Last updated on December 2nd, 2011
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWVtaY3Zdpc]I STUMBLED UPON these videos from Marjory Wildcraft yesterday, and thought I should share them with you. They are worth watching. Although I hope her gloomy predictions don’t come to pass (she’s convinced they will), I think we can all benefit from her sound advice on growing food, preserving food, and collecting rain water.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBWHeR2ar1Q]
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kT5Bi-RrpVQ]
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOEj23RwXIE]
So…what did you think of her talk? Food for thought, no?
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Eric says
Thanks for posting this. I'd say her prediction is on target. Gas prices are rising, the weather is changing, and most farm land in the US is not used for food. I'll grow more veggies this summer, and I'll also preserve more of the harvest.
I don't think that a 4000 square foot garden is needed to feed just one person, however.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Eric – thanks for writing. I've been able to grow a year's supply of food (or close to it, anyway)in a fraction of the space she advocates, which, as she said, is based on the diagram from John Jeavon's book. I just need to be more diligent about preserving my harvest…I've already run out of tomato sauce!
Sheila says
Wow. She makes a good argument for being more self-reliant. Here food prices (even for things like Thomas' English Muffins) have gone waaay up since last summer.
Anyway I'll definitely plant more this spring and summer, and try to can and freeze more too.
Yolanda says
What a rain-water-collecting system she has! I guess in Texas you really need something like that.
As for Ms. Wildcraft's talk, I'd like to say she's an alarmist. Unfortunately she's probably not!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Sheila – The cost of supermarket food has gone up here, too, as compared to last summer's prices. And I just heard on the news that food prices will probably increase at least another 5% due to the increased cost of gas.
Food from my local farm market has not gone up, up course, because it has not traveled far. Supermarket products travel an average of 1,500 miles.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Yolanda – I'd like to have her rain water system, too!
Broken Barn Industries says
We probably ought to grow and preserve more food but that takes up space for flowers! It seems like we're getting nickel and dimed to death- food, gas and heating oil prices on top of other fun expenses- the dentist, new furnace, car repairs and cigarettes. Yeah, I said cigarettes. They have DOUBLED in price this year due to NYS taxes. Bad to smoke, I know but this extreme taxing would seem wrong to me even if I didn't smoke. Might have to use any extra garden space to grow our own tobacco!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
BBI – I happen to grow tobacco here, in the form of Nicotiana sylvestris and N. alata. After 8 PM, the flowers of these emit the most glorious scent in the world. Both sylvestris and alata are related to the traditional smoking tobacco, N. tabacum, which is also evening-scented and not difficult to grow.
As for unfair taxes, it all boils down to greed. Think Robin Hood, but in reverse. We are paying a gas tax at the pump, which goes towards subsidizing the oil companies. These oil companies are making record profits.