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
got more bad news from the vet about our oldest pet..
it never lets up..<<<
I pray your pet is painfree and know how you will miss it.
No, when it lets up, you are 6 foot under dirt.
>>>Why the shut down?<<<
Most of the shut down is due to losses in exported chicken. Also, price on what so many were buying (boneless, skinless chicken breasts) is pretty high - they haven’t figured out that the rest of the chicken is great eating too.
>>>Yes, this type of contract is risky for any business, for all of a sudden the parent company disappears and you are out of business.<<<
Absolutely correct... What most people don’t know is that 98% of chicken is grown that way.
Also, your pork, beef, and just about all canned and frozen vegetables and a fairly large percentage of fresh vegetables are grown under contract with the processor/wholesaler. The processor tells you what variety seed to plant, when to plant, when to spray, what to spray with, when to harvest, and how much they are going to pay for your crop.
Feeling vulnerable? Farmers are... Consumers should be...
Just more reasons to grow your own!
>>>the least little thing is likely to set off a bunch of the kooks.<<<
Hmmm - Kooks on the Left Coast???
Most cities fall into the same category.
>>> I pray your pet is painfree and know how you will miss it. <<<
Thank You.
check this out :
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Growing trend: Financial slump prompts gardening craze
By KATHY MELLOTT
The Tribune-Democrat
For those weary of sky-high food prices, a walk into the backyard could be the beginning of a little extra cash in the pocketbook.
The financial pinch has record numbers of people turning to seed catalogs and garden Web sites, prompting predictions that 43 million U.S. households will grow vegetables, fruit, berries or herbs this year.
That figure is up 6 percent over 2008, with 11 percent of veteran gardeners increasing the amount and variety they will grow, according to Bruce Butterfield, National Gardening Association research director.
The increased gardening interest is prompting local commercial growers and greenhouses to gear up for what promises to be a busy year.
“We’re looking at having more vegetables, fruit trees and berry bushes,” said Eric Stuver, the third-generation owner of Stuver’s Riverside Nursery Inc.
“It’s similar to the 1970s. I remember it when people were trying to be more self-sufficient.”
Pennsylvania’s own Burpee Seed Co., one of the country’s largest mail-order seed sources, is finding vegetables are taking priority over flowers.
Burpee spokeswoman Kristin Grilli said flower seed orders are flat but vegetable seed and plant sales have increased by 20 percent over last year.
“Seed and vegetable transplant sales are up. They were up last year, but they are really up this year,” she said. “We definitely think the economy is a huge part of it.”
Gas prices driving up food prices prompted last year’s hike in gardening. This year it is the economy in general and concerns over food safety issues because of the rash of food- recalls, Grilli said.
Those flower seeds showing good sales at Burpee include sunflowers, zinnias and marigolds, important for discouraging vegetable garden attacks by insects and small animals.
People with space problems are becoming more creative by planting vegetable seeds and plants at the bases of rose bushes and other ornamentals, Grilli said.
Complaints Tom Ford is hearing from residential gardeners and commercial growers about slow seed and plant orders supports national predictions. The number of questions also are on the increase.
“We’re getting more inquiries about organic gardening. More people are concerned about food safety, but there is also the economic advantage,” said Ford, the regional vegetable expert with Penn State Cooperative Extension.
With careful planning, faithful maintenance, and timely harvesting and canning, the savings with a vegetable garden over purchased vegetables can be significant, Ford said.
National estimates are that the average gardener planting a 600-square-foot plot invests $70 to get a garden in the ground.
The 300 pounds of fresh produce it yields has a value of $600 and a $530 return based on that investment, according to Butterfield.
The garden craze has even reached Pennsylvania Avenue, where first lady Michelle Obama and her staff are planting an organic garden on the south lawn of the White House.
Home gardens are even generating support from commercial growers, said William Troxell, executive director of the 900-member Pennsylvania Vegetable Growers Association.
“People are trying to reduce their carbon footprint. Buying locally grown produce helps that and a home garden lowers it even more,” Troxell said.
Meanwhile, the gardening craze is opening doors for community outreach, said the Rev. William Thwing of the First United Church of Christ in Ebensburg.
An avid gardner for years, Thwing said his church is looking at reaching out to help gardeners, especially the novices.
“We’re talking of having canning classes and gardening classes,” he said. “How do you garden, how do you can?”
http://www.tribune-democrat.com/local/local_story_102234607.html
Community gardens cropping up all over
By Dan McDonald
Mon Apr 13, 2009, 09:48 PM EDT
WESTON -
Whether it’s from the tanking economy or increased interest in locally grown produce, community gardens are blossoming throughout MetroWest.
Concord already has two of them - the 75-plot Hugh Cargill garden on Walden Street and the 25-plot Cousins garden off Prairie Street. They have yet to be tilled. The waiting lists for both run 12 to 15 deep, and there’s talk of establishing a third garden on a half acre off Old Bedford Road.
Reasons for such interest are varied, but they are underpinned by one theme, says Natural Resources director Delia Kaye.
“Localvore. It’s about living a little bit closer to the land,” she said.
