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
Here is a little bit about naked oats:
"Oats are very hardy and easily grown at home, however, there really isn’t an easy way to dehull them at home. But there is a relatively new variety of oats out which makes this a thing of the past. Naked hulled oats have no tight hull, so simply threshing them as you would other grain leaves them clean and ready to roll or grind. "
I got that from here:
http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/clay78.html
Several people on this thread and the first one discussed reading Jackie's stuff. She is awesome and that's where I first read about naked oats a while back. I got a blank look when I asked about them where I live... but this town has less than 1000 population so that may be why.
I would also really appreciate it if you could find out how we might be able to get them. thanks!
The people with the big gardens will be the first to be overrun by the have nots.
And the neighbors will know from all the years of having the big garden that there will most certainly be big stores of canned goods inside.<<<
Welcome to the thread.
You are so right and I do not know how we will escape the mess.
A Friend in Wellton, in the 1970’s, told me about her meeting with the Military adviser, who met with the School Board members and advised them on what to expect if San Diego was hit and the evacuees would hit Wellton, Az.
Catherine told him “ I live on a farm, and I am a good Mormon, I am prepared to survive with my food storage and supplies...”
The Officer then looked Catherine up and down and said:
” Yes, you look like a well fed Mormon, so get out of the way lady, I am hungry!!!”
Dr. Bill Wattenberg, speaking from his Homeland Security team as an adviser, has warned more than once, that 25 million folks will evacuate and not have a clue of where they are going, or have the knowledge or supplies to get there.
It does not look very rosy from where I sit.
I was surprised at my REJECTION too!!! LOL
I emailed Lloyd when I got it and told him I was “rejected.” He had a colorful reply. LOL
But, he found another free exchange place that same day. I forgot what it is, I will try to remember to ask him tonight.
We do look on Craig’s List pretty regularly and find some good stuff there. I’ve already used about a dozen of those pots he brought home last week after seeing them on Craig’s List. I’m still wallowing in my blessing!!!
I’m doing the grinding grains bit for a survival thing more than a health thing. But, if we get both, even better! Wheat berries will last almost indefinitely, so they are big part of what I’m storing.<<<
You will be surprised at how many uses those wheat berries have, I didn’t know, until I hit a hard patch and lived a few months on a friends discarded, out of date cans of dehydrated foods.
I like the wheat berries, cooked and eaten like rice or oatmeal.
I also made a salad with them, as I do a macaroni or potato salad.
I would use them as one does barley, or in any soup for a more filling soup.
I did not try frying them in bacon drippings, with celery and onion, might be good and should be good with stir fry on it.
I have battened down here. I listen to the radio out of Ft. Worth during the day and they’ve had the warnings going since 5 AM. So far I’ve still got sun but they’ve talked about tornado warnings north of us all day. ~sigh~ That makeshift ~pretend~ stick and plastic greenhouse is shot. My new one has held up thus far but they are predicting 70 MPH winds. I dunno about that.
I wouldn’t jump with joy at how warm I am, but it is not as cold as it was.
I should have known, when I went to bed and couldn’t get warm, that there was a problem, seems I have a new leak at the head of the bed, almost and my sleeping bag was wet, but I didn’t see it till morning, didn’t expect it to be and was careless with the plastic cover.
Soon, summer will come.
But first 20% chance of more snow.
Good to hear from you! I really love this thread! Met some wonderful and VERY helpful people.
At leaast while I’m reading here it takes my mind off the political stuff that just raises my blood pressure.
Will check in later...
LOL, collecting rocks was always trouble for me, hated to leave the ugly ones that no one else will pick up.
I ruined a couple tires on one trip, tucked too many rocks in the trunk.
Beekeeping has been at the top of my list of “what I want to do next” for the past 4 years!!! I have just *got* to get some bees. That’s before goats and hogs. LOL I love honey. I spend too much money on honey. And bees would just love my yard anyway. We would be terribly happy together!
I want one that you can't see from the road. I would like to have people driving by my "entrance" and never even guessing that there was a dwelling nearby. I want to be hidden. Like the hermit that I am!
Thank you so much for your suggestions! Plastic feed tubs, huh? Just might work. Will definitely look into it.
Many thanks, again. What a great thread!
Sending prayers. I have prayed today anyway knowing you were cold last night. Wet is much worse than cold for causing hypothermia so take care of yourself. Do you think at some point that Bob can fix this leak for you? And will you stay dry tonight?
