Chapter I, con’t: “Size of your garden”

• “As a rough gauge, take the 2,00-square foot wartime allotment plot in the United Kingdom. Britain’s cool and frequently cloudy summers mean that most vegetables grow more slowly than they usually do in the United States or southern Canada. But on the plus side, the mild English winters allow gardeners in many areas to harvest frost-hardy crops year-round. The wartime British were not expected to make a complete family diet pot of 2,700 square feet of vegetables. Their staff of life was bread from the local baker. … Probably during the war years vegetables, including potatoes, did not make make up more than a third of the family’s total caloric intake.”
• “ … If your goal is to produce not half, but nearly all the calories and nutrition needed year-round, and your family can depend on the ordinary potato as their healthful staff of life, then you can add more land in order to produce sacks and sacks of nutritious spuds or sweet potatoes. … The good thing about potatoes is that working plots of this scale (from 500 t0 750 square feet per each adult depending on water conditions/SS) can be done entirely with hand tools. To produce the same amount of nutrition by growing cereal grains would require five to ten times as much land per person. The healthful potato is really the thing for getting through hard times.”

PH Comments: We are in strong agreement with Mr. Solomon in his comments regarding the nutritional value found in both Irish and sweet potatoes (and recommend growing both where possible) but again we part company as regards his method of gardening requiring relatively large amounts of land.

Based on our own experience, our observation that the average homeowner/gardener in America has significantly less land to work with than Mr. Solomon proposes,  and at least two major gardening methods that require relatively little land and have proved reliable/productive here and around the world: we support/advocate the more intensive gardening systems found in John Jevons’ “ ‘How To Grow More Vegetables’ “ and Mel Bartholomew’s “Square foot Gardening”.

We plan to continue reviewing Mr. Solomon’s excellent book (and to continue commenting where we think appropriate) coming up as he has produced a wealth of gardening information and insights for dealing with gardening in hard times.

Until a little later then: keep your eyes on the horizon as the weathers changing fast.

Prescription Pill Containers/”Bottles”: The ones we’re referring to are the plastic, screw-top variety that generally come in a an orange color, see-through, with a white top. They are cylinder-shaped and vary in size, happily, with our two most common sizes used being about 1& 1/4in. wide X 2&3/4in. high and 1&1/2in. wide X 3 &3/4in high.

We peel the labels off and wash the containers in a luke-warm, dilute, dishwashing solution and rinse. We then turn them upside down until dry and use them for around-the-house storage of small nuts and bolts, nails and screws, small parts for household equipment, and sewing paraphernalia. They also lend themselves to back-pack (BOB, WOB, GOOD, and Get-Home Bags) uses as mini-kit containers (fishing, medical, repair, parts, etc.) and auto kits of similar types and uses. Labeling is mostly kept to a minimum because of their see-through feature.

PH Hint: If you can’t find enough of them around your house (or in the size you need), check with older parents or grandparents: they’re almost sure to have some and maybe in just the size you need.

The Pill Pouch: I first ran into these little jewels a while back when my wife used them to separate and store our vitamins and medicine for a vacation trip. These zip-lock type little pouches ( about 1& 3/4in. high X 3in. wide) are heavier and more sturdy in construction than sandwich-type baggies and although you can see through them, they also have the convenient feature of a designated and prepared section on the side to enable you to indicate contents and/or use, notes, etc.

These little pouches are described as air-tight, and both moisture and spill proof. They also lend themselves to being reusable.

Please note that these small pouches, while excellent for their advertised purposes, would also find use in your mini-fishing kit (to separate: fish hooks, swivels, and split shot, etc.), your fire-starting kit (to hold a few vasaline-soaked cotton balls), your glasses-repair kit (separating screws and/from parts), your mini-medical kit (for a quick-find of any small, important item), or any other small kit you carry in your pack. Also, please note that they will fit nicely into the larger of the two prescription pill containers we’ve described in the preceding section.

