Monthly Archives: February 2012

Do You Have Paper In Your Preps?

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“Let Me Find Something To Write On”

“Let me find something to write on.” How many times have we said that? We need to jot down a phone number, write directions, or make a list. These days thought, ‘paperless’ is the new buzz word. Paper, and the related pens and pencils, are almost becoming obsolete. Almost everything is done on the computer; we don’t even print out as much anymore now that digital storage is secure and almost unlimited. Think about how much you actually write each day. Because of that, how much paper do you even have in your home?

In our digital-age, paper is something we use less and less. If that’s the case, why would we think about adding paper to our preps? Because we’re preparing for a time where we might have to do without many modern conveniences. What would you do in a collapse without paper? All of the sudden everything would have to be written out by hand (or old typewriters): letters, instructions, directions, school work, financial records, business records, agricultural records, medical records. Nothing would be digital anymore; it’d have to be written and filed (remember the old days? Like the ‘80s?). What are you going to write on then?

The Chinese began making paper in the 2nd Century AD, from there it spread to the Arab world and to medieval Europe. It is recognized as one of the greatest communication tools ever invented. It’s development allowed education, record keeping, and correspondence to thrive like it never could before. Its said that the printing press ushered in the Industrial Revolution and the Renaissance, but they had to have paper to print on first.

Paper making today is a large-scale, completely automated process (as described in the Paper University). Sure it can still be done by hand, or on a small-scale, if people have the knowledge. Probably the best way to do it in a collapse world is to make paper by recycling old paper (there will be plenty around). HubPages shows how to make recycled paper at home. Again it’s doable, but look at the steps and the time involved and realize that’s what it takes to make ONE piece of paper.

Today paper is cheap and available. I recently spent $40 on two boxes of 5000 sheets each; yes, Sarah shook her head when I came home with that much paper. But it’ll be good to include in our long-term storage; and, of course, we should have paper in our BOB*, car, and maybe even EDC. It’s easy to store, doesn’t take much space and, unless it gets wet, it’ll last for a long time.

(Friday: What I Did This Week To Prep)

*For my list of abbreviations and other information, open the above ‘Check Here…’ page tab.

 

 

 

My Everyday Carry (EDC)

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But I Have One In My Bag…

Just as you can’t choose your disaster, you can’t choose where you will be when that disaster (big or small) strikes. Best case, you’re at home with all your preps (and your family). Not quite as good, but being in the car with your well stocked BOB* isn’t so bad. Even if you’re at work, with your smaller but well equipped get home bag (GHB), you’ve got a lot of what you need. But what if you can’t get to your supplies? You could be at dinner, or a movie, or shopping or whatever. What do you have with you?

Everyday carry (EDC) is as simple as it sounds. What you carry in your pockets and/or in your purse, everyday, all the time. Sure, if you’re wearing your coat you could carry more, or if you had your backpack you’d have more, if you weren’t dressed up you could carry more. Lots of IFs. But if you were to empty out your pockets/purse right now, what would you have?

Here is a list of items I believe you should consider carrying:

    • knife. As my grandfather used to say, “there are things that can very easily be done with a knife, that are very hard to do without one.” I believe a knife, even a small one, is invaluable to have. It’s a useful tool and it’s a defensive weapon.
    • flashlight. There are very small ones that are easy to carry. If suddenly you’re in the dark they make a bad situation no big deal.
    • lighter. The ability to make fire in an emergency, for warmth, light, or signal can make any disaster better.
    • multi-tool. They can contain: pliers, screwdrivers, knife, saw, can and bottle opener, scissors, and file. Leatherman did it first, but now there are many brands out there.
    • whistle. It gets everyone’s attention and carries a long way.
    • tape. 20 inches of duct tape rolls up to  the size of a chapstick. Used for impromptu repairs or bandages.
    • cordage. Some type of simple cord: parachute cord, tarred twine, even picture wire. Something that’s light and easy to carry, but strong. Yes, your shoelaces could be used in a pinch, but then you don’t have shoelaces…

Things you can/should easily keep in your wallet:

      • cash. If the power is out and/or ATMs and credit cards won’t work, cash will.
      • list of important phone numbers. If your cell phone doesn’t work, or is lost, how many of the numbers you may need to call have you memorized?
      • AAA card (or other roadside assistance). Of all your preps, this is one you will very likely use.
      • band-aids. They take very little space and you’ll be glad to have it when it’s needed.

