hostages in places like that. 

Oh, that's neat - growing your own vegetables and all - but you don't really put your own animals poop in the garden, do you? You know, proper [artificial] fertilizer isn't that expensive.

Are you sure goat dairy is okay for human consumption? I've never seen it for sale at stores; [all] humans MUST be intolerant in that case. _Quite a number of sheep and goat dairy products are sold at our local stores._

... But won't your dogs attack your animals if you feed them raw meat?


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## terri9630 (Mar 12, 2012)

elkhound said:


> my deceased buddy always talked about a few of his friends say ewww that hog lot smells when the wind blows right....but he said they always showed up in fall asking for fresh ground sausage.
> 
> me and him ground 400 pounds of sausage once in a afternoon....i miss him a lot.



Inlaws were actually offended when they couldn't come fill a cooler with fresh pork when we butchered our first pig. All that "free" meat we were being so stingy with..... They own a 1/4 acre less than we do. They can raise their own "free" meat.


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## longshot38 (Dec 19, 2006)

ok i dont have a 'stead like many here with animals etc. but i have gotten 

you dont need all that food, think of the stuff you could buy with that money. and then get, "did you really need to buy that" (stuff)

the best was when i had my son at the fall fair where they had newly hatched chicks, my son decided to name them he was about 8 at the time that one is nuggets, that one is burger, that one is legs, that one is wings. the lady and her daughter next to us was giving us the "look" and son looks at them "what? all of your meat was cute and fuzzy at sometime.:cute:" i laughed and patted him on the back the lady bundled her daughter away so fast i thought she was going to run someone down LOL. some boy i have there.:sing:

dean


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## longshot38 (Dec 19, 2006)

Feather In The Breeze said:


> My 17 year old son leaned against the door jam and non-nonchalantly asked me this. Do you ever think I'll understand women?:stars:


had that one too, from a 14 year old.:umno:

dean


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

longshot38 said:


> had that one too, from a 14 year old.:umno:
> 
> dean


Ain't much hope for that boy then. I'm 42 and I'm still saying it.


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## bourbonred (Feb 27, 2008)

My prepping embarrasses my son in front of his wife. He shakes his head and says, "Well, everybody needs a hobby." I don't talk prepping AT ALL in front of them anymore. But you and I both know that they will be the first ones to arrive on the farm with the grandbabies when things go sour. (And you and I both know I could never turn them away). BTW, I was once the newbie trying to figure out how the egg got fertilized once it was laid! I was also the one who had trouble telling the ducklings from the chicks when they arrived. I've learned soooooo much. Thanks to all you!!!


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## soulsurvivor (Jul 4, 2004)

all rightey, I don't know how it is in other locations but regardless of the situation if a male told a female that her meat used to be cute and fuzzy, then there would be some serious explaining to do. KWIM? The only saving grace would be that the male is young and innocent of what's been said. 

what? ok just shoot me, but at some point we all have to learn the bad with the good, and if you live long enough you get to watch everything return to dirt.


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## Trixters_muse (Jan 29, 2008)

Why do you want to grow food and have chickens when you live two blocks from a store? 
Why do you never eat out or buy fast food?
Why do you cook from scratch? Making Pasta and bread is so time consuming.
You and your daughter are girls, why do you buy power tools and build things and act like guys?
Why did you teach your son to sew, cook and do "woman's stuff"?
Why do you dehydrate so much food, you will never eat it all.


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

I never get any stupid or negative comments.

It must be something about me that makes people reconsider butting into my business or criticizing the way we live.


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## backwoods (Sep 12, 2004)

KimTN said:


> Here's stupid for you. Had a couple that let there kid walk up to me and go into a rant about how cruel I was for killing and eating my animals. The parents actually looked proud. I looked down at the kid and said," I guess you are a vegetarian??" Had to explain that one to the kid. The kid looks at me and tells me that he gets his meat at the grocery store and no animals were killed. I am standing there with my jaw dropped looking back and forth from the kid to the stupid parents. I gathered myself together and said," so you eat those poor abused animals that are sad all the time and given lots of drugs to keep them from dying in the squalid living conditions." Parents grab kid and disappear. *So sad. Those people are breeding.*




Amen! Have had similar said to me.


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## Jim-mi (May 15, 2002)

I'm pretty good at judging people. So there fore I just avoid talking "prepping" issues with most of my acquaintance's 
My years of being into renewable energy ---wind & solar--- just brings very blank looks on the faces of the "unknowing"..........

I sure have gotten a bunch of chuckles from all the others on this thread..........LOL

Time to go fix a "wild egg" for lunch. . . . . LOL


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## WoolyBear (Nov 9, 2011)

Michigansnowpony says it all [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlX3_QbLSS8[/ame]
I love her videos


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## MoCat (Nov 7, 2012)

Wow you do know how to cook? Will you teach me? But can we use your kitchen....I can't mess mine up.

