Plan On Hunting For Food When SHTF? Think Again!

So your plan is to hunt to provide food for your family in a post collapse scenario?  You may want to reconsider that plan.  Many folks think  they will just step into their back yards and bring home the big haul.  After all, there are wild animals abound on your property, aren’t there?  You may have access to hunting land nearby or may even hunt from your back porch.  You may see a dozen deer every night at dusk traipse by, but this won’t be the case shortly after the grocery store shelves are empty.  Wild game will  become scarce or disappear very quickly in a national grid down scenario.

Most people do not realize is that the population of popular game animals might not be what they think.  In North America it is a rite of passage for many individuals to hunt for White Tailed Deer every fall.  Reports of hundreds of thousands of deer are taken each hunting season in a majority of States in the US.  Behind the scenes is a complex herd management system that carefully controls the populations of these animals.  The surprising fact is there are approximately only 30 million deer living in the United States.  Contrast that with a population of over 300 million people and the issue with relying on hunting for sustenance begins to make sense.

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Survival Food Series: Three Sisters Technique

The three sisters: corn, beans and squash were some of the first domesticated crops used by the Native Americans to sustain their long term survival.  The Native Americans taught the Pilgrims their agricultural techniques to help the Settlers survive. In fact, if it was not for these seeds given to the Pilgrims, and the three sisters approach, the Pilgrims sustainability would have been greatly diminished.

According to the Native American legend, the three sisters, also called “Our Sustainers” were sent down from the “Great Spirit.” The sisters are inseparable and all work together in order for each sister to thrive.   This trio: corn, beans and squash, have a symbiotic relationship that helps sustain the crops and gives them maximum nourishment.

The corn stalk offers itself as a structure for the beans to climb on.  While the beans supply the corn with needed nitrogen as well as well as improving the overall fertility of the soil.  When the beans climb the corn stalk, it also provides the stalk with added stability from strong winds.  The squash vines grow at the base of the bean and corn plants and  provide a type of living mulch to help conserve water and provide weed control.  The roots from the squash vines are shallow and will not invade the roots of the other plants.  Once the plants have been harvested they can be incorporated into the soil as organic compost, thus fertilizing the soil even more.  In this approach, the efficiency of space is not only beneficial, but it is also very easy to achieve results.  Moreover, this is a great gardening approach to teach children about companion planting.

How To Create The Three Sisters Gardening Technique

Just like in human life, each sister must be by itself, before another sister comes along.  In this technique, timing and spacing are the keys to success.

1. In late Spring or early Summer, hoe a mound of soil into piles about 1 foot high and about 20 feet across.  The centers of the mound should be about four feet apart and should have flattened tops.  *Note: a 10×10 square foot of space is the minimum area needed to have a good corn harvest of corn.  If you have a smaller garden area, plant fewer mounds, but be aware that you may not get good full corn ears as a result.  See Diagram:
<——————————— 10 FT. ———————————>
 
2. In the center of the mounds, plant 5-6 corn kernels in a circle about 6 inches apart.
3.  After a week or two, when the corn has grown to be 5 inches or so, plant seven or eight pole beans in a circle six inches away from the corn kernels.
4.  A week later, at the edge of the mound (about 1 foot away from the beans, plant seven or eight squash or pumpkin seeds.
5.  When the plants begin to grow, weed out the weaker plantlings, and keep a few of the sturdiest of the corn plants from the mound as well as the bean and squash plants.
6.  As the corn and beans grow, make sure that the beans are supported by the cornstalks.  They should wrap themselves around the corn.  The squash will creep between the mounds of the corn and bean plants.

Once the vegetables are harvested, they can be canned, dried out or eaten fresh.  The yields from these vegetables will be able to further sustain a family longer.  Perhaps the Native Americans were right by calling these three plants “Our Sustainers.”

Tess Pennington is the author of The Prepper’s Cookbook: 300 Recipes to Turn Your Emergency Food into Nutritious, Delicious, Life-Saving Meals. When a catastrophic collapse cripples society, grocery store shelves will empty within days. But if you follow this book’s plan for stocking, organizing and maintaining a proper emergency food supply, your family will have plenty to eat for weeks, months or even years. Visit her web site at ReadyNutrition.com.

This information has been made available by Ready Nutrition

Originally published February 9th, 2010

9 Things to Consider Before You Ever Grow a Survival Garden

In a long term emergency, people will not have the time to leisurely work in the garden.  Instead, they will be gardening for survival, along with a long list of other daily survival chores.  Survival gardening will be labor intensive, and large amounts of energy (sweat) will be needed to have the garden produce enough food for the present and enough to  put away for the future.  In exchange for your energy and time, you will want a survival garden that will provide your family abundantly with food.  Keeping certain factors into consideration before starting a large scale garden will help you get the most out your time and energy, provide you and your family with the healthiest vegetable varieties, and help you find the easiest types of vegetables to grow.

