What I’m Growing This Year – Part 2, by SaraSue

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.)

Meat, Dairy, and Eggs

My first cow to calve this year is due in a couple of weeks, and being that she is a first time heifer, she could calve any time now.  So, I’m trying to finish up house projects, cleaning the farmhouse top to bottom. and get the garden going before I need to ensure a healthy calf, and train its mother to the milking machine.  I’ll be honest.  I’m apprehensive about training this particular heifer.  She’s a big Guernsey, taller than me, and has long “kickers”/legs, and she’s a little skittish.  Some heifers settle right in, and some want to kill you.  LOL.  So far, there’s not been a cow I’ve failed to train to the milker, but there’s always a first.  Maybe she will extend mercy to me.  If not, I will turn her out with her calf, until such time as she is over her first calf hormonal insanity.  I’m not in the mood to fight with a heifer this year.

I train all my cows to come in by their names, and also to a feed bucket, so there’s an incentive for her to allow me to milk her, but she has to decide.  I’m not the kind of person who will truss up a dairy cow and force her to comply.  It goes so much better when she realizes it’s a good experience and wants to come in to be milked.  There will be milk (cheeses, yogurt, butter, etc.)  I’m just not sure yet who is going to get it – me or the calf or both.  This heifer was bred to sexed semen and should produce a full-blooded Guernsey heifer (a calf for future milk or to be sold).Continue reading“What I’m Growing This Year – Part 2, by SaraSue”

Editors’ Prepping Progress

To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make both long-term and short-term plans. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities and planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, ranch improvements, bug-out bag fine-tuning, and food storage. This is something akin to our Retreat Owner Profiles, but written incrementally and in detail, throughout the year.  We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in your e-mailed letters. We post many of those — or excerpts thereof — in the Odds ‘n Sods Column or in the Snippets column. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

Jim Reports:

I did some chicken slaughtering and butchering this week. There were six in this batch. Two of those were older “Stewpot” roosters that were quite difficult to skin. I also cleaned up the barnyard and hauled out manure. This time, it went to fill a couple of low spots in one of our pastures.

On Thursday, with the help of a young neighbor farm hand, Lily, I, and our younger daughter pitchforked an entire box trailer load of manure and soiled bedding from our in-barn sheep pen that still holds four rams and ramlings.  I’m building another squash mound at woodling on the north side of one of our pastures with that manure

I also helped an ailing neighbor get into town to run his errands.

Now, Lily’s part of the report…

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote Of The Day:

“There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.

Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper withersoever thou goest.

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying,

Pass through the host, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the Lord your God giveth you to possess it.

And to the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to half the tribe of Manasseh, spake Joshua, saying,

Remember the word which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, saying, The Lord your God hath given you rest, and hath given you this land.

Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side Jordan; but ye shall pass before your brethren armed, all the mighty men of valour, and help them;

Until the Lord have given your brethren rest, as he hath given you, and they also have possessed the land which the Lord your God giveth them: then ye shall return unto the land of your possession, and enjoy it, which Moses the Lord‘s servant gave you on this side Jordan toward the sunrising.” – Joshua 1:5-15 (KJV) 

Preparedness Notes for Friday — March 6, 2026

On March 6, 1836, the Battle of the Alamo ended, after 13 days of fighting. 1,500 to 3,000 Mexican soldiers overwhelmed the Texan defenders, killing at least 182 Texans, including William Travis, Jim Bowie, and Davy Crockett.

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Today is the birthday of Georg Johann Luger (March 6, 1849 – December 22, 1923). He was the Austrian designer of the famous Luger pistol and the 9×19mm Parabellum cartridge.

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March 6th was the birthday of Leroy Gordon “Gordo” Cooper Jr., born in 1927 in Shawnee, Oklahoma. Cooper died at age 77 at his home in Ventura, California, October 4, 2004.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 123 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. 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),
  2. 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.
  3. HSM Ammunition in Montana is providing a $350 gift certificate. The certificate can be used for any of their products.
  4. Harvest Guard is providing a 200-Piece Bulk Mix Pack of their Regular and Wide-Mouth Reusable Canning Jar Lids & Gaskets. This is a $161 + shipping value.