Personal defense:

      • pepper spray. I’m a big advocate; it allows you to deter and get away from almost all confrontations.
      • kubotan. Or similar small impact weapon. Attached to your keys and held in your hand it is an effective weapon.
      • keys. Your keys themselves can serve as a weapon if necessary.
      • handgun. Carrying a firearm is a personal decision. I believe it’s a good one, if you have the right training and motivation. Check into your state’s concealed carry laws to find out what is required. But if you chose to carry a handgun I would still carry pepper spray, it gives you a less lethal form of self-defense.

Final one: Cell phone. We depend on our phones for many additional things: entertainment, internet, camera, flashlight, music, contact list, clock, notepad, etc. In a crisis, you need to save the battery. If your plan is to use the phone as a flashlight, a clock, or music/entertainment to pass the time – remember the battery is finite and you many not have a chance to charge it again soon.

All this being said, people can and do get carried away with their EDC (there are forums threads dedicated to it, including on TSPs). Think about what you want/need to have with you, and find a realistic way to carry it. Also remember the most important thing is the knowledge to use the items you have, and to improvise if you don’t. As Jack Spirko, of The Survival Podcast, said, “How you think is more important than what you know. What you know is more important that what you have. What you have is more important than what you don’t have.”

(Wednesday: Let Me Find Something To Write On)

*For my list of abbreviations and other information, open the above ‘Check Here…’ page tab.

What I Did This Week To Prep 2/24/12

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I work in Seattle, so most of the people I see at work live in the city. When I first started writing my blog and discussing prepping at work, there was a friendly support of my efforts, but not that much interest in the topic. As time has passed, that has started to change; people are asking more questions, awareness is increasing, and people are letting me know when their preparations (even very minor) are paying off.

Recently I was asked about prepping if you live in the city, by yourself, in a small apartment. The comment/slight complaint was that I always write about prepping for a family in a suburban home. I explained that I write about what I know; that the main purpose of my blog is a reflection of the preparations I’m learning about and making in my family’s life. My immediate thought was that any prepper who lived in the city should be actively looking for a way to move out! But then I realized that some people don’t have that option (work, family, finances, support systems) or just really like to live in the city.

I agreed that a discussion of urban prepping, on the blog, would be a worthwhile topic (it was briefly addressed in Location, Location, Location). And though I was willing to research more about city prepping, I decided it’d be better if it came from someone who actually lived that life. I approached a good friend, Shawn, who is somewhat prepper-minded and reads my blog (so he understands my baseline); he lives alone, in a one bedroom apartment on the fourth floor, near the city’s center. Shawn agreed to write the post (possibly a short series) about his insights, choices, and ideas about prepping in the big city (it will be posted the last week of March).

As mentioned above, our blog is starting to reach further. Both in people I know personally, and especially in the online community. As I look at the stats that show the number of visitors to TraceMyPreps.com I’m humbled at how many people are reading on a regular basis. It’s a validation that what I’m doing here has meaning and purpose (we all need that from time to time).

Not a whole lot else of actual prepping this week. We have some things planned for next week that hopefully will get done (finally ordering seeds, getting more compost, getting the garden ready).

Some follow-up. As mentioned in my posts Walk A Mile In Your Shoes Part 1 and Part 2, my workout regime now incorporates regular walks with Kate (our 6-month Border Collie). My new Danner boots (now nicely broken-in) work well hiking on the trails through the woods behind our neighborhood. I’m now carrying about 60-70 pounds in my pack (about 1/3 my body weight, which is kind of the recommended upper limit) for about an hour, several times a week. I’m enjoying my workouts (I had gotten very tired of just going to the gym, year after year), and–after a few weeks–I, again, feel much more comfortable and competent about walking greater distances.