PH Hint: I found that we didn’t have enough pill pouches to meet our current (and expected future)‘kit’ needs so we broke down and purchased fifty for less that than $2 at our local big box store.

Next time, we’ll continue our discussion of non-food containers and their uses. In the meantime, keep your eyes on the horizon as the weathers moving fast.

We’ll go right to our guide book in just a moment but first it might be useful to look at some context Charles Hugh Smith provided for us yesterday at his Of Two Minds website (oftwominds.com) in his post “Grain, Drought and Systemic Risk”. Here’s some context from that article:

• “Nobody realizes that only 1% of the US population are real farmers. 70% + of our food supply is grown by them in a relatively small area of the Midwest between Southern Minnesota to Texas and Eastern Nebraska to Ohio. So most of our food, the only thing we need every day to survive, is grown by 1% of the population in the middle of the country whereas most of the population lives within 20 miles of the coasts.”
• “There used to be a lot if grain stored up courtesy of the government, but that was all gotten rid of in the 80’s so that the money used for it could be spent on social programs. So now we have no contingency plan for this occurrence. Currently we are long overdue for a drought in that part of the US. If we get one there you can make your own conclusions as to what will happen.”
• ” … the global supply chains for the two necessities of industrialized civilization –oil and grain– are precariously balanced on a few large suppliers, a situation commonly termed as ‘systemic risk, ” meaning it is not temporary but an integral feature of the supply chain.”

Now for a look at “The Holistic Garden For Small Spaces” by  Clinton R. Craft. Let’s begin with Mr. Kraft’s Introduction:

• “Try to look into the future and you may see such problems as dwindling world petroleum resources, rampant human population growth (the world has hit 7 billion souls within the last week/PH), decreasing arable land, increasing reliance on food sources from distant locations, the greenhouse effect, the ozone hole, and unpredictable climate change. …  But there is something we can all do whether we live on a farm, in the suburbs, or even an apartment — we can all plant seeds.”
• ” … I decided to conduct a personal research project devoted to finding  THE MOST NUTRITIOUS PLANTS THAT CAN BE GROWN IN A LIMITED AREA (caps/PH) in temperate climates. I started collecting anecdotes and researching the available literature. I soon discovered that one group of plants was held in high esteem by a number of references. This group of plants I refer to as “The Super Seven of Nutritious Plants.” Plants that were recommended by at least one researcher or knowledgeable informant became “The Honorable Mention Of Nutritious Plants.” All these plants have a wide range of nutrients and yield their bounty in a limited area over a relatively short period of time.”
• “I soon realized while researching these plants that many of the varieties of vegetables that are ideal for home gardens are rapidly disappearing in favor of ‘modern hybrids” … open pollinated varieties of vegetables can be found that will equal or excel the gardening performance of any hybrid variety. The secret is to keep trying different open pollinated varieties until a variety is found that does well in your micro-climate.”

Next time, at mid-week, we’ll continue by discussing, ‘The Super Seven Of Nutritious Plants.”

Until our current week’s end then: keep your eyes on the horizon as the weathers changing fast.

The Planet’s Future: “The planet’s future: Climate change ‘will cause civilization to collapse’ “, an “Authoritative new study sets out a grim vision of shortages and violence …” is the title and ‘sub’ of the Jonathan Owen piece on 7/12/09 posted by the UK’s The Independent (independent.co.uk) on 7/13/09. Here are some of the highlights:

