Here is the link page for their gardening section FREE links:
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Posted on 02/09/2009 12:36:11 AM PST by nw_arizona_granny
Yahoo ran an interesting article this morning indicating a rise in the number of survivalist communities cropping up around the country. I have been wondering myself how much of the recent energy crisis is causing people to do things like stockpile food and water, grow their own vegetables, etc. Could it be that there are many people out there stockpiling and their increased buying has caused food prices to increase? It’s an interesting theory, but I believe increased food prices have more to do with rising fuel prices as cost-to-market costs have increased and grocers are simply passing those increases along to the consumer. A recent stroll through the camping section of Wal-Mart did give me pause - what kinds of things are prudent to have on hand in the event of a worldwide shortage of food and/or fuel? Survivalist in Training
I’ve been interested in survival stories since I was a kid, which is funny considering I grew up in a city. Maybe that’s why the idea of living off the land appealed to me. My grandfather and I frequently took camping trips along the Blue Ridge Parkway and around the Smoky Mountains. Looking back, some of the best times we had were when we stayed at campgrounds without electricity hookups, because it forced us to use what we had to get by. My grandfather was well-prepared with a camp stove and lanterns (which ran off propane), and when the sun went to bed we usually did along with it. We played cards for entertainment, and in the absence of televisions, games, etc. we shared many great conversations. Survivalist in the Neighborhood
After eating all we want, canning, freezing and drying what we might need, I let the rest dry on the stalk and pick and husk it and put it in the corn crib. I then shred the stalks for bedding. Chickens then turn the bedding into nutrients for the compost pile, which I then turn back into growing more corn... Nothing wasted...<<<<<
That is the way it should be done.
The only corn that would even attempt to grow here was one of the old ones called Black Aztec.
Those hens know what is good for them.
When you kill a snake, if it is a poison type, cut the head off and bury it deep, but throw the body in the chicken house and they will eat it.
The buzzards will not eat it for 24 hours, but I think that if you split the belly, the chickens will eat it fresh.
>>>I think that I feel the urge to laugh at this disaster, blame the liberals, they have managed to chase out much of the farming in California and now they will not have their fresh foods, they can eat the imported crap along with the rest of us.<<<
Nah... They will blame it on ‘W’ and pretend that they had nothing to do with it. But it will serve them right!
(Major Donkey braying called for here!!! Let’s hear one for the Jacka$$ party!)
>>>Those hens know what is good for them.<<<
In addition to grass, they love squash, pumpkins, beets, turnips and positively love watermelon - I plant extras for them.
I have always heard of mangles for feeding to livestock, and saw that chickens love them too... So I have some seed ordered (on backorder) to try. 20 pound beet might take them at least a half hour to eat... LOL
>>>The only corn that would even attempt to grow here was one of the old ones called Black Aztec.<<<
That’s the one I got... It turns a deep blue/purple almost black... I wanted it in case it turns out hot and dry this summer - they say it is one of the few that can weather adversity and still produce a good yield. Figured that was what I should have. When it is ground, it takes on that blue color more than black.
Here is the link page for their gardening section FREE links:
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Lol, My children regale each other with their tales of stealing dog bones and hiding under the bed eating them. They took turns being the thief. The first time I heard them teasing each other about these escapades, I was horrified. Now I figure they survived and I didn't know anything about it at the time-no harm, no foul.
As a matter of fact, it probably wasn't as bad as me stealing the horse grain from the grain bin in my grandfather's barn when I was little. I used to eat it by the handfuls. Guess it was the molasses in it that made it so alluring.
>>>Guess it was the molasses in it that made it so alluring. <<<
LOL - Boy, you are sure bringing back some memories...
We used to feed Purina Omolene - Other places just call it sweet stock feed. Just opening up a bag was the same rush of olfactory senses that you get walking by the coffee grinding section of the grocery store or opening a fresh can of coffee.
The molasses was sooooo inviting - yes I have eaten quite a bit of it myself! Don’t think I am one bit worse off for it.
Maybe that is why I use quite a bit of blackstrap molasses in my baking...
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Is beekeeping covered anywhere on this thread? I’m thinking it might be a good project for my grandson.
Hope your Furkids are happier than this...
Oh, and keeping an aloe vera plant in the house can't hurt, either.
Dutch oven for fire cooking, magnesium fire starter...am I getting too carried away?
Hi all, Yes I’ve been AWOL also. Been very busy at work and had a problem with my ISP the last few days.
Going to take me a while to get caught up.
Greetings and welcome to the thread... We look forward to having you join in...
>>>I have also been studying herbal medicine.<<<
Good skills to acquire! Here is an article you may find interesting.
An All Natural Medicine Chest
By Dr. Lon Schultz D.N.M.
Natural medicine has a different approach to maintaining and regaining health.
Allopathic medicine waits until there is a clinical disease process and then treats the symptoms, only occasionally curing the disease if it is an infection.
Natural medicine seeks to prevent the clinical manifestation of disease. If it occurs we try to see to the underlying cause all the while supporting the bodies natural curative process.
First: See to basic nutrition and stress reduction if possible.
Basic nutrition will involve eating as many unprocessed foods as possible and excluding grains as much as possible (too many reasons to list).
