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>> No. 1106 Anonymous
10th July 2010
Saturday 8:58 pm
1106 Crops and supplies? Home growing solutions?
What do the people of /eco/ make of the concerns over food supplies and shortages being masked?

http://www.marketskeptics.com/2009/12/2010-food-crisis-for-dummies.html

Even if this one doesn't pan out to be a true disaster, do any of the people of /eco/ prepare for these sorts of problems? Even something like a short-term (weeks to months, let's say) breakdown in distribution? I see a lot of people here already experiment with growing crops either on their own property or are considering it as a community project with locals or /eco/ followers.

So do any of you plan for the worst or the ability to be independant when it comes to vital supplies? To what extent have you gone to with those plans? I'd imagine most people here would be better prepared than the average joe thanks to already being the kind of person happy to get their hands dirty and root through the soil. Such a mental state can go a long way.
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>> No. 1107 Anonymous
11th July 2010
Sunday 7:14 pm
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>>1106
I grow Apples, Plums, Raspberries, Blackberries, Tomatoes, Potatoes, Chillies and a variety of herbs in my garden. We're a vegan household, but even we couldn't live off that lot for very long. I think you need a lot of land and a lot of year-round planning to be truly self-sufficient, it's a lot harder than people think, even if your diet is fruit/veg based as ours is.

I estimate I would need a couple of acres to be truly self-sufficient, and I reckon it would take a few years to get right. An invasion of the wrong kinds of slug/snails or a load of bugs and all your hard work goes to waste.

My point is that it is very very difficult to pull off, even if you have the knowledge.
>> No. 1108 Anonymous
11th July 2010
Sunday 9:03 pm
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So far the minimum plan I've heard talk of is 2 acres. One for the cow and one for crops. That requires you to find additional feed for the cow though. Animals have the advantage of needing less care than many crops in the sense that they can wander off and feed on lands that are unsuitable for vegetables or grains. Plus you can get milk, wool or even blood from them without killing them if you pick your beatsts right.

Five would do it (2-5 maybe being survivable), but at this stage it is a full-time career (just think of a medieval peasant or The Good Life). When you consider this aspect it shows how community projects and sharing the load makes more sense.

As >>1107 mentioned, pests could be a real nightmare, especially without modern techniques and supplies. Diversity helps avoid this to some extent. I can't say it is a situation I'd look forward to. Living on a knife edge where a bad winter or pest outbreak can wipe me out would be nerve-wracking. Organic farming techniques and perhaps historical reaserch may be of benefit to see how these things can be tackled without the modern chemical safety net.

The other issue to consider is growing enough for trading purposes or processing into other goods. You can't grow clothes and shoes on the vines. Even fuel or wood might be something to consider. Someone else is bound to have, grow or produce something you need or want.
>> No. 1109 Anonymous
11th July 2010
Sunday 9:58 pm
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Another incentive to grow some of your own (at least to gain easy experience without sweating it):

http://www.news.com.au/money/money-matters/tomato-prices-to-double-after-mass-poisoning-sabotage/story-e6frfmd9-1225889038401
>> No. 1110 Anonymous
14th July 2010
Wednesday 9:51 pm
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If you do grow your own, then please use this (and show it off here):

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10559358

Sounds like another ideal tool for /eco/-thinking type.

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