What does COVID 19 have to do with Prepping?

Good Morning still healthy Preppers,

December 31st China announced that it ‘might’ have an unknown pneumonia strain floating about.  No worries people – we’re just wearing hazmat suits and building emergency hospitals each with a minimum of 1000 new beds for the acutely sick and sending all the other potentially ill people to home manage the illness themselves. The rumor is that several hospitals have been built to treat 100,000+ critically ill patients.

Going on with that – What does this have to do with My Book on prepping?

Chinas economy has a direct effect on the economies of many other countries.
Many of our products, from medical, auto and computer components are produced in China.  Also, toys, clothing, home essentials and many of the items you find at Walmart, your local mall and the online store you shop at including Amazon, have been sourced from a Chinese warehouse.

Due to this aggressive virus, China is struggling to maintain workers for their 24 hour 7 day-a-week processing/shipping houses – and even more difficult maintaining workers to manufacture these out-sourced goods.  Because of this, you will soon begin to see this trickle down to availability and empty shelves at the brick and mortar merchants.

Then there is the global outbreaks to contend with.  Goods and services may become interrupted there – even here as more countries implement mandatory quarantines

Telecommunications giant Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NTT) Group on Feb. 17 began recommending teleworking and commuting at off-peak times to some 200,000 employees working in Japan. Its initiative also includes holding meetings with a large number of people through teleconferences.”

Now we are facing our own epidemic concerns:

712 People in Washington State Being Monitored for Corovirus Symptoms:
“Only one person has been tested positive for the new coronavirus in  Washington State, but 712 people are under public health supervision.”

What does this suggest?  An overactive healthcare-emergency imagination? Or an actual serious threat that we are yet privy to?  Either way – we won’t know until we know.

So getting back to preps and this ‘Novel’ virus.  This germ is known to live on surfaces for up to 9 days.  So if an infected person traipses through the grocery store feeling the fruit, touching cereal boxes, inspecting cheese packages and rummaging through the discount movie bin, their sickness will linger on the items for nine days infecting not only the items but their storage bins/areas and the shopping baskets they have pushed around on their visit.  Let’s not forget the pizza delivery guy….

Better yet – it takes 2.5 seconds to get infected by water droplets in the air if you are within 6 feet of an infected person.

And…if that wasn’t enough…when you become infected – you won’t know it for up to 24 days.  Unawares, you have now infected your family, who visit friends, go to school, go to church and still shop like the first infected person did.

Now this virus can be mild, moderate or it can be a killer – but you won’t know it until you take a spin from the COVID19 roulette wheel.

Back to prepping.  IF this virus overwhelms our country, there may be a time of mandatory quarantine.  Yet – even if we never see a quarantine, there may still be a shortage of needful things on the shelves.

This is one of the reasons you should GET the BOOK

Examples:

Food canning and distribution facilities faced with a majority of sick workers will have less productivity or may choose to shut down for a couple of weeks until workers can return.

This scenario can also affect paper products, such as toilet paper, tissues and feminine hygiene products and medicines – cold medicine and throat lozenges may fly off the shelves faster than it can be restocked.

Having extra food, medical necessities, and paper essentials for a minimum of 3 months supply will give you that peace of mind in case running to the store is no longer an option.

I emphasize in my book – buy only what you will eat – only what you use – don’t get into debt – avoid kits if possible – they cost more than what you’ll really get if you just stocked your shelves with your own food choices. Make life comfortable and stock your favorite comfort foods as well.

Remember medicine and paper products – Anything that would you would think helpful such as menthol rub, cough medicine, throat lozenges, immune enhancers, vitamins – such as D and Zinc, herbal supplements, disinfectants, etc.

Spray or wipe down each delivered package with a disinfectant prior to opening it and wipe down each item as it is removed from the package to ensure you don’t unknowingly contract the virus.

I don’t play the fear-monger game.  I state what I see and move forward to take care of my family.  This website and my book have been authored to help you do what I do everyday take care of my family and prep for difficult times.

If you don’t know where to start and want to get started I recommend my book, “How Much Wheat Am I Really Going to Eat?“, and learn about the ‘Secret’ that most preppers aren’t educated about when they first start out.   Use the helpful charts in the back of the book to get a no-brainer estimate of how much food and non-food necessities you may need.  Then as you prep, learn how to store your food in the best ways possible to keep your food fresh-for-use.

Stay well and prepped.

“May the Storage be with You”  🙂

Anne 

 

 

https://www.who.int/westernpacific/emergencies/covid-19

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/02/china-races-build-hospitals-coronavirus-outbreak-grows-200205033913557.html

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20200218/p2a/00m/0bu/016000c

Epoch Times News – 712 People in Washington State monitored for coronavirus.

