It does not have to be us “like that” next year.
Buy seed. Pull the decorative plants out of your garden surrounding your home. Plant the seeds and cultivate your food plants. Don’t believe you enough room to plant potatoes? You can build a wood potato condo that sits on nine square feet (3X3).
http://www.livinghomegrown.com/the-building-of-a-potato-condo/
The doughty French have planted such home gardens for centuries, even during WWII.
God gave humans the ability to think. Unfortunately, too many of us do not bother with the obvious.
I meant "us" as in most of America.
It won't be me. Or my wife and daughter.
Thing is, sometimes you don’t even need to purchase seeds. Here, it’s called a trash garden. As you pointed out, those potatoes that are getting old and starting to sprout can be cut up and planted. Plant those lettuce bottoms that are purchased with the roots still attached. Plant the tops of carrots. Next time I need an onion, I’ll pull one from the garden that was once the root end of an onion I’d used. Save a handful of beans out of a bag of dried beans and plant them. Plant the seeds from inside the veggies and fruit you (the general “you”) just bought. Plant the seeds from dried chili peppers. The list goes on and on. Ever seen old style sewage waste with tomatoes and watermelons growing in it? Share seeds with neighbors for their gardens so they aren’t as likely to steal from yours. Ask for cuttings to start your own berry bushes.
Forage in clean areas for what most people think of as weeds. Be on the look out for plants putting on seeds.
When there is waste such as dried onion skins, egg shells, old coffee grounds, etc., put it in a compost pile for free fertilizer for the garden.
Don’t waste food. Don’t let anything go bad. Trade and barter. Learn to preserve - home canning, dehydrating, freezing and pickling. Watermelon rinds make great pickles. Zest citrus before eating it and you’ll have free dried zest for seasoning. Learn cooking ingredient substitutes. Maybe this week the store had eggs and cream cheese but there was no bread or flour, so make a bread substitute from them. Make corn cob jelly to sub for honey. When making jelly, turn the pulp into fruit butters. Eat the peels from fruits and vegs rather than discarding them. If kids are missing snacks, cut one piece of sliced cheese into 16 squares and nuke to make cheese crackers. You have a can of beets or sauerkraut but the family doesn’t like them, add them to a chocolate cake. Think soups and casseroles to use up little bits of leftovers. Save the liquid from canned goods and fresh cooked veg and meat for free broth or fruit liquid to add to beverages or baked goods. There is no excuse, even in wealthy countries, to waste food.
Learn how to make soap from meat fat. Use cloth diapers instead of disposable. Use rags instead of paper towels. In general, learn basic life skills and reuse, recycle and use up.