This week we celebrate the 249th anniversary of “The Shot Heard Around the World.”
Did you know that the American Revolution didn’t begin when the first shot was fired at Lexington Green in 1775? They started the revolution shortly after the Seven Years’ War (French and Indian War) because the British wanted them to pay taxes to pay what the crown felt was their fair share of the war debt that Britain had acquired.
The British tried to use taxes to collect the revenues from the Americans to pay those debts. However, Americans didn’t like that idea, so they did what they could to prevent the crown from getting any of that money.
Before and during the American Revolution Americans refused to purchase items that were taxed from Great Britain. The British tried to require that Americans buy their goods only through British companies. There was the Stamp Act which required that all goods have a royal stamp if they were to be sold. This didn’t sit well with the American public so the idea of the Stamp Act ended. They tried other ways to deal with the tax deficit. They also refused to provide military for the frontier as a way to keep expenses down. The next thing they tried was the tea tax which led to what became the Boston Tea Party. After that, the Monarchy put its foot down. It was time to put the colonists in their place. Troops were sent to put the rabble-rousers primarily in Boston in their place.
In the meantime, Americans learned to make their own or do without. They learned to grow what they could. They created their herbal remedies and grew flax and sheep so that they could spin yarn and thread to produce their clothes. They harvested animals, nuts, fruits, and vegetables from the surrounding woodlands and fields.
On April 19, 1775, these Americans faced down British regulars and let them know that they weren’t going to take it anymore. This shot heard around the world changed things because a few people decided that enough was enough and they were going to take back control of their lives.
Today, we face a similar situation. We don’t have the say we used to have 60 years ago. Today, four companies control all of the US meat industry. Twenty-five companies control most of the American egg market. Most of our fruit and vegetable companies are being bought out by huge conglomerates like Amazon (recently bought Whole Foods), Walmart, and Target. The adoption of technologies like AI-powered irrigation systems, vertical farming, and robotics is gradually impacting production and distribution processes, offering avenues for future innovation, but is that what we want?
We can feel that there is something wrong with the system. We realize that we have gotten away from our roots.
Lately, I have seen a lot of people complain about the price of everything. This is why I have been trying to produce more of our eggs and vegetables. The price of food, fuel, housing, debt, and all of it. Who’s responsible for the plight we are in?
We can fight back and fighting back begins with producing your own. Like the Minute Men of 1775, we can purchase a small homestead (1-3 acres can produce a lot!) in a rural area. We can pay off our debt as quickly as humanly possible. We no longer need to worry about the daily commute because we now have the internet in many rural areas, and it is becoming easier to find ways to work from home.
We can fight back with shovels and hoes, a computer, and a chicken house. Perhaps even a goat dairy. Is it work? Yes. Is it doable? Yes. We just have to allow ourselves to believe that it is possible.
This Week In My Garden
This week, the leaves on the trees have begun to unfurl green at the end of their branches. Fruit trees and dogwood trees are now in full bloom. It’s time to plant more in the garden. Oak tree leaves are past the size of baby squirrel ears. If we were growing corn, now would be the time to plant that. However, this year, we will not be growing corn, but I planted celery and herb plants in the garden this past week.
I planted the celery and the herbs in one of the beds where I had planted garlic last year. In the other garlic bed, the cabbage and lettuce plants that I planted last month have been established and are growing well. It won’t be long before I will be able to harvest them and use the greens in meals.
My husband and I live in a small mobile home in the country and it’s big enough to raise a large garden, chickens, and other animals. We have no debt and our annual property taxes are low. So why doesn’t everyone live our lifestyle?
If you’re interested in putting in a vegetable garden this year, I have written several books that can help you get started. All are available on Amazon.
Simply Vegetable Gardening
The Survival Garden
The Four Seasons Vegetable Garden
Help From Kelp
Using Diatomaceous Earth Around the House and Yard
Soldiers Don’t Cry, the Locket Saga Continues in the Locket Saga is about the beginning of the American Revolution that I’m sure you’ll enjoy.
The Perpetual Homesteader 