Continuing Education
Most fields in today’s workforce require an employee to go to seminars, take classes, etc. to stay current. I would assume that for anyone in a technological field this would be essential as times and technology are always changing. When my husband was an automotive technician, the dealerships would send him to school for one week of the year. Now he is the ranch manager for Cross Creek Cattle Company. You might think that ranching is ranching, what could change?
Well, surprisingly enough change occurs, especially in the cattle market itself. For the last three days, Lane has attended the annual Texas A&M University Beef Cattle Short Course. He always enjoys himself during this course. It is filled with interesting and pertinent seminars on everything from raising cattle to marketing. They demonstrate different methods of herd health management. And, there is a room full of vendors promoting the newest things in the cattle world.
If you are interested in raising cattle, attending this course would be highly beneficial. It is always held the first week of August. People come from all over the United States. There are several international attendees as well. TAMU really attracts people with their knowledge in animal science.
Since my husband has been gone attending this course, I began thinking about continuing education for homesteaders. Instead of learning the newest and greatest, we need to learn the lost arts of the past. We are learning in reverse if you will. I love to read Carla Emery’s The Encyclopedia of Country Living and Reader Digest’s Back to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills. If you like to learn by reading, these books will teach you most of what you want to learn.
If you want to go back beyond the days of refrigeration and canning, then you will want to read Sally Fallon’s Nourishing Traditions in order to learn how to lacto-ferment foods. This might sound too radical for some, but I recommend reading her book to see why it is so beneficial.
As I was walking through the home school conference, my eye caught a DVD series by the West Ladies. They have created nine DVDs that cover homesteading topics. They are entitled “Homestead Blessings- The Art of...” Their topics are quilting, sewing, cooking, dairy delights, bread-making, soap-making, candle-making, herbs, and gardening. I am not endorsing them; I have never watched their videos. I just wanted to get the information out to you.
If you like to learn from videos, here is another option or an additional option depending on how you look at it. Mark and Erin Harrison have produced two videos called Homesteading for Beginners. They have volume 1 and 2. Again, I have not watched these; I am just passing on the information.
If you like more hands-on instruction, I know of two places you can receive instruction in person in Texas. The first is in Elm Mott at the Homestead Heritage School of Homesteading. They offer three day courses in a variety of homesteading skills. You can learn to make hard cheese to beekeeping. Check out their site for a full listing of the classes they offer.
The second place is Sand Creek Farm and Dairy near Calvert. They specialize in raw cow milk and other dairy products. Before I knew that my family was allergic to cow milk, we drank a gallon of their raw Jersey milk. Oh, my goodness!! It was incredibly good and rich. They are offering classes in home dairying, canning, horse driving, etc.
If you are looking to learn a skill from the past or simply to refresh your memory on a skill you already know, these books, videos, and courses will surely be able to teach you. Homesteading requires skills and continuing education. One could argue that each day brings more learning experiences your way.
If you know of any other books, videos, and courses, please let us know. If you have ever read, watched, or attended the ones listed in this article, please let me know your opinion of them. Regardless of how you learn or what you learn, just continue to learn.
Great information, Lara. Thanks for encouraging us to never stop learning new things. Don’t forget to look for the gray hair in the community. Old-timers are always waiting for someone just starting out to ask them questions.
Absolutely, Carol! Old-timers are invaluable.
Lara
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