My dad grew up in the Depression era ... on a farm so they had a garden, chickens, cows, pigs ... could support themselves (parents, 6 kids). Granddad actually helped out a few families by giving the men work in exchange for food.
Actually, both paternal & maternal grandparents had farms and I grew up visiting both ... shocking corn, picking cotton, collecting eggs, watching granny milk cows, helping pick garden produce, seeing produce canned, fishing in the pond, eating homemade sausage .... I know where food comes from and how to get it (also have close family that hunts - I eat more venison than beef).
Lots of “helpless” people today - inner city, apartment dwellers, even those in subdivisions who grow grass and nothing else.
I have brought up food shortages, being prepared, similar subjects and I get this ‘deer in the headlights’ look with glazed eyes. NOT a CLUE. Nor will the vast majority of these folks have a clue what to do when the grocery shelves are empty.
Agree my family grew up in the depression era my grand mother mother and aunt would buy crops from farmers by the bushel basket I spent may summers helping them can food not one bad one in the lot.
Nothing tasted as bas store goods winters were a good time.