Yup that is all 3 *Positive , Negative and Stupid *and from the same person


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## StargazerLily (Oct 11, 2011)

Mom_of_Four said:


> Off topic, but this caught my eye. I've never drowned an animal caught in a live trap or glue trap - it's quick and relatively painless? When I get a mouse in our glue traps, I usually turn the paper over and stomp on it with my work boots.


We've never caught a mouse in the glue traps, but the rats get a couple wacks with the back of a shovel around here.


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## Rockytopsis (Dec 29, 2007)

"What's in your garden now? Really? Then we can come for lunch, you don't have to cook we can just have a salad."

I said " I don't think so"

Her response was " Well that was ugly"

My response was " Too bad"

Nancy


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

I don't prep the way you guys do, but still get it. 

"You always were different."

Two of my sisters don't work any more, their husbands make so much money it's just more taxes. Seriously, they make soo much money (they work hard for it) and live in large metro areas. I don't work anymore for health reasons and DH earns less than any of my ten siblings/spouses. About a year after we built our house (about 1500 sf living space, 2 1/2 car garage, pond, in the country), the family was talking about stuff and costs, etc. I said, "we don't have a mortgage". Boy, did jaws drop.

People also don't understand why we (not earning all that much) would spend money on a freezer and buy half a cow (half a pig, butcher a sheep). Until I tell them the freezer paid for itself the first year because we save so much money on meat. And the best, cooking up a steak for them. The best ever. Cooking up eggs, so much better than store bought.

One thing about living in a rural area with low wages- having a garden is not "out there". The bigger the better. Those without gardens buy from those who have gardens.


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## cntrywmnkw (Jun 5, 2013)

"Oh, I could NEVER eat YOUR eggs, they come from your pets." "No offense, but your egg yolks are so orange, what's WRONG?"


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## Ardie/WI (May 10, 2002)

In a good many cases, city people have no concept of country living unless they had been exposed to it in their youth! And, in some cases, country people don't understand city living. It isn't ignorance, it is lack of experience!

My DH is a city kid through and through while I lived in the country for a bit in my childhood and 99% of my relatives did, so I get it. He didn't and still doesn't, in many cases.


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## unregistered29228 (Jan 9, 2008)

cntrywmnkw said:


> "Oh, I could NEVER eat YOUR eggs, they come from your pets." "No offense, but your egg yolks are so orange, what's WRONG?"


Or "ewww, those eggs you just collected have POOP on them!" :hohum:


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## longshot38 (Dec 19, 2006)

soulsurvivor said:


> all rightey, I don't know how it is in other locations but regardless of the situation if a male told a female that her meat used to be cute and fuzzy, then there would be some serious explaining to do. KWIM? The only saving grace would be that the male is young and innocent of what's been said.
> 
> what? ok just shoot me, but at some point we all have to learn the bad with the good, and if you live long enough you get to watch everything return to dirt.


hehe, you had to take it in context. i still find it hilarious:bouncy:

dean


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

"Those eggs are brown. There's something wrong with them."


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## WV Farm girl (Nov 26, 2011)

"So is that what hay is made of, Grass?" -my hubby when I first met him. He's a city boy, but is coming around. 

"She actually thinks there is gonna be a time when you can't go to the store and buy what you need! Hahahaha!!" -my ex about me

"You know we make fun of you now but there is probably gonna be a time we come to you for food". -my sister (I take that as a positive. At least she understands why I do it)

"Oh. So you are one of those people". - my boss

"How can you eat a goat?! They are so cute!" 
"You butcher your own chickens! OMG". -friends.


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## WV Farm girl (Nov 26, 2011)

Oops. Double post


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

The few people I talk to about things generally are pretty impressed. They may not want to live this way, but they seem to find it fascinating to hear how other people do it.

I try not to judge people on experiences they've not had or knowledge they haven't acquired.

I'm just as much of a duck-out-of-water in a big city or a fancy restaurant as they are in the wilderness, and while I can navigate the backwoods and identify all sorts of plants and animals and find food, I would be absolutely lost trying to navigate the worlds some of these people come from ... like corporate boardrooms and PTA meetings.


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## sisterpine (May 9, 2004)

Why would you want to store more than will fit in your kitchen cupboard space? That is how they determine how many cabinets to put up....how much a family should have. ???

I am sorry but you said those eggs come from a hens butt and I just cant eat those, I will get mine fresh from the store (sister)

No thanks, I don't want veggies from your garden they might have bugs on them (yup, likely will! ) city friend.

Really, you haul water by snowmobile? You should move to the city...what do you mean you have no power cause you are saving up for solar? The city will come right out and bring you power and water to your new home. City friend.