Variables to Consider When Growing a Survival Garden

• A survival garden should incorporate dependable and easy to grow vegetablesthat produce more than one harvest or bears more than one fruit per plant.
• The vegetable varieties should be types that the family will eat.  It’s not worth the trouble of growing this food if your family will not eat it.
•  Grow vegetables that have high amounts of nutrition and vitamins, as well as finding varieties that possess medicinal properties.  According to medical experts, green vegetables such as broccoli, Brussel sprouts, Lima beans, peas, asparagus, artichokes, cauliflower, sweet potatoes and carrots are some of themost nutritious vegetables in the world.
• Find varieties that grow naturally in your area.  Environments where plants grow naturally mean that less time and effort will be needed in raising them.
• Need for excessive fertilizing to produce decent sized produce is a waste of precious resources.  There are exceptions to this rule of course.  Such as, if the fertilizer used will help the plant produce many fruits or vegetables.
• If space is limited, plants that take up as little space as possible, but produce abundantly will make for a good investment.  Furthermore, finding gardening techniques such as the Three Sisters also makes good use of space.
• If fuel is needed to harvest vegetables, the noise could be an indicator of a thriving homestead, and an OPSEC nightmare.  As a result, the home could be frequented by unwelcome guests.  Additionally, this type of farming method would consume large amounts of fuel.
• Find vegetables that can do well for storage.  Vegetables such as potatoes, onions, and root crops like beets and carrots that store well can be used when the weather is too cold to grow.
• Varieties that serve more than one purpose is also an efficient use of space and resources.  Varieties such as root crops or broccoli leaves are varieties where the greens can be fed to livestock.  In addition, some survivalists agree that yellow dent corn has a multi purpose use of making grain and feeding livestock.  But this crop requires a large amount of land, resources such as fertilizer, and energy to grow this plant to fruition.

Preppers that are stocking up on non-GMO or heirloom variety seeds to grow, should also have adequate knowledge in gardening skills to get these varieties to produce vegetables and fruits.  However, before a survival garden is started, sitting down and planning the garden and considering different factors will save headaches later on.  Likewise, researching how much food a family will need and how much of the time/energy yield will be needed to produce these vegetables is a valuable use of time.  Also, keep in mind that you know your family best.  You know what they eat, you know what they will not eat.  Come to your own conclusions as to what type of survival seed varieties are best suited for your family and the environment you live in.

Tess Pennington is the author of The Prepper’s Cookbook: 300 Recipes to Turn Your Emergency Food into Nutritious, Delicious, Life-Saving Meals. When a catastrophic collapse cripples society, grocery store shelves will empty within days. But if you follow this book’s plan for stocking, organizing and maintaining a proper emergency food supply, your family will have plenty to eat for weeks, months or even years. Visit her web site at ReadyNutrition.com.

This information has been made available by Ready Nutrition

Originally published November 12th, 2010

25 Survival Seeds You Need For Your Garden

There may come a day soon when we will all have to depend on the food we grow ourselves in order to survive. If you haven’t started a garden yet I highly recommend that you do, especially with todays economy and food prices. Knowing how to grow your own food will be vital and the only way to learn is to practice, practice, practice. Here is an excellent article by readynutrition.com on the 25 survival seeds you should be planting for your garden.  So give it a read and make plans to start your own garden if you haven’t already.

25 Survival Seeds You Need For Your Garden

Living off the land sounds as inviting as Christmas dinner.  But many have hardly had adequate experience being “farmers.”  In fact, many have had no experience at all when it comes to planting anything.  That being said, the day is slowly approaching where each of us may have to trade in our company identification badges for a shovel and a pair of overalls.  Educating yourself on farming topics such as mirco farming, planting for the seasons, natural insect repellents,seed collection and seed storage could help prepare for an upcoming economic crisis.  Learn about how many vegetables or fruits the plant will yield.  It is truly an experience when it comes to the first garden.  And the plants have many things to teach.

Start Practicing

The only way to be fully prepared as far as growing plants is concerned is to practice, practice, practice.  If the economy takes a turn for the worse, then the gardening knowledge and skills acquired from practicing will come into play at this time.  Initially, when beginning to plant a garden, start small and work your way up.  Have a small garden plot or do container gardening if you are short on space.  Make sure the seeds that are purchased are heirloom or non-GMO varieties.  The seeds from these varieties will continually produce.  As opposed to hybrid varieties that will only produce for one season.

With each gardening experience will come more wisdom on how to handle a larger garden.  When researching what types of fruit and vegetables will be grown, think about what your family will need for an entire year.  Keep in mind that if you are lucky enough to have any livestock, grains and grasses will be needed to be grown for them to consume.  Any size family will have to have multiple plants.  One plant per family member would be essential if you had a small hobby garden.  You must think on a larger scale.  You are planting a survival garden.  And this is exactly what it means – to survive.   Plant enough plants to have for food as well as to have left over for canning and preserving for the winters.

Survival Seeds

These seeds that were chosen were based upon their yield quantities, *ease in growing, nutritional content and for the season they are planted in.

