Feeding Infants at TEOTWAWKI: The Critical Advantages of Breastfeeding, by Dr. Goscienski, M.D. – Part I

Milk is the primary source of nourishment and hydration for infants during the first two years of life. We have become so accustomed to the ready availability of cow’s milk, or sometimes other sources, such as goat or soy, that we have neglected the best source– the human breast. What is not often appreciated is that human milk, according to one expert on the subject, “exerts effects far beyond its nutritional value.” The full impact of that concept in a TEOTWAWKI (The End of the World as We Know It) situation is the subject of this article.

An adult can survive for weeks without food and days without water, but infants in the first few weeks of life will succumb quickly when either breastmilk or formula is not available for even a short time. Substitutes that might be available during a disaster will not be adequate.

In a regional disaster, such as a moderate earthquake, it might be possible to obtain supplies within hours or days from unaffected neighbors. In a massive collapse, such as an EMP (ElectroMagnetic Pulse), a nationwide cyber attack, or a severe earthquake that involves a wide area, the lack of food and safe water, communications, and transportation will affect our youngest children soonest, unless we preserve the single best infant survival resource– breastmilk.

Most American infants below the age of six months are not receiving breastmilk. Although nearly 75 percent of newborn babies are exclusively breastfed at the time of hospital discharge, that number falls to about 33 percent at 3 months and less than 12 percent when the child is 6 months old. Those figures are far from the goals of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Healthy People 2010 initiative of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. What is far more important than the HHS goals is that at TEOTWAWKI, the vast majority of mothers will have no way to prevent their babies from becoming dehydrated in the short term and starving in the long term.

That is not the whole story. In a societal collapse infectious diseases will take the lives of millions of persons. The first to be affected will be the very young, whose immune systems have not matured. Infants who are not breastfed will be most at risk. In order to understand why breastfeeding will be so important at TEOTWAWKI, it’s necessary to describe some basic principles concerning this ancient practice. To be sure, the vast majority of persons have no knowledge of breastfeeding and neither do most healthcare professionals. This is partly explained by the complacent acceptance of artificial (cow’s milk formula) feeding among parents but also because the topic is barely discussed either in medical schools or in the postgraduate training of physicians. In addition, much has been discovered in the past few years on the nature of breastmilk. The goals of this essay are to educate the readers of Survivalblog and to prepare women of childbearing age with the information, the attitude, and the nutritional knowledge that will enable their children to survive. Stored food, water, and MREs won’t accomplish that.

The basics of breastfeeding

Human breastmilk has several characteristics that are simply impossible to duplicate with the milk of any other animal, modified or not. The mother and infant comprise a dyad, a unique pairing consisting of genetic and environmental elements that, like fingerprints, have no exact matches in life. If a mother delivers a male child one year and a female child the next, the breastmilk that she produces for each will not be the same. Simply put, milk for boys is different from milk for girls. Imagine then, how different must be the milk of every mother from every other mother/infant dyad.

Beginning with the first contractions of the uterus in labor, the infant is subject to stress. After a few hours of being squeezed and then being forced through a tight passageway, feeling the temperature drop when the trip is complete, and then expanding his/her lungs for the very first time, the term stress must seem inadequate for this new little human. Yet nature has prepared for this, provided that the infant is allowed access to its mother’s breast immediately. The first few drops of milk, and the several ounces that follow in the next couple of days contain endorphins (endogenous morphine), chemicals that relax the infant and alleviate the stress that he/she has undergone. Endorphins also appear to increase the bonding that occurs within the mother/infant dyad. Formula-fed infants are not so fortunate.

With occasional, and sometimes serious, exceptions, the infant in the womb is protected from infectious agents. That changes within moments of entering a microbe-filled world. Fortunately, the baby has received some protective antibodies against those germs to which the mother has been exposed, either through natural infection or from vaccination. For the rest, nature has provided some temporary but critical protections in breastmilk.

Lysozyme is found in tears, breastmilk, and other secretions, and it literally dissolves bacteria. Oligosaccharides are sugar-like molecules that block bacteria from attaching themselves to the lining of the throat and the intestine. Secretory IgA is a type of antibody formed within the mother’s breast that also protects the infant from infectious agents. Substances in breastmilk induce the infant’s cells to produce interferon– a class of chemicals that inhibit viruses. As an example, when a mother develops influenza, her breastfed infant will respond by producing larger amounts of interferon, a phenomenon that is being studied with great interest.

Of all the ways in which breastmilk protects the infant, the presence of live cells may be the most important. More than 160 years ago live cells were discovered in normal breastmilk. Over the next century these cells were observed to kill bacteria and fungi. They include neutrophils– cells that form the bulk of pus observed in a wound, for example. It has taken decades to unravel the significance of macrophages and lymphocytes, whose role in the immune process is still not fully known but that are important in the fight against all types of microorganisms. Still more intriguing are stem cells, whose function in breastmilk is not yet well understood but that undoubtedly play a role in survival.

These cells have some important characteristics. They originate in the immune tissues of the mother and arrive in the immune tissues of the infant. Clearly, they do not appear in breastmilk by accident; they have a defined purpose. Unlike most elements of breastmilk, these cells escape digestion by the infant. Somehow they are not processed as food, as would be cells from any other source. Most remarkably, they remain in the child’s body for years and influence the function of the recipient’s immune system for nearly a decade, perhaps longer. There are no live cells in commercial infant formula.

There are other live cells in breastmilk: bacteria. These are not the dangerous kind but represent normal flora, also known as probiotics, without which we could not survive. Animals that are raised in a totally germ-free environment do not live long. These beneficial bacteria aid in the development of the immune system, they lower cholesterol, increase the caloric value of foods, and very importantly, they inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria that we encounter frequently.

New techniques in microbiology have revolutionized the study of the bacteria that live in and on us. Once thought to be few in number and only moderately diverse, genetic methods have revealed that the bacterial cells that we carry outnumber our own body cells (somatic cells) by a factor of ten to one. The number of different species of these beneficial bacteria is hard to grasp; nearly 1,000 separate species have been identified so far.

Until a few years ago infants were thought to acquire their allotted share of good bacteria in the first few hours after birth. Having a baby, after all, is a rather messy process. The vagina contains a myriad of bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms, and only C-section babies avoid them (perhaps to their detriment). The close proximity of the birth canal to the alimentary canal inevitably leads to contamination with fecal material, where most good bacteria reside. Finally, the skin that covers the breast harbors many strains of bacteria so that the nursing infant partakes of them as well.

Recent studies have shown that breastmilk is not sterile. It contains beneficial bacteria that actually arrive there before labor begins. Obviously, nature intended that we should receive these helpful germs at the earliest possible moment.

