Lessons From a Fire, by R.M.

I wish to share with you my pitfalls, follies, and other lessons learned from a small fire in my yard.

I wake up around the same time every night, thanks to nocturia. However, last night was different. I saw a red hue cast was over my backyard. I wondered what it could be. Was it a neighbor with a car in it’s backyard, some unusual atmospheric phenomenon, alien invasion? The lights weren’t flashing so it wasn’t first responders. My stomach felt like a rock dropped in it. I was thinking: “Please don’t be what I think it is.” I got closer to the window and saw what nobody wants to see at 2:30 in the morning. Flames. The flames were 10 feet high, shooting out of what was formerly known as my compost bin. And I knew instantly that it was my fault.

The evening before, I had emptied our backyard firepit of ash that filled it from a fun family hot dog roast that marked the end of a long cold winter and the beginning of spring. (At least locally.) The ashes were over 24 hours old and I figured that they were dead enough. Apparently, I was very wrong. We hadn’t had a wet winter, and the compost must have been drier than I thought. I had a little thought when I dumped it was to wet down the ash, just in case. But I didn’t want to drag the hose out of its winter storage.

I woke up my wife and told her to call 911 as I threw on my bathrobe and stuffed my feet into the pair of running shoes I keep by my bed. I must have looked quite comical in that get up but I needed to keep the fire from spreading. We had a fire extinguisher under the kitchen sink. I yanked open the cabinet and searched for it. Where was it? There’s no fire extinguisher in here! Oh, there it is, buried in the back corner. I flew out the door my robe. I ran to the fire, fumbling as I prepared the extinguisher. That small kitchen firefighting tool knocked down a few flames, but as it ran out I realized that I had been outclassed in the first round. I needed the garden hose.

I ran to the shed. I stared at the lock on the door I cursed my paranoia and ran back inside to find the key. I had one on both my key ring and my wife’s key ring. Reaching into the key bowl to feel nothing, I remember I left my keys on my dresser to help me get ready early in the morning. Grabbing the key ring and returning to the shed I opened it and searched for the long coil that hopefully might assist me in conquering the blaze.

Attaching the hose to the hose bib was fun in the dark with a wild dose of panic and adrenaline pumping through me as my heart thumped away at 200 beats per minute. I did my best firefighter impression as I twisted the knob and ran with the hose across the yard. With each step I was praying in my heart, ‘Please be long enough, please be long enough”’

I made it and opened the brass fitting on the end of the hose and waited an eternity for the water to rush down the hose. It was only about 5 seconds but felt like 5 years. Then the water finally started to flow and a blast of liquid shot out. As I sprayed down my mistake I began to regain ground in the battle. Soon, I had beaten down the flames and then took on the coals. As soon as there were no more orange showed I left the hose emptying into the pile of muck. I realized that I didn’t want the fire department to knock down my gate when they got here, so I unlocked it. Firefighters don’t hesitate to destroy stuff. I got a shovel out of the shed to go stir the ashes and make sure everything got thoroughly saturated.Continue reading“Lessons From a Fire, by R.M.”

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 of interest to preppers and survivalists that are located in the American Redoubt region. This week, with warmer weather, we focus on some upcoming events and outdoor activities.

Region-Wide

101 things to do in the Inland Northwest this summer.

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In case you missed this when it first aired in 2021: Conservatives Are Buying Up the Most Remote Property in the US — VICE on SHOWTIME. (This appears to be a clip from a longer VICE documentary, available on Showtime.)

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Inland NW Race, Ride, & Event Guide 2022.

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The upcoming Iron Riders events will be worth seeing. Please pray for their safety and success.

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US wildlife agency to consider protecting Yellowstone bison.

Idaho

The New York Times recently ran this article: A Fracture in Idaho’s G.O.P. as the Far Right Seeks Control. JWR’s Comment: I heard from someone I trust who attended that event in Bonners Ferry that there were two reporters from The New York Times who attended, and identified themselves as such, when asking questions. It is noteworthy that a major eastern newspaper would dispatch two reporters to a small-town pre-election event, 2,500 miles away, only to file a brief article. Obviously, The Powers That Be are perturbed that genuine freedom-loving conservatives are gaining control of Idaho Republican Party politics. By the way, it seems that anyone to the right of John McCain is considered “Far Right”, according to the editors of The New York Times.

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Coeur d’Alene ranked in top 10 of hottest places to live.

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Next top Must-Attend Events in Idaho.

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Wolves kill more than 100 sheep near Boise.

