Will Stewart for 4thTriage
In collaboration with Don Hodge
One of the things that history teaches us, provided that we are listening, is that no civilization expects to fall. Rome didn't. Greece didn't. Even with all the signs there for all to see no one wanted to believe that tomorrow wouldn't be the same or better.
That is just as true now as it has always been. Those that said Bad Things were coming were ridiculed - at best. Old Testament Prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah come to mind. Also the phrase “Don’t kill the messenger”.
We don't want to think it can happen here or now in the USA. Of course, we also didn't think that Pearl Harbor or the 9/11 attacks could happen either. History has tended to prove us disastrously wrong. Stuff happens – even in your own backyard.
We at 4thTriage firmly believe that problems have solutions most of the time. One of the striking facts about problems is that people who prepared and worked to fix the problems ahead of time tended to fare much better. The first – and most important – step in solving problems is to simply be aware that a problem may exist. You are not trying to figure out how likely the problem is to occur – just that it could. And if it did occur, what impact would it have on your family.
This newsletter article by David Morris posted on December 9, 2010 (w/ short video clips) defines a problem - riots/mob behavior. What makes this particularly worry-some is that these riots are over stuff that they didn’t really need. You can debate the cause of such behavior, but it is a reality that you must face. Such behavior is becoming more frequent. Most people (us too) handle this by not putting ourselves in that position. But what if you have to have the item – food, medicine, gasoline, etc. – or your family’s lives are put at risk?
http://secretsofurbansurvival.com/538/food-shortage-riots-video-preview/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Secretsofurbansurvivalcom+%28SecretsOfUrbanSurvival.com%29
Now, lets examine solutions in the case of food. Here’s some background.
First, there was a 5% increase in food prices this past November. Food prices are projected to increase another 10% to 20% during 2011. Oil which is a vital component for energy, transportation of goods and people, agriculture, medicines, plastics, and thousands of other things is over $90 a barrel as we enter 2011. Oil is projected to rise to at least $110 a barrel by the end of 2011. As old wells deplete their supply, new wells must be drilled for production to remain constant. The administration shut down drilling new oil wells in US waters of the Gulf during 2010. They have announced limited drilling for 2011. This has resulted in a 15% decrease in our domestic oil production. (Note: we loaned Mexico $1 Billion and have pledged another $1 Billion so they can drill for oil in the Gulf; also Cuba has hired China to drill for oil in the Gulf off Florida.) Some in the administration have indicated that they will not allow new drilling for oil during the next six (6) years in the Gulf or off the East Coast. It seems likely that the price of food - and many other things – will be increasing for the foreseeable future.
Everyone processes certain foods differently with more or less efficiency. Dr. Mercola has an online test to help you determine your body type and what it processes best.
http://nutritionaltyping.mercola.com/login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fPreTest.aspx
Food that your body doesn’t process efficiently may “require 2-5 TIMES more food (for you) to function” (Morris 12/30/10, insert added). Of course, higher quality food allows your body type to process it more efficiently too.
The definition of “higher quality” food gets quite a bit of debate. Even taking body type out of the equation, one size definitely does not fit all. Most would agree that the antibiotics, growth hormones, pesticides, and additives in your processed foods are not the best thing for your long-term health. Contaminated food grown in countries like Mexico (and many others) where sanitation/health standards are not as vigorously enforced are also a concern. This why people are moving towards raising as much of their food as they can or buying from a local grower (who you can personally check out). This seems to be a better alternative than processed foods. Note that while “processed foods” may be down towards the bottom of your preferences, you must eat. So if that’s all you have, eat it. Do your research and try to select those foods/companies with the fewest concerns. Also a number of the foods you like and use regularly are not grown in that mythical 100-mile circle around your town. Salt, coffee, non-mint tea, and many fruits come to mind off the top of my head. I’m sure you can think of many others.
Another area of debate is “organic”. Organic usually means grown on land that hasn’t had chemicals or pesticides applied to it for 10 years – and has been officially certified. There are a lot of local farms and gardeners with excess who walk the walk but have never been certified. Talk with them and observe. Also “organic” means nothing if the nutrients are missing from the soil. You have to enrich and maintain your soil. One of the best systems for that is John Jeavon’s Ecology Action in Willits, CA ( http://www.growbiointensive.org/ ). His composting system can turn sub-horizon soil (i.e. rock dust) into rich organic loam in seven (7) years – about 60 times faster than Mother Nature. This system’s yields for many crops (in 100 sq. ft. plots) with medium quality soil far out produce large commercial farms per acre. We recommend his book “How to Grow More Vegetables - than you ever thought possible on less land than you imagined” (2007). Again, one size definitely does not fit all. Everyone has their own tricks of the trade - and climates to deal with.
