2012 DISASTER GARDENING by J.E. Ante

Author:

Joseph Ante
If a large natural disaster in late 2012 of massive coronal mass ejections take out most all electrical devices and electrical energy production then mankind will be set back to a 1900s existence overnight.  If this occurs then everyone will need to become backyard farmers for the next few years in order to survive the rebuilding of our modern civilization\'s infrastructure.

As an organic gardener I would like to pass on some information which would help people now to prepare for this possibility and prevent many gardening mistakes.

The most food can be produced with the least amount of effort with fruit, nut, and berry bushes that grow upright and require little yearly attention.  The only drawback is that they normally take 3-5 years to begin bearing fruit or nuts.  But you can plant the dwarf varieties and get fruit in 2-3 years.  This is what most people should do now because a large natural disaster could last many years and require many years of food self-sufficiency for families.  The best book on this subject I have found is 'Fruit Trees for the Home Gardener'  by Allan A. Swenson -- $14.95.

Most all of the suburban lawns in cities in America are compacted clay soils which would grow very little food for the average homeowner without extensive work to improve the soils.  Many tree roots prevent digging and the clay soils are severely compacted from years of cutting the grass and walking on the soil.  There is only three solutions to this compacted soil condition of the suburban homeowner.   One is to own a rototiller and till the soil at least two feet  deep to loosen the soil and turn the grass under to begin a massive garden of row crops.  This is the traditional method of reclaiming lawns for garden use.  If you have access to a rototiller and gas after 2012 this is probably what most people will attempt to do to grow additional foods after a 2012 disaster. But rototillers may not work after 2012 and gas may not be available.

Second, and more likely, is that rototillers and gas to till and start a new garden will not be available after late 2012.  In which case the only means is hand tools of shovels and pitch fork to double dig a blot of land.  If you do this double dig procedure you can produce about 5 to 10 times the food on the land as you can produce with row crops.  But the main problem is that this is back breaking work to double-dig large plots of land to garden.  (Double-digging is digging the soil two spade lengths deep to loosen and turn the soil and grass under.)  And if there are trees nearby their roots will prevent this digging.

In reality most people will just turn over one 10-12 inch layer of soil and rake it over of large clumps and deem it ready to plant a garden.  They will not take the time to double dig the blot because of the hard labor.  This will be a big mistake because you can produce 5 to 10 times the food on an intensive plot of garden land that is double dug than you can a single dug row crop plot. 

The best solution and by far the easiest is to make a raised bed garden NOW with your own custom made soil.  Make your raised beds out of simple concrete blocks stacked two high (16 in.) rather than wood which will rot eventually.  At a cost of about $1.00 each for a 16 in.X8 in.X8 in. long block you can begin a garden easily and build new beds as you have time and money.  700 to 1000 sq ft of growing space will be all you need to grow most of your food for a family of four for a year.  The book 'Cinder Block Gardens'  by Lynn A. Gillespie is the one best book by far on this subject -- cost originally $15.00.  But there are many sources on-line.  You only need to know to place the blocks three and a half wide as the best width and make the rows any length you wish.  And you should make the custom soil out of 1/3 sand, 1/3 compost, and 1/3 peat moss. ( I like coconut coir fibers added to this soil to help keep moisture in the soil which is a problem with raised beds).

In a survival 2012 disaster situation you will need to grow the easy root crops most which is the most nutrition grown and the least space.  Carrots, beets, turnips, potatoes, maca, sunchokes, onions, garlic, dandelion, and sweet potatoes.  Next, grow tomatoes, summer squash, beans, cabbage, zucchini, pumpkin, strawberries, rhubarb spinach, peas, popcorn, peppers, lettuce greens, and winter squash.  (Cucumbers have very little nutritional value.)  I know this is not McDonald\'s hamburgers and fries food but it is probably far healthier than starvation.  After 2012 only corn, oats, beans, wheat, and soy products with be grown by the remaining local big farmers to supplement your diet with bread, oils, corn, and beans.  Most all livestock will be gone (eaten) and only local chickens and eggs would be available.

You need 175 feet long by 4 feet wide growing beds to get 700 square feet of garden space for a family of four -- $2500 cost for blocks and soil.  Plus the concrete blocks with two 5 in holes each can be filled with the custom soil also and planted for an additional 300 sq ft of growing space.  The concrete blocks can be moved easily if you decide to expand or change the shape of the beds.  And trellises and plastic covers can be easily used to extend your growing season throughout the winter for additional food.