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

Preparedness Notes for Monday — June 6, 2022

Today is the birthday of American gun designer Hugo Borchardt. (June 6, 1844 – May 8, 1924). He was born in Germany. He is best known as the designer of the odd-looking recoil-operated Model 1893 pistol that bears his name. It was the world’s first mass-produced semi-automatic pistol.

The 6th of June is also remembered for the D-Day invasion, which eventually pushed German forces out of occupied France and the rest of western Europe.

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Today, we are beginning a two-week-long pre-summer sale, at Elk Creek Company. We’ve reduced the prices on all of our percussion replica guns, and nearly all of our pre-1899 cartridge guns. With the recent dip in the spot price of silver, this is a great time to buy. Note that we have our prices listed in both pre-1965 silver coinage and in current rapidly-inflating Federal Reserve Notes (FRNs.) The last day of the sale will be Monday, June 20th. Order soon!

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I just read through the text of H.R. 7910, aka the “Protecting Our Kids Act” — the Democrat’s gun control dream bill package. It includes a ban on making unserialized guns, raises the minimum gun purchase age on most semi-auto rifles and many shotguns to 21, codifies Trump’s bumpstock ban, and has the requirement to keep guns locked up at home at all times unless you are actually carrying them. (With $500 fines for each gun that is found unsecured.) Buried at the end of the package is a ban on the sale or manufacture of any magazines for centerfires that can hold more than 10 rounds. This ban includes a grandfather clause but with no sunset clause. Understanding how Federal law works, this means that the magazine ban will be in effect for generations!  This is a HORRIBLE package of legislation that must be stopped. A Senate version of the same package will soon be announced. There is also a renewal of the 1994-2004 semi-auto ban in the works, as well as a “Universal Background Checks” bill. The latter would outlaw private party intrastate sales of used guns by non-licensees, in a gross overreach of Federal power. Please repeatedly contact both your House and Senate legislators and tell them that this legislation is absolutely unacceptable and to stand firm and to not compromise!  Apparently, some RINO Senate and House members have expressed willingness to go along with this civilian disarmament, so this is a very serious situation!

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Today we present a review written by our Field Gear Editor Emeritus, Pat Cascio.

Consider Your Socks, by Pat Cascio

Everyone has a sock drawer! Most of us don’t give any thought to socks – for the most part. We just reach in and grab whatever is in our hand, and put those socks on for the day. As I’ve stated in the past, when it comes to footwear, I’m very particular about the kinds of shoes and boots I wear. I mainly wear boots. Matter of fact, the only pair of shoes I own came from the Salvation Army. Bought those used shoes to go to out oldest daughter’s college graduation – I wore a suit. I still have those dress shoes, and haven’t worn them since.

Today, it seems like the fashion for some men, is wearing shoes without any socks at all – I don’t even try to figure this stuff out. Socks are meant to protect your feet from getting blisters and hot spots from the friction of wear shoes and boots. Secondly, socks absorb the moisture from your feet sweating. Experts say that, we lose about a pint or more of sweat through our feet, daily. If you’re not wearing socks with your shoes, then your shoes pick up that moisture and in short order, your shoes will stink – plain and simple.

For the longest time, women wore either silk or Nylon stockings or pantyhose, and they liked the look of their legs with those stockings. The trend now, are for women to not wear any long stockings with their dresses or skirts. I personally don’t like the look.

I’m going to cover several different types of socks in this article, and maybe shed some light on why there are so many different types of materials used in socks. First up are men’s dress socks, and they are usually a combination of Nylon and cotton – and they are very thin, to say the least. Now, while these socks might work when you are dress-up and going to the office or to church, they don’t really provide your feet with much protection from the elements. And, odds are, those socks then tend to slip down below your ankle. When I was in my teen years, I wore similar socks. However I opted for the socks that went over the calf, so they didn’t slide down to my ankle. There are also dress socks made out of wool – at least partially made out of wool.Continue reading“Consider Your Socks, by Pat Cascio”

Recipe of the Week: Trailside Spaghetti With Tuna

The following recipe for a Seasoned Trailside Spaghetti With Tuna — intended for fellow backpackers or for campers — was sent to us by Tammy D. This recipe makes two servings.