• “…the authors of the report, produced by the Millinium Project – a think tank formerly part of the World Federation of the United Nations Accociations- set out a number of emerging environmental security issues, “The scope and scale of the future effects of climate change – ranging from changes in weather patterns to the loss of livelihoods and disappearing states – has unprecedented implications for political and social stability.”
• “An effort on the scale of the Apollo mission that sent men to the Moon is needed if  humanity is to have a fighting chance of surviving the ravages of climate change.’
• “This is the stark warning from the biggest single report to look at the future of the planet – obtained by The Independent on Sunday ahead of its official publication next month. Backed by a diverse range of leading organizations such as Unesco, the World Bank, the Us Army, and the Rockefeller Foundation, the 2009 state of the Future report runs to 6,700 pages and draws on contributions from 2,700 experts around the globe.”
• “The impact of the global recession is a key theme, with researchers warning that global clean energy, food availability, poverty, and the growth of democracy around the world are at “risk of getting worse due to recession” …”.
• “The immediate problems are rising food and energy prices, shortages of water and increasing migrations ‘due to political, environmental and economic conditions”, which could plunge half the world onto social instability and violence.”
• “The effects of climate change are worsening – by 2025 there could be three billion people without adequate water as the population rises still further. And massive urbanization, increased encroachment on animal territory, and concentrated livestock production could trigger new pandemics.”

Home Garden Warning: From Reuter’s today we get “Potato famine disease striking home gardens in U.S” by Julie Steenhuysen. Here is some of the key information:

• “Late blight, which caused the Irish Potato Famine of the 1840’s and 1850’s, is killing potato ant tomato plants in home gardens from Maine to Ohio and threatening commercial and organic farms, U.S. plant scientists said on Friday.”
• “… the fungal disease spread by spores carried in the air, has made its way into the garden centers of large retail chains in the Northeastern United states.”
• “Wal-mart, Home Depot, Sears, Kmart, and Lowe’s are some of the stores the plants have been seen in …”

“What’s unique about this year is we have never seen plants affected in garden centers being sold to home gardeners …”

*PrudentHome Note: ALL of the above information should provide additional incentive for the home gardener and food producers to consider PrudentHome’s recommendation to have at least two gardens worth of seeds (open-pollinated, natural &/or organic) on hand always, and we now add; each of your garden seed collections/selections should come from at least two sources, preferably in different areas of the country. That and SAVE YOUR SEED.

A Valuable Source: You’ll find a link at PrudentHome to M.D. Creekmore’s “The Survivalist Blog” (thesurvivalistblog.blogspot.com).

You’ll want to put this site on your list as Mr. Creekmore’s perspective on survival is at once tactical and practical. He supports individual/family independence via economy, simplicity and reliability in preparation (as do we at PrudentHome) from his skills as a gunsmith, martial artist, and practitioner of independent living. He’s worth your read.

Until next time: keep your eyes on the horizon as the weathers changing fast.

This book review was accessed thru Energy Bulletin (energybulletin.net) from it’s 3/14/09 Food & agriculture section. The review itself was found at transitionculture.org, 3/11/09.  John Jeavons’  How to Grow More Vegetables is perhaps “The Book” when one talks about  the Sustainable family vegetable garden. PrudentHome has recommended it since we began.

The reviewer begins by acknowledging that How to Grow More Vegetables isn’t a new book but notes that it is one of such  stature that it “… might lay claim to being one of the greatest gardening books of all time.” (We believe that is certainly, at least, one of the greatest!)

Continuing, the review notes that the book “…sets out to teach you to do exactly what the title suggests.”  and the definition of it’s biointensive method of food production supports it’s avowed aim: “The ‘biointensive’ method is an organic agricultural system which focuses on maximum yields from the minimum area of land, while simultaneously improving the soil. The goal of the method is long term sustainability on a closed system basis. It has also been used successfully on small scale commercial farms.”

TIP: Lehman’s has a complete line of canning and preserving equipment for all your needs. Click here to view their selection.

The reviewer points to the biointensive method’s split with the past practices of digging and fertilizing large spaces for gardens (row gardening) which included the fertilizing (and watering) of the paths between rows which allowed access to the plants. The paths themselves then required maintenance such as weeding.

A key element in the biointensive method is compost. The book gives excellent instruction in the development and use of this nutrient-rich soil amendment.

