So this whole quarantine thing has been super crazy. I am still not sure exactly how to feel about it all, to be honest, but one thing that I am sure of is that this virus has exposed many, many issues in our government, economics and agriculture.
I spent last week trying to track down an extra deep freezer for my sister and mom. I have been telling them to stock up on food as much as possible. I now have enough meat in our freezers for an entire year for my family alone, or for a few months for my extended family. Even if Trump manages to force the meat plants to stay open, the damage is already done. Millions of animals have been euthanized and wasted, without the ability to make it to a butcher, we are dipping into our national frozen food storage, and shortages will be making their way to an area near you at some point in the very near future.
Now of course this is very short term, and also potentially short sighted if we also start to encounter problems with our electrical grid. There are a number of issues that could go down with that, but the biggest one I am concerned about is our susceptibility to cyber attacks. It is illegal to live off the grid in my city, but we are very seriously considering getting a Tesla home battery as a backup in case of something going wrong.
However, even with backup electric, you can't buy everything youll ever need to eat in the future now, and just freeze it. So, it is important to start growing your own food. If you have a water source, and some decent space, start planting TODAY. Also, consider getting some chickens. They make great pets and are a source of renewable food.
(We just lost 4 of our 5 hens to a neighbor's dog attack. It was heart wrenching and I have been so sad! But I digress!)
Over the last few weeks I have planted dozens of varieties of foods, I have stocked up on meat and dry goods and we are also looking at getting water storage.
Call me crazy but things have progressed so insanely fast, that I don't want to wait around to find out if I am over-reacting. In 8 weeks we have gone from 13 to 1.13 million cases of the CCP Virus, we have gone from total freedom to total lockdown, and we continue to see things come and go in waves. I reckon that food will continue to be this way too.
Be prepared. Start a garden, grow some food, sock away some dry goods and get some meat! You'll thank me later!
(My pomegranate bush that is doing pretty well!)
(My last lone chicken after the attack. We were getting a dozen eggs every 2 days, and now we are down to 1-2!)
Well that is pretty much that. I hope you are all staying healthy out there! Bitcoin seems to be pumping the last few days and I am super stoked about that! The only way to go is up right? Let's hope so...
xx - Beth
Hello hello my friend!
I completely agree. I was initially concerned for the food supply chain when this all first started... and then read a lot of reports about how stores had huge warehouses full of supplies I wasn't as worried... but now that other countries like New Zealand and Australia have managed to contain the virus and comparatively the US has done quite a lot wrong, I'm really worried about our food security in the upcoming year.
We planted an orchard of 10 trees a couple of years ago.. the trees are still establishing themselves so we may not get a lot of fruit this year but should next year. We've got a planter box full of berries, but really need to get onto another couple of planter boxes for veggies this weekend.
I've actually gone vegan to try and get a handle on some inflammation issues I'm having, so I'm kind of glad for that now. You should definitely get a Tesla battery if you can afford it. You don't need to be off the grid to be self-sufficient.
Honestly, everything is unknown at this point, I see absolutely no problem in preparing for the worst... if everything turns out to be completely fine, what's the damage? A well stocked pantry and fresh veggies. I'm so sorry about your chickens, little lonely looks so cute.
Hey friend!
Yeah, I would always rather be over prepared for sure!
The day of the chicken attack was so brutal. I am just glad my littles didn't have to see it. They loved those chickens! So did I!! It is a very uncertain time out there. Everything here is so discombobulated, and I really fear a second, more deadly wave is coming with this virus, and I am not sure any amount of preparation, notwithstanding closing everything indefinitely would have stopped it.
It is weird though because while I feel like everything is on fire around me, I actually have a lot of faith in crypto and feel like that part of my life is on the up and up. I suppose those things are not mutually exclusive. Perhaps it is the uncertainty of everything and the US dumping trillions of funny money in the economy, rendering the dollar worthless, that is making crypto rise. Either way, at least some good news!
It's good to talk with you! It seems like forever! :) Glad to know you are well!