2011 Archives

December 30, 2011
Which Is Better: Wind Turbine or Solar Panels?
Many of us are searching for ways to reduce our utility bills and to be more self-sufficient   through the use of alternative power. All things considered, the benefits don’t stop there; not when considering Mother Nature’s tirade over the past several years. Installing solar panels or a wind turbine means no scrambling for oil lamps and sleeping bags the next time the power grid goes down. 

However, no matter how good your intentions are with regards to self-sufficiency, they can leave us feeling sucker-punched when the final estimate is in.  It’s understandable. Most of us are struggling to pay for our mortgages while the value of the US dollar plummets into economic freefall. 

Not to worry. Thanks to a few good people, do-it-yourself instructions to build your own solar panels or wind turbines are available online for free, and that’s something we can afford.

For now, let’s start with a thumbnail comparison of solar panels vs. wind turbines. I  based this research on my homestead cabin and went to a solar/wind turbine provider who offered a calculator that asked for zip code to calculate my locations temperature norms and daily sunlight averages. The questionnaire also requested annual kilowatt use. The information is then calculated and recommendations are offered as to whether wind turbine or solar panels are the best solution for your location. Surprisingly, their recommendation showed that my location in northern Idaho had a rating suitable for both solar and wind turbine. Obviously whomever invented this calculator hadn’t been anywhere near North Idaho this winter and early spring. Just two days before Easter, we were blanketed with 3 inches of snowfall overnight and parents had to scramble for a plan B for Easter egg hunts. Placing an egg on the surface of snow, and mixing it with a little daylight, no matter how stingy, and you end up with cute little egg tunnels and not so cute sobbing children. March and April delivered punishing winds that threatened to snap the pine trees on my property that lead to visions of Zeus joining Mother Nature; both bent on using my metal roof for target practice.

It turned out the costs were nearly identical for both solar panels and wind turbine, and as I mentioned, both systems were promised to be good candidates for my area of North Idaho. Based on this past winter and spring, the decision was an easy one: wind generation ruled! For someone living in Toke, Alaska where the sun is missing in action for half the year, going with wind power is a wise decision. But if you live in Phoenix and get sunlight nearly every day—please don’t rub it in--solar panels are the way to go.

Even when your location screams for solar panels, you might want to add Murphy’s Law to the equation because although some solar panels are made with tempered glass and are designed to withstand 1-inch hail and 50 MPH winds, should your area get pummeled by golf ball sized hail every once in a while, look out!

Wind turbines have their own issues. They have moving parts, so with them comes routine maintenance. If you suffer from a fear of heights, better arrange for someone you trust to do the maintenance work.

There is an option of partnering solar panels and wind turbines, and for certain locations, it’s the best approach.

No matter what best suits your geographic location, a portion of energy needs can be reduced with simple restraint.  The government is about to take some of our options away by following the lead of other nations who have outlawed the incandescent light bulb, severing a 130 year dependence upon Edison’s contribution to modern life. A ban on higher wattage incandescent light bulbs will begin in the US sometime in 2012.

We can take advantage of tax write-offs by purchasing smaller, energy star rated hot water heaters or energy efficient tank-less models. And for those of us with availability to natural gas, gas hot water heaters might help. I use the word might quite literally. We don’t know where that “glass” ceiling stops with regards to the price of oil. Some warn it will skyrocket to $5.00 a gallon and stay there. I believe them… I wished I didn’t.

We can switch out our refrigerators and ranges for energy saving models, and get into the habit of turning the lights off and unplugging appliances and chargers when not in use.

No matter how we do it, while the economy continues its nosedive, it’s time to find a workable solution to cut the costs of utilities as we navigate our way to long-term solvency. 

The good news is there are folks out there willing to help us unplug from the grid who share do-it-yourself instructions to build solar panels and wind turbines. If you chose to either build or purchase an alternative energy source, you can unplug from the grid and breathe much easier. 

Dec
Setting Up A Getaway Cabin On A Budget  
If you have already begun putting food storage aside for the tough times that lay ahead, then it’s likely you have thought about a getaway cabin. This is especially true if you live in a city, or a heavily populated suburb or town.

Many of us have experienced financial set backs over the past few years, and the dream of a cabin with a well and enough property to grow a garden may appear to be an impossibility at first blush. The good news is that’s not always the case. A basic, no frills cabin is all you need. In fact, a no frills cabin is preferable over a showpiece that will draw the attention of looters.

If You Can’t Buy, Then Rent
If you can’t afford to purchase a getaway cabin, consider renting. This narrows your choices, but better to have a safe haven than wishful thinking.

Pool Resources
If you have friends or family members who are likewise interested in a getaway cabin, consider joining forces with them to begin searching for a rental or the outright purchase of a cabin. As long as there is enough floor space to sleep everyone, it will be a slice of Heaven if ever conditions arise where a getaway cabin is needed. There is another built-in advantage to pooling space and resources with others. During a calamity of long duration, it may be necessary to keep round-the-clock watch over your property to protect it against looters and worse. Wood gathering, drawing water, gardening, grinding wheat and alternative cooking is labor intensive and extra hands will be a blessing. Experts in the field of preparedness will tell you there is strength in numbers. Whenever possible, never go it alone.

Must-Haves in a Self-Sufficient Getaway Cabin
There are basic universal must-haves for a self-sufficient getaway cabin, no matter what climate zone you live in. It must be reachable from your primary residence; it should have a well for a reliable water source and a manual hand pump for a work-around during an electrical outage; it must have enough land for a sizeable garden; and it should be set up for basic, everyday living--a root cellar or cold room to store the overflow from the garden, basic toilet facilities (think outhouse), and it should be well away from a main road to avoid opportunists. Make no mistake; within a few days without food and water, many will take to the streets in search of survival. Your job is to be as far removed as possible from being an easy target!

If possible, it is preferable to be one tank worth of gas from a heavy population. This is problematic, as few of us live in regions where this rule of thumb is even remotely possible. Another optimal location to consider is an agricultural or farming community. Typically, farmers are familiar with living off the land, and they are much more likely to be prepared to defend their property when necessary. That is not to say that you should not be prepared yourself--you should be--but, if ever there comes a time when looters and free-loaders converge on your area, it is likely the bad guys will be driven off when your neighbors are no-nonsense farmers. 

Keeping It Simple
When searching for a get away cabin, seek a low profile. For instance, a cabin with an outhouse is actually preferable over one that is dependant upon electric to run a wells water pump to flush a toilet. Besides, you are preparing for tough times, right? Tough times don’t necessarily arrive with widespread calamity. Instead they might begin with an unexpected lay-off, which leads to the inability to pay the electrical bill. Setting up a cabin for off-grid living makes both financial and logistical sense.

In order to accomplish a self-sufficient lifestyle, think manual appliances, a good tree-felling axe should you have a plentiful wood source nearby, and alternative lighting, heating and cooking methods that do not depend upon a non-renewable fuel source such as gasoline or propane or which is reliant upon running a generator. In northern climates, cooking can be accomplished by using the firebox and the top surface of a wood heat stove by using cast iron Dutch ovens and cookware. For those living in warm climates, consider a solar cooker to prepare meals. 

When adhering to a keep-it-simple plan, the trail always leads to renewable resources such as wood in northern regions and solar in more southerly regions.

Make a Plan To Safely Get to Your Getaway Cabin
Keep in mind that with calamity, it’s likely that roads will become gridlocked. Cars will run out of gas; especially when electrical is interrupted. Gas stations rarely have back-up generators and this fact was evidenced during the devastating tsunami in Japan, the Haiti earthquake, and during Katrina. Even when gasoline is available, roads will quickly become clogged with drivers who experience car problems.

If you have the means, it is wise to plan ahead for alternative transportation such as a mountain bike or an ATV. Either mode of transportation are more likely to get your family or group to a get-away cabin should the roadways become impassable.  If this is an option for your financial circumstances, always put aside a compos, topographical maps, and enough gas to get you to your destination—always store gasoline in an outbuilding, away from pilot lights for safety.

If you must depend upon a vehicle to get you to a getaway cabin, make sure to address any deferred maintenance and keep a dependable spare tire in your vehicle. The donut tires that come with newer vehicles are not meant for long drives and they certainly aren’t meant for off-road driving, which you will likely have to perform to circumvent abandoned cars.

Safety First
A getaway cabin must also provide for the safety of its inhabitants. If your plan revolves around a generator for self-sufficiency, better think again. If ever there comes a time when roving groups come to your neck of the woods, running a generator is really no different than making hand painted signs inviting them straight to your door. Think of times when you have spent time in the wilderness; the peace and quiet that is so alien to city life was all around you. Now add a generator to that equation, and you will quickly understand why the convenience of a generator will pale in comparison to personal safety. The same goes for lighting an oil or kerosene lamp or an emergency candle with the curtains open. In a location where looting has become a reality, even for a short time, it will be necessary to cover windows with black-out fabric or black trash bags that have been applied with duct tape to avoid advertising your preparedness.

A well thought out preparedness list should include fire extinguishers. When cooking with alternative sources, lighting spaces with oil or kerosene lamps, and heating with wood stoves comes with increased fire hazards. Plan ahead. If you will be using emergency candles for lighting, place them in hurricane candleholders whose glass shade will protect from accidental fire.

That “Perfect” Cabin  
The first rule to keep in mind before searching for a getaway cabin is there is no such thing as the  “perfect” cabin. The closest you will come to perfection is a workable plan, tenacity, and the will to survive whatever comes your way.


December 24, 2011
Fight Back Against High Grocery Prices
Higher prices at the grocery store have many families wondering how they will get by should prices continue to climb as we have been warned they will. Luckily, grocers recognize this and are offering competitive weekly sales and brand names are joining this crusade with more advantageous coupon offerings. Even with these savings, there is one sneak attack that is rarely talked about. It isn’t just your imagination that package sizes are getting smaller, or when packing remains the same, many times the weight contained within them have been greatly reduced, sometimes as much as 25%.
Fight Back!
If we are to cope with skimpier packaging and price increases, it’s better if we have within our arsenal every price-reducing trick available. Here is one of my recent favorites: a home made a recipe to make laundry soap for around .02¢ a load, compliments of the Duggar Family. It takes around thirty minutes of your time, the ingredients are incredibly simple, and by making your own laundry soap, you stand to save hundreds each year.

Another huge price saver is contacting local growers for bulk items such as beans, corn, wheat, lentils and more. These bulk goods store well in food grade five-gallon buckets. Shelf life can be extended by storing the buckets in a dark, cool, moisture free location. If storing them in a basement, consider keeping them up off the floor to avoid moisture build up. Wood pallets can sometimes be found for free at hardware stores, building sites and online.

The cost of fruits and vegetables can be cut in half or more simply by going to a pick-your-own farm. Consider home canning to stretch your reserves through the winter season.

Just after Thanksgiving, grocers here in North Idaho launched incredible sales on staples such as flour, sugar, soups, and spices. In fact, the prices were rolled back to pre-2008. If you have the cash flow, in circumstances where staples drop to one-half of their current price, buy all that you can afford. Not only will you save on the price of food, you will also reduce trips to the grocery store which saves on the cost of gas.

Spices have increased alarmingly over the past several years. But there’s a trick that grocers aren’t likely to share. If you are willing to forgo the fancy packaging, you can reduce the cost by 80% by buying in bulk. Bulk spices are typically offered at the larger chain stores. The only extra step you will need to do for bulk spices is to find inexpensive containers and labels to take the guesswork out of meal preparations.

Pasta’s, likewise, can be purchased for much less. Typically you can save at least 50% when buying pasta’s in bulk. The same goes for beans, cornmeal, oatmeal and nuts. 

Super-savers, coupon clippers, and desperate households have begun to notice that the larger big-box stores like Costco and Wal-Mart are not always the go-to place for extreme savings. Many times, outlet stores and your local grocer’s will beat the “Every Day” low price of their larger competitors.  The best way to comparison shop is to look online at weekly grocery circulars such as ppgazette before mapping out your grocery savings strategy.

To save on non-food items such as paper plates, napkins, tin foil, plastic wrap, cleaning products, and hygiene products, have a peek at your local Dollar Store. You might be amazed at the savings you’ll find…but a word to the wise. Before purchasing an item in quantity, always try unfamiliar brands of shampoo, laundry soap, and dish soap first. That saying “you get what you pay for” can sometimes be true, but you wouldn’t want to take it to the bank. 

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December 18, 2011
How To Make 10 gallons of homemade Laundry Soap for Just $2.00  

Preparedness is always a balancing act. How many canning lids will you need, how much toilet paper and what about shampoo and tooth paste? Some things are fairly easy to guess at, and if you’re smart you’ll add more because Murphy’s Law is always standing in line to mess with the best laid plans.

Thanks to Duggar’s home made laundry soap recipe that has been presented in dozens of You Tube presentations, laundry soap is one item on the list that you can be sure you’ll never run out of—as long as you keep a quantity of Borax, Arm& Hammer Washing Soda, bars of Fels Naptha body soap and a couple of five-gallon buckets to mix it in. 

The following recipe costs around $2.00 to make and will wash 160 loads of clothes!

What You Will Need
2 five- gallon buckets
Borax
Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (NOT baking Soda!) 
One full bar of Fels Naptha Bar Soap
Cheese grater
Pot to melt shaved bar soap & water in
Funnel to transfer liquid laundry soap
Empty containers

Instructions
1.Grate one bar Fels Naptha soap & place into medium pan
2.Add one quart of water in with the soap shavings
3. Stir shaved soap and water over medium-low heat until the soap dissolves
* It will take approximately10 – 15 minutes for the soap to completely dissolve

4. Next, fill one 5-gallon bucket 2/3 full with hot water
5. Pour melted soap and water mixture in next into the 5 gallon bucket
6. Add ½ Cup of Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
7. Add 0ne Cup of Borax
8. Mix all ingredients together until dissolved together
9. Add hot water to the top of the bucket
10. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap overnight.
*After sitting overnight, the laundry soap will appear gel-like.
11. Mix cool ingredients well
12. Transfer half of the contents of the bucket into the empty five-gallon bucket.
13. Fill each bucket to the top with warm water and stir.
14. Using a large funnel pour laundry soap into empty laundry soap containers, old 2-liter pop bottles, milk cartons, or whatever is available with a tight-fitting lid.
* Use around one cup per laundry load.

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December 15, 2011
Tennessee Story Recanted
A quick update for those (me included) who read a recent story about a Mormon food processing site in Tennessee who were questioned by Feds, and asked to turn over the names of their customers. The story has since been recanted. It appears that the facts being reported were pure, unadulterated sensationalism.

 For preppers, finding the cash flow and the time to get prepared for whatever may come is difficult enough. To have mean-spirited folks out there who stir the pot with deceit makes it doubly hard!

The story was picked up and reported on by several credible sites, which is damaging to their credibility and therefore just as damaging to folks who search the net for news impacting preparedness, expecting their best interests to be at the forefront of any reports shared with the public. This situation only confirms the need to double check the facts, then check again, before sharing a story.

When Cold Winds Blow
For today’s preparedness tip, we’ll take our cue from Mother Nature. If you live in a northern region, it’s important to think ahead for when temperatures plummet. Winter boots, warm socks, hats, gloves and scarf’s make wonderful Christmas gifts. Why not put the gift of warmth under the tree this Christmas?

For those with children, plan ahead for growing bodies! Having replacement boots, warm socks, and coats will offer peace of mind for those days when temps blow cold and unforgiving.   
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December 6, 2011
It just keeps getting better and better. Read the following article posted todao on The Blaze,  written by Buck Sexton.
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Government Feds Saving All Tweets Forever On Massive Database
Posted on December 6, 2011 at 2:42pm by Buck Sextonhttp://www.theblaze.com/stories/feds-saving-all-tweets-forever-on-massive-database/Watch what you Tweet, because the government will be able to retrieve it for years– or decades– to come, according to a new report.

That’s the lesson you can take from the Library of Congress’ mandate to collect anything that may have long-term historical interest, says Federal News Radio.

Most digital data has at least a theoretical expiration under law, such as ISP browsing history. But tweets, it seems, will live forever.

Bill Lefurgy, digital initiatives program manager at the Library of Congress national digital information infrastructure and preservation program, made the government’s policy on tweet collection pretty clear:

“We have an agreement with Twitter where they have a bunch of servers with their historic archive of tweets, everything that was sent out and declared to be public.”

So protected (private) tweets are apparently not collected, but those placed in the public domain — billions and billions of tweets — will be stored in huge capacity servers.

It’s already established government policy that the National Archives must preserve Tweets, emails and other electronic communications as  ”government documents.” Given that intra-governmental communication is increasingly dominated by digital dissemination, this makes sense.

But the National Archives handles official government materials, whereas the Library of Congress  has a much broader mission– which now apparently covers anything anyone chooses to tweet out to the world.

“We’re basically in the same situation as the National Archives, only on a much larger scale,” Lefurgy said . “We tend to have a much larger perspective in terms of what we collect.”

Plans are already in place to use the massive vaults of Tweets for “Data mining” purposes– whatever that means.
(H/T: Drudge)

Prepper Tip:
For today’s prepper’s tip, start combing the post-Thanksgiving grocery specials on staples like flour, white sugar, brown sugar, fruits and vege’s. Because of holiday overflow, they can be found for a song…well, maybe not for a song, but certainly for much less.
For long shelf life, have a look at home Depot paint buckets. They cost just $3 and are food grade. After filling them with bulk food storage, hammer down the lids for the tightest fit possible. And be sure to purchase the lid opener made specifically for Home Depots paint buckets, because if you don’t, you’ll find yourself in a wrestling match each time you try to get one of the lids off.
Consider lining the buckets with glad trash bags instead of Mylar; espically if you’re on a budget. Glad does not add pesticides to their garbage bags as most other manufacturers do. Liners are important to extend shelf life and keeps moisture out of your food storage—one of the biggest offenders of a foods shelf life.
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December 5, 2011
I receive dozens of e mails a day from people across the nation and abroad. Seldom do I share them, for it is often difficult to find background information and follow the writer's research to confirm credibility before sharing it with my readers. Today is an exception. Please read the breaking story titled "Iranian Forces Go On War Alert". I have provided the link to go directly to Y Net News to read the story. But whether you read it here in today’s blog, or go to Y Net News, please consider kicking those preparations in gear! As I wrote several days ago, giving the gift of preparedness to loved ones will be the most thoughtful gift you could make this Christmas Season. For those of you who are new to preparedness, I urge you to search the links provided here and begin to put aside necessary preparedness goods and food storage. Don't forget water! It can be stored in 2-litre Bottles or food grade water containers. Never store water in old milk containers. Within 6 months, they will begin to degrade and will spoil any food storage it comes in contact with.
Go Here For Y Net News Original Story:http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4157486,00.html


"Iranian Forces Go On War Alert"
Iran moving missiles to secret sites, Western officials tell British paper; earlier, Tehran residents reported to stockpile goods, fearing imminent strike.
Growing panic in Iran? The commander of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards has ordered his forces to raise their operational readiness ahead of a possible war or strike on the country’s nuclear facilities, the Telegraph reported late Monday.
The British newspaper quoted Western intelligence sources as saying that Iran is repositioning ballistic missiles, explosives and troops into defensive positions, in order to offer a quick response in the case of an attack by Israelor the United States.
Related stories on Ynetnews:
'Iran's missile program suffered serious setback'

• Iran: We'll fire 150,000 missiles at Israel if attacked
• 'Iran planning to attack US bases in Germany'

According to the report,Revolutionary GuardsCommander Mohammed Ali Jaafari directed his forces to deploy Iran’s long-range missiles at secret sites nationwide. Meanwhile, the country’s air force has reportedly set up “rapid reaction units” that would respond to aerial assaults.
A senior Western intelligence official was quoted as saying: "There is deep concern within the senior leadership of the Iranian regime that they will be the target of a surprise military strike by either Israel or the US.
"For that reason they are taking all necessary precautions to ensure they can defend themselves properly if an attack happens," the official said.