How much does this matter in a TEOTWAWKI situation? When public sanitation facilities fail, when water supplies become contaminated, and when the lack of medical systems leads to rampant infection, every immunological element takes on great importance. We see this on a huge scale in developing countries where infant formula companies have successfully marketed their product but where the water that is used to reconstitute powdered or concentrated formula is often contaminated. In those countries diarrhea is the single leading cause of death in early childhood. Breastfed babies have less gastrointestinal disease, fewer respiratory infections, and lower rates of ear infections than their bottle-fed counterparts, even in the most modern societies.

A full-term pregnancy lasts about 40 weeks, but some babies don’t remain in the womb that long. The lower the birth weight, the greater the risk of breathing problems, infection, brain damage, and other difficulties. One of the most serious complications of prematurity is necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), in which portions of the intestine are damaged and die. The mortality rate may be as high as 50 percent. Premature infants that receive their own mother’s breastmilk via a feeding tube have a significantly greater chance of avoiding NEC.

Omega-3 fats are important constituents of the brain and eyes, and the growing fetus receives these through the placenta. Most of the transfer of these nutrients occurs during the last eight weeks of pregnancy. What happens to the infant that is unfortunate enough to arrive two months early? As if to compensate for this lack of critical nutrients, the breast of the mother whose infant arrives early manufactures a greater amount of these fatty acids than the mother whose baby remains in the womb for a full 40 weeks. It is only recently that infant formula has been supplemented with omega-3 fats. That might not solve the problem. Fats can become rancid on storage in a can or a bottle, but they are always fresh in the mother’s breast.

A truly remarkable element in the mother/infant dyad is synchronicity, producing the right nutrients at the right time. In the first few days after delivery breastmilk is known as colostrum. It is rather scanty, but it contains a large amount of protein with lots of protective antibodies. From about the second week to three months the mother produces transitional milk. This is the period of the most rapid growth of a child’s life; his/her weight doubles in three months from an average birth weight of 7 pounds to about 14 pounds. The next 7 pounds will require another 9 months. It’s no wonder that transitional milk is very high in calories compared to every other stage of the nursing period. Mature milk is formed after the third month or so, and breastmilk changes every day because the baby does.

Contrast that with commercial formula. When Mom sends Dad to the store for formula on the day they arrive home with the new baby, he brings back several days’ supply. Next month or six months later the same brand contains exactly the same ingredients. It never changes.

How will we feed babies in TEOTWAWKI?

Alternatives for mother’s milk were not unknown in ancient times. There is archeological evidence from more than 2,000 years ago that infants received animal milks in specially designed feeding devices. The usual alternative, however, was a wet nurse. If a woman died at childbirth in Roman times, for example, the father could employ the services of a woman, usually a slave, who was still lactating to provide for her own child. Because a wet nurse may have been lactating for months or years, she supplies her new infant client with mature milk. The baby has therefore not only missed the initial feedings of colostrum, but also the high-calorie transitional milk.

In TEOTWAWKI there will be few, if any, wet nurses to fill in for the mother who cannot breastfeed or who has chosen not to and whose breasts are now dry.

The early history of substitute milks is dismal, and history may repeat itself in TEOTWAWKI. The lack of proper facilities and the paucity of expert knowledge of formula preparation could result in the dire effects of the late 19th century, when infant death rates among formula-fed infants were double those of breastfed babies during the first year. The tragedies that we still see in developing countries give us a clue of what to expect at TEOTWAWKI. Lack of pasteurization, contaminated water, and errors in recipe preparation lead to many deaths.

There is a misguided impression that “natural” vegetable milks are satisfactory substitutes for standard infant formula. Soy, almond, rice, and sweet chestnut milks, designed for adult consumption, are almost always deficient in calories, protein, vitamins, and minerals relative to an infant’s needs. These have resulted in growth failure, seizures, iron deficiency anemia, rickets, pneumonia, coma, and death.

As more families relocate to rural areas there is an increasing likelihood that they will depend on private wells for their water supply. This adds one more reason for mothers to breastfeed and not to rely on home-prepared infant formula: nitrate contamination. Over the decades there has been increased use of nitrogen-containing fertilizers and those have seeped into water tables. In the mid-1990s the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 13 percent of wells in Midwestern states had elevated levels of nitrates. If nitrate-contaminated water is used to make infant formula, there is a risk of methemoglobinemia– a reduced ability of blood to carry oxygen. Affected infants turn blue, become irritable or lethargic, may develop coma, and will die if untreated.

The breastmilk of mothers who consume nitrate-contaminated water will not harm the infant, because the substance does not pass into the milk. In addition, the good bacteria that breastfed infants acquire prevent the chemical conversion of any ingested nitrates to the toxic form. In case a mother needs to revert to cow’s milk formula prepared at home, every family that relies on well water should have it tested for nitrates before the need arises.

The breastfeeding mindset

Although we have made some progress in the past generation, we are not a breastfeeding society. Consider the regular but disheartening stories of mothers who have been excluded from shopping malls, city council meetings, airplanes, and other venues because they were doing what mothers have done for millennia– nourishing their infants. Despite the fact that they almost always have done this discreetly, showing less breast than many magazine covers at the local Barnes and Noble bookstore, they have been ridiculed, or worse. It’s time to change our culture and to do so before TEOTWAWKI. A society in which exposed but empty breasts are visible on prime-time TV and in PG-13 movies ought to be able to tolerate breastfeeding in public.

We must also prepare the pregnant. Surveys among medical students and healthcare workers reveal a dismal picture: physicians do not encourage breastfeeding. One reason, of course, is that it is never part of the medical school curriculum. They are therefore unaware of the shortcomings of commercial infant formulas and the clear superiority and the importance of breastmilk. Obstetricians are more interested in what happens until the umbilical cord is cut than what happens afterward. That should be the pediatrician’s turf, but pediatric residency training rarely includes discussions of breastfeeding. The lactating breast only receives attention when the mother complains of pain, engorgement, cracked nipples, or the frustrating concern that “I’m not producing enough milk.”

It is a rare mother that does not produce enough milk. On the contrary, mothers of twins can breastfeed both exclusively for a full six months, in accordance with the current guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatrics. One of the notable achievements of nature is that as the demand for milk goes up, so does production.

There is another person who requires education regarding the irreplaceable advantages of breastfeeding: the grandmother. The women who bore children a generation ago had very low rates of breastfeeding. I don’t mean to disparage those who belong to the Baby Boomer generation, but when they burned their bras they did so with the conviction that breasts were not for milking. That was largely because physicians accepted the pitches of infant formula manufacturers, whose products were said to be virtually identical to breastmilk. After all, the trade name Similac® clearly implied that it was “similar to lactation.”

The grandmother who never breastfed has little to offer her daughters on this subject. She likely still holds the opinion that there is little difference between breast and bottle. After all, aren’t she and her daughters still perfectly healthy? Grandma shouldn’t be ignored; she should be educated along with the rest of the population. Expect some resistance, mixed with not a little guilt when she learns that there is, indeed a difference between the breast and the bottle.

