Four Acres and Independence - A Self-Sufficient Farmstead
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- Опубліковано 6 жов 2024
- Take a tour, accompanied by curious sheep and geese, of Mark Cooper's self-sufficient small farm. Over several years, he transformed a rundown house and hillsides of berry brambles into pasture and gardens where he produces and preserves most of his family's food. Visit the Goose Grotto in a constructed pond, a heritage fruit tree orchard, logs producing shiitake mushrooms, and a cheap-and-easy container kitchen garden. Mark gives us a closeup view of the solar dehydrator he constructed from salvaged materials - and his tips on food drying. He has husbanded up to fifty animals at a time, including two Tibetan yaks! This farmstead in Rough and Ready, CA lives up to the town's name ? and is a testament to hard work, wide-ranging construction skills, and love. Episode 168.
Knowledge of how to be self-sufficient was common for our ancestors, but became lost when grocery stores became commonplace. Our society is handicapped by how easily we can attain food. A food shortage in America would definitely cause wide-spread panic. I am in awe of Mark Cooper and others that have been growing their own food for years. Thank you for the video and teaching us what you have learned from trial and error!
This guy is amazing and this is something I'd totally want to do! I wish there were more information on how he got started and how to start one of your own. Great job!!
I thoroughly enjoyed your video - thanks so much for putting it together, and sharing this glimpse into how a small sustainable farm might be attainable for many others. I appreciate your warm demeanour and the comfortable interaction between the two of you. Looking forward to viewing more of your material!
This guy is awesome. His home he has built is amazing as well as the systems he has set up. The only thing missing I would love to see is his secret herb garden!
There is always going to be those people that think your ideas aren't good enough, and then try to tear you down. Having been peak everything aware for several decades, it is hard for people to see us not continuing on like we thought we always did. But it has all been a bit of a cycle, up here, down there, even now the growth seems to have lasted forever, but it hasn't and won't. Getting more in tune with how the world grows things is better than not. thanks for the videos.
This kind of education should be required, thanks.
thanks for sharing your tour at Mark's farm. he is an inspiration to most of us who would like to preserve planet earth and at the the same time live with its fruits and harvests.
What an incredible property/project/endeavour and lifestyle......very complex, well thought out and orchestrated to be self-sustaining for the most part.......just amazing and congrats on a job super well done Mark ! Thanks for sharing this with us. Very inspirational
This is a very ideal place to live far away from pollution and confusions of city life. Mark you have a beautiful place, and I wish people will go back to basic and make life self sufficient, having gardens and animals to grow, taking care of our environment is the great things to do to make our mother earth a good place to live. This video is a wake up call to everyone. Thank you in sharing.
"theres no magic here that ive done" sooo understated. I love this episode, this guy sees things and then reacts. love it. thank you.
On the food and fruit drying, I was always taught you could put them in the freezer for a period and pull back out to ensure no bugs, but that takes up room in your freezer at least temporarily so the microwave sounds like an awesome idea.
This guy is awesome! Smart and knowledgeable about a variety of topics. I could spend the afternoon learning more about this stuff. Seems I have done many things to become more in spirit in self sufficiency and then see others like Mr. Cooper who inspire me further.
Knowledgeable and very unaware all at once. He has the oportunity to wake up, relearn, and become a vegan easily.
People say country folk are backwards but I think they are the most enlightened. They enjoy the most freedom by doing many things themselves that most of us rely on others for and it costs a lot less money. I'm envious.
Great video. Nothing better than being self-reliant and self-sufficient instead of expecting someone else to do for you.
I like what he's done here. I hope he is ever evolving, learning and changing. I'm interested in aquaponic gardening, and Back to Eden gardening, and even container gardening, and I love his container idea at the end of the video. I'm always trying to learn something new, and I hope I can buy a property with a pond on it someday, so I can have goose eggs.
I love his 'get things done' attitude and his ingenuity in using what he already has to the maximum. Very inspirational.
We live on 9 acres and just started to utilize our property. A few chickens, cattle and garden. Thanks for posting. I found this video to be very informative.
It don't get no better than this Cooper ! Farm living is the best kind of living.Me personally,i just understand city folks......
i loved it....Mark Cooper you are a real man. even my dream is same as yours......being in touch with mother nature..
Mark raises the animals for food. He loves and cares for them, also knowing that in time he will harvest and eat them, grateful for their lives and nourishment.