Tehran residents fear strike Meanwhile, international schools in Iran have shut their doors after hardline students stormed the British Embassy  last week, stoking ordinary Iranians' fears that foreigners are about to pull out of the Islamic Republic ahead of a US or Israeli-led attack.

Protesters stormed and ransacked Britain's two diplomatic compounds in Tehran on Tuesday, prompting Britain to evacuate its staff from the country andexpelIranian diplomats from London.

TheFrenchschool in Tehran is located on British Embassy grounds and children were in class when the mob swarmed through the compound gates. Windows at the German school nearby were shattered in the attack, but the British school escaped the worst of the chaos after teachers sent pupils home early.

The schools have remained shut since, forcing hundreds of children to stay home. Foreign teachers and their families have left Iran, parents were told, though the French school hopes to resume lessons on Sunday, and Britain's in the New Year. 
 
'We are going to be attacked'
Iran's isolation over its nuclear ambitions, its claim to have shot down a US spy drone in its airspace on Sunday and the British embassy attack are feeding ordinary Iranians' fears. 
 
"Many foreigners are leaving Iran ... I suspect that there will be military action ... we will become another Iraq," said architect Mahsa Sedri, 35. "Obviously something is going on ... otherwise the foreigners would not leave Iran." 

 "We are going to be attacked ... I sense it ... I am pulling out my money from the bank to have cash in hand in case of an attack," said government employee Hassan Vosughi. "I and all my friends have stockpiled goods at home."

Washington and Israel have not ruled out military action against Iranian nuclear facilities should diplomacy fail to resolve the dispute over Iran's nuclear program, a position that has only hardened since thecritical reportby the International Atomic Energy Agency last month. 
 Reuters contributed to the report
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December 4, 2011
The Real Dangers of Cell Phone Use

As a former general manager for a cellular corporation, I had my own concerns about the safety of heavy cellular use as people began to use them more as a lifestyle, rather than for emergencies as they originally did. Routinely searching for information to back up my concerns proved fruitless. To the casual user, and those who worked in the emerging cellular filed back in the late 80’s, it appeared all was well. 
Next came wi-fi, but by then at least a few reports had hit the Internet, although studies were rarely reported by mainstream news. More recently,  reports of the negative health ramification over continued radiation of cell phone and wi-fi use are finally available, and the implications are dire.

Read the following extensive report on the real dangers of cellular use and wi-fi before you buy another cell phone, or go to a higher minute usage plan! However, the one thing this report didn’t expound upon was the health risks are greater for children who use cell phones, as their cranium is not as thick as those of an adults, and radiation from the use of a cell phone can be doubly detrimental for them

I have also included the report that better explains just how much danger our children are in with continued cell phone use.

The first report (offered here in abbreviated form) is titled Warning: High Frequency, written by Christopher Ketcham and can be read in it entirety at Citizens For Safe Technology : 
http://citizensforsafetechnology.org/Warning-High-Frequency,2,1618

"Consider this story: It's January 1990, during the pioneer build-out of mobile phone service. A cell tower goes up 800 feet from the house of Alison Rall, in Mansfield, Ohio, where she and her husband run a 160-acre dairy farm. The first thing the Rall family notices is that the ducks on their land lay eggs that don't hatch. That spring there are no ducklings.

"By the fall of 1990, the cattle herd that pastures near the tower is sick. The animals are thin, their ribs are showing, their coats growing rough, and their behavior is weird - they're agitated, nervous. Soon the cows are miscarrying, and so are the goats. Many of the animals that gestate are born deformed. There are goats with webbed necks, goats with front legs shorter than their rear legs. One calf in the womb has a tumor the size of a basketball, another carries a tumor three feet in diameter, big enough that he won't pass through the birth canal. Rall and the local veterinarian finally cut open the mother to get the creature out alive. The vet records the nightmare in her log: "I've never seen anything like this in my entire practice... All of [this] I feel was a result of the cellular tower."
Read the following information, found at The Independant about increased riscks for children:
Mobile phone use 'raises children's risk of brain cancer fivefold'
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/mobile-phone-use-raises-childrens-risk-of-brain-cancer-fivefold-937005.html

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December 1, 2011
The following list of the top 100 items to disapear in a crisis was written by Joseph Almond back during Y2K, but it is as important today as it was back then. Notations have remained intact. Have a look at the list and see what's missing from your "must haves" for preparedness.

100 Items That Disappear First in A Disaster
1. Generators (Good ones cost dearly) Gas storage, risky. Noisy; target of thieves; maintenance, etc.
2. Water Filters/Purifiers
3. Portable Toilets
4. Seasoned Firewood (Seasoned 6 - 12 mos. to become dried, for home uses.)
5. Lamp Oil, Wicks, Lamps (First choice: Buy CLEAR oil. If scarce, stockpile ANY!)
6. Coleman Fuel (URGENT $2.69-$3.99/gal. Impossible to stockpile too much.)
7. Guns, Ammunition, Pepper Spray, Knives, Clubs, Bats and Slingshots
8. Hand-Can openers and hand egg beaters, whisks (Life savers!)
9. Honey/Syrups/white, brown sugars
10. Rice - Beans – Wheat
11. Vegetable oil (for cooking (Without it food burns/must be boiled, etc.)
12. Charcoal and Lighter fluid (Will become scarce suddenly.)
13. Water containers (Urgent Item to obtain. Any size. Small: HARD CLEAR PLASTIC ONLY)
14. Mini Heater head (Propane) (Without this item, propane won't heat a room.)
15. Grain Grinder (Non-electric)
16. Propane Cylinders
17. Michael Hyatt's Y2K Survival Guide (BEST single y2k handbook for sound advice/tips.)
18. Mantles: Aladdin, Coleman, etc. (Without this item, longer-term lighting is difficult.)
19. Baby Supplies: Diapers/formula/ointments/aspirin, etc
20. Washboards, Mop Bucket w/wringer (for Laundry)—See Page _ For DIY Hand Washing
21. Cook stoves (Propane, Coleman and Kerosene)
22. Vitamins (Critical, due to Y2K-forced daily canned food diets.)
23. Propane Cylinder Handle-Holder (Urgent: Small canister use is dangerous without this item.)
24. Feminine Hygiene/Hair Care/Skin products
25. Thermal Underwear (Tops and bottoms)
26. Bow saws, axes and hatchets and Wedges (also, honing oil)
27. Aluminum foil (Reg. and Heavy Duty) (Great Cooking and Barter item)
28. Gasoline containers (Plastic or Metal)
29. Garbage bags (Impossible to have too many.)
30. Toilet Paper, Kleenex, paper towels
31. Milk - Powdered and Condensed (Shake liquid every 3 to 4 months.)
32. Garden seeds (Non-hybrid) (A MUST)
33. Clothespins/line/hangers (A MUST)
34. Coleman's Pump Repair Kit: 1(800) 835-3278
35. Tuna Fish (in oil)
36. Fire extinguishers (or.. large box of Baking soda in every room...)
37. First aid kits
38. Batteries (all sizes...buy furthest-out for Expiration Dates)
39. Garlic, spices and vinegar, baking supplies
40. Big Dogs (and plenty of dog food)
41. Flour, Yeast and Salt
42. Matches ("Strike Anywhere" preferred. Boxed, wooden matches will go first.)
43. Writing paper/pads/pencils/solar calculators
44. Insulated ice chests (good for keeping items from freezing in Wintertime)
45. Work boots, belts, Levis and durable shirts
46. Flashlights/Light Sticks and Torches, "No.76 Dietz" Lanterns
47. Journals, Diaries and Scrapbooks (Jot down ideas, feelings, experiences: Historic times!)
48. Garbage cans Plastic  (great for storage, water, transporting - if with wheels)
49. Men's Hygiene: Shampoo, Toothbrush/paste, Mouthwash/floss, nail clippers, etc
50. Cast Iron Cookware (sturdy, efficient)
51. Fishing Supplies/Tools
52. Mosquito Coils/Repellent Sprays/Creams
53. Duct tape
54. Tarps/stakes/twine/nails/rope/spikes
55. Candles
56. Laundry Detergent (Liquid)
57. Backpacks and Duffle Bags
58. Garden Tools and Supplies
59. Scissors, Fabrics and Sewing Supplies
60. Canned Fruits, Veggies, Soups, Stews, etc.
61. Bleach (plain, NOT scented: 4 to 6% sodium hypochlorite)
62. Canning supplies (Jars/lids/wax)
63. Knives and Sharpening Tools: Files, Stones, Steel
64. Bicycles...Tires/Tubes/Pumps/Chains, etc.
65. Sleeping bags and blankets/pillows/mats
66. Carbon Monoxide Alarm (battery powered)
67. Board Games Cards, Dice
68. D-Con Rat poison, MOUSE PRUFE II, Roach Killer
69. Mousetraps, Ant Traps and Cockroach Magnets
70. Paper Plates/Cups/Utensils (stock up, folks...)
71. Baby Wipes, Oils, Waterless and Anti-Bacterial Soap (saves a lot of water)
72. Rain Gear, Rubberized Boots, etc.
73. Shaving Supplies (razors and creams, talc, after shave)
74. Hand Pumps and Siphons (for water and for fuels)
75. Soy Sauce, Vinegar, Bouillons/Gravy/Soup Base
76. Reading Glasses
77. Chocolate/Cocoa/Tang/Punch (water enhancers)
78. "Survival-in-a-Can"—an emergency Kit Supply
79. Woolen Clothing, Scarves/Ear-Muffs/Mittens
80. Boy Scout Handbook – 12th Edition (also, Leader's Catalog)
81. Roll-On Window Insulation Kit (MANCO)
82. Graham Crackers, Saltines, Pretzels, Trail Mix/Jerky
83. Popcorn, Peanut Butter, Nuts
84. Socks, Underwear, T-Shirts, etc. (extras)
85. Lumber (all types)
86. Wagons and Carts (for transport to and from open Flea markets)
87. Cots and Inflatable Mattresses (for extra guests)
88. Gloves: Work/Warming/Gardening, etc.
89. Lantern Hangers
90. Screen Patches, Glue, Nails, Screws, Nuts and Bolts
91. Teas
92. Coffee
93. Cigarettes
94. Wine/Liquors (for bribes, medicinal, etc.)
95. Paraffin Wax
96. Glue, Nails, Nuts, Bolts, Screws, etc.
97. Chewing Gum/Candies
98. Atomizers (for cooling/bathing)
99. Hats and Cotton Neckerchiefs
100. Goats/Chickens

Now for today's Insparation: Self Defense & a Darwin Award Candidate!
When a man armed with a gun allegedly kicked in Derrick Murray's back door and shouted that he was a police officer, Murray wasn't buying it for a second. "[The suspect and his accomplices outside] were talking in street slang," Murry explained. Police say Murray quickly retrieved a semi-automatic rifle and shot the intruder, causing him to flee. But the story doesn't stop there. The intruder ran outside, where he was run over by his own getaway car. The panicked driver then backed up, running over him a second time. The suspect will face charges pending his release from the hospital. His two accomplices are being sought. (WFIE 14 News, Evansville, Ind., 03/16/09)

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11/29/2011
The Coming Backlash From the Federal Reserve Audit; 16 Trillion Secret Giveaway
Preparedness isn't just about food storage and bug out cabins, although they are important to survival.

Following the news impacting preparedness is just as important. It’s the only way we can take a stab at the time we have remaining to get prepared. Reading about the Federal Reserve audit that uncovered 16 trillion of secret money given to the too big to fail banks, both here and in Europe, was an eye opener, for it holds serious consequences. It should also tell us that the Federal Reserve, which is as "federal" as Federal Express, has invested heavily offshore and is clearly tied to globalism. And the Fed preformed this wholesale sellout without even having to print the paper for fiat dollars that have no backing, other than the blind trust of the nation and foreign investors. They sent digitized bytes that served as currency! 

Here’s Where The Consequences Play Out  
As the EU crumbles, it's wise to follow the trail to who stands to lose in the aftermath. The breadcrumbs lead straight to the US and the heavy investments the Federal Reserve and the too big to fail US Banks have made to the EU banking establishment.

Now that the public knows that while we lost jobs and homes and struggled to keep food on the table, the fed and the Banks were giving our solvency to the EU. And when the next handout is requested, things might not be so easy for the too big to fails, and therefore the rest of us.

We have to get back to center. That means toughing it out and balancing the national budget before our children are left with nothing but hopeless debt.

The Solution In the meantime, in light of what's taking place right before our eyes, indicators are pointing towards preparedness. Fill those storage shelves and hunker down, because this is going to be a bumpy ride!

Todays Inspiration: Don't Understimate Granny!
While taking groceries to her car, a man approached an 82-year-old woman and said something horrible to her: “This is your day. You are too old to be alive anyway.” According to police, he then grabbed the woman’s cane and beat her. Despite the savage assault, the elderly woman managed to reach into her purse, draw her gun and fire a shot. The man fled and, upon hearing the shot, store employees quickly came to the woman’s aid. The self-proclaimed “stubborn, old broad” is badly bruised but will fully recover. “If I go naturally or to a sickness or something, fine,” she said. “I’m ready to go, but I’m not ready to let some idiot like that take me out.” (KVOA-TV, Tucson, AZ, 03/15/10)



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November 28, 2011 blog

Today, we’ll mix it up a bit: An 11 Year-old Boy Defends Family; Better watch out for stockpiling Chore Boy scrubbing pads; and the dreaded “I told You So”

11 Year-Old Boy Boy Defends Family
11 Year-Old Boy Defends Mother & Sister Police said that shortly after midnight three men broke into a home seeking money and drugs. There were no drugs in the home, but there was a .22-cal. rifle – and an 11-year-old boy trained in its use. The boy leapt to the defense of his mother and sister. One of the intruders shot the boy, slightly injuring him. The boy returned fire, seriously wounding a suspect and causing the men to flee the home. Police found all three intruders nearby. The wounded man was airlifted to a hospital and will be charged after his release. (San Antonio Express-News, San Antonio, TX, 01/20/10)

 In The News
First it was people who paid cash for survival goods, now the ATF is on the lookout for stockpilers of scrubbing pads. I kid you not! It turns out that Chore Boy household scrub pads are sometimes used in the making of silencers. So for you preppers who had the inspiration to fill your Christmas stockings with scrubbing pads, better do it in increments or be on the lookout for serious looking men interviewing your neighbors. Read the entire story at http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=368769.

The Proofs In the Peanut Butter
Like most of you, I get irritated by those know-it-all’s who relish in saying…”I told you so!”  Well, today I’m jumping on that band wagon for one reason only. If you didn’t heed my warning about the cost of peanut butter going through the stratosphere, it’s basically too late. In November, the price of peanut butter has gone up 30 %: http://money.msn.com/saving-money/article.aspx?post=a3099b4c-5725-480b-b799-63dffc1a2843   

Peanut butter has always been a staple of food storage for its protein and it’s relatively low cost. But with crop failures comes heart-thuddingly high prices for many staples: wheat, sugar, flour, cocoa and more. Not all of the inflated prices are attributable to Mother Nature, though. In Africa where we get a portion of our sugar and cocoa, political unrest has reduced growing and is showing up at the check out stand in the form of inflated prices.

For wheat and beans, let your fingers do the walking. Your local yellow pages will list local growers. Give them a call for big savings on your food storage. If that doesn’t work, get on craigslist and type in wheat or beans, or whatever crop your in search for. If you type the crop you’re looking for in Search, then in the In box next to it, scroll up to All For Sale/Wanted, you’ll probably find what you’re looking for, no matter what arbrtairy place they posted their craigslist add. Here’s what I turned up just now on a quick search:

Wheat for sale. 1- 60 pound sack $25.00 each, 2- 60 pound sacks $20.00 each, or 3 or more- 60 pound sacks $17.00 each. Great for bird feed or if consumed it must be cleaned and processed. Locally grown and has been stored in a grain bin. Leave message if interested…

As noted in their ad, this particular wheat must be cleaned and processed, but I dare you to find a better price anywhere on the net, or in the bulk foods section of the bigger chain stores with one possible exception. My local Wal-Mart now sells food grade white wheat kernels for $12.68 per 26 lb# bucket in their Emergency Food Section! I am not sure how they did it when the prices have climbed, but then again, they buy in huge quantities. But if you’re worried for your and your loved one’s health, you might want to check that the wheat wasn’t grown from either Genetically Modified or Genetically Engineered Seed. If you haven’t studied up on the subject and warnings, start here: http://www.newswithviews.com/Richards/byron189.htm 

Better stock up before the prices get so far out of reach, some of us will be left with empty storage shelves!
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November 27, 2011 Blog
Gun Ownership In US climbs, as Violent Crime is Reduced Over the Past 4 Years
Well, color me amazed. As promised, I went in search of inspirational news to add to tips and news centered on preparedness. Imagine my surprise when I could not find a source that wasn’t tied to an agenda so biased, I cringed at using it.

I will continue searching…promise. It must be out there, but as I brainstormed an inspirational venue to bring to readers, it dawned on me that good news comes in many forms, and unconventional good tidings is a good fit for us unconventional preppers. So today, I’ll start off with the first of a series of amazing true stories about folks who successfully protected themselves and their loved ones and lived to tell about it.

Family is a Double-Barreled Threat To Robber :
When he was awakened by his home security system, NRA Endowment member Steve Bason prepared for the worst – he got his Benelli M1 12-ga. shotgun, while his wife, Beth, an NRA Life member, grabbed her Glock 9 mm pistol. “At first we figured it was just another false alarm,” Bason told the editor of the “Armed Citizen.” “Then a light came on in our barn and I thought, ‘My goodness, this is real!’” Police say the couple cautiously approached the barn. They peered inside and found a man standing next to Bason’s truck with the door open. “There was some yelling and we probably said some words that aren’t fit for print,” Bason recalled. The suspect quickly found himself staring down the barrels of two different guns and waited patiently for police. (The Express, Lock Haven, PA, 02/02/10)

Who Would’ve Guessed?
Could it be that an armed society is a polite society? You bet it is! According to Huffungton Post writer, David Lohr, (quoted in part below), violent crime has reduced for 4 consecutive years: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/19/violent-crime-statistics_n_970461.html

Violent crime has declined across the country for the fourth consecutive year, new federal statistics indicate.

Murder and non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault dropped six percent in 2010, according to FBI data. Property crime fell nearly 3 percent from 2009 numbers.

Those statistics, however, are questionable, says former FBI agent Harold Copus told The Huffington Post. According to Copus, crime rises whenever the economy takes a dip.

"Bad guys do not participate in the down economy," said Copus, now head of Copus Security Consultants in Atlanta. "It is not like there is a board of directors meeting and they say, 'Listen, the economy is off, people are being laid off, we need to drop back on crime a little bit.' That doesn't happen. They just have to go and rob more people to make up for it." End Qoute

The question must be asked: could these statistics have something to do with the impressive number of growing gun owners?

As quoted (in part)  by Guns.com, reported by S.H. Blannelberry:  http://www.guns.com/gallup-poll-gun-ownership-soars-in-us.html

A new (Gallup) poll found that, “Forty-seven percent of American adults currently report that they have a gun in their home or elsewhere on their property. This is up from 41% a year ago and is the highest Gallup has recorded since 1993, albeit marginally above the 44% and 45% highs seen during that period.”   End Quote.

These being the facts, I did a Google in search for police officers in support of responsible gun ownership relating to home protection and crime prevention. I know they’re out there, in droves. As an avid listener to conservative talk radio, I’ve heard numerous police officers who have called in to warn the public that by the time they can respond to a distress call, many times it is too late for the victim. These same officers go on to say they support responsible, legal gun ownership, because the bad guys will have the guns, legal or not. Yet, a thorough Google search to quote these officers turned up nothing with which to add to this blog. The reason, I believe, is tied to the growing climate for disarmament of the public… therefore, job security is at stake for any officer who publicly promotes home defense.