• Barley -Can be planted in the spring and winter and has the best results when planted early in the season.  This grain has loads of health benefits and a variety of purposes.  Such as feeding livestock, grinding the grains for flour, as well as making beer. Barley is high in dietary fiber and magnese.
• *Beans - Beans should be planted in the early summer.  One of the easiest vegetables to grow.  Beans have different varieties such as pole beans and bush beans, kidney beans, etc.  Pole beans begin and end earlier than bush beans.  In comparison, pole beans give a high yield production.  A stake is needed for the pole beans.  Staggering your plantings will give continuous yields.    Beans are very high in fiber, calcium, Vitamins A, C and K.
• *Broccoli - Plant seeds in mid to late summer to be ready for the fall harvest.  One of the easiest vegetables to grow.  This plant has a tendency to give yields past it’s first harvest.  And can take light frost with no problem. Broccoli is a good source of protein, Vitamins A and K.
• *Carrot - Carrots prefer cooler weather and should be grown in the fall, winter and early spring.  One of the easiest vegetables to grow.  High in beta carotene and vitamin A.
• Cauliflower - This vegetable is a cool season vegetable.  It harvests over a short period of time and cuts out a high head yield.  High in dietary fiber, Vitamin C and K.
• Corn – This is a warm weather crop and should be planted after last frost.  Has a good amount of proteins, calcium and iron.  The plant will produce two ears per stalk.
• *Cucumber - This is a warm weather crop.  This is one of the easiest vegetables to grow.  There are large varieties and smaller varieties for pickling.  Continuous picking increases the plants production.  Cucumbers are good sources of Vitamins A, C, K and potassium.
• Eggplant – Eggplants are warm weather plants and should be planted after last frost.  This night shade vegetable is high in fiber, antioxidants, and a good source of vitamins B1 and B6.  This is a very versatile vegetable to cook with.
• *Lettuce – Plant two weeks before last frost as well as in the fall 6-8 weeks before the first frost date.  One of the easiest vegetables to grow and one of the earliest crops to harvest.  There are many different varieties that offer different nutritional content.  This plant grows quickly and harvest can be extended by taking a few leaves at a time.  Lettuce is packed with essential vitamins and proteins, iron and calcium.  Vitamins such as A, B6, C, and K.
• Melon - Plant 4 weeks after the last frost as these fruits are intolerant to cold weather.  Cantaloupes and Melon varieties need lots of space to grow.  Getting the dwarf size of these fruits can save space.  One melon plant will produce two melons.  Good source of fiber, B6 and folate.
• Okra -Plant 2 weeks after last frost. This vegetable has a variety of uses such as in soups, pickled or canned.  High in vitamin A, K and folate, and calcium.
• *Onion/Garlic - One of the easiest vegetables to grow.  Plant onion in mid to late October.  Onions can be pulled earlier and used for green onions.  A good source of dietary fiber, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, folate and potassium.
• Peanuts – This is a hot season plant and should be planted in April until Early June.  Peanuts are a good source for healthy fats, Vitamin E, protein and antioxidants.
• *Peas – This is a winter loving plant who is resistant to frost.  One of the easiest vegetables to grow.  There are many varieties of the pea plant, such as shelling, snap, snow and sugar pod.  Most varieties are fast growing.  This is a good source of protein, fiber and has a good source of 8 different vitamins including vitamin A,  B6, and K.
• *Peppers- Grow after the last frost.  There are many varieties of peppers as well as choices on if you want them to be hot or mild.  Sweet peppers are one of the easiest vegetables to grow.  The more peppers are harvested, the more the plant will produce.  Peppers are high in Vitamin A and C.
• Potatoes- Plant 4-6 weeks before last frost.  1 plant yields 5-6 young potatoes.  Potatoes are high in fiber, Vitamin B6, Potassium and Vitamin C.
• Pumpkin- Start pumpkin seeds in the late spring.  Pumpkins require lots of room for the vines to grow.  Pumpkins are packed with vitamins such as thiamine, niacin, Vitamin B6, folate, iron, Vitamin A, C and E.
• *Radish – Can be started 4-6 weeks before last frost.  Many have had success growing radishes in the fall as well.  One of the easiest vegetables to grow.  They are very tolerant of weather conditions.  Radishes are high in Vitamin B6, dietary fiber, Vitamin C and iron.
• Spinach- Spinach grows best in cool weather.  However, there are some varieties that like warm weather.  Many call this a super food based upon it’s large array of vitamins such as Vitamin A, C, iron, thiamine, thiamine and folic acid.
• *Squash – There are both summer squash and winter squash varieties.  One of the easiest vegetables to grow and most are prolific producers.  Picking squash regularly encourages a higher yield.  A Good source of Vitamin A, B6, C, K, and dietary fiber.
• * Tomato- Plant tomatoes in the late spring and again in the late summer.  One of the easiest vegetables to grow.  Tomatoes are a good source of Vitamin A, C, K, E, Potassium, thiamine and Niacin.
• Turnips/Rutabagas – Seeds should be sown in late May or early summer.  Turnips are fairly disease free and easily cared for.  The greens as well as the root can be eaten.  Turnips are high in B6, Vitamin C, Iron and Calcium.
• Wheat- Winter wheat can be planted from late September to mid October.  This is the preferred variety due to the nutritional content as well as the protection it gives the soil in the wintertime compared to spring wheat.  Spring wheat is planted in early spring.   This is one of the most commonly used food crops in the world.  Wheat is high in copper, zine, iron and potassium.  Planting a 10×10 plot will yield between 10-25 loaves of bread.