This guy is freaking awesome, he should win the ''Man of the Year'' award or something
DONT KNOW WHEN THIS VIDEO WAS MADE BUT IT REMINDS ME ALOT OF OLD DRIVING INSTRUCIONAL VIDS FORM THE 70'S WHICH ARE STILL BEING USED FOR SOME REASON.
how come this video doesn't have 1 million views even after 9.5 years !!! This guy is just awesome
WHy are people so rude in the comments? are you jealous of his energy level and his devotion? Leftovers from the 60's ? seriously, maybe you should read into history and our forefathers. Pioneers. They were people with solid families, and Pride, they were not worried about BIG SCREEN TV'S, WALMART, and what they could buy. They cared about there families. I love this thank you for sharing
Thanks for the great video. I have a deep respect for people who can do this, especially people who can process their own animals. As much as I would like to be able to do it I just couldn't eat an animal whose eyes i've looked into.
Ashlie Neevel You get used to it. Especially when your belly starts gnawing at your backbone ! :)
This was great, I love it. This is what I really enjoy watching. Regular people doing different things to be as sustainable as they can or want to be. We don't have to reinvent the wheel, we just need to see how our neighbor is using it differently than ourselves and apply what we learn from all our neighbors to to the best we can and inspire others.
Hello Janaia, what an amazing inspirational video this has been. I thank you again. I enjoyed it so much. What I think is really great about the man in the video is his is his reusing of oid unwanted stuff to make amazing usefull things on his home stead. Like the cage for the geese to protect them and the amazing sun drying unit made from bits. I have lots of new ideas for homestead now and am really excited. sue
He has a great setup and seems to be very self sufficient. Glad to see people taking initiatives to cut their cost of living.
I absolutely love the different ways he has used the land and recycled material to create a nearly perfect, in-balance habitat! :) I may have to creatively acquire a few ideas! LOVE this youtube channel! Thanks for taking us along for the ride peakmoment!
I admire, this guy for doing such a big change, but he certainly didn't give up, what a dream "lifestyle" absolutely brilliant
When I was a kid, my grandmother had a slug problem with her roses. She use to put coffee grounds mixed with egg shells around the roots to keep them away.
Hi Mark! What a great place you have. Love all the creative food ideas!
Very nice production. This is what I want too! I started in my basement, now from this base I going to find my piece of land. Inspiring. Keep on going the good work!
I don't know if it's right or wrong but "profit" is a great motivator this century as well as the last 300 years. Balance and "doing it right" is fantastic. But this world toady is entrenched with technologies that enslave us and those that can break way to enjoy real nature will live longer, healthier lives. I'm doing the best I can. I feel sorry for those that can't. Or won't. Thanks for the post of this great video.
Thank you for sharing Mark's ingenuity. I am glad to see more people out there work with material on hand. Very good program. Thank you.
This has to be the best peak moment ever! Seriously cool inventiveness, permaculture style
From Mark (part 5): I believe our very survival as a species depends on the cumulative decisions we make . That comes down to me and you .
Best wishes to you in creating the world you want to live in.. Mark
i very rarely comment. this is a great video, and Mark is remarkably able at speaking less but saying so much more than many many other videos on youtube. well done
Love his farm. I'm trying to grow my own food to save my family some money and not get hormones, herbicides and pesticides in my food. It's hard to do and any good videos like this help in understanding what others have done. He gave me a few ideas to try.
Thank you for your amazingly informative video. lots of complimentary aspects of viable sustainability moving in sync.
Mark cuts barrels in half lengthwise, so he has 2 trough-shaped units. He probably drills some holes for drainage. Puts his soil in there, so the nutrients mostly stay within the barrels rather than leaching so quickly into the ground below. It's a fast way of making raised beds -- and his way of dealing with the pervasive bermuda grass.
Amazing. I am just getting ready to move to my 7 acres and have been deeply inspired by the ideas seen here. Very cool.
You could probably use an old upright fridge or freezer cabinet. Provide an airflow, in and out, and put a fine mesh over the shelves, so stuff doesn't fall through.
Very impressive homestead. Love your solar food dehydrator! Hoping to plant some fruit trees!
Oh crap! I grew up down the street from his homestead!