In regard to the presumption that she and her daughters are perfectly healthy, that is simply incorrect. There is a wealth of evidence that breastfeeding has a profound influence on the health of both the baby and the mother. Following are some examples, all of which are facts, not speculation.

Babies that are breastfed have a lower risk of:

  • SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome),
  • ear infections,
  • respiratory diseases,
  • diarrhea, and
  • pyloric stenosis (obstruction of the stomach outlet that usually requires surgery).

In later childhood they are less likely to have:

  • asthma,
  • eczema,
  • leukemia,
  • lymphoma, and
  • type 1 diabetes.

As adults they are at lower risk of:

  • type 2 diabetes and,
  • osteoporosis.

In prior generations adults were also less apt to become obese, but there are now so many overriding factors predisposing to obesity that this benefit has disappeared.

The uterus of the mother who suckles her infant immediately after delivery contracts more vigorously and so limits blood loss. She bonds more strongly with her infant and has less chance of developing postpartum depression.

The mother’s greatest health benefits will come much later (after breastfeeding is long over):

  • less likelihood of premenopausal breast cancer,
  • less likelihood of ovarian cancer,
  • a reduced risk of metabolic syndrome,
  • a reduced risk of heart disease, and
  • a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.

All of the above are major causes of death and disability.

Three Letters Re: Bench Space, by Scot Frank Eire

Dear Scott Frank Erie,

Thanks for your excellent article on bench space. I thought I would share a low cost but very versatile system with you that I have used for years to save bench space. I have installed “T” nuts throughout my work benches to easily bolt and remove 1” thick plywood panels of assorted sizes which, in turn, serve as bases for loading tools, a mini lathe and mill, drill sharpener, assorted vises, et cetera. In case a reader might not be familiar with them, a “T” nut is inserted from the backside of a piece of wood after drilling a clearance hole and, if needed, a countersink hole. Prongs on the nut bite into the wood and the nut then provides a threaded metal insert (nut) through which items can be solidly bolted and removed countless times without wear and without the need to access the back side of the wood or, in this case, the bottom of the work bench. I have installed three rows of 1/4” “T” nuts on 12” centers the length of my benches and have offset the rows by 6” to allow versatility in spacing items. The first row starts at 6” from the front edge of the bench with subsequent rows 12” from the first row. I have counter sunk the bench top to accommodate 1/4” flat allen head furniture bolts which are used to fill any unused holes to maintain a flat bench surface. All that needs to be done is to cut a piece of 1’’ plywood to fit the tool to be mounted and leave a margin around the item to allow holes to be drilled in the plywood to line up with the T nut pattern in the bench. The tool, of course, is bolted to the plywood and the plywood to the bench. With the proper sized T-handled allen or nut driver, a tool can be removed and a new one installed to replace it in just a few seconds. Several tools, of course, can be used at once if space allows. I have also created a “master board” with predrilled holes, again with T nuts, to accommodate infrequently used items which are bolted to the master board then bolted to the bench. In my case, the master board is predrilled for over a dozen items, thus eliminating the bulk of several odd sized boards. The holes can be marked with a “Sharpee” pen as a reminder as to which holes fit a given tool. I hope this idea might be of use to some of your readers. Be safe and prep as if your life depended on it. – Gary D.

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Hi guys,

I thought the “Bench Space” article was a good one. I’m on my second custom built bench. The comment I wanted to make was about reloading. I always hear people say they are either reloading to save money (to shoot more) or to create more accurate ammo. But what about ammo availability? I have always felt that you should have enough powder/primers/brass on hand to reload a few thousand rounds for every caliber you normally shoot. I have never run out of of any ammo during the shortages that have occurred. Just a thought. – Andy

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Scot,

I am not a reloader, but rather a woodworker with many small bench tools that take up too much space when not in use. I purchased a clamping bench that I use to hold my bench tools. I mount them on a piece of 4’x4’x3/4″ plywood, and screw a 2×4 down the center of the bottom of the plywood. I then attach the bench tool to the plywood, which I can then place on top of the clamping type bench and tighten on to the 2×4. I made a rack which holds multiple tools (with there attached plywood and 2×4). Just my $.02. – D.I.

Economics and Investing:

What Happens When America Goes Bankrupt? – P.S.

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Meet TheLiberal Network That Orchestrated The Hit On The Benham Brothers. – P.M.

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Items from The Economatrix:

When Not Even The “1%” Can Afford College

Bank Of America Would Like To Buy Your Gold, Seeing “No Gains Above $1315”

De-Dollarization: Russia Is On The Verge Of Dealing A Massive Blow To The Petrodollar

Is College Worth A Lifetime Of Debt? Student Debt Reaches Critical Tipping Point At $1.2 Trillion As Annual Price Increases Enter The Moment Of Truth.

Odds ‘n Sods:

For those of you who are fans of Isac Asimov, this is nothing new. The technology level in our daily utilitarian appliances is advancing fast and some, such as cars, could really be called robots without blinking an eye. As artificial intelligence increases in these appliances, this now becomes an issue that must be dealt with, but how? The Mathematics of Murder: Should a Robot Sacrifice Your Life to Save Two?. – T.P.

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Krayton Kerns – The Magic of Wool.

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Did ATF’s Determination on NICS Checks Open the Door for Manufacture of New Machineguns for Trusts? – Mike Williamson, SurvivalBlog Editor At Large.

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Brazil unveils ‘Robocop’ suit to protect super-elite police unit during World Cup. It weighs in at 22 pounds and includes a helmet and vest, plastic shin pads, a pepper spray mask, and a belt for a .40 pistol, stun gun, handcuffs, and a baton.

… And Remember… Don’t scream if your being robbed. It might “provoke” the robbers according to Brazilian police. – T.P.

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Sudan to execute Christian woman who refused to convert to Islam. But …But… But President Obama and MSNBC told me Islam is the Religion of peace and love? They wouldn’t lie to me… right? – J.H.

Notes for Thursday – May 15, 2014:

WooHoo! The one year countdown to the release of the long-delayed movie https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mad_Max:_Fury_Road has begun!

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Today we present another entry for Round 52 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $11,000+ worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course (a $1,195 value),
  2. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  3. Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. A $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear,
  5. A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value),
  6. A $300 gift certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
  7. A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo,
  8. A roll of $10 face value in pre-1965 U.S. 90% silver quarters, courtesy of GoldAndSilverOnline.com, (currently valued at around $180 postpaid),
  9. Both VPN tunnel and DigitalSafe annual subscriptions from Privacy Abroad (a combined value of $195),
  10. KellyKettleUSA.com is donating both an AquaBrick water filtration kit and a Stainless Medium Scout Kelly Kettle Complete Kit with a combined retail value of $304,
  11. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit, and
  12. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $300 gift certificate.

