The Hoarding Begins

My sister and I have always maintained our brother would be the next unibomber, if he hadn't married. Well, we are partially right. He's very much turning into a survivalist, having found a website called Nitro-pak. They sell pre-packed tins of seed for a half acre garden to help you survive a world-wide disaster.

The funny thing is - she and I are right there with him.

He sent me the list of seeds in this "kit". 16 different veggies. OK. I can deal with that. But I wasn't too impressed with the list or the volume. You'd survive a few months, but not until next growing season.

So, I started looking around for other sites of heirloom/organic/open-pollinated seed to augment this "kit". And that's when I stumbled upon the Victory Garden. Now THAT'S a garden. A survivalists garden at that! Almost 3X the seed, fully 3X the variety and included everything except a grinding corn and a grain. That's easily purchased.

Anyone who knows me, knows I can obsess with the best of them. I'm estimating weights per pack, converting from grams to ounces, averaging price per pack, total price per ounce, price vs purchasing it by choosing our own varieties rather than taking the premade "kits".

Anyone who knows gardening knows that regardless of how expensive the seed is, it's still only about 10% the cost of what your total harvest is worth. But, because I love to obsess and play with numbers, I was doing just that.

Here is the list from www.Nitro-pak.com

Packets sealed in the can will store for 4-5 years or more at 75oF. Studies done at Cornell University suggests that for each drop in storage of 75oF, the normal shelf-lifeof most seed varities nearly doubles. Seeds can be refrigerated or placed in a freezer in the can to greatly extend their shelf-life.

Seed Varieties Included in Each Can:
1 Sweet Garden Corn -- Golden Bantam 5 oz.
1 Pole Beans -- Blue Lake 5 oz.
1 Sweet Garden Peas -- Little Marvel 10 oz.
1 Carrot -- Scarlet Nantes 6 g.
1 Onions -- Utah Sweet Spanish 10 g.
1 Cabbage -- Golden Acre 10 g.
1 Swiss Chard -- Lucullus 8 g.
1 Beet -- Detroit Dark Red 8 g.
1 Winter Squash -- Waltham Butternut 6 g.
1 Tomato -- Ace 55 VF 3 g.
1 Zucchini Squash -- Black Beauty 6 g.
1 Lettuce -- Barcarolle Romaine 4 g.
1 Pepper -- Yolo Wonder 5 g.
1 Radish -- Champion 10 g.
1 Spinach -- Bloomsdale Long Standing 10 g.
1 Cucumber -- Marketmore 76- 8 g.

The list from www.HeirloomSeeds.com/Victory.html (Plus, they have 2 other choices, should this be a bit too extensive for you).

BEANS (6 varieties): Black Turtle, Bush Blue Lake, Commodore, Fordhook Lima, Old Homestead Pole and Pencil Pod Black Wax
BEETS (2 varieties): Chiogga and Early Wonder
BROCCOLI (1 variety): De Cicco
BRUSSELS SPROUT (1 variety): Long Island Improved
CABBAGE (2 varieties): Early Jersey Wakefield and Red Danish
CARROTS (2 varieties): Amsterdam Minicor and Autumn King
CAULIFLOWER (1 variety): Early Snowball
CELERY (1 variety): Golden Self Blanching
COLLARD (1 variety): Georgia
CORN (1 variety): Golden Bantam
CUCUMBER (2 varieties): National Pickling and Tendergreen Burpless
EGGPLANT (1 variety): Black Beauty
GOURD (1 variety): Ornamental Small Mix
KALE (1 variety): Dwarf Blue Curled
KOHLRABI (1 variety): Early White Vienna
LEEK (1 variety): American Flag
LETTUCE (5 varieties): Black Seeded Simpson, Buttercrunch, Freckles Romaine, Gourmet Salad Blend, and Mesculin Mix
MELONS (2 varieties): Jenny Lind and Sweet Passion
MUSTARD GREENS (1 variety): Southern Giant Curled
OKRA (1 variety): Clemson Spineless
ONION, BUNCHING (1 variety): Evergreen White Bunching
PARSNIP (1 variety): Hollow Crown
PEPPERS (4 varieties): California Wonder, California Wonder Gold, Jalapeno and Long Red Cayenne
PEAS (3 varieties): Early Frosty, Mammoth Melting Sugar and Sugar Daddy
PUMPKINS (1 variety): New England Pie
RUTABAGA (1 variety): American Purple Top
RADISH (2 varieties): Easter Egg and Crimson Giant
SPINACH (2 varieties): Bloomsdale Long Standing and New Zealand
SQUASH, SUMMER (4 varieties): Dark Green Zucchini, Golden Zucchini, White Patty Pan and Yellow Crookneck
SQUASH, WINTER (2 varieties): Butternut and Spaghetti
SWISS CHARD (2 varieties): Lucullus and Ruby Red
SOUTHERN PEA (1 variety): California Black-Eyed
TOMATO (6 varieties): Besser, Big Red, Giant Beefsteak, Homestead 24, Pink Brandywine and Roma
TURNIPS (1 variety): Purple Top White Globe
WATERMELON (1 varieties): Sugar Baby
HERBS (10 varieties): Basil, Chives, Coriander, Cumin, Dill, Marjoram, Oregano, Parsley, Summer Savory and Thyme

