Strange Time for Veggies

Veggies keep getting hit it seems.  It is sad when Europe is trying to see how to solve the problem of E.coli.  The fall out has hit all farms in the EU.  Now the confidence in the farms are at stake.  The impact has a huge ripple effect.

1. People are getting seriously sick and dying.
2. People are not buying produce and veggies.
3. The farms are losing money.
4. The EU is then being impacted economically on the losses as well.

Here is a great link with several articles covering the subject.

http://article.wn.com/view/2011/06/08/EU_Seeks_to_Combat_E_colis_Hit_to_Farms/

Another motivator to grow as much of your own produce as possible!  Judy

Carrying a Emergency Back Pack is not as easy as it seems!

I follow a variety of blogs on preparedness.  One of them had a great conversation on how to get home with a 72 hour back pack.  I realized I had to get back into my PT Cruiser, my husband's PT Cruiser and our Durango the carts.  Now let me explain.  It seems so easy to get emergency equipment into a vehicle.  Then it seems almost immediately you have to do a load of goods.  Then for space the emergency equipment gets removed....you know just for that trip.  Then it takes days to get it back in.  I like beyond the 72 hour back pack is to have a cart.  The cart is 2 types.  One I have is a luggage cart.  It is the older style.  My favorite is one from Costco.  It is aluminum but strong.  It folds up and stores well.  The advantage is you will have something that will carry the emergency back pack if you had to "walk" home during a disaster.  I know my back can not carry hardly anything any more.  It comes in handy for moving boxes back and forth from the vehicle as well.  Even my husband, who can carry anything, likes the carts.

Enjoy! Judy

Living where the least Disaster is Likely to Happen

After all of the flooding, tornadoes and hurricanes a person can not help but ask what is the risk of disaster where they live. I came across this article on one of the blogs I follow. It seemed worthy of including it here. It comes from the New York Times.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/05/01/weekinreview/01safe.html?hp

How is your area? Are you prepared for the possible disaster of your area?
Judy

How Did We Do This, Why and What are Our Plans

1. We grew up with families that canned, froze and enjoyed fresh food in the 1950s and 1960s with stories from the depression fresh from Grandparents and Parents. We married in 1965. The Vietnam War stepped into our lives from 1967-1969, In the 1970s we lived in Eastern Washington State. The energy crisis put us into high gear. We lived on a 1/3 of an acre with an orchard. We froze, canned and ate fresh. Then life took us to Miami and Boston. It was difficult to live the prepared life there. We would purchase food once a month to keep a supply on hand. Then we lived 12 years on 40 acres of logged land in a log house with barns and animals [sheep, goats, horses and chickens] in SW Washington. The kids had a great time. Gardening though was not successful. Now we live in an urban neighborhood with a homeowners association. Our neighbors though are younger people with a good sprinkling of military and retired state workers. Some are prepared minded. We view our home as an ‘urban farm’. We do not plan to add animals though. Our goal is to eat fresh in the summer and fall and eventually extend the food season.


2. In 2007 I got the bug to paver the back yard. It is about 1000 sq ft. We put in a 10x20 carriage house [storage building] with a patch of grass and a fountain as a center piece. This way we could actually use and enjoy the “patio/yard”.


3. 2008 put us into high gear on gardening. The first year we just had a great time as you can tell from the videos putting in a huge container garden. We bought a green house, yet to be put up and a 6x8 garden shed. We also increased our long term food storage and a strong 3 month supply. Bought all cars emergency kits. Bought kits and food supplies for our kids (2 sons and their families]. Bought camping equipment, tent , camp stove, etc. for emergencies. The kids thought Mom had gone over the top. After all of the earthquakes lately they are not thinking I am quite so crazy. LOL. We live in earthquake country. Fortunately, we live in the West and people are a little more preparation minded.


4. The year of 2009 was when we put in the orchard, blueberries and grapes. 2009 we bought a 1978 Argosy (made by airstream) travel trailer. As a kid I had seen them. We completely rehab it. We have been recyclers from childhood. Our down fall is technology. We have lots of it and make our living from the Internet teaching online for Universities and a College. [smile]


5. The summer of 2010 we decided we should go to the Airstream Club International Rally in Gillette, Wyoming. We were gone 3 weeks in July. Therefore all we could do was work on saving the orchard. It still produced 30#s of apples. The blog lay quiet. My husband just loves the orchard. I love the garden. The hard part is we have to pay a water bill. We have decided though it is worth the enjoyment and the joy of our fresh food. We are into keeping things in miniature. That is why this yard/patio has been perfect. It turned out that 2010 was a terrible year for the gardens in our area - Western Washington.