You put up how many cords of wood?!!! What do you mean you have extra in case you get hurt or sick?


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## edjewcollins (Jun 20, 2003)

Big bonfire in our side yard going on and DW is making hobo pies in those "over the fire" pie makers. Asks DD's 13yo friend to go in the kitchen and get the can opener from the drawer to the right of the sink. Friend just stares at us. Wife repeats request. Friend just stares at us. I finally ask "you do know what a can opener is don't you?". Friend says "of course". I ask "then why aren't you going to get it? Friend responds "I don't know why you'd want it when there is no where to plug it in out here". 

Proceeded to explain to 13yo what a swingaway can opener was and how it worked......sad.


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## HTWannabee (Jan 19, 2007)

"You eat dandelions! Where do you get them?"
"You have no debt? That is un-American."

"Do you grow all your own food?" - That one is a complement


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## Sanza (Sep 8, 2008)

The stupidest comment I've ever heard was a month ago. 
Now the 2 oldest grandkids had raised steers and it was time for the 4H beef show and sale, and my ex who's a citidiot comes out to watch and says to the grandkids.....

" Yeah, it's like a beauty contest and then the contestants get killed"

The best is not words spoken, but actions....when the grandkids go to the pantry for a treat and each will eat a whole quart of my canned fruit. 











​


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

That's an awesome quote, Sanza, by someone I've never heard of.


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

Very good quote Sanza. 

your ex really has food into mouth disease, doesn't he.


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

Sanza, that quote provided me with a name which provided me with a video which is THE MOST IMPORTANT THING I'VE SEEN this entire month.

http://www.squidoo.com/stop-stealing-dreams


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## Rockytopsis (Dec 29, 2007)

Sanza,

*CITIDIOT*, I like this word, I know some of them.
Nancy


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## Ozarks Tom (May 27, 2011)

"If things get bad, I'm coming to your house".

"Long way to drive, just to die in my driveway".


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## skeeter (Mar 23, 2013)

Mom_of_Four said:


> Or "ewww, those eggs you just collected have POOP on them!" :hohum:


What is that thing in the middle of the egg yolk?


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

skeeter said:


> What is that thing in the middle of the egg yolk?


I give up. What IS that thing in the middle of the egg yolk? Are you talking about a blood spot? Those are rare, even in our free range flock.


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## Ceilismom (Jul 16, 2011)

Ernie said:


> I give up. What IS that thing in the middle of the egg yolk? Are you talking about a blood spot? Those are rare, even in our free range flock.


Do you mean the white spot? That's the blastoderm. Bigger and bullseye-shaped in a fertile egg, just a spot in a non-fertile egg.


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## skeeter (Mar 23, 2013)

I used to have chickens where it was not rare to have a red spot with the white spot...the eggs were fertilized...I got them from someone and they were a cross of a few breeds....These were the best chickens I ever had...they loved to hide their nests and thus, I was always overrun with too many chickens...but I always had plenty of eggs....the spot on the egg would gross people out if they saw it and they would not eat the eggs


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

skeeter said:


> I used to have chickens where it was not rare to have a red spot with the white spot...the eggs were fertilized...I got them from someone and they were a cross of a few breeds....These were the best chickens I ever had...they loved to hide their nests and thus, I was always overrun with too many chickens...but I always had plenty of eggs....the spot on the egg would gross people out if they saw it and they would not eat the eggs


I rarely see it, and it's not such a huge spot that it would gross us out.

The only time we've been grossed out by eggs is when we had some sort of broody mixup and I cracked open an egg and a fetal chick landed in the middle of the frying pan.


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

Ozarks Tom said:


> "If things get bad, I'm coming to your house".
> 
> "Long way to drive, just to die in my driveway".


I've used this line, more than once!


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

Ernie said:


> I rarely see it, and it's not such a huge spot that it would gross us out.
> 
> The only time we've been grossed out by eggs is when we had some sort of broody mixup and I cracked open an egg and a fetal chick landed in the middle of the frying pan.


Somehow it seemed wrong to "like" your post, Ernie!:stars: That's a major gross out, there.


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## terri9630 (Mar 12, 2012)

manygoatsnmore said:


> Somehow it seemed wrong to "like" your post, Ernie!:stars: That's a major gross out, there.


 I agree! We've had that happen too. The kids found a nest one of the hens had hidden and didn't mention it. They now understand that those hidden eggs do NOT go in the frig.