Morris points out in his 12/30/10 posting “This topic gets REALLY complex in a hurry, but the following factors will address the majority of the issue.
1.Complexity of the food
2.Glycemic index
3.Enzymes
4.Allergies
5.Bacteria
6.Bio availability ”
Here’s his article which discusses them. Read the comments for some good ideas:
http://secretsofurbansurvival.com/585/efficient-food-for-prepping-food-storage-and-survival/
David Morris can be found at SurviveInPlace.com, UrbanSurvivalGuide.com, Twitter and Facebook (both as SurvivalDave).
We’ll skip an analysis of the benefits from a well-stocked pantry. They are many and particularly relevant in these uncertain times.
Now lets look at some practical things you can do on a budget, in an apartment, or in a rental. The key approach is to store what you eat and eat what you store. That means you eat out of your pantry. This promotes rotation – first in, first out - so that you don’t waste anything.
First, build up a supply for 3 to 6 months of cheap basic foods (that you will eat). Substitute some of these “basic” meals for your regular meals to: 1) get your family use to them; and 2) confirm that they will eat it. Some of these less extensive foods include rice, beans, and oatmeal. The rice and beans combination will provide all 26 amino acids the human body needs - just like meat. You can build up this supply fairly quickly by constantly buying some each week or month. It isn’t glamorous, but it beats seeing your children hungry. Adding a little of hot sauces, steak sauces, bouillon cubes (like Wylers and Herb ox), sweeteners, spices, salsas, peppers, and vegetables make things taste much better.
At the same time do “sprouting”. You do this indoors all year at a cost of very little space or money. Very simple - just swish water over seeds in a jar several times a day, drain the water (use that water in making soup), and watch the seeds sprout. You don’t even need light to grow these tasty morsels. Ann Wigmore wrote a good book entitled “The Sprouting Book”. It covers the basic methods of sprouting. John Breakey (Mother Earth News Issue #72, Nov/Dec 1981) put together an excellent and fairly complete sprouting chart. It is a course on various seeds and methods/steps in sprouting them. Costs and seed companies may be out of date. Breakey no longer publishes his newsletter, Sproutletter. Here’s the link:
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening/1981-11-01/Jeff-Breakeys-Complete-Sprouting-Chart.aspx (You’ll have to click to enlarge the image.)
Also consider container gardening which can produce kitchen herbs, a tub or two of potatoes, and most vegetables. The larger containers can be mounted on rollers and relocated to balconies and patios weather permitting. Hanging baskets/pots where the roots are in the basket and the plant hangs down producing larger fruits with no chance of the fruit rotting on the ground. This method is particularly well suited for tomatoes, cucumbers, and strawberries. You may have to hang a net from the basket to support the fruit as it approaches harvest. I don’t mention fruit trees in containers here because they are better suited for planting in permanent sites and will take several years – at a minimum – to produce. While there are fruit bushes (including cherries and plums) which only grow 3’ or 4’ high, they also may take several years to produce fruit.
Hydroponics is a very good solution that generally follows the 1/3 rule – 1/3 more, 1/3 faster, and 1/3 more nutrition. Also no pesticides, diseases, blights, nematodes, only the few insects you let in your home or the greenhouse, or the rotting of some produce on the ground. On a personal, low profile (i.e. hide-in-place) level you can do it in your house, basement, or garage with LED lights. On a group/community level you can put up a green house. Tom Blount, perhaps the premier hydroponics expert, has a consulting company, Nevada Naturals (NevadaNaturals.com), which also provides equipment for mini-home systems and greenhouses. One greenhouse (60’ x 30’) with various hydroponics systems will produce 10,000 pounds of vegetables each month. He has a site ( http://hydroponicblueprint.com/ ) which offers a “blueprint” for beginners in charts and videos. Vegetables that can be grown well include: lettuce, greens, herbs, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, straw-berries, blueberries, and potatoes.
