[familyop]

"Hunting skills will be necessary too."

If you don't already have a rural lot, try to get at least a cheap, vacant one away from town. With enough time and patience, it's doable. Hunting is good, but I lived in the Ozarks for a few years long ago. The old timers told me that wild game became pretty rare during the Depression.

Probably speaking to someone who is already experienced and knowledgeable, and please excuse me if so, but... Even on a tiny lot, chickens are relatively easy. In your part of the country, gardening is also easy. Canning is also easy and safe enough, if instructions in a good canning book are followed perfectly.

greeneyes here at FR posts a weekly gardening thread on Fridays.

[GailA]

Oh, we live rural, this year the cicadas destroyed nearly every thing planted. The only thing that survived was the blackberries. Moles got what the cicadas didn’t. 200 strawberry plants. Hubby went to mow yesterday and found a half dozen new mole runs in the front yard. Neighbors on both sides of us had the same issue, and across the street. Appeared out of no where. Weather pattern was also abnormal for us. To cool, not enough rain, since we live in West TN that is not normal, high humidity, little rain and high temps are the norm.

We have 2 small dogs so poison is out of the question.