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## longshot38 (Dec 19, 2006)

Ozarks Tom said:


> "If things get bad, I'm coming to your house".
> 
> "Long way to drive, just to die in my driveway".


good one

my favourite reply to im coming to your house is "can't you find somewhere closer to your home to die at?"

dean


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## longshot38 (Dec 19, 2006)

Ernie said:


> I rarely see it, and it's not such a huge spot that it would gross us out.
> 
> The only time we've been grossed out by eggs is when we had some sort of broody mixup and I cracked open an egg and a fetal chick landed in the middle of the frying pan.


i had that once when i was a kid, toast looked pretty good for breakfast that morning.

dean


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## SugarMag (Jun 30, 2011)

Ernie said:


> Sanza, that quote provided me with a name which provided me with a video which is THE MOST IMPORTANT THING I'VE SEEN this entire month.
> 
> http://www.squidoo.com/stop-stealing-dreams


Oh, yes that video is amazing!
If you like this, I'm sure you will like other TED talks by Ken Robinson, on the same subject.
TED talks are one of my nerdÃ¿ passions.


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## lynnabyrd (Oct 15, 2007)

I've gotten lots of positive comments, lots of stupid comments, not too many negative ones. 

Positives: You have a beautiful garden, Oh I wish I could live on a farm, What a wonderful place for your kids to grow up, Your eggs/meat/veggies/jams/etc taste so much better than storebought, (and recently, because I'm currently 8 months pregnant BUT it's canning season!!) Oh you are so amazing to do so much... 

Stupids: My favorite thing to explain to people is the whole "no you don't need a rooster to get eggs, but yes you DO need a buck/bull to get milk" concept. They Just. Don't. Get. It. But the best one was "Oh, I don't eat brown eggs. I only eat white eggs. Brown eggs come out of a chicken's butt." I really had no response other than to ask "So where exactly do you think white eggs come from?!?!?" Another good one was "ALL chickens lay brown eggs. The white ones at the store have been bleached." Oh really? If that's true, then I want to know where blue/green ones come from. 

Negatives: Mostly my MIL tosses these at us. She really just doesn't understand WHY anyone would want to grind wheat for flour, raise our own meat/milk (she gets the gardening, but then wonders why our garden is so big. Um, we have five children and another on the way. Why do you THINK our garden is so big?), do our own canning, stuff like that. So she's the one who makes comments that just makes me sigh. I've learned to mostly tune her out when she starts in on one of her tirades.


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## terri9630 (Mar 12, 2012)

lynnabyrd said:


> I've gotten lots of positive comments, lots of stupid comments, not too many negative ones.
> 
> Positives: You have a beautiful garden, Oh I wish I could live on a farm, What a wonderful place for your kids to grow up, Your eggs/meat/veggies/jams/etc taste so much better than storebought, (and recently, because I'm currently 8 months pregnant BUT it's canning season!!) Oh you are so amazing to do so much...
> 
> ...





We must have the same MIL. She got upset at hubby when he told her she couldn't take all our tomatos because we planted what we planned to use. It takes a lot of those juicy red maters to make pizza sauce, ketchup, spaghetti sauce and such. I can't help it if her plants aren't producing, she won't listen when we tell how to improve them because shes been gardening longer than we have..... And we can go to the store for the rest of that stuff so we should share.:hair


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## lynnabyrd (Oct 15, 2007)

Heh. Sigh. Mine does things like getting upset at us for cutting down the trees that were planted all the way around the outside of the garden area. "Your garden doesn't need more than four hours of sunlight a day!" Uh, okay. And then brings us a bag of bruised-and-starting-to-spoil apricots from the tree in her yard, because "I know you like that canning stuff. I picked these last week..." 

Gotta love those MILs. My hubby just tells her that we like our life, even if she doesn't.


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## terri9630 (Mar 12, 2012)

Sounds about right. Can't live with em, not allowed to leave em in the desert. Even with a canteen. You should have seen MIL's face when hubby told her it was HIS idea to have dairy goats and that HE bought the wheat grinder. It was priceless, wish I had a picture.


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## lynnabyrd (Oct 15, 2007)

LOL!! I'll bet! Probably similar to when my hubby got me a dehydrator for Mother's Day last year... I was thrilled, she was horrified.


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## BetsyK in Mich (May 14, 2002)

"You are so physically fit and later says, I don't understand why you do so much physical work . . ." This from a niece who pays $400 a month to go to a gym and pedal, run, lift weights five days a week and then stops for a "healthy" salad at some restaurant.


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## Jim-mi (May 15, 2002)

Gotta find out which bleach to use to turn those darn brown eggs to white . . . LOL


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## Explorer (Dec 2, 2003)

Jim-mi said:


> Gotta find out which bleach to use to turn those darn brown eggs to white . . . LOL


Pig urine. eep:


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## Jim-mi (May 15, 2002)

Big thanks..........................................................LOL


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## HTWannabee (Jan 19, 2007)

If things get bad, I'm coming to your house".

I have had this one too. My reply is "Good, we'll need you for guard duty."


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## Laura (May 10, 2002)

"We're gonna eat your horse."

