When The Garden Fails While You Need It Most
Guest article, by ‘NRP’
I am an avid Gardener, spending HUGE amounts of time and sweat equity into the fruits of my labor.
Having many of times seeing my investment go completely Belly-Up, yielding low or no produce. Bugs infesting EVERYTHING, extreme heat and drought conditions, Seed failure, Poor Soil conditions, and yes even my own stupidity of over/under watering.
Oh yes and let’s not forget the Critters that decide they need my Corn more than I do (Dang Raccoons). AND yes the Deer or Cows that mash the fence to bits just wanting to get at that ‘Beautiful’ Watermelon.
Ok, let’s set up the discussion;
It’s the End Of The World As We Know It.
And I Feel Fine…
The year 20??, Pick your favorite EOTWAWKI,
Personally I like the good old “Lights Out” scenario.
“Lights Out” by David Crawford
It has been 3 years since the ‘event’, you made it through the Roving Hoards, the 3-6-12 month die-off of the masses; you even have an Outhouse setup and now are doing “Ok” with water, medical, shelter, so-on.
The first year and 1/2 you have lived off your Deep-Pantry and what you could scavenge around the neighborhood (Not much left). You planted a Garden for food needed in the upcoming year and it was moderately successful as you canned and preserved enough for the next year. Hunting and Fishing has really taken a hit though this last year.
Things are starting to look up as there are less and less threats and people, those left, are not going around just killing for a place to stay.
Oh yes, to nobody’s surprise, there is ZERO relief or help from the .gov and FEMA. You and yours’s are completely on your own, you have everything you need, or so you think.
Spring rolls around after a good, moderately good winter.
So spring is here, time to put the Garden in and tend it as your life depends on it.
And it does!
Digging through all of the heirloom seeds you saved last year, you notice just a slight amount of mold on some of the seeds. Also a mouse has gotten into the stash and ruined some of those precious seeds.
Moving forward you plant, and tend your Garden the first “usual” date for the area.
Then the second disaster hits, a late freeze (no NOAA Weather Alert or 7 o’clock News).
Having saved some seeds you replant only to get hit with drenching Rains.
Again you have a back-up plan; you covered most of the Garden from drowning, covering and uncovering each day.
Three weeks after it starts looking good, things (what’s left) are growing well,
BUGS!!!!! Millions of BUGS.
Next come the critters, Squirrels and Rabbits go well in the Stew Pot, Traps and 22’s are the savior of the Day.
My point is, with even the best of Plans there WILL be failures.
SO, how do you “survive” the Failed Garden & the Setbacks?
Hunting, Fishing, and Foraging comes to mind first, good luck with that while everybody else is doing the same.
Building a larger Deep Pantry would have sounded like a GREAT idea in “The Before” those 800 pounds of Beans and Rice sound mighty good now.
Personally I believe that anyone here should be studying the ideas of Wild Foods. Knowing what to look far in the area is valuable, there are a LOT of ‘Natural’ foods growing right under our noses that most have no idea about.
Check out your own regional “Foraging” Books on AMZN
I do not have the answer to the questions I have asked here.
Maybe someone out there can help?
One last sobering thought.
This very easily could be the future of the US if/when, Again!
Take a good hard look, this is a photo from the Depression,
A small hunk of Bread and a watered down bowl of Soup.
Are you Prepared?
Again, just my 2¢ worth.
– NRP
More: The Pioneer Family Surviving The Frontier
More: 8 Lessons Learned From The Great Depression