In Waltham, there’s a waiting list of more than 50 people, and that’s after the Green Rows of Waltham (GROW) - located on the property of University of Massachusetts Grounds Services - expanded to 140 plots this year from 125 last year.
“Every year we find there’s interest to expand,” said Gene Burkart, GROW founder.
Burkart said more people have taken an interest in reducing their carbon footprints and now consider large factory farms that transport goods long distances.
“I think there’s a social interest in food, in growing things, how people eat. People know want to know where it comes from,” Burkart said.
Carlos Vasquez, an organizer for a community garden that attracts about 40 people each year and is located behind the prison on Framingham’s Southside, had a simpler explanation.
“Some people just want to have something to do after work,” said Vasquez, who organizes the garden.
In other communities, like Upton, the desire for a community garden has just taken root.
Resident Marcella Stasa plans to have the 12-plot garden ready by June. People are building raised beds - the rocky soil is less than accommodating - and installing fences, Stasa said.
“Ever since the economy started getting a little funky, people have had an increased interest” in gardening, Stasa said.
The installation of the garden is funded through $1,500 grant.
There is also an effort to establish a community garden in Ashland. The Community Garden Group seeks a $15,000 in Community Preservation Act money to transform tennis courts at Stone Park into 40 plots of raised beds.
Cynthia Whitty, a Community Garden Group organizer, said she hopes the project can be a unifying force in town.
“We’ve had some division in town over property taxes, the override in recent years,” Whitty said.”This is something that brings people together. It’s a very positive, upbeat thing for the town.”
Weston Community Garden, off Merriam Street, offers 55 plots for 55 gardeners. While there is not much going on now because the ground is still wet and patches of snow could still be seen last week, garden coordinator Freddie Wiss expects a cornucopia of tomatoes, squash, pumpkins, raspberries and string beans to crop up once the growing season gets rolling.
“A lot of it’s social,” Wiss said. A lot of it’s just getting away from the house. A lot of it’s just being able to dig in the dirt.”
(Dan McDonald can be reached at 508-626-4416 or dmcdonal@cnc.com.)
http://www.wickedlocal.com/weston/fun/gardening/x1931072879/Community-gardens-cropping-up-all-over
Gardening by the foot
April 10, 2009
By Carol Oneal
for the Mail Tribune
In my last column, I discussed the principles of square-foot gardening. Today, I’ll add more detail so that you can make use of this “more food in less space” method.
As mentioned, using raised beds will make vegetable growing less labor-intensive than trying to improve our native clay and decomposed granite soils. Having control over the soil in which you’re growing plants makes life a lot easier.
If I have one strong suggestion to make, it is “Don’t skimp on making good soil.” The soil you put in your raised beds will require some investment, but it truly pays off in the long run. If you want to have an enjoyable gardening experience (and perhaps the best garden on the block), you’ll need to create a soil that is loose and well-drained so oxygen and water can enter easily. A mixture of one-third good compost, one-third peat moss or aged manure, and one-third good topsoil will give you soil that drains well, yet holds moisture.
Remember that at the end of the growing season, you will need to top-dress your beds with compost, either purchased or some you’ve made.
To mark your beds into one-foot squares, you might use inexpensive wood lath, sold at home improvement centers, and literally make a framework to lay on the bed. Or, you can use string fastened to the frame of the raised bed to make one-foot squares. You also can mark the square-foot plots with flour.
Visualize your garden with full-grown plants. Extra-large plants like cabbage, peppers, broccoli and cauliflower need an entire square foot per plant. Leaf lettuce, chard, parsley or basil are “large” and can be planted four per square foot. “Mediums” such as beans, spinach, beets or kohlrabi can be planted nine per square foot. For carrots, radishes or onions, 16 per square foot will be fine.
When planting seeds, make a dent in the soil with your finger at the depth suggested on the seed packet, and drop two seeds into the hole; cover with soil. If both seeds come up, thin by clipping off the weaker one at soil level with a sharp scissors.
For tomatoes, put one plant in a three-by-three-foot square. Snap peas, cucumbers and squash will need more space, too. Constructing a framework of electrical conduit or PVC pipe and netting, wires, string or cattle fencing panels at one end of the raised bed will allow you to garden vertically with vining plants.
On April 23, I’ll be repeating the class “Rookie Gardening” (gardening for the true beginner), from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Southern Oregon Research and Extension Center, 569 Hanley Road in Central Point. Cost is $5. Call 776-7371 for more information.
The Jackson County Master Gardener’s Spring Fair is May 2-3 at the Jackson County Fairgrounds. It’s an excellent place to buy your seedlings and other plants, take some free classes and enjoy the many exhibits of local vendors. Don’t miss it.
Carol Oneal is a past president of the OSU Jackson County Master Gardeners Association. E-mail her at diggit1225@gmail.com.
http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090410/LIFE/904100316
Gardening helps character grow
Sunday, April 12, 2009 | 6:00 a.m. CDT
BY K. Kendall Mathews
Growing up in Detroit my Dad taught me the value of crop growing and gardening, a trade that was passed on to him by his father in Georgia. Every year he would require me to dig up the garden. I did not like it at all. It truly was a back-breaking experience as I turned the soil upside down. I felt alone as my only friends seemed to be the untilled garden, the steel shovel and the blistering heat of the sun.