 

“Turn Key” Adversity

This afternoon I decided to run to the store really quick to pick up some extras for dinner. With anticipation I turned the key in the ignition and nothing happened.
What??? I turned it again and nothing. I realized then, that when I had come home from the gym a few hours before, I, in my distracted state neglected to turn the key completely and remove it from the ignition.

The battery was dead…

I felt so helpless and empty….

The lack of expectations not immediately met – had me reaching for my coloring book…

…for only a moment  ~  then it was time to act.

I contemplated my actions – Do I call someone and awkwardly admit my indiscretion? Should call roadside assistance – in my driveway – again? (Last week it was a flat tire.)
Or bother a neighbor to ask for help? As I contemplated my dilemma, wishing I had purchased a portable battery charger, I realized that I had my old beater truck in the driveway, conveniently backed in. The brakes were failing, so it was in limbo until I could fix them.

The engine on my beater is still good, so I shifted my van into neutral and pushed it up to my truck.  Blessedly the batteries were parallel!

Next – I had to remember HOW to jump the battery.  At first I confused the cables – shocking!  I then humbled myself and inquired the know-it-all internet.

Remember peeps – reds on the positive terminals (battery posts) and black on the neg – terminal on the battery that is jumping the car and the other black attached to a non-painted bit of metal not connected or near the battery (this is to ground the charge).  I found the latch for the hood to be good grounding spot.

I stood back and had my daughter start the truck – no explosions or shocks – good to go!

I started the van and kept it running as I went to the store and back  – yep I live in one of those quaint and fairy-tale type of towns that you can leave just about anything lying about or running and nobody will bother it  – actually my teen was in the car – but nobody would have bothered it even if it was empty.

Back to reality.

You know, I hadn’t even cracked the hood of my van in the 4 months I have owned it.  I was like – wow, the battery is green, that’s different!  Yep, I have upgraded to paying to have my oil changed.  Loving it – soooo worth it.

Whilst I was trying to solve my crisis, I pulled out a battery charger from my closet that I had purchased for a few dollars at an auction about a year ago.  It was then that I realized that when I bought it, I failed to snatch the power-supply to charge it. 

Sometimes it takes real life moments to compel a person to reconsider their ways.  One of those things will be purchasing a portable battery charger that is small enough to go where I go and can be charged at home as well as in the van because the next time I have a battery problem I may not be in my driveway or where I have a signal to reach roadside assistance.

Let me be honest – In this day and age, it is not advisable to leave yourself vulnerable, waiting for a good samaritan with unknown intentions.

Having what you need when you need it is the best kind of prepping there is.

If you want to know how much food you need to prep wisely then

Get THE BOOK today.

I found other merchants trying to sell MY book for near-twice my price!
Click the link above to get the authors price and not another markup.

 

May the Storage Be With You 🙂

 

Are You Prepping for the Apocalypse???

There are so many prophetic utterances on the internet at this moment urging us to hurry and stock up because the world is going to end.

Huh???

If the world is going to end, I would think that our stocking up would be a moot point, because we wouldn’t be around to enjoy it.

Reading or listening to this rhetoric really irks me, along with lumping those who think ahead for the purpose of sustaining their families during difficulties are part of the crazy few who claim that we need to kiss our touches and get ready to biff it!

First I want to assure you that the world is NOT coming to an end and that is NOT why anyone with half-a-whit would be stocking up on food.
(When something apocalyptic does occur, the earth will still be here, there will be survivors.  Life and the way we live it might change, many might die, but if you are prepped, you and your family might be among the survivors.)

Yes, the stock market is teetering, the petrodollar is in danger, earthquakes are being reported in record droves at heightened strengths across the globe, dozens of volcanoes are now active, Fukushima is still poisoning the ocean, marine life is heaving itself upon shorelines or completely decimated just offshore. 

Rumors of wars and strange military allies are crowding the headlines, military training maneuvers are being conducted on city streets, food prices are steadily on the rise and somewhere in space, there is a meteor with Earth’s name etched upon it…

These things are happening and who knows when the worst will become a reality? 
Does that really matter?  Well, that all depends on you and WHY you are storing food.

If you believe in an Apocalypse, does that make you a crazy prepper?
No!

My personal opinion about labeling those who choose to care enough about their families to seek out their comfort and safety is wrong.

The Apocalypse for some families may be a job loss that brings them to the brink of homelessness, the terminal illness of a loved one, dealing with a loss of mobility due to accident or injury, or the loss of a vehicle that sustains the breadwinners ability to secure the means to house and feed their family.

