I Believe

I believe...

Those two words have sparked heated debates, angry words and nods of agreement. We all have our own beliefs of what will ensue once TSHTF.

We have a plethora of pending disasters that could in our mind, trigger a SHTF event. Avian Influenza is a ticking time bomb according to the WHO. Climate Change is already affecting many as we can see by all the storm related deaths around the world and, here at home.

Famine, caused by climate change will affect the poorer nations before the western nations begin to feel it much. Peak Oil will make an essential product unavailable except to the richer nations, and those who produce it themselves. Trading food for oil is not too far fetched to happen.

UG99 Wheat Stem Rust will decimate crops world wide, but Monsanto will save us, or enslave us with their control over our seed stock. I encourage everyone to stock up on non-hybrid seeds and learn to grow your own food. Learn to save seed for your next years plantings.

Even buying the hybrid seed is not a totally bad thing if you store it in the refrigerator or freezer. Buy as much seed as you can now while it is still available. You will have weather related failures as well as insect pests to contend with.

You should stock up on supplys to build greenhouses with, as there is no guarentee that the weather will cooperate for growing food. Clear plastic and black plastic will be indespensible for this purpose. If you have the chance, salvage windows from Craigslist as people are remodeling all the time. Use them to build Cold Frames and in your greenhouse construction.

I believe that those who do not prepare now, will have no chance later as prices spiral out of control on essential goods. It will begin to take all of their disposable income just to keep food on their table and gas in their tank.

Gas has hit $4.25 a gallon here now, and will probably be $5.00 by Labor Day. I am actively looking at other forms of transportation now in an effort to not feed the greedy bastards who keep driving up the price of fuel and everything else in our consumer society.

I looked at soup in the local grocery store: $1.67 for a can of Campbells condensed Beef soup. The store brand was $0.10 cheaper. These prices are criminal. I try to buy only the out of date meat and other products from this store now. I toss the extra meat in the freezer and use the rest up as quickly as possible.

As soon as chicken goes on sale again I will begin to start canning it instead of freezing. I would not want to loose all that meat if the power went out long term. Canning is a great way to add some normalcy to your food storage. Cooking up soups and stews, chili, and tomato sauces, salsa and fruit: It all is a good addition to the beans, rice and wheat.

I have two food dehydrators that I am going to start up making jerky and hamburger rocks. I am going to dry in season fruit and vegetables and create my own soup mixes in pint jars. I have been saving all the glass jars and lids that I generate rather than throw them out or send to recycle. They will work well for storing dry mixes and dehydrated foods.

One of my favorite snack foods is Tim's cascade Style Potato Chips. They come in a sealed mylar/aluminized lined plastic bag. I think I will experiment with resealing these. If it works I will be able to have my chips and long term stored grain too!