Second Prize:

  1. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  2. A FloJak EarthStraw “Code Red” 100-foot well pump system (a $500 value), courtesy of FloJak.com,
  3. Acorn Supplies is donating a Deluxe Food Storage Survival Kit with a retail value of $350,
  4. The Ark Instituteis donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package–enough for two families of four, seed storage materials, a CD-ROM of Geri Guidetti’s book “Build Your Ark! How to Prepare for Self Reliance in Uncertain Times”, and two bottles of Potassium Iodate– a $325 retail value,
  5. $300 worth of ammo from Patriot Firearms and Munitions. (They also offer a 10% discount for all SurvivalBlog readers with coupon code SVB10P),
  6. A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials,
  7. A full set of all 26 books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
  8. Two cases of meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value),
  9. Autrey’s Armory – specialists in AR-15, M4s, parts, and accessories is donating a $250 gift certificate,
  10. Dri-Harvestfoods.com in Bozeman, Montana is providing a prize bundle with Beans, Buttermilk Powder, Montana Hard Red Wheat, Drink Mixes, and White Rice, valued at $333,
  11. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate, and
  12. Organized Prepper is providing a $500 gift certificate.

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security,
  5. A MURS Dakota Alert Base Station Kit with a retail value of $240 from JRH Enterprises,
  6. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances, and
  7. Ambra Le Roy Medical Products in North Carolina is donating a bundle of their traditional wound care and first aid supplies, with a value of $208.
  8. SurvivalBased.com is donating a $500 gift certificate to their store.

Round 52 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Survival and Prepping in a Homeowner’s Association, by M.B. – Part 2

Homeowner associations, property owner associations (POAs), planned unit developments (PUDs), or common interest developments (CIDS) may be in a unique position to take advantage of local planning, control, management, and oversight in providing both essential and recreational services to the members they represent, especially in times of disaster or severe economic downturns.

The HOA should follow, at a minimum, the Community Associations Institute “Model Code of Ethics” for HOA Board members, which follows:

“Board members should:

  • Strive at all times to serve the best interests of the association as a whole regardless of their personal interests.
  • Use sound judgment to make the best possible business decisions for the association, taking into consideration all available information, circumstances and resources.
  • Act within the boundaries of their authority as defined by law and the governing documents of the association.
  • Provide opportunities for residents to comment on decisions facing the association.
  • Perform their duties without bias for or against any individual or group of owners or non-owner residents.
  • Disclose personal or professional relationships with any company or individual who has or is seeking to have a business relationship with the association.
  • Conduct open, fair and well-publicized elections.
  • Always speak with one voice, supporting all duly-adopted board decisions even if the board member was in the minority regarding actions that may not have obtained unanimous consent.” [5]

Can you imagine what it would be like if our governmental bureaucrats and “elected” politicians truly adhered to even a portion of this Code of Ethics?

Volunteer committees and social groups make up the bulk of the true disaster response capability in an HOA setting. Even though HOA Boards, staff, and management teams will play important roles in leadership, communications, procurement, and “holding down the fort”, HOA volunteers already “get it”; namely, that giving of your time, treasure, and talent are what brings true satisfaction and spiritual growth into our lives. (See Luke 6:38)

The training and efforts of HOA volunteers in “peacetime” bode well for what their response and dedication to their community and close neighbors will be when TEOTWAWKI is on the horizon.

HOA Committees and Groups with specific interests, member backgrounds, and skill sets include:

Amateur Radio (Ham) Clubs. Members include retired persons, ex-military, telecom workers, electronic industry personnel, “Old School” techies, and preppers. These people range from ham radio “rig” and antenna “scratch” builders to out-of-the-box buyers of some of the latest and greatest ham gear and antennas. Related Ham organizations include:

  • American Radio Relay League (ARRL),
  • CERT, REACT and affiliated Ham Radio “Nets”
  • Amateur Radio Emergency Service (related to ARRL)
  • Military Auxiliary Radio Service (MARS)
  • All States have numerous Ham Radio Clubs with a comprehensive list by state available at:
  • http://www.hamdepot.com/states/ca.asp

Safety Committees. Members will have an interest in controlling risk, and managing both community safety issues and Workers Compensation insurance costs, before TEOTWAWKI. Their focus will be on the trip-fall hazards, light bulbs out, snakes, and other predatory animal risks, preventable accidents among employees and residents, safe use of community facilities, as well as specific health and safety issues for various age groups (children, elderly, adolescent drivers).

Security Committees and Emergency Preparedness Committees. This group is usually comprised of active and retired first responders and medical professionals, or those with retired or active duty military training. In a SHTF situation, this group will be tasked with augmenting and supplementing any remaining or available civil authority in addition to existing in-house or contracted community patrol or security forces. Their primary mission will be the protection of life, property, and HOA assets and the orderly implementation of the Board directed use of HOA assets to facilitate the “disaster plan” post-SHTF. Local law enforcement and emergency personnel should always be allowed to take the lead and provide authority and direction under Rule of Law (ROL); however, in a grid down WROL situation, this group of trained citizens will be tasked with providing asset security, limited fire protection, emergency medical services, maintaining order, and training others in OPSEC, self-defense, and home protection.

Home Canning and Cooking Clubs.These groups will provide an invaluable service by cooking, gathering, processing, and preserving the fresh vegetables, nuts, herbs, fruits, and game that are grown and/or harvested through farming, hunting, trapping, and slaughter of domesticated food animals. Additional skill sets include vital food safety principles that are so important when without reliable refrigeration, sanitized water, and while using primitive cooking methods. Home canning must only be performed by those with the proper equipment, supplies, and experience using proven recipes and methods. Most canning equipment is supplied with rudimentary instructions and recipes; however, the USDA has a good canning guide (Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539) that everyone should have printed and laminated as a backup to your digital survival files:

http://ucfoodsafety.ucdavis.edu/files/26457.pdf

Gardening Clubs (community garden plots. Existing community gardeners and gardens will become even more important in a grid-down situation. These amateur farmers will already have the “tribal knowledge” of the local growing conditions, planting times, best crops to grow, and will have sources for local soil amendments and non-GMO, non-hybrid, and heirloom seed banks. They will be able to assist “first year” emergency gardeners with establishing food gardens without having to go through the painful experience of crop failures, marginal yields, and pest control issues by avoiding many of the first timer mistakes.

Skeet, Trap, and Target Shooting Clubs.The importance of training and practicing the safe and effective use of firearms for self-defense and for harvesting game animals cannot be overstated. Clubs and shooting sports organizations within HOAs are more prevalent that you might think. Some HOAs fund the construction of dedicated facilities and maintain target ranges and trap-skeet facilities for members. Other use local target ranges and facilities. Use of outside facilities should be considered with OPSEC in mind. Finally, shooting clubs almost always have reloading enthusiasts who possess valuable experience, training, and supplies. Shooting club memberships are frequently synonymous with Security and Safety Committees.

