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1. Thanks HJL for the articles. I’m still in the beginning stages of plant identification but I find having a “key” manual helps. A key goes through a series of yes or no questions to identify a plant. Is the plant a scrub or tree? If tree, is it coniferous or deciduous? If coniferous (say, pine or cypress) then how many needles/leaves? Then go to the page with number of leaves. Three thru five? If three, go to page … and so on until it dead ends. Then check the plant against a photo. It’s arduous but might help from eating a plant that you think is a carrot.
   Once you learn to id a plant learn it’s ethnobotanical uses according to your area.

   As you go through the key you’ll pick-up some botany terms. While a tree can look like a large bush, it’s the “Lignin” that differentiates between the two. (Lignin, a complex organic polymer deposited in the cell walls of many plants, making them rigid and woody.) It’ll also helps seeing where the branch ends and the stem of a leave starts, the petiole. A compound leave has various leaflets. The leaflets together are considered one leaf. There are as many terms as you want or need to learn. Seems obvious but again, after you ingested the wrong ‘carrot’ … oh, well. Learn the poisonous plants first.
   It would be nice if the field manual pages were water-proof.

   Green Dean’s website “Eat The Weeds” is a great place to learn Floridian edible plants.
   http://www.eattheweeds.com/ (Not actually a plug but http://www.floridaearthskills.org/ or http://www.earthskillsgathering.org/ have lecturers with hands-on-demonstrations.)

   Space is good if you have it but companion planting works if you don’t. Plus, it can deter insects. An example of an indigenous planting method is the “Three Sisters”, planting squash, corn and beans together. During SHTF the less signature or crop area, you give off the more grey you’re be. Fungus is a food if you’re underground. So are insects. One way to keep them off your plants.

   1. @ John, what a great comment and addition to exploring wild edibles. It certainly makes me happy to read about other people being pragmatic about freedom.

      For me, I started exploring wild edibles using Samuel Thayer’s books called “The Forager’s Harvest” and “Nature’s Garden.” These books are great for beginners because not only are there real, quality pictures, there are also discussion on how to harvest, when to harvest with even some recipes on how to prepare the food.

      There are percentages within the book to give the reader a general idea on how many of the plants Sam Thayer discusses are in certain regions. If we are looking at the redoubt, from “Nature’s Garden” the amount of plants in that book apply to Idaho at 66%, Utah 68%, Montana 73%, Washington 76% and Oregon 80%. Florida is at 80%. Just a heads up to anyone interested in further exploring.

      1. Thanks for the articles Muddykid (sorry about that). Looking forward to the other articles.
         Samuel Thayer’s books are well-made.
         In addition, your local County Extension agent, USDA or University online has very good free info on indigenous plants that they have been field tested for the species and varieties in your area. If you can find historical books on your area explaining what was grown before commercial chemicals (similar to the Pre-EMP Era) read them.
         best

2. My 2 cents worth: Be careful about assuming game animals will be available during a SHTF scenario. Remember that in the 1800’s, deer populations were nearly wiped out in the east before relocation and hunting seasons were established. Migratory waterfowl and other birds may or not be available depending on the time of year. Rabbit populations can fluctuate wildly year to year. Many hunters will tell you from personal experience that hunting can use up a great deal of time and energy with little or no pay off. Intense hunting can drive animals out of the area. Trapping is probably a better use of your time. Be prepared to eat small birds and rodents rather than venison. You might consider buying a hundred rat traps rather than another gun. Every farm has a population of pigeons and english sparrows. (recall the old mother goose rhyme about “four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie.” Your ancestors ate things like this on a regular basis.) Also be aware that small streams can be fished out. Consider non-game fish, like minnows or things like crayfish and frogs. Many poor people around the world subsist on tiny minnows, mollusks and crustaceans rather than tuna and swordfish steaks. (they also eat things like dogs and cats and rats.)
   But most important, do not depend on hunting for long term survival. There is a good reason humans learned to domesticate farm animals. Think of wild game as a windfall rather than a sure thing.

3. Muddy kid thanks for the reference to my article in the first part of your article. I think many of us don’t view food as we should. We store perhaps 2 weeks, a month, 3 months, 6 months, a year or perhaps even 5 years. The more I think about food the more I realize that we will never have enough so food production or as you point out foraging for wild foods must be planned for. The reason I think we won’t have enough food is simply since whether we want to admit it now or not we will help others. Human history and other disasters have shown that ultimately humans will help other humans in need. No man is an Island and help will be need either in the form of muscle or skills. That help will come with a price. Think back through history and we see that man is tribal, although we like the idea of rugged individualism the stark reality is that safety and security come from the tribe. So when that trauma doc comes walking up looking for food you can be to fool and let him/her keep walking or you can take them into your “tribe”. The other thing is my kids are approaching their teen years, to think that they won’t want to find a partner and start a family is just poor planning. No matter how much we plan and prepare we will ultimately end up needing something even if it is just another set of eyes and ears for sentry duty or someone to help plow, sow and harvest. The Thrid issue is throughout history FOOD has been used as a weapon!!! All the talk of civil war recently should have us thinking what that might look like. One of my assumption is it may be look a lot like county folk against city folk. (Not necessarily 100% but close I bet). So the city folk will control the ports like LA and will use the control of imported goods (including food) to their advantage. County folk would probably us the vast “bread basket” of middle America as a weapon. Sherman’s March to the Sea, same premise.

   Since buying our BOL I have looked for both edible and medicinal plants. Plantains, white Pine, spruce, elderberry, rose hips, etc. have a good size jar of pine pitch ready to melt down and mix with bees wax for a salve.

   Not planning on “hunting” but rather will be trapping with live traps. More productive use of time. Don’t own a fishing pole that is for sport- I got a net.

   The more we can produce for ourselves the better we are period.

4. Aspirin is actually a synthesized version of the chemical in Willow Tree bark. So yes, it works like aspirin, but harder to figure out how much to use.

   1. @Vic, I have read that willow bark can be used like aspirin. However, I had a solid conversation with a ecologist who is a senior scientist at a major university who specializes in native medicinal plants, and I was told the willow bark/aspirin is not true. This is why I said it was debatable. Yarrow though, is good to go.

      The larger point I was attempting to make is, similar to identifying a single tree, like mulberry, many other options present themselves. Same with willow, fire, water, possibly medicine.

5. great write up!

6. Regarding traps: a small or medium size Havahart or Tru-catch trap can also be used. I have both in medium size to live trap feral cats for spay/neuter and shots. I do NOT set them at night, as I know I may catch a skunk, possum, raccoon. Tru-catch is much quieter. Takes only a little smelly food on paper plate to lure in a hungry kitty! A larger hungry predator would have great difficulty getting a smaller animal out of such a metal trap. For extra security, it could be wired to a tree so that larger predator does not “walk” off with it.

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