FYI there is a gun show at the fairgrounds in Puyallup, WA this weekend, March 25-26. It’s put on by the Washington Arms Collectors and open to all. They, of course, have a wide selection of guns, ammo, and related equipment, but also a good variety of prepper items and books. Definitely worth checking out if you live nearby.

What did you do?

 

How Much Do You Need = Math

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Figuring Out How Much To Store
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In our preps we store XYZ (food or non-food, doesn’t matter). We want to store enough of it to last 30 days (or 60, or 90, or a year…); how do we know when we’ve reached our goal? Do you know how much of XYZ you use a day, a week, a month? How do you figure it out? What variables need to be accounted for? Most of us just go with the ‘buy a bunch and hope it’s enough’ approach. But some things we’ll use faster than expected, and others will go bad before we’re able to use them. To determine these amounts is more of a hassle than it should be, but here are some ideas.

To start with, most packaged food items have a Serving Size (included in the Nutrition Facts). Sure this number will vary for different people, but it’ll work for a rough estimate. For items bought in bulk, it’s easy to look up the nutritional info online. Also, for food items–if you run out of one source of protein or carbs, you can typically use another–you don’t have to figure out each one exactly.

But other things that we have in our preps aren’t as easy to determine. What about items that don’t have a serving size or the amount used varies by person? Items like: toothpaste, feminine hygiene products, gasoline, shampoo, even pet food, or coffee? The answers are found through our old friend (or nemesis) math.

I’m going to use coffee as an example. How much coffee you use per day is dependent on how strong you like your coffee, and how much you drink each day. I wanted to figure out how much coffee we’d need for Sarah, Ryan, and I (the coffee drinkers in our family) to have one mug of coffee (16 fl oz) per day for one year (we’re assuming the SHTF* and we need to stretch it as long as possible).

We buy (and store) whole bean coffee in 2-pound bags. We figured out that:

  • 2-pound bag = 12 cups of coffee beans (8 oz cups, not mugs)
  • 1/8 cup (our scoop size) of  beans = 1 mug of coffee
  • 12-cup bag of beans = 96 mugs of coffee
  • 96 mugs / 3 people = 32 days of one mug each
  • 2-pound bag of coffee beans = one mug, per person (for 3 people), per day, for a month
  • ANSWER: twelve 2-pound bags = 1 mug, per person (for 3 people), per day, for 1 year

Another consideration is how long the stored item will last. And even though many food (or non-food) expiration dates don’t necessarily mean you can’t eat (or use) them after that–especially in a collapse–we should at least note them and if we think they will last longer understand how and/or why. With coffee, our example, the expiration date is 14 months from the time of purchase – so storing a year isn’t an issue.

It’s important to have our stored preps, but it’s only a start. We need to store them properly, rotate them regularly, know how to use them, and know how much we need of each.

(Friday: What I Did This Week To Prep)

*For my list of abbreviations and other information, open the above ‘Check Here…’ page tab.

Warning – Don’t Assume Cell Phones Will Work During a Power Outage

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Can You Hear Me Now?
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Last month, as you may remember (Weathering The Storm), an ice storm caused a wide-spread power outage in our area. The power had been out for about three hours when Sarah noticed she didn’t have any service on her cell phone; Ryan and I checked ours and we didn’t either. Sarah managed to find one area in an upstairs room where she was able to get a weak and intermittent signal. Sure the power was out, but why wouldn’t we have cell phone coverage?

After the storm was over I did some research and learned: Cellular services have antennas and base stations that require electricity. The FCC mandates that wireless carriers have backup electric power at MOST cell sites; so this typically means that cell towers have a battery backup system that will last two to four hours – depending on call traffic. In critical service areas there are also emergency generators. So, there are some redundancies built into the cellular network, but they’re limited and will be shortened if there is a lot of extra traffic on the network.