The springtime in pioneer generations past was know as the time of starvation.  The foods saved over the winter was gone or used up and the new crops are just being planted and not yet matured to eat. The foresight to plant fruit, nut, and berry plants now and build a 700 sq. ft raised bed garden with custom made soil for a few thousand dollars is the very best investment you can have for 2012 and beyond regardless of what happens

This and all of my 100 plus articles online can be reposted anywhere without  permission.-- J.E. Ante
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/weather-articles/2012-disaster-gardening-by-je-ante-3733964.html
About the Author
J.E. Ante, Graduate University of Indianapolis BA 1972, Head of the Life Science Institute Health Library, original organizer of first Earth Day in 1970 and local ZPG chapter in Indiana, Population and Environment Editor with Reflector at Indianapolis University, 12yr organic gardener with fruit, nuts, and berries, lifelong student of Out-of-Body spiritual techniques.( http://www.articlesbase.com/authors/joseph-ante/201241.htm )

I Love a Tile Floor -- But How Do I Clean It?

It's something I've wanted for a long long time -- a beautiful ceramic tile floor in my kitchen. One of the reasons I put off buying it for so long was that I once lived in a house with tile countertops and they were a mess! Years of dirt and grime had built up in the crevices and I spent weeks with a toothpick and a toothbrush trying to make the grout white again.

Thanks to my daughter (who did some digging around) I am now educated in the ways of tile cleaning. The Steam Team website explains all their cleaning services (  round rock tile cleaning) , and I read all of it! I learned that this and companies like it can clean all sorts of surfaces for a reasonable price and far easier than my toothpick-and-brush method.

If I lived in the Austin area, I'd just hire them. All the same, it's good to know that cleaning my soon-to-come tile floor isn't so difficult after all.

Going off grid?

For a long time I've toyed with the idea of becoming energy independent. I think most people have, in fact, but wind and solar power are as mysterious to most of us as the depths of the universe.

Energy costs keep getting higher, though, and no matter how closely I follow energy-saving guidelines, it seems my electric and gas bills just keep getting higher.

Starting now, I'm doing more than toying with the idea. I'm serious. But in order to get the best system for my house, I need a lot more information than I have right now. I've started doing my own research into alternative energy sources. A google search turns up tons of websites, and the one I found most helpful so far promises that solar is made easy. In fact,  that is the name of the website. It's in the UK, where alternative energy sources have a much greater foothold than here in the US. Just like they beat us to the punch on fuel-efficient cars, folks in the UK are way ahead of America when it comes to sensible power options.

The site breaks down the information I need into little bite-size bits. I was able to get a grasp of the basics of how solar power and panels work. They even have a quick  online interview that will give you a quote, although it's aimed for UK visitor so that part didn't help much.

At the bottom of their webpage I found a series of articles that explain the process in more depth. Now I'm not educated about this well enough to go out and install my own solar power system, but I've learned enough from this site to have a conversation with my local solar installers. I find it best to have a good knowledge of the subject before tangling with the pros because I like to follow what they're saying and also I want to be able to tell if they're feeding me a load of blatant bull.

All the info on the website is completely free and thoroughly understandable by novices like me. If you're also ready to start the groundwork, I suggest that you have a look at this site (and many others) to get your bearings before you spend money on a solar power system.

Self-Sufficiency Through Energy Conservation & Simple Living

Author: Simpleliving

Self sufficiency is the most versatile and guaranteed weapon that can build a habit of easy living without depending upon the scarce resources of natural energy. In fact, it is the best and world-renowned process of making ourselves totally independent. In this fluctuating world of economic crises and natural disasters, it is becoming increasingly important to become self sufficient and save natural energy for future living. As the natural energies are depleting day by day due to immense usage and wastage, it is significant to conserve energy resources and become self sufficient for smooth and efficient living.


Today, self-sufficiency can achieve through many ways; one of the popular ways is to conserve energy and save environmental. By saving environment from pollution, one can easily conserve the oxygenated air and make it more efficient for easy living and breathing. Environment can also be saved by reducing the amount of pollutants to the air, water and soil. As a matter of fact, one should grow food in the form of vegetables, fruits and other edible herbs in their gardens only. It not only makes a person self sufficient also foster of self sufficient living in them.
 

