Year Four Review of My Farm – Part 2, by SaraSue

There is a lot to be thankful for!

The Infrastructure

After several years of working on the Farm, repairing and replacing this and that, there was one last repair that had to be done.  Well, there are a few, but they aren’t on the critical list.  I was able to have the HVAC system replaced so that the farm house stayed warm when needed, and cool when needed.  A huge blessing.  I had an invisible fence installed around the farm to keep the LGDs home; and “the farm truck”, which is just my little car, needed a lot of maintenance and new tires.  I really need a “junker” truck and am hoping I can swing it.  Oh, and while I’m dreaming, a small cattle/horse trailer would help too… oh, and maybe a couple of supply sheds.

I spent a lot of money having cows and pigs transported here and there by others.  Other than those things, most of the really hard work has been done.  All the animals have good shelters, the patched fencing has held up, the farmhouse has been repaired and is in great condition, the new well is performing better than I had hoped, and oh, I had a dump truck drop a few tons of crusher run from the road up to the house after the driveway washed completely out.  It seems that is going to be a maintenance item I must keep on the list.  I hired tree trimmers to cut back the large, old, rotting trees around the main barn.  That barn is a critical component of the farm.  Things are looking good.Continue reading“Year Four Review of My Farm – Part 2, by SaraSue”

SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

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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Reader D.S.V. was the first of several to mention this news: Boebert Introduces Legislation To Abolish The ATF.

o  o  o

La Niña has arrived. Here’s what that means.  (Thanks to reader C.B. for the link.)

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Reader Rick V. wrote:

“I’ve been reading Thucydides on the Peloponnesian War. The introduction and first pages sound like scenarios in your books and others like it.  Specifically the parts about having your harvest taken from you and how people acted.  Tribes wandered and gathered because they could not count on being able to harvest.  Battles were fought over the most fertile soil.  Groups would move into Athens for protection.  History most certainly repeats and often rhymes. Sounds like Haiti now. Only the law of might prevails.  And evil runs rampant.

I read “One Second After” in 2012.  Built my “Go Bag” while reading A. American on my computer screen with Amazon on the other screen ($ Ouch).  I got smarter by hitting your site and buying your books ever since.  Thank you.  I now have “go” and “get home” bags that I can actually lift.

I note an ad on your site for the “Homestead” [movie and series].  I would be interested in seeing editorial comments having seen the film over the weekend.  Encourage people to pick it apart.  Items like how to properly shield your scope or binoculars from reflection.  Nit-picky skill items like that would be very beneficial.”

o  o  o

SurvivalBlog staffer Tom Christianson spotted this interesting interactive map from The Heritage Foundation — a conservative think tank: Defensive Gun Uses in the U.S..

o  o  o

Another from D.S.V.: Top 10 Cold Hardy Perennials for Northern Gardeners.

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“No protracted war can fail to endanger the freedom of a democratic country … it must invariably and immeasurably increase the powers of the civil government; it must almost compulsorily concentrate the direction of all men and the management of all things in the hands of the administration. … All those who seek to destroy the liberties of a democratic nation ought to know that war is the surest and the shortest means to accomplish it.” – Alexis de Tocqueville

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — January 14, 2025

On January 11, 1129, formal approval was given to the organization of the Order of Templars (aka The Knights Templar) at the Council of Troyes.

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On January 14th, 1784, the Continental Congress ratified the Second Treaty of Paris, ending the War for Independence. In the document, which was known as the Second Treaty of Paris because the Treaty of Paris was also the name of the agreement that had ended the Seven Years’ War in 1763, Britain officially agreed to recognize the independence of its 13 former colonies as the new United States of America.

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Jonathan Rawles (JWR’s #1 Son) has just released the all-new two-volume Red State Relocation Guidebook “It is an in-depth compilation of the overlooked yet thriving red state cities and towns across the United States. Explore the possibilities, from the Mountain states to the Sunbelt, across the South, and into Appalachia and the Midwest.” If you or someone you love is considering relocating, then they will need one of both volumes of these guidebooks. They are being released at special introductory pricing, for just the next three days. Order yours, today!

