On a not-so-recent episode of Glenn Beck, he recommended learning certain skills to help prepare for a long recession possibly sliding into an economic depression:  canning, sewing, gardening and storing food in a “fruit” cellar, all good and useful skills.  And he’s right that you won’t be any worse off having learned them even if the economy recovers and you never need to use them.

Except it isn’t a fruit cellar; it’s a root cellar.  And I figure if Glenn Beck got it wrong, there are millions more who don’t know the difference, either, hence the idea for this column.

I am far from any kind of survivalist.  We are moving to five acres in the country to live closer to the land, produce more of our own food, and give our children the kind of upbringing we think they need with plenty of hard work, fresh air and open space to pursue their little projects.  We believe these skills are not only good to know in case something goes wrong, they are just plain good to know.  They are good for you.

The flavor of a homegrown tomato, the independence of living within your means, the sense of accomplishment at making something yourself, the education your children receive as they, too, learn new skills . . . there are so many benefits to learning skills our grandparents took for granted.

But many of these things are becoming a lost art and I think we as a nation are losing something as well as we grow increasingly dependent on others for our daily needs.  Hence the concept for this column was born.  Each week, I’ll share a little about the back-to-the land movement along with simple things you can do as well.

Dana Hanley is a homeschooling mother of five, living out her dreams on a small acreage in the country.  You can learn more of her family’s adventure at Roscommon Acres.