Love this. we have 10 acers in Texas. Garden and have a small orchard with peach, apple, plumb, fig, mulberry trees, grape vines, and black berries. we want to get a mule and wagon, goats, chickens and milk cow yet. They all come in handy if we go off the grid.
Enjoyed that, thanks.
I do feel that a crucial part of this type of lifestyle is to combine it with community living. That way you can share, exchange, trade with each other for goods you can't or don't produce yourself.
That's how we do it in East Clare, Ireland.
A great tour through this awesome garden. Awesome video!!!
Very inspirational Mark. Thank you.
Thank you for this very inspiring video. I like how you make so many things yourself with keeping your costs to a minimum it's just awesome. You got me thinking about drying my tomatoes and cucumbers to preserve them better. Ive got a glass sliding door getting replaced. I think it would make a good dryer, now I just need to learn how to build it.
This video gave me a few great ideas, thank you so much for sharing with us :-) Keep up the great work brother!!
ADA-dan salamlar ve tewekkurler bele menasiz uzun bir weyden exstensive listening edib bizi bu video ile taniw etdiyi ucun
Aleykum😂
Kudos! I've been of a "Green" mind since 1971, and this is one of the best setups I've ever seen. Plus, the video was very well done. Keep on truckin', and
Happy Trails
From Mark (part 2): I seriously strive to use as little outside recourses here as possible. But for example I don't have enough land to cut hay and produce enough feed to carry animals through winter so I buy some. I spend 75% more to buy organic chicken feed for example instead of the cheaper G.M.O stuff. I could have more productive gardens by buying fertilizers and amendments but keep that to a minimum and rely on composting instead. (continuing)
I'm going to show this vids to my kids. This is the future.
I had a book titled 5 Acres and Independence. It was a good idea and this is a good refinement of the idea.
This is very cool. Mark knows his stuff.
This was my favorit peak moment this year. I love seeing what others are doing to prepare for after the peak
Absolutely great ... amazing job ... a very inspiring thing to watch. Thanks
man that guy is freaking awesome, can't wait to have more projects of my own like that. If only i had the land or space to do so, but i guess i can start small.
Wonderful video, thank you so much guys!
To deter slugs from the fungi, set a rectangle of rainwater guttering around the logs and put salt in it.
The guttering should be set into the ground a little so they slugs cant go under it.
well, the Himalayan Blackberry is pretty invasive where I live--the Pacific NW. I had an acre of pasture and in only two years it was clear that these giant blackberrie canes were going to cover the pasture and then create an impenetrable thicket over head high. I got two pet Soay sheep--a primitive breed, they browse as well as graze and they love blackberries, scotch broom and other weeds. They live on grass apart from a few bales of hay in the winter. Almost zero maintenance. Great manure.
I appreciate the model of living that we learn about in this video. I personally long for the day when I can produce some of my OWN food, and now be so darn dependent on stores to feed me. Mind you I'm not waging wars against stores and Big Business, I simply desire to experience a little more Self Sufficiency.
Anyone who cannot always do exactly what they want to do can always celebrate the success of others who have met their dreams as fully adventurous as Mark Cooper's self-sufficient small farm.
I live in Foresthill , Ca roughly the same elevation of Rough and Ready. I loved watching this video!
At one point in time.. the human specie lived off the land, until some nut came with the idea of lending money to others with interest.
***** Exactly... Sometimes there's need to be a revolution every now and then to start all over again.
Maximus Aleixxus Agenda 21
Maximus Aleixxus
What does one thing have to do with the other? You can lend people money and also live off the land. And if you don’t want to borrow money, don’t borrow it. No one forced you to borrow it.
Hippies have feelings,Farmers have passion.
The most popular Peak Moment show of all time.
Peak oil ? Where is evidence? Monopoly on oil caused peaking prise which has nothing to do with ability to supply demand. You miss informing people
james smith
peak oil is real. It is a proven fact.
North America has the largest deposits of oil shale on earth. 301 billion metric tons.
To: Whomever it may concern...
It is _NOT_ illegal to live off-grid; nor is it a justifiable reason to used deadly-force! _PLEASE HELP!!!_ www.gofundme.com/tylertruitt
People are being threatened with lethal violence, arrest, and illegal eviction from their property under the guise of *_"Public Safety"_*... This is little more than an illegal land grab that harms Land, and property owners for daring to not use government utilities! Bottom line... *_If these laws are truly enacted for our "Safety"; Then why are people being threatened with LETHAL-FORCE for having rain-water purification system, solar panels, or simply "going off-grid._*
If you're *_(Like Me)_*, & can't donate much; then, please share this on FaceBook to help people like *_Tyler Truitt_* @ www.gofundme.com/tylertruitt fight back against the government.