Having 3, 6 or 12 months supply of food and non-food necessities would make a dire situation more livable.  Having food in the pantry during lean times can free up money, otherwise used for food, to pay the monthly mortgage or repair the automobile.

As for the “Apocalypse” – of course, there will be one, the book of Revelations mentions this several times…but beauty is in the eye of the beholder and the apocalypse to one may be completely altered to another – also, Revelations states that there will be survivors.

There is an internet buzz about a meteor supposedly lurking in the darkness of space, poised to strike earth,  personally, I think the prediction is a bit sketchy – but what do I know?

Anyway, IF this meteor strikes, it definitely would be apocalyptic to anyone in its path, especially the eastern seaboard to the Appalachians and near all of Florida. 

To those in the central states, or on the western side of the continent, this would be a monumental tragedy and would certainly affect the commodities supply line, damage or eliminate the grid and possibly cause catastrophic seismic activity in many locations.

~ But to those who are not seriously affected or only lose power, or to those who are on farms or live in rural communities who have stocked up and prepared, this would not be apocalyptic, it would be expected. ~

The west coast has been bracing for the ‘Big One’ for decades. (http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/07/20/the-really-big-one) I doubt that there will be a grand announcement when this one gives in, nor will there be time to do much but get in a safe place.  Many will be spared and those who have will be far better off than those who have little to nothing.  If you really want to know what’s going on in your quake zone, I would recommend following:
https://dutchsinse.com/ ; https://www.youtube.com/user/dutchsinse ; and
https://www.facebook.com/dutchsinseofficial/  

Dutchsinse has been a great blessing to many across the globe because of his uncanny accuracy in scientifically predicting earthquakes.  He has been able to warn cities and countries hours and days in advance giving an opportunity for them to review their safety criteria and save many lives.  Thanks Dude. 🙂

How about the predictions for complete economic failure?
Rioting in the streets?  Retail stores looted?  Money being worthless? Banks closing?  Utilities not operable?  3rd world country?

What are YOU expecting?
What are YOU preparing for?
Should be you mocked or teased for your own foresight?

These same whiners and mockers will be the hungry ones who angrily point their finger at you when there is no food to spare and blame YOU for hoarding it, simply because you chose to methodically stash away a bit for a supposed apocalyptic day.
According to these food-slackers, You will have, single-handedly, created the empty shelves at the supermarket and are the reason thousands – no millions, are dying!

We know better, YOU know better.  Review your why’s, then re-commit yourself to stocking up for whatever YOUR worse-case-scenario is and then keep stocking, eating and rotating.

I would hope that you are smarter than them, that you will decide to manage your own fate and your own household by not being sucked into the “All is well, FEMA has got us covered.” mentality.  You are responsible for yourself, your family and others under your care.  

If you want motivation and help along the way – get The Book
and
May the Storage be with You! 🙂

How Much Wheat Am I Really Going To Eat? by Anne McFadden

Ebola, Back for Another Round…

source; thedailysheeple.com

While we have been inundated with threats of nuclear annihilation, EMP’s, political upsets, civil unrest, upcoming catastrophic earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanos, a solar eclipse and plenty of weird weather ~ an old “friend” has reared its ugly head to add its own twist to our already well stocked list of present and future events.

I believe it’s been nearly two years since the news of Ebola’s eradication:
(WHO Declares Ebola Out Break Eradicated)

What exactly does the word “eradication” really mean?  

Well, according to an internet web search, eradicate means to destroy completely, to put an end to, to pull up – as by the roots, to destroy – utterly, obliterate etc.

Hmmm, I am not sure this recent outbreak, and apparently, alarming trend matches up with WHO’s definition of eradication.

According to UN.org, the outbreak was discovered in a very remote northern region of the DRC Democratic Republic of Congo, far from city areas.  As of May 18th, 2017, 20 cases of Ebola had been reported, two cases lab verified and 3 people have died.  

This may not seem like much of a threat, except the Lord’s Resistance Army is very active in that region and, according to WHO, the health ministry is in a race against time to find the upwards of 400 persons who may have been exposed.

The official word: WHO has determined overall that the risk assessment for this event is “high” at the national level, medium at the regional level and low at the global level.  

An experimental vaccine???  

An experimental vaccine for Ebola is being tested in Guinea, where the first outbreak of Ebola in West Africa was reported.

The trials there have been “promising” and the vaccines has proven to be efficient and safe so far, Dr. Salama told reporters, while Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, added that she is encouraged by the rapid response to quell the outbreak.

“We have not received an official request from the Government for this vaccine but they have been made aware that this possibility exists both to benefit from this new tool and also to add their support in the testing of this vaccine,” she said, reiterating the experimental nature of the vaccine, and expressed hope the authorities “will work with us to consider this and make a decision.”