 

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 116 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses. Their course catalog now includes their latest Survival Gunsmithing course.
  5. HSM Ammunition in Montana is providing a $250 gift certificate. The certificate can be used for any of their products.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  3. A Laptop EMP Shield and a Smartphone Faraday Bag (a combined value of $200), courtesy of MobileSecSolutions.com.
  4. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.
  5. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of gun purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  3. A $200 credit from Military Surplus LLC that can be applied to purchase and/or shipping costs for any of their in-stock merchandise, including full mil-spec ammo cans, Rothco clothing and field gear, backpacks, optics, compact solar panels, first aid kits, and more.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

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More than $935,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 116 ends on January 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.

 

Year Four Review of My Farm – Part 1, by SaraSue

The new year has begun, and while it was a struggle to manage the farm and family matters last year, I’m feeling good about where things are now.  I had too many animals on the farm of various types, fences that didn’t hold, and learned a lot about the animals’ different needs.  I culled, sold, gave away, and downsized in a big way in some areas and upsized in others.  I was running as fast as I could and that led to exhaustion.  My “farm dreams” were sore in need of a reality check.  But, the good news is, I am still standing, and I did manage to change my trajectory and improve my personal health.

The Animals

The animals I had on the farm at the beginning of 2024:  Cows, sheep, pigs, chickens (both meat and laying chickens), barn cats, and guard dogs.  I ended the year with cows, laying hens, one less guard dog, and two added livestock guardian dogs.Continue reading“Year Four Review of My Farm – Part 1, by SaraSue”

SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

This weekly column features news stories and event announcements from around the American Redoubt region. (Idaho, Montana, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, and Wyoming.) Much of the region is also more commonly known as The Inland Northwest. We also mention companies located in the American Redoubt region that are of interest to preppers and survivalists. Today, news about the Laken Riley Act.  (See the Montana section.)

Idaho

In the U.S. Senate: New bill aims to restrict transgender athletes from competing in female sports. A pericope:

“On Wednesday, U.S. Senators Jim Risch and Mike Crapo of Idaho, along with Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville, introduced the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, which aims to regulate the participation of transgender athletes in women’s sports.

The bill responds to ongoing debates regarding how transgender participation is handled in athletic programs, particularly following recent changes by the Biden administration. Supporters argue that allowing “biological males” to compete in women’s categories undermines fairness for female athletes.”

o  o  o

Idaho House starts 2025 session with proposal to challenge same-sex marriage.

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A video from a real estate agent: The Realities of Off-Grid Living in North Idaho: What You Need to Know.

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Idaho Fish and Game to deploy GPS collars on elk and moose calves for habitat and survival study.

o  o  o

Randy Larkin sentenced to life in prison.

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Unceasingly, the government and its corporate partners are pushing for a national digital ID system. Local police agencies have already been given access to facial recognition software and databases containing billions of images, the precursor to a digital ID. Eventually, a digital ID will be required to gain access to all aspects of life: government, work, travel, healthcare, financial services, shopping, etc. Before long, biometrics (iris scans, face print, voice, DNA, etc.), will become the de facto digital ID.” – John Whitehead

Preparedness Notes for Monday — January 13, 2025

January 13, 1742:  During the Anglo-Spanish War, the HMS Tyger ran aground on a coral reef near Garden Key, Florida. The wreck was rediscovered 1993, and was firmly identified in 2024.

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On January 13, 1842, Dr. William Brydon, a surgeon in the British Army during the First Anglo-Afghan War, became famous for (reputedly) being the sole survivor of an army of 16,500 men when he reached the safety of a garrison in Jalalabad.

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On this day in 1912, a state record low temperature of  -40°F (also -40°C), was observed in Oakland, Maryland.

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This is also the birthday of actor and competitive shooter Robert Stack (1919-2003.)

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Our feature article today was written by SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Tom Christianson.  But first, an announcement on the annual SurvivalBlog archive waterproof USB sticks.

The New SurvivalBlog 2005-2024 Archive USB Sticks

I have some great news: The new batch of 32-gigabyte waterproof SurvivalBlog archive USB sticks is now available for pre-sale.