But I’ve been through other power outages and still had cell phone coverage, how come I didn’t this time?  If the power outage is only covering a relatively small area, then most likely you’ll be able to connect to a tower outside of your area that still has power. Also, the priority locations for the cell towers are near the major urban areas; if you live in the suburbs or a rural area your cell towers will be further apart and less likely to have backup generators.

How come XYZ provider, that my friend has, works and mine doesn’t?  Though some providers may work in areas that others don’t, all providers have the same vulnerabilities. Their provider may have more backup power, or towers available, or fewer subscribers. But with the increased call volume, that frequently happens during a disaster, all cell network circuits can become congested causing delays, intermittently weaker signals, and no service.

So in these situations cell phones won’t work at all? Even if you can’t make a voice phone call you can still probably send a text message. Texting uses far less bandwidth, has little effect on circuits, and uses very little of your phone’s battery charge – and even if the text can’t go out (or be received) immediately, it is frequently held in the phone’s queue until it can be sent. Battery usage is another topic – but to maximize your battery turn off the ringer and vibration and reduce the screen’s brightness.

What about landlines, won’t they work? If your landline is provided through a traditional phone line you will continue to have service, but only to your phones which are hard-wired into the wall – your cordless phones won’t work (the base station requires electricity). But if your phone service is provided by a cable TV company (like ours is) the digital “landline” is run through a modem that requires electricity; which means no electricity, no phone signal.

Could you plug the modem into a backup power source? I didn’t think of this until afterward; I assume it would work, but I need to test it.

So what’s the solution? I’m not sure I have a good fix for all this yet, but we’ll work on it. This situation does emphasize how much we take instantaneous communication for granted. Make a family plan that includes where to meet in an emergency, and where to leave a note if you have to leave before others arrive. Take some time and think about how you could communicate with your loved ones if cell phones weren’t an option – we did it for a lot of years, do we still remember how?

 

What I Did This Week To Prep 2/17/12

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We’ve realized that having our SWYE* preps established allows us to now only buy those items when they are on sale; that’s when we stock up  –  and that’s why we like Costco (initially, it seemed counter-intuitive that having food storage would help us save money on a regular basis). So we made our monthly trip to Costco. Not much on the coupon front this time, they’ve been disappointing lately. We got a 3-pack of good, leather, work gloves; protective equipment in a collapse will be very important – preventing injuries, even little ones, will be so much easier than treating them. We picked up another 3-pack LED small flashlight set; we have a flashlight in each car plus another one, and extra batteries, in the BOBs – but I thought it’d be helpful to have an extra flashlight clipped to the outside of the BOB to be able to find things inside the bag (Repetitive & Redundant). LED flashlights are great; because of the low-energy requirement of the LEDs themselves the batteries last a long time, and they put out a lot of light. Ibuprofen was on sale so we got extras; in a collapse, with all the sore muscles and orthopedic injuries, it’ll be good to have plenty stored – plus we use it and rotate it on a regular basis.

On our continued quest to find property near Sequim a new listing came online that looked good. We had our realtor look at it and he said it was a great value and highly recommended coming to see it soon. We scheduled an appointment for this last weekend, but before we could go it was already under contract – I guess it was a good deal. Unfortunately, even if we had seen it we weren’t ready to move that quickly. The quest continues…

Ryan, who is good at and enjoys small construction projects, built  a box to put underneath our pool table for extra storage. Even with our large suburban home and me trying to be ultra organized, we are still beginning to run out of space. I know most people don’t have a pool table and thus can’t use this suggestion, but I wanted to help you think of creative ways to use the space you do have.

While we were at the hardware store getting the wood for the under the pool table box, we also picked up wood to use to build a small greenhouse for the backyard (we had to borrow a friend’s truck, so we got everything we needed in one trip – can’t wait to get a truck of our own). We’re ordering our seeds this weekend and we’ll build the greenhouse in the next couple of weeks. And yes, of course, there will be a how-to blog post when we get it completed.

(Monday: Can You Hear Me Now? – Cell Phones and Power Outages)

*For my list of abbreviations and other information, open the above ‘Check Here…’ page tab.

