Posted on 03/23/2008 11:36:40 PM PDT by nw_arizona_granny
Americans finding soaring food prices hard to stomach can battle back by growing their own food. [Click image for a larger version] Dean Fosdick Dean Fosdick
Home vegetable gardens appear to be booming as a result of the twin movements to eat local and pinch pennies.
At the Southeastern Flower Show in Atlanta this winter, D. Landreth Seed Co. of New Freedom, Pa., sold three to four times more seed packets than last year, says Barb Melera, president. "This is the first time I've ever heard people say, 'I can grow this more cheaply than I can buy it in the supermarket.' That's a 180-degree turn from the norm."
Roger Doiron, a gardener and fresh-food advocate from Scarborough, Maine, said he turned $85 worth of seeds into more than six months of vegetables for his family of five.
A year later, he says, the family still had "several quarts of tomato sauce, bags of mixed vegetables and ice-cube trays of pesto in the freezer; 20 heads of garlic, a five-gallon crock of sauerkraut, more homegrown hot-pepper sauce than one family could comfortably eat in a year and three sorts of squash, which we make into soups, stews and bread."
[snipped]
She compares the current period of market uncertainty with that of the early- to mid-20th century when the concept of victory gardens became popular.
"A lot of companies during the world wars and the Great Depression era encouraged vegetable gardening as a way of addressing layoffs, reduced wages and such," she says. "Some companies, like U.S. Steel, made gardens available at the workplace. Railroads provided easements they'd rent to employees and others for gardening."
(Excerpt) Read more at dallasnews.com ...
” It is the fool that thinks like the clintons and etc, they will be the real danger, as they will not be prepared, after all this is all the fault of President Bush and they do not even listen to Dr. Bill when he warns them of what will happen, if an attack comes. “
I know I sound like a broken record here, but I have to come back to the lessons learned from the Katrina experience....
The unspoken big lesson for us in this discussion is that the vast majority of the sheeple has been so conditioned to dependency that, in an emergency situation, the instinct is to ‘herd up’ and mill about squawling for the all-powerful gummint to come save them (geraldo crying, all the way)....
When/if the gummint ‘help’ turns out to be not forthcoming, they will start feeding off of each other, and the bloodletting will be horrendous.
For the most part, the criminal element will stay with the easy pickin’s of the herd, as criminals are, by definition, parasites, and will stay with the host. (I can also envision scenarios where the ‘gangs’ you referred to in some of your earlier posts will fill the vacuum and become the dominant social organizing force in urban areas)
There were, however, a few people in New Orleans that did, indeed, take it upon themselves to find a way to get out on their own (these are the ones that did *not* have their pictures on the ‘news’ stories), and they are the ones that will be least likely to pose a threat.
The upshot of all this is that, should The Day arrive, I’m much more concerned about the vicissitudes of bad luck and natural hazards than I am about the predations of my fellow man... ;~)
Well, Granny, this has been an illuminating - and fun - conversation we’ve had this morning, and I hope to continue it and extend it in the future...
But, now — it’s time for me to head off and make my living, so, for now,
Have a WONDERFUL day!!
Ike
****trail of breadcrumbs****
As you can see, I am still working my way through this thread and haven’t gotten far-probably never finish if I keep finding things that make me answer. I save many, many of my own seeds. Have been doing this for years and years. If I haven’t spent any money for them, I can experiment. I read that hybrids can revert and not be the same from year to year but I have had good luck so far. I get my seeds out early and check the germination by putting about 20 on a damp paper towel and putting in a warm place-then when they germinateI check the percentage that are good and if it isn’t over 60%, I don’t use them. Almost never fail to get over 60%. I too, have a favorite seed co. This company buys seeds from local growers so I know they will thrive in my cold climate (Maine). Also this company has many of my old favorites. I must say that I do prefer the sugar-enhanced corn varieties. Corn is by far my most favorite veggie. I cook extra every meal and cut the lefovers off the cob and freeze. It tastes like fresh when thawed. I can use it so many ways. Corn chowder, shepards pie, corn casseroles, corn fritters and I make a one dish meal with rice, corn, chicken and BBQ sauce that is even better the next day. When corn is ready, we eat it for two meals every day. Hubby puts the water on and I run out and pick it (don’t trust anyone but myself to gauge just the correct ripeness) and into the pot it goes. Can’t beat that for freshness!!!!
I save loads and loads of flower seeds for my huge flower beds. I know flowers are not a survival item, but some days it seems as if that small bouquet on the coffee table helps me survive to another day. Cosmos, zinnias, marigolds, portulaca and many, many other flower seeds can be saved very successfully. I have seeds over 5 years old and they still have a good germination rate.
For several years I planted a pick your own bouquet garden . Hubby and I planted over 12,000 plants every year which we grew in our greenhouse along with veggies. Never made much money but did my heart good to see elderly people and children roaming among the flowers picking their own bouquets.