Our backyard garden was full of yellow dandelions, trick weeds and many little rocks that needed to be removed. Today, I can still hear my daddy saying, “Now, Kim you make sure get every weed and rock, cause if you don’t the garden will die.” So, I worked vigorously to make sure that the garden soil was completely free from everything that would hinder its future growth. Although it was a hard job, it was an encouraging and practical life lesson for me as a young Christian man being raised in the big city. God desires that I recognize that He is the Master Gardener of my eternal life and salvation from sin. He is the source of all spiritual growth and blessings. John 15:1 says, “Jesus is the vine and my Father is the Gardner.”
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Major K. Kendall Mathews is the regional coordinator for The Salvation Army.
Our Christ-like character must be liberated from the unholy crabgrass and those worthless weeds of life such as, negative thinking, impure thoughts and selfish pride. Those dandelions of sin cause unproductive styles of living where Godly growth can not take root. As my dad reminded me, if all the weeds are not pulled out of the garden it would die. The same for you and me — if we do not allow the Master Garden to plow out and prune back the wild flowers of sin within us, we too will die spiritually. John 15:2 says, “Every branch in me that does not bear fruit He takes away and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”
The garden of our heart is where sin can take up residency and overtake the Holy vegetables (character) of Jesus Christ. Let this be your season to weed out of your life and spiritual journey the unhealthy things that cause you to sin. We have at our disposal the shovel of salvation that uproots sin, and with God as our Gardner providing spiritual rain, joyful sunshine and a rich soil full of the Holy Spirit feeding us everlasting nutrients.
Let’s not fool ourselves. We can not grow on our own, unless we are connected to Jesus Christ the true vine. John 15:5 says, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without me you can do nothing.”
Stay connected to the Jesus Christ. Abide in Him, and your Godly garden can yield a wonderful harvest filled with produce that feeds your soul and those who hunger for hope and salvation.
My dad was right when he said, “make sure you get all the weeds and rocks out of the garden, cause if you don’t they will kill garden, and no harvest will come.” The great blessing for our family was when we ate from the garden. Those turnip greens, string beans and bright red tomatoes were so good, and digging up the garden became a lost memory. The Master Gardener has in His a glorious crop and a host of spiritual fruit and Holy veggies such as, love, goodness and kindliness for us to enjoy. It’s time to partake.
Major K. Kendall Mathews is the regional coordinator for The Salvation Army.
http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2009/04/12/clean-garden-healthy-garden/
Granholm offers vacant lots to gardeners
By Eartha Jane Melzer 4/13/09 1:04 AM
In an effort to increase access to healthy and affordable food the state is offering to lease vacant land to gardeners for $50 per year.
The new program was announced in the written version of Governor Jennifer Granholm’s State of the State message.
In his Sunday column in the Traverse City Record Eagle George Weeks compares Granholm’s moves to promote gardening with those of former Detroit mayor and Governor Hazen Pinigree (a Republican) who became nationally known for “Pinigree’s Potato Patches, ” a program that lent out Detroit’s vacant lots for farming during the lean years of the 1890’s.
Weeks writes:
So far, Granholm’s program is a low-key undertaking. But steam might build with the urban garden idea that is gaining some traction in Detroit, where vacant lots are estimated to account for about 40 square miles.
Furthermore, first lady Michelle Obama is setting an example by putting a 1,100-square-foot plot with 52 varieties of fruits and vegetables on the south lawn of the White House.
Details of the “Garden for Growth” program are available from the state Department of Energy Labor & Economic Growth.
http://michiganmessenger.com/16862/granholm-offers-vacant-lots-to-gardeners
Vegetable gardening regaining favor
By Jessica Walliser
FOR THE TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Millions of Americans already do it, and now the Obamas are doing it, too. It’s all the rage these days, and it’s probably the only investment in today’s economy that actually will show a return. Vegetable gardening is back in vogue.
Gardening-trends research tells us that tens of thousands of new gardeners will be digging in for the first time this spring. To all you newbies: Welcome to the club. Maybe you’re hoping to whittle the grocery bill or you want to eat food that didn’t come from the other side of the world, or, maybe, you just want a bigger hand in feeding your family. Whatever your reason, know that everyone starts somewhere, and even long-time gardeners will admit that there always is more to learn. So, newbies, here are a few tips and ideas for getting started; and, old-timers, maybe you’ll glean a few good tidbits of info you can use to make this year’s garden better than ever.
Where to grow
Before you get dirty, think carefully about where you’re going to put that new vegetable garden. Most vegetable plants need at least eight to 10 hours of full sunlight to thrive and produce. Try to locate the garden away from large trees whose roots might invade and compete with crops. Also remember to put it somewhere with easy access to water. No one wants to lug a hose 300 feet to water the garden every week.