 

Momma Bear Is The Prepper

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Contributed by Leah (aka Momma Bear)
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I’m the prepper of the family. Me, the mom, the wife, the taxi driver, the jack-of-all-trades.  Military life frequently keeps my husband away from home (especially since 9/11/01). My husband is a Logistics Officer in the United States Marine Corps and we have lived/traveled all over the globe. Military spouses have to be both Momma and Poppa Bear most of the time. Even when my husband IS home and on a desk job he’s working at least 60 hours a week as the “norm”. We spouses become the planners, organizers, fixers, do-ers, and sometimes even the movers! He has to be able to do his job, knowing that “I’ve got the watch” at home, no matter what.

Living overseas, I have been closer to terrorism, epidemics, natural disasters and civil unrest than I ever would have imagined. Living and traveling in Europe brings a constant threat of terrorism. Americans tend to, mistakenly, believe that they are safe in Europe. The European Union has extremely open borders and many terrorist groups funnel through countries we have close ties with; such as Germany, where we lived (and where some of the 9/11 attackers lived). There were numerous incidents that occurred in areas where we routinely traveled. In the U.S., we are greatly distanced (both physically and in media coverage) from the activities and potential threats in Europe. Here are two articles: Germany Increasingly a Center for Terrorism in Europe and Kosovo Muslim Shoots U.S. Airmen in Germany (this occurred at the airport that we used while living in Germany).

Moving to Asia brought us other hazards. We were perilously close to the H1N1 flu virus while living on the island of Okinawa, Japan. During this time, airports throughout Asia, with so many people traveling internationally, had huge H1N1 screening areas for incoming travelers. The U.S. Navy ship my husband deployed on also experienced a series of quarantines after service members contracted the virus and it transmitted quickly throughout the ship.

In 2010, our family vacationed in Bangkok, Thailand. A week after our return to Okinawa, Thailand fell into civil unrest with riots and fire bombings. Several of the places we had just visited were completely burned down. From the flu to the riots, it was a history lesson in action for all of us.

While living on Okinawa, we were also subject to earthquakes and the resulting tsunami alerts (Japan has an excellent public broadcasting alert system). In March 2011, when the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear reactor leak devastated the mainland, my husband was one of many who were sent to assist. Horrific does not begin to describe it. The tsunami warning system DID go off, and yet so many were still caught by the disaster. While these are all valuable life lessons, especially for our children, some have been a little too close for comfort. I have developed a greater appreciation for the tenuousness of our place on this earth. These lessons lend themselves greatly to the value of being prepared.

It is only natural that, since our recent return to the U.S. (we now reside outside of Washington D.C.), I am the tip of the spear in preparing for any eventualities at home. My husband fully supports my “prepping” and makes plenty of suggestions. After all, he has some serious survival skills himself! But the weight of the prepping falls to me based on his military duties and intermittent availability. Our planning often revolves around what, and how, we can do without him. Our kids are 13 and 16 and not exactly thrilled by the potential contingencies we are planning for. Nor are they excited by the subsequent “new lifestyles” they might have to endure should the SHTF. A typical “prepper” conversation at our house sounds ominously like, “You expect me to poop in a bucket?!” After life overseas they are grudgingly on board, but not always thrilled.

Like most preppers, the list of things we need (and need to learn) is much longer than I like to admit. We are “city folk” in this family and have never done many of the things we imagine we need to learn before the SHTF. I am a smart, crafty, handy woman who takes things seriously, especially prepping. While we are military (and I know most of you have some pre-conceived ideas about military type people and their hobbies), moving often makes it very difficult to own weapons (*add to list). The kids have never shot guns, and I haven’t since I was a kid (gun training, *add to list). While I do have experience with many classic skills, we have never grown our own food (*add to list). We haven’t even done much fishing or camping (*list!), let alone hunting (*LIST!). We are a modern, urban family who is preparing for the challenge of surviving, whatever the future throws at us.

In the meantime–like Trace and his family–I am making my plans, building up my supplies, looking for a “recreation property”, and learning as much as I can.