Not a one of them realize if they step into her pasture at night, she will kill them and they won't even see her coming. The ex stepped into her pasture at night and tossed her an apple. She thought he was Johnny Sasquatch! He survived by rolling under the gate. She was born in the wild, became alpha mare and didn't come to civilization until she was 12. I've seen her charge bears, and even the mountain lions stay out of her space. She's a camo-wearing war horse.

She acts like a pocket puppy to the girls and I.


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## Jakk (Aug 14, 2008)

Mom_of_Four said:


> Didn't mean to :stirpot: haha
> 
> I thought of another negative - my kids are obsessed with expiration dates, and tell EVERYONE that I serve expired food.



LOL In our food rotation it happens that most of what we eat has been on the shelf for approx a year. When donating cans for a food drive my daughter told someone at church that if it wasn't at least a year old then we took the jar/can from the wrong end of the shelf!


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## lmrose (Sep 24, 2009)

Isn't it wonderful what a beautiful farm you have and it just grew without alot of work!!

Do you have to milk a cow everyday?

What is rooster for?

Why do you work so hard in the summer when other people are enjoying themselves?

Why not spread the hay out on the road so it will dry faster?

Today is a great hay drying day! It's just a little foggy and wet!

Will cats and dogs mate?

Where does chocolate milk come from?

I could go on and on with ridiculous comments people make! It is really remarkable!

On the positive side people love the view here. They comment on how well all the animals get along with eachother. They admire how hard we work {as long as they don't have to help with haying etc.} People always comment on how perfect Bill's garden looks and they love to take pictures of him working with the horse!

I find most people are not malicious but just uninformed when they ask stupid comments. The most recent comment was;" Can two female goats have babies without a buck?" Ykes! Biology needs to be taught in elementory school!


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## TripleD (Feb 12, 2011)

lmrose said:


> Isn't it wonderful what a beautiful farm you have and it just grew without alot of work!!
> 
> Do you have to milk a cow everyday?
> 
> ...


 I really had one guy tell me he thought chocolate milk came from the bull !!!


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## Kmac15 (May 19, 2007)

One of my neighbors think it is wonderful that I know how to make the chickens lay eggs for me


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## backwoods (Sep 12, 2004)

"Some people don't know why some chickens lay white eggs and others lay brown. I've explained to them that's it because the brown egg laying chickens eat bugs and grass and the white egg laying chickens only eat store bought feed." ...said to me by a college graduate.

Yep...THAT'S why!


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## lindamarie (Jul 9, 2013)

We've been told we live like animals and have such a hard life. Our animals always had a very good life. But, when storm knocked out our kids power for 3weeks last summer where do you think they all came? Yup, to our place for off the grid meals, showers, swimming in pond, DVD movies and cool temps up on the mountain. Grandkids had a great time


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## AR Transplant (Mar 20, 2004)

Not sure this totally fits the category but it was a shocker for me. We went to a wedding and we saw a family we hadn't seen for at least 5 years. We were sitting at a table with them and out of the blue the husband announces to the table that if it hits the fan he is coming to my house. He then proceeds to tell the table that I have a big garden, I can and grind all my flour to make homemade bread. I was shocked. I then recovered enough to say, "yep, but now all the kids are gone and you'd be lucky to get a can of tuna at my place these days." I learned really quick that people don't forget who preps and who doesn't. 
He knew so much about our preps because I used to teach bread making and canning at his old church.
My best prep if it does hit the fan would be to move!


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

AR Transplant said:


> Not sure this totally fits the category but it was a shocker for me. We went to a wedding and we saw a family we hadn't seen for at least 5 years. We were sitting at a table with them and out of the blue the husband announces to the table that if it hits the fan he is coming to my house. He then proceeds to tell the table that I have a big garden, I can and grind all my flour to make homemade bread. I was shocked. I then recovered enough to say, "yep, but now all the kids are gone and you'd be lucky to get a can of tuna at my place these days." I learned really quick that people don't forget who preps and who doesn't.
> He knew so much about our preps because I used to teach bread making and canning at his old church.
> My best prep if it does hit the fan would be to move!


So there are no qualities that the people at the table with you might possess that you would consider useful in a SHTF situation? None? Not a one of them would be trustworthy enough to haul water, pull weeds, or stand guard?

I finally got around to watching some of that show, "The Walking Dead". One of the things that struck me was that most of the characters don't get along. In fact, they don't even seem to like each other much. But yet they work together for their survival. They have a common goal, which I suppose is to not get eaten by zombies.

Survivors of (what I believe) to be a permanent SHTF are going to have to band together to survive. You have a unique opportunity right now to pick the members of your survival family, where as later you may just have to make do with whomever comes along.


