TOTM October 2015 - Mutual Assistance.

I would get as far away from population centers and places that population centers will think of as their grocery store when they start to run out of food. Personally, I'd write off the entire east coast as an area to relocate. Maybe Kentucky or Tennessee as your closest potentials. The American Redoubt is probably your best choice, but that's up to you.

People are no where near as self sufficient as they were when the last depression happened. Expect to have to defend your food with arms from gangs of people who have never done more than go to a grocery store and expect their govt to take care of them.

 

Funny how the cost of food isn't part of the calculations used to determine inflation. I agree, It's going to get bad. If it can be held off another five years, I can hit escape velocity. I don't think I have that long. I'm about to liquidate an old 401-K, and after I take the hit for taxes and penalties put it into preps that includes some pre 64 quarters and dimes.

I was talking to one of my neighbors this last week - fortunately the local news is pushing earthquake preparedness, so I can enter a prep conversation sideways. Anyway,he said that he didn't have to worry since my other neighbor is a Mormon and would have plenty put back for everyone. It was all I could do to hold off an epic facepalm. Obviously, that neighbor is on the liability list.

 

That's a giant plus, though. You have a neighbor who will be somewhat prepared. Whew. As a thought experiment, I tried to calculate what it would cost to feed my city for a day. Yikes! People can and will starve because of their foolishness.

 

Just too bad everybody knows about them... I figure I'll wind up putting some small bags of beans, rice, and bouillon together if things get to the point where/when people start to run out. Likely I'll have to bug out before things get bad if it happens before I can relocate. I'm concerned that the mega high school at the other end of my cul-de-sac will become a FEMA camp in the event of natural disaster or if an economic disaster that lasts long enough. Here I can store about 2,000 gallons of water and lay back food for a year (with tastiness tapering from yum to yuck but I'm still alive as time goes on).

Like the song says: "I gotta get out of this place, if that's the last thing I ever do...."

 

if you go and google 'urban gardening' you will find a large movement of people who are thinking about how to feed their cities. There is one or two 'urban gardening' or 'permiculture' group in almost every city in teh USA.

THere are grants available for area gardening and food processing. Just like micro brewing, micro gardening is much larger than you might think.

There are people who are forward thinking about more than their immediate area. They know its an impossible job but they are trying.

I know two area's that are looking for coop managers for processing grain and nuts. There is alot more available than individual preservation.


Urban Agriculture: A Guide to Container Gardens

IF two teenage boys can do this, what can adults do?
Global Buckets: Potting Mix/Dolomite

 

Long winters here in Maine make assisting each other a critical component of the day to day. If I plow your drive, there is a greater chance you'll help me get free from a ditch one cold morning. The tenacity to endure mutually beneficial relationships during high stress situations has been tempered through the generations here. Any new comer who doesn't learn this in their first couple of winters finds things can quickly get lonely in the long dark cold evenings and the short cold days. To amp our resilient community, we barter and keep each other abreast of training and skills, such as medical training, preserving food, etc. We even have a "Homesteading Arts" collective in Wells, Maine that meets once a month to share skills and gather to prepare food.

 

Here I am, coming in right at the end of the month..

My family is pretty much out of the prep's area.. One son has a clue but is caught up in getting through school but is getting some ammo put away but not food.. I do live among a lot of preppers, especially in close proximity and most folks hunt, can, and garden here.. We do have some near do wells, but they do work hard to earn money to live on and some, to buy a case of beer....

Most everyone here is expected to carry their own load in life but if you need help putting a roof on or getting the walls up they will show up ready to get it done and get to the beer drinking... Same sort of rural folks you can find any place in this country, from what I have seen..

There is a lot of land for sale right around me.. Has been for sale for a lot of years.. The seclusion does attract some, yet they walk away from the opportunity for life on flatter ground and easier access/commuting..

It is hard living out here in the hill's and there’s a lot of neighbours that would not live as I do.. There's others living in town who had lived out in the hills that miss it.. A lot..

I have no group here.. Have neighbours I can count on, and can count on having to stand on my own.. But at over sixty years old and most all my spare money going into improving things around here to make it as self sufficient as possible, well, that's life in the hill's!! The next winter is coming..

 

You are right TShTF is already happening and trying to get people on board is difficult. My dad is really on board after he read the book Sal Batree, being from near where the story takes place and knowing the culture here it hit home. I am lucky to live in the country with a stream behind our house and garden space, One of my sons that lives close is in high gear and we constantly plan, stopped trying to talk to others about prepping, so many "I'll just kill me a deer" one man who doesn't live that close said I have cows and a pond and will go take from others to feed my family. That said we talk to people about the need but don't say what we are doing. So I think you have to plan for so much more than just enough for you and your family as there are good people out there that will help form a sustainable community after the dust settles. Have any of you ever read the book Sal Batree? If so please give me your thoughts.