Yes, the congo is far from us, and perhaps it’s even silly for me to make mention of something so seemingly insignificant, in light of all the other exciting things going on in the world.  I make mention because this is a fast moving, aggressive, highly contagious and unforgiving disease that deserves, at least, the back burner of our attention.  

Since this may someday become a global threat, The Daily Sheeple offers up this 40 second, yet profound, video perspective on an Ebola outbreak  in the USA:
 

“The above model is based on Ebola’s current infection rates and doesn’t take into account its possible evolution as it spreads from human-to-human.

According to scientists, the 2014 strain began hyper-evolving, to the point that had it not been contained and continued to spread through human contact, it could have gone airborne, making it as easy to catch as a common cold.

In response to this unprecedented threat, US government officials began preparing for mass casualties…”
source: The Daily Sheeple

I really hope that it doesn’t ever get this far.
I hope the vaccine is successful, so we can get along with our self-absorbed lives and concern ourselves with, or ignore, all the other imminent destruction events on the horizon.  If this vaccine is not successful enough, then you may consider adding a few extra preps just for this special kinda occasion.

Not sure if you are prepped enough?  
Get the Book

May the Storage Be With You,

Anne 🙂

Growing Potatoes Part I – Two Great Ways to Grow Potatoes

I planted potatoes, twice.  Both times in the ground and both times it was an utter failure.

The first year, the potatoes were small and a mole was very well fed at the end.  The second year, I moved the potato planting location to see if I could get better luck.  It was worse this past year.  Little did I know that walnut trees have murderous intent toward certain species of plants and potatoes are one of them.

I came across these two sites about growing potatoes and I am feeling inspired.

One site shows how to grow potatoes in a very nice crate, the other shows how to grow them in a 5-gallon bucket.  I liked both methods and decided to inspire you with the idea too.

 

I haven’t planted my potatoes yet, I think though that I might just give it another try.  

Here are a couple of methods I am considering:

Growing Potatoes in a Crate

Source: https://oldworldgardenfarms.com/2016/06/30/23048/

With Jim and Mary, our potato growers, it all started with a simple desperate experiment – that was a success!

They also felt that there was an easier way, that would take up less space and result in a successful crop.

They built simple crates that tip over so you can dump your crop out, instead of digging it out.
They even provide the specs for the crates: Making Our Potato Crates

 

They even grow sweet potatoes this way.  so check out their site and article at: Source: https://oldworldgardenfarms.com/2016/06/30/23048/

 

Growing a Potato Farm in Buckets

http://fivegallonideas.com/potato-farm/

Mark, the author of this article, is from the Netherlands and he has all kinds of 5-gallon bucket ideas, but we will be focusing on growing potatoes today.

I like his idea because it is simple, easy and no real skills are necessary to start.

I learned that the best potatoes to use are NOT Russett, but the red and yellow potatoes because they are healthier.

There are two reasons to plant in buckets:
1.buckets are portable so you can move them into the sun and to a protected location in case of severe weather.
2: There is no digging involved, just tip the bucket and harvest the potatoes.

About 2 lbs of potatoes can be harvested from each bucket ~ I personally think that could be stretched…but that’s my opinion.

Here is his video about growing potatoes in buckets.

I think that this is an effort I am willing to invest in.  You can get food grade buckets at Menards (cheapest price), Lowes and Walmart for 5 dollars or less each.
Or you can build your own crates from scrap wood and save your money to purchase the seed potatoes.

Either way – if you grow your own potatoes, you will know how they were grown and what they were treated with.  

Now that the FDA has approved GMO potatoes for the general market, you won’t know what you are getting at the grocer.  Make sure your seed potatoes are non-GMO.  You can’t use grocery store potatoes, gotta get seed potatoes.  You can get them at the store during growing season or through a catalog.

Make sure your seed potatoes are non-GMO.  
You can’t use grocery store potatoes, gotta get seed potatoes.  
You can get them at the store during growing season or through a catalog.

However you choose to plant – plant happy!

May the Storage Be With You,

Anne 🙂

 

 

No Doctor? What Do You Do Now?

Okay, it’s a TEOWAKI moment, you have some basic band-aid skills,
but you or a loved one are injured – not life-threatening, but still
injured well enough that infection could set in if not treated.  

Getting into the ER is impossible, the medical tents are out of beds and there are too few doctors and nurses to go around – worse yet, you may be too far away to get help.

That is so not a cool place to be
– injured and lacking the knowledge to help yourself and others –

Buckle up, we’re taking a trip back in time when you were a year or two younger, fretting over this type of scenario and asking yourself how you could help yourself and others in case something like this ever happened.

