We'll talk about weed control, pest control, irrigation, and so much more.

Be prepared with your questions about any aspect of home gardening.

I'm going to keep my post simple today and just use an article which explains the rise in food prices so well that I really can't add anything. Before we get to that however, there is one more food related topic to address. The Chinese government has a policy forbidding the conversion of farm land to commercial use. The reason is obvious, they need to feed 5% of the world's population on only 10% of the world's land. This seems a great policy except that it is not being followed. Developers are coming into these areas and purchasing land for manufacturing and housing that goes along with a growing middle class and jobs. What does this have to do with food prices? Simple, China holds much of the United States debt, meaning we owe them lots and lots of money we can't repay. It would not be a great stretch to see them demand food in return for reducing that debt as their population begins to experience food shortages. Since the middle class is growing in China they are becoming accustomed to better quality and more choices in food. They will be able to compete and purchase food in the world marketplace. We have seen that in the nut market already with China purchasing more and more of the available crops. As the land available to grow food in China decreases we can expect their demand on the world food market to increase. Could this lead to food shortages in the U.S. and other industrialized countries like Canada, Australia and Europe? You bet it could! Could this lead to famine conditions in some places? Absolutely. Why would countries sell us food if China was willing and able to pay more? Now, we see the destruction of farm land due to flooding in the Untied States and the destruction of crops due to tornadoes, and the loss of crops and cattle due to drought in the south. Are food shortages possible? Yes. What are you doing about it? Prepare to garden and to can this year! Don't believe me? Read on….

"In February, world food prices reached the highest level on record. Soaring food prices are already a source of spreading hunger and political unrest, and it appears

likely that they will climb further in the months ahead.

As a result of an extraordinarily tight grain situation, this year's harvest will be one of the most closely watched in years. Last year, the world produced 2,180 million

tons of grain. It consumed 2,240 million tons, a consumption excess that was made possible by drawing down stocks by 60 million tons. To avoid repeating last year's

shortfall and to cover this year's estimated 40-million-ton growth in demand, this year's world grain harvest needs to increase by at least 100 million tons. Yet that

would only maintain the current precarious balance between supply and demand.

To get prices back down to a more acceptable level, it would take perhaps another 50 million tons for a total increase of 150 million tons. Can the world boost this

year's grain harvest by 150 million tons or even 100 million tons? It is possible, because we have had annual harvest jumps of 150 million tons twice over the last two

decades, but this year it does not appear likely.

In assessing the world grain harvest prospect, we focus on the big three grains — rice, wheat, and corn — that together account for nearly 90 percent of the harvest.

Barley, oats, sorghum, rye, and millet make up the remainder.

We start by looking at rice because, as an irrigated crop, its production fluctuates little. The average annual gain in the world rice harvest, which totaled 452 million

tons last year, has been 7 million tons. Let's assume that we get a 10 million ton gain in rice this year. (many US rice crops were destroyed in recent flooding as were

crops in Japan after the earthquake*)

Wheat, now the world's leading food grain, is much more difficult to assess because so much of the harvest is rain-fed, making yields as variable as the rainfall. But

since most wheat is winter wheat, which is planted in the fall, is dormant in winter, and resumes growth in early spring, we know that this year the wheat area planted is

up by 3 percent. We also have an early sense of the crop's condition.

We begin with the big four wheat producers — China, India, the United States, and Russia — which collectively produce half the world's wheat. China, the leading wheat

producer, was until very recently suffering the worst drought in its winter wheat-growing region in 60 years. Although rain and snow in late February and early March

rains and snow have lessened the drought effect, we could easily see China's wheat harvest drop from 115 million tons last year to 110 million tons this year. India

officially expects an 82-million-ton harvest, up 1 million tons from last year.

In the United States — the third ranking wheat producer — the southern Great Plains are suffering from drought. As of the end of February, the U.S. winter wheat crop

condition was among the worst in the last 20 years. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates the harvest will drop from 60 million tons to 56 million, and this

may be conservative.  (wheat planting was late or did not happen in the northern US this year due to heavy rains*)

which means many more farmers will plant lower-yielding spring wheat — wheat that is planted in the spring and is harvested in the late summer or early fall. With a

little luck, Russia should harvest roughly 58 million tons of wheat.

Adding in the rest of the world's expected wheat production, can we match last year's world wheat harvest figure of 645 million tons? We should exceed it. The

International Grains Council estimates this year's harvest at 672 million tons, up by 27 million tons over 2010. This contrasts with the Canadian Wheat Board estimate

of 653 million tons, a gain of only 8 million tons. For calculation purposes, let us assume that this year's wheat harvest is up by 20 million tons for a total of 665

million tons.

Now for corn. Two countries tell the story here: the United States and China, which produce 40 and 20 percent, respectively, of the 814-million-ton world corn

harvest. Combining the expected 4 percent increase in U.S. planted area with a 10-ton-per-hectare yield, the U.S. corn harvest could increase by 25 million tons.

China's corn harvest, which has fluctuated around 165 million tons for the last three years, is not likely to increase given its tight water situation. For the remaining 40

percent of the corn harvest, we will assume a gain of 15 million tons. All together this takes the world harvest up by 40 million tons.

Let's review the global numbers. It will take 100 million tons of additional grain just to maintain the current precarious situation and close to 150 million tons to

restore some semblance of stability in the world grain market. We can count on a 10-million-ton increase in this year's rice harvest. We are hoping for a 20-million-

ton rise with wheat and a 40-million-ton jump in corn. Let us also assume that minor cereals increase by 10 million tons over last year. This would give us a total

increase of 80 million tons, not enough to prevent further price rises.

Estimating world grain production is becoming more complex and difficult. On the demand side of the equation, there are three sources of growth: the addition of 80

million people per year, some 3 billion people moving up the food chain consuming more grain-intensive livestock products, and the massive conversion of grain to

fuel ethanol in the United States.

On the supply side, there was a time when grain production was on the rise almost everywhere. That world is now history. In a number of countries, grain harvests are

shrinking because of aquifer depletion and severe soil erosion. Rising temperatures are also taking a toll. And some agriculturally advanced countries have run out of

new technology to raise land productivity.

In 18 countries containing half the world's people, overpumping for irrigation is depleting aquifers. Among the countries where harvests are falling as aquifers are

depleted are Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Iraq. World Bank data for India indicate that 175 million people are being fed with grain produced by overpumping, which by

definition is a short-term phenomenon. The comparable number for China is 130 million people.

In some countries such as Mongolia and Lesotho, grain production has fallen by half or more in recent decades as severe soil erosion has led to wholesale cropland

abandonment. In North Korea and Haiti, soil erosion is undermining efforts to raise output.