Momma Bear’s Bio
I am the mother of three (two teens and an adult), keeper of seven pets, a Marine Corps wife, Navy veteran, go-to family logisticator, international traveler, foodie, amateur artist, Germanophile, heavy-duty crafter, consummate volunteer, handy girl and part-time intellectual (if only there were more hours in my day). Currently we reside outside our nation’s capitol, in northern Virginia; after returning from six years of living abroad. With 22 years military service (his/mine combined), we have moved over 20 times; including multiple coast to coast and two international moves. We are city raised with little rural life experience.

Teaching The Kids (& Learning More Myself) – Chainsaws

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An Intro To Chainsaws
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“To teach is to learn twice.” Joseph Joubert

One of my favorite things to do is teach. Though I was never a full-time teacher, I have taught in the military, law enforcement, and emergency medicine. But the place I believe I have been the most influential teacher is as a father. Others I taught maybe sat through an hour-long class, or perhaps rode with me for several shifts in a police car or an ambulance; my kids have learned from me all their lives.

There are many ways to teach and learn. A Chinese proverb says, “Tell me and I’ll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I’ll understand.” My kids have–hopefully–learned from my good and bad examples, my successes and my failures. In addition, I try to deliberately teach them what I believe they need to know. Things like how to: have good manners, do laundry, change a tire, cook, clean a clogged drain, and stop bleeding.

I try to teach the kids new skills on a regular basis. I’m now going to formalize this process; one Sunday a month I will teach them a prepper-type skill.

This month we had a, somewhat impromptu, introductory lesson to chainsaws. During our recent ice storm one of the many trees that fell landed on my kids’ mom’s (my ex-wife’s) fence. So, to help out–and reap the firewood–I volunteered to remove the tree.

I borrowed a chainsaw from a friend (thanks Rick) and Ryan, Chanse and I headed over. When we got to the tree, I did the bigger/risky cutting. We brought the large branches into the yard and I let the boys, under close supervision, limb off the smaller branches. Chanse had used a saw once before, but Ryan never had. They listened closely to my instructions and then carefully followed my direction. It’s hard not to feel kind of manly when using a chainsaw, and both boys thought it was pretty cool.

While we were there the girls came out and I asked if they’d like to learn, and all wanted to try. So starting with Brynn, then Emily, then Alison they each limbed one branch. They didn’t do a lot but, especially for the two younger girls, the saw was  heavy and they wouldn’t have been able to do much more. But they were successful and could at least say that they’d done it – and smiles were had by all.

Remember to teach your kids–and your spouse–the skills you know. You may not be around when they are necessary.

(Wednesday: Momma Bear: Momma Bear Is The Prepper, by our new contributor Leah)

What I Did This Week To Prep 2/10/12

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As I mentioned last week, we’re bringing on a new monthly contributor. Leah, who we’ll affectionately refer to as ‘Momma Bear’, will write for us the third Wednesday of each month. Her debut post, Momma Bear Is The Prepper, will be up next Wednesday. I’m excited to have her relatively unique perspective as the woman in the family being the ‘main‘ prepper. Prepping has traditionally been viewed as a male thing; men are the ones who ‘protect the cave’ (yes, I know I’m stereotyping). Since this is such a male-dominated community in general, and I’m a male, I am very happy to be able to present a female prepper’s point of view; not one who is just supporting her husband – but is motivating, guiding, and directing it.

Also new this week – A Contest! We’re giving away a signed copy of The Doom and Bloom Survival Medicine Handbook! After the great response to my post reviewing The Doom and Bloom Survival Medicine Handbook, Dr. Bones and Nurse Amy contacted me and asked if I would like a copy of their book to give away to my readers. I immediately responded in the affirmative and requested an autographed one (which they humbly agreed to). So, since I’ve never done a give-away contest before, Sarah and I brainstormed how to do it. Here’s what we came up with: If you’d like to win the book, comment–on this post, or on the TraceMyPreps facebook page–and tell us what your biggest concern MEDICALLY is in a collapse.