When you decide where to grow, you’ll need to decide how big to make the garden. My vegetable garden is about 30 feet by 25 feet, and it’s just right for my family of three. If you want to pickle, can, freeze and dehydrate what you can’t eat fresh, then go as big as the yard will allow; but, remember, it’s way easier to make the garden bigger every year than it is to take care of a jumbo-size garden your first year in the trenches. If you really aren’t sure whether you’re going to like this gardening thing, or how much time you’ll have to dedicate to it, start with just a few raised beds. You can purchase kits to create raised beds, or you can build your own out of untreated lumber, bricks or rocks.
Raised beds are placed on top of the lawn and then filled with soil, so there is no need to remove the existing sod, but if you plan to grow your garden in the ground, you’ll need to strip off the sod. You can do this by hand or with a sod-cutter (available from many local equipment-rental companies). I’ve done it both ways, and no matter how you do it, removing sod is hard work. The good news is, you’ll have to do it only once.
After the sod has been removed, focus on your soil. It’s probably clay (most of Western Pennsylvania’s soil is) and will benefit from being amended before you plant. Because clay is so sticky and poorly draining, mixing in lots of organic matter every year helps to build better soil by “breaking up” the clay. Find a farmer with a pile of horse or cow manure (preferably about a year old), call your municipality to see whether they give away free leaf compost (many do), buy bags of compost at the local garden center, or, better yet, have a truckload of commercially produced compost or leaf mold (also called leaf compost) delivered right to your driveway. All these different types of organic matter work to create the healthy, living soil that plants need to thrive. Add 2 to 3 inches of organic matter every year if you can. Don’t skimp on this part. There is no substitute for good soil.
Planting time
When it comes to planting your garden, timing is everything. All crops can be separated into two categories: cool-season crops and warm-season crops. Cool-season choices are those that will tolerate frosts. These crops can be planted early in the season and perform best before summer’s heat arrives. I plant my peas, lettuce, broccoli, onion sets, cabbage, radish, carrots, beets and kale in early to late April from seed or as nursery-purchased transplants. Warm-season crops don’t tolerate frosts and should be planted after May 15. These include tomatoes, peppers, melons, beans, corn, cucumbers and squash. When choosing which varieties of these veggies to plant, talk to local farmers, nurserymen and gardeners to find out which ones grow best for them. Choose disease- and pest-resistant varieties whenever possible.
After it’s planted, mulch your garden well. It not only cuts down on weeding, but also reduces the need to water and cuts down on soil-borne diseases. You can use finished compost, untreated grass clippings, straw or hay to mulch. One of my favorite techniques is to lay down newspaper 10 sheets thick (don’t use the glossy inserts), plant right through it, then cover it with a few inches of straw or grass clippings. It makes a virtually weed-proof barrier and can be turned right into the soil the following spring.
Most plants need about an inch of water per week, from Mother Nature or your garden hose. You’ll seldom need to water in the spring or fall, but during hot weather, water in the morning and try to keep the foliage dry to prevent foliar diseases. Soaker hoses are a great option for the vegetable garden, as they put water directly on the soil and can be used with a timer, but a good sprinkler works, too.
If you amended your soil right, you probably won’t need to do any extra fertilization. There are enough nutrients in one inch of compost for a full season’s plant growth. But, if you didn’t get that soil in shape, or a soil test noted a nutrient deficiency, add an organic granular fertilizer at the start of the season. Most local garden centers carry organic options that are less likely to burn plants and cause a salt buildup. My favorite brands are those that use alfalfa meal, greensand, bone meal and other natural ingredients. Read the label and use as recommended. More is not better.
No doubt there will be lots to learn this gardening season for all of us (the Obamas included). Vegetable gardening is not rocket science, but there is a learning curve. If you start off right, you’ll be picking your own fresh veggies within a few months; and, it will get better, and easier, every year. Gardening is a great teacher — so pay attention.
Horticulturist Jessica Walliser, co-author of the book “Grow Organic,” can be heard from 7-8 a.m. Sundays on KDKA Radio’s “The Organic Gardeners.” You can also find her teaching at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, where she has been a faculty member for more than 12 years.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/mostread/s_620124.html
What growing your own food can do for you
POSTED BY: Monica Reinagel | April 13, 2009 | 10:33 AM
As global economic woes persist, many families are reviving the tradition of the family vegetable garden. What a great upside to a tough time! Not only is the back-to-garden movement saving folks money on their grocery bills, but it’s putting healthier food on the table.
Need a few more reasons?
1. Fresh vegetables are more nutritious, and it doesn’t get any fresher than straight from the garden to the table. Vegetables start to lose valuable nutrients (and flavor) the moment they’re picked. When they’re harvested just moments before you serve them, you’re getting the absolute maximum nutritional benefit.
2. You can grow organic a lot cheaper than you can buy it. If you’re struggling to make ends meet, organic produce may feel like a luxury you can’t afford. But you can grow your own organic produce using your own composted kitchen scraps as natural fertilizer. As organic gardening coach Jean Ann van Krevelen says, “Compost is waste turned into plant food.” You can also use inexpensive pest controls like companion planting and soap spray instead of harmful chemical pesticides.