In several agriculturally advanced countries, the backlog of unused technology has largely disappeared. Japan's rice yield per acre has not increased for 16 years.

China's rice yield, now approaching that in Japan, may also be about to level off.

In France, Europe's leading wheat producer, yields have been flat for a decade. Wheat yields have also plateaued in Germany and the United Kingdom. In Egypt, Africa's

leading wheat producer, wheat yields have been flat for six years.

At this point, it seems unlikely that we will get the 100-million-ton grain harvest increase this year that would be needed just to maintain the current rather precarious

situation. Instead, it looks more likely that we will reduce stocks further. It may be somehow possible to avoid a rise in world food prices in the months ahead, but at

this point it seems unlikely."

One more note: this article was written before the flooding of crops along the Mississippi, a huge rice growing area. Six states produce all the rice grown in America: Arkansas (Mississippi flooding) California ( water available cut by government to protect the smelt), Mississippi (Mississippi flooding), Texas (drought), Louisiana (Mississippi flooding) and Missouri ( Mississippi flooding and tornadoes). Need I say more?  

* comment added

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/mar/10/world-food-prices-climbing

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/may/19/china-food-illegal-land-grab-protests

PLAN TO CAN THIS YEAR

Some of my favorite canning tools:

Pressure canner

Home canning kit

Water bath canner

Canning discovery kit A great gift for a beginner.

Victorio Strainer and Sauce Maker My absolute favorite item in my canning supplies! Accessories kit You will be son happy you added this!

Steam Juicer Never waste anything! Juice it and use the juice for drinking or making jelly and syrups.

Steam Canner some people prefer the water bath some the steam bath. I have both. If using a steam canner be sure to add five minutes to all processing times.

1/2 Gallon canning jars Since there has been so much interest in these in our Yahoo group…a link!

Listen to my radio show READY OR NOT…every Tuesday night 9:00pm Eastern, 6:00pm Pacific…if you missed some listen now.

Current show: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/doctorprepper

Past shows: http://www.bepreparedradio.com/category/prepper-podcasts-preparedness/ready-or-not/

Subscribe to our Newsletter: http://blog.totallyready.com/announcing-the-totally-ready-newsletter/

Join Our Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TotallyReady/

Yesterday marked the end of a terrible chapter in American history. We all rejoice today that a monster who took innocent lives and would have loved nothing more than to have all Americans live in fear, is gone. Thank you to the military and national security agencies who made this possible. We know this does not mean the end of threats to our way of life. We must continue to be diligent and move forward as we prepare for an unknown future.

Today also marks the end of our month long Give Away. I will post the names of all winner tomorrow on this blog, on our facebook page and announce them on the Ready or Not radio show.  My guest on tomorrow's show will be Michelle Ketterman founder of the Inventory Institute. She will help us to understand the importance of a home and business inventory as we prepare for the future. We will also explore the benefits and pitfalls of a third party inventory.  To get ready check this out: NeatDesk Paper work! I hate it!

Now it's time to keep stocking that General Store. This week add 4 pounds of peanut butter per family member to your stock. If you do not eat or do not like peanut butter, you may substitute another nut butter or canned meats. To your non food department add antiseptic wipes and lotions. These are important for times when water is not available, during pandemic or other medical emergency, to clean wounds and more. These  should be kept in all auto kits, office kits, first aid kits, medicine cabinets and purses.

This month we are also adding canning supplies to our major purchases. We have added battery operated clocks, corded phones, fire extinguishers, and Dutch Ovens the past few months. Doesn't it make you feel great to look at these on your shelves ready to go? If you are a canner already add bottles, lids, or expand your abilities and add a pressure canner or great strainer, etc. If you are just beginning purchase a starter set, bottles, a wet pack canner, just get started. During a time of crisis canning will be an important skill and having the supplies just could get you all the free food you need from those with fruit trees who have no idea how to preserve it.

Some of my favorites:

Pressure canner

Home canning kit

Water bath canner

Canning discovery kit A great gift for a beginner.

Victorio Strainer and Sauce Maker My absolute favorite item in my canning supplies! Accessories kit You will be son happy you added this!

Steam Juicer Never waste anything! Juice it and use the juice for drinking or making jelly and syrups.

Steam Canner some people prefer the water bath some the steam bath. I have both. If using a steam canner be sure to add five minutes to all processing times.

MOMS: Forward this post to your family and highlight the one(s) you would like for Mothers Day!!

Now…an interesting discussion from one who is in the middle of out of control soaring food prices….

  Some "60 to 70% of the cost of raising a hog is tied up in the grains," Mr. Pope* explains. "The major ingredient is corn, and the secondary ingredient is soybean meal." Over the last several years, "the cost of corn has gone from a base of $2.40 a bushel to today at $7.40 a bushel, nearly triple what it was just a few years ago." Which means every product that uses corn has risen, too—including everything from "cereal to soft drinks" and more.

What triggered the upswing? In part: ethanol. President George W. Bush "came forward with—what do you call?—the edict that we were going to mandate 36 billion gallons of alternative fuels" by 2022, of which corn-based ethanol is "a substantial part." Companies that blend ethanol into fuel get a $5 billion annual tax credit, and there's a tariff to keep foreign producers out of the U.S. market. Now 40% of the corn crop is "directed to ethanol, which equals the amount that's going into livestock food," Mr. Pope calculates.

The rapidly depreciating dollar is also sparking inflation.

Rising prices are already squeezing food producers' "two to three percent" earnings margins. "In the case of Smithfield, we closed six processing plants and one slaughter plant. We also closed 15% of all our live production business." But "once those measures are done, we have no choice but to pass those prices down" to consumers.

Now food price inflation is popping up across the country. A pound of sliced bacon costs $4.54 today versus $3.59 two years ago and $3.16 a decade ago, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Ground beef is $2.72, up from $2.27 in 2009 and $1.74 in 2001. And it's not just Smithfield's products: "You eat eggs, you drink milk, you get a loaf of bread, and you get a pound of meat," he drawls. "Those are the four staples of what Americans eat in their diet. All of those are based on grains."

Mr. Pope also worries about the impact on farmers, who are leveraging up operations to afford the ever-rising price of land and fertilizer that has resulted from the increased corn demand. "There are record prices for livestock but farmers are exiting the business!" he exclaims. "Why? Farmers know they won't make money."

Weather is a factor, too. "We've had the luxury for the last three years of extremely good corn crops, with high yields and good growing conditions. We are just one bad weather event away from potentially $10 corn, which once again is another 50% increase in the input cost to our live production."

Mr. Pope says companies are coping by increasing prices "substantially" or shrinking "what's in the package." "That's the alternative way of passing on price increases . . . 'cause we're all trying to reach price points with our customers in terms of what we can sell somethan' for." "You're ultimately going to buy less bacon. . . . We're going to sell pizzas with less pepperoni on 'em."