You don’t have the room in your schedule or means to become a doctor or a nurse,  you are not looking to make a career out of it ~ you want a backup plan ~ Just.in.case. 

In your daily web surfing adventures, you have come across articles or blogs about how plants/weeds can heal injuries and illness.
It seems too good to be true, yet something about natural healing resonates within you and have wondered:  How do these plants work? What can I use? How do I learn to use them?

Well, you could peruse the web reading lots of articles
while trying to figure out a plethora of information
OR
you can become educated and actually know what you are doing
by becoming an herbalist.

Herbalist???  

Visions of tree-hugging vegetarians coming to mind?
Peace Dude – it’s all good.

An herbalist is a person who understands how to use plants to alleviate injury and sickness until the affected can get professional medical treatment.  An herbalist is not a doctor, but like a first responder, they can be a great help in stabilizing the injured and ill until help is available.

Just like a medical professional, you need to really know what you are doing to understand how to help yourself and others in an emergency.
To do this – you will need to go to school…

I know you don’t have a lot of time, with a job, family or other
pressing matters, but if you could spare a couple hours a week,
learning at your own pace and getting a fantastic education
for less than the cost of a 3 credit college class,
wouldn’t that be pretty awesome?

Well, you can.

The Home Grown Herbalist is a school that fits this description perfectly.  

I am enrolled in this school and have found it to be way beyond my expectations.  I possess an associates degree in medical assisting and have been a certified EMT.   This course is an excellent addition to my very limited medical knowledge.  I feel more at peace knowing the how’s, what’s, why’s and where’s of growing, harvesting, processing and utilizing plants to help and heal.

This course costs less than a 3 credit college course and it is not a brick and mortar school – it’s all online.

The classes are set up module by module, there are challenging learning games and memory boosters and the pod-classes are straightforward, easy to understand with PDF notes you can print and follow along with.  There is even a slideshow presentation if you aren’t able to watch the video on your pc.

The name of this school is The Home Grown Herbalist, it offered by Dr. Patrick Jones who uses the knowledge he offers in his everyday practice.  

You can unbuckle now, the time travel adventure is over, you have taken my advice, enrolled and completed the course.

It’s TEOWAKI time and you are ready.  

 You have learned what weeds, plants, trees, shrubs and other down-to-earth info to help you own this and have to ability to help yourself and those around you.  

Be TWOWAKI Ready – Get Educated – Empower yourself

Click the banner below to learn more and tell Doc Jones that Anne from the How Much Wheat Book sent you.

I would wholeheartedly recommend that you check out this school out today.
(Unfortunately, I did not address this scenario in my book.
Weird that I didn’t even consider this in the Self-Sufficiency Section. Sorry.)

May the Storage Be With You!  🙂

 

 

 

Honey Sweet Flow Hive

This is hands-down
THE BEST NEW HIVE INVENTION
since the honey extractor!

Over 10 years of research have gone into this product
to ensure you are as happy as your bees will be.

 

Easy on the bees – Easy on you!  

Less work, more honey – happiness all around!
This is my dream hive and it’s on my
“gotta-get-this” list for 2-do’s this year!
I bought mine recently ~ It is lovely.
I will have more info about my beekeeping adventures soon.

Back to the Flow Hive:

Manufactured in the USA and Australia – you could have your hive shipped within 3 days of your order and on your doorstep quicker that the honeybee flies!

Link to Special Sale Price

Learn more about the Flow Hive, how it works and why it is the best hive for the backyard gardener or the serious beekeeper:

http://

I think this system is revolutionary and will be a great blessing to the backyard beekeeper and for those who extract honey as a profession. 

Barley/Grain Water ~ Delicious Immune Support in a Simple Drink

The Benefits of Barley Water

Ten, or so, Decades ago the human family did things differently.

They stocked up for winter, ate little meat during the summer, enjoyed vigorous physical labor and made their own home-brewed remedies.

source: Find Home Remedy

One of the home-brewed remedies was Barley or Grain Water.

A simple drink primarily made with grains – like barley – and water.  Sometimes cream of tartar is added for extra health benefits.

In the Mormon Scripture Compilation The Doctrine and Covenants, published by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, barley is mentioned as a useful mild drink for humans:

17 Nevertheless, wheat for man, and corn for the ox, and oats for the horse, and rye for the fowls and for swine,
and for all beasts of the field, and barley for all useful animals, and for mild drinks, as also other grain.
https://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/89.17?lang=eng

The members of the LDS church are promised that if they live by the Word of Wisdom, as directed in Section 89, that they will be blessed with good health, great wisdom and knowledge, and that the that “the destroying angel shall pass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them.” D&C 89:21

Aunt Faye’s simple recipe for a Barley Water is:

1/4 cup Barley, (alone or mixed with Millet, Oats, Rice and Rye or other grains)

2 to 3 cups clean water (I use distilled, but filtered is ok)

Bring to boil. Either put in thermal cooker or leave on stove with heat turned down low or off.