I’ve had some folks write to ask about what is included in the new 2005-2024 SurvivalBlog Archive USB stick. There certainly is a lot!

These sticks of course have everything that has ever been posted in SurvivalBlog, dating back to its launch in August, 2005, and up to December 31, 2024. In my humble opinion, these feature articles, product reviews, columns, and quotations just by themselves are worth the price of the archive stick.

But then there is also a veritable mountain of carefully curated bonus material from the public domain.  Many of these are rare pre-1929 books from my personal library that I had professionally scanned, at considerable expense. Most of those books are not available online. Here is a partial list of what is included:

The pre-1929 bonus books that were recently scanned to include with the new 2005-2024 edition sticks are:

  • Fishing For Salmon, by Cyril Darby Marson
  • Fix It Yourself, Edited by Arthur Wakeling
  • Good Manners, Reliable Advice on Etiquette
  • Orchard and Small Fruit Culture, by E.C. Auchter and H.B. Knapp
  • Practical Local Anesthesia and its Surgical Technic by Robert Emmett Farr, M.D., F.A.C.S.
  • Principles and Practice of Minor Surgery, by Edward Milton Foote, A.M., M.D.
  • Raiders of the Deep, by Lowell Thomas
  • Sporting Firearms, by Horace Kephart
  • Tamerlane The Earth Shaker, by Harold Lamb
  • The Glorious Adventure, by Richard Halliburton
  • Trader Horm, by Alfred Aloysius Horn

Also included are all of the great bonus content from the previous years’ editions, including:

King James Bible
English World Messianic Bible

Food Books, including:

  • Good HouseKeeping’s Book of Menus, Recipes, and Household Discoveries
  • Preserving Game Meats
  • Preparing and Canning Fermented Foods and Pickled Vegetables
  • Food Storage: Use It or Lose It
  • Canning Principles
  • Culinary Herbs – Their Cultivation, Harvesting, Curing and Uses
  • The New Butterick Cook Book
  • Uncooked Foods and How to Use Them, by Eugene Christian
  • Anyone Can Bake, published by The Royal Baking Powder Company
  • Boston Cooking-School Cook Book by Fannie Merritt Farmer
  • Milk and Its Place in Good Cookery by Mildred Maddock Bentley
  • Nine Hundred Successful Recipes, by Lulu Thompson Silvernail

Information on Homesteading, including:

  • Dr. David Roberts’ Practical Home Veterinarian
  • Backyard Composting
  • Basic Knots
  • Concrete and Masonry
  • Carpentry
  • The Practical Poultry Keeper
  • Farm Knowledge – Volume 1 (Farm Animals)
  • Farm Knowledge – Volume 2 (Soils)
  • Farm Knowledge – Volume 3 (Implements)
  • Nut Growing, by Robert T Morris
  • Pioneering Knots & Lashings
  • How to Feed the Dairy Cow
  • Orcharding, by Victor Ray Gardner
  • Practical Plant Propagation, by Alfred Hottes
  • How to Make Baskets, by Mary White
  • Practical Muskrat Raising, by E.J. Dailey
  • Construction and Repair Work for the Farm, by F. Theodore Struck
  • The Complete Works of Thomas Dick, Volume 1

Several Medical and First Aid books and military manuals.

A wide range of U.S. and Allied military manuals, including:

Basic Visual Tracking Australian Air Training Corps
Incendiaries FM31-201-1-20
Infantry Patrolling (Canadian Army)
Map Reading & Land Navigation FM21-26
OSS Simple Sabotage Manual
USMC Martial Arts
USMC Winter Survival MWTC
Survivability FM 5-103
Combatives FM 3-25.150
FM 3-22.68 Machine Guns
Grenades and Pyrotechnic Signals (2009 edition) FM 3-23.30
Navy SEAL Sniper Training
Nuclear War Survival Skills 1987
Ranger Unit Operations FM 7-85
Telephone Set TM 11-5805-243-13 (TA-1).pdf
US Army Special Forces Medical Handbook
USMC Survival FNM21-76_MCRP 3-02F
Camouflage FM 5-20
Camouflage of Vehicles FM 5-20B
Explosives and Demolitions FM 5-250
Field Hygiene and Sanitation FM 21-10
Fire-Fighting Operations FM 5-415
First Aid FM 21-11
Improvised Explosive Devices or IEDs TM 31-210
Infantry Rifle Platoon-Squad FM 7-8
NBC Decon FM 3-5
NBC Protection FM 3-4
Ranger Handbook SH 21-76
Special Forces Unconventional Warfare TC 18-01
U.S. Marines Close-Quarters Combat Manual
Soldier’s Handbook for Individual Operations and Survival in Cold-Weather Areas (1986)
Survival Evasion Resistance Escape (SERE) Operations
Military Mountaineering
Arctic And Sub-arctic Operations
Arctic Tent, 10-Man Manual TM 10-8340-222-10
Physical Security FM 3-19.30
Basic Communications Rules
Canadian Military Fieldcraft B-GL-392-009/FP-100
Civil Disturbance Operations FM 3-19.15
First Aid FM 4-25.11
Mufti-Service Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures for Kill Box Employment
Visual Aircraft Recognition FM 44-80
Special Forces Use of Pack Animals FM 31-27
Scouting, Patrolling, and Sniping FM 21-75
NBC Protection FM 11-9
Mao Tse-Tung on Guerrilla Warfare FMFRP 12-18
Management of Dead Bodies After Disasters
Internment and Resettlement Operations FM 3-39.40
Special Forces Communications STP 31-18E34-SM-TG
Special Forces Tracking TC 31-34-4
Engineer Field Manual FM 5-34
Mountain Operations FM 3-97.6
Engineer Field Manual FM 5-34
Mountain Operations FM 3-97.6

Various Firearms Books and Manuals, including:

  • Amateur Gunsmithing, by Townsend Whelen
  • M16 and M4 Marksmanship
  • AK-47
  • FN-FAL 7.62mm
  • Mossberg 500
  • M24SWS (M700 Remington)
  • Beretta 92FS
  • Glock Pistols
  • Remington 870
  • M1/M2 Carbine
  • Colt 1911 Series 90
  • HK 91
  • Ruger 10/22
  • M1 Garand
  • Colt AR-15
  • M1A
  • Ruger Mark II

Anti-Intrusion Devices (Multiple manuals)
Meteorological Equipment (Multiple manuals)
High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (Multiple manuals)
Radio and Communications (Multiple manuals)

And a panoply of other useful books and manuals, including:

Nuclear War Survival Skills (1987)
Winter Survival Course Handbook
Wilderness Survival Guide – Military. Abridged EditionTerrain Analysis
Soldier’s Handbook for Individual Operations and Survival in Cold-Weather Areas (1986)
The Lincoln Library of Essential Information — Parts 1 & 2 (a compact encyclopedia: 2,174 pages!)
John Brown’s Body, by Stephen Vincent Benet
Stories of Classical Fables — A Wonder Book for Boys and Girls, by Nathaniel Hawthorne
The Junior Game Book, by T.S. Denison & Company Publishers
The Oregon Trail, by Francis Parkman
With Lawrence in Arabia, by Lowell Thomas
The Individual’s Guide for Understanding and Surviving Terrorism
How to Start and Train a Militia Unit
The Effects of Nuclear Weapons (1957)
Sun Tzu on The Art of War
CIA Lock Picking Field Manual
Basement Fallout Shelter
The Nameless Island – A Story of Some Modern Robinson Crusoes
Foxe’s Book of Martyrs
Western Europe in the Eighth Century and Onward
History of the Fall of the Roman Empire Vol 1
History of the Fall of the Roman Empire Vol 2
Forensic Spoorology
Counter Insurgency Lessons
Civilization During the Middle Ages, by George Burton Adams
Games, Contests, and Relays, by Seward Charle Staley
Sports and Pastimes, Young and Old, by Mrs. Grace Townsend
The Guardians of the Columbia, by John H. Williams
The Science of Everyday Life, by Edgar F Van Buskirk
Hoyle’s Games
The Book of the Sailboat – How to Rig Sail and Handle Small Boats
18,000 words often mispronounced; William Henry Pinkney Phyfe
Famous paintings of the American Revolution
Beyond Khyber Pass, by Lowell Thomas
Great Poems of the English Language (1,502 pages!)
The Practical Book of American Antiques
The Royal Road to Romance, by Richard Halliburton