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## Rosesandtea (Feb 28, 2012)

I don't have a lot of things said to me which is fine. But among those that know I "prep" I got the biggest compliment from someone I admire who said he used to think survivalists and preppers were really weird and out there, but I showed him it was just making life better for day to day, and to be able to cope if things got hard. He lives in a place now that makes it difficult to get out if there is bad winter weather so extra stocks (which he now cans) come in handy.

The worse, and most offensive, came from my father, who doesn't know anything about what I do or why, but makes big assumptions - he told my son, when my son was staying with him and my mother, and I had some p51s sent to him so he could bring them back on the plane with him (I live overseas), "Don't get involved in all that stuff." 

I use p51s almost any time I open a can here, as most of the commercial can openers I buy here break within a couple of months. But let's just make uniformed, negative judgments why don't we?


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## AR Transplant (Mar 20, 2004)

Ernie, good point. 
When it all comes down, I am sure that I won't know exactly what I would do.


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## firefighter1129 (Mar 15, 2010)

Chickens?!?! You have CHICKENS??!!! WHY do you want CHICKENS? What do you DO with them? Do you MILK them?


Yep, just the roosters..........


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## Farmer Willy (Aug 7, 2005)

firefighter1129 said:


> Yep, just the roosters..........


 
Where ya think corn flakes come from?


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## LWMSAVON (Oct 8, 2002)

The stupid comments have me rolling with laughter! 

I've heard positive, negative, and stupid. 

positive: Wow! You can a lot! Will you teach me. 

You were born 100 years too late (sister). She meant is a dig towards me but I took it as a compliment. She forgets where and how she grew up. 


Negative: You need to stop canning, you have too much now. 

You don't need anymore of that ... but is one of the ones that will call me and ask for whatever it is they need. I will barter but I ain't giving it away free. Trying to tell them to prepare for things is like talking to a wall. 


Stupid: If something happens, I know where I'm heading. (sister) Stupid comment because she's liable to get shot coming up the driveway.She has come to visit for a few days and by the end of the first day I am ready for her to leave :catfight:... dh is ready for her to leave in 5 minutes of her arrival if not before she arrives. :flame:


But one of the stupid comments that even had my 14 year old son laughing and shaking his head was when we were at the co-op picking out chicks. I was grabbing all the pullets I could see (Black Stars - easy to spot the pullets from the cockerels) and this teen girl was there with her mother (guessing) and looked at me and said, "You don't eat those do you?" I had to keep from laughing and said not this little but when they get bigger, we will, especially when they quit laying eggs. The look on her face was pure shock. Her mother had a look on her face that was like "omg, you eat them?!" ROFL They were in a farmer's co-op... with animal supplies, farm supplies, etc. The guys behind the counter were trying to stifle their laughter as well. Son couldn't wait to tell his Dad, brothers, and sisters in the truck waiting for us. We all had a good laugh that day.


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## TripleD (Feb 12, 2011)

I had to bring this thread back after yesterday afternoon. Family member calls and wanted to know if they could visit. When they got to the farm I was loading up some pigs I sold a guy. After he left the female family member asked what did that man plan to do with the pigs. When I told her put about 200lbs on them and eat them she couldnt belive people still did that today......


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## Becka03 (Mar 29, 2009)

my son's new GF's father just asked me if I was canning green beans so I could sell them...
seemed strange to me to ask that ?


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## mnn2501 (Apr 2, 2008)

How come your tomatoes have cracks and are not perfectly round?

To be fair after explaining to this person (my boss) he went on to grow tomatoes himself the following year. He never cared for tomatoes until he tasted mine and I explained how tomatoes were grown for stores and how they were ripened.


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## DEKE01 (Jul 17, 2013)

TripleD said:


> I had to bring this thread back after yesterday afternoon. Family member calls and wanted to know if they could visit. When they got to the farm I was loading up some pigs I sold a guy. After he left the female family member asked what did that man plan to do with the pigs. When I told her put about 200lbs on them and eat them she couldnt belive people still did that today......


it is crazy that people would eat animals that have been in the mud and muck when you can buy perfectly good meat that is made in sanitary conditions in the back of the grocery store.


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## KentuckyDreamer (Jan 20, 2012)

Last night my brother questioned my reasoning for buying a stove top waffle maker...he thought frozen was fine but if I insisted, I should get an electric one.

It was surprising because he is generally on board with me.


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## Jupiter (Dec 30, 2012)

Negative: when you send a steer or pig in to be processed, you should give it to me since it didn't cost anything to raise.
I'd love some produce from your garden, but can you pick it for me? I don't like to sweat. 
You can food? You can die from eating that stuff.
And my favorite is a lady we know brought her kids to see the animals (we no longer allow visitors) and spent the entire time telling them not to touch them or step anywhere because they might get poop on their shoes. 
The positive: we love your farm! It's so peaceful!