The concept of simple living is one of the most acclaimed phenomenons that most of the people adopt. It not only assists in self dependency, but also gives complete piece of mind. Most of the people adopt the concept by raising goats and chickens. However, the concept is not restricted to raising goats, it also implies a broad concept that you may adapt as per your needs and understanding of the nature. In fact, it also encircles simple soap making, food preservation, such as drying or dehydrating, making textiles and raising chickens in the backyard, etc.
 


Besides being simple in life, most of the people choose energy conservation issues to address as the best part of healthy and effective living. In pursuit of the same, they try to conserve petrol, diesel by taking bicycles to their drives. This not only helps in saving precious petrol or diesel, but also fosters healthy living. Those people who practice healthy living and respect nature always emphasize to less pollute the surrounding environment. This practice collaboratively promotes health, self sufficiency, simple living and above conserves valuable energy.


Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/advice-articles/self-sufficiency-through-energy-conservation-simple-living-5610553.html


About the Author

The author is associated with Self-Sufficient-Blog.com. Self-Sufficient-Blog.com is a blog started by Josiah Fordahl for the purposes of educating the masses on how to become a little more self-sufficient in their daily life.  
   

Finding some storage for our sun room

Guest post written by Michelle Gross

When it's warm outside, we spend a lot of our time in the sun room. It's a little too cold to do that in the winter, so I'm excited that we'll start to get to use it a whole lot more again. It's something that I always look forward to about spring. But we keep a lot of stuff in the sun room and it would be really nice to be able to use a little storage in there.

I looked to see what kind of storage units would be OK out there and while I was looking I saw some stuff on exterior doors and knew that they would be great replacements for our sun room doors.

Basically, I want our sun room to be as comfortable as possible because we spend more time in there during warm weather than we do in the living room! I did find some good storage solutions in a tower with drawers in it that will be great for holding DVDs, board games and all kinds of other things that we use out there all the time.

Mother's Day Gifts and Common Sense

Stores are full of trinkets that, according to the marketing, are just what Mom wants on her special day. I've never met a mother who truly needs or wants another scented candle or bath-and-body set.

It's the thoughtfulness of a child that warms Mom's heart. She appreciates the recognition of her love and nurturing. A big hug and a 'thank you' would probably be her favorite Mothers Day gift, but few of us are comfortable stopping at that. We all like to give Mom something tangible.

Speaking as both a daughter and a mother, I prefer sensible items. Most of us are are really having to stretch our dollars these days, too, so outlandish and over-priced roses or diamonds just don't fit the budget or the sentiment.

Because my daughter is a far more gifted cook than I am, I encourage her to make my  Mothers Day gift something from her oven. Last year she delighted me with four dozen of her meringue cookies delivered in a new pie carrier that --unlike my old one-- still had a handle for ease of carrying.

The best Mothers Day gift I ever received from my son was a good set of jumper cables to keep in the trunk of my car.

The reason these gifts stand out for me is that they came from the heart. My children paid attention to my lifestyle and to my needs and wants, rather than just falling in line with the advertising and plunking down their hard-earned money for something that would only be relegated to the closet.

I encourage you to follow their example. Pay a visit to your mom and notice what she says, what she does, and most of all, what she truly needs and wants. Let her know that she's special by showing her through your gift that you care enough to put some thought into her gift.

Emergency Preparedness: A Matter of Habits and the Heart

Author:

Dan Camacho
Emergency preparedness. What does it make you think of? Food storage? Extra blankets? MREs? Flashlights? 72-hour kits? Strapping down the water heater?

Emergency preparedness is all of the above, of course. But it\'s something more than just gathering 'stuff' or stockpiling food. It\'s not just temporal, it\'s spiritual as well.

Emergency preparedness begins in the heart. The best way to be prepared is to be holy. In many ways, holiness is created by the habits we choose to develop. And the most foundational habit we can develop is to be obedient.

I have seen many people handle emergencies - from medical crises, to job losses, to sudden deaths. It has been fascinating to watch. Some people are devastated by emergencies, while others move forward and handle them calmly, with much less apparent trauma.

What makes the difference? Preparation. What makes people prepared? Faithful obedience over time.

People who are faithful and obedient are almost always better prepared for emergencies. The deeper their reserves, the better they seem to weather the crises life inevitably brings.

Deep reserves are created through faithful obedience. Whether the reserves are emotional strength, reservoirs of faith, or commodities stored in the basement, they are generally accumulated bit by bit over time. In many ways, emergency preparedness is a matter of looking to our habits and our hearts.