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 TOUGHGRID.com (a $287 value).
  3. Preparedness author Jennifer Rader is providing a $200 purchase credit for any of her eight published food storage and medical preparedness books, including the Good Eats at the TEOTWAWKI Café series, the Armageddon Pharmacy series, and the Medicine Surrounds Us series.
  4. 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. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.
  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 $981,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 123 ends on March 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. 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.

What I’m Growing This Year – Part 1, by SaraSue

Time to start the garden and not spend time watching world news.  I can’t change a thing that is happening, but I can grow food and pray.  I must stay focused on the farm and move forward rather than spend time fretting and scanning “the news”.  Fear can be paralyzing.  Growing food and praying are the most important things I can do, at this time, in this place.

Unless we get a surprise Spring cold snap, which is likely, the weather should be fairly mild temperature wise, from here on out for my location in Tennessee.  Our long range weather forecast looks mild (in the 60’s and 70’s Fahrenheit during the day, and above freezing at night), so it’s time to begin gardening no matter what date it is.  Last year, I waited until our forecasted “last frost date”, and quickly learned that I planted too late in the year.  It got hot early in the year, and then the garden pests moved in, and while the garden looked great for a few months, it was all downhill after that.  I’m trying to pay attention to the actual weather rather than typical planting dates for my zone (zone 7).  I could be completely wrong since the weather never asks my permission to do what it does.  But, here we go.Continue reading“What I’m Growing This Year – Part 1, by SaraSue”

Economics & Investing Media of the Week

In Economics & Investing Media of the Week we feature photos, charts, graphs, maps, video links, and news items of interest to preppers.  This week, a map of solar farms, wind farms, and battery farms in the United States.

The thumbnail below is click-expandable.

 

 

 

(Graphic courtesy of Reddit.)

Economics & Investing Links of Interest

Economics & Investing Media Tips:

Please send your economics and investing links to JWR. (Either via e-mail or via our Contact form.) Thanks!

The Editors’ Quote Of The Day:

“The power vested in the American courts of justice of pronouncing a statute to be unconstitutional forms one of the most powerful barriers that have ever been devised against the tyranny of political assemblies.” – Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America, 1835

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — March 5, 2026

Today is the 75th birthday of Texas singer/songwriter Willis Alan Ramsey. He was born March 5th, 1951.  He is best known for his songs Northeast Texas Women and Muskrat Candlelight (aka Muskrat Love.) The latter became a hit when it was covered by both the bands America and Captain & Tennille. Oddly, Ramsey only had one released record album.

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This is also the birthday of Howard Pyle (1853-1911) an influential American book illustrator, painter, and author. He was the mentor of many great American artists including Thornton Oakley, Frank E. Schoonover, Allen Tupper True, and of course his most famous student, N.C. Wyeth.

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March 5th is also the anniversary of the Boston Massacre. (March 5, 1770. ) It was one of the key precipitating events for our War of Independence.

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Today, we present a guest essay by geopolitical and market analyst Brandon Smith. He is the editor of the free Alt-Market.us website and the by-subscription newsletter The Wild Bunch Dispatch. Both are recommended by JWR.

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We are seeking entries for Round 123 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $981,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 123 ends on March 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. 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.

What Happens Next in Iran? Decapitation, Quagmire, or WWIII?, by Brandon Smith

Before I begin this analysis of the situation in the Middle East and its consequences, I want to warn people that this examination is going to be largely secular and nuanced; which means people on both sides of the divide are going to be perturbed and moan about it. Frankly, I don’t care.

To be clear, I’m not interested in the “plight” of the Palestinians, the Islamic regime in Iran or the conspiracy theories of “groypers.” I find appeals of empathy and compassion for Islamic societies to be naive – They are perfectly indifferent and hostile to the west, they always have been. They have also formed political alliances with far-left organizations in the US and Europe with the intent to burn the west to the ground. I do not waste my time worrying about them.

