600 billion$ VS Your $; y'all'd best be planning a garden for spring

[joebryant]

Quote:
Where do you get bread that it's only $1? I can't even make my own for that.

I'm more worried about the corn prices- that's going to hurt!

As you've probably surmised by now, I don't do the grocery shopping.

 

[bakerjw]

Imho Mahonri hit the nail on the head.

People need to strive for as much self sufficiency as possible. People also need to be prepared in case things turn south. Is it likely? Who knows but it best to be prepared. I say have a several month supply of food stockpiled. Also have a plan for potable water. We can have a gazillion seeds ready to plant but if things let loose in September what good do they do us? We'll still need a stockpile to get through the winter. And what about family or friends that might bug out and head to stay with any one of us?

We can very well be headed to a small farm barter style situation. If we head that way quickly then there will be rough times. An example that I use is the security guard getting trampled at WalMart the day after thanksgiving a year of so ago. A man was trampled as people tried to get in to buy junk as gifts. How would they react if they were hungry?

If nothing else get a month supply of food stashed away. No sense having to go to the store if times get tough and people go loony.

 

[darkmatter]

Quote:
My Missouri garden area was as you described yours 30 years ago. Turn it over in the fall and add as much lawnmower clippings, leaves, wood chips----basically anything organic. I also hauled in years ago sand from a local creek a pickup load at a time. If you can, fence off twice the garden you need into two areas and let the chickens in the one you're not using each year and alternate. I just have one large garden which shares a fence with the chicken run and let the chickens in to it in the fall/winter/early spring to clean/glean and till it for me. I also put my Deep litter from the Coop on the garden each spring. I put the fall lawnmower clippings and leaves in for the chickens to scratch through and till it in for me. You can make an excellent garden out of Missouri clay with amendments.

And yes, I keep several months of "dry goods" in the pantry---- beans, rice, grains, etc. along with my dehydrated garden produce and canned produce. I really got to liking dried Okra from my garden added to soups, stews, omlets, etc.

 

[7L Farm]

Quote:
I had mustard greens & venison for dinner last night . Both came from 7L. I'm running low on venison so I'll be hunting on our farm till I get one. I planted for the chicks also. For some reason my chicken don't like greens, kale etc. but they love weeds. Believe me I can grow plenty of weeds for them. Also after hunting this morning I had eggs again provided by my chicks. I'll probably never be totally self sufficient but I do find myself buying less now at the grocery store. I have 3 gardens & a row of May Berry's growing on a trellis.I garden year around. I'm going to raise bees next year. We also have a pecan orchard and sell hay. Every nickle you make on a farm helps.Our farm has been in the family for 60 years. The hay we sell pays our tax's.

 

[Rozzie]

Have fun with your garden - there are no rules..

There can be, I'm afraid. It depends on where you live. If you are in an incorporated area, even way out on the edges, you may have restrictions on gardening. It isn't just HOA's that have restrictions. Some incorporated areas restrict what you can plant in your front yards. This can apply regardless of acreage, unless you have an ag zoning. Just as with chicken laws, there can be nutty laws on what you plant and where you plant it.

If you are in an HOA you'll have to check their rules, too. They sometimes restrict ALL gardening -- some even disallow gardening in a back yard behind a privacy fence.​

 

[Rozzie]

can you hear me now? :

can you hear me now,
How about planting some Black Oil Sunflower?
Pretty to look at and good for the chickens too..

Thanks that is a great idea. Any more would be appreciated as well. Prices are going up and if I can self suffice for our girls I will.

Just check what you are planting it near. Sunflower & Jerusalem Artichokes can have a negative effect on some other plants. It escapes my memory exactly what or why and I don't have time to look it up.​

 

[Mattemma]

How depressing! I just started to limit my spending with $100 a week for everything,and not using the credit cards anymore,and to think it will be harder to live on it. I spent nearly all my $100 in just one darn day!

We have less than an acre and much of it is either flooded often by rain run off,or was nasty fill dirt. I build up in the flood areas. It is AMAZING what junk people bury under the ground.

Some good ways to get that soil working for you is to dig a hole and bury your veggie/fruit scraps.Cover that hole,and then dig another for the next dump. I just dump chicken and rabbit poo all over the yard where I plan to till the soil. I grow *green manure* crops that I till into the soil when it has grown a bit. I did have chicken wire compost bins,but got lazy doing those.

When we moved here I could dig all over and never see worms,but now I have them.I compost the weeds too.Make everything work for me. I planted fruit trees and bushes.Strawberries all over. I want my plantings to be edible in some way not just *pretty*.
I know there is a web page of a family in CA that grows soooooo much on their 1/5 acre.Puts me to shame. Had to look it up:http://urbanhomestead.org

 

[Mattemma]

Quote:
I have been able to barter with the neighbors a few times trading some fresh eggs for something I needed.One time was lemons,and yesterday the kids were sick and I could not get out to get some toilet paper. They still wanted to give money,but I was just happy not having to take the kids out either time to get one thing!

 

[Organics North]

Thanks Ridgerunner x2,

I will check it out one day... (I already spend way to much time here on BYC..) Nifty's Sufficient Self forum is pretty good group too!!

On gardening in northern climates: We do grow lettuce under lights all winter long. Quite frankly it taste better than the stuff grown outside in summer, and better than that from the stores. Even with electric costs it costs a fraction of what you pay for that fancy boxed stuff that is $4 for 12 ounces in my parts..

ON
(Living in my own little utopia..

)

 

[PineappleMama]

^Oh really??? What kind of setup do you need for that?

Would a Texas garage do, or inside in the bathroom (much less space) better?

And what kind of light? Too many questions.