There’s never been a better time to learn self-sufficiency. It’s the adult version of moving from childhood to receiving your first paycheck as a teenager. There’s something so freeing in knowing you can take care of yourself. Even just knowing one or two self-sufficiency skills can increase your confidence.
If you don’t know, self-sufficiency is basically about being able to take care of yourself if worst came to worst and you lost access to things like grocery stores or government support. Part of it can be about being off the grid, being able to get energy through solar power, collecting and purifying your own water, growing your own food.
Here’s a list of the main self-sufficiency skills. A lot of these I also mentioned in my post on Homesteading Without Land.
Self-Sufficiency Skills:
- Gardening and Permaculture
- Foraging and Wildcraft
- Food preservation
- Natural medicine and herbal remedies
- Basic carpentry and DIY repairs
- Water collection and purification
- Firemaking and outdoor survival skills
- First Aid
You absolutely don’t have to learn everything all at once! Start with what you’re interested in. Even just one or two of these skills can significantly increase your confidence around your ability to take care of yourself.
If you’re wanting to get into this, here are the places I’m learning about self-sufficiency—everything from books to youtube channels to online courses.
Online Courses
Introduction to Permaculture
— Right now I am taking this free course on Permaculture with Oregon State University. The course is really interesting so far and includes videos and input from indigenous tribes.
— If it’s a new term for you, Permaculture is about creating sustainable systems that take care of the land, support wildlife, and bring people together, both nearby and around the world.
Psychology of Deep Resilience
Addressing Ecoanxiety and Climate Distress for Individual, Social and Ecological Well-being
— I’m also taking this course on the Psychology of Deep Resilience. It goes hand in hand with being self-sufficient while also working in community with others to create a better world.
— If you sign up with Verizon Skill Forward through edX you can take the course for free! It’s part of an initiative to help more people to get professional certificates.
Free Permaculture
I haven’t tried any of these courses yet, but it looks like a great place to learn more about Permaculture for free!
Backyard Forager
— Here are some more courses I haven’t tried yet, but it looks like there are some fun foraging courses to take on this website. One is free and there’s a couple under $10.
Books
Some of these I’ve read and some are on my to-read list, but all are incredible for learning more about self-sufficiency.
The Self-Sufficient Life and How to Live It
— by John Seymour
— A classic guide covering gardening, animal care, food preservation, and sustainable living.
Back to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills
— by Abigail Gehring
— Comprehensive book with instructions on homesteading, gardening, natural health remedies, and even woodworking.
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants
— by Robin Wall Kimmerer
— A blend of Indigenous wisdom and scientific knowledge, with reflections on reciprocity, sustainable living, and plant relationships.
Sacred Instructions: Indigenous Wisdom for Living Spirit-Based Change
— by Sherri Mitchell
— Combines Indigenous teachings with practical approaches to self-sufficiency, spiritual resilience, and living in harmony with nature.
Rosemary Gladstar’s Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner’s Guide: 33 Healing Herbs to Know, Grow, and Use
— by Rosemary Gladstar
— Learn how to grow, harvest, prepare, and use the 33 most common and versatile healing plants.
The Resilient Gardener: Food Production and Self-Reliance in Uncertain Times
— by Carol Deppe
— Focuses on growing staple crops (like potatoes and squash) with practical tips for self-reliant food production.
Gaia’s Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture
— by Toby Hemenway
— Great for learning permaculture techniques, soil health, and creating a self-sustaining garden.
Wildwood Wisdom
— by Ellsworth Jaeger
— A classic bushcraft and survival guide with skills like fire-making, foraging, and outdoor cooking.
YouTube Channels
Here are some of my favorite YouTube channels to watch for inspiration and practical tips.
Gaz Oakley
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Isabel Paige
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Andrew Millison
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Local classes and workshops
— Look online for local classes and workshops near you! On Google, you can search for things like “foraging class near *insert your city*” or any other skill you’re wanting to learn.
— Wilderness First Aid can be a great thing to learn and many organizations offer it such as American Red Cross.
Practice at home
— After watching some videos or reading a few books, start practicing at home! This is how the information learned will go from knowledge to skill.
Go on camping trips
Source: My photo
— Even just one night of camping can teach you so much! Practice things like cooking, waste management, being mindful of power usage, and living simpler.
— I spent about two months camping almost every night just to test my capabilities. You learn pretty quickly what you can and can’t live without.
Alright, that’s it for this post! I hope this helped you see where to start in terms of learning self-sufficiency. Make it fun! It’s so cool to truly be able to take care of yourself.