In fairness, I also don’t care about the Israeli government and I have no vested interest in whether or not they survive. In the past, Israeli-supported organizations have helped in the formation of militant leftist groups and anti-conservative sentiments in the US. The fact that leftist activists have turned on Israel in recent years is rather poetic.Continue reading“What Happens Next in Iran? Decapitation, Quagmire, or WWIII?, by Brandon Smith”

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods. This column is a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from JWR. Our goal is to educate our readers, to help them to recognize emerging threats, and to be better prepared for both disasters and negative societal trends. You can’t mitigate a risk if you haven’t first identified a risk. In today’s column, hopes of a proper interpretation of the Hughes Amendment.

Re-Opening the Federal Machinegun Registry?

Reader D.S.V.  flagged this good news: States Working on Gamechanging Plans to Give Civilians Opportunity to Own Machine Guns, Others Could Follow.

An Iraq-Like Outcome in Iran?

As reported by the Leftist/Globalist Los Angeles Times: News Analysis: Toppling Iraq’s Hussein unleashed chaos. Why Iran war poses similar risks.

Iran’s New Supreme Leader

The Mirror reports: Ali Khamenei’s son Mojtaba named as new Supreme Leader. JWR’s Comments:  I presume that his life expectancy can be measured in days, and possibly just hours. I can foresee that the next week or two will probably become a repeated game of Ayatollah Whackamollah.

U.S. Arming an Uprising Inside Iran

United States seeking an armed uprising inside Iran, with ground operation expected within days. JWR’s  Comments:  Arming insurgents was predictable. I suspect that until Shah-in-Exile Pahlavi takes power, the only U.S boots on the ground will be a few Special Forces trainers and a handful of forward air controller/laser target designator experts.Continue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods”

The Editors’ Quote Of The Day:

“Let us never forget that our constitutions of government are solemn instruments, addressed to the common sense of the people and designed to fix and perpetuate their rights and their liberties.” – Joseph Story

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — March 4, 2026

On March 4, 1774: The first sighting of the Orion nebula by William Herschel.

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March 4, 1908: A fire at Lakeview Elementary School in Collinwood, Ohio, killed 172 students and two teachers: a boiler room blaze trapped many victims in the building, prompting changes in school design and procedures nationwide.

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Today’s feature article is by SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Tom Christianson.

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We still need reader-written articles for Round 123 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $981,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 123 ends on March 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.

Rejuvenating and Old PC with Linux Mint Xfce – Part 2, by Thomas Christianson

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.)

LinuxLite Attempt One

Since I was more satisfied with the Linux apps that I was running under Chrome OS Flex than with the native Chrome apps, I decided to experiment with another Linux OS. I went to www.linuxliteos.com and attempted to downloaded LinuxLite 7.4 . That was easier said than done. That site was so choked with ads and deceptive links leading to other software that it was virtually impossible to find a link leading to the correct download. After more than 30 minutes of searching, I finally gave up and decided to try another Linux OS.

Linux Mint Xfce Attempt One

I went to www.linusmint.com/download.php and selected the Xfce Edition. From there I selected the Clarkson University download site. I then used Rufus to create an installation disk. I then started Mint in compatibility mode and ran it from the USB drive to test the web browser.

The Firefox browser that came with Mint did not give impressive results, although in general Mint provided snappier performance than Chrome OS Flex. I decided to try another Linux OS.Continue reading“Rejuvenating and Old PC with Linux Mint Xfce – Part 2, by Thomas Christianson”

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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In the Leftie/Greenie Washington Post: Good night, stars. We are on the cusp of turning darkness into day.

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Reader H.L. mentioned that she found some cogent analysis on the Iran War, over at the Gold and Geopolitics substack. JWR’s Comments:  Obviously, the global oil market and the precious metals markets are being heavily manipulated by short sellers. My prediction is that the price of oil will remain fairly low, but silver, gold, and platinum will rise. The metals required for the replenishment of precision-guided munitions (PGMs) will help drive this rebound. Watch the disparity between the East Asian markets and Western markets in the coming weeks. Eventually, strong physical demand will win out.

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The Spring Cleaning Checklist Experts Actually Follow.

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Reported in February: NFA Form 4 Applications for Suppressors up 394 Percent.

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Video from the BBC archive: A 1978 Connections segment: Could You Survive Without Modern Technology?

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”