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## Sunbee (Sep 30, 2008)

"You can butcher a chicken? Good on you, son." From an older gentleman to my eleven-year-old in an approving tone.


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

Don't you think you are being a burden to your family? (sigh)


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## bigjon (Oct 2, 2013)

:hysterical:why do all that work in a garden?so I can eat.but we just drove past a store!yup,i sell my extra to that store.can I have some?yup-heres a bag-go pick some-ewww-theres bugs!its hot out/its muggy/muddy.whats in here?my walk in cooler.what do u keep in there?bodies.......:grin:


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## TripleD (Feb 12, 2011)

I was going to send a steer to be processed my sis ask what it cost. I told her 65 cents per pound vacuumed sealed plus a kill fee. She wanted to know if I would sell it to her for that !!!!!


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## bigjon (Oct 2, 2013)

and my most asked-u drink from a WHAT? its called a WELL........


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## Bret F (May 4, 2004)

"How many eggs do you get from those rooster?"

"What do you do with all those chickens, do you eat them?"
Me: "Just the excess roosters"
"Really, what do they taste like?"

While my daughter and I were working with the goats for packing, a mountain biker asked "What are those animals? The one without a back is a goat, but what are the other two?"


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## DEKE01 (Jul 17, 2013)

Bret F said:


> "How many eggs do you get from those rooster?"


When roosters get that big, they don't lay eggs.


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## Vahomesteaders (Jun 4, 2014)

The one I get the most is why in the world would you move way out in the middle of nowhere burried in the woods away from all the conviences of the city?

Or how could you think of schooling your children yourself? They need the school system structure to succeed!


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

"I would grow a garden, but do you have ANY idea how much food it takes to feed my family (8 of them) ? It's just not worth fooling with..." ( and this from a guy that fancies himself a prepper.....got a bunch of #10 cans stuck away).

You count the number of levels of stupid there.......


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## DEKE01 (Jul 17, 2013)

Vahomesteaders said:


> The one I get the most is why in the world would you move way out in the middle of nowhere burried in the woods away from all the conviences of the city?
> 
> Or how could you think of schooling your children yourself? They need the school system structure to succeed!


Yep, I have gotten that one also because I'm soooooo far out in the country. 

It is 4 miles to the nearest Winn Dixie and 12 miles to Walmart and Lowes. Right, I'm waaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyy out in the boonies.


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## Vahomesteaders (Jun 4, 2014)

DEKE01 said:


> Yep, I have gotten that one also because I'm soooooo far out in the country.
> 
> It is 4 miles to the nearest Winn Dixie and 12 miles to Walmart and Lowes. Right, I'm waaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyy out in the boonies.


I know right? Lol I do wish I was a little closer at times. I'm like 35 40 minutes from nearest store and gas. But I love it more than I hate driving a long way.


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## InTownForNow (Oct 16, 2008)

"So what do you do at night? Sit around the fire and knit? " - my brother because we dont watch tv. 
"Umm why dont you just buy applesauce?"
"Aww baking bread again ma ingalls?"


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

TnAndy said:


> "I would grow a garden, but do you have ANY idea how much food it takes to feed my family (8 of them) ? It's just not worth fooling with..." ( and this from a guy that fancies himself a prepper.....got a bunch of #10 cans stuck away).
> 
> You count the number of levels of stupid there.......


It is true that a garden would only provide a fraction of the calories needed. I can see where he is coming from!

Then again my Mom mostly raised tomatos. The 8 of us would generally eat 4 pounds of tomatos at a meal. We liked them so we ate them maybe 3 times a week when they were at their peak. In today's dollars that saved us the equivalent of $12 a week, and my folks could ALWAYS fine a use for money! 

In the Fall we would be getting more tomatos than we could eat, and so my Mom canned them for spagetti sauce. She canned 100 quarts every year if she could, which in today's dollars are worth $200. 

$200 worth of sauce plus $300??? worth fresh = $500 saved from Mom's tomato patch. And a dollar saved is more than a dollar earned because it is not taxed.

Now that was a drop in the bucket as far as calories to feed 8 people, but it was like handing my folks $500 and they saw no reason to turn that down! 

As much as my Mom liked to garden she did not have time for much. But she ALWAYS had her tomatos!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

Terri said:


> It is true that a garden would only provide a fraction of the calories needed. I can see where he is coming from!


I can't.

While a garden can't provide all the calories needed, it could provide a significant portion, and the experience/knowledge gained by raising food could well be priceless some day down the road if the grocery store shelves are empty, or priced beyond reach.

Little more background on this FlorIdiot (as I call them):

Guy moved here 'to homestead'. So far, in 3 years, that has consisted of turning a decent barn into a tar papered (yeah, pulled all the siding off...we're gonna put other siding on.....someday.....) shack that he and his family now live in. The health department came by one day recently and told him they were going to HAVE to tie the kitchen sink and laundry drains into the septic system instead of simply letting them fly out the exterior wall into the yard.