The review focuses in on the book’s argument “… that the key aspects of biointensive food production are deep bed preparation, composting, close plant spacing, companion planting, the use of open pollinated seeds, and taking a whole system approach.”

In conclusion, the review points to John Jeavons application of “…the biointebsive concept to what he calls ‘mini-farming’. This is the growing of a range of grains and pulses, on the same system. In ‘How to Grow’…, Jeavons argues that if the U.S. were to convert all the land it currently dedicates to lawns to biointensive food production, something like 97% of the landscape could be returned to natural systems and wilderness.”

Prudent Home would like to point out that in our view the biointensive  method/system is one of low cost, low technology and low effort combined with discreet use of the resources of land, fertilizer/compost, and water to produce a maximum sustainable yield of food from the garden. It doesn’t get much better than this.

If you don’t have a copy of  How to Grow More Vegetables may we suggest that you just click on any of  How to Grow More Vegetables links in this article and order a copy for your family. Also, don’t forget to follow up and let us know what you think of Jeavons’ book.

Until the end of the week, keep your eyes on the horizon as the weather’s changing fast.

Professor Barro’s determination of the odds of a depression in the U.S. rest on his analytical approach using “…long-term data from many countries and takes into account the historical linkages between depressions and stock market crashes.”

His study produced two conclusions, “…periods without stock-market crashes are very safe, in the sense that depressions are extremely unlikely. However, periods experiencing stock-market crashes, such as 2008-09 in the U.S., represent a serious threat. The odds are roughly one-in-five that the current recession will snowball into the macroeconomic decline of 10% or more that is the hallmark of depression.”

Food–Finally an ‘Organization’: Energy Bulletin (energybulletin.net) on 3/04/09 has given us some hope that folks around the world, and certainly within the U.S., are recognizing the need and value of the sustainable family food garden and are coming together within this recognition.

In a post entitled ‘Promoting the “localest” food of all, globally” – Kitchen Gardener International, KGI ( “…a 501c3 nonprofit founded in Maine, USA with friends from around the world.”) describes it’s mission as one “… to empower individuals, families, and communities to achieve greater levels of food self-reliance through the promotion of kitchen gardening, home-cooking, and sustainable local food systems.” as well as to “…connect, serve and expand the global community of people who grow some of their own food.”

KGI’s “Justification” is as follows: “With the world in the grips of intersecting food, fuel, financial and environmental crisis, it is clear that we need to make a shift in the way we eat and live. Kitchen gardens, food gardens, Victory gardens – whatever term you prefer – have been an important part of our past and will play an even more crucial role in the future as we work to feed a growing world population using a dwindling and increasingly polluted natural resource base.”

Amen. You can access KGI via kitchengardeners.org on the net and we hope that you will do so.

Note: KGI is the kind of effort we’ve been reporting on here at Prudent Home almost since our beginning. It has been a fragmented work in individual countries such as Great Britain, the U.S., Russia and South Africa, based on similar a similar understanding: ultimately, the food security of the individual, family, and community rests with the food production of the individual, family, and community.

Until the end of the week then, keep your eyes on the horizon as the weathers changing fast.

“Renowned investor George Soros said on Friday the world financial system has effectively disintegrated, adding that there is no prospect of a near term resolution to the crisis.

Soros said the turbulence is actually more severe than during the Great Depression, comparing the current situation to the demise of the Soviet Union.

THE ECONOMY/MCCOACH: From “The Hijacking of America” by Greg McCoach at www.321gold.com on 2/19/09 (thanks to survivalblog.com of 2/23/09 in the section “Items of the Economatrix”)

“Looking at the dismal record of fiat currencies throughout history, no country that has disconnected their currency from a gold or silver standard has ever made it past the 40^th year mark before inflationary panic and disaster unfolded. The United States is now in the 37^th year of it’s fiat currency experiment since Nixon took us off the gold standard in in 1972.”