3. Eating local saves energy and fossil fuels—and it doesn’t get any more local than your own back yard. This translates into lower food costs for you and a lower carbon footprint for your household, as well.
4. Gardening provides free exercise and stress relief. No money for gym memberships or spa weekends? An hour in the garden will get your heart pumping and your muscles toned. It also clears the mind and erases the day’s stress.
5. Kids will eat what they grow. (This may be the best benefit of all!). Want to turn your finicky eaters into vegetable lovers? Let them grow their own. Kids love to garden and are much more willing to eat vegetables that they had a hand in bringing to the table.
No more excuses!
If you haven’t already, why not celebrate Earth Day this year by breaking ground on a small (or large) vegetable plot? Here are solutions for the most common obstacles:
No idea what you’re doing? Look no further than Jean Ann van Krevelen’s Growing Food: A Guide for Beginners, available now in electronic format with a print edition available April 15th. Jean Ann’s got great advice for new and experienced gardeners and offers garden coaching as well! Check out her Gardener to Farmer blog.
No room for a garden? See how one enterprising gardener got dozens of pounds of produce from one 3X3 foot plot: Growing your own food on one square yard of land
No time to garden? If gardening simply doesn’t fit into your life, you can always do the next best thing. Team up with a farmer by buying a share in Community Sponsored Agriculture. CSAs are one of the fastest growing trends in today’s evolving food economy. You support a local farm with money to buy seeds and supplies. In return, you get a share of the harvest. Find a CSA close to you at LocalHarvest.org.
http://blog.nutritiondata.com/ndblog/2009/04/what-growing-yo.html
Rain barrels recapture gutter water for use in gardening
BY KATHY VAN MULLEKOM
Daily Press (Newport News, Va.)
The next time there’s a rain storm, stand outside in a protected area and look at how much water falls from the roof of your house.
It’s buckets and buckets full — water you can put to good use if you have rain barrels catching all those drops.
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation estimates during an average rainstorm, which is 1 inch in 24 hours, more than 700 gallons of water run off the roof of a typical home. That’s enough water to take 17 baths or 58 showers and goodness knows how many plants it can benefit.
Rain barrels are typically 50 to 55 gallons so four placed under gutters at the main corners of your home yields about 200 gallons for watering vegetables that you grow this season. You save two ways — buying tomatoes or green peppers at the grocery store and your water bill.
In fact, rain barrels are a win-win garden gadget for everyone, especially our environment.
“Using rain barrels benefits the environment because you reduce sewer runoff, help your garden and landscape thrive, lower your water bill and reduce stress on water supplies,” says Megan Ketchum, a Virginia extension agent.
Making a rain barrel at home is easy if you follow a few guidelines, according to Hampton environmental educator Cris Ausink.
“Avoid barrels that held chemicals or wax because the residue in them could kill plants and harm the environment,” she says.
Supplies/tools
• Plastic food grade barrel with tight-fitting lid
• Brass faucet
• ¾-inch male hose adapter, brass PVC female hose connector 3 washers
• 2 lock nuts
• Small piece of hose
• Caulk
• Window screen, 3-foot square
• Drill with hole saw (1/16 inch smaller than the faucet insert)
• Pliers and hacksaw
First, wash the interior of your barrel using a cap full of Mr. Clean or Simple Green mixed with a five-gallon bucket of water; use vinegar to scrape off any exterior labels. Rinse thoroughly.
Then drill two holes in your barrel, one hole near the top and one hole three to four inches from the bottom. Make each hole 1/16 inch smaller than the faucet and valve you will insert.
Install the faucet assembly in the bottom hole. Insert faucet with a washer on it into the barrel and secure with a washer and lock nut from the inside.
Install the overflow valve by inserting the ¾-inch male hose adapter with washer half way through the top hole and attach washer and lock nut from inside. Attach female hose connector to outside with a short hose connected.
If your barrel’s lid has a solid center, use a key hole saw to cut out the middle; place screen centered on the barrel opening and screw the plastic ring in place to secure it to the barrel.
Place your barrel under a gutter downspout; elevate it on bricks or cinder blocks so you can get a bucket under the faucet at the bottom.
More barrel prep
Make sure the area where you place the rain barrel is level; otherwise, the barrel tips over.
Secure your barrel with stakes or ties if it is in a windy corner of the yard; if empty, it could blow over.
Connect a short piece of hose to the overflow spout at the top of the barrel and direct the hose away from your home’s foundation and impermeable surfaces such as the driveway or sidewalk.
Good uses for a rain barrel include:
1. Water garden and flower beds.
2. Water houseplants — they love it!
3. Wash mud off tools and boots.
4. Wash the dog.
5. Wash the car — rain water is soft so little detergent is needed, again saving you money on washing products. Do not wash the car on the driveway or street; instead, wash your car on the lawn and water your grass at the same time! Washing your car on the driveway or street causes the soapy water to drain untreated directly into waterways, including major bays and oceans.