And even more books that are not listed individually, here, for the sake of brevity…

USB Stick Specifications

The 2005-2024 sticks are now available for pre-ordering. It is loaded on a 32 GB stick, which also allows some extra room for you to load scans of all of your important documents, and your treasured photos on this waterproof, vibration/shock-resistant, and highly EMP-resistant stick. Just as with previous editions, it is mounted in a threaded alloy case with an o-ring seal. So it is great for your bugout bag, or for caching at a secure site. We recommend passing along your older-edition sticks to family members. This new edition is engraved “SurvivalBlog.com 2005-2024.”

Note: We again opted for more expensive USB 3.0 sticks so they will be faster to load, if your laptop, desktop, or smartphone is USB 3.0-compatible. But these sticks are of course also backward-compatible with USB 2.0.  Note that with some operating systems, it may take up to one minute for the stick to initially load.

They Will Sell Out Quickly!

Many readers order  2, 3, or 4 sticks, so I expect them to sell out rapidly. Last year’s edition of the archive stick sold out within five weeks, so be sure to order yours, soon! 

USB stick mailings should begin by around February 5th, but with the expected rush of orders, please allow up to four weeks for delivery.

As usual, all U.S. orders are shipped in the sequence of their order numbers. So the sooner that you order, the sooner that yours will arrive. This is truly a  “First come, first served” situation.

To order, see the 2005-2024 SurvivalBlog Archive USB stick ordering page.

Again: This year the stick capacity is 32 gigabytes and it uses the faster USB 3.0. We had to raise the price from $30.95 to 32.95 due to increased product and postage costs. The postage fee is flat rate, so you’ll pay just $7 postage for your order whether you buy 1 stick or a dozen of them. Deliveries should begin in the first week of February.

Note: Orders must be made through our automated ordering system. 

Stick mailings to customers should begin on or before February 5th. Allow up to four weeks for delivery. Thanks for your patience.

These sticks sell out quickly each year, so order your sticks soon! – JWR

Maven S.2 12-27x56mm Spotting Scope, by Thomas Christianson

With a bright, crisp, and crystal-clear field-of-view; lightweight; highly intuitive zoom and focus rings; an unbeatable warranty; and easily packable contours; the Maven S.2 12-27X56mm Spotting Scope is an outstanding optic for field, range, or home use.

It has an Abbe-Koenig prism, fluorite glass, and it is waterproof and fog-proof. It is made from Japanese components that are assembled in San Diego, California,. The scopes then undergo quality control in Lander, Wyoming.

The S.2 was priced at $1,050 at the time of this writing. (Full Disclosure: Maven is an affiliate advertiser of SurvivalBlog.com. SurvivalBlog earns a modest commission on the sales of any items that are derived from visits to the Maven site from clicks on the affiliate ad link at SurvivalBlog ). This price is by no means cheap, but it is reasonable for an optic of this quality. If you are in the market for a first class spotting scope, then I recommend that you consider this one.Continue reading“Maven S.2 12-27x56mm Spotting Scope, by Thomas Christianson”

Recipe of the Week: Pasta and Beans

The following recipe for Pasta and Beans (Pasta Fagioli) is from SurvivalBlog reader Callie B.

Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons dried parsley
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or less, to taste)
  • Salt (to taste)
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) canned chicken broth (or equivalent volume of fresh or frozen broth)
  • 2 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped
  • 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
  • ½ cup of a small dry pasta such as ditalini, ditali, acini di pepe, small shell pasta, tubettini, orzo, or the old favorite: small elbow macaroni.
  • 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, with liquid (or equivalent volume of rehydrated beans — soak overnight, and then change the water and soak another  3+ hours, to de-gas them)
Directions
  1. Rehydrate the dry beans (if used), the day before cooking.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
  3. Add onion, celery, garlic, parsley, Italian seasoning, pepper flakes, and salt; cook and stir until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
  4. Stir in chicken broth, tomato sauce, and tomatoes. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
  5. Add pasta and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
  6. Stir in undrained beans and cook until they are heated through — about 4 minutes.
SERVING

Serve it hot.