Holistic and Homeopathic Health Groups. These groups are comprised of and members should be recruited from health-conscious individuals and practitioners of homeopathic and holistic principles. Yoga instructors, health and fitness professionals, plus MD’s and DO’s (and their staff members) are all valuable resources for an HOA in a SHTF situation. HOA’s frequently employ health professionals for various wellness programs and social activities, and many have developed and maintain extensive equipment and fitness facilities.

“The highest aim of healing is the speedy, gentle, and permanent restitution of health … in the shortest, most reliable, and safest manner, according to clearly intelligible reasons.” -Samuel Hahnemann, M.D.

RV Committees and Travel Clubs. The prevalence of RV’s, RV Parks, and RV storage facilities within HOAs is well known. Many large scale and age restricted, or “retirement” communities provide facilities as well as having close ties with organized motor coach tour companies. The use of RV’s in a grid down situation is a no brainer due to the self-contained nature of these rigs. Emergency housing, refrigerated food storage, emergency power, sanitation, and use as possible observation posts, road blocks, command centers, and medical treatment facilities are but a few of the functions these assets can fulfill, as long as fuel supplies can be maintained.

Bible and Faith Study Groups. I leave the most important group for last. Being an Evangelical Christian and home bible study facilitator, I have found that there is a God-given priority leading to an abundant life, spiritually, if not materially. God is FIRST, family is second, and career or avocation is tertiary.

“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Hebrews 10:25 (KJV)”

In conclusion, when your HOA next publishes notice of the annual member’s meeting, elections, and board candidates, make every effort to attend those “Meet the Candidate” forums. Make it a point to ask the candidates (and the incumbent Board) if the Association has a detailed emergency response plan or disaster preparations, and if not, why not? Propose new committees, or join a committee or two and propose some of the steps described here, and add a few of your own particular to your community for possible adoption by the Board in the event of the inevitable, or “just in case”. If you need to sell the concept, remember: Insurance isn’t worth a darn until you need it (and then it’s too late to buy it).

References

[5] Model Code of Ethics for Community Association Board Members

Letter Re: Survival and Prepping in a Homeowner’s Association

Hugh,

This article, while I am sure sincere, read like a property builders happy brochure. To think that HOA board members are any more responsive than the Elites in Government(s), is a fool’s dream. Let me put forth my experience with an HOA. I owned a modest, 2 bedroom, 1 bath half plex in a bedroom community of Sacramento. When I moved in, the dues were $75 a month, and for that sum, the HOA mowed my lawn-in front. My home had no backyard, although the rest of the complex had nicely fenced backyards. When I asked why I was basically open to the four winds, I was told that the builder didn’t build one, so if I wanted a backyard, I could build it. I spent $7000 and a friend’s time for a whole summer putting in my backyard. I rented a farmer with a backhoe to dig the pole posts, and Doug and I put up fencing board by board. Then I could call the landscapers! 😉 Fast forward five years. I totally redid the inside, from the sub floors on up. My HOA dues were now $275 a month. They still only mowed the front lawn. Keep in mind, we had zero bar-b-cue areas, playgrounds, pool, spa, exercise rooms, etc. When I needed a new roof, the HOA did pay for it. However, this community, on top of the HOA, also had a community services government function at city hall. The CSA didn’t feel that I needed a new roof, so the woman in charge told me to get on the roof, and bring her some sample roof tiles. If they decided that I did indeed need a new roof, they would okay the permits! Needless to say, I did NOT climb on the roof! I then went into my county supervisor’s office and gave them my story. I also suggested that the supervisor call the HOA and the CSA and get my roof okayed-before I filed a harassment suit against the county and the HOA. Things continued downhill from there. Instead of the county/city/federal government fools to fight, I had an additional 2 enemies to address. I was relieved beyond belief to be rid of that property, and I vowed never again to own anything in a HOA. I am not a hermit, but I want to purchase my property and be left the hell alone. I have plenty of friends, enemies, and social outlets. By the way, we, as homeowners, never got the chance to vote on dues. The select board would decide what money they needed and raise them accordingly. I still have a friend in that complex who is older and will probably never leave. She struggles to make HOA dues of $325 a month. – S.T.

Hugh Replies: Most current HOAs are set up by developers and are targeted towards the very superficial ideals in our society, and I would tend to agree with you. Basically, they are more concerned about telling you what you can and can’t do than they are about the health of the community. My own sister used to live an a HOA that would actually take a ruler around the neighborhood and write you a ticket if your lawn was longer than 3 inches. A HOA basically creates a small socialistic environment and requires a level af trust between members that is unheard of in our present day. If one were to create a community from the ground up with these ideals, It would have a better chance of actually working. In fact, in the prepper community, I have several friends who have large tracts of land and are planning for family and friends to fall back to them as a bug-out location should the SHTF. All of them are by invitation only and require written contracts if you are a part of their organization. With the exception of actually owning property, it is basically a HOA. It’s not hard to see that extended into a full HOA, but all of the participants must trust each other and it will have to be built from the ground up. Given that the court systems fully endorse the legality of the HOA’s restrictions it would be extremely difficult to orchestrate this any other way. Of course, if TEOTWAWKI actually happens, it may be much easier to bend an existing HOA to the desired effect, but I wouldn’t want to chance it.

o o o

Jim,

I appreciate the article on Homeowners associations by MB and his opinion, however one critical aspect of HOAs he fails to take into consideration is that far too many are strife with many tyrants, bullies and list of unreasonable rules and regulations that strip a homeowner if a fundamental right to use their personal property in any way they see fit. I am not speaking of parking broken down vehicles or using your property as a toxic waste dump. I am speaking of limits on fences, types of plants, backyard chickens, types of windows, doors etc all needing approval from a board on a power trip. Try growing your own garden in many HOA communities and watch the board step in. Community through a HOA commune is not the step in my opinion to community preparedness or personal preparedness. The risks far outweigh any benefit to the list of amenities in the post. My run ins with prior HOAs has never been pleasant, and the confiscatory commune dues are waste pools of inefficiency. To each his own, but beware of dues which are unrealistic, boards that are populated by wannabe politicians and tyrants, and busybody neighbors that will run to their board member with the slightest infraction of the rules. Not what the founders intended at all. – T.R.

JWR Replies: As I pointed out in my novel Survivors, it would take a fast-onset economic collapse to get most HOAs to change their rules to allow large scale gardening (including front yard gardening), photovoltaics, CB antennas, and so forth. It might even take a peaceful coup d’etat of the HOA Board to get changes made in the midst of a slow-slide economic depression. And depending on the HOA’s bylaws, ousting a HOA’s leadership might be nearly impossible.