Other seeds to take into consideration are crop cover seeds such as hairy vetch or clover.  These crop covers loosen up soil as well as gives the soil nitrogen to feed the plants for the next season.  These crop covers are also food for livestock such as cattle, sheep and rabbits.  When the crop cover is mowed, the cuttings can be used as a natural mulch.

Having a wide array of food choices when times get tough will keep spirits up, nutrition high and give each person a high amount of energy.  Do research and find the best plants for you and your family.  Become familiar with planting cycles at a local level.  Finding pertinent information regarding soil conditions, natural fertilizers, and germination of seeds can get you ready for a good planting season.  The more prepping you do on this, the better your family will eat when they need food the most.

Sources:

http://www.nutritiondata.com/

http://howtogardenguide.com/

http://gardening.about.com/

Vegetable Gardening and Growing Tips

Vegetable Gardening and Growing Tips

To some people gardening is a hobby and to others it a means of providing food for the family. Given the state of the country and world today, more families and individuals are turning to vegetable gardening as part of their disaster preparations. Food safety is also a concern because in reality you do not know what goes into the growing, processing and handling of the fresh produce from your local grocery store.

Things to Consider Before You Get Started

Your typical vegetable garden is an annual affair, in other words you have to plant your vegetables every year unlike perennial plants that come back year after year without replanting. This means whatever you plant must come to maturity so they can be harvested before the first frost of the season.

Before getting started, you must become familiar with frost dates. After you have determined when it is safe to plant outdoors, you must then research and determine the maturity date of the fruits and vegetables you want to grow. You have to be assured that the plant will mature within the growing season, which is usually from last frost date to the first frost date.

Certain vegetables and fruits such as melons require a longer growing season than others do, so they must be planted early so that they can reach maturity during the season. However, you must have some idea of when you can expect the last frost to schedule the planting of certain fruits and vegetables. If you plant seedlings and then there is a frost, it is likely the cold will destroy the plants. Use the above illustration as a guideline only. If you’re unsure it’s best to speak to others in your area that have experience in gardening to help you out.

Starting Plants Indoors

You may have determined that your growing season is too short for the types of fruits or vegetables that you may want to grow or you may want to stagger the harvest of certain plants. You can control how much you harvest, daily or weekly by staggering your plants.

You can start virtually any plant indoors to enjoy an early harvest or to make sure the plant matures before first frost. Start tomatoes plants indoors and once the plant is transplanted outside, you can start seedlings or plant seeds in the ground at the same time. This ensures that not all of your tomatoes will be ready at the same time and of course you can do this with any vegetable.

To start your plants indoors all you need are a few supplies, a room with direct sunlight or grow lamps and a little patience. Typically, you would start your seedbeds six weeks before the last frost.

You can purchase seed starter kits at any home and garden center or you can simply order/purchase the seeds and a growing medium and make you own seed containers. Most kits will come with clear plastic lids that go over the seedbed to help maintain the proper moisture levels. You can also cover your containers with clear plastic sheeting until the seeds germinate. Once the seeds sprout, remove any lids or plastic and place the containers in a sunny room.

Tomato plants should be “hardened” off before planting outdoors. To harden your plants set them outside on warm sunny days so they are exposed to temperature variations and breezes. Tomato plants in particular need to be stressed somewhat so they develop stronger stems.

Where to Plant the Garden

The picture above illustrates a typical row garden and this is what many envision a garden would look like. However, you may not have the room for a row garden or simply do not want to till up your lawn or your soil is poor. There are options other than row gardens however, and some options are ideal for those that live in the city or suburbs.

Raised garden beds are ideal for those that may have poor soil or simply do not want to till up a portion of their lawn. With a few landscape timbers and some quality garden soil, you can begin your planting in a matter of hours.  You can pretty much place a raised garden on virtually any surface. Box garden kits typically only include the lumber and hardware, so you will have to provide the seeds/seedlings, fertilizer and garden soil. There are various sizes from which to choose or you can simply purchase multiple boxes and set them on your patio or in your yard.

Virtually any vegetable can be grown in pots or even buckets and placed on your deck or patio. Root vegetables such as potatoes can also be grown in containers on the deck as well. Once the plant is mature you can feel around near the top to determine if the potato is large enough and simply pull the entire plant out or harvest a few at a time and let the others mature more.

Your garden will need sunlight and as a general rule plants need at least six hours daily, so careful planning is required. If you plant in pots, you can move the plants for maximum exposure, but if you build raised beds or have a row garden you do not want to find out after you have everything planted that your garden is shaded a good part of the day.

Watering

Water/irrigation will be another concern and if you depend on your local municipality for your water then any additional water used for irrigation will be reflected on your water bill.

One of the reasons many gardens fail is they simply do not get enough water and some people rely on rainfall as the only means of watering their garden and in some cases, this is simply not enough.

