What can families do now to protect themselves?

[umoguy]

A suggestion from a web site reader:

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.as ... ng=en-US&s

Emergency Food Kit
275 Servings
Weather Proof Bucket
Item # 104893
$84.99
Shipping & Handling included *



John

They almost had me until I read "100% vegetarian." If we'd been intended to be vegetarian, we'd have the teeth and digestive systems of cattle. Mooo!

Plus I probably couldn't haul the thing out of the car or onto my shelf.

Pat the Silent Carnivore

Yeah you can fit a lot more preserved meat calories into a bucket this size than you can fit pasta calories, and much more nutritious as well, especial in terms of survival, where you need fat, and salt, and protien.

[ainsleyclare]

Hi everyone,
Since I first posed this question, situations have deteriorated both globally and personally (husband is now out of work and we don't know when/if they are going to bring him back). At least this is all more-or-less what I was expecting.
I'm still trying to get a little extra food each time I go to the grocery store, to put aside for bad times. Other changes:
1) in anticipation of deflation (which I'm already seeing), I'm trying harder to get debt-free
2) I am much less likely to throw anything away or give anything away if I think it might be needed by my family in the future (I used to get rid of anything that hadn't been used in a year)
3) I'm trying to get my kids used to the idea of getting less (toys, clothes, etc) while reassuring them that we will always be able to keep them fed and keep a roof over their heads. Wish I could be so sure of that myself.
4) I've obtained a sourdough starter so I can bake bread for my family

What are other people doing NOW in response to the economy and our mutal fears that it is going to get a lot worse before it gets better?
A.

[Witchiepoo]

Yeah you can fit a lot more preserved meat calories into a bucket this size than you can fit pasta calories, and much more nutritious as well, especial in terms of survival, where you need fat, and salt, and protien.

In times of starvation, you have to consider what's feasible and what isn't. It's much more energy-efficient to eat plants directly, rather than feed plants to animals and then eat the animals. That's why it takes herds of herbivores to support one family of carnivores.

So a "bucket of meat" would take many buckets of vegetables to produce. Probably why it's vegetarian.

[ainsleyclare]

In times of plenty, it is much more feasible to eat a vegetarian diet, knowing that your protein needs will be taken care of by whichever animal products you choose to eat and the copious available vegetables. In times of starvtion, people tend to eat more vegetables because that is all they have available, and they cherish the eggs/milk/meat that they can get.

[The Grey Badger]

I don't know it you'd call it protecting myself, but I'm finishing my house upgrade by having the crawl space insulated. And after the last bill from the veterinarian for Spot, a cat who has had fevers of unknown origin in August and again this past week, I'm taking steps to make him an indoor cat. (The logistics of which are difficult for a number of reasons.) I can't afford to have him get sick again. Not to mention he's my most cuddly cat.

Other than that, staying healthy, eating well, getting books from the library, and trying to make more contact with my family. Especially the Albuquerque daughter.

[Witchiepoo]

In times of plenty, it is much more feasible to eat a vegetarian diet, knowing that your protein needs will be taken care of by whichever animal products you choose to eat and the copious available vegetables. In times of starvtion, people tend to eat more vegetables because that is all they have available, and they cherish the eggs/milk/meat that they can get.

Goats and chickens will be good to have around, cuz they eat lots of stuff that humans can't digest anyway.

As a suggestion for kids, get them used to playing board games instead of computer games. It's better for their development anyway.

Next spring, I'm going to have my mom teach me how to grow my own veggies. She's been doing it for years.

[John]

From a web site reader:

> Sir, I am writing to you from Barcelona (Spain), and I am part of
> a group of reting people who want to set up a comunity for helping
> each other of us. Our resources are not very much indeed for the
> time being, but I have been reeding some of your interesting and
> deep articles. What we would like to ask you, if possible, is some
> advices for building up this comunitity, meaning examples ó
> specific real experiencies, if any, where we can learn something
> from the begining and save possibles futures mistakes. Our idea is
> not political one, is only civilian.

> Of course, we do not want to disturb you, but any answer in this
> matter from your side will be very much apreciatted. Thank you,
> in advance for all you are doing for all of us, with you points
> and advices. Sincerely

I'd really like to provide some advice for these people. Does anyone
have any suggestions?

Sincerely,

John

[richard5za]

Grow your own food
Many people in the USA (and other parts of the world) have the space to grow their own food. Perhaps it would be a good idea to get into practice now rather than when things get tough. My wife and I have had a vegetable garden for years, not because we are poor, but because freshly picked vegetables taste so much better. And you don't need a lot of space. Depending upon your climate easy to grow vegetabes include potatoes, corn, carrots, green beans, onions, peas, cabbage. Get local advice on whats easy to grow in your area. If you have a shortage of water or are in a very dry part of the world consider growing sorgum. Mill it (a coffee grinder works well) and cook it into a delicious and nutricious porridge for breakfast. Both corn and sorgum have long term storage properties; they can be grown in the summer and eaten in the winter. Both milled sorgum and corn make delicious bread as well.
Richard

[richard5za]

Here's an idea that may work for the Spanish retirees

The South African Department of Social Services does a lot of community training in poor areas on growing vegetables and how to make a vegetable garden. The idea is not just food security for the family but good nutrition as well. Their focus is to make vegetable growing really easy, and enjoyable, and also to expand the role of the elderly into doing the vegetable gardening.

So the encouragement is to make a raised "keyhole" garden. Generally they look like this:

keyhole_garden1.jpg (13.98 KiB) Viewed 8270 times

Keyhole-garden2.jpg (27.27 KiB) Viewed 8264 times

The idea is that the garden should be of a size and height that every square inch is easy for an old person to reach, by walking into the middle or round the sides. The suggestion is that it is positioned close to the back door, and that water from the sink is put onto the garden. Vegetable peelings and other vegetable waste are made into compost in a small hole or funel in the garden itself.

A garden such as those shown in the above pics will feed a family of 5 with vegetables, but excluding the starches. Generally it is best to grow corn, sorgum or potatoes in a patch near the raised garden. If the keyhole garden was to support one or two persons, then potatoes could be grown in it as well.

[richard5za]

Not chickens

Someone suggested keeping chickens. Its a last resort.

I have been an early riser all my life, well trained by the roosters and turkeys of my childhood. They have this tendency to say 'hello' to the new day about an hour or two before it starts to get light. If you want to increase your poultry flock, you do need roosters in addition to hens. My observations of American suburbia is that you could well be "up to your eyeballs" in complaints from the neighbours.

Secondly, on a small scale, such as the back garden, it takes no time at all for children to give the chickens names. I kept chickens (on a large property well away from neighbours) when my children were little, and the closest we ever got to a family riot was when "Brown Cocky Locky No 2" ended up looking delicious on the family dinner table. After that the chickens were for eggs only.