THE ECONOMY/W.B. YEATS: From Yeats poem “The Second Coming”:

Turning and turning in the widening gyre

The falcon cannot hear the falconer;

Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;

Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,

The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere

The ceremony of innocence is drowned;

The best lack all conviction, while the worst

Are full of passionate intensity.

More accurately, the Yeats poem would perhaps reflect our general world condition and not just the narrow economic scene.

SOCIAL UNREST: “Britain faces summer of rage – police” is the article’s title in the UK’s guardian.co.uk/uk post on 2/23/09.

“Police are preparing for a ‘summer of rage’ as victims of the economic downturn take to the streets to demonstrate against financial institutions, the Guardian has learned.”

The article goes on to note that “…people who have lost their jobs, homes or savings”

are “…becoming ‘foot soldiers’ in a wave of potentially violent mass protests.” and that “…middle-class individuals who never have considered joining demonstrations may now seek to vent their anger through protests…”

‘COPING’: Two articles in Energy Bulletin (energybulletin.net, Food & Agriculture) on 2/20/09 deserve attention: the first is “UK allotments boom as thousands go to ground in recession” by Rebecca Smithers, The Guardian.

“…as recession bites, the growing enthusiasm for homegrown veg has seen more than 100,000 people join waiting lists for a patch of land as demand hits an all-time high.”

And second, “Portland, Maine allows backyard chickens” from Tom Bell, Portland Press Herald.

“…Portland City Council voted 7 -1 to remove its long standing ban on chickens and allow people to keep up to six hens within city limits.

“ …proponents of the measure…said the measure is part of a broader movement to create a situation in which food sources are found as close to home as possible.” and that “This brings us one step closer to sustainability …”

Until a little later in the week then, keep your eyes on the horizon. The weathers changing fast.

So what we decided to do , was to try to render a kind of thumbnail sketch of some national and international conditions that would provide the prudent family with an additional understanding of the value of a home garden and sustainable home food production. Here goes.

The Economy: We’re all bombarded daily (hourly) with the national financial and credit crisis. Add to this, growing unemployment in what appears to be a crumbling economy that’s running massive deficits at both the state and national levels.

While we now have an economic “stimulus” package that promises a qualified economic resurgence, it comes amid great misgivings on the part many experts both in and out of government. Very little help seems to be going directly to 70% of the economy: the consumer. And it is the consumer that is facing the increasing possibility of joblessness in a matrix of almost certain substantial increases in food (6-9% this year) and fuel (up 20% so far since Christmas).

The rest of the industrialized world has the same set of problems but theirs are on steroids compared to ours, and they generally have less resources to address them.

The less-than-industrialized world is essentially beyond almost any help save charity.

As a world, we are moving into what appears to be a massive recession or depression of uncertain length and severity.

WORLD FOOD: “Catastrophic Fall in Global Food Production” is the article title posted by Energy Bulletin (energybulletin.net) and written by Eric deCarbonnel, Market Oracle this 2/14/09.

Here’s a piece:”…The countries that make up two thirds of the world’s agricultural output are experiencing drought conditions. Whether you watch video of the drought in China, Australia, South America, or the U.S., the scene will be the same: misery, ruined crop, and dying cattle.”

The article goes on to note “…with a 20 to 40 percent decline in world production, already rising food prices are headed significantly higher.”

COPING: From a 2/13 09 talk by author/journalist Dimitri Orlov entitled “Social Collapse Best Practices” (thanks to survivalblog.com of 2/16/09 for this sourcing) comes some valuable insight on family survival during the collapse of the Soviet Union during the mid-1990’s.

Mr. Orlov notes that the people of the USSR supplemented foods available from the government with food they raised in kitchen gardens. While this source of food was never sufficient to live on by itself, it made a great difference in diet and provided the difference between lean times, with very little to eat, and malnutrition. It also helped prevent starvation.

Part 2 of “Got Garden?” will primarily address gardening sources and methods. We hope to present this next week.

Until later this week then, keep your eyes on the horizon.