When it is cooked the grains are popped with the insides out. I then put this mixture in ice trays in the freezer. I use one ice cube per cup of water.

My sister simply puts the mix in a gallon jug and fills it with more clean water. I do not use it often enough to drink the whole gallon in a week. I do not drink it after it starts to sour.

The 1/4 teaspoon Cream of Tartar helps it work faster and more thoroughly.

Aunt Faye

Some online recipes use lemon juice or lime juice to perk up the beverage, but most who drink it find it delicious as it is.
If you need a bit of sweetener, adding raw honey from your area will help with allergies, sucanet or evaporated cane juice will work well as a sweetener.  The diabetic can use stevia as well.

Sweeteners are not necessary with this beverage and from what I hear, drinking it warm with a bit of salt is like having a tasty cup of broth – perfect for those days that you are under the weather.

Individuals that I have association with claim that the barley or grain water has health benefits as well:

Aunt Faye had this to say about using barley water (Dec 2014):

Uncle Don has been quite ill since Saturday evening when we came home from Thanksgiving. He has even missed a party or two.

Last evening, I was talking to my sister. She asked what to do for a 17-year-old girl who was passing out every time she eats. I told her to start her on “Barley Water,” with an 1/8 teaspoon of “Real” Salt, and a 1/4 teaspoon of Cream of Tartar for every pint of “Barely Water.”

This sister drinks the “Barley Water” and Cream of Tartar every morning. If she goes without it too long, she can’t breath.

So, last night, before I went to bed I made a batch of “Grain Water.” This morning, I gave Uncle Don one cup of the “Grain Water.” He has been puttering around all day, but did not even take a nap.

This evening, I will give him and me each a cup of the “Grain Water.”

Aunt Faye

Another associate stated (Dec 2014):

Daughter came home from school yesterday with “flu” type symptoms. Among them was a deep wet cough and she said she had trouble breathing earlier in the day (wheezy feeling). I just grinned at her, settled her comfortably on the couch. Next came elderberry and flu bomb essential oils. She looked at me and said, “What, no barley water?”. I giggled and told her it was already brewing. Gave her a cup with the cream of tartar. She could breathe easier within minutes of taking it.

 

Eden Gardening – Part 2

Oops…this was supposed to be up a while back, but it did not post…sorry…tech scheduling error .

I know it’s no longer winter and spring is upon us, but this may give you ideas for next fall.

This is a continuation of my epic garden fail this past spring 2015.

If you read the Eden Gardening – Part 1, the whole sordid story is publicly posted for the world to read, and laugh, or cry – like I did. There is also a nifty film recommending Eden Gardening – a very productive and deeply naturalistic gardening experience that I think you will enjoy….IF you enjoy gardening.  Back to Eden Film

Are you ready to do something different this next year – the time to start is now!

Now?  it’s near winter for crying out loud! ~ yep it sure is.

It would have been even better if had suggested this in September as the last of your last withering crops were being tilled out of the ground, but that would have made too much sense.  I, unfortunately, neglected to layer my garden this past fall – I was still licking my wounds over an epically failed garden.  Next year – I’ll supplement my wood chips in the fall.  

The BEST part about spreading wood chips is:
No pre-weeding or plowing is required…just pour, spread and ignore.
Love It! 🙂

The reason to start laying your wood chip foundation in the fall or winter is so that it will have time to compost underneath and provide a nice bed for your growing plants next spring.  By year spring number two, after you have applied your second layer, the soil below will be a deep brown-black color and very rich in vital nutrients your plants will love!

Where to Find Wood Chips:

Fall wood chip pile.
source: restoredroots.com

Your local city waste management company may be able to direct you to where the tree and brush recycling centers are located.  Often you will need to bring your own pick-up truck, and there maybe a cost to obtaining wood-chips.

There are also businesses that will deliver wood chips to your garden location, but most will only dump them in, or near, your garden space.  Delivery drivers usually do not spread the chips, so you will probably have to do that yourself or hire someone to spread them for you.

Note: Sawdust is NOT the same as wood chips.  The wood chips I am referring to, come from natural roadside gleaning, where the utility companies come in and cut local wood to clean up a street or neighborhood.  Using treated wood chips – either pre-sprayed for weed suppression – or treated wood for insect prevention will negatively effect your garden area and possibly introduce contaminates into your garden harvest.