Not all companies will survive this economic whirlwind. Mr. Pope recalls what happened the last time there was a surge in corn prices, in 2008: "The largest chicken processor in the United States, Pilgrim's Pride, filed for bankruptcy." They "couldn't raise prices, so their cost of production went up dramatically." Could it happen again? "It darn well could!" Mr. Pope exclaims.

Food price inflation isn't a problem confined to America's shores. "This ethanol policy has impacted the world price of corn," Mr. Pope says. The Mexican, Canadian and European industries have "shrunk dramatically. . . . We have an unsustainable meat protein production industry," he says. "We're built on a platform of costs, on a policy that doesn't make any sense!"

Mr. Pope says the "losers" here "are the consumer, who's going to have to pay more for the product, and the livestock farmer who's going to have to buy high-priced grain that he can't afford because he's stretching his own lines of credit. The hog farmer . . . is in jeopardy of simply going out of business 'cause he doesn't have the cash liquidity to even pay for the corn to pay for the input to raise the hog. It's a dynamic that we can't sustain."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704330404576291772245610028.html

*Mr. Pope is the chief executive officer of Smithfield Foods Inc., the world's largest pork processor and hog producer by volume. He doesn't mince words when it comes to rapidly rising food prices. The 56-year-old accountant by training has been in the business for more than three 

Listen to my radio show READY OR NOT…every Tuesday night 9:00pm Eastern, 6:00pm Pacific…if you missed some listen now.

Current show: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/doctorprepper

Past shows: http://www.bepreparedradio.com/category/prepper-podcasts/ready-or-not/

Subscribe to our Newsletter: http://blog.totallyready.com/announcing-the-totally-ready-newsletter/

Join Our Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TotallyReady/

Back issues: Totally Ready Newsletters July 2009- June 2010

As with everything good once someone does something well everyone jumps on the band wagon. This is exactly what has happened with seeds for long term storage. They are everywhere and can be very expensive, very expensive. I received my seeds from the Food For Everyone Foundation and they are wonderful. They were the least expensive I could find and are the best quality. What a perfect combination! So, while it may be past planting time for this year it is a good time to consider what you are doing to make sure you can plant next year if we happen to be involved in a natural disaster or you are involved in a personal one.

The seeds are non hybrid variety seeds which means I can save seeds from one crop to become the seeds for the next crop, perfect when we are talking about EMP attacks and disasters which could cause our society to be shaken to the point that all the things we run to the store to pick up are no longer there. With non hybrid seeds you could save seeds and feed your family forever!

There are 16 varieties including favorites like peas, corn, beans and tomatoes. There are staples such as lettuce, spinach and onions. Let’s not forget squash zucchini, cucumbers, peppers,chard, cabbage, radishes and beets.

The seeds come packaged in a resealable foil pouch. Perfect if you have a small space for your garden and left over seeds. There are even suggestions and tips for planting location, soil modification and moisture control.

There are guidelines for planning and harvesting every individual seed type. They outline when to plant, how long until germination,how far apart to space rows, when to thin and more.

The best part of all is that your purchase goes to support the Food For Everyone Foundation.

The Food For Everyone foundation was established as a 501©(3) public charitable foundation in 1998 to carry on the seminal vegetable gardening work of Dr. Jacob R. Mittleider.  The foundation’s stated mission is “teaching the world to grow food one family at a time.”  To this end the Mittleider vegetable gardening books have been digitized and made available as a searchable database as well as digital downloads; almost all of Dr. Mittleider’s 86 gardening training videos have been improved, digitized, and made available on CD ROM.  Free gardening seminars are conducted, and assistance is given to humanitarian projects wherever possible. Click on the Food For Everyone Foundation under BlogRoll on this page to check them out.

Take some time and listen to the show with Halli.

Join Our Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TotallyReady/

Subscribe to our Newsletter: http://blog.totallyready.com/announcing-the-totally-ready-newsletter/

Totally Ready Newsletters July 2009- June 2010

Monday was one of those emergency days that are really not serious, just a real pain in the neck. It just messes up all your plans and leaves you frustrated. Yep, Monday the power went out leaving me hot and frustrated. Then, when the power returned the Internet wouldn’t load. Then the air conditioner failed to work on a day when I decided to move around my food storage to make it more accessible.

Tonight since the air conditioner is still out and today was a miserable day I spent some time hanging mylar blankets in the windows that get the late afternoon, hot, sun. I have told you to store plenty and this is why. I know my home will remain much cooler tomorrow now that these are in place. It really is amazing how well these work. You can still see out and the light comes in but only a small amount of the heat enters your home. You may not want to place these on windows if your window is just a few feet away from a neighbor’s window as it will send the heat right into their home and along with it a bright light. Mylar blankets are much more valuable than the small price they are to purchase. Again, if you did not stock up a few weeks ago when we added these to our General Store do so now. To help you determine just how many to purchase re-read the article 23 Uses for a Mylar Blanket in the August 2009 issue of the Totally Ready Newsletter.

This week add canning jar lids to your General Store. In our neck of the woods we are making strawberry jam and canning cherries right now. If you don’t already know how to can now is the time to learn. There are tons of fruit that are wasted every year because people fail to pick and preserve the fruit on their trees. You can only eat so much….Get a friend and learn this skill. It will save you lots of money and provide you with food that is safe and yummy. Home canned foods also make great holiday gifts that are inexpensive and much appreciated. Last year I had a friend who gave her family 12 pints of jam and a basket of crackers for Christmas. Each jam was a different variety. I’m not sure about all of them but I know she made: jalapeno, pomegranate, blackberry, apricot, mint, plum and peach. Last year I made black current from juice I needed to rotate. It was really….good!

A few weeks ago a friend who had lost his job called for some advice about making strawberry jam. He had been given some free fruit and was making some to eat and some for Christmas gifts. You can do this too! This summer learn to can….

Join Our Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TotallyReady/

Subscribe to our Newsletter: http://blog.totallyready.com/announcing-the-totally-ready-newsletter/

Totally Ready Newsletters July 2009- June 2010

First, thank you to all who have sent me survival stories. Please keep them coming. It is great to learn of all the things you have discovered through real life experience. I will compile them and share them in a newsletter in July. If you haven’t already shared your survival tale please do so. Thank you to all who have let me know about the can organizers you have purchased. For any who may have missed my requests last week, I need to know if you have purchased can organizers after clicking on the link on the blog. If so, when and how many, thanks, it’s important and I appreciate your help.

