Hi Hugh,
My wife and I were discussing the most excellent post by D.D. She asked me did I write this. I told her, “No.” The reason she asked is that we have sat during “rest breaks” and discussed these very same items and scenarios in great detail. We have dropped many hints, some very “blunt”, to the people who may come to “our farm”. We raise cows, chickens, geese, ducks, turkeys, and have reserved a small herd of goats that we need to pick up. We grow sweet corn, field corn, field peas, butter beans, squash, potatoes, et cetera. We know how to process and store all these things from butchering, smoking, canning, et cetera. We have a neighbor who we trade a butcher cow for butcher pigs. We have at least four cows that are gentle enough to milk. The list of our preps goes on and on.
My point in writing this is that we have also planned in detail how we will respond to these people who just plan “to show up”. If that is your plan, you had better rethink it and get yourself a strong shot of reality now. Right now, when you turn into our private drive, you see a cattle guard and a driveway 1500 foot long though an open filed with no cover. When it comes to “show up” time, they will see a locked and chained gate. They will see a sign on the gate that says:
“NOTICE: Anyone who tries to open this gate or cross into this property without permission will be considered a hostile threat and will be treated as such. NO EXCEPTIONS!”
What happens next depends on who is on guard duty at that time. Our farmstead will be greatly changed from what they remembered. The reality they encounter will “rock their world”, if they ever reach our yard. For our neighbors whom we know, we have already provided them a very good book that will broaden their horizons and lead them to consider the possibilities. For those who are very poor, we have a very “basic” seed kit prepared for some local families, but like the writer said, “It will be a long wait!” We do have some extra supplies for those who really don’t have the funds to prepare. But we also know those who have expensive boats, cars, 4-wheelers, take expensive vacations, et cetera, and live paycheck to paycheck. M.R.