How to Spread the Wood Chips

When your wood chips have been dumped on your garden space, you will need to spread them over your garden area. Spreading wood chips is hard work – sorry, but it is.  I suggest the employment a few family, friends and neighborhood kids, well armed with rakes, shovels and wheel barrows.

For a garden foundation spread the wood chips over the garden area at a minimum of 8 inches – deep.
(If you are planning to use as a mulch over settled beds, then 2-4″ would be a better spread.)
The reason for 8 inches is to allow for complete weed suppression and self-heating composting for next spring plantings.
It will take a large truckload of chips to create an 8 ft x 6 ft’ garden space at least 8″- 12″ deep.  Most truckloads will cost you 60.00 – 150.oo to deliver, unless your area is giving truckloads of chips away for free. If so, they may deliver the fresh truckload to your garden space, at the end of the day, on their way back to the office.

Raised Bed Eden Garden

If you want your wood chip garden to be uniform or in a raised bed – it is easy.  Rake the edges of the chips to your desired height and then surround the garden bed with either raised bedding materials or set edging material around the wood chip area. Then fill your raised, bed-to-be with wood chips.  You can also mix in dried leaves as a compost extra.
Caution: avoid Walnut leaves, they inhibit germination 

When the wood chips are spread, cover the bed with dark plastic and let it sit through the winter to break down into a nutritive soil.

What Happens to the Wood Chips After they are Spread?

When the thick bed of wood chips has been spread over the garden bed in the late fall and left to sit until spring, the wood chips at the bottom begin to compost.  This composting causes heat to develop in the wood chip bed and promotes wood chip disintegration.  This composting is a good thing, because nutrients trapped in the plant material, mainly wood chips, are broken down and absorbed by the soil to aid is providing the proper diet the garden will need during the growing season.

Gardening in Wood Chips

The first spring after wood chips are laid down, there may not be sufficient composted wood chips beneath.
The wood chips continue to break down through the growing season and into the next winter, but the first year the composted bed is just beginning to establish itself.  You may need to purchase some composted soil to make up the difference sue to a lack of developed compost in you first year gardening bed.

During this first year, the soil surrounding the pre-sprouted plants will provide extra growth medium while the compost bed further establish themselves.   Remove the excess potting soil surrounding the plant roots, without leaving them bare, and mix the loose potting soil with the compost in the hole prepared for the plant, then place the plant into the mixed dirt.  When the two mediums are mixed like this, the plant roots ‘taste’ the composted soil mixed with the potting soil and accept this new mix as part of its natural growth medium.

Maintaining the Wood Chips

Just as a harvested garden is plowed under and prepared for the next planting season, so too will the wood chip garden need pre-winter maintenance.  Before you break a sweat, I assure you that this part is easy compared to the old-fashioned way of maintaining a garden.

Here’s what you won’t be doing: Rototilling, plowing or preparing the ‘soil’.

The step is simple, remove any unwanted plants, (ie: weeds), leave the rest for compost, then spread more wood chips – another 4″ to 6″ – and let it sit for another winter season.  You can weed if you want, but it is not necessary.  If you choose not to weed then add an extra 3 inches to the wood chip layer to ensure that the weeds get well composted.

By year two, the Spring wood chip compost layer will be rich and dark, basically like fresh new soil.

Maintaining the wood chips is easy.  Each year, all you need to do is add another thick layer of wood chips in the fall, (cover them, if they are in a bed), and let them sit.  That’s it!

Follow the Restored Roots Gardening Experience, parts 1 and 2:

http://restoredroots.com/our-first-back-to-eden-garden-part-1-early-summer/

Remember, if you purchase a soil supplement, such as compost, topsoil or potting soil the first year, your seedlings and seeds will not have so much of the struggles that restoredroots started with.  As for slugs, they can be managed with an organic slug bait or with the old-fashioned near-beer in a tuna-can ritual.

http://restoredroots.com/our-first-back-to-eden-garden-part-2-early-fall/

I love Eden Gardening, Restored Roots loved Eden Gardening and I think you will too!

May the Storage Be With You,

Anne  🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eden Gardening – Part 1

Our garden drowned this past spring….it was pathetic.

It was epic pathetic – puddles of water formed in the leach field behind my little home.  At first when I bought the house, I thought “Cool! I won’t have to water!”  Duh…I live in Missouri, aka – the water state…

There was sooooooooo much water this past spring that the rivers flooded the corn fields and septic tanks backed up on the neighbors country farms.  There was at least of month of rain, enough that Eli, the local Amish Guy, had time to rebuild my bathroom floor and other nifty stuff, ’cause he couldn’t venture out into the fields without getting stuck in the mud.