Bottom line: I do not recommend living in a HOA community, unless it is one tailored for preppers.

Economics and Investing:

“Fundamental Imbalance”: The GAO’s visualization of our long-term budget crisis. – G.P.

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Slavering Wolves of Inflation. – H.L.

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Items from The Economatrix:

If Economic Cycle Theorists Are Correct, 2015 To 2020 Will Be Pure Hell For The United States

Global debt enters terminal velocity mode: Why central banks have no intention of slowing their public and private debt binge.

U.S. retailers probably had decent showing in April

Odds ‘n Sods:

JWR was recently interviewed by the folks at The Daily Coin podcast. The half-hour interview covered a wide range of preparedness topics.

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Best concealed carry handguns. – B.R.

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Policing for Profit? Lawmakers, advocates raise alarm at growing gov’t power to seize property – H.L.

While the civil confiscation and forfeiture looks cool on TV, it affects real people and the Georgia Sheriffs Association should be ashamed of their stance that curbing that law would reduce the profitability of upholding the law. What makes them different from the thugs they police in that situation?

o o o

Showing that we are apparently incapable of learning from history: Greek Supreme Court clears neo-Nazi party for EU vote – G.P.

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Watch the first 45 seconds of this video and you will know why such bad legislation gets passed in congress: Sen. Rand Paul Speaks Out Against Senators Voting without Reading the Bills. – J.T.

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“Every time that we try to lift a problem from our own shoulders, and shift that problem to the hands of the government, to the same extent we are sacrificing the liberties of our people.” – John F. Kennedy

Notes for Wednesday – May 14, 2014:

Don’t forget Ready Made Resources Sale ends today!

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Today we present another entry for Round 52 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $11,000+ worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course (a $1,195 value),
  2. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  3. Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. A $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear,
  5. A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value),
  6. A $300 gift certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
  7. A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo,
  8. A roll of $10 face value in pre-1965 U.S. 90% silver quarters, courtesy of GoldAndSilverOnline.com, (currently valued at around $180 postpaid),
  9. Both VPN tunnel and DigitalSafe annual subscriptions from Privacy Abroad (a combined value of $195),
  10. KellyKettleUSA.com is donating both an AquaBrick water filtration kit and a Stainless Medium Scout Kelly Kettle Complete Kit with a combined retail value of $304,
  11. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit, and
  12. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $300 gift certificate.

Second Prize:

  1. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  2. A FloJak EarthStraw “Code Red” 100-foot well pump system (a $500 value), courtesy of FloJak.com,
  3. Acorn Supplies is donating a Deluxe Food Storage Survival Kit with a retail value of $350,
  4. The Ark Instituteis donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package–enough for two families of four, seed storage materials, a CD-ROM of Geri Guidetti’s book “Build Your Ark! How to Prepare for Self Reliance in Uncertain Times”, and two bottles of Potassium Iodate– a $325 retail value,
  5. $300 worth of ammo from Patriot Firearms and Munitions. (They also offer a 10% discount for all SurvivalBlog readers with coupon code SVB10P),
  6. A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials,
  7. A full set of all 26 books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
  8. Two cases of meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value),
  9. Autrey’s Armory – specialists in AR-15, M4s, parts, and accessories is donating a $250 gift certificate,
  10. Dri-Harvestfoods.com in Bozeman, Montana is providing a prize bundle with Beans, Buttermilk Powder, Montana Hard Red Wheat, Drink Mixes, and White Rice, valued at $333,
  11. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate, and
  12. Organized Prepper is providing a $500 gift certificate.

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security,
  5. A MURS Dakota Alert Base Station Kit with a retail value of $240 from JRH Enterprises,
  6. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances, and
  7. Ambra Le Roy Medical Products in North Carolina is donating a bundle of their traditional wound care and first aid supplies, with a value of $208.
  8. SurvivalBased.com is donating a $500 gift certificate to their store.

Round 52 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Survival and Prepping in a Homeowner’s Association, by M.B. – Part 1

As federal, state, local, and county governments reel under the weight of reduced tax revenues, declining productivity, and impossible “unfunded liabilities” (pensions, entitlements and health–welfare services), many communities are only able to continue to operate and maintain their facilities and infrastructure due in whole or in part to self-governed Homeowner Associations (HOAs).

“The fastest growing form of housing in the United States today is Common-interest developments (CIDs), a category that includes planned-unit developments of single-family homes, condominiums, and cooperative apartments. Since 1964, homeowner associations have become increasingly common in the USA. The Community Associations Institute trade association estimated that HOAs governed 24.8 million American homes and 62 million residents in 2010”. [1]

Homeowner associations, property owner associations (POAs), planned unit developments (PUDs), or common interest developments (CIDS) may be in a unique position to take advantage of local planning, control, management, and oversight in providing both essential and recreational services to the members they represent, especially in times of disaster or severe economic downturns.

While the federal government continues to grow itself and increase the entitlement mentality, and as “professional politicians” dedicate much of their time to their reelection (and in catering to the needs of special interest groups), self-governed HOAs today represent one of the last functioning forms of representative government.

HOA Boards of Directors closely resemble the original form of representative government created in the U.S. by the founding fathers, whereby elected officials were essentially volunteers who were largely not compensated and who served limited terms before returning to their original profession, family business, or avocation.

When the ordure hits the rotating apparatus (SHTF), local HOAs with their well-established networks of volunteer committees, adequately funded reserve accounts, and proven ability to operate within a budget will be in a far better position than most towns and cities to weather a crisis and help preserve life and property.

HOAs take many organizational forms and are purposed somewhat differently from traditional municipal government entities according to the HOA governing documents (CC&R’s, By-Laws, Operating Rules), demographics of the membership, and the location and type of community (e.g. 55+, or age restricted, resort communities, large scale communities, condominium associations or high rise towers).

Many larger retirement and large scale communities have resources and business divisions well suited to serve the needs of the membership in a disaster situation, where federal, state, and local government will be overwhelmed and slow to respond effectively.

While some might think it naïve to assume that a community might “come together” in a SHTF situation and others might question the wisdom of “sheltering in place”, or of relying on an HOA-supported “Bug In” scenario, the fact is many HOAs are self-contained entities; indeed, some are gated and others are isolated from metro areas or contain a large number of elderly and/or retired persons. Accordingly, many HOA residents will be forced to stay put, either by circumstance or necessity. I believe some may choose to stay to help and defend their neighbors and friends.

