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Better be growing a garden and raising animals next year
SW0320
Member Posts: 2,519 ✭✭✭✭
Heard on the radio today for the first time ever the United States became a net importer of food in 2022.
Comments
Well with all the illegal invaders it makes sense that we are a net importer of food. Their countries are about empty of people so they might as well sell the food to the USA so Joe can get his 10%.
We have a huge garden about 5 miles away.. State Farmers Market .. wholesale prices.
Do Both. Grow a garden and raise animals. We will likely expand the garden and already have cattle
One of the issues with a garden is I really am not sure what to grow. Things that can be preserved are best, I live alone. I don't need 50 quarts of tomatoes or green beans to hold me over for a while. Corn is another mind bender. It is awesome fresh on the cob, not so much cut off the cob and canned or frozen.
bpost- take that corn, and chicken, taters, maters, onions, lima beans- make Brunswick stew. Can THAT.
We feed squirrels, ground hogs, and raccoons. I'm not fond of any of them (never tried ground hog) but I figure if the excrement seriously hits the HVAC we could eat for a few days.
my wife use to can a lot of stuff I think it just a carry over from her parents (as my mom did also) but a lot of people do so.
some years back we were talking about it its great to know where and how it was grown but serous all the effort of growing a garden ( we still do a small garden ) and canning when any one can stop by ( for now any way ) any store and buy a can of corn or tomatoes or what ever for about a dollar
I remember the same talk with my in laws they would rase a few pigs and chickens but also have a garden he even said its silly for the effort he grew up like many with nothing so canning was a way of life they just kept doing but did stop also .
at that time of our discussion every store would have sales like 4 or 5 cans of corn or tomatoes for a dollar .
I am not saying we will not go back to canning or freezing a lot of supply's but for now its still too easy to buy a few cans of what ever
1st. time in decades I lost my * gardening this year, severe drought here and it was cheaper to buy vegetables than water mine. We'll decide next year whether it's worth the effort, time and money invested.
"Never do wrong to make a friend----or to keep one".....Robert E. Lee
Did a 3 year stint raising egg laying chickens. Found that the costs to keep them fed was FAR greater than buying store bought eggs. Then there is the time and labor involved to consider as well. It was a great relief to me when our last hen succumbed to a possum invasion.
bpost
One of the issues with a garden is I really am not sure what to grow. Things that can be preserved are best, I live alone. I don't need 50 quarts of tomatoes or green beans to hold me over for a while. Corn is another mind bender. It is awesome fresh on the cob, not so much cut off the cob and canned or frozen.
Look up Harvest Right Freeze dryers. Food would be good for years.
Let me add, we don't eat vegetables out of commercial tin/metal cans, we bought directly from farmers or farmers markets and froze or canned in jars what we needed. I'll seriously give thought to never planting again, age is a major factor too.
"Never do wrong to make a friend----or to keep one".....Robert E. Lee
Better buy some heirloom seeds and fertilizer at the VERY least.
Cheap food is all well and good, until you can't BUY it anymore. Better to have the seed and not ever need it than visa versa!
This is precisely why I moved to where I did.
And fiery auto crashes
Some will die in hot pursuit
While sifting through my ashes
Some will fall in love with life
And drink it from a fountain
That is pouring like an avalanche
Coming down the mountain
Most seeds keep well and for a long time stored in a freezer.
...Y2K was the end of the world too...Ive been around GB since the first year, 1999 (?) and there have been countless "doomsday" predictions, last I checked, we're still here...
when I was working my co-workes at least a few always gave me crap over owning a gun they were complete sheeple
I would just say well if SHTF I can use it ( the gun ) to take all the goodies you stored + any think else I may want from people like you that did not want a gun in your house and I can also use it to keep what I do have
not really a prepper but we always try and keep at least a month to six weeks of food (and gas ) on hand find sales and stock up .
Looking for acreage now with a nice home .
Been ready every since February 1972 after I got out of the army. Moved to country and never looked back. Put a garden in every year, tomatoes, zucchini, peppers and such, just can’t beat the taste of fresh vegetables out of the garden. I don’t can anything though, cheaper and easier to just buy canned goods, they will last forever just like C rations, can’t seem to find any scrambled eggs and ham in a can though.
I want to go work there and help you dent the cans.😀
I remember reading something a long time ago about how dented cans quite often suffer from breaks in the seals and should be consumed ASAP while contents remain safe.
@KenK/84Bravo I hope you take great care checking for leaks when you get into them down the road!
If you know someone that is into self sufficiency, you can buy a pack of about 40 different heirloom seeds that are packed by long term storage. Make a good Christmas present- and not all that expensive. About $20
Some fertilizer and some Sevin dust is not a bad investment either.
I find that gardening needs some kind of fertilizer to be efficient and all kinds of fertilizers are going up in price. Also security of your produce will be a tempting site for pilfering. Now if you shoot someone for it you are are going to jail.
You will have to set up motion detectors over your land to guard it especially in Cities and have some one at home at all times of the day.
serf
Not a problem if you live in Polk county FL.
https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/polkcounty/polk-county-sheriff-update-on-lakeland-shooting/67-8196372f-f99d-48cd-a086-e7055243b40e
If you shoot someone while pilfering in your garden then the fertilizer problem is solved.
Yep I've heard the same from everyone I know that raised chickens. Plus good luck finding a friend to feed and care for them if you want to take a vacation.
Im honestly surprised it took this long.
Actually we make back our feed cost by selling eggs every week. We have more people asking for eggs than we have to sell. In addition we belong to a farmers cooperative so we get reduced prices n feed.
We are fortunate to be living by other farms so we all take care of each other’s animals when needed.
Same here.
And fiery auto crashes
Some will die in hot pursuit
While sifting through my ashes
Some will fall in love with life
And drink it from a fountain
That is pouring like an avalanche
Coming down the mountain
Time is ticking
Instead of moving towards a more isolationist & tougher law country we're going in the opposite direction.