Ingredients
  • 1 8-ounce package of dried angel hair pasta
  • 1 6-ounce retort pouch or can of tuna in oil. (Bring a key-ring can opener!)
  • 8 dried tomatoes, sliced
  • 4 cups of water, filtered.
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
Dry Mix Making Directions — At Home
  1. Mix the basil, oregano, Parmesan cheese, and garlic powder.
  2. Place this mixture in two thicknesses of ziplock bags.
  3. Store this mixture packet in a cool, dry place or in your refrigerator until just before your backpacking trip. Store the other ingredients separately.
Cooking Directions — At The TrailSIDE
  1. Soak the dried tomato slices in 4 cups of water for at least 10 minutes or until fully rehydrated.
  2. Remove the tomato slices from water and set them aside.
  3. Bring water to a boil.
  4. Break the angel hair pasta into palm-lengths and add to the boiling water.
  5. Cook the pasta until soft.
  6. Drain the water–well away from your camp if you are in bear country.
  7. Leave noodles in the pot and add tuna the tomato slices
  8. Add the contents of the cheese and spice bag.
  9. Stir well.
  10. Serve while still hot.

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Do you have a favorite 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 and slow cooker recipes, and any that use home garden produce. If you have any favorite recipes, then please send them via e-mail. Thanks!

Economics & Investing For Preppers

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. Most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we look at rising interest rates and their nascent effect on the housing market.

Precious Metals:

Gold SWOT: Gold Is Headed For The Longest Run Of Gains In More Than A Month.

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Metals shortages ahead, net-zero targets at risk — BofA.

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Is global ‘slavery’ coming? Gold guards against ‘total control’ – Bob Moriarty.

Economy & Finance:

UCLA: Global, domestic impediments will slow economy, but no recession yet.

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At Fortune: Don’t get too excited about the stock market’s recent rally. Some Wall Street experts say it could be a trap—and the bear market will still wreak havoc.

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Costco membership price hike: ‘It’s not a question of if,’ analyst explains.

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Reuters: Peak interest rates may be lower than expected as growth slowdown looms.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“The third group is the largest, in my view, and these are the ones who see and detest the vile fruit that this revolution is generating, but to date have shown no awareness of their own ongoing complicity in the whole thing. This post is primarily for this third group, and particularly for members of this group who are starting to radicalize, but without repentance. […] That is where our real problem is. They are very angry with school board officials in charge of a secular school system, and why? They are angry with the officials of a secular school system because they have governed it as though it really were a secular school system.” – Pastor Doug Wilson

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — June 5, 2022

On June 5, 1851, Harriet Beecher Stowe published the first installment of Uncle Tom’s Cabin in The National Era. She was the sister of firebrand abolitionist Henry Ward Beecher.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 101 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 course certificate from onPoint Tactical 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,
  4. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  5. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  6. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  7. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  3. 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).
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  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 firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. 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)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. A LogOX 3-in-1 Forestry MultiTool (a $189 value) and a WoodOx Sling (a $79.95 value), courtesy of LogOx, both made in USA.
  4. A transferable $100 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

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More than $725,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 101 ends on July 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

Grow Food in Summer That Lasts All Winter – Part 2, by J.T.

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

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Cabbage:
One cabbage plant only produces one head weighing about two and half pounds.
We like coleslaw, cabbage rolls, cooked cabbage with potatoes, and stews with cabbage. One cabbage each week should be sufficient for eating. Like broccoli, cabbage will not survive after year end, so we will plan to harvest only about 8 heads. (I harvested one cabbage in December. It lasted in our refrigerator until it was eaten 8 months later). These plants will need an area 5′ by 6′ of garden space for 8 plants placed 2′ apart in two rows.
Start the seeds in a pot about July 1st then transplant each to a separate pot July 15th. Keep them warm and with light during daytime. Transplant them outside August 1st and expect a crown to begin showing in about two months. Cabbage can be left on the plant after maturing for 30 days or more before it becomes necessary to harvest.
One pound of cabbage will provide about 100 calories and several additional nutrients.
One frost will prevent further growth, but the plant will still survive unless the temperature falls below 26’F. A row cover will help protect this plant from a short-term hard freeze.

Carrots:
Each carrot seed only produces one carrot, but a teaspoon of seeds will grow over 1,000 carrots.
This plant has many uses such as: grate and put in salads or Jell-O, eat it raw, add to your stew, squeeze for carrot juice, boil them, or cut them up raw for snacks. The carrots that I grow will weigh about one fifth of a pound each; five carrots will make one pound. On average, we will consume about 10 carrots every week, or about two pounds. So, for 30 weeks, we need 300 carrots. This will only require a garden space of about 5′ by 4′.