Enough! I ramble on. Got to get back and see if I can finish reading this thread.
75 and hubby 80-still going strong. Married too many years to mention-before most of you were even born. We cut, split and stack in woodshed 5 to7 cords of wood every year and have large vegetable and flower gardens. Keep all the younger neighbors supplied with veggies and flowers as well as our five children.
A good way to bury things is to get large PVC pipe and the end fittings and make a secure tube. Use the plumbers glue to secure the fittings over the ends as you would for plumbing for long term burial. For short term storage of items you need to get to just thread one or both ends for the screw caps that are used for vent caps and use plumbers tape.
I like to store spices in food saver bags- the food saver vacuum sealer is great for long term storage of many things. Spices seem to keep their flavor better when sealed. I haven’t froze them, but not sure why you couldn’t- maybe someone else here has experience with freezing spices.
Too funny! No Bailey’s that I know of—a lot of Coomb’s and Smith’s. My baby sis has had the streak since she was 20. I didn’t get mine til about mid 30’s.
I remember several of my aunts with coal black hair—the streak really stood out. Mine is brown. Wonder if this is just a female trait? Never seen any of the guys with it.
Back again and I’ve only gotten to post 142. We have local farmer friends who raise their own hogs but don’t use any of the fattier parts except what is suitable for bacon. They gladly give us the rest. Hubby salts down pork and renders the rest for lard and has oceans for pie crust frying doughnuts etc. Green beans cooked with salt pork and a pan of hot biscuits makes a wonderful meal. Also use the salt pork in dried beans baked in our wood stove. Clam chowder made from clams we have dug with salt pork scraps is an economical meal and delicious. We furnish all our friends and neighbors with salt pork. This world woud be a much better place if everybody that could would share.
Got to have salt pork for Older Than Dirt Stew:
Chop salt pork in small chunks and brown. Do not drain. Add a cabbage cut in quarters, 2 to 3 big onions, quartered and simmer on medium heat until cabbage and onions cook down. Add two cans stewed tomatoes (or fresh, if you like), some garlic and a couple of teaspoons cayenne pepper. Simmer it all on low until it looks sort of like sludge. Best tasting stew ever and it only gets better the longer it cooks.
Love your comment on role reversal. Love outdoor work. Hate housework. Was a manager in the business world for many years and my husband gradually tookover most of the housework as he was self-employed and worked from home. I,on the other hand was cooped up in an office 8-5 so stayed outdoors whenever I could. One late afternoon, I was outside stacking wood when one of hubby’s friends stopped by and commented “hubby’s not home?” Oh yes, I replied, he’s indoors preparing dinner. Raised eyebrows!!! I am apt to be out cutting trails along our riverfront while hubby is in baking pies.
The only trouble I have with writing is not enough time! I work full time, sometimes more. If I could ever sell any of my books and actually make money, I don’t think I’ d ever go to the mailbox again. I could be perfectly content right here in my own little world!
Knowing about lots of different things is the best! I know the most useless information there’s ever been. I call it brain lint. :)
Like I said, WHY is my favorite word! LOL
I had to laugh the other day- a lady was asking the Walmart “butcher” if they had salt pork and he didn’t even know what it was...
The upshot of all this is that, should The Day arrive, I’m much more concerned about the vicissitudes of bad luck and natural hazards than I am about the predations of my fellow man... ;~)
<<<
I understand how you feel and you are correct, if we were playing with real people, and this were 50 years ago.
Yes, you have to be prepared as you are thinking of pure survival, knowledge is the king.
Yes the world still has good people that will work as a team.
Y2K is one of the best things that has happened to America, it did educate a few people, many who had never thought of survival.
If you are in the right spot, you may well head for the hills and survive for years.
Yes, I see it differently, as I am sitting here for 6 years, looking at what was going on, no I didn’t start on 9-11, on that day my soul died.
You saw what happened in new orleans, the minute the disaster hit, the evil ones were out in full force, they cared not who they killed and stole things that they could not use, for the sheer joy of stealing and killing.
Any disaster, is going to do that, you may not be aware of the mental illness in America, of the calls for violence or suicide attempts, that people are doing, when they can’t get the “meds” that some quack put them on.....
I wish the President would make it a law, that everyone had to listen to their police scanner, so that they knew the truth of what is going on.
It is not just the muslims that people must worry about, it is our worthless youth, that are burning and rioting in San Diego, just as they are in France and other areas.
Did you hear about it? No, not unless you listen to the police and pay attention to the cars that are being burned, the people thrown in going firepits on the beach, which just happened for the second time this month, that I caught.
No, we hear things like this, and it is as I posted it, I did not bother to look at the second page, It was for my Yahoo alert on the TSA department, airport related......