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13 (KJV)

Many large HOAs have facilities and staff well suited for disaster response and grid down situations, such as:

  • Golf course/club operations and private owners with fleets of electric golf carts, charging stations, and lots of batteries
    1. Establish supplies of battery cables to enable interconnection of batteries into 12-volt configurations. The vast majority of golf cart battery bank wiring is done in a “series” circuit. To wire in a series circuit means to connect multiple batteries in such a manner that the entire battery bank acts as a single battery but with the total sum of the voltages of each individual battery (e.g. + or positive terminal on one battery is cabled to the – or negative terminal on the next battery). A common golf cart example involves: 1) six, 6-volt batteries wired in a series circuit that will act as a single 36-volt battery, or 2) eight, 6-volt batteries wired in a series circuit will act as a single 48-volt battery. [2]
    2. Stock a sufficient supply of 12-volt inverters to convert the 12-volt circuits of 6-volt golf cart batteries into usable 110-volt power. (Or, you can use the 12-volt circuits more efficiently by stocking 12-volt lighting, refrigerators, and other small tools and appliances). [3]
    3. Stock or build portable solar charging stations for the batteries to be used in conjunction with gasoline, natural gas, propane, or diesel-powered generators, if available. One Solar World 250 watt panel and one SES- Flexcharge, NC 25 A-12 Charge Controller will charge a golf cart battery set modified to a 12-volt configuration (8, six-volt batteries cabled in a 12-volt circuit) [4]. Various configurations are possible. This author simply attached the charge controller to the back frame of the PV panel and bungee corded the panel to a cheap hand truck from Harbor Freight that allows you to easily move the charging station where needed and to keep it aligned with the sun throughout the day. A few small spools of 10- and 12-gauge wire, some cable zip ties, automotive fuses, and some battery charger style clamps are all you will need. Solder all the connections if possible, and don’t undersize the wiring. Follow the directions that come with the charge controller, and remember batteries release corrosive, explosive gas and can cause sparks when handled or connected improperly!
  • Restaurant and catering business units with professional staff and access to wholesale food vendors, kitchen facilities, and large stores of food stuffs
    1. Chefs and food/beverage managers could be instructed to slowly build inventory levels of shelf-stable, dry, and canned goods in advance of an emergency situation. Proper planning and “menu engineering” will incorporate these shelf stable and canned products into recipes already in use on the existing restaurant menu. The Board of Directors and Finance Committee should be advised of the favorable inventory “carrying costs” of these items as compared to fresh meats, produce, and dairy items with short shelf lives. A well-stocked kitchen, pantry, and restaurant dry storage area could supply an additional 1,000 to 5,000 meals in an emergency situation.
    2. Wholesale restaurant food vendors (Sysco, US Food Service, MRM, et etera) usually provide two to four delivery trucks per week to high volume restaurant operations. If sufficient warning of a SHTF situation is available, chefs and managers should be instructed to order as much canned and dry foods as their credit limits will allow. These orders are usually delivered onsite within 24 hours of order placement, but without some advance warning this strategy will be subject to the same societal collapse issues the large grocery chains will experience, such as empty grocery store shelves, clogged freeways, and broken supply chains.
    3. Backup generators for food and beverage operations are not a long-term solution in a SHTF situation, since the refrigeration systems for freezers and walk-in coolers require enormous quantities of electrical energy. Chefs and staff are trained to use perishable items first in the event of power failures, along with immediately icing remaining perishable foodstuffs with the hundreds of pounds of ice in the various commercial ice machines at most restaurants, which will be soon melting anyway without electricity.
    4. Dishwashing machines will be inoperable without electricity, but if water is available, all restaurants have three compartment pot and pan sinks and large quantities of dish soaps and sanitizing chemicals that will be a valuable sanitary resource in a grid down or emergency situation. “To go” boxes, napkins, hand wash towelettes, plastic utensils, condiment packs (sugar, honey, jellies, salt, pepper, mustard, mayo, and ketchup), and paper plates are all normally stocked in quantity by restaurants and will be valuable resources.
    5. When and if natural gas supplies are interrupted or lost completely, alternate sources of energy for cooking will be required. Many restaurant operations use commercial-quality gas fired, portable barbeques or wood-charcoal fired outdoor char-broilers for catering and outdoor functions. Sufficient supplies of charcoal, wood, and propane should be stocked. Propane burns more efficiently and provides more BTU’s than natural gas for those HOAs located in mountain areas above 5,000 feet. Portable butane cooktops for buffets and cases of “sterno” type gel fuel (used for banquet chaffing dishes and warmers) are common restaurant supplies and should be stocked in quantity, due to their long shelf life.
  • Recreation facilities that can double as shelters and triage centers, and swimming pools and recreational lakes with edible fish and/or stores of water
    1. HOA clubhouses, ballrooms, and meeting rooms will provide shelter, and they usually have ample sources of natural lighting during the daytime due to designs using large exterior windows. Procurement and storage of cots or foam pads for creating impromptu bedding should be considered. Many exercise groups (flexibility, yoga, jazzercise, zoomba) frequently use exercise mats and pads that can double as emergency bedding. Those facilities with elevators usually have backup electrical generators, which will have fuel supplies and monthly maintenance programs to insure operation when required. Overriding automatic startup of these gen sets should be disabled after insuring no elevator entrapment has occurred and then provide for close monitoring of generator use to insure actual run times are dedicated for essentials (battery charging, emergency lighting, et cetera) until fuel is exhausted or replenished.
    2. Almost all HOAs have a community swimming pool, even those small 30-unit condo associations. Swimming pools are a valuable source of potable water, following proper treatment and provided you are certain of what chemicals have be introduced into the water prior to loss of electricity. The FDA considers chlorine concentrations in fresh water of up to 4 ppm safe to drink, while many municipal water treatment plants treat their drinking water to a level of 1 ppm and most commercial pools are required to maintain pool chlorine levels at 3 to 5 ppm. Depending on the outdoor temperature, sunlight, time of year, and number of days without mechanical filtering, algae will begin to grow. Covering the pool will help slow this process by reducing the sunlight. Sunlight degrades the available chlorine and helps the algae to grow. Floating chlorine tablet dispensers will help extend the useful life of this water for drinking; however, the best approach is the use of a multi-stage water filter designed for untreated, raw water sources (think Big Berkey or Katadyn types). Finally, boiling the swimming pool water for at least one minute before consumption will help insure the removal of as many pathogens as possible. Pool water for bathing and sanitation can be used right from the pool, but insure that the resulting grey water is not allowed back into the pool. Think of conducting bathing and dishwashing near your vegetable garden, where this water can be used for irrigation, although you should limit the amount of commercial soaps that are used for bathing as large concentrations will be harmful to the plants.
    3. Recreational lakes and other impoundments owned and maintained by HOAs (such as boating lakes, golf course water hazards, and flood control or groundwater recharge basins) will also contain useful quantities of water that may be treated and used as described above. These water sources often also contain sizeable quantities of fish, edible amphibians, and waterfowl that can be harvested in an emergency. Fish and Game laws in a TEOTWAWKI situation will probably be superseded by the need to harvest and consume protein. In those situations, methods such as netting, fish traps, and shocking will be useful in gathering food. In locations where man-made lakes and ponds are artificially fed with pumped water, the water levels will decline (rapidly in desert areas) to the point where harvesting fish will be a necessity to avoid waste of the stranded fish, and the fish will be much easier to catch as water levels decrease. Smoking or drying of unused fish will extend the shelf life of this important protein source. Why not use the cooking fire smoke or portable Barbeque for this purpose, while cooking the daily meals?
    4. Golf courses are usually comprised of hundreds of acres of irrigated land that will be without irrigation in arid areas and will decline and turn brown rapidly without electricity to pump water. Portions of this land, particularly in the “rough”, or edges of the golf fairways can be converted in part to vegetable gardening by simply removing some turf, loosening the topsoil, planting and watering the crops by hand. Many HOAs have homes along their golf courses and, in a true emergency, the removal and use of a portion of the dead, brown turf behind a home will be a small price to pay aesthetically for a source of fresh food. Of course a source of irrigation water (lakes, streams, ponds, or wells still able to produce water) and a means to transport the water will be required. Water hauling for all uses will require a significant commitment of time and labor to insure a sufficient quantity for drinking, cooking, sanitation, and garden irrigation; however, the nature of a golf course lends itself to cultivation and ease of access, without having to “build” the soil to immediately support vegetables. Residual fertilizers will probably support at least one “first year” crop with a small amount of additional nitrogen (compost, manure, blood from harvested game, fish entrails, et cetera), but proper care and amendment of the soil going forward will insure future crops will produce. Fruit and nut trees on golf courses and throughout the HOA community should be prized and protected as food and seed sources and hand irrigated and fertilized occasionally in arid areas without sufficient natural rainfall.
  • Maintenance and janitorial staff trained and equipped with sanitation supplies and repair and emergency response equipment, such as generators, lighting, pumps, welding, and machine shop operations, automotive repair facilities as well as craftsperson’s such as electricians, plumbers, mechanics, machinists, welders, and carpenters
    1. HOAs employ a variety of contracted and “onsite”, skilled maintenance and janitorial personnel, with the related supplies and equipment that may be dedicated by the Board of Directors to community uses in an emergency. Those personnel may not be receiving a paycheck in a TEOTWAWKI situation, but their position as a representative of the HOA and as a member in the community will lend itself to their continued participation in the organized activities of the HOA in an emergency situation. After insuring the safety of their families, their participation in the “new” services provided by the HOA will hopefully be a win-win for the community and the individual “ex-employee”, who will then become a volunteer like everyone else.
    2. Most large scale communities, country clubs, and resort-style HOAs own and maintain extensive fleets of “rolling stock” and powered equipment, including trucks, tractors, excavators, golf course mowers, ditch witches, specialized turf equipment, boats, ATV’s and snowmobiles, “Snow Cats”, and other types of transport and snow removal equipment for those HOAs located in areas with significant annual snowfall. Most have on-site equipment service technicians and repair shops with stocks of repair parts and maintenance supplies. Security and maintenance of these valuable assets and their operators should be a priority to management and the Board of Directors in a SHTF situation.
    3. Along with the rolling stock and equipment, HOAs usually maintain bulk supplies of lubricants, gasoline, and #2 Diesel and “Red Dye” diesel fuels. Except for very cold areas, all diesel fuels in the U.S. are ASTM #2 Diesel, including farm diesel. On-highway fuel must be low sulfur and be undyed to show that it was taxed (Federal and State highway excise taxes). Farm Diesel or Off Road Diesel will contain red dye to show it was not taxed and may have a higher sulfur content than is allowed for on-road use. Maintenance staff is usually responsible for the dispensing and accounting of fuels and the maintenance of the storage tanks. In an emergency situation, the security and OPSEC involved in safeguarding these valuable assets will be paramount.
  • And of course, a functioning governing body made up of interested and dedicated volunteers, who live in the community in which they serve
    1. A duly-elected HOA Board of Directors is usually comprised of from five to seven members who serve one to two year terms, similar to the U.S. House of Representatives; however, that is where the similarity ends for the most part. The author has served as an “ex-officio” board member of a large resort-style HOA community in the past and as a management team member (General Manager) at several Large Scale HOA Communities in California over the last 15 years. During that time I have worked with many Boards of Directors and have, with few exceptions, found these people to be honorable, moral, just and fair individuals who follow State Law (Civil Code or the “Davis-Sterling” Act, as it is known in California), and have the interests of the community first in their list of priorities.
    2. My experience has shown that, unlike many “professional” politicians, the HOA Board members I have had the pleasure of working with follow at a minimum, the Community Associations Institute “Model Code of Ethics” for HOA Board members.

