Tuesday, January 18, 2011

People Get Ready

I do not believe that ever in my life have I seen snow last this long in the South. This is the 9th day now with snow still on the ground. Granted, it's not a lot but still, how weird. Well, anyway, that is not really what this post is about. Just a quick update on the coldframe etc. During the worst of the snow I was beginning the really think that my coldframe was going to be a wasted effort. At least for starting any crops. Maybe if I had had presence of mind enough to sow the seeds for things way back in September I would be able to have some things but then, you eventually are going to eat all that up. You need to be able to start some seeds during the winter at some point. Well, a couple of days after the initial snowfall things began to warm up and the sun started coming out again. I kept checking the daytime temps in the coldframe. It was staying in the 30's and 40's at least, during the coldest days. Then we had some days where it got up in the high 40's and even 50 degrees. The temps in the coldframe skyrocketed to the 70's and 80's! Plenty warm enough to germinate seeds! Of course, once the seeds germinate I have to make sure not to cook the plants but even in this colder than normal winter, days around 50 are not too uncommon. Maybe this will work after all.
Now, I know some of you are thinking, just start the seeds indoors and then transplant. Well, I do plan to do that with a couple of things but some crops, like loose leaf lettuce, are much easier to just direct sow. I do have some head lettuce that I think I'm going to try to start and then transplant.

Another thing I wanted to post about was this challenge that some other bloggers have started. Now, I have never participated in such things but I think I'm going to give this one a go. And no, I don't think society is fixing to collapse or nuclear war or attack of the zombies or whatever but I did realize something during this last snow. I was not as prepared as I would have liked to have thought. Now, we had plenty of food and never had a problem but I did realize a few days in that I just didn't have a couple of items I thought I had actually stocked up on. And then I got to thinking; you know, in these days, weird things are becoming not so weird to happen. Super heavy snowfalls, floods, fires etc and just becoming more commonplace. Now with that, many economists are publicly admitting that the food reserves in the US are already "disturbingly low". I think that we would most all agree that depending on our government to truly help us in a real crisis is like peeing into the wind. I don't want to depend on that. But even if it is just to make me more comfortable during the occasional snow, that's fine too. At the very least it will make it so I don't have to run to the grocery store with the rest of the mindless hordes who are fighting over bread and milk. Like what the hell are you going to do with bread and milk? Screw that; I get steak and whiskey.
So, I am going to participate in this challenge to get my house ready. Even if nothing ever happens it doesn't hurt, as other bloggers have pointed out. I am not advocating mindless hording as some people do where they just buy and store ungodly amounts of food and then let most of it spoil. That is a disgusting waste on many, many levels. I am advocating an ordered system of acquiring and producing a sustainable flow of food and supplies. So, follow along if you wish. This first week we are simply cleaning and organizing an area for storage. It can be a place in your basement or house but it should be easily accessible and an area that is not subject to extreme heat or cold. I am going to put much effort into finishing my pantry and also clearing an area in the basement for some shelving devoted to these items only. The back reaches of my basement stay very cool and dark, so I think it would be a good stable place for storing some things.
Alright! Well, time to go to work!

12 comments:

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

Hey Annie, we are with you on this plan. it seems you are already at wk 4 - spreading the word. Grenville planted some winter veggies in the greenhouse this week and will probably blog about his efforts. Also we are working hard at NOT hoarding and organzing our pantry, fridge and freezer and eating many of the veggies frozen from last year's harvest. Did too much travelling in late fall to get to them, but home (finally) for awhile.

HermitJim said...

I think it's always a good idea to have some extra in the pantry!

I finally got Mom to store some backups in her pantry, and now she seems to realize just how handy that can be!

I like to eat way too much to NOT be prepared in the food department...besides, all food prices here are going up every day!

Rusty said...

Now that will be a worthwhile project - with a lot of challenge!

No pun intended, but it is food for thought.

newcracker52 said...

I like your thinking on Steak and Whiskey. Since I work in a dairy I see how our orders increase just because they predict a snow storm. I haven't seen a storm that keeps us shut up for long.

Ed said...

What a coincidence. If you see my latest post, you'll see that I've already stocked up on whiskey and I already have a freezer full of meat so I'm set!

MamaHen said...

Hey Beatrice! Sounds like ya'll got it going on too! that's great!
well, the original bloggers that started this challenge wanted everybody that was participating to post the logo on their blog so yeah, you're really spreading the word the whole time.

HEy jim! you got that right! food is going up everywhere and you just never know what is going to happen.

Hey Rusty! lol!! I think it is a worthwhile thing too!

Hey New! that is so funny; I still can't figure what people are doing with so much milk. But then, most of society does not do things that make sense.

Hey Ed! you are set! way to go!

Adrianna said...

I've been storing extra for some time now, just remember to rotate your stock. The red cross suggests people store water for emergency their recommended amount is 2 gallons per person per day. My new project is to buy only heirloom seeds so I can save the seeds from this years crop for next. I also learned how to build a solar dehydrator for my hopefully bountiful harvest this year. I'm running out of room in the freezer.

Jenn said...

Basically your cold frames are full of wintersown seeds. They'll be fine.

http://www.wintersown.org/wseo1/How_to_Winter_Sow.html

Stock up on red beans and rice, they store great and you can survive on them!

Tossing Pebbles in the Stream said...

If do not know of them you should read the books by Scott and Helen Nearing. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_and_Scott_Nearing

They moved to the land to be self sufficient before it was popular with the hippie generation. In Vermont they managed to harvest edible crops in all months but one.

They lives simple and disciplined lives.

MamaHen said...

Hey Adrianna! sounds like ya'll are doing good! this challenge going on describes how best to rotate your stock and all that, so that is one other reason I wanted to do it. I have been planting and saving only heirloom or open pollinated seeds myself and want to dry more foods too, so as to not depend so much on the freezer.

Hey Jenn! Great! thanks for the link! yes, I love red beans and rice! I will definitely have lots of those.

Hey Philip! I have not read those books but they sound very interesting. I will try to locate them! thanks!!

ezrablu said...

VERY good post! In "the old days" people didn't think twice about having food and supplies stocked up. It was a way of life. People have become too used to a fast-food, disposable and easily available lifestyle so it sounds "out there" to so many people when the idea of "preparing" is mentioned to them.
It's like toilet paper...the time to buy it is before you run out :D

MamaHen said...

Hey Ezra! Boy, you got that right! "cause when you run out and there ain't no more you are just screwed.
thanks! but yeah, so many people think if you do something like this you are just nuts.