Our weekly Snippets column is a collection of short items: responses to posted articles, practical self-sufficiency items, how-tos, lessons learned, tips and tricks, and news items — both from readers and from SurvivalBlog’s editors. Note that we may select some long e-mails for posting as separate letters.
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Some enthusiastic young men have just launched a new military surplus company in Tampa, Florida, called Gear Rack [1]. Their inventory arrives in semi trailer-loads of DRMO clothing and gear, mostly in pallet boxes. What a chore to sort and catalog it all! They also sell some foreign military surplus. Their videos [2] (12 of them, thusfar) are quite entertaining. Seeing that variety of field gear and uniforms certainly brings back some memories for me. Take a look at their website [1]. If you place an order, then please tell them that you saw their company mentioned in SurvivalBlog. I believe that they would be a great advertiser or writing contest prize sponsor. – JWR
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Reader Mark J. mentioned some very practical fish traps [3]. Note From JWR: Be sure to consult your State’s fish & game laws before ordering. In most States, these are legal to possess, but not to use for most species and rivers/streams. But I don’t know of any laws that would restrict their use on a fully isolated fish pond that you excavate on your own property. Remember: Traps and snares do their job 24 hours a day, and only require regular checking. Those devices are huge time-savers that will free you to do other tasks.
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Another W3W App success: Hikers found in North Middlesex [4].
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Reader M.B. had this comment:
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Reader D.S.V. mentioned this Turning Point USA webpage: American Comeback Tour [6]. It is so sad to see a young man with so much potential killed, in an attempt to silence his speech. Ironically, the end result will be that his messages (both political and sharing the gospel) will now have an even wider audience. Hundreds of new public speakers will step up to take Charlie Kirk’s place. There are now 300,000+ new Turning Point USA subscribers. (Now 3.6 million.) They can’t stop the signal.
And on a related note: ‘The Entire School Is Doing It’: Students Pay Tribute to Charlie Kirk by Wearing Coats and Ties [7].
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H.L. spotted this: Mapped: The Number of Farms in Each U.S. State [8].
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SaraSue sent this snippet:
“What a week filled with sadness, from the remembrance of 9/11 to the assassination of Charlie Kirk who spent his young life bringing young people to Christ while believing in open and fair debate. A true modern-day martyr. There was no time to sit in sorrow, however, here on the farm. I felt numb, but I had to keep going, and I prayed while I worked. Mr. Rawles’ recent write-up on preparedness, emphasizing that time could be short, encouraged me to keep going with purpose.
I planted a small Fall garden. Had another cow bred via Artificial Insemination, a service that a ranching neighbor provides. I found a great deal on a 2 week old bottle calf from a small farm not too far away. My original plan was to raise 2 for beef, but I had only found 1 bottle calf that was healthy and reasonably priced. The cost for cattle right now is sky high, so I’m thankful to already have a good herd, and the ability to grow beef and produce dairy products right here. The new calf appears very healthy, and tame. Since my primary milk cow is making a lot of milk, and since I had closed my raw milk herd share months ago due to health issues of my own, I was dumping all the extra milk. With the addition of a second bottle calf, all the milk is going to good use now, and will feed our family again in about a year or so when these calves are grown out. And it’s costing close to nothing to feed them, with the exception of winter hay. (I don’t feed grain to cows who are not in milk.)
The reason, in case you are wondering, for why I bought two bottle calves to raise for beef, is that my cows produced highly sought-after dairy heifers this year. I was able to sell them for a good sum of money. Then turn around and purchase less marketable bottle calves for a fraction of what I made selling. Commercial dairies will sell off bull calves because they aren’t in the business of raising beef, only milk. Smaller farms may sell off beef/dairy cross heifer or bull calves depending upon their own needs for beef or dairy. You have to keep an eye out and snatch one up quickly. In this case, I was the first to respond to the ad, and the farmer was gracious enough to let me have first crack at the purchase. Quite a number of people piled in after me wanting that single calf. That’s how hot the market is right now for cattle (another topic altogether). I didn’t even use the truck and trailer to pick the calf up – the little calf fit in the back of my car. I set up a small quarantine area for the calf to keep it separate from the herd until I am assured it is well and healthy. I won’t sacrifice the health of my existing herd, not even for future beef. Once it has shown itself healthy, it will be moved to the “calf pasture” to be raised alongside the other bottle calf.
In my Bible readings, I read, several times, passages in Matthew, II Thessalonians, Daniel, and the entire book of Revelation. It is not clear to me what stage of TEOTWAWKI (End Times) we are in. I have many friends who are certain we are in a particular stage. I prayed for Wisdom from the Lord because I am not convicted that we are there yet. I do concur that the time is short, and our lives on this earth are short, and that we don’t know when the Lord will return. I think the assassination of Charlie Kirk has awakened Christians, finally, to the fact that our extreme tolerance and acceptance of evil must end if we are to survive. Many times the Lord changed His plans of destruction based on pleas from His people. I hope this is such a time.
Practically speaking, I live in a safe area, raise my own food, have layers of security, and am well stocked up on projectile devices. I pray I do not have to defend the farm, but my resolve is firm. I carry wherever I go. Watching innocent people murdered in cold blood for no good reason has taken any hesitation right out of me. I have like-minded neighbors who believe similarly. We have already agreed upon mutual aid and self-defense. Now, we pray, and we keep moving.”
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A brief essay by Andrew Wallace, posted over at Lew Rockwell’s site: How To Return the American Dream to Twenty-Year-Olds With Only a Single Income [9].
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Raeder E.R. suggested this piece posted at The Corbett Report: Public Life Is Now A Subscription Service [10]. JWR’s Comment: I won’t be satisfied that freedom and a sound currency have been returned to American society until I see five things: 1.) A typical single-income family can afford to buy a home. 2.) A home cannot be seized for failure to pay property taxes, 3.) There is true freedom of choice in education. 4.) Our paper currency is redeemable for gold or silver, on demand. And, 5.) I can buy a polymer frame handgun or a box of ammunition from a vending machine.
Please Send Us Your Snippets!
Please send your snippet items for potential posting to JWR [11]. or AVL [11]. You can do so either via e-mail or via our Contact [12] form.