I have often wondered why we don’t just do our water bath canning in our large stock pots. The water gets just as hot and will cover the entire jar. Now Ball has done it. The Canning discovery kit includes a polypropylene rack and jar lifter combo designed to hold 3 pint jars and fit in a stockpot, and also includes 8 simple recipes and  canning instructions. I think this is a great way for those who have never canned to get an idea of what is involved, and just how much fun it is, without all the expense. It would be a great gift for anyone you are encouraging to get involved in canning. How handy when you have just a few peaches or just enough fruit for one batch of jam and don’t want to drag out all the equipment.   Check it out.

Since we have spent time recently thinking about what might cause an extended power outage and how we would survive, I would like to stick with that theme in stocking  Our General Store this week. Now is the time to add a plunger. If you did not see the post about a assembling  “Washing Machine” for use in a power outage then you may not understand how a plunger helps during a power outage. Check out the post. I purchased my plunger at the dollar store so this is not a huge investment. When you get your plunger home be sure to label it “laundry only” and add it to your emergency supplies in the garage. If you don’t already have a plunger for your bathrooms now may be the time to add one or two. During a crisis we may need to use our stored water to flush. As we will be trying to flush with as little water as possible, the need for a plunger will certainly arise.

Add matches to your store. Wooden matches are inexpensive and a must have for any good storage plan. They should be included in your go kits, auto kits, 72 hour kits and of course on your General Store shelves. For storage, other than on the shelves in your home, place them first in a waterproof container or wrap them in plastic or foil to keep them dry. There are many ways to start a fire but the easiest by far is to use matches. Don’t skimp in this area.

Join Our Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TotallyReady/

Subscribe to our Newsletter: http://blog.totallyready.com/announcing-the-totally-ready-newsletter/

Hurray! The food department of our General Store will be stocked after this week!!!!

The last item we are adding is cheese. You will add two pounds per person. If you have never waxed your own cheese this may be the time to give it a try. You can check out the instructions in the September 2009 newsletter.Cheese that you wax will last for several years at cool, not refrigerated, temperatures.

This Thursday I have a great lady, Kat, who is an expert cheese maker who will do a guest post for us with all the instructions for making your own cheese. Be sure to check that out. I am so excited to try making cheese now, just trying to find a good source for the milk.

We have a discussion going on over on the yahoo group right now about doing a home preparedness open house for neighbors and friends. If you have ever done one or attended one please add your experience to the discussion. It sounds like a great idea to me. I did one for each or my daughters and also my son at their homes and they all went well but were very poorly attended. I figure even one convert to the cause is well worth the effort.

We have talked about the lack of seeds for home gardeners this year (so get your’s now) and the dire situation which affects all of us in California, but do you know what has happened to the crops in Florida?

Florida has experienced a disastrous winter for winter food production. Florida supplies at least 40% of the produce consumed in the U.S. during the winter months. Due to freeze damage affecting many vegetable crops, many packing houses remain closed and will not reopen for several weeks. This will result in decreased supplies to consumers and increasing unemployment rolls, and the need for more assistance to farm workers.

The cold weather caused extensive damage to snap beans and squash, and limited the harvest of endive, escarole, radishes, tomatoes, and citrus. Florida had 13 days in a row with periods of freezing weather. Estimates of orange-crop damage are as high as 30 percent, in addition to what the U.S. Department of Agriculture already had already projected to be the smallest crop in three years. The price of citrus futures on the stock exchange have skyrocketed meaning higher prices in the grocery store for citrus.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services says they are continuing to assess the damage caused by the record cold temperatures. Losses could be in the hundreds of millions of dollars but it is not possible to put a number on crop losses until farmers complete salvaging as much as they can. There may also be damage that is not yet apparent, such as fungal and bacterial problems, as well as root rot. These concerns could mean higher prices and smaller crops next year as well.

Again let me say that I hate fear tactics to try to motivate. I hope you will not take all of this information about seeds and smelt and crop losses in that way. I do believe that knowledge is power. Only when we are aware of the facts can we act in such a way that we are ready to deal with the consequences of the circumstances around us.

I also believe we have no right to complain if we have made no effort to change what we can, and no effort to plan for the things we cannot change. Now you have the facts. Maybe your friends and neighbors need to have them too.

Happy Presidents Day. How grateful I am today for those who crafted a nation based on faith in God and the principles of freedom, justice, mercy and the power of the individual. I believe it’s time for all of us the read the constitution and to remind ourselves and our families of the inspired document it is.

Join Our Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TotallyReady/

Subscribe to our Newsletter: http://blog.totallyready.com/announcing-the-totally-ready-newsletter/

Yesterday we spoke about the awful condition of farming in California. If you have not read that post please do so and please take some action. This is serious. Far too many still believe food comes from grocery stores. It does not, it comes from farms and home gardens. I mentioned in my newsletter yesterday the shortage of seeds for this growing season. I received a link to a story explaining the problem this morning from my friend Cindy. A portion of the articles follows:

“I suspect there will be some seeds you just won’t be able to buy if you wait too long on it,” said Bill Hart, the wholesale manager in charge of seed purchasing at Chas. C. Hart Seed Company in Wethersfield, Conn. “The sugar snap peas we’re not able to get at all, and other companies that have it will sell out pretty quickly.”

The problem is primarily due to soggy weather last year that resulted in a disappointing seed crop. European seed growers also had a bad year, leading to a big increase in orders for American seed

As I was ready to hit the post button I received this note, again from Cindy, (my new go to girl!) and thought I would also share the information in it.

I talked to Rick form Walton Feed in eastern ID. He said -
1) potato crops are OK. Sales of dehydrated potatoes are down 10% over last year.
2) milk expected to be OK too.
3) the sugar market is stressed because of shortages from foreign crops pushing our prices up.
4) wheat harvested in Australia may be short. Will know shortly if that’s a problem
5) Walton Feed is usually able to get gardening seeds in December, but have been told they won’t be available till mid to end of Feb. We should be able to buy them in March.

Not good news, especially when coupled with the mess in California and the destruction of crops in Florida due to a freeze.

At least 70 percent of southwest Florida’s winter crop of vegetables, including tomatoes and peppers, were destroyed by freezing weather, said Gene McAvoy, the director of the Hendry County extension office for the University of Florida.

Losses will be more than $100 million, McAvoy said today in a telephone interview. Tomatoes, peppers, squash and cucumbers are the major crops in the estimate, he said. In the U.S. winter, Florida provides about 70 percent of the tomatoes sold in the nation, McAvoy said from LaBelle, Florida.

With all this bad news it seems a good time to begin a special series of article to help those of you who are considering planting a garden but just don’t know where to begin. This will also be a great reminder for those who have gardened before but have been inactive for awhile.

I asked Jim Kennard who is an expert, with all the answers, to help me out and share with you his advice and proven techniques.