You have until 8:00pm PST this Sunday (2/12/12) to respond. From the respondents we’ll randomly choose a name. The winner’s name (first name, or log-in name, only) will be posted on our facebook page at that time; I’ll then coordinate with the winner to get the book mailed. Hopefully this’ll all work… Since this is our first give away, and we have a relatively small audience, if you post something you’ll have a pretty good chance to win.

As Sarah mentioned in her post, I’ve located a source to get donkey manure to fertilize our garden. My boss’ landlord has donkeys and is happy to give away the manure. He bags it up in approximately 4-gallon heavy duty bags, and just asks that the bags be returned. Yesterday, after work, I picked up 11 bags and brought them home. It was interesting, in my little commuter car full of donkey manure, there was no odor – just a faint smell of dirt. I did a little bit of research and it appears that the basic consensus (here’s where WSU Extension discusses it) is that fresh manure is perfectly safe to be added directly to the garden soil. However, it should be added using the following guidelines: 120 days before root crops (food that comes into contacted with the soil) are harvested, or 90 days, if the food does not have direct contact with the soil. I hope to get many more bags and cover the entire garden area front and back.

What did you do this week to prep?

(Monday: Teaching The Kids: Chainsaws For Everyone)

Sarah’s View: Time To Order Seeds

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Even though we’re still in the dark of winter, now is the time of year when we peruse the seed catalogs and start planning our garden.

Last year was our first “real” garden, and it did okay. It wasn’t spectacular, but it wasn’t horrible either. Part of that can be blamed on the weather – it was a very cool summer and plants that normally do well around here, like tomatoes, struggled. But much of the garden success, or in this case failure, was directly related to our inexperience. It was the first year we started our plants from seed (instead of seedlings) and we tried items that we had no previous experience growing. We also do not have the best soil… okay, the soil here sucks. Our subdivision’s “soil” is mostly rocks and clay.

Trace has been actively working to improve our soil. He built up our back yard compost pile, brought in additional compost from the local landfill, and expanded the space for the garden. We hope to continue the soil enhancements this year. We will bring in more compost and are selecting specific crops with soil improvement in mind. Trace is also pursuing a lead on donkey manure.

There were a few plants that did well. Of the perennials we planted, the strawberries, raspberries and asparagus all survived. The rhubarb, on the other hand, didn’t go so well. And we were able to harvest some tomatoes (albeit mostly green) at the end of the season. This year we’ll again try tomatoes, green beans, and zucchini. I’ll have to check on the herb garden and see what survived the snow, but we will have – either from seed or carried over from last year – basil, rosemary, thyme, sage and chives.

Besides the “regulars”, we are hoping to branch out (pun intended) a bit this year. Trace has requested cabbage; luckily I’ve heard it grows well around here and shouldn’t be a problem. I would also like to grow potatoes. We found a potato box diagram online that will allow us to grow them without using a huge amount of space.  We are also going to add butternut and spaghetti squash, radishes, onions, garlic, black beans, and peas to our garden. None of those are all that uncommon, but will be “new to us”.

One, more unusual, plant we’re going to try is garbanzo beans (aka chickpeas). We regularly fry them on the stove to make a snack and would love to have enough to do this and make our own hummus. In addition, the other uncommon plant we are going to try is comfrey. We are specifically planting this with soil improvement in mind as it is known as a valuable fertilizer and will pull nutrients up with its long tap root.

This year, after having more time to look over the many many options, we are going to go ahead and order from Bountiful Gardens again. Their catalog has a plethora of information on each plant and I truly value their philosophy: “For the benefit of all farmers, gardeners and consumers who want an alternative, we pledge that we do not knowingly buy or sell genetically engineered seeds or plants.” As preppers, I feel it is important that the plants we grow have seeds that can be saved and successfully planted in future years.

What are you planting this year?

(Friday: What I Did This Week To Prep)

note: This is my wife Sarah’s second post (first post: “What Do You Think of All This?” – A Prepper’s Wife’s Point of View). She will continue to post under ‘Sarah’s View’ the second Wednesday of each month. I’m excited to have her regularly writing for us!