“Even in rural America”
I am not paranoid of this, but out of caution I updated my reloading capacity about 3 years ago. That is still ongoing.
I grew up hunting. There is a huge amount of local game. It recovered for the 4-5 year drought this past year. Quail population exploded. In places we have the most deer that have been here in my lifetime. Same with wild hogs (unfortunately). And Turkey.
I enjoy gardening too. Put in a much expanded orchard and berry bushes about 4 years ago. Right in the middle of the drought. Was tough to keep those alive.
We have a meat processing building with walk-in box, butcher’s bandsaw, commercial sausage press, commercial meat slicer. And a 4x8 ft. brick smoking pit. We can process our livestock and wild game if needed.
Do I want to go back to that? NO. But my ancestors were here in the rolling plains without organized society. They survived.
Large game has exploded in population here, too. Deer and wild turkey in abundance. More hunters than ever, but it doesn’t seem to be putting much of a dent in the population. We haven’t had the drought that you’ve had.
It’s good to have the means to feed yourself and your family independent of the supply chain, which has always seems a little precarious to me. Like you, I hope it’s never needed again like it once was.