How to Grow a Great Garden in 8 Steps – STEP 1

1. Choose the location and prepare the soil.

A. Direct sunlight all day long is essential for fruiting crops. Avoid all trees, shrubs, walls, fences, and even tall vegetable plants. Every shade-producing thing must be North of where you expect to grow a productive garden. You can put up with a couple hours of shade in the East, but to have real success with fruiting plants they must have at least 6, and preferably 8+ hours of direct sunlight.

B. Locate a water source near the garden for easy watering. While your garden doesn’t require potable water, it should be clean, and if possible avoid unfiltered surface water that brings weed seeds into your garden. A hose with a large rag fastened over the end will break the water pressure and allow the full flow of water from a residential source. Automating the watering system is a very good idea, and will be covered separately.

C. Level ground – a slight Southern slope is okay. The actual planting bed should be almost perfectly level, with a maximum of two inches fall in thirty feet. This allows water to flow slowly and gently to fill the bed without rushing out, and without taking plants, soil, or fertilizers with it.

If you are planting in containers, or Grow-Boxes as we call them, they should be perfectly level, but with drainage available out the bottom. Mittleider Grow-Boxes are constructed with sides only, and water drains into the sub-soil or out from beneath the sides of the box.

D. Clean ground – remove rocks and weeds – annual and perennial. If your garden area has perennial weeds or grasses you must dig them out, including roots, rhizomes, and runners. Do not till them into the soil, because you will end up with ten times as many weeds as you started with. With perennials each root segment left in the ground will become a new plant.

Using Roundup or other herbicides is not recommended. Tilling shallowly and then removing everything with a shovel and wheel barrow is the best way.

E. Outline perimeter of garden with stakes and string. Limit the size of your garden to something you are sure you can maintain throughout a long gardening season. Remember that you can grow twice as much in 1/4th the space of your previous traditional garden. But you must do it right and be consistent in your care.

F. Fence to protect against intruders. If you are troubled by rodents and rabbits you may need to have your fence extend 6 inches below ground and as high as 2+ feet. If raccoons are a problem it will need to be much higher. And if deer visit your garden even 6 feet will probably not be enough. The material needs to be a close mesh, like chicken wire, for small animals, and chain link works for the larger ones.

Next time we’ll discuss creating soil-beds – a nursery – in which to grow plants.

Jim Kennard

http://foodforeveryone.org

Join Our Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TotallyReady/

Sign up for our Newsletter: http://blog.totallyready.com/announcing-the-totally-ready-newsletter/

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35184731/ns/business-consumer_news/

http://www.infiniteunknown.net/2010/01/20/florida-freeze-destroys-estimated-70-of-southwest-vegetable-crop/

With the economy iffy, natural disasters increasing, a pandemic upon us and a more serious pandemic threatening, and the increasing threat of terrorism, more and more of us are taking the time and making the commitment to become more self reliant. Our family is being much more frugal this Christmas season as we have all made preparing a priority. Many are cutting down because they have become unemployed or are having to support family members who have lost jobs.

If you have no money there is always something you can do, you can give of your time and talents. Please do not spend money you don’t have. Give an IOU. Some suggestions….

Last year was our year of Seven Steps, seven things every week to be better prepared by the end of the year. One of those steps was to make a household inventory. We discussed the importance of an inventory for insurance purposes in case of a house fire, burglary, hurricane, earthquake or any other natural disaster. As your gift volunteer to take digital photos around the house, and then download them. The person who receives this gift can then go through the pictures and add labels and information. The inventory will then be ready to record onto a disc to be mailed to their out of area contact as well as having a record in their home. A friend just had this service done and it cost them $700.00.

Give an IOU to teach a class. This could be a class for several friends or for an individual. Teach car repair, bread making, sewing, fire and/or shelter building, cooking from your General Store, how to survive if the power fails, and more.

Help a family by answering one of the excuses many people have for not beginning or expanding their food storage, space. Give an IOU to help them find that space by analyzing the ways in which they are using their space or by building shelves in the back of closets or above existing closet shelves. There is always so much wasted space in a closet and many other areas of our home.

Don’t just encourage gardening but give a gift certificate and plant a garden for someone. This doesn’t have to be extensive. A few zucchini plants will more than feed a family. There are many other vegetable plants which produce lots and with just a few plants of a few varieties can provide a garden no matter how small their space. If there really is no room plant a container garden for them or fill a planter with herbs. They can provide the plants and/or seeds, you provide the labor.

Another of our Seven Steps was to add photos to our 72 hour kits. Again, digital photos are free. Set a date to take pictures of the family, download them and they can decide which photos to print and add to their kits, or display on their walls. Remember every 72 hour kit should have a picture of the family as a group, including pets, and also an individual picture of each person in case you are separated.

For something fun but not directly self reliance oriented, give the gift of Scrap Book pages. If you scrap book you will have paper, ink, stamps, stickers, all kinds of supplies. Give a gift Certificate for 6 scrap book pages (or more, or less). Gather photos from the family and make the pages from supplies you already have on hand.

No matter how little money you have this year there is no reason you can’t give a thoughtful gift. Don’t purchase a gift if you can’t pay cash, instead, be creative and give the gift of yourself.

As you gather with family this week and reflect upon all you have to be thankful for I hope you will remember those who are suffering through tragic situations and commit to helping someone this holiday season. Now may be the time to just help for some and the time to teach self reliance principles for others. Raffle tickets to help a deserving family here at Totally Ready, are still available and selling very, very slowly so you have a really….good chance of winning. If you can help this family please purchase a ticket of two today. Whatever you do to help, please do something for someone.

As you do any last minute shopping this week add 10 cans vegetables per family member to your General Store. If you prefer frozen every 16 oz. bag of frozen equals two cans. Don’t, however, make the mistake of putting too much of your store into frozen. When the power fails freezer food are only good for 24-48 hours. You should be able to purchase vegetables on sale this week so it’s a great time to stock up.

As a family we have committed to a simple Christmas this year. We will be making gifts and giving food storage items that we have canned ourselves. Last year I gave my sister-in-law a port a potty seat. What a tacky gift? No, she loved it!  They lived through the Northridge earthquake and know what it means to be without plumbing for days. Remember to check out the specials at Totally Ready or pick up a few extra cans of vegetables to help someone get started.

Did you know the food pyramid has undergone another change? Scientists are now recommending we eat between 7-13 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. That is up from 5-9 servings just a few years ago. Why the change? The following article will help you to understand why we need to eat more to get the same nutrients we received from fewer serving a few years ago.

By LANCE GAY
SCRIPPS HOWARD NEWS SERVICE

In spite of what Mother taught you about the benefits of eating broccoli, data collected by the U.S. government show that the nutritional content of America’s vegetables and fruits has declined during the past 50 years — in some cases dramatically.