Yep – it was Epic Pathetic!

Not all is lost though – I have a plan…..

A couple of years ago – in 2012, when I lived on 3 acres, I tried a new technique.  I had heard about an evangelist gardener who had developed a low-maintenance gardening method.  Well, I am all about low maintenance, so I tried it.

Building it was hard work, since I didn’t have a pickup truck at the time, I would fill my sedan trunk up with aged wood chips and unload them onto a selected plot of grass.  It was slow going, but paid off big time.

My first spring was good – it was as promised – low to no maintenance and zero watering after the initial watering had been done.  Weeds were easy to pull and I got a decent bounty.

The real test was in 2013.  A friend had helped me out that spring and unloaded about 4 giant truckloads of the aged wood chips.  My garden bed doubled in size and thickness. I planted squash, zucchini, peas, cabbage, melons, corn, etc. with the excited hope of having a bang-up harvest.

Things changed though.  During the hottest time of the season, my mother died, and then I decided I needed to get away and snuggle some grandchildren, so I left for a month.  (I would have been gone longer, but responsibilities called to me.)  I said goodbye to my garden, not expecting it to survive the month-long 90’s to 100 degree high humidity temperatures that are so enduring to this state in the late summer months.  I thoroughly enjoyed the month of being with grand-kids and it was nice to be able to work through my grief with family.

Upon my return, I was pleasantly surprised to find that not only had my garden survived, it was awesome! – The weeds flourished too.  the important thing was everything survived and had been growing quite well in my absence.  What really sold me on Eden gardening was when I reached down with an iron grip and heaved a weed northward, the ease in which the unwanted plant released it’s grip from the garden bed sent me toppling backward near-head-over-heels.  That was when I knew I was in-love. 

Now I am in a new home – I tried the old method of planting in the soil and got nothing….not even my potatoes survived….

This spring….it’s gonna be different.

Watch the Back to Eden Film and learn more about how this amazing, down-to-earth system works:

 

 

The source for this film is: http://www.backtoedenfilm.com/  buy the DVD and support this farmer.

The Restored Roots blog post, lists both Pro’s and Con’s about wood chips:

“PROS:

1. Wood chips do a fabulous job of weed control. In the past three months, I’ve only pulled about two dozen weeds (no joke!). That has been wonderful. In years past, I have spent hours and hours pulling weeds throughout the summer and fall. I won’t be doing that this year! 
2. With wood chips, the few weeds I’ve had to deal with are easy to pull. Weed seeds don’t have a chance to get into the soil because the wood chips are so deep. Out of the ones that do survive, their roots are thin and very easy to pull and discard.
3. Wood chips make vegetable plants big and super healthy! Even after a rough start, our squash plants are absolutely beautiful and producing lovely, juicy fruit. (Notice the zucchini and blue Hubbard in the photos below.) They look bigger and better than plants from our previous gardens. We believe the wood chips are creating a rich, more vibrant soil. They have also caused rapid strong growth in our fruit trees and raspberry crop. (We spread the chips everywhere in our garden!)
4. Wood chips have decreased our garden water consumption dramatically.Compared to open bare soil, the wood chips keep water in the soil and plants. Now that the squash plants are almost to full maturity, we’re only watering about twice a week, even in the hottest of weather.

For more information about self-sufficient ways of living:

Get the Book

CONS:

1. Wood chips seem to attract slugs, especially in the spring when the ground is still moist. This is bad news for new growth coming up from seed. In a different climate, where there is less rainfall, this might not be the case. But in our zone 8 with lots of rain throughout the winter and spring, I’m guessing that slugs are more of a problem. I also confirmed this with our CSA farmer, who tried using mulch on a large scale one year. His said slugs were a major problem. The solution? Planting from starts (not seed) seemed to help. But you could also use Sluggo Snail & Slug Control, a natural organic slug killer, or Epsom salts around each vegetable plant or row to control the slug population.
2. Wood chips seem to smother new growth from seed, at least in the first year. The Back to Eden website isabsolutely correct. You must pull back the chips and plant in the soil. Otherwise, the seeds have no chance. Even then, the wood chips tend to move and fall back into the “soil hole.” One possible solution we have not tried: place a plastic barrier in between the soil and wood chips, so they don’t fall back into place.”

 

source= http://restoredroots.com/our-first-back-to-eden-garden-part-1-early-summer/

Check out my next blog for advice on when and how to build your new wood-chip garden bed.
https://howmuchwheatbook.wordpress.com/2015/12/03/eden-gardening-part-2/