+UltraNerdyHackerGuy ...Brother there is a audio/video book on you tube by Jeremy Locke called "The end of All Evil" non religious..lol..You would do yourself a service to listen to it...
I always come back and what this video I love this guys story, love the drying system and geese, I would love to get geese to keep the grass in trim but here they are noisy, love his safe island system for them.
i love what he doing! a true inspiration!
This is livin the dream!!! Thanks!!!
LOVE IT!!!
Thank You!!!
More Please!!
Thank you for this video. Very inspiring.
Great video, and life style. Thanks for sharing it.
Yes very inspiring I am looking forward to live simple life when I retired good job and keep healthy.
Absolutely Fantastic ... Thanks for sharing!
A great video - I really enjoyed watching that - Ty.
This was a really inspiring, thanks!
Why am I so drawn to this lifestyle? Well, actually I know. :-) GREAT video!
Wonderful video. Thank you
Jerky needs 165 degrees to be safe. It's really hard to do that without a thermometer. If you have an electric dehydrator, you can set the temp and have everything completely dry and in the jar in 12-14 hours so it doesn't mold.
thank you for posting
awesome video with some super tips Thanks for the good info.
I'm going to try this mushroom growing
thanks again
Tips for the slugs/mushroom problem, put crushed egg shells all around. It's like glass to the slug and they stay off. We do with hosta plants here in Ontario/CAN.
I didn't go through all of the comments, but a good way to take care of those slugs is put a little beer in an old plastic peanut butter jar and lay it on it's side on the ground. The slugs will crawl in and indulge themselves and not make it out. Hope this helps with the slug problem.
From Mark (part 3): I believe that the choices we make on how we spend our money and what we support is the most powerful tool we have left. My hope is that people will really truly consider more than the bottom line when making every day purchases because every dollar you spend is a vote for the kind of world you want to live in.
(continuing)
thanks for sharing, stimulating to say the least.
excellent info, project and sweet ending.
Every county in GA has an Extension Agent (affiliated with UGA). They are knowledgable and friendly in my experience, and a great place to start building a network. If you can find a local farmers' market, folks there are usually local and willing to share their experience. And while you're gathering information, you can experiment right where you are. A couple years ago, I learned to grow hydroponically, look up "float" or "raft" hydroponics. Good luck, and enjoy the journey!
This is nice and I think you can make it more largely than I am expecting, farming is a nice business for today. Just keep your animals safe. :)
For your mushrooms, I was told to crunch up egg shells and put them all around the base, snails and slugs hate crawling on them. Cheers Tini
That was Awesome! Thank you .
Man that's cool. I want to do that stuff when I get older
Yes, we all still need money in this economy. We've lived off the grid for 22 years, and certainly money is needed to drill a well and put in a water system, for the solar panels and equipment, tools and seeds, property taxes, etc., just like you say.
Mark does part-time work in construction and handyman jobs. Robyn and I telecommuted for a decade, doing software design for money. But the more you can do for yourself, the less you need for the money economy.
The great pyrenese dogs are the absolute greatest at guarding your animals against predators. I have hair sheep myself, and know from owning a pyrenese myself, it is a god worth having.
all very interesting you obviously know what your talking about thankyou.
The flavor of duck and goose eggs depend a lot on what they're fed. We had duck eggs from a neighbor that were as mild as chicken eggs. I recall loving the goose eggs that Mark gave us; some goose eggs from another friend were a bit strong.
I love this episode. Self Sufficiency and Frugality are my favorite aspects f this channel. I wonder if Mark ever read Scott Nearing's Living the Good Life. Also, does Mark do anything else to earn money to pay property taxes, buy equipment and animal feed, etc. Does he sell his harvests at Farmer's Markets, etc.
This is very true. I've bought 10 acres because I feel this is the minimum to provide food, water, shelter, firewood, etc. At a rough calculation, Australia (where I live) has 192million 10 acre blocks on the mainland. For a family of 5, that's just under a billion people living in Australia, each family on 10 acres. Definitely doable.