Donald Davis, a biochemist at the University of Texas, said that of 13 major nutrients in fruits and vegetables tracked by the Agriculture Department from 1950 to 1999, six showed noticeable declines — protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, riboflavin and vitamin C. The declines ranged from 6 percent for protein, 15 percent for iron, 20 percent for vitamin C, and 38 percent for riboflavin.

“It’s an amazing thing,” said Davis, adding that the decline in nutrient content has not been widely noticed.

He said an agriculture scientist appears to have been the first to pick up the disappearance of nutrients in 1981 in a paper comparing the data on nutrients on garden crops grown in the United States with those grown in England.

Davis, who discussed his findings at a recent meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting in St. Louis, suspects the trend in agriculture toward encouraging crops that grow the fastest and biggest is a reason for the decline. The past five decades have been marked by the “Green Revolution,” which has seen a marked increase in U.S. production and yields as farmers have turned to the fastest-growing and greatest-producing plants.

The tradeoff is that the faster-growing plants aren’t able to acquire the nutrients that their slower-growing cousins can, either by synthesis or from the soil. He said there also are differences in the amounts of nutrients lost in differing varieties of wheat and broccoli.

Davis said he doesn’t want his study to encourage people to stop eating vegetables on the grounds they lack nutrients.

“That’s completely wrong,” he said, contending his study shows that people need to eat more vegetables and fruits, not less. “Vegetables are extraordinarily rich in nutrients and beneficial phytochemicals. They are still there, and vegetables and fruits are our best sources for these.”

Al Bushway, a food-science professor at the University of Maine and an expert with the Institute of Food Technologists, said the decline of nutrients in vegetables and fruits could be made up through other foods Americans eat.

“For vegans only using plant sources for food, this could be an issue,” he said. But he said most Americans would pick up adequate quantities of calcium they need by drinking milk.

Bushway said that fruits and vegetables are still crucial to providing nutrients people need. “They are an important part of the diet — extremely important,” he said.

The Agriculture Department data that Davis used doesn’t include all of the nutrients scientists today can identify in fruits and vegetables.

This is just another reason to consider planting a garden this year. When you purchase seeds be sure to get an heirloom variety that has not been genetically changed to give a bigger, faster yield. We can do much to improve our family’s nutrition.

If you need some help getting started check out the link in the right hand column, under the blog roll: Food for Everyone Foundation. They offer great books with their income supporting a great cause.

]]> http://blog.totallyready.com/eat-your-fruits-and-veggies/03/12/feed/ 0 http://blog.totallyready.com/its-real-butter/03/07/ http://blog.totallyready.com/its-real-butter/03/07/#comments Sat, 07 Mar 2009 18:45:43 +0000 Carolyn http://blog.totallyready.com/?p=411

Have you ever eaten powdered butter? Not so great. I have powdered butter stored and I love it for baking but to eat, well, I’d rather not. As you know I am all about storing foods which bring comfort during a crisis. For me butter is one of those. While I don’t use lots of butter, in fact very little, when I make cornbread I have to have butter and honey! This is the real deal, pasteurized cream and salt, that’s it!

I took this canned butter to my food storage buddies at our meeting last week and everyone agreed they HAD to have some for their storage. It is really butter. It smells like butter, it tastes like butter, it spreads like butter and it melts like butter, Why? Because it is..butter.

Some of you have asked about canning your own butter. Please don’t. It is not safe and it doesn’t taste all that great.

The National Center for Home Food Preservation States:

Should I use directions for canning butter at home that I see on the Internet?
Indeed, there are some directions for ‘canning’ butter in circulation on the Internet. Most of what we have seen are not really canning, as they do not have Boiling Water or Pressure Canning processes applied to the filled jar. Jars are preheated, the butter is melted down and poured into the jars, and the lids are put on the jars. Some directions say to put the jars in the refrigerator as they re-harden, but to keep shaking them at regular intervals to keep the separating butter better mixed as it hardens. This is merely storing butter in canning jars, not ‘canning’. True home canning is when the food is heated enough to destroy or sufficiently acid enough to prevent growth of all spores of Clostridium botulinum (that causes botulism) and other pathogens during room temperature storage on the shelf.

Additionally, when you consider the economics of the process (energy costs involved with heating, cost of jars and lids, etc.), even if the butter is bought on sale, it may not be economically viable to prepare butter to store for years in this manner. Good quality butter is readily available at all times, if butter is needed for fresh use. If the concern is about emergency food supplies, there are dry forms of butter that can be purchased and stored, oils that can be used in an emergency, or commercially canned butter in tins (although we have only seen this for sale from other countries). Melted and re-hardened butter may not function the same as original butter in many types of baking anyway.

There are a few issues with the common directions circulating on the Internet at this time (Spring 2006):

1. Physical safety and food quality: In the provided directions, the jars are preheated in an oven (dry-heat), which is not recommended for canning jars. Manufacturers of canning jars do not recommend baking or oven canning in the jars. It is very risky with regard to causing jar breakage. There is no guarantee that the jars heated in this dry manner are sufficiently heated to sterilize them, as we do not have data on sterilizing jar surfaces by this dry-heating method.
2. The butter is not really being ‘canned’; it is simply being melted and put in canning jars, and covered with lids. Due to some heat present from the hot melted butters and preheated jars, some degree of vacuum is pulled on the lids to develop a seal. It rarely is as strong a vacuum as you obtain in jars sealed through heat processing. The practice in these ‘canned’ butter directions is referred to as ‘open-kettle’ canning in our terminology, which is really no canning at all, since the jar (with product in it) is not being heat processed before storage.
3. Although mostly fat, butter is a low-acid food. Meat, vegetables, butter, cream, etc. are low-acid products that will support the outgrowth of C. botulinum and toxin formation in a sealed jar at room temperature. Low-acid products have to be pressure-canned by tested processes to be kept in a sealed jar at room temperature. It is not clear what the botulism risk is from such a high-fat product, but to store a low-acid moist food in a sealed jar at room temperature requires processing to destroy spores. A normal salted butter has about 16-17% water, some salt, protein, vitamins and minerals. Some butter-like spreads have varying amounts of water in them. We have no kind of database in the home canning/food processing arena to know what the microbiological concerns would be in a butter stored at room temperature in a sealed jar. In the absence of that, given that it is low-acid and that fats can protect spores from heat if they are in the product during a canning process, we cannot recommend storing butter produced by these methods under vacuum sealed conditions at room temperature.
4. Some other directions do call for ‘canning’ the filled jars of butter in a dry oven. This also is not ‘canning’. There is not sufficient, research-based documentation to support that ‘canning’ any food in a dry oven as described on this web page or any page that proposes oven canning is even sufficient heating to destroy bacteria of concern, let alone enough to produce a proper seal with today’s home canning lids.