6. Emergency water for flushing toilets if your well water level is low or dry or if you water is temporarily cut off.
Do not use rain water for drinking or cooking.
http://www.kansas.com/living/home-garden/story/768902.html
Grow your garden knowledge
BY ERIN CRAWFORD • Fiftysomething • April 10, 2009
Gardening doesn’t have to be a solitary pursuit. Talking and working with fellow green thumbs can introduce you to ideas for new plants, managing grubs or any number of gardening tactics. If you’re looking to hash over successes and failures, options include joining local garden clubs, which provide a friendly, knowledgeable clique of plant enthusiasts or becoming a Master Gardener through the Iowa State University Extension program. If you just want to garden alongside some new friends, consider Des Moines’ community garden program.
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Community gardens
Boost your garden knowledge through community programs. Des Moines’ community garden program gives would-be gardeners free access to a bigger, sunnier plot than they may have at home. And the added bonus of neighbor gardeners is another draw, letting you see which tomato plant or fertilizer is working for others.
“It’s what you make of it,” city horticulture inspector Teva Dawson says of the 10-by-15-foot sections of soil-filled potential.
Dawson says the plots are tended by all kinds of people - from retirees to others with very shady backyards. Some plots are tended by church groups who grow food and then donate the produce. Other gardeners just grow flowers.
Master Gardeners
The Master Gardener course of study can turn you into a gardening guru. Offered twice a year in Polk County, the semester-long program requires considerable class time more than 40 hours.
Participants also are required to perform 40 hours of public service in exchange for the training. That includes sharing information with others or working at Master Gardener-operated gardens, such as the Discovery Garden at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. Maintaining your Master Gardener certification requires additional training and community service each year.
Carol Visser, an Altoona gardener, pursued the training with her husband and regularly volunteers at Altoona’s Enabling Gardens, a Polk County Extension Master Gardener-operated handicapped-accessible garden.
“You meet people with like interests,” she says. “And you make some very good friends. It is not difficult. The novice can learn a lot, and more advanced gardeners can always hone their skills a little bit.”
Garden clubs
Garden clubs bring in speakers for learning opportunities and organize volunteer activities or events on a regular basis.
Waukee Garden Club member Ronald Reed says his club always has many questions for its speakers. They also recently toured a greenhouse filled with orchids. He suggests dropping in and visiting local clubs until you find one that’s right for you.
Some clubs adopt gardens in public spaces and hold garden tours or other events to raise money, show off local talent and get new gardeners excited about what’s ahead.
Online newsletter
The Iowa Gardener is a new free online gardening newsletter by Ames garden author Veronica Lorson Fowler, our cover model, and Des Moines editor Ben Allen. It will come out every two weeks during the growing season and monthly during the winter. The authors plan to include hints, advice, events and lists of what you should be doing in your garden right then. Go to www.theiowagardener.com for more information.
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20090410/FIFTYSOMETHING/904100304/-1/NEWS04
“Got a Kenmore to replace the 20+ year old Kenmore that finally gave out. The new one just feels cheaper and is mainly plastic.”
We have a 28 year old Kenmore we bought our first year of marriage. Hubby has been able to keep it running for the most part. Currently, it’s not, and I mentioned to him maybe we should just get rid of it. He says NO, he will take a look at it when he has time. We also have a newer machine (we were given a free, used set when we were building, so I have had 2 sets at times)but I don’t like it as well, and have replaced the “new” dryer. My old washer and dryer are my favorites. I think I killed the motor this time, but he is so good with fixing things, I’m sure he’ll be able to do something with it.
My Grandma used to make oxtail soup. I made it once or twice when first married. I’ve looked for oxtails in the stores, and what used to be cheap to buy, is now high priced. I just looked about a week ago and it was over $6 for a small package. Not sure it’s worth the expense.
I have also bought and inherited some old, sturdy pieces of furniture. They are so much better made than what you find nowadays. I have my grandparents old washboard down in my laundry along with something my grandfather apparently made. It is a flat piece of wood on which he attached the tip of an old table knife. The knife can go up and down without moving from the board. He made it so my grandmother could easily cut pieces of soap to use for washing. I picked up a bar of Fels Naptha soap and thought it would be good to have on hand after all.
Survivalists 2.0: Regular people get ready for the worst
McClatchy Newspapers
April 12, 2009, 10:00AM
FORT WORTH — Jack Spirko owns a media company, is married to a nurse and has a son in college. He has two dogs and lives in a nice house with a pool in a diversified neighborhood in suburban Arlington, Texas.
Spirko, 36, considers himself an average guy with a normal life.
But for the past few years, Spirko has been stockpiling food, water, gas, guns and ammunition. He also has a load of red wine, Starbucks coffee and deodorant stashed away.
“I refer to myself as a modern survivalist, which means I don’t do without,” Spirko explained. “I have a nice TV; I have nice furniture. We are not living in the sticks, but I take all of these things very seriously.”
Spirko, an Army veteran and self-described “stark-raving-mad Libertarian,” is part of a growing movement of people who are preparing for a disaster natural, economic or man-made. Referred to as “modern survivalists” or “preppers,” they are taking steps to protect and provide for their families should something bad happen.
Theirs is a different breed of survivalist, far from the right-wing militants or religious extremists who hole up in bunkers, live off the land and wait for the apocalypse.