Are we in the habit of daily scripture study and prayer? Are we in the habit of living within our means? Are we in the habit of budgeting and tracking expenses? Are we in the habit of carefully acquiring food storage, even if we must do so slowly? Are we in the habit of eating from the foods we store? Are we in the habit of planning ahead? Most important of all, are we in the habit of following the Prophet?

These are small and simple things that, to quote Sister Julie Beck, 'may seem almost mundane.' Even so, they can feel overwhelming - especially if you try to do everything all at once.

If the thought of emergency preparedness overwhelms you, choose just one small habit to work on. Maybe it\'s morning prayers; maybe it\'s balancing the checkbook every month; maybe it\'s just having oatmeal for breakfast once a week.

No one can do everything, but everyone can do something. When our hearts are right, the Lord magnifies our efforts. When he sees that we are serious about something, he helps us. Emergency preparedness is no exception.

Sometimes the hardest part is just to start. But once we\'ve started, it\'s easier to continue. And the more consistent we are, the easier it gets. Over time, the smallest of efforts can add up in a miraculous way.

The time to start working on emergency preparedness is today. Step out in faith by developing good habits now, one at a time. Good habits are the best emergency preparedness there is. Over time, they help us build reserves that will help us handle any crisis and weather any storm.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/emergency-preparedness-a-matter-of-habits-and-the-heart-3155551.html
About the Author
Visit: LDS Emergency Preparedness

A Doomsday Prepper Introduction

Not all of those who Prepare are Preppers, but all Preppers are prepared. Thomas offers this quick guide to the various sorts.



Author:

Thomas Holohan
I think you\'d be surprised how few doomsday preppers there are these days. Most people are extremely short sighted and think that the coming apocalypse is just hogwash.

To each his own, right?

Anyways, you should be encouraged to know that there are thousands and thousands of us out there. Even though everyone is preparing for something a bit different, I think we all know that any preparation is better than no preparation at all.

Now let\'s take a look at just a few types of doomsday preppers, shall we?

The Oil Catastrophe Preppers

As you might guess, these are the people getting ready for the world to run out of oil. Some experts say that we won\'t run out for decades. Others say that we\'ll be out by 2020, if not before. Either way, it never hurts to get prepared, right?

Some of these doomsday preppers have a getaway car parked fairly close to where they live. When the crap hits the fan, they\'ll hike or bike to that hidden car and then get out of town.

Others have planned on just hunkering down where they live right now. Seed banks, domestic animals, and hidden stockpiles of gas are what they expect to get them through the hard times.

Financial Meltdown Doomsday Preppers

These are the folks getting ready for either a national or global financial meltdown. Considering that the U.S. is getting much deeper into debt every year and the dollar is plummeting, this kind of disaster might occur very soon indeed.

So how are these preppers getting ready? Well if the financial system melts down, we won\'t have ready access to food, water, oil, animals, clothing- pretty much anything. So the preppers are getting ready by stocking up on a lot of the essentials.

Keep in mind that when it comes to preparing for an apocalypse, the more land you have to raise crops and animals, the better. Even though most humans live in cities right now, they\'ll probably regret it when they\'re fighting each other for supplies after the financial crisis happens.

Nuclear War Doomsday Preppers

This started during the Cold War, but has never really gone out of style. The fear of nuclear war is increasing as Iran is pushing scientists to develop nuclear warheads. Plus, consider that the U.S., Russia, China, and lots of other countries already have nukes. Pretty scary, right?

Unfortunately this is a tougher thing to prepare for than many other scenarios. If there is nuclear fallout, it will be tough for anything to survive for very long. That\'s why many of these preppers have deep underground shelters. These shelters are stocked with plenty of food and water, as well as ways to obtain more (such as water filtration systems and lights to grow fruits and veggies).

Alien Invasion Doomsday Preppers

To some of us, this may sound a bit silly. To others, this is the most likely form of disaster we\'re likely to see in the coming years.

For the most part, it\'s hard to say how aliens will invade. Will they take over our bodies like Invasion of the Body Snatchers? Do they have HUGE machines that basically laser-zap us into dust like in War of the Worlds?

Since it\'s hard to say, most of these preppers are doing general preparations- stocking up on food, water, guns, and ammo. Lots of ammo.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/culture-articles/a-doomsday-prepper-introduction-5764947.html
About the Author
The author is a professional writer and a personal trainer. You can visit his website about Doomsday Preppers at apocalypsesurvivalschool.com, you will find information and advice about natural disasters and survival at his website.