References

[1] Wikipedia – Homeowner Association

[2] Golf Cart Battery Bank Wiring in Series

[3] DC to AC Inverters

[4] Sunmodule Plus SW 260 mono and NC25A Ultra High Efficiency Charge Controller (Regulator)

Letter Re: Low Calorie Diet

Hugh,

In response to the low calorie diet, I would like to put my wife’s experience as an example. She is allergic to wheat and as such has converted to a paleo diet. Google “paleo” if you have wheat issues. In her case when going off the high sugar, starch, and carb diets she experienced the weak and low energy days too. However, as her body adapted to it in about 3 or four days she felt normal. Your body will adjust and “retool” to the new foods as well as the lower calorie intake. You may not have stayed with it long enough. I know it’s easier to write it than actually do it.

Of course the benefits for her were of a different issue not a weight issue. So dropping to a lower calorie diet may feel lethargic for a bit, but you will adjust when the time comes or get on it at a slower pace, drop 500 calories a week to get there. If it helps just consider the spare tire (in my case) as just my “on board” GOOD bag worth about an extra day of calories. America’s six pack mentality isn’t the only “healthy” out there. Stay healthy and active. S.P.

Letter Re: Letter on Harassment of Front Lawn Farmers

HJL,

In Victorian times, front lawn vegetable gardens were common, even within towns and villages. The way it was done was to use curving, attractive beds where the vegetables were interplanted with flowers, with the mixed beds surrounding patches of lawn.

This can also make for good OPSEC: carrots and cosmos have similar leaves, cherry tomatoes do not require staking and are unobtrusive when interplanted with similarly colored low growing flowers. Lettuces, spinach and other greens can also be gracefully scattered about.

Most of the harassment of suburbanites who are farming their front lawns appears to be due to aesthetics. The horrible truth: Straight rows, bare dirt, and things tied to wooden stakes aren’t all that pretty. Raised beds made of plywood look awful, but the same raised beds edged in rocks or brick look nice.

The Victorian solution should solve the problems for most, though not all types of vegetables.

On the other hand, I have noticed over the years that once preppers get working on solving a problem, creative and clever solutions crop up like weeds.

Dr. J