Our Trip to SRF

October 13, 2022

Other couples may choose to spend a weekend getaway going to a concert, the beach or other relaxing spot. We have discovered that we enjoy going to conferences or festivals to inspire conversations and more projects. For a late anniversary getaway, we chose to travel to Camden, Tennessee for the Self Reliance Festival. We sent the big kids to the grandparents (the baby is still attached to my boob!), prepped the homestead, loaded the car and hit the road.

We learned many things at this event and I'm writing this post to share some of them with you.

The baby's limit is four hours in her car seat.

Even with stops, the baby decided that she will only tolerate about four hours in her seat without loudly informing us that she isn't happy with the situation. This is good information to have for the future. Unfortunately, this trip was a 5&1/2 hour drive. It wasn't our first time listening to a screaming baby in a car, but it is never a pleasant experience.

The big kids have been holding the baby's hand during car rides.

This habit was very cute until we attempted a trip without them. Apparently, it is possible to spoil a child so much that she expects someone to hold her hand while riding in a car. Ask me how I know this one!

A baby that rarely sleeps at night at home will not sleep well in a strange place.

Our sweet baby isn't the best sleeper during the night. Add to that issue a strange environment of a hotel room and she decides that sleep is not going to happen for anyone. Don't worry, she didn't suffer. She slept like an angel during the festival and didn't let any of the speakers or demonstrators disrupt her slumber.

Here are some highlights from the actual speakers of the event:

- The event was held at the home of Special Operations Equipment (SOE) in Camden, Tennessee. Besides making and selling quality equipment, the facility has implemented many homestead-type designs. The site was impressive by the number of simultaneous projects such as aquaponics and various animal husbandry systems. They offered onsite camping for the event, and I heard that the campfire discussions were so fun that many stayed up way past their typical bedtime to participate. We didn't camp with the baby but may consider this option in the future. They were a great host!

- A lawyer discussed self-defense and protecting your home from invaders. He shared a different perspective from the typical "stock guns and shoot 'em" rhetoric that you will sometimes hear from other sources. I appreciated his thought-provoking scenarios and advice.

- Billy from Perma Pastures Farm discussed various crops that can be grown to offset the cost of feeding animals on the homestead. I left with a list of items that I definitely want to start growing next year. He also discussed ways to obtain food waste from the community to feed livestock. I appreciated his relaxed and sometimes comical demeanor when discussing a serious topic.

- Jack Spirko discussed aquaponics systems and continued the topic of how to raise food for your animals. My list of plants to grow became longer. We don't have an aquaponics system but have experimented with the Kratky method. His presentation left us with ideas for our homestead that we may consider implementing in the near future.

- Justin Metcalf from Metcalf Mills discussed his mill design. We are not at the point in our journey to grow and grind our own grain but his love for the land was heartwarming.

- A gentleman from Fortress K9 discussed the differences between dogs used for law enforcement and those used for personal protection. They also provided impressive demonstrations. We are not in the market for a dog of this kind, but they definitely showed their expertise in this area of personal defense.

- A former executive told his story about how he left the system and developed his own off-grid home. It was an inspiring and emotional story of the trials leading up to this change and how happy he is with his current lifestyle.

- Tim Cook spoke about how to earn money from your content creation business. He has done some great work and I've taken a few of his tips to heart and hope to improve our business model.

- Matthew Sercely presented about the importance of getting your tax information correct. He provided tips on how to legally reduce your tax burden and how that can affect your small business. Personally, I have struggled in this area of business management and found his advice very helpful. It has spurred many thoughts about how I can improve our business.

- A gentleman demonstrated his sawmill. It was a larger unit than the one we own, and the hubby appreciated the differences in the equipment. He had a long conversation with the owner while I discussed homeschooling with his wife. They are an impressive and interesting young couple.

- I had a long discussion with two ladies about angora fiber and the process of carding and spinning the fiber. One of them even provided information about a store within an hour drive of my home that I may find beneficial.

We met some very interesting people, heard great presentations and yet didn't have time to do it all. There was a lot to do and see at this two-day festival and I highly recommend it to anyone that is looking to expand their knowledge, friendships or skills.