Is the Spigot being turned clockwise?

[Starise]

I agree Dennis, I'm just not sure how much to prepare. No idea how long a lack of food could last. I have heard rumors of some having a 2 year supply of food. I haven't gone to those extremes. I believe if a shortage were long term most average people  would be looking for food. I have seen a few scary videos on YouTube. Economists warning of a collapse.

I can only do so much. I leave the rest up to the Lord. I believe He will sustain those He loves and cares for.

[Sower]

 Years back, one of my daughters and son in law had acquired several 55 gal barrels of rice and beans, flour and other long lasting food for their family. They kept it under their house where it was cool and dry. It wasn't cheap. Last year they cheeked on it. They fed most of it to their chickens, it had gone bad. It had lasted about ten-12 yrs +/-.
They just wanted to provide for their family. In scripture, manna only lasted 24 hrs. I believe trust is the key.
 

                                 

                       "I have been young, and now am old;

                      yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken,

                             nor his seed begging bread"

[Ray12614]

22 hours ago, Dennis1209 said:

The spigot has been turned off. I hope your garden is faring better than mine; we have had zero rain in the last month here. Some of my trees are shedding their dead leaves, with no rain in the forecast. Weeds and briars are drought resistant; I'll start growing them.

My central garden is roughly 150' x 30', spending countless hours out there with a hoe in my hand and gallons of Gatorade. It has been sweltering around here with not enough morning and evening time to tend the garden, so I march on during the day's heat.

I am getting some nice yellow peppers (making pepper rings) and zucchini squash. My onions will never reach maturity, as we eat them almost daily. I don't know what is underground, but if the tops of my potatoes are any indication, it may be an excellent harvest?

Surprisingly, this is the first year I have not had insect or critter problems with the garden, just no rain. Every step I take outside is a loud crunch like crunching a cracker.

The drought we are starting to experience here locally is nothing compared to what the folks out West are contending with. There will be significant repercussions for everyone because of drying up lake levels and drought here in the USA, food, and electricity in particular.

Combined with what is occurring with the rest of the world, it doesn't take Einstein to figure out the potential for rough times ahead.

I had not intended to raise the fifth batch of chicken-laying hens; it is a lot of time, effort, and work. Not to mention the price and availability of eggs these days, recently, tens of millions of turkeys and chickens were destroyed because of avian disease. Today there is no guarantee you will find what you need at the grocery store. What if things get worse as I suspect they will? Are we aware of the times and the "Day" approaching?

If everything goes according to plan, it will still be three more months before I crack my first egg. How many products do we consume that have eggs in them, I wonder? I can't imagine eating my Jiffy cornbread without the egg or milk.  😊

Nice garden . . . looks like your work is paying off . . . 

I am going to try fermenting this year with cabbage and various veggies . . . 

 

[ladypeartree]

My garden is 75 foot long and about 35 foot wide but the ground is full of stones ( when I moved in here  I dug and found several holes that were full of glass bottles most broken and burned out tins ...no idea why )  so sinceI amphysically unable to dig it I growm my fruit and veg in pots and raised beds when I can keep one of the dogs from burying bones and toys in them . Ido have a small greenhouse but so far it has been not much ore than an expense as it was put up last year,got blown over in the gales we had (get them once every 20 years or so ) and the frame was so twisted I had to buy a new one  .... so it wont start to pay for itself till next year at the earliest 

Before I had the greenhouse I found if I kept the popcorn tubs ( we get very big ones for a couple of pounds ) after the grandchildren have eaten the corn I can use empty tp rolls and fill them with compost.plant the seeds in them and they act as root trainers  .With the lid on they need very little watering when placed in a sunny window and the plants are ready to be put out about 6 weeks ahead of everyone elses plants meaning I can get two or three crops in each year ( it would help if we had some sunshine this year   ) 

I keep sufficient store of food to last a couple of months but dont have the room to store any more  ( it is enough to last me if I cant get to the shops or they have run out of the food I need ) but if God decides I need to go home I wont worry I will be gone 

[Sower]

23 hours ago, Dennis1209 said:

The spigot has been turned off. I hope your garden is faring better than mine; we have had zero rain in the last month here. Some of my trees are shedding their dead leaves, with no rain in the forecast.