Even so, the facts point to responsible home safety as the answer to thwart the dregs of society. Now all we have to do it head off the gun-grabbers, so we can continue to improve societal manners, one bad guy at a time. 
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November 25, 2011 Blog
Reclaiming Our Hope

Thank you for bearing with me while I experiment with Survival Diva Blog to make it more user-friendly. I've changed the Header and the layout for you to find archived articles and navigate the site a bit easier. I believe it reads better and I hope you’ll agree.

There will also be another change that stems from the articles and blog sites I read yesterday, Thanksgiving day. By the time I was done with the days reading, what had started as a good day was suddenly filled with dread. Why? What I read on a day that typically promotes thanks giving was filled with conspiracy, end of the world, war and rumors of war, occupy wall street demonstrations, government corruption, more bailout money, Dem and Rep infighting, and out of control food prices.

While the reports were true, before sitting down to yesterdays posts, I had been filled with thanks for another year of turkey and the ability to gather together with loved ones to give thanks on this special occasion. I was also thankful that although many of us will not be pulling out our credit cards to spend ourselves into oblivion, most of us will still be able to purchase Christmas and Honokaa gifts for loved ones, and while doing so, we still have control over where we spend our hard earned dollars.  Yet nearly every message I read yesterday had negative connotations. 

It dawned on me that something was missing in my life and possibly in the lives of my readers. That something was  Hope and Inspiration! As I wrestled with this reality, it dawned on me that while researching information for live articles I've written for other sites and for Survival Diva blog, I've run across inspirational stories that I could have shared with you, the reader: the granny who single-handedly protected herself from an intruder, people who give of their time and money to feed and shelter those who are less fortunate, and others who have broken away from welfare and went on to succeed in life.

Starting today, Survival Diva Blog will continue to offer current news and preparedness advice, but will also be offering inspirational true-life stories. For without hope and inspiration to remind us that life still holds promise, we're sunk! We'll start with a Yahoo article about entrepreneurs who had every reason to fail, but instead of giving up, they persevered. To read  6 Rag-To-Riches Millionaires, visit: http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/power-your-future/

Make a Difference
Although real life stories of conquest over adversity is important, it may not be a reality for today when too many of us could use a pick-me-up in the here and now. But there is good news! There is a way to make a difference now rather than later. We can take back our patriotic pride by wishing the clerk behind the counter a Merry Christmas. Give it a try, and you may be surprised at the relieved smiles you receive back, even on the busiest shopping days. For although clerks may have been restricted from saying Merry Christmas, we still can!  
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November 22, 2011 Blog

If This Doesn't Wake Up America Nothing Will! 
A  trusted friend, writer of The Coming Economic Collapse has written a most insightful article about the coming economic crash that will make 2008 seem like a pleasure cruise. We are deeply tied to the Euro through heavy investments of our “too big to fail banks” and trade agreements. Another words, if the Euro falls, we will fall with them, much like the chain reaction of a game of domino’s.  Below are excerpts from The Coming Economic Collapse article, 17 Quotes About The Coming Global Financial Collapse That Will Make Your Hair Stand Up

If the following 17 quotes from leaders in the financial world doesn’t have you racing, not walking, to fill those storage shelves…NOTHING will.

I recommend for anyone who hasn't already read this insightful article to visit the following URL to The Coming Financial Collapse: http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/17-quotes-about-the-coming-global-financial-collapse-that-will-make-your-hair-stand-up
17 Quotes From Financial Leaders About the Euro’s Impending Collapse

#1 Credit Suisse's Fixed Income Research unit: "We seem to have entered the last days of the euro as we currently know it. That doesn’t make a break-up very likely, but it does mean some extraordinary things will almost certainly need to happen – probably by mid-January – to prevent the progressive closure of all the euro zone sovereign bond markets, potentially accompanied by escalating runs on even the strongest banks."

#2 Willem Buiter, chief economist at Citigroup: "Time is running out fast.  I think we have maybe a few months -- it could be weeks, it could be days -- before there is a material risk of a fundamentally unnecessary default by a country like Spain or Italy which would be a financial catastrophe dragging the European banking system and North America with it."

#3 Jim Reid of Deutsche Bank: "If you don't think Merkel's tone will change then our investment advice is to dig a hole in the ground and hide."

#4 David Rosenberg, a senior economist at Gluskin Sheff in Toronto: "Lenders are finding it difficult to finance their day-to-day operations with short-term funding. This is a lot like 2008 but with more twists."

#5 Christian Stracke, the head of credit research for Pimco: "This is just a repeat of what we saw in 2008, when everyone wanted to see toxic assets off the banks’ balance sheets"

#6 Paul Krugman of the New York Times: "At this point I’d guess soaring rates on Italian debt leading to a gigantic bank run, both because of solvency fears about Italian banks given a default and because of fear that Italy will end up leaving the euro. This then leads to emergency bank closing, and once that happens, a decision to drop the euro and install the new lira. Next stop, France."

#7 Paul Hickey of Bespoke Investment Group: "More and more, we are hearing anecdotal comments from individual and professionals that this is the most difficult environment they have ever experienced as the market is like a fish flopping around after being taken out of the water."

#8 Bob Janjuah of Nomura International: "Germany appears to be adamant that full political and fiscal integration over the next decade (nothing substantive will happen over the short term, in my view) is the only option, and ECB monetisation is no longer possible. I really think it is that clear and simple. And if I am wrong, and the ECB does a U-turn and agrees to unlimited monetisation, I will simply wait for the inevitable knee-jerk rally to fade before reloading my short risk positions. Even if Germany and the ECB somehow agree to unlimited monetisation I believe it will do nothing to fix the insolvency and lack of growth in the eurozone. It will just result in a major destruction of the ECB‟s balance sheet which will force an ECB recap. At that point, I think Germany and its northern partners would walk away. Markets always want short, sharp, simple solutions."

#9 Dan Akerson, CEO of General Motors: "The ’08 recession, which was a credit bubble that manifested itself through primarily the real estate market, that was a serious stress....This is much more serious."

#10 Francesco Garzarelli of Goldman Sachs: "Pressures on Euro area sovereign bond markets have progressively intensified and spread like a wildfire.

#11 Jim Rogers: "In 2002 it was bad, in 2008 it was worse and 2012 or 2013 is going to be worse still – be careful"

#12 Dr. Pippa Malmgren, the President and founder of Principalis Asset Management who once worked in the White House as an adviser to President Bush: "Market forces are increasingly determining what the options are and foreclosing on options policymakers thought they had. One option which is now under discussion involves permitting a country to temporarily leave the Euro, return to its native currency, devalue, commit to returning to the Euro at a better debt to GDP ratio, a better exchange rate and a better growth trajectory and yet not sacrifice its EU membership. I would like to say for the record that this is precisely the thought process that I expected to evolve,but when I proposed this possibility back in 2009, and again in September 2010, I had a 100% response from clients and others that this was “impossible” and many felt it was “ridiculous”. They may be right but this is the current state of the discussion. The Handelsblatt in Germany has reported this conversation, but wrongly assumes that the country that will exit is Germany. I think that Germany will have to exit if the Southern European states do not. Germany’s preference is to stay in the Euro and have the others drop out. The problem has been the Germans could not convince the others to walk away. But, now, market pressures are forcing someone to leave. Germany is pushing for that someone to be Italy. They hope that this would be a one off exception, not to be repeated by any other country. Obviously, though, if Italy leaves the Euro and reverts to Lira then the markets will immediately and forcefully attack Spain, Portugal and even whatever is left  of the already savaged Greeks. These countries will not be able to compete against a devalued Greece or Italy when it come to tourism or even infrastructure. But, the principal target will be France. The three largest French banks have roughly 450 billion Euros of exposure to Italian debt. So, further sovereign defaults are certainly inevitable, but that is true under any scenario. Growth and austerity will not do the trick, as ZeroHedge rightly points out. Ultimately, I will not be at all surprised to see Europe’s banking system shut for days while the losses and payments issues are worked out. People forget that the term “bank holiday” was invented in the 1930’s when the banks were shut for exactly the same reason."

#13 Daniel Clifton, a policy strategist with Strategas Research Partners on the potential for more downgrades of U.S. debt: "We would expect further downgrades, a first downgrade from Moody’s and Fitch and possibly a second downgrade from S&P."

#14 Warren Buffett on the problems in the eurozone: "The system as presently designed has revealed a major flaw. And that flaw won’t be corrected just by words. Europe will either have to come closer together or there will have to be some other rearrangement because this system is not working"

#15 David Kostin, equity strategist for Goldman Sachs: "The wide range of possible outcomes on both the super committee process and the unstable political economy in Europe drives our view that investors should assume the worst while hoping for the best."

#16 Mark Mobius, the head of the emerging markets desk at Templeton Asset Management: "There is definitely going to be another financial crisis around the corner"

#17 Gerald Celente, founder of The Trends Research Institute: "The whole system is going down. Pull your money out your Fidelity account, your Scwhab accout, and your ETFs."
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November 18, 2011 Blog
‘Tis The $eason…
What we do with it is the question. Prepping in this downhill economy is difficult for most of us. But prepping while juggling the cost of Thanksgiving and Christmas is another matter altogether.

As we head in to the Christmas season, I thought it might be worthwhile to throw out an idea. We all have family members who are comfortable with financing a new car to replace last years model: who charge themselves into oblivion to redecorate for this year’s trend. The really painful part is that while they’re otherwise occupied digging themselves deeper and deeper in debt, they usually find the time to do the eye roll over our determination to prepare. Should we ask them, it’s likely that, yes, they do expect meals on wheels to show up should calamity rear its ugly head. Then again, it’s just as likely these same people have already made that dreaded comment “Well, I know where I’ll be going if Schuster hits the fan,” as they look meaningfully in our direction. Them and their 2.3 children, newly leased trendy car, and fluffy who travels comfortably in an oversized purse. How lovely.

Short of pulling up stakes in the middle of the night for a move further in the sticks, leaving no forwarding address, I had an idea that just might even the playing field. What if for this Christmas, we made a pact to get gift certificates for dehydrated food for our misguided family members? I mean, why not? It’s a win-win situation! It gives us another shot at nudging them in the right direction, we won’t have to set the alarm for 3:00 AM to be jostled in line for Black Friday, and we’ll be supporting American run business instead of throwing money at poorly made junk made in Japan or China.

Besides, when Schuster hits the fan, and from what I’m seeing it’s coming at us with all the subtlety of a charging rhino, when they do show up on our doorstep they can bring along those number 10 cans of dehydrated food with them. 

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November 8, 2011
Preparedness & Children  
I wanted to pick up the thread from the last blog, for it isn’t just infants whose needs need to be anticipated. In many ways, older children have more needs than do infants. For starters, they grow like weeds, which means having extra clothing, shoes, boots, and warm weather gear is a must-have for preparedness. Unfortunately, this subject isn’t always discussed as often as it should be on preparedness sites. But all is not lost…start your search at places like St. Vincent’s, Goodwill and thrift stores. They will become your new best friend as you plan ahead for growing little bodies. 

Children might not bat an eye over a crisis. But they will notice when their craft supplies run out. Luckily, there are affordable ways to stock up on supplies that won’t break the bank. Here in the Northwest, a full box of printer paper can be purchased for around $25.00. For deluxe-sized crayons, construction paper, glitter glue, and colored pencils, check out the Dollar Stores. They also have a good selection of color books—and everything is …you guessed it: $1.00. Check with your local Library for used children’s books as well. This summer, I stumbled upon shelves of discontinued children’s books for only .50¢ each. Surprisingly, many of the books appeared nearly new, and included Peppi Longstocking and a number of other excellent children’s books.

While you’re shopping for gently used children’s clothes, look for board games, puzzles, and anything else that will keep your children occupied. That way, if there ever comes a time when you need to push your preparedness to the forefront, you’ll have more uninterrupted time to get it done. It wouldn’t hurt to have outdoor activities available as well. Remember tetherball? What about badminton and horseshoes? Any one of these activities will keep children active and add normalcy to an otherwise difficult time. When you get your tires traded in for winter tires, consider saving them, frayed tread and all. With heavy nylon rope and a stout tree branch, you’ll have tire swings, and what child doesn’t love a tire swing?

You probably already have the ingredients to whip up a batch of Playdough and Fingerpaints. Just make sure to have a few large zip-lock bags, or containers with lids to keep it on hand.

Recipe for Homemade Finger Paint Ingredients: 1/2 cup cornstarch
3 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups cold water

Directions: Mix above ingredients together in a saucepan. Cook on low heat 10 to 15 minutes, stirring until smooth and the mixture thickens. Let it cool.

Divide the cooled finger paint into separate bowls and add the desired food coloring. Store finger paints in containers with lids or zip-lock bags so it will not dry out.

Recipe for Homemade Playdough Ingredients: 1 Cup Cornstarch
2 Cups Baking Soda
1 ½ Cups Water

Directions: Stir above ingredients until smooth and cook over medium heat until thick. Place on a plate or bowl and covered until cooled. Add desired food coloring into the cooled play dough and kneed until coloring is mixed throughout the play dough. Store it in containers with tight lids or ziploc bags to keep it from drying out.


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November 2, 2011
Attention Parents: Plan Ahead For Children & Infant Needs!

There are special considerations with regards to preparedness when there are infants involved. This fact was brought front and center when my niece gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl, only this week. Mother and newborns are doing fine, but it reminded me to add infant related preparedness goods to my preparedness list.

Infants require up to 16 diaper changes a day. If you’re preparing for one year, this means if you were to use disposable diapers it would require storing 5, 760 diapers!  So unless you have unlimited funds and storage space, it’s best to buy 10-dozen cloth diapers, enough for a one-week supply, plus diaper pins and plastic pants. As with nearly everything surrounding preparedness, it’s important to connect the dots for a successful outcome. In this case, you will want to investigate a manual (hand cranked) washing machine. The best one I’ve been able to find on a tight budget handles 5 lb# loads and costs $42.95: http://www.laundry-alternative.com/washing.htm . You may also want to visit an online retailer such as Lehman’s for a manual laundry agitator, which will require a tub to agitate the clothes in. With either laundry method, you will need a wringer mop bucket or a manual clothes spinner (found at the link supplied above) to rid clothes of as much moisture as possible before hanging them dry. Clothesline and clothespins are another must to be able to hang your clothes dry.

For an infant, you will also want to include diaper ointment, baby wipes (or a good supply of washrags), baby shampoo, baby wash, teething ointment, infant fever-reducer, and a replacement thermometer.

Breast-feeding is recommended for infants. For detailed information on breastfeeding in a crisis situation go here: http://www.who.dk./tech/nutemg.htm

For mothers who are for any reason are unable to breastfeed, it is imperative to put aside baby formula. What type will already be determined for mothers who are already caring for an infant. But if you are preparing for family members who are expecting, or for contingencies of a yet to be announced pregnancy, it is worthwhile considering purchasing lactose-free baby formula, as lactose intolerance in an infant will lead to feeding problems. All baby formula has a “sell by” date that should be closely followed. When in doubt as to weather vacuum-sealed formula can be consumed after the “sell by” date, contact the maker for advice.

It is imperative to have clean water and a means to boil baby bottles and nipples to sanitize them. Otherwise, harmful bacteria can make an infant ill.

Baby food stored in jars can be added to food storage shelves. Typically, they have a shelf life of 1 to 2 years, but as manufacturers are mandated to supply a “use by” date, many times the food can be consumed past this date. Always check with the manufacturer first before use after the “sell by” date.

Infants require plenty of clothing that must be replaced as the infant grows. If your budget is tight, consider second-hand stores. While you’re shopping, search for toys that will provide optimal entertainment and help promote hand-eye coordination and development.

In the next blog, we’ll discuss the needs of children. Some of the recommendations may surprise you! 

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October 28, 2011
Gardasil: Big Pharma is Poisoning Our Future
First we learned of the harmful side affects of Eli Lilly’s Thimerosal, the preservative used in vaccines that is linked to autism spectrum disorder. As reports trickled in, parents continued to be pressured to vaccinate their children: to do otherwise meant the possibility of a parental inquisition and the risk of their child being disallowed an education. Some parents braved the school district head-on and won their battle to protect their child through a doctor’s waiver, or were granted absolution through religious beliefs. But the outcome of battling school districts is a crapshoot, as the rules vary from state to state.

A New Threat It appears there is another threat afloat that has gained the attention of the nation. Gardasil, a vaccine made by the pharmaceutical giant, Merck & Co that was developed to combat the papilloma virus (HPV), a sexually transmitted disease that has been linked to cervical cancer.

Merck has admitted to the pre-licensure trial of only 1,200 girls under the age of 16. Yet, the CDC recommends this inoculation for girls between the ages of 9 to 26 years. Additionally, Merck’s Gardasil studies did not include side effects of taking multiple vaccines in conjunction with Gardasil.

Upon the release of Gardasil in 2006, Vaccine Safety Group began to receive alarming reports related to the vaccine titled Gardasil Reaction Report that contains indicators that warrant close parental scrutiny. The information shared by Vaccine Safety Group notes the following negative reactions tied to the Gardasil vaccination: fainting, tingling and loss of sensation in the fingers and limbs, seizures, facial paralysis and Gullian-Barre Syndrome (a disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks part of the peripheral nervous system).

In 2007, Texas Governor Rick Perry, unwilling to wait for Gardasil to be included to the list of state-mandated vaccines, lead the rush to mandate the Gardasil vaccine to be administered to sixth-grade girls in a three-shot series at a cost of $120 per vaccine. Perry’s mandate led to public outcry angered by the promotion of promiscuity and state intrusion into what they believed should remain a private parental decision.

With CDC endorsement that young girls receive the Gardasil vaccination, several states began taking steps to add the vaccine to its mandated list of inoculations, but the mandate was voted down by concerned citizens.

A Doctor & a Former Gardasil Spokesperson’s Warnings

On August 29, 2009, CBS investigative news reported warnings from a Gardasil spokesperson, Dr. Diane Harper, who stated parents of young girls should receive complete warnings about the vaccine from Merck. Dr. Harper went on to say that there were 3.4 out of every 100,000 doses distributed: the same rate as the death rate of cervical cancer. Dr. Harper has since joined the growing numbers of watchdogs warning parents of Gardasil’s potential harmful effects.

Joining Dr. Harper’s warnings, Dr. Scott Ratner and his wife spoke about their teenage daughter’s struggle after she became severely ill with autoimmune myofascitis following her first dose of the Gardasil vaccine. Their daughter is now dependant upon steroids to combat the autoimmune disease they are convinced is linked to Gardasil. 

In 2009, ABC News released an alarming investigative report about the deaths of 32 young females that were suspected to be linked to the Gardasil vaccine. In the report, doctors questioned over the possible negative side effects of the Gardasil vaccine were a mixed bag with some stating they were concerned over the statistics surrounding Gardasil, while others went on record as being satisfied that the vaccine did not appear to hold any more alarming side effects than other vaccines. 

  Boys Are Next

On October 25, 2011, CNN announced that the federal advisory committee voted to include males as young as 9 years old to receive the Gardasil Vaccine. The committee states Gardasil will combat the papilloma virus, said to lead to cancers in males, and to protect females from the virus which is sexually transmitted. The initial report by CNN was followed up by Elizabeth Cohn, CNN’s senior medical correspondent who assured the viewers that physicians were not concerned about any side effects of the Gardasil vaccine. Later in the day, Cohn reported the CDC recommends, but does not mandate, inoculations. Rather, the decision to mandate inoculation is left up to individual states to determine.

Real Life Gardasil Nightmares Over the few short years since initial reports began to be reported on the Gardasil vaccine, additional adverse reactions have been reported such as paralysis, blindness, pancreatitis, speech problems, blood clots, short-term memory loss and ALS.

In total, there were 26 deaths of young girls who had received the Gardasil vaccine between September 1, 2010 and September 15, 2011.

Even then, the Center for Disease Control’s formal statement regarding the negative effects of the Gardasil vaccine is as follows: “There is no unusual pattern or clustering to the deaths that would suggest that they were caused by the vaccine.”

Yet, side effects being reported shortly after inculcation to otherwise healthy young girls are frightening similar, and these adverse reactions are being experienced by girls as young as 11 years old.