My post on the terror thread, this is breaking news?
To: All; milford421
http://search.news.yahoo.com/search/news/?fr=yalerts-keyword&c=&p=%22TSA%22&ei=utf-8
[Can you feel my rage? This story appears as 9 of the first 10 links on the TSA search at Yahoo.
How can we be so dumb as to allow the media to make us think this is important?
granny]
[I wonder if it was really a weapon, like in long sharp needle for stabbing, think old style hat pin, for stabbing....]
# 2.
Woman says TSA forced piercings removal Open this result in new window
The Charlotte Observer - Mar 27 4:08 PM
A Texas woman who said she was forced to remove a nipple ring with pliers in order to board an airplane called Thursday for an apology by federal security agents and a civil rights investigation. “I wouldn’t wish this experience upon anyone,” Mandi Hamlin said at a news conference. “My experience with TSA was a nightmare I had to endure. No one deserves to be treated this way.” Hamlin, 37, said ...”<<<
To my thinking, I want to know everything you know and more.
I will worry about my fellow man, as they are too many evil ones, to not worry.
Listen just one night to:
scan san diego.net [scanner #1]
Or is your city here:
http://www.police-scanner.info/live-police-scanners.htm
I stick with san diego most days, as it is a fair example of what happens all over our country, or as much as they publish.
I get about 200 alerts for news, on various subjects a day, so I am all over America and read the same things that I hear on the scanner.
And there is no law that says we have to think about this thing alike, it is more than likely better that we don’t, as you force me to think.
I pray that we never have to use what we are learning.
Over 40 years ago, Readers Digest published one of their little comments and it stuck with me, as I have been there and done that a couple times.
It said:
A recession is when the man next door looses his job.
A depression is when YOU loose your job.
That is about how I feel about the learning for survival.
What does the rest of group think, how do you react to this subject of survival?
Smiling at you.
Hope it was a good day at work.
I have worked too, attempting to post a sample of the real news for today, on the terror thread.
It is good for me to talk to you and others, here, as I have been so buried in terror subjects for so long, that I needed a break.
****trail of breadcrumbs****<<<
Not a good choice /idea.
Here my ants would have carried them to feed the clan and your trail would be lost.
You are to “blaze a trail”, with piles of rocks, or snapped branches and no I shouldn’t tell about how I led the whole gang down the wrong path, on top of the mountain.....
They blamed me, as I was in front, looking for signs of ore and and not aware that I had missed the connector trail....
About 3 miles of trail, why all those wise ones did not yell that I was past the return path, I never knew.....
It was on the top of a desert mountain, no trees, just a donkey path.
Smiling at you and attempting to tease you.
Never made much money but did my heart good to see elderly people and children roaming among the flowers picking their own bouquets.
Enough! I ramble on. Got to get back and see if I can finish reading this thread.<<<
My sister calls flowers soul food.
I have often thought that God invented them, so we would have a little beauty, in a world of toil and often of worry and tears.
No, you are not supposed to finish reading this thread, it is meant to grow every day and keep going, of course some stuff will get repeated, and that is often good, for I tend to speed read and do not always recall it all the next day or year from now.
I agree that it tastes better if you grew it, to me squash is a good example, the difference between the store and garden is amazing, so are tomatoes.
Which seed company do you use, it is ok to post the info here.
We don’t have an “off topic rule”, or a no links rule, it is meant to supply us with the information that we need to learn how to survive.
Survival means many things to different people, right now, I like many on a tight budget, find surviving todays prices to be the most important thing.
Tomorrow, that could change and a storm or terror show up and then survival will mean something entirely different to me.
Glad to have you with us, it is a wonderful group of people and there is room for more.
Yes the sealed pipe might work, but it could also sweat and that will cause a roll of bills to form a clump of fibers.
LOL, never bury pennies in a jar, it broke somehow and for years afterwards, we found pennies in that spot.
That will be good for us, as when you find a penny, it means your Guardian Angel is on guard duty and threw it down, so you would know.
That is a very old Hungarian folk story and it pleases me, I always look up and thank God for all the guarding that he has ordered for me all these years.
Brain lint, that must be all those things that we don’t remember, until we do not need them.
I am waiting for the day they can plug in the brain and download it to the computer and put it in files so we can find it.
It has always amazed me, the amount of knowledge a writer must have.
Some of my best writing, was letting myself go to the creative side of the brain and string brain lint into a story.
How many people know that donkey’s were fed sour dough pancakes by the prospectors?
Years later when I bought a couple horses, on Sunday, when I always baked sourdough biscuits, I would go out and share one with the appaloosa and he wanted to drink out of my coffee mug too.
Do not wait until you retire to go back to writing, I did and then couldn’t and still cannot and will not.
All the learning was for some purpose, but not a book.
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