DIETARY RECOMMENDATIONS:
Follow the recommendations in the book, Eat Drink and Be Healthy by Dr. Walter Willett M.D. Dr.Willett is with Harvard University.
To simplify his recommendations:
Avoid white foods ( refined grains), unnatural fats (hydrogenated oils, margarine etc) and processed foods.
Eat primarily green foods with adequate protein at 2-3 oz per serving. Approximately one serving of protein and 3-5 servings of vegetables, per meal And one to two tablespoons of good fats or oils per meal, this is optimum.
Eat only good oils such as olive, sunflower, safflower, limited amounts of animal fats and butter.
SUPPLEMENTS: ( natural versions only)
Vitamin- A B- Complex, C- Complex, Vitamin D-3, Omega 3 fats, Calcium Magnesium, Iodine and trace minerals in therapeutic doses, or
2-8 times the RDA.
INFECTIOUS DISEASE
We seek to support the bodies own immune system and healing process. This is a three prong approach.
First, Immune support:
*Echinacea, preferably a tincture that has a tingling effect on the tongue.
Mushroom complexes, more expensive but stronger.
Colostrum and thymus are often helpful.
Second, Probiotic support (good germs):
Acidophilus and bifidus several times per day or a *Spectra biotic, which is a combination of many different beneficial germs, again several times per day.
http://standeyo.com/NEWS/08_Health/081022.natural.med.chest.html
Third, natural antibiotics at therapeutic doses: bacterial (B), viral (V), fungal (F) and parasitic (P) products:
PRODUCTS: *d-Lenolate, (B,V,F) Grape seed extract, (B,V,F) *colloidal silver (B,V), Pau D’ Arco (F), *Black walnut hulls tincture (P) and Oregano oil (V).
Most of these products can be found in any good health foods store.* Preferred products
http://standeyo.com/NEWS/08_Health/081022.natural.med.chest.html
>>>May be a stretch, but along with buying guns, ammo, emergency survival kits and seeds,<<<
Not a stretch at all... My usual local general store visit includes some of this, some of that, and oh - a couple of boxes of shotgun shells.....
A word of caution though.... survival kits are good - IF you are practiced in using their contents... 50 pounds of wheat are great, but not very good if all you are going to do is try to chew on them... Practice using them!
Seeds are essential - particularly open pollinated heirloom seeds. However, practice growing them - learning how to do it by doing. Then when you need to do it, it is not a total surprise... It is kind of like buying surgical tools but skipping the medical training.... Ummmm where is that cecal appendix and how do I remove it??? Being prepared requires practice...
But, you are very definitely on the right track! These threads contain a wealth of information to help people not only survive, but to do it well!
Hang in there - we are all in the same boat... And the water is getting really rough...
Hope I wasn’t discouraging... You Can Do It! Keep the Boy Scout Motto in mind - ‘Be Prepared’.
Nope, not this time. This was a surprise daughter visit - sorta. The one I was excited about will come in 2 weeks when the older daughter and her brood come from Alabama for a week. The younger daughter will be back then also.
Kinda worked out messed up for the family time. Sunday was older daughter's birthday - but younger daughter and I were spending a weekend together. Just can't get back and forth from Texas to Alabama quite the same as we can drive a few miles in Texas.
One side note. Younger daughter made me grin while she visited. In passing she mentions her bug-out plans in place "just in case." Does my heart good to hear my kid speak of the plans like that so calmly. Let's me know she's trying to stay prepared as best she can.
>>>Is beekeeping covered anywhere on this thread?<<<
I know it was mentioned several times - but I don’t think we went into detail.
That is an excellent undertaking for him! Something we are going to need more and it provides an excellent barter item as well as survival contributor.
I haven’t had a hive of bees for over 20 years - (my wife is very allergic to them and really prefers I not do it)
I don’t know if A.I. Root is still in business, but they were a really big supplier of all things bees, back when I was doing it.
He might find the following link of interest...
Lots of resources there.
Well, I didn’t put my onions into flats like you did. I stuck them out in a bed. I don’t see anything yet but I did have a bit of excitement (for me) today when I went out and saw my tater experiment was working. I used a method somebody emailed me from DIY. You plant the taters in a large trash bag in only 4 inches of mulch. Started them a month early because I could move the trash bags into the greenhouse for the freezes. Well, I got poo-poo’d by a couple of people around the area where I live. But, I got taters up today.
For this when the taters come up you add a layer of leaf mulch or just crushed up leaves to cover up the tater leaves each time they start poking through. That way when the taters are ready to harvest you’ve got layers of ‘em all up and down the trash bag. Since they did come up - I am at least started with the experiment. Will keep you posted on the progress through the spring.
Heh - I see your snow. The daughter in Alabama said she wanted a do-over on her birthday. She’s her mother’s daughter and loves the summertime. It snowed in north Alabama Sunday for her birthday. She was not a happy birthday girl. LOL
Yep, I'm totally with you on that. Cold is cold. While heat can be dealt with. LOL I am pretty sure that's why God put me in Texas. He knew I'd be a total wimp and weenie most other places.
AWOL are us in Texas then. What with NASCAR up and running, gardening time at hand, visits from my kids etc. I am going from daylight till after dark every day I’m able.
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