Sample Cases Reported to the FDA:

After a second Gardasil vaccine on September, 26 2007, a 15-year old female  experienced a headache thirty minutes following the inoculation. The following day, the girl’s mother received a call from the school nurse that her daughter was suffering tingling in both hands. The 15-year old was again sent to the nurses office following what was described a s a shaking sensation over her body. That evening, the girl suffered pain and burning in her back. Her parents brought her to the emergency room, where she collapsed. The 15-year old suffered paralysis and remained in the hospital for two months. A report of the incident was sent to the FDA by the girl’s physician.

When visiting her family, a healthy 18-year old college freshman complained of feeling ill. Within two days, she was rushed to the emergency room and diagnosed with meningococcal disease of the brain and subsequently died that evening. The otherwise healthy young woman had received the Gardasil vaccine on May 10, 2007 and died on October 7, 2007 from complications of meningitis. 

The following abbreviated report was sent to the FDA by the mother of a healthy 14-year old girl who received three Gardasil vaccinations on August 2007, June 2008, and June 2008. The adverse reactions she experienced were as follows: numbness and tingling in the fingers and toes, difficulty with falling asleep, urinary tract infections, ovarian cyst, moodiness, trouble getting out of bed and seizures.

Following her third shot, the girl suffered a reported 150 seizures, at which time she would stop breathing for 30 to 40 seconds. Eventually, the 15-year old was diagnosed with Neurocardiogenic syndrome and seizures. Upon her death, it was reported that her death was the result of an ovarian cyst. A reporter who followed up on the tragedy believed the information and medical records pointed to the Gardasil vaccination as the cause of the 14-year olds death. . 

Reports also suggested a high rate of miscarriages for pregnant females who take the Gardasil vaccination. Reported by Dr. Akilah El of the Celestial Healing Wellness Center reports, a breastfeeding mother whose infant child died the day after having been breast fed by a mother who had taken the Gardasil vaccine:

Don’t Expect Your Day in Court

It behooves us to practice due diligence with regards to any vaccines, especially when they are being administered to children whose innocence may be threatened with an adverse reaction to the many “mandated” inoculations routinely given to children today.

When adverse reactions are egregious enough to require medical procedures or hospitalization, the news grows just as offensive as the vaccine. Nearly 25 years ago, the U.S. Congress passed the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act, exempting the vaccine manufacturer from the courts. Now, should you have a legitimate claim of vaccine injury, the case must be heard in a “Vaccine Liability Court”, which is centered on tort law  (violating the Constitutional process). The outcome usually goes against the complainant. 

In essence, big pharma is shielded and reads a lot like appealing a determination from the IRS by requesting a court date at which time you plead your case in front of an IRS court judge.  

It’s worth noting that we, the consumers, pay for the Vaccine Liability Court with a surcharge that is attached to medications, which in turn, is used for big pharma to pay the IRS. I could be wrong, in fact I could be one of those delusional conspiracy nuts, but even so, it all seems to come full circle.  
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October 24, 2011 
NAFTA & GATT Crashed the Economy, Derivatives Sealed the Deal  

Since December of 2007, the government and mainstream media have pointed to runaway spending and predatory lending practices as the cause of the economic meltdown. The fairytale we’ve been spoon-fed is that borrowing, lending and the derivatives debacle was brought on with the fiscal abandon of a frat boy with a free brewery pass at spring break. There is no doubt that all three lead to foreclosures and financial ruin for far too many US citizens. But that’s only part of the story. The real instigator that has so many of us dodging pink slips, fighting to put food on the table and scrambling to stave off foreclosure began with the restructuring of NAFTA and GATT agreements.

When President George W Bush handed the baton over to President Clinton to sign the beefed-up North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 1992, it rang the death knell for America. At the time, concerned citizens were alarmed, for the agreement flew in the face of the constitution: article 1, section 8 that states tariffs are to be levied as a means to support the US government.

Many insiders warned NAFTA was less about improved investments and exchange of goods than it was a means for mega rich investors and multi-national corporations to grow richer and more powerful from the sweat of cheap labor. Others feared for US sovereignty and possible tariff deficits that would place greater burdens on US taxpayers. Simultaneously, warning cries were sounded over the safety of unregulated food imports from Mexican farmers whose growing practices include DDT and the use of human feces as fertilizer.

GATT was touted as the panacea that would promote US economic growth by breaking down barriers of trade and investment with other countries as well as dissolve “favored nation” status to steer trade that dissolve discriminatory practices against developing nations. The American public was promised job creation through the increased exports GATT would generate. However, not many in the public sector knew that GATT was negotiated by the United Nations, and through the consortium of nation member agreement, GATT was changed to the World Trade Organization in 1995.

Behind the Smoke and Mirrors Before the restructuring of NAFTA, the US enjoyed a trade surplus with Mexico. A few short years later, the US economy was plunged into a $20 Billion trade deficit with Mexico and had suffered a 69% increase in trade deficits with Canada. Many growers, most notably California and North Dakota, lost their market share with grain, tomatoes and avocado distribution due to direct competition with Canada and Mexico. This was occurring simultaneously while the US bailed out the Mexico peso in 1994during the Clinton Presidency.

NAFTA opened the floodgates for 4 billion of the world populace to join the world economy and stave off high unemployment for China, India, Vietman, Banglagesh. Today, we experience this shift, daily, with overseas call centers, outsourcing, and emerging financial mite as China gobbles up vast US holdings and real estate while our labor force suffers ever-growing unemployment. 

GATT, however, was disaster on an even greater scale, for it threw aside the sovereignty of all nations in exchange for a global marketplace for cheap labor, capital, services and products. It served as master, turning into slaves those already living in squalor in third world countries through the use of sweatshops.

One example is Nike Corporation. When Nike moved offshore to Indonesia, they were able to reduce the cost of manufacturing a pair of tennis shoes to just $2.75, yet the price of their tennis shoes, after having moved offshore for cheap labor and lowertaxes, remained at $70 to the public. Studies have shown that Nike’s Indonesian employees are not protected by their government, and due to the minimum wage of  $2.50 per day, many suffer malnutrition for lack of money to purchase nutritious food.

Nike is far from the only large manufacturer to jump ship for wage-friendly environs. Halliburton followed suit by moving its corporate headquarters to Dubai, Accentuate, a subsidiary of Arthur Anderson, are now headquartered in Bermuda and Foster Wheeler likewise moved its headquarters to Bermuda. Ingersoll-Rand, once headquartered in New Jersey, is now based in Bermuda, Tyco International has pulled stakes from the US to Bermuda, Cooper Industries jumped ship from Houston to Bermuda, Noble Drilling left Sugar Land, Texas for the Cayman Islands, Global Crossing moved to Bermuda, Seagate Technology now calls the Cayman Islands home, and Neighbors Industries proved to be less neighborly with a move from Texas to Bermuda. Hewlett Packard and Advanced Micro likewise abandoned the US for underdeveloped countries for cheaper wages and lower taxes.

Demographics show that a staggering number of factories and large businesses have vacated US borders, or have gone bankrupt in the attempt to compete when exporting goods made by higher US wage earners. In fact, the greed practiced by corporations is overshadowed by the necessity of an offshore move for manufacturers to remain competitive. As reported by The Economic Policy Institute, NAFTA was the direct result of lost or displaced jobs for 682,900 workers, which additionally added to the US trade deficit.

As reported by CNBC June 14, 2011,US home foreclosures now stands at 33%, higher than that experienced at the height of the Great Depression, which climbed to 31%. In 2011 alone, food prices saw an increase of 37% and are slated to climb much higher due to extreme drought and weather-related extremes that destroyed vast swatches of cropland.

There exists other negative ramifications of global dependence on manufacturing that are rarely discussed. Namely, when Japan experienced the devastating 8.9 earthquake in April 2011 which resulted in tsunami and the meltdown of Fukushima, G.M., Toyota and Subaru production plants were crippled due to Japan’s inability to continue supplying these plants with auto parts routinely imported to them.  

No Lessons Learned; AKA Pushing an Agenda NAFTA and GATT were not the only free trade agreements that played a part in US insolvency. The Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), was signed by President George W Bush after a tough congressional battle in 1995. This agreement was entered into with Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic for cheap labor, free tarriffs and increased commerce.

The Republic of Korea-United States Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA) is a free trade agreement between Korea and the US that was inacted in June of 2007 and renogotiated and signed by President Obamah in 2010.

Yet another free trade agreement called the Doha Development Agenda that stagnated under the tutalidge of President Bush was dusted off and promoted by The World Trade Organization at meetings held in its support in July of 2011. The Doha Development Agenda is esentially another free trade agreement between world leaders and developing countries, alowing poverty striken devoloping countries to get on the globalization bandwagon towards free trade and investment liberalisation. 

TheWTO is and always has been a bureaucracy that will remain borderless while they report to over 120 nations and answer to multi-national, powerful corporations. 

Building Insolvency, One displaced Worker at a Time

As a result of NAFTA and GATT Michigan alone lost 315,200 manufacturing jobs by 2008, totaling a 35.5% reduction of manufacturing jobs, which lead the national decline as reported by the American Manufacturing TradeAction Coalition. The resulting job loss for Michigan was 489,900 due to the trickle-down effect.

Other huge hits resulting from the NAFTA agreement to the US economy are in computer and electronic parts, which accounts for 22% of job losses. Motor vehicle and parts workers have suffered a 15% job loss.

In the last decade, the United States lost some five million manufacturing jobs, a contraction of approximately one-third. In total, 42,000 US manufacturers have permanently closed their doors since 2001.

The public was not privy to the fact that unemployment rates had already begun to rise as 2.4 million jobs were lost between March 2001-October 2003 with the majority of displaced workers being in the manufacturing sector.

Today, the official unemployment rate stands at 9.10 percent. However, these rates are misleading. Those who have exhausted their unemployment entitlement are no longer counted as part of the US displaced work force. Neither do these reported numbers take into consideration that to stay employed, many workers have been forced to take steep pay cuts or accept the reduction of health benefits or both. Additionally, benefits such as retirement and profit sharing plans have been drastically reduced or curtailed. Many displaced workers seeking employment have had to settle for drastically reduced salaries and in some cases, have had to accept shorter hours just to re-join the ranks of the employed. Sadly, there facts are underreported to the general public. This underreporting makes it nearly impossible for the public to get a clear picture of the seriousness of the US economic condition, which is directly tied to employment. 

The Solution 

Recently M.I.T. did an investigation on the state of US manufacturing. Their consensus was the US must create17 to 20 million jobs over the next decade to see a full recovery of the current recession.

It’s difficult to fathom how as a nation we can expect to become fiscally sound when our leaders have proven time and time again their agenda does not always protect the interests of the nation’s infrastructure or its workforce. Evidenced with the continuing trend towards free trade agreements such as NAFTA and GATT. This practice has brought the US work force and our economic solvency to its knees as manufacturers flee the nation and employment continues to plummet to disheartening levels. With the outrageous tariff deficits and alarming reduction of the workforce, the decision to continue on this path of destruction with CAFTA, KURUS, and most likely the Doha Development Agenda, it holds terrifying indicators for the failure.

But should The US abolish free trade agreements and swap globalism for the return of manufacturing on US soil, we have a chance to reclaim the solvency we have enjoyed since the industrial revolution and we can then offer a future to the generations to come. 
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October 21, 2011
Tent Cities: The Secret That Won’t Go Away  

Since the economic crisis began in late 2007, many Americans have suffered foreclosure. By October 2011 the foreclosure rate had climbed to 33%; greater than the 31% reported during the Great Depression.

For many, homelessness was brought on by job loss, but there are an ever-growing number of renters who have found themselves out on the street when the landlord lost the home to foreclosure. Others struggling to get by have found themselves the victims of escalating rent prices and for others; homelessness arrived when the social services they received was cut off as cities themselves experienced economic insolvency.

For every foreclosure, there is a heartfelt story to be told.

Not in My Back Yard!
Tent cities are a reflection of America’s insolvency and may be an indicator of what we can expect should we join the ranks of the unemployed. The US Department of Housing and Development reports that on any given night, 650,000 people experience homelessness.

Cities across America have chosen hard-line abandonment over compassion for the homeless. The plight of the homeless is difficult to unearth, as it is not being reported on to the extent it deserves. Yet, even though mainstream media seems to have swept their struggles into a dark corner of obscurity, there remains a voice being broadcasted daily through You Tube by ordinary citizens who care enough to report on their areas   homeless.

Marginalizing the homeless has lead to draconian measures. In Phoenix, Cross Roads United Methodist Church received a verdict of guilty by a judge who ruled the pancake breakfasts they were serving to the homeless was illegal; http://www.azfamily.com/news/Judge-says-Phoenix-church-cannot-feed-homeless-69650502.html

Churches are not the only ones being punished for their good deeds. A couple in Houston, Texas who for over one year had been feeding the homeless each and every night was ordered to stop. The reason? They did not have a “permit” to do so; http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=7898553

Where Have All The Homeless Gone?

The plight of the homeless in Lakewood, New Jersey was documented in this You Tube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsYDvvgMevI where Pastor Steve Brigham discusses the tent city (in this case huts) he set up for the homeless that was ordered torn down. Pastor Brigham points to a woman who was employed in the garment district in New York City earning over $100,000 a year. She lost her job in the garment industry when operations were outsourced to China. Pastor Brigham states the 60 people about to be displaced were not likely to find warm shelter and hot meals to sustain life over the long winter. 

A follow-up on the plight of the homeless in Lakewood New Jersey was reported on by  Fox News on August 11, 2011:http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/08/11/economic-woes-lead-to-proliferation-tent-cities-nationwide/

In Huntington, Virginia a tent city that was erected on vacant land was bulldozed after the homeless were warned to vacate or face arrest. On film, police officers patrol the ground in search of the homeless who will then be arrested for vagrancy should they be caught. Mayor David Felinton was paraphrased as having said, “The city has done what it could.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdZHraXFgKY

Tent Cities Are Disappearing all Across America

Although tent cities are disappearing, homelessness is growing as more and more lose their jobs or fall victim to eroding social services they had been receiving. Cities in financial trouble themselves are unable to answer the increased need to help the homeless with food and shelter, but neither are they willing to allow people to help themselves by allowing them to pitch tents, nor do they appear to welcome humanitarian efforts.

A report on one of the largest tent cities located in Sacramento, California reflects 1,500 homeless were living there with a reported 50 new arrivals each day who wished to  avoid living on the streets. Like so many sites set up for the homeless, Sacramento bulldozed it in 2009.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGxKdDinkKk&NR=1

Even a tropical paradise is not immune. In Hawaii, the ranks of the homeless tops the national average as the problem continues to increase, but like city’s elsewhere, the displaced are told that it is illegal to sleep in parks http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGZE9PWPKts

In 2007, after a tent city located underneath pedestrian bridges by Cleveland Browns Stadium had been in existence for 15 months, Cleveland officials answered the need of the homeless by ordering them to vacate or face arrest. Officials had no advice for alternative housing. http://www.wkyc.com/print.aspx?storyid=69752

Who to Contact

To view a report with up to date information on 75 tent cities, visit the National Coalition for the Homeless http://www.nationalhomeless.org/publications/crimreport/allcities.html

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October 18, 2011
Mainstream Media Reporting On Coming Food Shortages and Rising Prices  

Finally! Mainstream media is talking. Paul Krugman of the New York Times warns of Soaring Food Prices and shortages. It isn’t something most of us aren’t aware of, but it is unique to see a long standing newspaper to just come out and announce the cold. hard facts to the public.

In the report, Krugman reports the bad news by sourcing the USDA world supply and demand estimates, and the news isn’t good. Expect to see grain go up double what it is now. The problem stems mainly from grain failures in Russia, Ukrane and Kazakhstan with the record-setting heat wave they suffered. http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/05/soaring-food-prices/ 

CNN reports closer to home on corn failures. It appears corn grown at several Iowa farms have been decimated by a super bug that has adapted to Monsanto’s GM seed. http://money.cnn.com/video/markets/2011/08/29/mkts_midday_monsanto.cnnmoney/

Natural News has announced the deadly new disease is linked to crop failures and animal miscarriages due to GM crops and pesticides. Studies show that 20 – 55% of animals fed GM corn and soybean will spontaneously abort. The feed has led to a chicken embryo in 24 – 48 hours.  http://www.naturalnews.com/033043_GMOs_crop_failures.html

These reports lead to two sound decisions: store up on wheat before it climbs even higher and get those heirloom seed. They store best in a dry, dark, cool location.

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October 17, 2011
Think Home Canning For Sustainable Living

If we were to have a crystal ball that could tell us what to prepare for and for how long more of us would jump into preparedness feet first. Do we prepare for an economic collapse? It seems plausible considering for over 5 years the nation has been in recession, but mainstream media is just getting around to admitting it. It begs the question, what’s next?! Or it could be a nuclear event or an earthquake—both have generated plenty of speculation in the news and on the big screen. In the end, being generally prepared for any contingency will go a long ways towards long-term survival.

Many of us have heirloom seed tucked away for gardening when times get tough. Of course we do: Preparedness begins and ends with admitting we have no idea how long a calamity may last. If it turns out to be long term, gardening will see us past a time when food storage starts to dwindle.

Home canning is a sustainable way to preserve the overflow from the garden. The requirements are relatively few; canning jars, canning lids, a steam-pressure canner, a boiling-water canner and a few canning utensils.

Canning jars are convenient because as long as they don’t have chips along the rim, making a tight seal impossible, they are reusable. Lids are another matter, as they can be used once and then must be tossed. But there is an hope; Tattler makes plastic reusable lids that do not contain BPA that will take the guesswork out of how many lids to put aside. They are more expensive than are traditional canning lids, but worth the peace of mind.

Possibly the toughest part of home canning is the need to have a reliable method to pressure cook your home canning with. Although a wood heat stove, fire pit cooking, a solar cooker, or a propane camp stove provides an alternative method to cook with, they can not be regulated to the degree called for with home canning. To keep home canned foods safe, they must be processed at a specific temperature for a specific time span. To accomplish this in a grid down scenario means you have only a few alternative choices; either be set up with a generator that will power a traditional stove, or purchase a propane stove or a wood cook stove.

A propane stove can be purchased from a motor home dealer if you don’t need a full-size model. Their negative is the need for propane, which may not be available should a crisis be extreme enough. A solution is to contact your local propane company and make arrangements to have a large tank delivered. Typically, they will refill the tank on routine deliveries and ask for a reasonable deposit on the tank itself. A wood cook stove is not as easily regulated and will take plenty of dry runs to master the art of cooking on a wood-burning cook stove. Their benefit lies in geography, for if you live in a region where there is plenty of wood, a wood cook stove can be depended on for however long a disaster may last.

For tips and recipes on home canning, visit the sites listed below:

www.reusablecanninglids.com/About_TATTLER.html Reusable Canning Lids 

http://www.freshpreserving.com/home.aspx Ball Canning How-To & nearly 200 Recipes

http://www.pickyourown.org/allaboutcanning.htm Home Canning Info. & 200 Recipes

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October 15, 2011
Occupy Wall Street Momentum: Will it be the Spark to Unite or Ignite?  
They are marching in New York, Washington DC and all points in between. It started with “Occupy Wall Street” demonstrations, but seems to be growing as folks across the nation voice their anger and frustration over the great divide between rich and poor. But will this solidify the need to be heard as so many loose their jobs and fight to keep their homes and put food on the table?  

A few years ago it dawned on me that something very strange was occurring to our nation: people from the far right and the far left were agreeing—maybe not the “terminologies” that were used—but as a whole, we were all fed up with the pork and the half-truths we were being told as the bankers were handed billions of tax payer bailouts…only to discover the lions share of bailout money was being sent overseas. It was a start; for the first time we were united in our need to see changes that might head off economic collapse.  

Lately, conservatives and liberals may be slipping form a untied front to make our representatives accountable. Hopefully, this concern is premature. If we have any hope to turn things around, infighting will do nothing but cloud the real issues and could well muddy the water enough for the guilty parties to slink away, unnoticed.   