   In conclusion, with no testing having been conducted to validate these methods, we would NOT recommend or endorse them as a safe home-canning process, let alone for storing butter at room temperature for an extended period. We do know that the methods given for preheating empty jars, or even filled jars, in a dry oven are not recommended by the jar manufacturers or by us for any food. Aside from the physical safety and quality issues, and the fact that it is not canning at all, if there happened to be spores of certain bacteria in there, these procedures will not destroy those spores for safe room temperature storage.

Now you have the facts. Please don’t can your own butter. Why take the risk when you can purchase some that is safe, preservative free, and tastes great.

I am so impressed I am now offering it on my web site. You know I have very little there, and nothing I wouldn’t use myself. To learn more or to purchase go to: http://totallyready.com/component/option,com_virtuemart/page,shop.browse/category_id,5/Itemid,1/

Please return here with your reviews once you try this great find. If you have already tried Red Feather Pure Creamery Butter, what did you think?

This morning I went through the Sunday paper and checked out all the ads and also all the coupons and came to a conclusion. It’s a bad week. The coupons were awful and the stores had the same old same old loss leaders on sale. Because fruit is so important in a well balanced diet we are going to concentrate on fruit this week.

Yesterday there was a great article in our local paper about canned fruits and vegetables. The focus was to answer the question of the nutritional value of canned foods. The short version is this, fruit begins to change its nutritional value as soon as it is picked so depending on the time lapse between when it is picked, when it reaches the grocery store, and when you actually buy it and eat it much of the nutritional value can be gone.  Fruit picked for the grocery store is also picked before it is fully ripe, decreasing it’s nutritional value. When food is canned or frozen it is done very quickly after being picked, which can preserve nutritional value.  However, fresh fruit does offer more fiber than that of canned because it has the skin intact.  The biggest problem with canned fruit is the “added” sugar. In short, canned fruits do offer good nutrition. Your best bet still remains getting  a combination of the two!

Canned fruit is packed with either a fruit syrup (no sugar added), a light syrup, or a heavy syrup. Simply read the label to decide which one you want to purchase. During an emergency the syrup can be used to cook oatmeal or other cereals and the sweetness in the syrup can replace the sugar or honey you would normally add. Of course, your best option of all is to can your own. By doing this you control the amount of time from picking to jar and also the amount of sugar added. Just another reason to consider planting a fruit tree or two this year.

Since we need so much fruit in our General Store to truly have a three month supply we are going to add fruit this week. Purchase five cans of fruit (14 oz.) per family member to add to your inventory. If you have a large family and purchase the large cans just adjust the number of cans needed by calculating ht e weight. Again if this is not within the budget purchase as much as you can afford. If fruit is not on sale near you today wait to purchase until the grocery ads come out this week. You may find some deals then. Do not purchase frozen fruits this week. March is frozen foods month and the prices will be better then.

Since we will now be adding stock to our store each week we should take a minute to discuss an inventory system. If you have not already done so please design a system which will work for you, and do it now. There is an interactive inventory system with over 250 items in your Mother Hubbard ebook. If you don’t have that your inventory should include a column for the item, how much you need for a 3 three month supply, how much you have on hand, how much you still need to purchase, and where you have it stored. You may also want to add a column for where you purchased the item and how much you paid. These columns can easily be added to the Mother Hubbard inventory spread sheet. When you bring home items be sure to date them so you are always using the oldest first.

<!– @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } –>

Delmonte fruit coupons:

http://www.thecouponclippers.com/coupons/home.php?cat=312

If you do purchase fruit in glass canning jars be sure to wash them well and fill them with water for your water storage. When canning season arrives empty the water and…a free canning jar!

Since we are planning to grow our own food this summer, at least part of it, now is a good time to think about how we can accomplish this with the smallest financial investment. Fruits and vegetables are not our only gardening concern, however. We want to keep our homes looking beautiful and places our family looks forward to coming home to. Here are a few ideas to help you do this on a slim, or no budget.

Craigslist and FreeCyle: This is a great place to get free plants or to trade plants. I did much of my yard getting plants thinned by friends.

Friends: Let your friends you’re interested in adding to your garden and you’d be happy to help them divide thin their plants in exchange for plants.

Nursery: While you wouldn’t typically think about getting free plants at a nursery, they can be an excellent place to get them. This is especially true of the chain stores that have a nursery department, just ask them if any are being tossed. Most of the time they can be revived but look too sad to be sold.

Landscaping Crews: If you see a landscaping crew working on a job where they are replacing or tinning plants ask them what they are doing with the old ones. They are probably just going to throw them away.

Community Garden: Many churches and communities now have a community garden. Sign up for a plot. You can get free advice from others and can usually even score some free seeds that they have left over.

Volunteer Plants: Keep your eyes open as you work in your garden, for plants making their way up on their own. Be careful not to damage them and transplant the seedling to the area you want them.

Save Seeds: This year save the seeds from your flowers and vegetables to use next year. Not all seeds will germinate so save more than you think you need, then you can share too. Heirloom seeds should be used for fruits and vegetables if you are planning to harvest your own for next year.

Cuttings: You can glean your own cuttings from woody stemmed type shrubs.

Divide plants: Flowers like lilies, dahlias, calla lilies, and begonias come from tubers that need to be divided regularly. Divide and create new beds or share.

Seeds: Growing plants from seeds can save you lots of money. Now is the time to purchase seeds and to begin growing them. Growing plants from seeds is fun for the kids and really rewarding for you. Many vegetables can be started indoors and planted outside when the danger of frost has passed. Be sure to start plants at different time so you will have produce all summer long.

Since I am still dealing with limited typing and I have been receiving so many questions, I have decided that until I can type again I will forgo the posting schedule I had and just answer your questions and deal with immediate concerns. Thank you so much for all the questions and comments. I am sure when you have a question there are a dozen people out there with the same question who just haven’t asked it yet.

Water storage:

Water should never be stored in milk jugs. There are two reasons, first, they are porous and chemicals can easily leach into your water. Milk jugs are designed to begin biodegrading as soon as they are manufactured. This leads to the second reason they are poor containers for storage. They will leak. I knew this and I purchased some water in milk jug type, containers to have on hand when we were anticipating a power outage. We had the outage but I failed to use all the water. You guessed it, one day I went into the garage and the bottle had biodegraded and leaked all over the sewing machine cabinet on which it was sitting. Lesson learned.