6. This year 2011 our plan is to be home and garden. Our grandson just loves the garden, orchard and berries. We eat and eat fresh all summer/fall. At this point we purchase our longer term food storage and 3 month supply items and just eat fresh from the garden. Our plan is to extend the season with a green house. We have had it purchased and approved by the home owner’s association for 2 years. We were working so hard teaching we have not had time. This year we hope to have it up for fall.


7. The blog will continue following our progress in our adventure of an urban “farm” and living a sustainability life in miniature. Judy/Jesse

Is Your Home and Family Prepared for an Emergency Earthquake Disaster?

As a family it is important to have the home and the family members ready. It might be time for a review of the family home and its preparedness for emergencies of all types. A disaster can make or break a family.

Simple items done long before an event happens can make the difference between surviving or not. The recent terrible earthquake in Haiti shows how hundreds of years can go by before the “big one” can strike. The other side of the story is how devastating it can be. Only the pictures can really show the horrendous impact it can have on individual’s lives and businesses.

Being prepared is the best that can be done hoping that would ease the situation if it happened. Here are several excellent sites that have Common Sense Preparedness:

• FEMA http://www.fema.gov/
• LA Fire Department http://www.ci.la.ca.us/LAFD/eqbook.pdf
• USGS http://earthquake.usgs.gov/prepare/

The government is recommending 3 days of food/water etc. While that is good in reality it would be good to think longer than that. Each family needs to assess its situation.

Past meeting physical needs of the family it might be good to think about the family records, bank accounts and the family’s supply chain. The supply chain is work, grocery stores, banks, gas stations, etc. All of these items will be potentially disrupted as well. Each family member needs to review how they could be impacted by a disaster. Some questions need to be asked and then evaluated for solutions:

• What if I was at home when the disaster strikes?
• What if I am at work when the disaster strikes?
• What if I am in transit when the disaster strikes?
• How will we all communication?

“Being Prepared” is the best way to handle a emergency disaster for the family!

Now I am going to make sure my own "Preparedness" is updated today and make my donation to help Haiti!

Judy

Hard Asset Economics and Sustainability of My Family

My problem is I was too close to my Mother and Grandmother both of which went through the “Great Depression”. Through the years I have watched as the economic cycles have gone up and down. I remember in the 1970s when it seemed like one day everything was fine and the next day gasoline and toilet paper were scarce. "Hard Asset Economics" including such items as: food, clothing, household necessities and cash and the "Sustainability of My Family" have always been important.

My husband and I were in Eastern Washington State at the time of this 1970s economic “dip” (I am dating myself here). We were living in agriculture country. I was standing in the grocery line and a woman in line was talking about the costs of food. She thought it was not worth the costs to put up a store of food at home. At that moment my “keep a financial costs journal” button kicked in. I recorded all the costs including a freezer. I saved at that time over ½ in food costs. Now I worked hard and was living in an agricultural region.

What are “Hard Asset Economics" items? They include for a family items such as: food, clothing, household necessities and cash. “Sustainability of My Family” is number one to me. I have a theory. If I take care of me and mine and others did the same for their families, there would be few families that would need help. I always set aside though extra for those individuals that are in real need.

In April 2008 when rice and food for a short time was looking scarce, my “Hard Asset Economics” and the “Sustainability of My Family” button kicked in. I no longer live in an agricultural region. Therefore, I used the tools I had – the Internet. I purchased in bulk a wide variety of necessities. The saving has been amazing as prices have risen.

Sometimes this approach is not the “cheapest” approach. Even though by shopping when there are sales and planning ahead, it usually means a family will save considerably. It does though mean my family will have the items when I need them – not when the stores have them.

Next time you are in the store purchasing your necessities, take a peek at the number of the items on the shelf. You will discover that in this “Just-in-Time” supply chain business model there might be 6 of each of the items. If there was a breakdown to the supply chain such as a natural disaster, those “6” would be gone in a minute! By planning ahead using “Hard Asset Economics” and the “Sustainability of My Family” you will not be in the rush to get the basics of life.

Are you practicing “Hard Asset Economics” and the “Sustainability of Your Family”?

Judy