I had a corning ware electric stove and did not know that I could not use cast iron or pressure cookers and did so for years.
I only fry in the cast iron skillets.
It is true, my wok did not work on it.
Just don’t use it full force heat and watch it, you may need to move the cooker off or partly off and I have used a metal plate that came with a small pressure cooker, on the wood stove to keep things from burning/getting too hot.
Or maybe one of those wire stars that came with the Pyrex coffee pots would work.
Yes, your way works and if you get an extra good starter, be sure to feed it and keep it going.
Glad you found the thread.
Hey, good to have a feed/seed/garden person aboard.
Well, if you are in dire need of fiber... Or if you like the taste of straw, the horse feed - both whole and crimped can be made into bread or cooked as cereal... How do I know? Yep I tried it... (Wife said - please don’t make that straw bread again...)
As much as I hate to admit it, she was right... But don’t tell her I said that...
The problem is that regular oats have a firmly attached hull that there doesn’t seem to be any way to remove without specially designed big multi-stage equipment. Once the hull or husk is removed you can make flour, roll, crimp, or cut and you have a pretty good hearty food. These are called oat groats.
The (as wneighbor calls them) nekkid :) oats separate from the hull when they are thrashed. (about 95%) and can be used just like the oat groats. They are also called hulless oats but nekkid sounds more interesting I guess.
To give you an idea of how much hull there is in a bushel of oats, you can put 30 pounds of regular oats in a bushel and you can put 50 pounds of the nekkid ones. - Hmmm maybe the 20 pounds of hulls would make it taste like straw. LOL
I have used both wheat and corn sold in feed stores to mill, but I do clean it thoroughly and then dry it before grinding.
Wonderful, sprouting tomato seeds, proves that spring will come.
I should check that here as well.
Don’t you wish we all lived on one gigantic piece of land with our gardens and stuff. :)
OL - I vented a few frustrations over permits, licenses etc. etc. on the first thread and danged if the moderator didn’t put me on the watch list for half a day...
But I couldn’t agree with you more. Prepare but don’t pay so much attention to the political - - - but, then did you see the reaction on Wall st. to Geitner’s (sp) speech?
Ok, Ok I’ll quit.
Yikes 70 mph - I best clear off my porch although I think we may get the tail end of it only. I do have my battery operated candles locked and loaded. Thankfully 24 is not on tonight as I may lose satellite. Now THAT would be a disaster. I can’t miss Jack!
I’ve decided it will be hard to grow things here as it’s always either windy, freezing, HOT or something. LOL Although, I think of the pioneer women and they really had it tough. I love Little House On The Prairie which I watch at work sometimes. :)
Shame you did not just grow a patch for the goats.
[smile]
I like the rack you built, very interesting and someone was asking yesterday how to grow more in a small space.
Your goat reminds me of Sunshine, she was the goat from hell,the one all the books are written about.
Sunshine was about 4 or 5 months old, a mixed blood Nubian and ?, we were not prepared to take a goat home, so she was in the back of a 55 Chev wagon.
We had to stop at Sears for a pump part and I went in with Bill, I knew better, as the wagon had library books, and a months supply of groceries and feed in it already.
Sears took longer than I expected, so I went to check on Sunshine, and found her in the front seat, watching a group of people watching her and heard one woman tell another “I tell you that is a goat, I know what a goat is”.....
I walked up to the open [a little] window and said “Sunshine, I told you to stay in the back seat!!!!”
And Sunshine got back in the back and sat down.
A hippy type gal said “Oh!!! is she trained to ride with you?”
Of course I said “Yes.”
I wished that I had sold her to the crowd.
Mary had too many weeds, so we took Sunshine to eat weeds and Sunshine said “There is no way you can force me to eat weeds, I want alfalfa hay.”
So we took her home after a couple days.
Bill only put up with the goats, to please me, and preferred them to not fall in love with him, as King Louie our billy goat had done, he was Bill’s shadow.
Sunshine would see Bill sitting in the patio and come at a dead run and jump on him, quite a feat when she got a little older and painful.
She was in everything, even went missing and was found in a 1000 gallon water tank, No idea of how she got in it, but it did not have a top and no water in it.
We were very active in finding her another home, don’t know how she did there, but a family with 10 boys would have been about right for her.
I do like your growing ideas, keep thinking and trying new ways.
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