In the days to come, demonstrations are likely to increase as the nations unemployment rate climbs, Banks cry wolf over defaulted loans and the housing market tanks further.   In the meantime, the prudent will continue to prepare and squirrel away as many supplies and food storage as possible. Water storage will be just as important, so don’t forget water storage containers or 2-litre bottles (milk cartons break down—don’t use them) and a good quality water purifier such as a Berkey or a Katedyne. And add extra water filters to your preparedness list. Look under the navigation button for food & water storage, which provides steps to safely store water. Investigate water sources nearby. You may need a pull cart to haul it, so plan ahead.  

Be sure you have an alternate cooking method set in place, and please, if you live in a densely populated area, consider canned goods or MRE’S with heating jackets to keep down cooking orders. If ever a full-blown collapse occurs, it will not be safe to openly announce your preparedness with cooking orders in densely populated locations.  

Plan for sanitation needs, which for those in rural areas could mean the woods, or a strategically placed tarp. On the other hand, buying supplies for a small outhouse is a reasonable goal. If you live in the city, a camp toilet and a place to bury waste will be necessary.  

If you are new to the idea of preparedness, buy a book on the subject. Survival: Prepare Before Disaster Strikes is an all-inclusive book on preparedness, but so are many others. Doesn’t matter which book you choose, but it does matter to have all of the facets of preparedness researched so that you can prepare wisely with fewer mistakes. Look on Amazon and do a little research on which preparedness book might best suits your needs. If your cash flow is tight, look under the links provided on this site for preparedness and survival groups where you can fill in any gaps.   

There is much involved when planning for long-term survival. Gardening is a must for long-term food security. Even if you’re in the city, look in to community gardens and square foot gardening. Invest in a gardening book that includes your specific climate zones, and whatever you do, look in to heirloom garden seed that can be used season after season (the seed from the fruits and veggies they produce can be dried and saved for the next growing season).   There are many facets to preparedness, and we will discuss more over the next few weeks.  

See you tomorrow on Survival Diva!          
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October 13,2011
Honeybee Die-Off

Some of you may have been following the honeybee die-off that hit the media several years ago. Scientists coined it Colony Collapse Disorder. It was front and center as the subject of many gardening and organic gardening sites, then simply disappeared. But just as with tent cities, the fact it isn’t written about doesn’t mean it’s gone away. Recently, CBS News reported on another massive honeybee die-off of millions of honeybees in Micco, Florida; http://tampa.cbslocal.com/2011/09/30/millions-of-bees-mysteriously-die-in-florida/

It is being reported that the die-off happened in one day, which scientists say rules out disease. They are investigating the possibility of pesticide poisoning as the possible culprit. One beekeeper alone lost 400 hives. Not only is this devastating to beekeepers, but honeybees pollinate a sizeable portion of our fruits and vegetables.

Gardners and folks who plan on gardening for a dependable food source in difficult times would be well advised to have a back-up plan should the honeybee die-off impact garden pollination. Luckily there is more than one answer to the problem. Because I believe in the “heir and a spare” approach to anything as important as food security, I advise a two-step plan. Investigate planting a portion of your garden to attract pollinators such as bees, buttefly’s and bats. This is done through certain flowers, shrubs and a water supply like from that of a birdbath. You can find the How-To’s at many gardening sights. My book, Survival: Prepare Before Disaster Strikes has a section devoted to this as well. The other step is to research hand pollination. It is a bit tedious, but considering what’s at stake, it’s worth the effort. The supplies needed are minimal and the instructions are easy to follow: http://www.ehow.com/how_2102682_hand-pollinate-garden-plants.html

No go forth and familiarize yourself with work-arounds that will have your garden thriving when it counts the most.

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October 11, 2011
Better Trade Those Fiat Dollars in For Bankable Food 
This week I dropped in at the bank and was surprised to see only two harassed employees who were frantically trying to process the long line of customers. Typically there are at least six tellers. When it was my turn, I asked about the shortage of help and the frustrated teller, whom I’ve known for years, replied ”A bank-wide meeting was called. They left just two of us to cover the desk.”

Intuition had me probing for more, and in no time I was hearing about an increase in defaulted loans. From what the teller shared, they were actually better off than most. Arriving home, I did a Goggle search to discover that since January 1, 2011, 73 banks have failed: http://www.bankrate.com/finance/savings/2011-list-of-failed-banks.aspx

And why most of us choose to ignore the warning signs all around us. The truth hurts! When we let ourselves contemplate the banking conundrum, may of us get a little queasy. It doesn’t help that since the US no longer backs its currency with gold or silver, we are left with fiat money—funny money, if you will—dirty, used linen slips that are completely dependant on the blind trust of the people and governments. That worked fairly well before we shipped our jobs overseas through NAFTA and GATT, and it worked while the economy had the outside appearance of normalcy.

Problem is, as we watch entire countries like Greece and Argentina fold, it’s getting harder and harder to put our faith in the greenbacks that once ruled the global economy.

In fact, should the Euro continue to implode, taking more European banks down, Bank of America, Citibank and Sun Trust may tumble along with them due to heavy Euro investments. Add the continuing decline in the housing market, and soon what we may be facing may make The Great Depression look like a pleasure cruise. 

We have a decision to make while there’s still time for our own personal bail out. And if we take a wait and see stance much longer, those greenbacks may not sustain you, no matter how much Tabasco and salt and pepper you choose to sprinkle on them. The government will NOT be offering boatloads of cash to “see us through.” Nor will they be handing out meals on wheels.

Consider filling those pantries. Even if your journey takes you to the Dollar Store, get some food put aside. Beans and rice are also a good start. If nothing happens out of the ordinary, you’ve at least inflation-proofed your grocery bill. But if what many of us are seeing as smoke and mirrors comes unraveled, and the Schuster hits the fan, you will have the means to feed yourself and your loved ones.

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Main Stream Media Calling For Recession, Food Price Increases & Food Shortages!

A lot has happened over this past month, most notably family matters, which have kept me away from home and the Internet. It's good to be back and I will try to pick up the speed to at least several blogs a week. After all, things are happening at the speed of light lately and we'd best keep our eye on the prize: preparedness.

I will admit to harping a bit over food storage, skyrocketing food prices (37% just this year alone!), and the coming food shortages. However, it seems mainstream media took a closer look and decided to do a little reporting themselves! If you aren't yet convinced about the wisdom of preparedness, check these articles out: UN: Food prices likely to remain volatile, high By NICOLE WINFIELD - Associated Presshttp://news.yahoo.com/un-food-prices-likely-remain-volatile-high-091932364.html  and also a report writen by ROBERT MCCLURE AND TOM PAULSON, P-I REPORTERS; "Get used to high food costs, water shortages Climate report offers a dire look at next 50 years in U.S." which can be found at the following URL:  http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Get-used-to-high-food-costs-water-shortages-1274652.php 

It appears the public is catching on to the threat of even higher prices and shortages than we've already experienced and are demanding answers. A few brave reporters have answered the call, and we should listen carefully. Add to that ERCI (Economic Cycle Research Institute) has called an alert that the U.S. Economy Tipping into Recession; http://www.businesscycle.com/reports_indexes/reportsummarydetails/1091 and it should be clear there's trouble headed our way! Actually, it isn't a revelation to the average American struggling to put food on the table while some of us dodge the hated pink slip. If all of this hasn't convinced you, please visit a trusted friend’s daily website for his amazingly thorough reports on all aspects of the state of the economy: https://mail.google.com/mail/?shva=1#inbox/132dd91722c5e745 titled " The Top 100 Statistics About The Collapse Of The Economy That Every American Should Know".

It appears Americans are no longer willing to take the Hills word for just where the economy and food prices are headed. That's good. We have to face the issues if we can ever expect to right what is wrong--and it's been wrong for far too long. If you've decided to begin a preparedness plan, or are still looking for budget-saving ideas on how to complete what you've already started, please visit the navigation buttons for money-saving coupon links, recipes, and information on food and water storage. For those of you with questions, please feel free to send a comment, which I can answer individually by request or can be shared with the group, if you prefer  (your name will remain anonymous). It's time to fill those pantries!
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What Microbes Can Do For Your Vegetable Garden
You may not see them, but they’re there: invisible microbes that lead to a more abundant, organic growing environment for your garden vegetables. Healthy soil is made possible by introducing these invisible animals and fungi which are the stuff of microbes.

To be successful, microbes in the garden must be available through water in order for plants to be able to receive their sustenance through their root system. Otherwise, valuable microbes may exist in the garden, but should they be too large for your plants to absorb, they will not benefit garden plants.

Compost is the most popular solution for providing microbes to organic garden soil and plants. Not only does rich compost offer much needed microbes, but it also enriches the soil with organic matter and nutrients.

There is another approach to add microbes into garden soil called compost tea. It is prepared by placing worm castings and compost in a mesh bag. Place the mesh bag in water for at least 24 hours. The water should be aerated and circulated for the growth of microbes, thus pulling away the microbes and nutrients from the solid matter in the mesh bag.

Or you can do it the easy way! Some garden centers sell compost tea. But beware; microbes that have been bottled can begin to die off within a day or so, so be sure to verify it’s fresh before you purchase it. 

Soil microbes can also be introduced into the garden by adding inoculants that come in powder form. One of the favorites of many organic growers is a product called Biozome.

However you choose to add microbes to your vegetable garden, it helps to keep them happy with soil that is damp, not swampy, and not dry. They also benefit with mulch that has been spread on top of garden soil, as it protects microbes from temperature extremes. Adding rich compost and granulated organic fertilizer also feeds microbes.

Soil activators can be used to stimulate microbes to eat and produce at an increased rate. Surprisingly, you may not even have to take a trip to the garden center to accomplish this. Molasses works well as a soil activator.  

Over time, soil microbes combined with compost, are capable of converting lifeless, hard   soil into rich, sweet smelling, fluffy soil. They also benefit water retention and assist with the garden’s drainage.

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Microchips: Coming to a Town Near You

 It’s been tried before and failed, but the potential for microchiping has just been dusted off and given a “softer” side. With its announcement some are warning this new technology has the possibility of being a first step towards acceptance of a permanent chip insertion most of the nation already vetoed.

VeriChip has spent millions promoting their chip as a viable solution for child abductions, offering hope through its RFID location capabilities to find missing children. VeriChip has also tried to curry favor with the public for medical applications for storing detailed medical history, including medication dosages and alerts and contact information for medical emergencies. Likewise, chip insertion has received a nod by lawmakers and the prison system as a means to locate and quickly apprehend fugitives of the law. Other applications include easy access for employee clearance at secured facilities and it even flows to the retail industry for inventory control and ease of purchase at the checkout stand, where participants merely pass their implant over a reader for payment and are then on their way.

Already the VeriChip has become “indispensable” to pet owners to store medical history and shot records and locating lost pets—there are now over 6 million chipped pets.

Even so, VeriChip has hurdles to jump to overcome bad press. The biggest detractor is studies proving a 1% – 10% higher incidence of cancers in pets that have been chipped, which scientific studies confirmed was related to chip insertion. In the medical realm, concerns have been voiced over adverse effects to human recipients who undergo an MRI, where the strong electrical field is likely to cause burns to a patient both internally and externally. 

A study undertaken by Jonathan Westhues and reported in Wired Magazine proved the chips 16-digit “unique” number could be pirated with the use of a hand-held device, pointing to a nightmarish potential for abuse of a recipients banking and personal information culled from the chips database.

Such revelations are worth investigation. Most of us have received that dreaded notice by our bank that our credit or debit card information “may” have been compromised and thus have been issued a replacement card with a prerequisite new PIN number we must then remember. That’s a far cry from getting the news that our implanted chip “may” have been compromised and we must now undergo exploratory surgery (the chip’s other negative is they can travel in the body) to have it dug out and replaced.

Technology’s Inroads

A handful of people have already volunteered for chip insertion who are happy to publicly announce their view on the chip as beneficial on many fronts. Two of the most noteworthy cases are British Scientist, Kevin Warwick, who in 1998 underwent chip insertion to open doors and switch on lights at his command. Later, Amal Graafstra, author of RFID TOYS had implants placed in each of his hands to open his car door, unlock doors and to securely access his computer.

Getting on the bandwagon was Mikey Sklar and Mark Krieger who are happy to report to the general public about their experiences. In 2007, two employees of City Watcher, a video surveillance company based in Ohio, accepted implants in order to have access to the company’s sensitive database. Already Wisconsin, Dakota and California have passed bills making it illegal for employers to impose mandatory chip insertions on their employee base.

However, Veri Chip is not without its supporters. In 2002 the Food and Drug Administration granted them a preliminary approval. Additionally, it is widely believed there are many more who have already opted in for this new technology, but due to the public outcry against “chipping” are not likely to step forward and be counted. 

Most of Us Are Already Involved

One of the basic counterparts of the VeriChip technology, GPS, is already being used by most of us, whether we realize it or not. Cell phones have embedded RFID chips that are operational even when the phone is turned off, but can be deactivated when the battery is removed. How? The RFID includes GPS location technology within them, which can be deployed to triangulate a users exact location in the case of emergency. Many products are already tagged with RFID chips at retailers for inventory control as well as to thwart petty theft.

How’d They Do It?

Both here and abroad the chip has experienced negative feedback from the populace due to privacy and freedom issues as well Christian beliefs that this new technology is what Revelations warns of as the Mark of the Beast. 

Instead of imposing a chip the size of a grain of rice, permanently marking humans like so many cattle as many have vocalized, the medical industry has devised a tattoo-based patch to be applied to the skin called an Epidermal Electronic System (EES). It is not permanent and is the thickness of a human hair. For now, it can be touted as “temporary” as it is applied with water and is user-friendly due to its flexibility. For the moment, they are being used to monitor heart and brain functions of patients. 

Choices So, what’s your vote? Soon we may face the choice to accept a tattoo, and eventually an implantable chip in exchange for ease of patient care. Will we embrace this technology, or will we just say no?

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Just Confirmed: Don't Depend Upon the Water District!

People expect to turn on faucets, showers, washing machines, and garden hoses for their water needs. Better re-think that during a time of grid failure unless you have a well and a manual hand pump to draw the water to the surface where it will do you some good!

Over the years, I have heard conflicting reports over what to expect with regards to water delivery in a grid-down situation. Just this week I got the answer from a plant manager (who will remain unnamed for job security). Keep in mind that each water district is set up differently, and should you be concerned over your areas water supply, it is worth investigating.

Now back to my source: this manager works for a water plant that serves millions of urbanites in a heavily populated, metropolitan area. When asked what steps they had taken for back up in a grid-down situation, the manager's answer was less than reassuring. This particular plant has battery and diesel back up for 3 days. No more. Should diesel fuel be unavailable when their supply runs out, the plant will be shackled with regards to getting water to their customers.

When asked if the area's populace should expect sewage backup to enter their homes, the manager offered a mixed bag of possibilities. Sewage is, in some cases, gravity-fed. However, for those whose homes sit higher than gravity feed will allow for safe drainage, expected sewage back up --most probably to bathtubs.

If you have abundant water storage, and plan to pour stored water to a tub for bathing or a sink to wash dishes, you should have a back-up plan for a situation when water is unable to drain properly.  Toilet use, even when there is sufficient water to dump a gallon of water into them to get them to "flush" should not be assumed in a workable preparedness plan.

Those on a septic tank can thank their lucky stars! Septics will continue to provide drainage as long as you are not dependant upon a sub pump for below-grade levels of your home.

Those fortunate enough to have a well can expect to have a reliable water source, but that is only for those who have planned ahead and have installed a manual hand pump to draw the water when electric water pumps ceases to function. Generators will supply needed power, but can be relied upon only as long as fuel reserves are available. An alternate solution is solar panel or wind generator power, or a combination of both. Solar generators are another option for those who live in sunny climates. You will find Do-It-Yourself instructions to make an inexpensive manual hand pump for wells under Links & DYI Navigation button. NOTE: If looting becomes a threat for your area, noisy generators should not be run--they will alert anyone nearby to your preparedness!

Plan Ahead
If your preparedness plan has not taken into consideration drinking, bathing, laundry, gardening and household cleaning needs, it is time to put it at the top of the to-do list! You should always store a one-month 28-gallon supply of water for each member of your family or group. Store more if you can, as 28 gallons per person is the absolute bare minimum and does not allow for bathing. Additionally, this recommendation assumes that you are near a source of water: a lake, stream, or river where water can be collected and purified through a quality water purifier such as a Berkey or a Katadyn--get plenty of replacement filters. See instructions for water purification under the "Food & Water" Navigation button.

If a water source is not nearby, consider a waterbed. Although this is only a short-term solution, it will get you past the beginning of a crisis and from there, you may be forced to relocate to a location with a reliable water source. Look into water containment systems, where water run-off from a roof can be collected—see “ Collecting Rain Water” under the Archive Navigation button. It gives step-by-step instructions to make a DO-It-Yourself rainwater collection barrel. Remember, humans can survive without water for approximately 2 days in 120 degree whether and 10 days in 50 degree whether. Drinking water must be your number #1 priority! 

To store water safely, add 1/8 of a teaspoon of bleach for each gallon of water--refer to "Food & Water" under the Navigation buttons. You can also purify water with Ion or iodine as well, but use caution with iodine as some people can be adversely effected when ingesting iodine. Water storage should be changed every 6 months. But if it's past its optimal shelf life, it is still drinkable. Simply pour the water from one container to another to re-oxygenate it for better taste.

Here's what you will need:
 Store at least 28 gallons of water for each person in water containers or 2 -liter pop bottles (milk cartons leak)
Tough Stuff tub/small animal trough for bathing. A solar shower is another option--these alternatves assume abundant water!
Manual Washing machine--look under Links & DIY Navigation button--or purchase one. They are found under Links
Clothes Line & Pins for laundry
Quality water filter such as a Berkey or Katadyn--always get extra filters
Liquid laundry detergent and dish soap--stock up! Dollar Stores are a good source & easy on the pocket-book
Portable toilet or an outhouse if your area allows them--see Do-It-Yourself instructions under Links

Conclusion
Recently, the US and locations abroad have experienced extreme drought. That alone should have kicked us all in gear to provide the single most important item of any preparedness plan—water! Don’t put off providing for water for drinking, cooking and clean up.

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The Coming Food Shortage

Given the recent weather anomalies, groanings from the economic front and the political coup in Libya, today's blog had endless possibilities. These circumstances greatly impact what should be a top priority for all of us; Food …and why we’ll start there. 

This past year alone, food prices have increased by 36%. Not a good situation when  our incomes have taken an incredible nosedive.  Just consider unemployment rates alone (that are being reported erroneously, for they do not include those who have exhausted their benefits). Nor does it take into account many US workers who are underemployed, forced to take low-paying jobs, or are working part time. Many of us have taken huge losses in the Stock Market, while others have taken hits to their retirement funds. All terrible news…

But things are about to get worse. Much worse.

The Coming Food Shortage

Russia, whose grain and crops make up a portion of US imports, has suffered huge losses in grain production through wildfires last year and locust infestation this year. Expect the situation to impact commodity prices and hit our pocketbooks at the checkout stand: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/monitoring/media_reports/1400834.stm

China has fared no better with a 60-year record-breaking drought, leading to UN warningshttp://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/09/business/global/09food.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all as the nation faces one-billion in costs to help solve their drought problem http://solveclimatenews.com/news/20110213/china-readies-1-billion-fight-worst-wheat-drought-60-years. The final outcome is yet to be determined, but expect US imports of grain to be minimal, at best, which will drive up grain prices.