Tomatoes for example need at least two inches of rainfall/water weekly. However, you can collect rainwater from roof runoff and from your air conditioning unit, which will have a drainpipe that discharges condensation. You can save considerably on your water bill if you collect rainfall in rain barrels.

One half inch of rain falling on a 1,000 square foot roof and with the proper guttering in place, you can expect the yield to be roughly 300 gallons of water. Rainfall that is collected over the entire surface of the roof would drain into your guttering and then run to all drain spouts. Therefore, if you had a water collection barrel under each spout you can conceivably collect enough water over the summer for your garden and other plant life. One half inch of rainfall collected from a 300 square foot surface will fill a 50-55 gallon barrel.

During the summer months, your central air-conditioning unit must discharge the condensation that forms in and around the “evaporator coils” and the amount of moisture can be considerable. You can find your air-conditioner drain pipe exiting the side of your house, usually located by the air-conditioning unit. You can place a bucket under the drainpipe to collect water for watering your garden.

Barrels can be placed under any gutter drain spout to collect rain runoff from the roof. You can purchase barrels designed for this purpose that will have a drain spigot where you can attach a hose that uses gravity and the water pressure to allow you to water with the hose.

You can use any barrel that will hold water, and simply dip the water out as needed using a sprinkling can or bucket. To prevent the breeding of insects mainly mosquitoes you will need some way of covering the water barrel when not in use. Most simply, screen off the top with mesh dense enough to prevent insects from getting to the water.

What to Plant

Most vegetables can be preserved by canning, pickling or drying and if you have a large enough garden, you may be able to get enough fruits and vegetables to see you through the non-growing seasons. There is some work and skill required for proper canning or preserving of foods.

For disaster preparedness, you will of course need non-perishable foods that have an extended shelf life, and canning your own foods is an ideal way to begin your food stockpile. Once you have a garden developed and you have used heirloom seeds you can harvest the seeds year after year, which means you have a renewable and reliable food source.

Hybrid seeds or plants will not produce a seed that will produce an identical plant. In most cases, the seeds from hybrid plants are sterile. Hybrid seeds are developed using the uniqueness from multiple plants of the same species to develop plants with only the best characteristics. This makes the plant more disease and drought resistant but requires that you purchase seeds every year versus being able to harvest the seeds from the fruits and vegetables.

Affordable Home Aquaponics Garden

Not only does this fish tank clean itself, it helps you grow food. And talk about simple. Your very own little self-enclosed ecosystem in your own home.

Veggies, herbs, even flowers are fertilized by the fish, which in turn keep the fish water clean. Talk about a buddy system.

Learn more HERE

Square Foot Garden Planting Guide

If you’re planning on starting a square foot garden, here is a guide on how many plantings you can have per foot for various vegetables and herbs. If you don’t have a lot of space you might want to consider a square foot garden for their good yield and variety. Not only that, but they also tend to have less weeds and conserve water.

Courtesy of: Preparing For SHTF

How to Harvest Seeds for a Sustainable Food Source

How to Harvest Seeds for a Sustainable Food Source

Many of you have probably heard of what are called heirloom seeds. There is quite a debate on what constitute an heirloom seed. Some experts claim that the original “cultivar” must be at least 100 years old, others say 50 years old and still others use the end of World War II as a deciding factor.

For the sake of this article, and to prevent the discussion of the confusing definitions, which apparently no one can agree on, an “heirloom cultivar” will be defined as one nurtured and handled down (through its seeds) for the express purpose of maintaining the plants heritage (and to develop a sustainable food source). This means that at the end of every growing season plants are harvested for their seeds.

Hybrid seeds will produce a plant but the seeds produced from a hybrid plant will not produce a plant identical to the one from which it was harvested. This can be confusing, and this does have consequences if you are developing an alternative food source to sustain you in a survival situation. You cannot harvest hybrid seeds and expect to grow an identical plant, or any plant for that matter, from that seed. However, there is certainly nothing wrong with having a stockpile of hybrid seeds in your seed bank, but remember they would not be considered a renewable food source.

Hybrid seeds are not to be confused with Genetically Modified (GM) seeds. Hybrids are seeds bred to make plants more resistant to pest, droughts, and diseases and to bear more or larger fruit but the natural characteristics of the plant are maintained.

GM seeds are essentially made in a laboratory (manmade) where genetic material from other plant species is combined to produce a particular seed. There are many questions on how healthy this is for humans and animals alike. Currently genetically modifying seeds in this manner is legal.

Food sources must be renewable and sustainable, which means that you can produce your own food year after year without the help of commercial establishments and the government. You have the ability to harvest and store your own seeds for future plantings.

Harvesting Wet and Dry Seeds

Examples of dry seeds would be seeds from peppers, okra, basil and the onion family. In other words, the seeds are not surrounded by pulp. Wet seeds include seeds from tomatoes, cucumbers and squashes.

Wet seeds must be processed correctly or otherwise they may not develop. There is a process called fermentation that may be necessary for some seeds to sprout. It is not necessary to ferment all wet seeds and yet some that are not fermented may not germinate, so it is recommended. The fermentation process will be described as well as the process of separating the seeds from the pulp without the fermentation process. Seeds from squash and eggplant for example, do not need to be fermented but the process increases the germination rate and kills certain bacteria and fungus that inhibit the germination process.

