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Discussion: self dependance on FOOD
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Blueballmadness |
self sufficiency on FOOD
May 31 2010, 1:50 AM EDT
| Post edited: May 31 2010, 9:49 PM EDT
Ok, lets say you've survived, and are looting local stores for food. When you run out (assuming you survive) how will you grow food? Most people here aren't farmers, and can't grow food on a decent scale (NO, gardens don't count, this should AT LEAST be a couple of Acres, unless you think you can feed yourself on a plot of 10 ft by 10 ft until next year's harvest.)So lets say you travel around, and to your good luck, you find an abandoned farm! There are some cattle, both milk and beef. Now, there's a tractor in the barn, but the house doesn't have any fuel, If you do, how long can you keep it operational? Tractors are gas guzzlers, think about it. So without a tractor, you need a non-mechanized plow. Say by some more good fortune, you found one, But are there any beasts of burden? Say you luck out AGAIN there's some draft horses. do you know how to rig them to the Plow? So if you did, and have plowed the fields, can you plants the seeds, at the right time, can you harvest them at the right time, can you decide which parts are safe to eat, ect, ect? There's only so much you can learn from a book, and FARMING ISN"T ONE OF THEM. 0 out of 1 found this valuable. Do you?
Keyword tags:
crops
et cetera
farming
food
growing
self
self sufficient
sufficient
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LJ126 |
1. RE: self dependance on FOOD
May 31 2010, 3:44 AM EDT
| Post edited: May 31 2010, 3:48 AM EDT
First and foremost, the title needs to be addressed - by definition, it's IMPOSSIBLE to be "self-dependent" for food. We have to obtain food from outside sources. Plants are mostly self-dependent for food, but no animals are. The word you're looking for is "self sufficient." I've updated the keyword tags to reflect this as well.That being said, I'm going to assume that you've never tended a garden before. It's actually surprisingly easy to grow food, even if you live in the city. You don't need a gigantic tract of land like a "commercial farmer" either - you can grow more than you need in a 1/8th to 1/4 acre garden plot of decent soil if you utilize the space efficiently. The hardest part is to try to keep animals (like rabbits, squirrels, coons and others) out of it, which can be accomplished in one of a few different ways, none of which require large amounts of creativity... Let's address that whole "commercial farmer" thing again - you know why farmers have big tractors, combines, and giant fields? They sell their product all over the country! They don't live off of the food, they live off of the income made from selling it! They grow a lot more than they need INTENTIONALLY. A large vegetable garden, when combined with canned food stockpiles and canning the uneaten leftovers, can sustain your nutritional requirements for very long periods of time. And YES, you can learn how to do it in a book, but reading a book on farming isn't going to make you an expert without hands-on experience. ~LJ126 Do you find this valuable? |
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LJ126 |
2. RE: self dependance on FOOD
May 31 2010, 4:12 AM EDT
| Post edited: May 31 2010, 4:17 AM EDT
After having sat and thought on this topic for a half hour or so, I've decided to come back to it and post some more information in the hopes that it will point readers into the right direction.One book that has been unbelievably insightful for me has been "The Readers Digest: Back to Basics - How to Learn and Enjoy Traditional American Skills." I've placed a link below to the latest edition. I own a first edition copy of the book, which was printed a few years before I was born and it's still in like new condition. My mom bought it years ago, and I'm really glad she gave it to me. This book explains EVERYTHING you need to know about living like our ancestors did 150+ years ago, from raising animals and growing vegetables, to constructing a house, to building a solar water heater, to making homemade beverages. Reading this book and learning these skills will place you WAY ahead of the average survivor of the zompocalypse. http://www.amazon.com/Back-Basics-Traditional-American-Skills/dp/0895779390 This book, in my opinion, is essential for the city-dwelling survivalist who has no exposure to "real world living." This book contains all of it, short of teaching you basic defensive CQC techniques and how to operate longarms and handguns. It's possible that you can find this text at your local library as well. Do you find this valuable? |
PedroAsani |
3. RE: self dependance on FOOD
May 31 2010, 4:18 AM EDT
If you survived by looting stores for food, then you survived through luck, and not any kind of foresight or planning.http://www.zombiesurvivalwiki.com/page/PedroAsani%27s+Survival+Plan+-+Part+3%3A+Digging+In+-+Food If you are actively preparing, then a big part of that is going to be a self-sufficient food source. Do you find this valuable? |
Mortain |
4. RE: self dependance on FOOD
Jul 22 2010, 5:09 AM EDT
or you have access to people like me who understand ranching, and my roomate's parents who where farmers.Milking cows, growing food for livestock, gardens for people.. all easy to learn stuff. Do you find this valuable? |
Filadog |
5. RE: self sufficiency on FOOD
Jul 22 2010, 7:24 AM EDT
I think people that are planing on suddenly becoming farmers after an event will most probably die.Not only to much to learn but is very unreasonable to expect to find everything you need....sure it's easy to type stuff like "there are some cattle" but I think in the real world an abandoned farms cattle would have been ate pretty fast by starving people. You will have to learn to farm, find the tools to do it and then actually farm while at the same time try to survive and find food...Even if you got lucky and started all this at the perfect time of the year you will have many weeks till you get your first crops in. I think if you are prepared befor hand things could be different. First small tractors don't require that much fuel and you don't need a huge plot of land to grow enough food for a family I have lots of experance with Horses including some with draft horses but currently I've been helping a friend of mine that has a team of oxen. She got them when they were a week old and now they are about year old. I had never really worked with Oxen befor [she has] but I have really come around to thinking they would be a better choice on a farm like this then a horse. Easier to find, Cheaper [she got hers for free] easier to train, easier to care for and no harness needed Do you find this valuable? |
ItsMrManCub |
6. RE: self sufficiency on FOOD
Jul 22 2010, 10:29 AM EDT
A tractor although a great help is not necessary. Sure you can break up ground faster with it but a simple hoe and a strong back will suffice if thats all you have.Something that im currently working on is a hand pump for my water wells. The Texas heat will be my greatest enemy IMO so water will be very important. At our hunting lease we have one constructed over a fresh water well, with a few seconds of working the pump you have fresh water. I would like to get my hands on another one but if not I guess I could just move that one. A real great asset would be an actual ass. If one had a mule or donkey then they would have natures tractor which when paired with a plow could bust more ground in a day than I could ever dream by myself. Do you find this valuable? |