Both France and Germany have experienced devastating drought, leading to crop failure of wheat http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/20/business/global/20iht-wheat20.html?_r=1

In the US, the Midwest has experienced flooding of biblical proportions, which devastated millions of acres of croplands. The devastation has been overwhelming enough that the full impact on crop prices are still being tallied http://deltafarmpress.com/harvest-will-reveal-impacts-midwest-floods 

Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and parts of Arkansas, have experienced drought that has led to crop failures of up to 60% for wheat and cotton and the gulf coast is reporting crop failure of corn http://agrilife.org/today/2011/05/10/texas-crop-weather-for-may-10-2011/

The Good News  

To parlay news of such devastation both in the US and globally may seem like a stretch, but knowledge is power. The solution is clear: It’s time to start stocking those empty shelves before the shortages catch up with us, full-force, at the checkout counter. It’s possible to begin filling pantries affordably by going online for grocery circulars for your area’s grocers and by coupon clipping. By doing these two simple things, it is possible to see a 50% savings, or more. If you are interested in long-term food storage, check with local growers for their bulk pricing. By going straight to the grower, you will be cutting out the middle-man (the grocers) and should expect to save at least 50%.

Don’t Procrastinate  

In this case, procrastination will cost you. Prices will soon be climbing—steeply in some cases. It is not beyond the realm of possibility for limits to be set on quantities for food items as well. It happened before when Costco set limits of purchases for 20 lb# bags of long-grain rice to 2 per customer. Their reason was never revealed to the public, but for those already into “prepping”, it sent ripples of concerns for a trend that thankfully never transpired.

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 Demographics Don’t Lie: People Are Turning To Gardens for Food 
As reported by the National Gardening Association, 37% of all households are growing at least a portion of their own food, which is an increase of 19%, a total of 7 million, from last year’s survey.

So what’s driving people to grow gardens?

The questions asked in the National Gardening Association (NGA) survey revealed an overwhelming majority, totaling 58%, want better-tasting food. Over half, 54%, want to save money on food bills, 51% say they want better quality food and 48% say they want to grow food they know is safe.

Another interesting fact revealed by a separate survey done by the NGA is the sharp increase in organic growers. The number of organic growers has risen from 5 million households in 2004 to 12 million in 2008. This trend has greatly increased sales of heirloom and heritage garden seeds, along with products related to organic gardening, and are expected to increase in the future.

The National Garden Association’s report certainly upholds George C. Ball Jr, owner of the W. Atlee Burpee Company statement that sales of vegetable, herb, and plants are up by 40% over last year, and double the annual growth for the last five years. “You don’t see this kind of thing but once a career,” he said.

Other seed and garden shops concur. Not since 1970 has there been such a sharp increase of interest in growing food at home.

As reflected in the various surveys, people are growing their own vegetables and fruits due to concerns over the quality and the safety of the food they consume. Additionally, many are growing their own food in an attempt to keep the rising costs of food down.

Just as the populace has done during other downturns in the economy, people are turning to gardening to inflation proof their lives. 

Also visit Barb's Alternate Blog, Survival Grid,  for Hard-Hiting News Impacting Preparedness & Survival: http://survivalgrid.weebly.com  

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Cooking With Fresh Herbs
Before discussing what types of herbs you might want to plant in a herb garden, first we should discuss the difference between a herb and a spice.

Herbs are generally the leaves of a plant which contain oils that give them their distinctive flavor.

A spice is generally made from the seed, root, fruit or bark of the plant that has a greater concentration of flavor. This is why recipes generally call for less spice than they do a herb.

Whether your favorite cuisine is Mexican, Italian, East Indian, or Asian, the subtle and not so subtle flavors that bring different regions to our table have a great deal to do with the herbs that are used.

When you think of Italian food, it’s doubtful your mind travels to the taste of curry. Nor would you necessarily associate the flavor of chipotle with Asian cuisine.

The simplest way to decide what you’ll want to grow in your herb garden is to reference the type of food you tend to cook most often. The list will naturally be narrowed as you research what herbs grow best in your climate zone.

Note: American cooking is a melding pot of different cuisines. The meals we cook are mostly influenced by what we ate growing up, or they can by dictated by dietary concerns or restrictions. Because America is the melding pot it is, the spices we generally use in our cooking are already represented in the regions listed below.

I have listed the most often used herbs, so if your tastes run to the more exotic, you may want to do your own search for different possibilities for your herb garden.

Common Herbs Used in Ethnic Cuisines

South of the Border: Although Mexican dishes and Tex Mex have differences with regards to the ingredients used in their dishes, they tend to share these basic herbs;Chile Powder, Cilantro, , Oregano, Epazote, Cinnamon, Chipotle,  Garlic, Marjoram, Mint, Parsley, and Thyme . East Indian Cuisine gets its rich, spicy flavors from the following herbs: Chili Pepper, Curry Leaves, Black Mustard Seed, Cumin, Turmeric, Fenugreek, Asafetida, Ginger, Coriander, and Garlic.

Asian cooking with its subtle flavors use the following herbs: Chilies, Chinese Chives, Cinnamon, Cilantro, Curry Leaves, Fenugreek, Galangal, Ginger, Golden Needle (from the tiger plant), Kaffir Lime Leaves, Lemongrass, Star Anise, and Thai Basil.

Mediterranean cooking, most notably Italian, is a favorite here in America. Their aromatic dishes most often contain the following herbs: Basil, Bay Leaf, Italian Parsley, Marjoram, Oregano, Rosemary, Sage, and Thyme.

European cooking uses diverse herbs in the cooking, the most notable being: Basil, Parsley, Cilantro, Mint, Rosemary, Thyme, Sage, Chives, Dill, and Oregano. 

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Replace Your Pharmacy With a Backyard Garden
These days there is a wealth of information available regarding the benefits of antioxidants. Do the words “Eat Your Vegetables!” ring any bells? In all fairness, most of us owe our parents and grandparents an apology for pushing our carrots, broccoli, and tomatoes around on our plates in the hopes they’d somehow go away. The luckiest of us had an accommodating family dog, and from what the studies tell us about antioxidants found in many fruits and garden vegetables, it’s likely our pet benefited with less heart disease, cancers, reduced blood pressure, and the aging process was kinder to them as well! We can make amends by growing a healthy garden from heirloom, heritage seed for the “super foods” that make up the vegetables and berries listed below. Hopefully, we may still share with our pooch, but the majority will make it from the fork to our mouths. Happy eating!

Berries such as *Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and *blackberries are rich in antioxidants, fiber, mineral and vitamins.

*Blueberries can delay the effects of aging.

*Blackberries contain ellgic acid that combats cancer.

Cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts can prevent cancer and they help to protect us against heart disease. They also contain andole-3-carbinol that breaks down estrogen, reducing the risk of breast cancer, and ovarian and cervix cancer.

Broccoli is considered a “super food” and contains beta-carotene, which helps prevent cancer and heart disease.

Tomatoes are another “super food” that helps prevent macular degeneration and cataracts, and helps maintain mental function as we age. Tomatoes contain lycopene, a relatively rare member of the carotenoid family that are twice as powerful as beta—carotene.

Men benefit from tomatoes by lowering incidents of prostrate cancer and they reduce lung, colon, and breast cancers. They also contain the antioxidant glutathione that helps boost the immune system.

Red Grapes in the form of red wine improves heart function by breaking down platelets and keeping blood vessels open and healthy. The resveratrol they contain helps prevent cancer, inflammatory disease, stroke, ulcers, and osteoporosis.

Garlic contains large quantities of antioxidants that help ward off cancer, heart disease, and the effects of aging. It has also been attributed to improve blood clotting, and helps the effects of asthma, and yeast infection, and they contain anti-fungal properties.

Spinach contains lutin that improves eyesight and helps to avoid cataracts and macular degeneration. Studies reflect spinach may be helpful in fighting heart disease.

Tea has proven to help fight cancer, heart disease, cancer and stroke.

Carrots are rich in beta-carotene and help to prevent cancers, heart disease, and can slow the progression of arthritis.

Soy (think heirloom seed instead of GMO) helps prevent cancers, will lower cholesterol, and slows the advancement of osteoporosis and menopause.

Whole Grains are a great source of phytochemicals and they contain vitamin E that is shown to prevent cancers, boosts the immunity system, and slows the advancement of Alzheimer’s and arthritis.

Visit Survival Diva Blog http://www.survivaldiva.com/ for more information on rural living, gardening, home canning, food storage, and tips on combating skyrocketing food prices.
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Memoirs Of An Outhouse 

Growing up with a mother who was a writer, an outdoors enthusiast, and a hunter in Alaska, my sister, brother, and I were used to bitter cold winters and never taking life in the tundra for granted. Early on, we learned to live without power or a phone, and to fire up a lantern to read by. In winter, bathing was done in a sauna; the lake that fronted our cabin froze over each November, therefore it was the only alternative without running water. We’d wet ourselves down, lather up, and scoop warm water from an old tin bucket with the aid of an oversized ladle.

Food was stored in one of two places: an old retro-style propane refrigerator whose pilot light was forever going out or a log food cache secured high in a tree. It was a regular occurrence for my brother to have to climb to the food cache to root around for supplies. Even with his efforts, meals were utilitarian--my mother was a writer, not a cook and many times the applesauce didn’t get a chance to thaw by mealtime. None the less, it found itself beside pizza that was often overcooked, its cheese darkened and dry, closely resembling mini volcanoes.

It was a good life… except for the outhouse. To begin with, it was set far from the cabin. To get there, we had to walk down a narrow, overgrown trail and if we weren’t careful, we’d get nailed by Devil’s Club-a particularly vicious plant that grew to the height of eight feet with long, sliver-like thorns on its underside. Taken as a whole, however, the thorns of Devil’s Club was trifling when compared to the moose that lived on our property.

Moose are interesting to watch, but sometimes deadly. A well-known Alaskan, famous for her photography of polar bear and grizzlies summed it up nicely when I asked if she was frightened to camp alone in the wilderness to get up close and personal with bears. She didn’t hesitate with her response; “They won’t harm you unless you do something monumentally stupid, like get between a sow and her cub. No, moose are what I’m afraid of!”

She was right. Moose have a prehistoric brain and their reasoning power borders on schizophrenic. As my siblings and I minced our way to the outhouse, we kept our ears perked for tell-tale movement in the bush or the loud crack of deadfall that only a 1,500 pound moose can make.

If forced to choose, the worst thing about the outhouse, besides the worry of getting trampled into the dirt on the way, was having to sit on the outhouse toilet seat in sub-zero weather. Now that, my friend, was cruel!

The problem was solved the day our mother brought home a piece of Styrofoam. Most would have a hard time seeing the exotic side of a rummaged piece of white Styrofoam, but Installed in an outhouse in the dead of an Alaskan winter, it becomes as exotic as a Caribbean vacation! Gone were the preparatory gasps before contact and peeling skin as it separated from its frozen purchase.

For what it’s worth, my advice for northerners who have an outhouse or are contemplating one, go ahead and flaunt hygiene just this once for a nice piece of Styrofoam. You’ll be glad you did!
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Wood Cook Stoves; Then and Now
I’ll admit to being partial to wood cook stoves. It’s not the fact they serve double duty by heating your home and cooking meals; it is their sustainability. 

Unless you live in a desert, where firewood is scarce, a wood cook stove is dependable to cook meals no matter what “the grid” is doing. My cabin is located in the mountains of northern Idaho and, for reasons unknown, our area experiences regular power outages. By “regular” I mean at least twice a month, when the power grid stays down for a day or two, sometimes longer. While I am busy baking bread and preparing meals on top of my antique, 30’s-era cook stove, all but few of the 700 townspeople fire up barbeques or dig through sheds for camp stoves, praying they have enough propane canisters to get them through.

It isn’t only the convenience and sustainability that I love about a wood cook stove; there’s something about the smell of baking bread wafting from the oven that takes me back to family lore. My great-great-grandmother went west with a wagon train. It’s said she was a big woman, able to help lift a wagon when the wheels needed replacing. It isn’t hard to picture her sharing my tiny kitchen, an apron barely reaching around her girth as she critiques my cooking. I have been told she was a bit of a tyrant; in my daydreams I listen respectfully to her advice about how to get the bread to rise higher and fluffier, and her tips on how to make flakier biscuits—mine are still a work in progress.

Wood cook stoves have seen improvements over the years, of which, I’m uncertain my great-great grandmother would approve; however, who can argue with a reservoir that produces warm water for cleanup and bathing? I believe the resurgence of the back to basics movement will continue, spurring manufacturers to become more inventive.

Should you choose a brand new wood-burning cook stove with all the bells and whistles, or go hunting for an antique, rest assured, it will bake decades of bread and biscuits, and simmer countless meals despite the unreliable grid.
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What The Buck?! Contributed by Patricial Wolford

I spent eight years in Girl Scouts so I know the meaning of the motto “be prepared”.  I have taken precautions to prepare myself and my family for an emergency, a natural disaster, an invasion of aliens or a civil war.  I have extra food, water, weapons and medical supplies.  I own a gun and I know how to use it.  I walk a few miles daily to keep in running-for-cover condition.  The one thing I have always wanted to own but never did, until recently, was a great knife.  While attending a gun show several months ago I bought myself a nice, shiny, sharp, new Buck knife.  It was even signed by Chuck Buck himself!  After buying the knife I carried it around in my purse for a few months.  I actually forgot I was carrying a weapon until the day I had to go through one of those security thingys at the local traffic court. Oops!

I live in the Rocky Mountains and hike into the back country often.  Normally I pack a gun just in case I run into a bear or mountain lion who isn’t very friendly, not to mention weirdos.  Last week I was heading out for a hike all by my lonesome, the number one deal breaker for a safe hike!  As I was preparing to embark I realized that I had forgotten my revolver.  That should have been an omen that this hike wasn’t headed in the right direction! However, I remembered that I had the buck knife in my purse. Rummaging through my beach bag sized purse I finally found the knife in its leather sheath.  I was wearing a pair of light blue denim capris and a navy blue tank top with lace trim, new New Balance sneakers and fire-orange mirrored prescription shades.  My pockets were already filled with the survival equipment I needed to carry: water, granola bar, compass, watch, lip balm and car key.  I decided to go all Jane Wayne and wear the knife on my waist just like the guys do.

There was a snap closure around the outside of the sheath & a loop on the back side. I unsnapped the snap and tried to attach the sheath to the right side of my pants via a belt loop.  It flipped and flopped under the weight of the knife.  I tried to attach it to the left side, same result.  Again back to the right side and then back to the left.  (Sometimes it takes me awhile to catch on!)  No matter which side I tried to attach it to, the knife would hang at an odd, uncomfortable angle.  I then thought it would work if I attached the knife to my rear belt loop.  Not being able to see my backside,  I fumbled around for a bit and then heard the thud of the knife as it fell to the ground.  I bent down to retrieve the knife and noticed that the inside of the sheath had a dark stain on it. I pulled the knife all the way out of the sheath and saw red stuff on the shiny blade. Oops!  I think I did it again.

I finally realized that the stain on the sheath was blood and that the blood on the knife was mine.  I had sliced open my finger in the struggle to attach the knife sheath to my belt loop.  I didn’t feel a thing due to the incredible sharpness of the blade.  I quietly admired that fact for a moment before my brain kicked in.  I needed to stop the blood from gushing out of my left forefinger. Looking at the cut, I knew that it would need stitched.  My first reaction was anger with myself because now I would have to postpone my hike.  My next reaction was typically female.  I noticed that I had dripped some blood onto my brand new tank top, fortunately it was dark blue!  I grabbed my water bottle and treated the stain while holding my bleeding finger away from my clothing.  I thought about treating the stains all over my denim capris as well, but it occurred to me that stopping the flow of blood was probably more important.

 I opened the car door and forgot all about the first aid kit that I had onboard for just such an occasion.  Instead, I rummaged through my humongous purse. The only thing I found were some of  those stupid little round band-aids they use for shots at the doctor’s office.  I tried using them anyway with no luck. I was now dripping blood on the upholstery, my purse, my new shoes and the dusty ground.  I found some used McDonald’s napkins lying on the floor and wrapped my finger in them.  They were quickly saturated. I eyed my pale yellow Eddie Bauer sweatshirt lying on the seat but could not force myself to stain my favorite hoodie.  After a brief moment of panic, I found a package of panty liners in the glove box.  I tightly wrapped two of them around my finger and then used the rest of my water to clean off the upholstery and my pants before heading in the direction of the hospital 15 miles away.

 While I was en route I stopped to check my finger and realized that the blood flow had largely subsided. I applied fresh panty liners after rinsing with water. I figured that the hospital would only irrigate the cut with peroxide and then use “super glue” to fix me up at the price of $500.  I opted to cowgirl-up and decided to do the doctoring myself at home for free.  Another thing that dawned on me afterwards was the answer to why the knife wouldn’t hang right on my pants.  You aren’t supposed to use the snap on the sheath to attach the knife to your belt loop!  You are supposed to attach the sheath to a belt via the loop on the back of the sheath. Duh. Well, lesson learned the hard way.  Next time I decide to carry a knife while hiking I’ll wear a belt, probably a pink one! 
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Is There Light At The End Of The Tunnel For Organic Growers? 

There might be a light at the end of the tunnel for Organic Growers! For years, Monsanto has bullied organic growers. When organic growers crops were ruined by GM seed that was carried to their farms from surrounding farmers who grew with GM , They were sued! Think about the implications. They grow organic not to get rich (very few make more than the bare necessity that allows them to keep growing), but rather because they care about the food chain and what the public isn't being told about the health ramifications over eating genetically altered food. If you doubt this, do an Internet search on the countries that have refused to grow with GM.

Many organic growers have been taken to court by Monsanto, claiming the organic grower was growing GM seed without permission when the opposite was true. However, Monsanto is a multi national corporation with deep pockets. Their "tactic" is to tie these small farmers in a drawn-out court battle that they can ill afford. In most cases, the organic grower is forced to give up. What they are left with is an infected organic field that has been invaded by GM seed that is difficult to remove. Their organic certification is then threatened because the invasive GM seed shows up when testing their organic crop.

Monsanto whistleblowers have already warned the public that Monsanto intends to own our food chain. For this reason, we should watch the recently passed Bill S. 510, The Food Safety Bill. Many are warning this bill will control the food chain, starting with the farmer, and ending in our gardens. If ever the sale of Heirloom seed is regulated, it is time to pay close attention. The next step may be allotting GM seed for our gardens and if that doesn't worry you, then you haven't looked into testing results of GM.

The following article is important. More important than we may even realize. 270,000 organic farmers joining together to fight the bully on the block just might save our right to eat healthy food. We should all hope so. First it is the Organic Growers. Next, it will be our backyard gardens...
 
Organic v. Monsanto: 270,000 Organic Farmers Sue Monsanto 27 July 2011 22:10:04http://nhne-pulse.org/270000-organic-farmers-sue-monsanto/
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The Truth About Pesticides and What You Can Do About It
Information on the health risks of consuming pesticides and chemicals from fruits and vegetables has grown as the public demands answers, alarmed over possible health risks.

Even so, many are under the misconception that thoroughly washing fruits and vegetables solves the problem of pesticides and the resultant health risks. Yet, studies have shown that produce can absorb pesticides and chemicals through the skin, contaminating our food.

Recent revelations from the EPA state, in part: ‘There are over 20,000 pesticide products containing 620 active ingredients on the market. Each year, 1 billion pounds of active ingredients in conventional pesticides are applied in the United States. There are over 80,000 existing chemicals on the TSCA inventory and each year an additional 2,000
chemicals are added. Release of these chemicals into the environment through agricultural and nonagricultural application and other means poses serious risks to both human health and ecosystems (e.g., plant and wildlife). Humans are exposed to thousands of these agents either singly or in various combinations every day through air, drinking water, food and dust particles.’

There has been an ongoing problem with analysis of the health risks of pesticides and chemicals, as using humans for blind-studies are unethical at best. This leaves studies of farmers and farm workers who are exposed to pesticides and chemicals, sometimes in high concentration, as well as those in the public who fall ill from the effects of   pesticides.

The consensus?
Studies of individuals suffering from Hodgkin lymphoma and leukemia reflected a positive association with pesticide exposure. In fact the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants has gone on record by stating that 10 of the 12 most dangerous chemicals are pesticides.