Preppers are regular people with regular jobs who decided after Sept. 11, after Hurricane Katrina or when their 401(k)s tanked that they can’t rely on someone else to help them if something goes awry.
“We are normal people just like you,” Spirko said. “We just understand that, sometimes, stuff goes wrong.”
Donnie, 38, a McKinney, Texas, resident who is an account executive with an international trade show organization, said Hurricane Katrina opened his eyes. He spent six weeks working as a paramedic in New Orleans.
“It was a logistical nightmare getting to the area,” Donnie said. “And the longer you were there, the more you realized that, in a blink of an eye, your life can be turned upside down. I don’t want to be the person in the bread line or standing in line for ice.”
Donnie, like many of those interviewed for this article, agreed to talk to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram on the condition that his last name not be used.
“I usually don’t advertise it,” Donnie said. “There are people who cast a wary eye.”
He said that after Katrina, he amassed about two weeks’ worth of food. But last September, after the economy began to sour, he “kicked into a higher gear” and acquired more supplies and water-filtration systems.
“I probably have about six months’ worth of food for two people,” Donnie said. “I keep about 30 gallons of water on hand, and I have the means to store another 200 gallons if I have advance notice of something going bad.”
Art Markman, a professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin, said that when people start stockpiling food and water or buying weapons, they are in a motivational state called “avoidance mode.”
“You turn on the news and only hear about job losses and the prospect that things are going to get worse than better,” he said. “You see signals that the world is full of nasty things you need to avoid. You’ve engaged in this general sense of avoidance. You are trying to focus on safety concerns.”
Markman said the trend is not surprising, given the economy.
What exactly preppers are preparing for isn’t specific. It could be a layoff, tornado, global pandemic or nuclear war.
Internet sites devoted to survivalism often refer to scenarios like TEOTWAWKI, an acronym for “the end of the world as we know it.”
“I am prepared for just about any disaster that disrupts everyday living,” said Bob, 43, a sales manager from eastern Pennsylvania who runs www.thinkprepared.net.
“ ... The economy is at the forefront of my concerns. The unemployment rate is soaring, and most people are not prepared to be without a paycheck for a week, much less a month or longer,” Bob said.
Businesses that sell storable foods, disaster shelters and guns are thriving.
Bruce Hopkins, owner of Best Prices Storable Foods, which sells dehydrated and canned foods, said sales “exploded” last spring and remain steady. On a single day recently, Hopkins sold $31,000 worth of storable food. Hopkins said a popular item is a one-year food supply for a family of four or family of two, priced at $4,000 and $2,700, respectively.
“I think to have anything less than a month’s food supply is foolish,” said Hopkins, whose business is in Quinlan, Texas. “I think it is time to stop watching ‘American Idol’ and start paying attention to what is going on in the world.”
Walton McCarthy, owner and principal engineer of Radius Engineering International, builds underground disaster shelters that protect against nuclear, chemical and biological warfare, among other things.
He said his business has tripled since July, when reports of Iranian missile tests surfaced. McCarthy’s disaster shelters hold 10 to 300 people and cost $105,000 to $6 million. His customers include politicians, doctors and key executives.
“What we are going through now is the Pearl Harbor blues,” said McCarthy, whose company is based in Forney, Texas. “All of the ingredients are here. It is around the corner, and no one should be surprised.”
At Cheaper Than Dirt Outdoor Adventures, a gun store in north Fort Worth, business has never been better. Owner Dewayne Irwin said he sees three types of customers: “You have the everyday good ol’ boy Texas gun owner. You have the folks that are coming in and saying, ‘I’ve lost my job and my neighbor lost their job’ and they really believe they might have to fight over a bucket of carrots or something. And you have the guys who are first-time gun buyers and they don’t really know why. It is Main Street. It is crazy.”
Spirko grew up in rural Pennsylvania, where hunting, fishing, gardening, and canning and storing food were a way of life.
“No one looked at that back then and said, ‘These people were survivalists,’ ” Spirko said. “That is just what you did.”
After Spirko got out of the Army, he moved to Texas and started working in communications and sales.
“I found myself in my mid-20s pursuing corporate America, working the six-figure job and traveling all over the United States,” Spirko said.
And then, Y2K happened — or, rather, didn’t happen.
“I thought they were absolutely crazy,” Spirko said. “They thought the toaster was going to explode when it goes to 2000 or whatever.”
And while Spirko didn’t buy into the Y2K scare, he did think legitimate concerns had been raised.
“Right after that, we had the dot-com bubble explode. We had the stock market crash. My portfolio went down by 50 percent overnight. And then 9-11,” he said. “I started going back to my roots and started to look at ways to preserve our cash and make sure we had some food on hand.”
In July, Spirko launched a podcast for modern survivalists at TheSurvivalPodcast.com. He encourages people to pay down their debt and have extra cash, water and food and an evacuation plan. About the same time, he expanded his backyard garden, where he grows tomatoes, peas, corn, strawberries, onions and jalapenos, among other things.