Speaking of leaking, if you have read the section in Mother Hubbard on water storage you know that water should never be stored on concrete. Just in case you haven’t heard that before it is worth a mention. Plastic containers, any plastic, should not be stored directly on a concrete floor. Always place a wooden board, a few layers of carpeting, an old metal rack, something on the floor first. Concrete absorbs water from the ground beneath it. Concrete contains many poisonous chemicals and as it absorbs ground water these can leach into plastic containers. You would not taste them when drinking the water or when using it to prepare foods but they could make you sick.

Storing water in hard plastic juice containers and soda bottles is fine. They are constructed in a higher grade plastic and are good storage containers. Be sure to clean them well and if you ever open a container that has mold or particles floating in it use it only to water outdoor plants or to flush a toilet.

Storing water in old detergent containers and using the water to wash your hands is a tricky question. If you have small children I wouldn’t risk it. No matter how well you labeled the bottle for hand washing only, I would be afraid a child might drink it. Gosh, they’ll drink the detergent! If you are all adults in your home I don’t see a problem with doing this, just label it well, for two reasons, you don’t want anyone drinking or cooking with it and you also don’t want to assume you have a supply of detergent when you really have water.

55 gallon drums…It is very, very difficult to get syrup out of a drum. You will need to clean them several times and let the bleach sit in the barrel for a day or two before you rinse it out. Fill the barrels about 1/4 full with a bleach and water mixture. Rotate the barrels and be sure you turn it upside down and let it sit, as it is really hard to clean inside the top. I would not count on this water for drinking or cooking. It should be reserved for cleaning, toilet flushing and watering a garden. If you are purchasing used water barrels be aware that the barrel will absorb the flavor of the item originally stored in it, so, a pickle barrel will leave the water tasting like pickles, etc. NEVER, NEVER store water in a barrel that has been used for anything except a food ingredient.

The best way to store water is in glass, which is why I recommend filling your canning jars with water as you empty them. I know someone is going to send me a note and say glass breaks in an earthquake, yep, it will. If you live in earthquake country you should have your jars stored in boxes and you should have strips on your shelving to hold the boxes on the shelves.  Where is earthquake country? Alaska, Hawaii, California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Tennessee, Nevada, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, the Carolinas, Indiana, Illinois, Mississippi, Ohio, the Virginias, New Jersey, New York and New England…Did you know that? Naturally some are more prone to earthquake than others, but some faults move so rarely residents are not aware that it can happen there also.  One of the most dangerous faults in the US is the New Madrid which would cause massive damage in all those states surrounding Kentucky.

Speaking of canning jars…I understand there was a shortage of jars last year in some places and if you missed it, Jeanette commented that her stores were well stocked right now with jars. You may want to think about stocking up. It would be a good time to send an email around to all your family and friends and ask if anyone has any jars they are willing to part with before you purchase a bunch. I gave away lots a few years ago when my family started shrinking. Some older women may be willing to give you jars if you just return a % of them filled. As we prepare to garden we also need to think about how we will preserve what we grow.

Keep those questions coming and I will try to keep up with the answers.

First let me thanks you for all your encouragement and well wishes. My finger is healing but still throbbing and I am still typing one finger, hunt and peck, so this may be another week full of random posts but we will survive. I’ve had lots of time to think about what our week 2 should involve as we build our store. I intended to follow the order in my Mother Hubbard ebook when building our “store” but the times seem to have sent me in another direction for the moment.

This week we looked forward to rain in California. I have been warning you that the effects of a drought her will effect everyone who eats anything growing California. Our much anticipated storm was not much of anything and the next storm looks like it will pass around us. For those of you who don’t understand the water situation here let me take a second to explain.

There has been some rain in Southern CA this week that you may have heard about. The problem is that they have never built dams and reservoirs  to hold the rain when it come so it just drains into the ocean. They get the bulk of their water from the northern part of the state. Local officials are already warning that there will be severe water restrictions this year.

Ranchers normally receive water allocations each year and any additional water they need they purchase. This year in some areas the allocation is zero, yes, zero. Any water they need to raise crops, livestock or orchards will have to be purchased. As an example in the almond industry: In a normal year ranchers would make about $3,215.00 per acre, this year they would make $1,375.00 per acre. Quite a difference. The other costs of raising a crop will, however, remain the same, pay the ranch hands, pay for sprays to prevent insects, mold and fungus, pay for the gas to run the tractors, pay for tractor maintenance, purchase the packaging materials to get them ready for shipping, pay to have the almonds harvested and processed and pay the broker who sells them, a commission. In other words, if you own almond orchards you will be in the hole after harvest. Our extended family grows grapes. Water has been cut to them this year also, and if they have to pump their own, they have wells, not everyone does, it costs $8,000.00 a week. So what is being done? Many of those we know, who raise nuts and fruits, are only prepared to spend what it takes to keep the trees and vineyards alive. Many will not spray, harvest or process next year. Farmers with row crops, tomatoes, beans, corn, peas, etc. will not plant at all. There may be more opportunities for those of us living here to glean but what will the rest of the world do?

No tomatoes means expensive prices for imported tomatoes to be eaten fresh, and we all know imported tomatoes just don’t taste the same. With few tomatoes there will be less to process into canned and spaghetti sauce, ketchup, ans salsa, making that more expensive. Just remember how the price of corn has jumped the last year as more was diverted to making fuel. I realize this is all a worst case scenario but I, for one, would like to prepare for the worst and rejoice when it doesn’t happen. If I’m prepared and  prices stay low and supplies are high, I will be able to use the money I would have spent to accumulate a cash fund for emergencies, as I rotate through my stored food all winter.

This week we are going to think water and gardening.

If you have Mother Hubbard review the section What if the Tap Goes Dry for storage ideas. This week store 10 gallons per family member. You can purchase a water barrel, store in liter soda bottles after disinsecting, bleach bottles, glass bottles, but NEVER plastic milk bottles. Be sure some is stored in small enough containers that should you have to take your water with you when evacuating it can te lifted. Be sure to store some water in personal size, store bought, bottles. These can be easily rotated and are great if you have to evacate, to carry in your hand or on a lanyard around your neck. If you have questions not answered in the ebook please ask them and start today storing water.

We should all be thinking of doing some gardening this year. There are many vegetables and a few fruits which do very well grown in pots. I would like to hear your recommendations and success stories as we plan for this together. Please check with friends and family this week to see who would like to share gardening with you. If you have a small space you could grow vegetables which take little room and the herbs and someone else could do the corn and bigger varieties. This week create a gardening plan. It is also a good time in many areas to plant fruit trees and bushes. Determine this week how much you can afford to spend and work those into your plan. They may be a little more expensive but they will produce food for your family for years to come. If you are in California or another drought area this is the year to plant drought resistance varieties so you don’t lose your investment.

Remember every comment is another chance to win our February give away so please share your questions and ideas as you store water and plan your gardens this week.