Same here in south central Texas, but it finally rained a half inch yesterday, first/only rain in over two months.
Last year was the greenest year we can remember, receiving timely rains almost weekly, and now a drought summer.
Got the last tomatoes two weeks ago. Tomatoes cucumbers squash green peppers etc my wife will plant in July for the
fall crop. We have a water well and plenty water but even then the plants wilted. Really cloudless hot 100+ weather this year.

Been considering plowing a larger acre crop with tractor but without a small mesh 6' tall fence now the wildlife will tear it up.
With all the city folk moving out here (sub divisions) now the crowded wildlife has moved to our family acreage and are getting bolder and tamer, when  in the past would never even come close. We have lost most of our fruit/nut trees to the deer, eating the tender bark.
Have designed (not built yet) a digitized battery run scarecrow, with sensors, voice, shooting water, flashing lights and sirens predator calls etc. But researching, found that food and nursery growers say only an eight foot fence will work as the wildlife adapts quickly, and will ignore any man made devices to scare them. The deer in the past would haul buns if they even saw us out side and now they ignore us even while shouting at them. Eight foot permanent fencing an acre is big bucks with today's cost.
And even then, raccoons just climb over them.

"Even in large heavily populated cities the coyotes and raccoons have moved in and become over run in them, living in the abandoned tenement buildings. A mountain lion once tried to enter a hotel in Reno, Nevada, and another has lived in Griffith Park in Los Angeles, Calif., for nearly five years. Black bears have hibernated under houses in New Jersey suburbs and broken in to cabins and cars in many mountain towns. Red foxes have little fear and are now more concentrated in cities than in the wild.
Wild coyotes live an average of two and a half years, whereas urban coyotes can live more than thirteen years."

 

 

 

[Marathoner]

A long time ago, I discovered the answer to bear... cougar... coyotes... snakes... and yep, even raccoons. 

Anatolian Shepherd dogs. 
 

[Marathoner]

I had a few Great Pyrenees dogs on the team. Fearless... heroic... adorable... and more low-key than the athletic Anatolians. An Anatolian Shepherd will jump fences and sail over cars to greet you, but a Great Pyrenees will take their sweet old time. They also make great pillows. 
 

[Dennis1209]

23 hours ago, Ray12614 said:

Nice garden . . . looks like your work is paying off . . . 

I am going to try fermenting this year with cabbage and various veggies . . . 

 

We like fried, boiled cabbage and sauerkraut. I fully intended to make and can some sauerkraut until I looked up how to properly make it. That's too long of a complicated process for me. I had no idea it would take that long. I suppose I will substitute with coleslaw. 

Everything is coming in all at once now. I can barely keep up with the maintenance and harvesting, much less the canning. I'm going to try making cucumber relish for the first time today. I really like that Vlasic relish from the store, if and when it is on the shelf.  

[Starise]

You sound like you are in a real pickle 

[Ray12614]

12 minutes ago, Dennis1209 said:

We like fried, boiled cabbage and sauerkraut. I fully intended to make and can some sauerkraut until I looked up how to properly make it. That's too long of a complicated process for me. I had no idea it would take that long. I suppose I will substitute with coleslaw. 

Everything is coming in all at once now. I can barely keep up with the maintenance and harvesting, much less the canning. I'm going to try making cucumber relish for the first time today. I really like that Vlasic relish from the store, if and when it is on the shelf.  

Though faith and patience you inherit Good Sauerkraut . . . . (2nd Ray chapter 1 verse 1) LOL

My dad made corn relish that was sooooo Good . . . the kids all went for it when we sold his house and the pantry was emptied.  I want to follow in his foot steps and try to make that as well . . . . 

Hope all goes well for you . . . Ray . . .