“We had two big scares with produce last year — jalapenos and tomatoes,” Spirko said. “First jalapenos had salmonella, and then tomatoes had salmonella. If that can happen, what other things can happen?”
Gwenn, 52, a self-described “girlvivalist,” runs a lodging house in Beaumont, Texas. She has plenty of water, a year’s worth of food and a shotgun for protection.
“When we had Hurricane Ike here, a lot of my tenants didn’t evacuate,” she said. “While my neighbors were standing in line for MREs (Meals Ready to Eat) at the shopping center, we were grilling steak.”
Many survivalists — Spirko is not one of them — are “closet preppers.”
Afraid that they will be viewed as crazy or weird, they don’t tell people they are storing freeze-dried food, canning their own vegetables or setting up an alternate location where they can go if TEOTWAWKI arrives. They also don’t want “raiders” beating down their door if a disaster happens.
Bob said survivalists are often viewed — incorrectly — as doomsayers.
“Some people think we want the end of the world as we know it,” he said. “I can tell you from my heart, I hope nothing like that ever happens. I want my sons to grow up and have a great life.”
Still, Bob believes that everybody should at least have a 72-hour bag of gear, also known as a “bug-out bag,” ready to go.
“Survival today is more about being prepared for short-term situations, like hurricanes, floods and blizzards,” Bob said. “... Learn some basic skills like gardening, first aid and personal defense. Become self-reliant like our grandparents were.”
Jordan Mills, 30, an information technology contractor in downtown Houston, put his bug-out bag to good use during Hurricanes Rita and Ike. In it, he keeps his birth certificate, medical records, cash, food, water, flashlights, tape, garbage bags, clothes and other supplies.
Mills said he didn’t choose the “survivalist” label, but others have called him that.
“The word brings to my mind an image of a gruff mountain man with a log cabin, 10 years of food stored up and enough guns to outfit a small army,” he said. “I don’t meet that image at all. I consider the chance of a total collapse of society and the end of the world as we know it to be pretty much zero. To me, survivalism is really just preparing for day-to-day inconveniences or emergencies.”
Every morning, Spirko gets in his diesel Jetta and makes the 50-mile commute from Arlington to Frisco, where his media company is based.
During the drive, he records his daily podcast. He discusses things like storing food safely, finding alternative energy options, dealing with anti-survivalist stigma and finding time to prep.
“The more I dug in, the more I learned,” he said. “And then something really cool happened: This community started to build around it.”
Spirko said that about 4,000 people download his podcast each day and that his audience is growing.
“People are always waiting for someone else to come and help them,” he said. “To me, survivalism is just waking back up to traditional American values. I’m talking about basic self-responsibility, basic self-worth — understanding that you control your life more than anybody else.
“If you do nothing, you may not regret it. But if you do regret it, you are really going to regret it.”
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6370000.html
Can you survive economic crisis?
To some, the term “survivalist” conjures images of camouflage-clad men stockpiling freeze-dried food in a mountain cabin, but in the current economic crisis, the people quietly preparing to survive catastrophe may just be your next-door neighbors.
In his column in last month’s Financial Times, business and technology expert Ade McCormack writes, “The world is in crisis and with it the world of business. Many of us have two plans. Plan A involves President Barack Obama performing some economic magic. Plan B involves a revolver, a vegetable patch and a subscription to Survivalist Monthly.”
And while McCormack was writing with a hint of jest, dissent over the president’s trillion-dollar spending approach to the economy has left many average, everyday Americans considering something looking suspiciously like plan B.
Discover the shocking truth about the U.S. economy – and what you can and must do – with “Black Hole,” the most recent edition of WND’s acclaimed Whistleblower magazine!
Bill Heid of Survival Seeds, a company that sells “banks” of high-yielding vegetable seeds sealed for long-term storage and awaiting a family’s need to grow its own food, says business is skyrocketing.
“It’s been dramatic, nothing short of dramatic,” Heid told WND. “The survivalist mentality used to be considered a fringe element, but now that economic times are such as they are, many more average, regular folks are adopting the same set of preparations.”
Heid told WND what’s most notable is that his boom in sales isn’t coming from just the usual survivalists stocking up for a Y2K-like event.
“Ninety percent of our increase in business is new business,” Heid said, “people who have never thought about surviving in case of emergency before.”
“If most people think of a survivalist as an armed loner with extreme views – there are folks like that out there, but there are many more in America who are simply involved in preparing for down times, lean times or disaster,” Rantala, a former U.S. intelligence analyst, told the Monitor. “It’s logical. It’s common sense.”
“I think we’re headed back to the days of the victory gardens,” Anderson said. “We have to figure out how to help ourselves. We can’t be isolated. We can’t sit around and wait for the government.”
By Drew Zahn
© 2009 WorldNetDaily
I wish I had a boatload of old appliances! Those will be the only ones worth fixing when TSHTF.
We didn’t realize how chinzy things were getting or we wouldn’t have gotten rid of the old one. Hubby had already fixed it a few times over the years. The online schematics nowadays really helps with ordering parts.
Skills like our guys have will surely be more handy than gold when bad times come.
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