[PapaBear3625]

Addendum to my prior post: The graph predicting the solar cycle comes from NASA, and they've been modifying their prediction model practically every month as new data comes in. I've been saving their old graphs (some recovered from internet archives). In July 2007 they were predicting cycle 24 would peak in 2011 at around 150 (higher peak than cycle 23 at 120). In November 2009, as cycle 24 was delayed in starting, they shifted their estimate to a peak of 80 in 2013. In February 2011 they had the peak as 58. Now they have it as 70 in 2013.

My personal suspicion is that they were right the first time as to the peak occurring in 2011, but were very wrong in the predicted level. I suspect that we're at the peak, or close to it, and that this cycle will resemble the Dalton Minimum. If cycle 24 looks like it's on a down swing in late fall, stock up, because we may have a bad winter and a bad planting season in 2012.

[B4Ranch]

It might be time to do some greenhouse material gathering is what you’re saying, huh? Have you caught the threads where the state and feds are jumping on people whose ‘garden is too big? Trying to stop people from selling or even giving away their crops.

I’ve been trying to think of a way around that and the only thing I can come up with is to get neighbors to say they are growing crops with you, kind of a community garden idea.

Yes Inspector, I did help pay for the seeds. We divided the costs up amongst the ten of us. I don’t know much about planting seeds so I offered to pick weeds and help water. Yessir, she is going to teach us how to can the vegetables.