He bought 8 cows and put them on 3 acres of scrubby pasture. They put one in the freezer, starved one to death last winter, and the remaining 6, you can count every rib on them from 100yds away....I figure 2-4 more of them will go down this winter.....he doesn't see the need to feed them, or buy much in the way of hay. "You know how much hay costs ?" (yeah, I do)

They raise no other animals (chickens, etc), which, is probably a good thing anyway for other life forms.

They have 6 kids from 6 to 16 years of age that should be learning something in the way of raising food/etc, but instead, spend most of their time parked in front of a huge screen TV. (They 'home school') His wife does almost nothing....literally....doesn't even cook (he does that if it goes beyond sandwiches). He works at home (computer nerd).


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

You must also include the factor of time to garden for 8. Dad worked more than 40 hours a week and Mom was raising 6 kids, which takes a great deal of work. Adding on a large garden on top of that would have meant that Mom got even less sleep. 

That was why our garden was a small one. Helpful, but small.

TnAndy, I cannot IMAGINE 6 cows on a 3 acre pasture! Lack of grass aside, the parasites must be having a field day!


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## myheaven (Apr 14, 2006)

Worst negative comment I have ever had. 
You don't work! You don't bring home a paycheck. 
The 4freezers of meat and produce plus a root cellar full of home canned goods plus all the fresh milk I get twice a day wasn't work. 
I get it,only if the government gets a part of what you do then its work.


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## terri9630 (Mar 12, 2012)

myheaven said:


> Worst negative comment I have ever had.
> You don't work! You don't bring home a paycheck.
> The 4freezers of meat and produce plus a root cellar full of home canned goods plus all the fresh milk I get twice a day wasn't work.
> I get it,only if the government gets a part of what you do then its work.


I used to hear that all the time. Now that I work part time its... you don't work very much so it doesn't really count. That comes from the MIL who thinks a house should be spotless no matter what's going on and that hubby shouldn't have to do anything at all "because he makes all the money".


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## light rain (Jan 14, 2013)

Terri9630, what do you answer back to those comments? I would be steaming. I am steaming and I don't even know you.


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## myheaven (Apr 14, 2006)

terri9630 said:


> I used to hear that all the time. Now that I work part time its... you don't work very much so it doesn't really count. That comes from the MIL who thinks a house should be spotless no matter what's going on and that hubby shouldn't have to do anything at all "because he makes all the money".


Omg we have the same monster in law. Mine isn't allowed in my house any more.
See everything was perfect and so was she when she raised her two boys. Um I'm raising 9.


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## light rain (Jan 14, 2013)

I am sorry that she is aggravating you so much. 

No, I have had that criticism from other folks. I am sure my MIL felt that way sometimes, especially when on her 1st visit we had a bunch of baby chicks on the front porch. She has been dead several years and I miss her. 

But it is just a in general attitude that doesn't give women credit for all the meal planning, shopping, cleaning, concern for family obligations, nursing (both breast and sickness type) etc...

I know in some families men share in the cleaning and other obligations but in a larger percentage women try to juggle it all and still are not deemed up to snuff... I guess we're still just paying for that apple off the tree incident.


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## moldy (Mar 5, 2004)

That is why my ex will never be at my house. Not that I care what he has to say, but it would be hurtful to my children. Of course, he COULDN'T do half of what I do, but I really don't need the drama.


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

myheaven said:


> Omg we have the same monster in law. Mine isn't allowed in my house any more.
> See everything was perfect and so was she when she raised her two boys. Um I'm raising 9.


You might try skipping the noise and get to the heart of the problem. When a person criticizes, I hold out the tool, dish cloth, or whatever and say 'here you are.'
Criticism can be dangerous around me- I expect either silence or help.


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## terri9630 (Mar 12, 2012)

light rain said:


> Terri9630, what do you answer back to those comments? I would be steaming. I am steaming and I don't even know you.


I didn't have a chance to say anything. Hubby blew up and dealt with it. He tried to delete the email she sent so I wouldn't get upset but I accidentally deleted a email and was looking for it in the trash folder and found it.


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## light rain (Jan 14, 2013)

It's good your husband stood up for you! You are blessed.


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## terri9630 (Mar 12, 2012)

light rain said:


> It's good your husband stood up for you! You are blessed.


Very blessed and very grateful.


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## wally (Oct 9, 2007)

Several years ago, when our DD was in nursing school, she had to do some of her clinicals at a Dr. office. A elderly farmer approched the desk and told her that he needed to come back in 3 months,3 weeks and three days..DD says so thats when you farrow...The old man smiled and ask if she learned that in school, nope she says we raise hogs at home..


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