There are several types of hydroponics systems. All revolve around delivering water, nutrients, and oxygen to the roots of the plants. The “float” method is a good system - and you can go away for two weeks. You could set up a 4’ x 8’ system (about 160 plants) for around $50 using a 4 x 8 sheet of plywood, sides made of 2” x 6” boards, a plastic sheet as a liner, some Styrofoam to float on top of the water, and an aquarium air pump to add oxygen to the water. Cut holes in the Styrofoam 5” apart for the germinated seeds. Cover the water completely to avoid algae growth (not dangerous but slows plant growth as it collects on the roots). Nutrient mixes can be bought or you can make your own. You can make nutrient teas from manures, compost and folic acid. One formula from James B. Dekorne (The Survival Greenhouse) mixed equal parts of rabbit manure, chicken manure, ground wood ashes, and earthworm castings. Indoor lighting with LEDs will be great. Add a red lens or piece of plastic for fruiting plants and blue for greens. A company that makes high quality LEDs is Light Beam ( http://www.lightbeaminc.com/ ). Note: once Blount had a large basement system and was visited by the DEA. Their comment was that he was the second person they’d interviewed in four years growing a legal crop. Cooling in hot climates/seasons can be accomplished by water walls (swamp coolers), shade covers, and in a greenhouse by also opening vents in the roof. Heating can be done by attaching a water heater. Keeping the roots warm is key. After all, lettuce can grow in ice.
Know and locate patches where local wild foods grow such as cattails, prickly pear cactus, berries, and nuts. Know your neighborhood. Some folks may be giving away excess from their gardens and/or fruit trees.
Next there is “wetpack” or commercially canned foods. Much of your regular menu probably comes from here. These store well for two years before losing significant nutrient content and may be eaten cold. Tomato based products store for 6 months to a year because of the acid content. James Talmage Stevens’ book “Making The Best Of Basics” has pretty good charts of shelf life for almost everything, quantities used in a year, storage concerns and methods, and recipes for the Mormon Four – wheat, honey, powdered milk, and salt. This is a must have book.
That brings up another of debate – to cook or eat raw. Cooking (and commercial processing) destroys nutrients. With vegetables, fruits, and most nuts eating raw usually poses no problems. With meat – particularly pork and wild game – you may have to kill parasites and disease organisms. Better safe than sorry here.
Freeze dried foods and nitrogen sealed 5 or 6 gallon buckets (and #10 cans) will last 20 to 30 years under proper storage temperatures. For every 10 degrees F above 70 F the shelf life is roughly cut in half. For every 10 degrees F below 70 F the shelf life is roughly doubled. Root Cellars take advantage of the fact that ground temp below the freeze line – usually 3’ to 4’ in the lower 48 of the USA – is 50-55 F all year.
Professionally prepared long-term storage foods have many advantages – no immediate need to rotate or lose your investment; security against future disasters, disease wiping out your garden, or economic problems; many basic foods, meals, less common foods; and bulk purchases. The downside is cost. You need to remember that you are paying a premium for the 30-year shelf life. If the emergency goes on for a year or two and you eat up all of this stored food, was the premium for the extra 28 years shelf life the best use of your money – assuming you’re on a budget. Look, if the emergency goes on long enough, you will run out of whatever you stored unless you can make it, raise it, or grow it. If an emergency lasts a year or two, why would you think it won’t last 5 or 10 years? Me, I’d concentrate on laying in meals for 5 years total rather than 1 year’s worth which would have a shelf life of 30 years. (Here, of course, cost raises its ugly head for most of us.) Now, five years gives a better cushion to learn and/or polish your gardening and livestock skills. Our colonial ancestors tried to plant four (4) times as much as they thought they’d need to get them to the next harvest. Even experienced gardeners today can lose most of their harvest. Today we can make good that loss with a trip to the grocery store – an option you wouldn’t have in a long-term emergency.
Other things you could do are a family garden and raising small livestock – rabbits, chickens, fish, perhaps a female goat, and/or a female pig. Note that pigs can be potty trained. You would either need a permanent site (w/ a yard) or a landlord who would allow you to do so. Zoning regulations also need to be checked out.
Storage of food is a top priority. You can do storage yourself with home canning. Another method is solar dehydration (even using your car w/ the windows up). Meat can be made into jerky by dehydration (in the oven or outdoors protecting from insects/birds w/ cheesecloth). You can get storage buckets, liners, and gamma lids from preparation/survival websites and stores. Two sources are Emergency Essentials ( beprepared.com ) and The Ready Store ( TheReadyStore.com ). With buckets you want to remove moisture. You can put a packet of food desiccant in the bottom of the bucket before filling. You must remove the oxygen before sealing. The simplest method is placing a piece of newspaper on top of the contents and then add dry ice (be really careful to use thick, dry gloves). As the dry ice melts, CO2 fills the bucket forcing the oxygen up and out. Remove the newspaper and seal tightly. A vacuum sealer is very useful for keeping dehydrated foods and partially cooked foods destined for the freezer – a chest type freezer, please, Not an Upright.
For more information see our post on food management.
http://4thtriage.blogspot.com/2010/11/preparedness-part-6-food-management.html
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