Processing Wet Seeds without Fermentation

Scoop seeds and pulp into a bowl and cover with room temperature water. Live or healthy seeds will settle on the bottom while dead seeds will float on top. Using your fingers gently rub the healthy seeds between your fingers to remove the pulp. The pulp will float to the top. Once cleaned carefully pour off the water to remove the floating seeds and pulp, pour so that the good seeds remain in the bowl.

Add more water to the bowl to rinse the seeds and once again pour off to keep the good seeds in the bowl. You can repeat, as many times as you feel is necessary. Once the seeds are cleaned pour into a strainer and let set for 20 minutes and then they need to dry on a solid surface, and not on newspaper or cloth. The seeds will stick to paper and cloth making it very difficult to remove once dry and you can damage the seeds. A solid counter top, pieces of glass, plates or a large piece of tile can be used for a drying surface.

The seeds can be stored in glass sealable jars and store in either the refrigerator or an area that does not receive any direct light. The seeds can be stored for years this way.

Fermentation of Wet Seeds

Scoop the seeds into a bowl and cover with room temperature water, using about twice the amount of water to volume of seeds. You want plenty of room for the pulp, fungus and bacteria to rise leaving the seeds at the bottom. In some cases, it may take up to three days for the pulp to ferment and rise to the top along with fungus and any bacteria present. The water will begin to foam and may bubble which indicates the process is working. Leaving the seeds too long may cause them to germinate in the water so watch closely. Start out assuming it will take one and half to two days for the process to work.  Once you have seen foam and bubbles for at least a day clean and dry and then store the seeds as described earlier.

Dry Seed Harvesting

Seeds that develop in pods such as onion and basil seeds should be left in the husk until dried and then gently crumble the husk and separate the chaff from the seeds. You can separate the husks by gently blowing the chaff away after crumbling. Do this on a tabletop so you can recover any blown seeds.

Cucumber, squash, peppers and other dry seeds can be harvested once the fruit is past maturity date; some gardeners refer to this method as “letting the fruit go to seed”. Separate the seeds from any plant matter and air dry. Store as described above.

Considerations

Carefully select the plants you plan to harvest the seeds from because the seeds will replicate the plant exactly, so make sure you do not choose any plants that appear underdeveloped. Choose several different healthy looking plants so any health problems from the plants over the years can be literally weeded out without depleting your crops.

10 Must Have Medicinal Herbs

With all the ill side effects of prescription drugs it’s no wonder why the medicinal herb industry is growing at a rate of about 30% annually. For centuries medicinal herbs were all that humans had to cure their ailments, often by using a lot of trial and error. But today we have a strong gasp on what types of medicinal herbs we can take for a particular ailment. Growing your own herbs and learning how to dry and use them properly should be a big part of your preparedness plan. Here is an excellent article by offthegridnews.com on the 10 must have medicinal herbs you should be planting in your garden and why.

 10 Must Have Medicinal Herbs

With a strong drive towards a return to a more natural way of living, medicinal herbs are growing in popularity as gardeners come to recognize the true benefits of growing their own medicinal treatments versus relying on over-the-counter or prescription concerns for something that can easily be remedied naturally.

For thousands of years medicinal herbs were all that humans had to cure their ailments, which often led to a fair amount of trial and error. The result of all of these years of trial and error is that we now have a solid idea as to what types of medicinal herbs we can take for particular health concerns. Some herbs, such as peppermint, have long been known for their abilities to soothe aching bellies and of course help to freshen breath. You may just be surprised at some of the other types of benefits that can be garnered by growing your own herbs.

The History Of Medicinal Herbs

Archaeologists have discovered evidence that early man used crude herbal pastes as a means of soothing insect bites and treating ailments. In reality, the use of using plants to heal very likely predates any knowledge we have of our human ancestors. Texts dating as far back as 3000 B.C. offer descriptions of medicinal uses for various types of herbs, including numerous herbs.

The ancient Chinese and ancient Egyptians offered the most descriptive account of the plants and herbs that they used to treat ailments; they used herbs to treat everything from a toothache to a belly ache, and from complications with childbirth to issues with mother’s producing enough milk to nourish their babies.

It wasn’t until the first part of the 19^th century that scientists began to closely examine select herbs and work out what the active ingredients were. These active ingredients were then also artificially produced as a means of ensuring availability. Science has since progressed to the point where it is the rare prescription drug that enters the market with even a trace of a natural element in it. This is uniquely interesting when one considers that so many of the drugs today have originated from a natural source.

Today herbal supplements are labeled as dietary supplements, which also unfortunately means that herbal remedies can be sold on the market without the extensive research and testing that is required of prescription drugs. While some may herald this as a positive step towards ensuring more people are able to get their hands on natural remedies, the reality is that there are just as many herbal remedies that can be potent in large doses and can also have adverse side-effects without care and careful monitoring. Herbal remedies, however, must still be produced following recommended manufacturing guidelines and practices. This does ensure that medicinal herbs hitting the market are at least safe in terms of quality.