Other studies have shown that pesticide exposure can cause brain, kidney, breast, prostrate, pancreas, liver, lung, and skin cancers, through both residential and occupational exposure. Additionally, exposure to chemicals and pesticides has been linked to childhood cancers and birth defects.

So, what can be done to reduce these risks?
Buying organic is one solution, but many caught in the current financial downswing may find the costs prohibitive. Even for those able to afford the higher cost of organic food, S.510, the  “Food Safety Bill” may take that choice away by regulating organic growers out of business with egregious regulations and red tape.

The good news is there is a solution, and it lies in your back yard, porch, or patio. Heirloom or Hybrid seed produce healthy fruits and vegetables for a fraction of the costs of buying organic. There are other benefits tied to gardening with these seed, and for many of us, it begins with knowing what goes into our bodies. Growing your own garden food  will provide nutritious meals in spite of what the economy does and it solves the problem of skyrocketing food prices and food shortages.

 
Gardening allows you to replace harmful pesticides with natural methods. Here are just a few natural remedies: horseradish keeps potato bugs away; mint controls cabbage butterflies, ants, and mice; garlic and red pepper spray will rid the garden of moth caterpillar; pepper spray repels rabbits; corn and grapes can be protected from cabbage worms and red spider mites by planting geraniums nearby; and slugs and snails are controlled with wormwood spray.

Perhaps it is time to join the ever-growing movement towards gardening for delicious, healthy produce on your terms at a cost that will not leave your pocket book empty.

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Water Collection Illegal In Several States 
Water collection was once a matter of personal choice. Not anymore. Three states; Utah, Washington, and Colorado have determined water collection on private property is verboten to varying degrees; a no fly zone of which, should you be caught collecting what runs off your roof, will gain you a fine. When public outcry resulted over this draconian regulation, the official knee-jerk response from elected officials was “The water belongs to someone else.” Just whom that someone else is has not been announced, and many following this recent threat are waiting with baited breath to find out who owns our rainwater and why.

Let’s hope a recent study preformed in Douglass County, Colorado catches the public’s attention, as it offers a little muscle to fight back against regulations the seek control of our food chain, holistic medicines, health care and now, rainwater. The study revealed that those who collected rainwater for personal use used less water from the region’s water facility, nor did it have a negative impact upon the aquifer and groundwater supplies. The study’s finding lead to the granting of personal rainwater collection, on a small scale, for Douglas County residents. I don’t know about you, but the water “study” makes about as much sense as the CDC’s study on  “Zombie Apocalypse” attacks.

Water is Life
The average person can survive without water for 2 days in temperatures of 120 degrees and 10 days in temperatures of 50 degrees. When you are active and exposed to hot weather, the body requires close to one gallon of water a day. If you are interested in basic preparedness, water should go to the very top of your priority list, preferably stored in food grade water containment barrels. 

Commerce and Pocketbooks Negatively Impacted Industrious homeowners likewise benefit from rainwater collection as a means to reduce their monthly water bill and enable them to practice water conservation. For many homesteaders, off-girders and small farmers, this regulation amounts to attacks on their freedom and their livelihoods. Water collection has even caught the interest of mainstream business owners interested in keeping their overhead down. Imagine Mark Millers surprise when he invested in a water collection system only to be told he had broken the law. Apparently Salt Lake City, Utah officials found him guilty of diverting rainwater by routing it into holding tanks. His intention, he sated, was to practice conservation for car washes done routinely at his Toyota dealership in one of the nations driest states. The final outcome was equitable, however, for even though the city had deemed these water rights belonged to the governing body, they made allowances for Mr. Miller to “borrow” their water. 

 A High Price May Be Paid For Complacency
Many of us depend solely upon our local water district. However, water districts are dependant upon the electrical grid—with the exception of diesel generators and battery back up for grid-down emergencies. Even then, emergency back up can only be depended upon for a short while. We take bathing, doing laundry, washing dishes, and flushing a  toilet for granted. Yet, as indelicate as the subject matter is, at a time of grid-down, water delivery and sewer drainage may cease. For those of you with a septic system, there is good news; drainage for septic systems are not tied in to a sewer system. But first, you’ll need water to test this theory. The electrical grid has already proven to be vulnerable to cyber attack with a documented  case of foreigners hacking into a programmable logic controller after onset of smart-grid planning went into effect which is heavily reliant on computer interface. Other concerns are the possibility of a coronal mass ejection from our recently temperamental sun and electromagnetic weaponry—both possibilities are capable of taking down the electrical grid with little to no warning.

Conservation and The Pocket Book Aren’t the Only Considerations Many have turned to rainwater collection due to their concern over the safety of drinking water. Official testing has revealed the high levels of fluoride used for water treatment has a negative effect on health, including hyperactivity in children, brain damage, Alzheimer’s, bone cancer, impaired immune system, birth defects and a laundry list of other health related issues. The risk of consuming fluoride is doubly circumspect considering that fluoride is not proven to have significant cavity-protecting abilities. Additionally, water testing preformed in various locations across the country has uncovered trace amounts of antidepressants, heart medication, caffeine and birth control.

If you are interested in rainwater storage, look online for do-it-yourself instructions to make an affordable rainwater collection system. Should you want to begin purifying drinking water, look to either the Berkey or Katadyn. They’re not cheap, but neither are trips to the doctor. 

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Collecting Rain Water
Conserving water is not a new idea. Conservation requirements have even impacted the design and mechanics of toilets for less water requirements, shower heads are now designed to waste less water, and those living in southern climates interests have become increasingly centered on the use of drought resistant shrubs and plants that require less water.

Vegetable gardens, however, are not sympathetic to our water issues. All they want is a comforting drink and that the surrounding soil to be moist enough for their root system to draw nutrients and microorganisms from the soil.

There’s a quick solution for the water requirements of our vegetable gardens and fruits for all but those who live in the driest climates. It’s amazing but true: one inch of rainwater on a 20 foot by 20 foot roof can generate 1,200 gallons of water for your garden! The water can be collected through gutters and downspouts into 55-gallon barrels inexpensively, just make sure the barrels are food grade.

Here’s how it’s done:

Install a faucet near the base of a 55-gallon food grade plastic barrel, leaving enough room to easily access the faucet for times you will be accessing your water. Once you’ve determined the placement of where to install the faucet, drill a one-inch hole. Now spread silicone around the threads of the faucet. Insert the faucet into the hole and secure it with a ¾ inch female adapter made of PVC.

At the top (not the lid) of the barrel, there needs to be an overflow hole. This is made by cutting a 2-inch hole with a hole saw. Now, cover it with window screen that’s been cut a bit larger than the 2-inch hole size and secure it by using silicone sealant. The screen is meant to keep insects from entering your water barrel and contaminating the water.

Using a jigsaw, cut a larger, 6-inch hole on the top of the barrel and cover it with window screen to keep debris and insects out.

Place the barrel directly under the downspout to collect rainwater.

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Birds Do It, Bees Do It, Even Educated Fleas Do It
For trivia buffs out there, “Let’s fall In Love” was first recorded in Paris in 1928, and the words held true until the honeybees began to disappear in late 2006. Befuddled honeybee keepers remain alarmed over the sheer magnitude of the problem that is a staggering 30% to 90% loss, with the hardest hit beekeepers reporting a nearly total loss of their colonies. As the scientific community became involved, the bee loss was given the term of Honeybee Colony Collapse Syndrome. 

 The US is not the only country to suffer honeybee losses. Canada, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal, Italy, and Greece also reported heavy losses, and soon Switzerland, Germany, South and Central America and Asia reported losses with their honeybee colonies as well. 

 Honeybees pollinate approximately one third of our fruit and vegetable crops, including almonds, apples, blackberries, cantaloupe, cherries, cranberries, cucumbers, peaches, pears, raspberries, soybeans, strawberries, and watermelon. The total value of US crops dependant upon honeybee pollination that routinely services commercial growers is over 15 billion. Not only is Honeybee Hive Collapse Syndrome financially crippling for growers both here and abroad, but beekeepers as well. But for everyone across the globe, what is potentially at stake is the food chain.  

 Over the years there have been wildly differing views over what may be causing Honeybee Hive Collapse Syndrome: neonicotinoid (nicotine based) pesticides, Varroa mites, other insect diseases, environmental stress, malnutrition, migratory beekeeping, GMO’S and cell phone towers.

The good news is studies may have recently revealed the mystery. The Invertebryte iridescent virus and two fungus’; Nosema apis and N. ceranae seem to be the culprit. This toxic cocktail was found in both healthy and afflicted hives impacted by Honeybee Hive Collapse Syndrome. Treatment for effected hives appears to be working, but it may take some time before beekeepers and growers feel the situation has stabilized to the point of moving past this crisis.

If you have been following this developing story and have concerns over your garden’s production, look for articles on the Internet about instructions on Hand Pollination in the Home Garden.

Another solution is to make a habitat-friendly environment for pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and bats.

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Food Shortages, Skyrocketing Prices and What We Can Do About It
We are all aware of escalating food prices, but what’s driving the shortages and the price hikes? The answer is multifaceted: global political unrest, inflation, weather anomalies, the nuclear incident in Japan and the rising price of oil that increases the cost of planting, harvesting and transportation have all played their part.

 The US & Abroad Facing Food Shortages 

Over the past several months, US cropland has been decimated by a one-two-three punch. Flooding and tornadoes have destroyed portions of Arkansas, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Oklahoma croplands, leading to crop failure for many US staples: rice, corn, wheat, soybeans and other crops. Livestock has also been negatively impacted in many of these regions. 

In the US wheat belt, Texas and Oklahoma have suffered drought conditions, which lead to the failure of portions of the regions wheat crops.

Many outside US borders aren’t faring any better. France is experiencing drought and Russia is likewise battling drought along with an infestation of locust. Canadian farmers have reported late planting due to unseasonably wet conditions.

The price of coffee, sugar and cocoa hasn’t totally caught up with us yet, but recent political unrest in Africa has already impacted supplies of sugar, coffee and cocoa, driving up their price to unprecedented levels. Superfund Financial officials have stated it is possible prices for these commodities could increase five to ten-fold by 2014. Wal-Mart’s CEO, Bill Simon, has weighed in by warning the public there will be an across-the-board price hike for foods.

Already, the price of corn has nearly doubled over the past few years; partially due to one-third of the nation’s corn crop having been allocation for fuel production. Add in another 44% increase in soy bean prices, 47% increase in wheat prices, and projections for sugar, butter, oats, and orange commodity price hikes and you get the perfect storm for runaway food prices.

More To Come  Since the Fukushima meltdown, the F.D.A. says our food chain is still safe. In fact, safe enough that they do not seem to have committed to strict guidelines on testing fish caught in the Pacific Ocean (the one that Japan continues to spill nuclear waste into). Responsible restaurants and sushi bars have turned to performing their own tests to extend peace of mind to their customers. Although the US media hasn’t reported extensively on the impact to the food chain over the Fukushima nuclear plant meltdown, the poisoning of Japan’s food crops, Kobe Beef and fish are a realistic concern. While radiation continues to leak into the Pacific Ocean and radiation plume particles are deposited globally from Fukushima through snowfall and rainwater, testing has shown Japan’s crops and fish to be contaminated. Fish contamination is especially problematic with regards to world food prices, as Japan exports 15% of the global catch, although fishing in the region has been significantly slowed due to heavy damages of fishing boats and production in the area. High concentrations of radioactive contamination have been reported in albacore, anchovy, and Japanese sand lance caught in their waters. To date, Officials have underplayed the long term effects of consuming fish caught from the Pacific Ocean, yet recent studies reflect bottom fish and fish that travel close to surface of the Pacific near Fukushima are found to have high levels of radiation and new concerns are being reported on contaminated fish found in Iwa, Japan located 500 kilometers from Fukushima. Studies also warn of health risks with consumption of fish that have been affected by radiation poisoning near Fukushima that then travel beyond the affected area and are caught elsewhere in the Pacific—with tuna being at the top of list. Many countries have already placed a ban on fish imports from the belabored country.

Fortunately, the US imports less than 4% of its food supply—opposed to 15% of seafood’s-- from Japan. However, the FDA has placed a ban on Japanese imports of milk products, vegetables, fruits and beef. Due to supply and demand, the recent ban on the relatively low percentage of Japan’s imports to the US market can have an effect on our food prices.

Problems with exports from Japan are egregious enough, but with regards to safe consumption of fish and shellfish, the Gulf oil spill must be taken in to consideration. B.P sprayed a reported 870,000 gallons of the dispersant Corexit over the gulf in an attempt to control the 2010 oil spill. Since then, cleanup workers and people living in the affected areas have reported illnesses, with some having to be hospitalized, who point to the Gulf oil spill as the cause.

Reports from the media and officials disagree there are health concerns while residents cry foul over B.P and the government’s urging that nothing is amiss. Those already effected, and others worried over the long-term effects of the dumping of Corexit dispersants aren’t buying the “there’s nothing to see…” stance on B.P’s part that is being reported by certain sectors of the mainstream media. In an attempt to uncover the truth, it’s worthwhile to understand Corexit readily claims, “No toxicity studies have been conducted on this product.” Many critiquing the impact on human and sea life claim the heavy dispersant spray did nothing but settle the oil below the surface of the Gulf waters; out of sight, out of mind. There seems to be judication of oil spill workers and resident’s health risk concerns as cleanup workers report being warned not to wear face masks during the clean up (ostensibly to calm resident’s fears and quash media attention). Further, many fisherman and cleanup workers have been told not to discuss concerns they have over health risks of Corexit, most specifically Benzene, one of the chemicals used to eradicate the oil spill which has been found to cause cancer.

Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration has gone on record with their belief that it is not necessary to monitor fish and shellfish caught in the Gulf, as they do not consider the chemicals used in the dispersant Corexit to pose any health risks to humans.

It appears the consumer will need to practice due diligence with regards to consumption of sea food from both the Gulf and Pacific Ocean. If it is ever determined by officials the impact to sea life with the Gulf oil spill to be higher than limits set by the FDA, expect sea food prices to skyrocket.

Radiation Reaches Our Borders

Already, many states in the US have reported increased radiation contaminants in drinking water, with the highest concentration being reported in Chattanooga, Tennessee, although the EPA has assured the population that levels are far below the maximum containment level.

Milk in Vermont was found to have the highest contamination of Cesilum-137, although Washington, Oregon, Phoenix and Los Angeles had varying degrees of contamination in milk, with some pushing the allowed limits of maximum containment set by the EPA.

Very concerning is recent high radioactive isotopes found in Boise, Idaho—one of the nation’s farm belts that ranks 3rd in nationally grown vegetables. The majority crop grown in Boise and surrounding areas is potatoes. Boise also produces Hay, Alfalfa, Kentucky Blue grass, barley, sugar beets, Lentils, sweet corn, carrot, onion, garden beans, turnip, lettuce, and grapes. It isn’t only crops that Boise contributes to the US food chain. They also raise a portion of the US market of beef. Although we must insist on the safety of the food we eat, and should expect the EPA to do their job of watch-dogging the food chain, should concentrations of radiation contamination be classified above acceptable EPA limits, crops and beef may cease to be distributed from this region, and the price of these crops will see a sharp price increase; again led mostly by supply and demand.

Should the Chain be Broken

Many of us never consider how our food arrived to the grocer’s shelf, but rather that what we need is available. The truth is, grocers no longer carry back stock, and why just before a storm or a situation arises like the recent tsunami alert in Hawaii, the shelves are picked bare. Today’s modern grocer carries only a 72-hour food supply. But should an emergency arrive that has lasting effects, and deliveries are disrupted, shelves could remain bare. As Americans, we have relied too heavily on constant trips to the grocers.

Blame it on the Bankers

Grocers have long depended upon lines of credit, as they operate on profit and loss, with some  stores locations pulling in more than others. But should bankers start tightening their belts on these lines of credit, as they have with consumer loans, the results could be disastrous to food supplies. Based upon the US dollar’s decline, we should all be preparing for such an eventuality.

Genetically Altered Food

Of course, none of the issues already discussed address the possible ramifications of GMO (genetically modified organisms) food, or GM (genetically modified) food. Studies preformed on lab rats and other mammals do not generally reach the public, but studies that have been released are alarming; infertility, allergic reactions, low birth rate, immune deficiencies, gastro-intestinal illness and more.

Many consumers have turned to organically grown fruits and vegetables, but it is possible these growers will be negatively impacted by Bill S.510, the Food Safety Bill which was recently passed. Tighter controls, documentation, and the high cost of mandated insurance coverage for organic growers may drive up the already higher costs of healthy fruits and vegetables, and some warn that regulations may disallow organic growers to sell their produce beyond a narrow geographical parameter—another words an organic grower in Oregon may not be allowed to sell to Washington grocers. Until new regulations begin to take effect, it is anyone’s guess what the backlash may be.

It is probable organic ranchers will experience an increase in their organic feed, which will drive up the cost of organic beef.

So, what are the solutions?

None of what’s been discussed is good news to the consumer, especially with high unemployment, higher taxation, and lower income for those who have been forced to accept lower wages or part-time work during the continued economic downswing.

The good news is there are many ways we can cushion ourselves from rapidly increasing food prices and still eat healthy. The bad news is it takes work.

Grow It

Growing a garden from heirloom seed is one of the few assurances we have against skyrocketing food prices. Why heirloom? Heirloom seed produces fruits and vegetables that are higher in vitamins and nutrients. Their seed can be saved from one season to the other. Another benefit with heirloom seed is knowing what you’re putting into your body, unlike the unknown health effects that may show up later when eating GMO and GM fruits, vegetables and grains. By growing your own food you control the use of pesticides, herbicides, and some fertilizers that have been found to contain carcinogens.

If you haven’t already, study up on composting and small worm farms that will turn soil into a rich environment for the best garden yields possible.

If you already garden, think about a greenhouse and cold frames to extend the growing season; especially for those of you who live in colder climates.

Fish It

If you’ve grown alarmed over eating seafood caught from the Gulf Coast and Japan, you may want to consider a fishpond. You’d be in good company; although not reported, many folks have turned to cultivating their own fish supply in response to questionable food safety measures with regards to the fishing industry. Internet websites, bloggers and You Tube offers free do-it-yourself instructions on building and maintaining fishponds. For those who live in cold climates, where the cost of heating a pond may be prohibitive, look for advice on large indoor fish tanks that can be maintained in a basement.

Fence It

Two excellent sources of protein are chickens and goats. They offer high yield for minimal expenditure of time and money. Chickens will provide eggs and meat, and should you have the land, free-range chickens can forage for a portion of their food. It may a surprise to some living in urban areas, but since a resurgence of public interest in raising chickens, many municipalities allow them within city limits. There might be restrictions on roosters; neighbors don’t typically enjoy the 5:00 AM crow of a rooster. The good news is hens are resourceful and will lay eggs without benefit of a rooster.

Goats will yield milk, butter, yogurt and meat. For those living in rural areas, your biggest concern will be sturdy fencing, for goats are escape artists, so be sure to study up on fencing requirements before you bring home a goat. And should you decide to take the leap of goat ownership, you will need more than one because goats are very social animals.

Store It

So far we’ve covered gardening, fish farms and keeping chickens and goats for food security. There is one more step you might consider; food storage. While the price of food continues to escalate, foods that are purchased at current prices will be protected from inflation and shortages.

Food storage can come in many forms; bulk foods, canned goods, dehydrated and freeze-dried foods, and MRE’S. However, it should be mentioned recent demand for dehydrated, freeze dried and MRE’S has lead to a sharp increase of price. Many suppliers of these long-term storage foods are back ordered because of demand relating to their long shelf life  (usually between 5 – 15 years), so practice due-diligence with regards to back-order time lines. But before you place an order, be aware that some suppliers “pad” their shipping prices, while others charge a flat $5.00 shipping fee, no matter how much shipping weight your order entails.