Chef’s Notes

Callie Says: “Good side dishes for this are fresh-baked bread, veggies of your choice, or a garden salad”.

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Do you have a well-tested recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? In this weekly recipe column, we place emphasis on recipes that use long-term storage foods, recipes for wild game, dutch oven recipes, slow cooker recipes, and any recipes that use home garden produce. If you have any favorite recipes, then please send them via e-mail. Thanks!

SurvivalBlog Graphic of the Week

Today’s graphic was suggested by Avalanche Lily: Map of U.S. Gun Ownership Rates. (This map is courtesy of Visual Capitalist.)

The thumbnail below is click-expandable.

 

 

 

 

 

JWR’s Comments:

Take note that this data comes from the anti-gun website The Trace.  So I suspect that the figures are all skewed low.  When they are polled in telephone surveys, I assume that many gun owners hang up, or are reluctant to report their gun ownership.

You can see how strongly the American Redoubt region ranks. If Eastern Oregon and Eastern Washington were separate states, then their rates of gun ownership would almost surely also be at or near 60%. Correspondingly, the western halves of those states probably have a gun ownership rate below 40%.

I can see that Idaho has some catching up to do, to match Wyoming and Montana. Idahoans should buy or build more guns!

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Please send your graphics or graphics links to JWR. (Either via e-mail or via our Contact form.) Any graphics that you send must either be your own creation or uncopyrighted.

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“…what I can say is that there is an alignment with all those who are willing to fight against socialism at the international level.

All those who want to fight against socialism at the international level are my allies. Because the enemy is socialism, the enemy is statism, the enemy is collectivism. And all those who are willing to fight that fight, we are all together.

Later we will discuss the emerging order, whether it will be more or less liberal, whether it will resemble classical liberalism or minarchism or anarcho-capitalism, but that is a second order discussion.” – Javier Milei

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — January 12, 2025

The Brazilian city Belem (the entrance gate to the Amazon River) was founded by Captain Major Francisco Branco on January 12, 1616. The photo of Belem above is courtesy of The Drinking Traveler.

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John Hancock was born on January 12, 1737. He was the first and certainly the most prominent signer of the Declaration of Independence.

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The British-Zulu War began on January 12, 1879.  British troops, under Lieutenant General Frederic Augustus, invaded Zululand from the southern African republic of Natal.

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Today is the birthday of Edmund Burke. (Born 1729, died 9 July 1797.)

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Reader M.B. mentioned this interesting history tidbit from the cia.gov website:
“On 12 January 1968, four North Vietnamese AN-2 “Colt” biplanes, painted dark green and modified to drop bombs, flew into Laos headed for a US radar facility that was providing critical all-weather guidance to American warplanes flying strike missions against targets in North Vietnam.  By chance, an unarmed CIA UH-1D “Huey” helicopter approached the site at the same time and gave chase with the onboard flight mechanic firing his AK-47 at one of the Colts.  After a 20-minute pursuit, the Colt crashed, thus earning the Huey’s two-man crew the distinction of having shot down an enemy fixed-wing aircraft from a helicopter, a one-of-a-kind victory.”

See:

and,
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Today’s feature article is a guest post by one of my consulting clients. It is not eligible for the writing contest judging. – JWR

We are seeking entries for Round 116 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $935,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 116 ends on January 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.

Thoughts on Farming – Part 6, by Single Farmer

(Continued from Part 5. This concludes the article.)

The number of hours required to complete an agricultural task has been in decline for over 100 years. This is one of the key concepts that you need to understand in order to have the best chance of surviving the future as these efficiency increases also are across many industries.

Time is not spread out evenly on a farm which is a problem from a labor perspective. There are many times in the life cycle of a grain farm where there is nothing to do, but wait especially with dryland (non-irrigated) farming meaning that you allow natural precipitation cycles instead of introducing irrigation through pivots.  There are some times during the initial stages of planting and the last stages when harvesting that there is too much to do in a given day given the needs of human operators.Continue reading“Thoughts on Farming – Part 6, by Single Farmer”