Self-sufficient living: from ‘goat wool socks trend’ to dire necessity

Refueling, turning on the heating, shopping and also paying the rent: it is almost impossible for many incomes anymore. The sky-high prices for gas and grain, among other things, hit the consumer where it hurts. Martin and Nina therefore argue for a more self-sufficient economy and society.

Martin Verzijden (46) is a city farmer and, together with his sister Ada, has a small-scale farm in the middle of a residential area in Cruquius. He grows more than 50 different types of vegetables on the urban farm. He rarely goes to the supermarket. “We can eat from our garden from May to February. A lot of what I need is always there. It forces us to eat according to the seasons, which also means we immediately get the right nutrition. We also have eggs and meat from our chickens and meat from our pigs.”

Back to then

Martin and his sister sell the products to city residents, who want to see where their food comes from, without going through the shops. According to him, there areincreasingly small-scale farms that sell directly to the customer. “I think it is becoming increasingly clear that scaling up seems efficient and lowers the price, but that this is at the expense of other elements. Such as the connection between producer and consumer, involvement of both parties and the quality of the product. If more people do that see, there will be more demand for local suppliers and self-sufficiency.”

The urban farmer finds it especially important to know where his food comes from. “The best way is to produce it yourself. A disadvantage is that you are dependent on nature and you bear the risk of a failed cultivation, but by doing it on a larger scale, I come into contact with people who also think that is important. In addition, self-sufficient living on your own is difficult, because you need little. Then a whole pig is exaggerated. Sharing with others also creates exchange opportunities. This way we can help each other.”

“Everywhere in North Holland people are working on this. I expect that more and more people will do it anyway industrial complex getting tired of it and that we will do more with each other and for each other.”

‘Feel the Earth’

Martin says to North Hollanders who would like to get started themselves: “Look for places where it is already happening and connect with each other. Feel the earth. Of course, a good plan is important, but above all, start. Feel the earth and don’t start too big. It takes a lot of time and attention to grow vegetables or fruit.”

Nina Allaries (43) from Wijdenes and her husband exchanged their busy lives in the Netherlands to live closer to nature. “We tried to live as self-sufficiently as possible in the Netherlands, with solar panels and a vegetable garden, for example. But due to all the daily obligations we could not expand our self-sufficiency any further. In Sweden we go one step further.”

The dream of living self-sufficiently arose around the age of eighteen, when she visited her father in her native New Zealand. “He has a large vegetable garden and we always ate from there. Then he said: ‘Let’s go into the garden to pick food’. That was such a revelation, I thought: I want that too.”

Be a little creative

With the sale of their house, they have built up a considerable buffer, with which they hope to be able to buy a house in Sweden and live mortgage-free. “We have now rented a house for three months to settle in. From here we hope to find a place that we will fall in love with.”

What Nina especially likes about Sweden is the peace and space. “We want to find a place far away from civilization. Then you don’t have to drive up and down for every trifle and you have to be a bit creative. This summer I will start picking wild, you can get so much from nature. We are about a five minute walk from the forest My husband dreams of building another windmill for the garden We want our new house to be near a stream, running water can also provide energy arouse.”

According to Nina, self-sufficient living goes beyond a vegetable garden. “It’s an attitude of doing as much myself as possible. My husband is very handy and maintains the car and the house. I bake my own bread, and make my own clothes, ointments, shampoo and facial cleanser”

Comrade YouTube

But what if you have two left hands yourself? “YouTube is our comrade. Of course we can’t do everything ourselves, but there are very handy tutorials on it. That way you learn it yourself. Start with some sprouts or a vegetable garden. Don’t throw away your broken clothes, but grab the needle and thread with it or try to make a garment yourself.”

However, Nina certainly does not ban all modern technology. “There will be a washing machine in the new house. You are not supposed to live like some kind of Amish people. It is a matter of making choices. What is important to you? Try doing something yourself, you can always hire people, but you can also figure out how to do it yourself.”