Posted on 06/24/2016 5:02:51 PM PDT by TMSuchman
Greetings Everyone. Time for us once again to gather around the computers & speak of what we need to do & are going to do if & when our civilization falls down flat upon it's face.
And before we begin, I know that I am kind of lax about putting this thread out. I/we have our priorities in place. and for me I have a wife & son both with special needs that come first & foremost in my life. Then comes our homestead, and stuff down the line from there.
My garden is doin ok, since we are having the triple H's[hazy,hot & humid] here in Mo. And I'm fightin the garden raiders. I'm about to break out the air rifles [named "Rodent Remover',"Splat Stick","Bunny Blaster",Squirrel Smacker"] for their finial judgement. I also over the Father's Day weekend got to go learn a new skill, It is bow fishing. I seem to be half way decent too. I just need to get a lot more practice before I can chalk it up to being able to put food on the table. My state's dept. of conservation put the class on for free. This is one resource that we need to be using for our continual training & education. I seem to get new ideas from them all the time.
Also a lot of you out there would like to see articles on different subjects, like when & where is the best areas to "bug out" to, or how to build the perfect fortress for you & your family. I have NO problem with someone else jumping in here and writing an article from time to time. I for one do not have all the answers [and a lot of the time am "winging" it]. So if you feel like you have an issue that is burning you up on the inside, please feel free & jump in & put it out for all of us to read & discuss. [Just my $.02 worth btw] I am also gettin my windmill system just about ready to test deploy, [just to see if there are any "bugs" in it] And putting my "junkyard" ideas to work. If the wind systems work, then I'll tackle a solar system, backups.
Also has anyone else [besides me] been watchin the price of gold & silver today? Gold is $1318.20 and went up $50.00 to day, silver is $17.79 up $.38 today all based upon the events in England & Europe. Unrest makes the price of gold & silver go up. So keep a close eye out on the world events.
And as always thank you for reading this & responding. All comments are welcome. and yes I know that I am NOT a perfect writer. My main talents lay else where.
Watching Deutches Bank and any repercussions from the BREXIT and causing the EU banking system to melt down.
bookmark
Gardening and forage skills are good to have. In the first great depression, everyone had them, and many moved out to the country to survive.
Many have suggested it, but I think one of the greatest skills to cultivate is having good relations with your neighbors. An individual family is simply too vulnerable. Americans will self organize into militias to keep law and order, but it is a good idea to know your neighbors as a way to start them up.
Thank you for doing this necessary work. Writing takes time and effort.
I have been refreshing my memory on nuclear survival skills. Feeling the need to get that back corner of the basement cleaned out. With the dirt on 2 sides, and the concrete block foundation under our 14 foot long double fireplaces, it wouldn’t take too much to make a nifty shelter there, but it’s not the biggest priority.
Saving money to buy the greenhouse/sunroom so that I can expand my winter gardening of fresh produce, as well as get some room back for my home office computer area. The indoor garden and supplies has grown each year till it’s just too much.
I also try to save enough money to buy a Am. Silver Eagles. each year. However much the property taxes are, that’s the amount I try to put back. I figure down the road, if runaway inflation hits, we’ll be nearly self sufficient if we have to be, except for property taxes, so that’s the hedge against that.
I am excited that we actually have some fruit on the peach trees this year, so I’m hoping to can some peaches. I can enough green beans to last for a little over a year, and then we let them mature for dry beans, put those in the mylar bags, or mason jars.
I am planning on planting winter rye in the 100 sq ft of garden beds next to the walnut tree. That’s to improve the soil. In the spring, we’ll plant something that matures quickly, since the shade gets to be too much around this time of the year.
Then I’ll plant half in winter wheat. I grew that one winter and it did well. Wasn’t too hard to harvest either, though not my favorite thing to do. Will do some sort of winter grain rotation or soil improvement cover crop. Wish the space got enough sun for summer veggies, buy Hubby has plenty of the sunny spots anyway.
+1
I strongly agree. I and my neighbors get along great. However, there is one jerk and his jerk family, who no one likes. If the SHTF, what are the recommendations on dealing with a family like that? Do we:
A) Chase them out of their home and the neighborhood,
B) Hang them,
C) Restrict their movements and starve them,
D) Make slaves out of them.
Other alternatives welcomed.
You can make a green house with pvc & clear plastic, or dig a “Walpeni” a semi underground green house.
I’m gettin ready to back up all my books & doc’s on different media & stored in different places as well as a back up computer & or tablet. Don’t forget commutations too. look to the frs radios & or cb’s for short range 2 way comm. short wave for long range [I even have a couple of crystal radio sets for information that needs no power supply]
Do you pressure can the green beans? I remember my Mom saying they were the one thing she was afraid to can. I still open kettle fruits but the availability of store food and the long shelf life makes rotation easier for me now.
BREXIT Ramifications
I posted instructions on making a grain thresher out of a 5-gallon bucket: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/3441330/posts?page=83#83
I didn’t go into much detail about what grain was shown in the pictures. That’s lambsquarters seed, which grew wild on my farm. Lambsquarters is a wild form of quinoa, and is a good source of protein. It grows just about anywhere at the drop of a hat. These planted themselves at the edges of my garden. The leaves are also edible, and taste like spinach. The leaves have more calcium per cup than milk does!
The other grain I threshed that day was amaranth, also from a stand that grew wild on my land.
Knowing how to forage, and what to do with the stuff you find, is a very important SHTF skill.
Gardens are in, cordwood is stacked to dry before winter, fishing every weekend, scouting places to hunt this fall, driving a grain truck after work for wheat harvest these last few weeks to trade my time (barter) for a couple of beef cows and hogs for the freezers, rotated bulk water storage..... then theres my day job.....:o)
Stay Safe !
If you go to this site, they offer FREE e-books on everything we talk about everyday. http://prepforshtf.com/
I have so little money that I can’t spend much if any on anything other than necessities.
Despite that, every time I get a gift certificate for birthday, Father’s day etc. for Amazon, I spend it on Mountain House meals. They are really tasty and about as good a way as any to invest your money. I have almost a years supply now and with all the fruit trees, pecan trees, grapes and other things I can hold out for about as long as I need to.
Yes, I do pressure can them. Usually can up at least 48 pints or 24 quarts. Can 24 pickled green bean pints for grand daughter to ea.
Sometimes steam and freeze a few for quick stir fry or micro wave. You have to can veggies under pressure. Tomatoes and pickles are ok in the water bath canner.
In the winter, I buy chickens, beef, turkey, pork when it is on sale and get enough at one time to can 7 quarts of poultry or 7 pints of beef or pork.
The heat is appreciated that time of the year, and when summer hits, I don’t have to cook much - just open a jar of meat and eat make a quick micro wave dish with it. Saves on the air conditioner bill.
My grandmother nicknamed me “the supply sergeant” back in the early 1960’s when I was about eight years old. I guess I’ve been a prepper long before the term was ever invented.
These days I grow just about everything in my garden and raised beds. I have two ponds on my rural property, one stocked with catfish and the other with bass and bream.
I also raise Leghorn chickens for eggs. I used to raise meat birds but not doing that presently.
Started stocking ammo back in the early 1990’s, so much that I have no need to buy anymore.
And I set aside my budget for precious metals every month or so, only silver and gold eagles. Not so much gold eagles though since 2008 since the price got so high.
I can’t imagine living life any other way.
I have gotten a lot of my gear from yard sales, Good Will stores, pawn shops, ect...I’m a cheap person & have to make do on a very fixed income as well.
Pickle em ....
Sometimes people surprise you with what they will do when their backs are to the wall.
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