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You've hit on something that's been bothering us for a long time now. Of the six of me and my siblings, two of us turned out different. Actually, we and our families are different. We've decided to live in the country because we've observed that population centers always cause the same problems and that living in the country affords us the benefits of SUSTAINABLE food! I don't want to turn this into a religious discussion, but in my house we believe that the four most important things (in order of precedence) are -

1. Trust in The Lord (no matter WHAT!).
2. Clean water.
3. Clothing/Shelter (protection from the elements).
4. Food.

The above four things are also in order of precedence and getting them out of order can cause real and big problems.

What we've observed is that too many people are too lacking in intestinal fortitude and simple skills. We've got three youngsters (all teens) here in the house and by the time they were each "about" 8 years old, they had been trained into useful skills. They could all shoot the 1911 .45ACP, as well as the AR-15... but shooting and defense is only "part" of it. We have a saying around here...and that is that EVERYTHING is liable to be categorized as FOOD. We joke by saying that if "it" stays still long enough, we'll skin it and eat it! :-) But now these guys here (and one gal!) have only increased in skill level. Between the three of them, they herd goats and sheep...which means milking the critters and making cheese...and butchering and putting up meat. They also raise chickens...from START to FINISH. Two of them are EXPERT builders. They operate chainsaws, the woodsplitter and KNOW how to maintain it all. Their Mom taught them to "correctly" grow food...and they can take it from the garden to the can! They can take game (of ANY type!) from the woods to the stove top!....and one of them is a very, VERY good cook! :-)

But we overlap with a large section of people (because of what I do professionally) and what we see in these people disturbs us. These people have no skills, they live in debt, and probably worst of all... their "backup plan" is to simply know somebody like us! I've spoken to a few of them about this and asked them why they didn't consider that we also have a "backup plan" and they always give me this bewildered look. I ask them if they honestly think we're going to be where we're at now if the proverbial doo-doo hits the fan? I can tell by the looks on their faces that they hadn't thought about this! They ask where we're going to be, but I don't tell that to anybody except a very few, and they're "like" us.

My point here is that too many people are woefully unprepared. The adults who lived through the last depression were of a heartier stock. The population centers were much less densely populated as well. Now we've got these amazing DENSE population centers jam packed full of people who's only "backup plan" is knowing people like us? Hmmmm...let's think about that for a minute! Plus, the population centers have a high ratio of not so nice people anyway. So you mix the "not so nice people" with the unprepared people (who mostly also don't believe in firearms)...and mix that with even a little bit of socio-economic collapse, and it's makes for a wicked brew indeed!

I know from talking to people now who lived through the great depression that they knew people who were unskilled and unprepared. But they agree that there are many, MANY times more today (ratio-wise) than there were the first time...and while they can't say exactly what this is going to cause, we all agree that it's NOT going to be good!...at least not in worldly terms.

To the gardeners -

I’d appreciate any help with this question. There are 2 of us and a rabbit. I live in a house w/a backyard, but am renting the house and don’t know if I can tear up the backyard for a garden (probably not).

I have been looking at container gardens, which seem feasible, but I am unsure where to put them. I have a deck - put there is a lot of direct sun and we get squirrels and birds. There is a patio below the deck, which gets light, but is obviously shaded by the deck. I could roll the containers out in the yard area, I suppose, and roll them back at night. Sounds like a pain.

I live in a development at the edge of a small town. The yards flow into each other, and even where there’s a fenced yard, there is area on the other side of the fence that’s open to the creek that runs between the properties. I mention this because we get a fair amount of wildlife, including wild bunnies, through the yards.

So, is it worth growing your own veggies for 2 people & a rabbit? Will they be able to grow under the deck or should I put them on the deck? Will the containers be so heavy that the deck might break?

I guess this is the place where I say I’m vegan and my son eats what I prepare, which means he’s pretty much vegan at home. We go through a lot of veggies and it would be nice to have our own, but maybe it’s not worth it. I’ve never grown anything before. The other option would be to buy them from a CSA that delivers a box full of organic veggies every week thru the summer. A little pricey, but locally grown. I’m near farms and a large Amish farming community. We have very good food available, I just don’t know if it’s worth doing it myself, for 2, when there are these other options available.

Suggestions? Thanks.