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Ten Medicinal Herbs You Can Grow At Home

There are hundreds of herbal supplements on the market, often without clearly defined purposes on the labels, which can make things a bit challenging to determine which of these herbs will help you with your current health concerns. Some of the most popular herbs on the market can actually be easily grown in your own herb garden.

1. Lavender is a popular herb to grow because of the intoxicating scent offered by this herb. The gorgeous purple-hued flowers are also attractive to butterflies, bees, and even hummingbirds. Every gardener can agree that you can never have too many of these great winged beauties in your garden. Lavender is also a great addition to potpourri, and when steeped into a tea can help to provide a sense of calm and relaxation. Lavender tea has also been shown to reduce pain, and the soothing scent of this herb is also known for being a natural calmative in the home. When applied as a part of a poultice to cuts and bruises, lavender can also function as an antiseptic.
2. Chamomile tea has long been known for its properties as a tension and stress reliever. What some may not be aware of is that chamomile can also help to soothe indigestion and other types of digestive concerns. Many a desperate mother has also sang the praises of chamomile as a means of soothing a colicky baby. Chamomile lotion and even tea added to a bath can help with certain types of skin irritations.
3. Peppermint is well known for being an excellent choice for soothing stomach upset, but it can also help to promote positive digestion, while also working to help prevent uncomfortable gas. The refreshing taste of peppermint tea has also been shown to help soothe stress and tension, while also helping to ease headaches related to both.
4. Sage offers a sultry scent that can transform your potpourri, but a little known fact is that sage can also help to soothe coughs and general throat irritation. Sage has also been known to reduce the length and the severity of colds and sinus congestion. Another excellent benefit from sage tea is that it has been shown to aid with hot flashes, which is something any woman can get excited about.
5. Rosemary is a great addition to your daily routine because of the way it helps with boosting memory and concentration. Rosemary can help to boost your mood, sweeten your breath after a garlicky meal, and of course it can transform a lamb roast into something simply magical for the taste buds.
6. Echinacea offers an all-natural boost for the immune system. When it is taken daily as a part of your regular routine, even in the form of a delicious tea, it can help to reduce the severity of colds and the flu.
7. Valerian is known for its abilities to promote positive sleeping patterns. Like other sleeping aids, valerian can help you to relax and enter into a much more restful sleep. It also holds the benefit of fewer side effects than prescription and even over-the-counter counterparts. It is important to note that valerian can have interactions with some types of prescription medications, so be sure to mention this to your medical professional.
8. St. John’s Wort has a solid reputation for its ability to help ease anxiety and the symptoms of depression. Whether taken as a tea or baked into delicious goodies, St. John’s wort can also help you promote the healing of your skin, which makes it a great choice for those who may be struggling with acne and other types of skin concerns.
9. Lemon balm doesn’t just smell heavenly; it can also help to sooth anxiety and nervous tension. Lemon balm tea enjoyed in the evenings can help to promote positive and peaceful sleeping patterns, while also working towards helping to speed the healing process of cold sores. Lemon balm can be enjoyed in teas and can also be placed directly onto sores in the form of a soothing poultice.
10. Marigold is the must-have for your beauty regimen as it can help to soothe sunburned skin while also helping to provide relief for acne and other types of skin blemishes. Marigold tea can also help those who are struggling with digestive upset, and it can also be incredibly soothing for ulcers.

Whether providing you with delicious additions to your evening meal or helping to soothe your aching belly or your sun-kissed skin, there is an endless source of medicinal bounty to be found in your herb garden. Consider trying out a few varieties of each herb just for a little bit of variety in scent and flavor.

It is important to note that you should always check with your doctor or other healthcare practitioner before starting any new treatment. Always check with a medical professional if you are experiencing any type of health concern, so that you can ensure it is nothing life threatening.

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Aquaponics A Survival Food Source

Aquaponics A Survival Food Source

Aquaponics is the blending of aquaculture, which is the raising of marine life, with hydroponics, the growing of plants in water that would otherwise be raised in the soil or ground. The process is organic, and each component relies on the other for sustainability, it is a self-sustaining cycle however if all components function normally. The entire process of raising fish and other marine life with vegetables is a renewable and sustainable source of food.

The water from the fish tank is pumped to the plants for filtering and cleaning, and of course, the water is nutrient rich providing food to the plants. The plants and growing medium will filter the water before it is cycled backed to the fish tank.

Virtually any plant can be grown using the hydroponics method. The growing medium can be gravel or clay pellets or other mediums specifically designed for hydroponics. The marine life on the other hand must be able to breed in captivity and get along with other marine life. You can of course use two tanks or even more, keep the marine life separated, and only keep the same species in each tank.

You want fish that mature relatively quickly and are a species that everyone in the family will want to eat. Species that do well in captivity include tilapia, white bass, trout, catfish and crappies. You can also raise shrimp and various types of snails.

It will take some effort and time to establish your Aquaponics system but once up and operational you will have a steady supply of fish and fresh produce. The system can be outdoors if the climate is conducive to long growing seasons and the marine life is protected from the elements and predators. It is recommended that you establish your system inside of a structure however, such as a greenhouse that can provide natural lighting otherwise; you will need a series of growing lights.

