Working Together: Preserving Food

Okay, this is one of those areas where the big family house comes into play in a family community.

All of the food that is being grown and raised by the family needs to be preserved and split between the families. The big house has a huge kitchen that opens into the livingroom. This provides more space.

Family members get together to clean and preserve the foods for the family. Not everyone has to help, as many work or will be attending other duties on the land. But other adults and older children can help with these tasks. Even little ones can feel useful performing small tasks.

After the work is done, the family will sit down to a meal that the non food-preserving family members cooked outside.

Shannon

Taking Care of Our Own

This is a job for people in the family communities who are not working outside of the home.

Childcare:

Childcare can be provided by those who are staying home rather than working outside of the family community. This person/these people are trusted family members who love and care for all of the children.

The children tag along behind this person, and are taught how to be fruitful members of the family. They do not work like horses, and get plenty of play time. However, they also spend time learning gardening and household skills, how to care for animals and more.

The person taking care of them also does family and other gift making with the children, so they can contribute to the family in that way. They may make baked goods as gifts, ornaments, or even quilts, depending on their skills and interests.

If the children will not be attending a school, then the person staying with them may teach them at least some of their studies. Teaching, however, can be done by numerous people.

Elder Care:

The elderly still want to feel helpful, so the person caring for them will allow for this. Perhaps grandpa can collect eggs with the grandchildren, and grandma can teach the girls how to snap the beans or bake the bread.

Whatever their abilities, let them have at it if they want. Everyone deserves to feel useful.

If they cannot get out of bed, or can only sit in a chair, they can still help. Maybe they can clean fiddleheads, whittle or knit. Maybe they can write family letters.

If they are spry, they may enjoy taking the grandchildren for a walk, fishing at the pond, or even walking to the mail box. Maybe grandma still loves to work in her herb garden.

Sick Care:

This is where things can get tricky and it will be more affordable and convenient if someone is home. An ill or injured family member may need help with things. The on-site family member(s) can be expected to provide this, or to supervise a professional coming in to help if the need be.

The elders may be of some help, and so may the older children.

Payment, if necessary, does not have to be a lot of the care providers have someone else making money for their families.

Shannon

Working Together: The Multi-Family Homestead

When you have many households working together on one piece of land, you can do less work individually and give your family healthier alternatives.

Keeping farm animals, and feeding them organically, becomes possible. Think about it. If you plant your own produce, and raise your own animals, how much grocery shopping will you be forced to do? Not much. This will save money on vehicles, gas and repairs, that will counteract the cost to feed the animals. The butchering can be done by you, or someone off-site, and you will still be saving money.

Plus, you will be providing far healthier foods for your family.

• How many hens will it take to feed every household eggs and meat?
• How many cows for milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream and meat, and soaps, etc.
• How many pigs.
• How many goats for milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream and meat, and soaps, etc.
• What other animals may be useful.

People working off-site can be expected to do the milking for the whole family before they leave, and the eggs can be collected by someone staying on-site. The cleaning of the stalls can be done in the evenings by someone working off-site, and the hen houses can be kept by someone staying on-site.

There are really many ways to do all of this, but you get the idea. You will not likely need as many animals as if you each had your own homestead, and the work is shared by everyone.

• One henhouse can be built to hold them all, and one fenced in area for them to forage.
• One barn can be built, rather than many.
• Less resources and money will be used by combining housing for animals.

Shannon

Working Together: The Multi-Family Garden

By purchasing land together, and living as an extended family on one piece of land, you can save much time and money.

Gardening is easier. The families get together to prepare the soil and plant the garden, making it easier for those who stay at home to weed and pick the fresh produce.

Plant what is needed by each family, and some extra just in case. Getting together at the big family house to make these plans is ideal. Do it after a nice family meal.

Purchasing the seeds, tools and other needs is cheaper this way. Saving seeds from season to season helps, a job for those who are at home most of the time. It is helpful to have multiples of a few tools, but the more costly ones can be used by everyone. Seeds can be purchased with every families’ needs in mind, without the need to purchase more than one packet of each type.

When the big harvest comes in, the entire family helps out with the picking, and a nice meal is provided for everyone in the big house. Older family members who cannot be in the fields can man this meal, if they are able.

Working together takes less time, and builds strong family bonds.

Shannon