photo credit

This article is the second in a 3 part series graciously written by my husband, Mr. S. While this may not appear to be directly in the vein of the content here at Nourishing Days, I believe that it is the logical conclusion of all things sustainable, homesteading and finding our food’s roots.

You can expect part 3 later on in the week. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.

In the first part we had a brief introduction on preparing to nourish.  Today we will examine why this preparation is necessary.

Why Prepare?

So let’s begin by taking a look around us to see the multitude of crises that could break upon the scene at any time.

• Collapse of the Dollar – In case you didn’t know it, our currency is intrinsically worthless, backed by nothing but the “full faith and credit” of the United States government and our promises to repay debt.  To see how flimsy this really is, how much do you really trust Congress as a whole?  Do you have “faith” they will do the right things in bailing everyone out and managing the debt?  How about the new healthcare plan they want everyone to fund (that most likely would restrict your freedom to actually nourish yourself)?  Even more importantly, how much do foreigners trust our currency because they are the ones who control a lot of the debt.  This issue is probably not a matter of IF but WHEN.  So if all your dollars become worthless (either over night or over the course of a few years what would you do? [list of currency devaluations throughout history]
• New Wars (Beyond the existing ones) – As the media likes to point out day in and day out there are significant boiling points in the world such as Pakistan, Iran, North Korea, and more.  I’m not addressing whether we are a contributing factor in any of these problems, I’m simply saying we need to be aware of potentially large disruptions in normal life that could come as a result of these hotspots.  Many of us can’t comprehend what a war means because we haven’t been directly impacted by it.  Some of us can relate because we currently have or have had loved ones serving overseas.  We may have relatives that are deployed around the world but very few of us know what it means to lose someone we love.  Our neighbors homes haven’t been destroyed, our workplace is generally vacant because of an economic downturn and not because it was blown up.  We generally haven’t seen hunger or thirst or disease outbreaks because of a lack of anything.  Veterans are really the only ones who really understand this and I’m sure for them it is a hard thing to talk about.  So when a war comes (and it will someday) that directly hits our country it will be a shock to 99% of the population that is busy talking on their cell phone and glued to the internet (virtual life).
• Economic Collapse – Let’s face it, the “green shoots” often discussed about relating to economic recovery might seem nice but they are probably not grounded in reality.  Too much debt (and a way of life issue in general) is what got us into this mess and the solution so far has just been to print (or borrow) more money (devalue the currency) and bailout companies that are “too big to fail”.  You can’t solve the problem with more of what caused the problem. This is an area that hits a lot closer to home because we all probably know someone or ourselves have been directly impacted by the economic downturn.
• Pandemic – A great quote, “On present evidence, the overwhelming majority of patients experience mild symptoms and make a rapid and full recovery, often in the absence of any form of medical treatment.”  While the threat of the actual disease itself is probably low, the danger of forced (untested) vaccinations, fear mongering, and restrictions that will be forced upon us are high.  Since vitamin D is free (via sunlight) or extremely inexpensive, don’t expect the mainstream to tell you about the natural ways you can nourish your body to keep a pandemic at bay.
• Food Shortage – Drought, crop failure, etc.  These are often not talked about in a country whose grocery store shelves are traditionally packed with everything imaginable.  However, assuming someone else will be able to produce all your food for you and put it into a convenient package on the shelf (100% of the time) is unrealistic on the grand scale of history.

Are you prepared?

Now the question you need to ask yourself in all these scenarios (and there are many more) is “Are you prepared to nourish your family, friends, and loved ones through the impact each of these might have?” How about the many other scenarios completely off our radar?  In order to really answer that question you probably need to ask a series of sub questions:

• How long can I go without electricity?
• How long can I go without buying more food?
• How long can I go without needing to get water?
• Can I store food or obtain water without electricity?
• Without gas for my car can I get the things I need to survive?
• Do I have anything that can be used for barter or trade?
• Do I have the information I need on hand to learn without needing electricity or the internet?

The easy answer is that most of us cannot go without electricity for long at all.  Something our great great grandparents could easily have lived without we are now dependent upon.  While we should probably all have a goal of weaning ourselves off of this dependence, it is probably not likely in the short run for most people.  However, we need to acknowledge there is an issue of “addiction” before it can be dealt with.  Yes, electricity use (in the way most people today use it) is basically an addiction (to the comfort it provides and who it serves…you).  This is not to say that all technology or electricity is bad, but to rely upon it as a slave is not good.

But, it won’t be that bad…

People who tell you that tomorrow will be just like today (only easier and better) are lying to you.

1.)    Because they don’t know what tomorrow will hold

2.)    History shows a pattern of how civilizations rise and fall

Let’s put this in perspective.  How many people in this country would survive if we lost power for just one year?  Maybe that is too abstract for the discussion.  How many people would survive on your block or that live near you if you lost power for 2 months in the dead of winter and there was no help from outside the area (no new food supplies, no generators, no gas, etc.)  If the answer is not many, then how viable are we compared to our great great grandparents?  Is this consumption society really sustainable? No.  If the answer is truly “No” then we need a plan of action for the short-term (“Surviving”) and the long-term (“Thriving”).

What can I do now?

First you need to realize that you need to do something.  Begin examining your life.  Think about the things you do.  Think about the way you live.  Is it rational, logical, and sustainable?  If you come to the conclusion that things need to change you are off to a good start.

In the next part we will begin to look at a plan of action for addressing surviving and thriving.  Stay tuned…

Key links you owe it to yourself to read.

Yes, they are long, but they are necessary for a proper foundation on the topic.

• Surviving Off-Off-Grid: Introduction
• Surviving Off Off-Grid: Chapter 1 – Defining Terms
• Surviving Off Off-Grid: Chapter 2 – Revolution