If protected your Aquaponics system can grow vegetables all year around making the system ideal for survival situations. Surpluses of fish and plants can be preserved for the off seasons and bartered for other supplies and services during an extended crisis.

How Large Should Your System Be

It depends on how much produce and fish you want to raise. You do not want to produce more than you can eat or preserve because you cannot afford waste, so assume for the time being that your system will be a supplemental food system and is not for commercial use.

You can of course raise fish and vegetables to sell at market, but you will need to ensure there is a large enough market. You cannot harvest 30 pounds of produce and fish daily and not have anywhere to go with it. You will need a system in place to preserve any surpluses.

Generally, one pound of fish equals 15 pounds of produce. You must have enough plant life to filter the water volume adequately, so if you have a tremendous amount of fish and little plant life your system will not work. On the other hand, too many plants and the nutrients will not be enough if you have little in the way of marine life.

Your system will grow and you have to keep in mind fish and plants start out small so you cannot load up the fish tank with immature marine life. You have to have the water volume designed for mature marine life so essentially overloading the tank will create problems, and when the fish are small it does not appear that it is overloaded until they mature.

To keep your system operational during a crisis you will need a way to provide electricity to the pumps or design a solar system that can be used to operate the small pumps. Generators are an option and if used for the sole purpose of keeping the pumps then fuel will be less of an issue.

During an extended crisis, others may become aware of your food source and this can make you a target. It is recommended that you do not advertise what you are doing, or do not explain that is specifically for a food source during a crisis.

Edible and Non-Edible Berries

Berries can be an excellent source of food should you ever find yourself lost in the wilderness, but knowing what you can and cannot eat is critical. You should never eat anything that you aren’t 100% sure of, it’s better off to be hungry than extremely sick or even worse poisoned.  Having a working knowledge of wild edibles is an excellent skill to have and the guys over at foodstorageandsurvival.com have an excellent article on what berries you should or shouldn’t eat. Show check out the article below and always remember if you’re not sure don’t eat it.

Edible and Non-Edible Berries

Should you ever find yourself stranded in the wilderness and are looking for food, it’s important to already have a working knowledge of what you can and cannot consume. The bottom line with emergency meals is if you aren’t sure, do not eat it! After all, it’s always better to be a little hungry than to make yourself crazy-sick if not poisoned. Research edible foods, such as berries, but be sure you know the difference between what is food and what is totally toxic:

Edible Berries

Rose Berries

Berries from the Rose family are edible and quite yummy. These include berries you are probably already familiar with, such as wild strawberries, blackberries and raspberries, as well as chokecherries, salmonberries, thimbleberries, wild roses and hawthorns. Wild roses, for example, are red berries that are oval in shape. Some varieties feature sepal “beards” on their ends. These berries are extremely high in vitamin C.
Hawthorns are another red berry that feature large “stones” in their middles surrounded by “creamy white” flesh. Known for being sweet with a “nasty” aftertaste, hawthorn berries are considered harder to digest than other members of the rose family.

Wild Strawberries

Rose Hips
photo by sean_hickin

Heath Berries

Common varieties of heath berries include blueberries and cranberries. The huckleberry is a lesser-known member of this berry family and is similar to the blueberry in appearance but very different in flavor. The hue of this berry can be anywhere from bright red to deep purple.

Huckleberries
photo by jinxmcc

Inedible Berries

Yew

While the red berries of the yew shrub probably won’t make you violently ill, the seed it surrounds is one of the most poisonous plant materials you’ll ever encounter. It’s recommended that you avoid this berry altogether unless you’re very, very desperate, in which case only consume the berry. This berry features a sugary sap in between the fruit and the seed.

Yew Berries
photo by Muffet

Bittersweet

Another highly-poisonous berry, the bittersweet is a woody nightshade plant that features bright-red, slightly egg-shaped berries. The berries go from green to yellow before finally turning red.

Bittersweet Berries
photo by Jamie Richmond

Doll’s Eyes

This highly-poisonous plant features easy-to-recognize berries as they are large and white with a black mark, giving it the appearance of “eyes.”

Dolls Eyes Berries
photo by BlueRidgeKitties

Holly and European Holly

Two totally different plants, both the holly and the European holly feature red, poisonous berries. European holly berries are only slightly poisonous to humans, though this is not a reason to consume them!

Holly Berries
photo by ArturoYee

Additional Tips

The best case scenario when dealing with wild berries is to consult a field guide before proceeding. If you do not have a field guide in front of you, remember to stay away from all berries that are white or yellow. Rinse off edible berries with water if possible before consumption, and wait two hours after eating one or two berries to ensure they digest well and won’t cause illness. If you’re camping and feel you have eaten something questionable, contact the nearest poison control center. Provide as much information as you can about the berry to determine whether or not it’s poisonous.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of edible and inedible berries!
Keep these tips in mind and stay safe!

Kent Page McGroarty is a blogger for Survivalbased.com. Check out more of her wilderness survival tips on the Survivalbased blog.