Typically, the purchase of bulk foods can save upwards of 35% or more of the cost of food. Check with larger chain stores who sell in bulk and ask their price for beans, rice, baking mixes, pasta’s and spices so you can do a cost comparison. You should also check with a grower in your area. A grower’s prices are often much lower, as you are then cutting out the middle man—the grocers and their necessary profit margin. By purchasing bulk quantities from a grower, you can drastically reduce the price of beans, wheat, and fruits and vegetables. For those of you willing to home can fruits and vegetables, your pantry shelves can be filled for future use. Another benefit of buying from a grower is the ability to investigate whether pesticides, herbicides and certain fertilizers have been used.

The cost of canned goods can be greatly reduced through coupon clipping and checking weekly online circulars, newspaper inserts and purchasing canned goods during flat sales, usually held once or twice a year, which typically reduces their costs by 50% or more.

Control It

We have control over empty pantry shelves, even if it’s done one trip to the grocers at a time. With food storage comes freedom from worry, so we can get on with the business of living. But you’d better get busy now. There seems to be every indication we are in for a bumpy ride.

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Keeping the Government Out Of the Garden
The new Food Safety Act Bill was recently passed; should we worry? That depends upon whom you listen to. It's a given that Organic Growers will be negatively impacted through more regulation and higher insurance costs that will be mandated. Read on and find out more about this slippery slope...

Many kept a wary eye on Bill S.510 and were nearly relieved when it looked like the Food Safety Act Bill was quashed by the something extra attached to it—new taxes. That maneuver was against the rules. But nothing ventured, nothing gained…

Some remained diligent even though it appeared the Food Safety Act Bill had died a natural death. They were right to practice due diligence! The bill was tucked away in a nearly impossible to fail Veteran’s benefits bill. Of course it did! What heartless person on the hill would consider voting down a bill that would negatively impact our men while fighting a war? No one. It didn’t hurt when the sponsors of the bill voted on it in the dead of night. That’s been a trick used for quite some time now and rarely fails…

If you haven’t heard of  S.510, the Food Safety Act Bill, let me explain. Many were warning of the dire potential with this bill, namely control of small organic growers. The concern was small organic growers would be forced to carry exorbitant insurance which would put them out of business. Another concern was handing the government the newfound ability to regulate the purchase of organic growers fruits and vegetables by regulating whom they could sell to. 

Let’s investigate that.

You’re visiting your son in Napa valley. You pass a fruit stand that has the most succulent, red cherries on display, so you turn in to their lot, grab your pocket book, climb out of your rental car and approach the vendor.

“I’ll take two pounds of your organic cherries, please.”

“Of coarse,” replies the balding man. “May I see you ID, please?”

You look to your hand to be sure you’re still clasping the $10 bill you’d grabbed form your wallet. Yep, the $10 was there, clearly viable.

“I’m paying with cash,” you say kindly. Maybe the poor guy’d gotten too much sun out in the back 40 earlier that morning…

“You don’t understand. The Food Safety Act requires that I only sell to folks within a 100 mile radius. With purchases, I need to write down ID and turn it in with my monthly report,” He explains with a frown.

“But I live in Rhode Island…”

“Wished I could sell ‘em to you, but I have to follow the rules,” says the man, his frown now creasing his weathered face.

Your small transaction for a simple bag of cherries that failed is now in the hands of another new government entity.

But what if it got worse?

Many who watchdog the inroads made into our private business, like putting food on the table, are concerned the Food Safety Act Bill Act has the potential to control heirloom and heritage seed sales and what we plant in our gardens. Apparently, the brave folks in Sedgwick Main are believers!

They recently passed an ordinance that enforced their God given right to produce, process, sell, purchase and consume local foods to their choosing, including state and federally foods like raw milk.

Other towns are looking into doing something similar to protect the right to eat what they wish. Should this take off, it will send a clear message to this new department--soon to be formed--to back off and give us a little breathing room to grow our own food and avoid the damaging effects of genetically modified foods.

 __________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Dirt On Composting & Making a Worm Farm
As mentioned yesterday, gardening is the best way to fight back against skyrocketing food prices. We’ll be discussing soil tests tomorrow. For today, why not have a bit of fun with compost and worm farms?

 Compost will make rich loam to grow healthy, lush fruits, vegetables and herbs. Who would’ve guessed? Actually, composting can be fun! Instead of boring trips to the garbage bin, you can route household fruits and vegetable scrapes to the compost. Coffee grounds, leaves and yard clippings can get thrown in as well. You’ll want to mix a compost every once in a while, but other than that, it can be left alone to meld and become that fragrant, rich loam that plants love. It isn’t a great idea to add meat or dairy products in with compost because they have a shelf life of Methuselah… it takes forever for these products to break down, plus they may introduce unfriendly bacteria. However, a compost is not picky and they are quite happy with animal wastes, so if you’re raising chickens, goats, or any other homestead animals add their “clean-out” materials, including hay, with compost.

Compost can be au-natural, left to sit in a pile, but be sure to cover it with plastic or a tarp so it doesn’t get soggy with rainfall and turn into a stinking, heaping mess. If you’re fastidious (someone who mows their lawn in a diamond pattern, perhaps?), then you might want to keep compost in a closed bin with a lid. If you happen to have one made of wood slates that have gaps, protect the sides with a little straw. Once the materials have sat for a sufficient amount of time for everything to “meld”, it’s time to add it in with the garden soil… and no, I don’t have specific time lines, for it all depends upon the materials you use.

A worm farm can be great entertainment, especially for us country folk who are easily entertained.

Earthworms benefit the garden by tunneling into the earth, opening up the soil, and exposing it to the air. This tunneling enriches the soil with nutrients for the lush garden plants we desire, and it helps with irrigation as we water our plants. Their travel through the soil leaves room for the delicate root system of plants to branch out, offering them better absorption for nutrients and moisture. Not only that, but the worm’s waste product contributes prosperous, potassium, and nitrogen to the soil that greatly benefits the health of fruits, vegetables and other garden plants.

It may be hard to view the common earthworm as the pit-bull of the garden, but in many ways they are! Earthworm’s waste product acts as a natural repellant for garden pests and it helps to protect garden soil from disease. To make a worm farm, all you need is a container, shredded newspaper, soil and worms. Here’s how you make one: Scrounge or purchase a bin around 2 feet X 3 feet that’s at least 12 inches tall. Make a “nest” of shredded paper to approximately 8 to 10 inches high. Mix in 1 to 1 ½ pounds of rich garden soil. The final step to make their house a “home” is to add water to moisten, not soak, the contents, and mix the shredded paper and the soil together. Before introducing your worms to their new home, let the moistened soil and shredded paper sit for 48 hours to meld. Worms thrive in temperatures of between 60 to 90 degrees. Any hotter or colder may have you tossing out their poor little corpses, so heed the temperature of where you place them! If you are someone who enjoys digging, you can collect your own earthworms, or you can go online and order them.

Tomorrow, we’ll discuss testing garden soil. Even if you’re the consummate procrastinator and plan to start a garden about the time you must take a loan out to pay the grocer’s, you’ll want to get the garden area ready this summer. And don’t get cranky about having one more thing on your plate. Gardening experts recommend that soil preparation be done 6 months before planting. Now, how are you goanna do that when it’s 32 degrees and blowing snow?

The US is facing a Food Shortage Over the past several months, US cropland has been decimated by a one-two-three punch. Flooding and tornadoes have destroyed portions of Arkansas, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Oklahoma croplands, leading to crop failure for many US staples: rice, corn, wheat, soybeans and other crops. Livestock was also negatively impacted in many of these regions. 
In the wheat belt, Texas and Oklahoma have suffered drought conditions which lead to the failure of portions of the regions wheat crops.

Many outside US borders aren’t faring any better. France is experiencing drought and Russia is likewise battling drought along with an infestation of locust. Canadian farmers have reported late planting due to unseasonably wet conditions.                     
Get Ready!

It’s time to look for solutions, for if the current price of coffee and other goods has left you reeling, it’s about to get much worse! Those of you with the cash-flow to fill pickup beds with staples may still be outside the safe zone…if you have the room to store it  all to begin with. It’s likely there will be limits set on purchases in the near future. If you’re thinking my cheese just slid off my cracker, you may have forgotten that Costco and Sam’s Club set a 4-bag limit on rice back in 2008: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/04/23/sams-club-costco-limit-ri_n_98340.html

Long term food security is best achieved through gardening; preferably with heirloom seed, as the seeds from their produce can be saved for the next growing season. It is important to test your soil, so you can achieve the best conditions for the garden.


To store the overflow from the garden consider a root cellar, home canning, food dehydration, or a combination of all three. If you live in a southern climate zone, ground temperatures may not support a root cellar, so check before you build!

Here's what you will need:

1.   Gardening book for your climate zone

2.    Seed-saving gardening book

3.    Garden tools

4.     Soil tester

5.     Food dehydrator/home canning supplies/root cellars


Below are links you may want to visit, but I'd advise you to do your own research to find what best fits your individual needs.

Do-It-Yourself Food Dehydrator
ecobites.com/diy-recycling-projects/712?task=view 
http://www.rootsimple.com/2008/10/build-solar-dehydrator.html 


Do-It-Yourself Root cellar
http://theepicenter.com/tow1102.htmlInstructions to build a root cellar from wooden pallets.
http://www.survival-spot.com/survival-blog/build-root-cellar/http://www.motherearthnews.com/Do-It-Yourself/Earthbag-Building-Garden-Shed.aspxEarth bag constructed for around $300.
http://www.saveourskills.com/4-simple-root-cellar-ideas Inexpensively made with barrels or trashcans.
http://www.motherearthnews.com/do-it-yourself/basement-root-cellar-zm0z04zsie.aspx Build a basement root cellar.
http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/building-root-cellar 

Links to Home Canning Advice, Supplies & Recipes
http://www.pickyourown.org/allaboutcanning.htm Huge selection of canning recipes.
http://www.freshpreserving.com/http://www.canningpantry.com/home-canning-recipes.htmlhttp://www.mountain-breeze.com/kitchen/canning/http://americanhomecanning.com/?p=1766 

Tattler Reusable Canning Lids
http://www.amazon.com/Tattler-Reusable-Regular-Canning-Rubber/dp/B0051PDXCQ 

 Links to Do-It-Yourself Food Dehydrators
ecobites.com/diy-recycling-projects/712?task=view
http://www.rootsimple.com/2008/10/build-solar-dehydrator.html

Links to Information on Food Dehydration Methods
http://farmgal.tripod.com/Dehydrate.html Detailed information on food dehydration.
http://www.all-things-emergency-prepared.com/how-to-dehydrate-food.htmlDo-It-Yourself Greenhouses http://pvcgreenhouse.blogspot.com/ DIY Step-by-Step PVC greenhouse
http://www.floridagardener.com/greenhouse/greenhousematerials.htm Free Greenhouse plan
http://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/how-to-build-a-hoop-house/index.html How to build a hoop house

Informative Garden Sites/Blogs
http://www.family-survival-planning.com/vegetable-gardening-tips.htmlhttp://www.suite101.com/content/abasicvegetablegarden-a59http://mygrandpasgarden.com/home////blog1.php?disp=commentshttp://www.homefarming.com/Category/1http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/http://ncmg.blogspot.com/

Hand Pollination How-To
http://www.ehow.com/how_2102682_hand-pollinate-garden-plants.html


___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Bill S.510
Many kept a wary eye on Bill S.510 and were nearly relieved when it looked like it was quashed by the something extra attached to it-new taxes. That maneuver was against the rules. But nothing ventured, nothing gained... 
Some remained diligent even though it appeared the Food Safety Act Bill had died a natural death. They were right to practice due diligence! The bill was tucked away in a nearly impossible to fail Veteran's benefits bill. Of course it did! What heartless person on the hill would consider voting down a bill that would negatively impact our men while fighting a war? No one! It didn't hurt when the sponsors of the bill voted on it in the dead of night. That's been a trick used for quite some time now and rarely fails...If you haven't heard of S.510, the Food Safety Act Bill, let me explain. Many were warning of the dire potential with this bill, namely control of small organic growers. The concern was small organic growers would be forced to carry exorbitant insurance which would put them out of business. Another concern was handing the government the newfound ability to regulate the purchase of organic growers fruits and vegetables by regulating whom they could sell to.

Let's investigate that.

You're visiting your son in Napa valley. You pass a fruit stand that has the most succulent, red cherries on display, so you turn in to their lot, grab your pocket book, climb out of your rental car and approach the vendor.

"I'll take two pounds of your organic cherries, please."

"Of coarse," replies the balding man. "May I see you ID, please?"

You look to your hand to be sure you're still clasping the $10 bill you'd grabbed form your wallet. Yep, the $10 was there, clearly viable.

"I'm paying with cash," you say kindly. Maybe the poor guy'd gotten too much sun out in the back40 earlier that morning...

"You don't understand. The Food Safety Act requires that I only sell to folks within a 100 mile radius. With purchases, I need to write down ID and turn it in with my monthly report," He explains with a fro"But I live in Rhode Island..."


"Wished I could sell 'em to you, but I have to follow the rules," says the man, his frown now creasing his weathered face.

Your small transaction for a simple bag of cherries that failed is now in the hands of another new government entity.


But what if it got worse?

Many who watchdog the inroads made into our private business, like putting food on the table, are concerned the Food Safety Act Bill Act has the potential to control heirloom and heritage seed sales and what we plant in our gardens. Apparently, the brave folks in Sedgwick Main are believers!

They recently passed an ordinance that enforced their God given right to produce, process, sell, purchase and consume local foods to their choosing, including state and federally foods like raw milk.


Other towns are looking into doing something similar to protect the sovrienty of their food. Should this take off, it will send a clear message to officialdom to back off and let us grow what we want, buy what we want, and eat what we want...without big brother's help!

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

What The Food Safety Bill Really Means To to Our Food Security

Our food chain has been under attack for quite some time. The newest attack, Bill S.510, the Food Safety and Modernization Act, introduced by Senator Harry Reid, makes all the other grabs for our sovereignty pale in comparison. Bill S. 510 has the potential to control our food chain, taking away our ability to buy organically grown fruits and vegetables, and some warn, will open the family garden to scrutiny and complete control. If you’re willing to go down into the depths of darkness in search of the reason for this Bill, consider a day when we are not allowed to purchase heirloom or hybrid garden seed, and are instead allotted GMO seed (more on GMO soon).

The following quote best sums up what we are facing...

“If accepted [S 510] would preclude the public’s right to grow, own, trade, transport, share, feed and eat each and every food that nature makes.  It will become the most offensive authority against the cultivation, trade and consumption of food and agricultural products of one’s choice. It will be unconstitutional and contrary to natural law or, if you like, the will of God.”  ~Dr. Shiv Chopra, Canada Health whistleblower

Some may remember when Clinton passed NAFTA and GATT.  That was the day of lost innocence for me, for it suddenly became clear that our leaders did not always have our best interest at heart. Soon, our manufacturing began pond-jumping to overseas locations for lowered taxes and cheap labor. Seemingly overnight, we became a service-related society. In many ways, The Food and Safety Modernization Act has shades of NAFTA and GATT attached to it. The only difference is instead of controlling our infrastructure, S. 510 is the kill shot to take away the one thing none of us can live without—food.

The Bill, HR2749 passed, despite dire warnings that a Tester Amendment attached to the bill was a dupe, promoted as a way to protect small farmers and processors from going out of business, but was in fact a grab for complete control of the food chain. However, the Senate did not pick it up until they had added the death keel to our food sovereignty by taking up Bill S. 510. At that time, they added section 107 to the bill with which to generate revenue—something expressly forbidden in the Constitution when such revenue is not introduced by the House.

That should have been the end of it. The Bill should have been given its walking papers, and the promoters of the Bill should have been sent for a time out for the remainder of the session. Instead, they worked double-time to gain back lost ground with several possibilities; The Senate could backtrack and get unanimous agreement on removing section 107; or they could remove the offending revenue generation and the “Tester amendment” and hope to fast-track the Bill through the Senate; the Senate could have taken HR2749, having already passed the house, to be slapped on the president’s desk; or they could have the House Ways and Means shove it on through, forgive the constitutional infraction, and vote on it before the deadline they faced.

But this liars poker would never fly because of the legal issues that had the potential to ensnare the many plans put into place with the Food and Safety Modernization Safety Act to regulate our food.

The Bully On The Hill
Here are the highlights: The Tester Amendment included in Bill S. 510 was promised as a complete exemption for all farmers with revenues of less than $500,000 annually. However, it’s important to watch the slight of hand. If one reads the actual amendment, it is evident that it will not do what it is purported to do for the vast majority of small producers. The Tester Amendment has strict restrictions on those who may be “exempted” from HACCP (Hazard and Critical Control Point) enforcements.

Those exempted must agree to have a certifier sign off on the plan, and a team to be trained to make sure the farmer follows the plan. 1996 should have taught us a lesson when HACCP forced many meatpacking businesses out of business. Now, only four large meat packaging make up 80% of the meat packing industry. The Tester Amendment holds farms with less production exempt as long as the farmer keeps records substantiating their sales. The problem with this approach is that an inspector is allowed to use their desecration (power) and nothing says they will be inclined to play well with others.

The farmer must apply to be included in the protections of the Tester amendment and keep meticulous records for three years to prove they meet the category of selling more than 50% of annual revenue within a 275-mile radius, or be slapped with the full force of S.510, which would put them out of business. When a farmer sells from a roadside stand or at a farmers market, they must keep a running record of sales if they don’t want to lose their exemption, and they’d better get really good at map reading to avoid selling outside the allotted 250-mile marker. This is definitely a case of “May I see your papers, please?” The purchaser’s I.D must be shown to double-check that they reside within the small, allowable circumference. In many ways it is not unlike a grocery rewards cards, where every morsel you buy and every liter you drink becomes a permanent record.

If you’re getting a visual of brown shirts and jack boots, you share the view of many! Officials have stated this regulation will be in effect within the Tester Amendment because of Agenda 21 Suitable Development. This translates to total, complete control over human impact on the environment. And to think some of us thought the spotted owl and wetlands protection was a bit over the top! What a great way to monitor food distribution and keep the farmer in their cross-hairs.

Think about the farmer who has devoted their life to provide food that won’t kill his fellow man and then be forced to register under the Bioterrorism Act of 2002 (aka Section 415), but this is what farmers will be facing if they wish to stay in business.I did say forced, as in past tense. The Food Safety Modernization Act officially passed in early January 2011 with a vote of 75 to 23. For this to be made possible, it took a bit more than slight of hand. It took a late Sunday night vote without a roll call and it was attached to the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Act H.R. 3082 Act. This is very telling, for something intended for the good of the people could have been voted on in the light of day with a full contingency of Senators in attendance. Lets take a cleansing breath because this is not unlike trying to master a rubrics cube… blindfolded. But, remember what’s at stake is our ability to eat and keeping the government out of our gardens. It’s worth the read.

Watch out For That Suit!
Monsanto claims they have no interest in the bill and would not benefit from it. Lets consider that statement. Monsanto has said they intend to own the food chain, and so far they’ve done an exemplarily job. Every Judge that has found against them for ruining farmers crops (there are a paltry few on this list. Typically, Monsanto sues the farmer for unauthorized planting of their seed which was picked up in the wind, ruining a organic gardeners crop and livelihood), or in several cases where a Judge put an injunction against Monsanto from growing crop that held concerning health ramifications has been similarity overturned.

In fact, Monsanto’s Michael Taylor may have connections to writing S. 510 and it has been discussed in high places that he expects to be named “Food Czar” to the FDA in preparation for introducing this new government “Department,” although this position has not been approved by Congress. Lets hope Congress decides to put their Big-Boy pants on and put a halt to yet another of Monsanto’s brass that have been infiltrating the Hill for far too long. Some claim S. 510 will give Monsanto unlimited power over all US seed, food supplements, food and farming.

We can be thankful for a few attachments that were removed before the bill was passed. Most nutritional supplements would have been outlawed through “harmonization” of European Laws and farmers caught selling raw milk, even to their neighbors, would have received a ten-year prison sentence. Even though these mandates were removed, it bears closer scrutiny. The Bill’s authors could only have had a police state in mind when writing such draconian measures in to a Bill that was supposedly passed to pave the way for food safety.