I am going to paraphrase part of what I wrote in the tow-part article that was published in SurvivalBlog, about planting carrots, called Volume Vegetable Gardening. “Here is the planting method I recommend. On August 1st, mix 1,000 seeds in a 3 gallon bucket filled with 2 gallons of potting soil. Make sure the soil where the seed is to be planted is wet by putting at least 1″ of water on the bed just prior to planting. Spread the mixture in an area 5′ by 4′. Keep the area damp twice daily until the seeds emerge and then water at least once a week.” Of the 1,000 seeds planted, you will easily be able to harvest 300 carrots. These will need to be weeded but not thinned.

One pound of carrots will provide about 190 calories and several additional nutrients.
Like brussels sprouts, carrots do well in cold winters. However, before winter sets in, mulch carrots with 3+” of compost or straw to keep them protected from freezing which can happen if the thermometer stays below freezing over several days.Continue reading“Grow Food in Summer That Lasts All Winter – Part 2, by J.T.”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel saying,

Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.

But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.

Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.

(According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.

And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them:

Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.

I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.

Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?

For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:

If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.

For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?

For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.

And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;

Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.

Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.

Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:

For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.

Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.

And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again.

For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?

For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.” – Romans 11:1-27 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — June 4, 2022

Today is the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre, in 1989.

On this day, June 4th, in 1944 United States Navy Task Group 22.3 captured U-505, a German submarine and with it an intact Enigma cipher machine. This was the first time since the USS Peacock seized HMS Nautilus in 1815 that the USN had captured an enemy vessel at sea. The sub, reunited with its periscope more than a decade ago, is displayed at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 101 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 course certificate from onPoint Tactical 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,
  4. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  5. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  6. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  7. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  3. 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).
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  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 firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. 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)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. A LogOX 3-in-1 Forestry MultiTool (a $189 value) and a WoodOx Sling (a $79.95 value), courtesy of LogOx, both made in USA.
  4. A transferable $100 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $725,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 101 ends on July 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

Grow Food in Summer That Lasts All Winter – Part 1, by J.T.

Gardeners: You can grow crops in your summer garden that will feed your family during the non-growing season. It’s all about the proper timing for starting your seeds and knowing which plants can make it through the winter.

When summer comes to an end and you no longer have those wonderful veggies that came from your garden, what are your options? Well, for many of us gardeners, we are at the mercy of shopping for produce at Safeway from November until next year’s summer crop which won’t become available until June or July. Therefore, through winter and spring you will need to acquire food from a source that is outside of your control.

Let’s get real with what’s going on now with the prospect that food may not be available from your favorite outlet during the upcoming winter and spring. What then?

I’ve got a plan that can work. Eight plants that I grow each year will be available for your family to consume through next winter and spring. These plants will provide food that is wholesome and trustworthy because you grew them in your own garden.

Before getting into the details, here are some assumptions:

You can survive on the garden food you have saved for the non-growing season, but my recommendations assume you have stored some beans, grain, rice, fish, and meat to supplement these vegetables. If you don’t have these protein and carbohydrate supplement foods, then you will need to grow a significantly larger quantity than I have suggested for you to survive the seven-month non-growing season.

Decide the quantity of veggies you want to eat each week, taking in consideration the number of the people you need to feed and the growing space that will become available. In my descriptions of food quantities that I am recommending, I will estimate the number of pounds of produce desired to feed two people each week.

Although I suggest a certain amount of seeds to plant, think ahead about other people’s needs if food shortages become critical. You probably have family and friends that don’t garden and have not stored food for future disasters. If you have the growing space, double or triple the seeds you personally need, especially if food shortages occur, as some people are predicting in the coming months.Continue reading“Grow Food in Summer That Lasts All Winter – Part 1, by J.T.”

Editors’ Prepping Progress

To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make 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 this column, in the Odds ‘n Sods Column, and in the Snippets column. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

Jim Reports:

I’ll start out with my recently-visited Radio.Garden stations:

(Note: Radio.Garden has been glitchy with recent releases of Firefox, but it works well with the Opera browser.)

  • WUMB – Traditional Folk — Boston
  • KILI Radio 90.1 — Porcupine South Dakota
  • Radio Riel Ragtime – Detroit, Michigan
  • KBBI-AM 890 — Homer, Alaska
  • KSUN 103.7 FM — Sun Valley, Idaho

This past week, I did some more firewood cutting. I also hauled home some cedar chips from a local sawmill, for my wife Avalanche Lily to use as pathway cover material and as mulch in her garden and greenhouse. And I put in some time running our rototiller.

A few errands and a trip to the dentist kept me away from the ranch for several days.

With Federal legislation brewing, I’ve also been heavily stocking up on magazines. I’ll discuss my strategy on that in the Tangibles Investing section of my bi-weekly Economics and Investing column.

Now, over to Lily…

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”