Now - anyone who knows anything about gardening knows just about any seed will last a decade under normal conditions - stuck in a drawer with envelope at least partially intact. So, if you put the seeds in your own tin - anything air tight - and shove it in your freezer (assuming you have one), it'll last far longer than a decade.

I've digressed a bit since the title is about Hoarding. LOL - I'm good at digression.

Because the economy and the EU's outlook on the US economy are far more grim than any of the US talking heads are willing to state, I'm getting more nervous about things all the time.

Fuel costs are on course for outer space. Ditto on utilities. Food costs aren't going to go down, between the previously mentioned factors as well as drought, flooding, fires and Monsanto - my favorite conspiracy theory industry giant.

I have started, but not in earnest, to hoard grains. This month, I am going to start collecting more - up to $50 worth each month until I feel we have a comfortable cushion.

Wheat flour - 50#
Rye flour - 30#
Corn meal - 20#
White rice - 10#
Brown rice - 10#
Barley - 10#
Oats - 10#
Dry beans - whatever our store has - 3# of each

I'm also hoping to preserve the following, both from our garden/property and through local farmer's market...

Peaches - 26 pts and 1 batch of jam
Applesauce - 26 pts - from property
Blackberry jelly - 1 batch - from property
Blueberries - 20 qts - from property
Tomatoes - 26 qts - from property
Corn - 26 pts
Green Beans - 26 pts - from property
Yellow/Green Squash - 26 pts - from property
Chard stems for soup - 26 C - from property
Chard Greens - 26 pts - from property
Quince jam - 1 batch - from aunt's
Dill pickles - 1 batch - from property
Bread and Butter Pickles 1 batch - from property

Yeah. If you're going to do something, do it right. Go allll the way. Jump in with both feet.
I'm not going into survivalist mode, I'm "homesteading". LOL Yeah. Right. I know better.

Help Feed The World

I've posted some information re: the global food crisis.
http://kermitsteam.blogspot.com/2008/04/un-news-april-25_27.html
http://kermitsteam.blogspot.com/2008/04/global-food-crisis-op-ed.html

You can also go to any of the major news sites for more information regarding this issue:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/apr/13/food.climatechange
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0407/p08s01-comv.html
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/americas/03/24/food.ap/index.html?iref=newssearch
More at end...

I've been watching this develop for almost a year now, and haven't spoken out. I have to stop being that way and start airing my thoughts. At least then I can say I tried to warn folks.

Annual average consumption:
Total food is around 1,950 pounds
Wheat is around 137 pounds (in all forms)
Rice - 22 pounds
Sugars - 142 pounds
Corn - is so pervasive in all of our foods that finding a per person number isn't happening. At least half the sugar is corn syrup, if that gives you an idea of the ubiquitous nature of corn.

So, how do we, as arrogant Americans, help with this crisis? Since it is so much more than just FOOD, it can be incredibly overwhelming...

Reduce demand:

For Fuel. You don't have to drive around as much as you do. None of us do. Consolidate trips. We're doing this already due to higher gas prices, but make a more concerted effort to do so. It isn't just your pocket book you'll be helping.

For Food.
Many people are hoarding grains such as rice and wheat. I won't say I'm not getting a little more, but I'm not hoarding.
Reduce the amount you eat out - the largest source of food waste possible! Just by reducing this, the nation's consumption of grains will be reduced. I'd guess for every 1% less you eat out, 2% less grain will be used.
Reduce the amount you eat at home.
We all know processed grains are bad for us. So don't eat as much of them! Pasta, white rice, white bread, biscuits, pre-made gravies and sauces, etc. will help. I'll guess it's a 1% - 1.3% savings. On average, very few of us eat every crumb of the food we cook. How much of a load of a bread do you throw away because it's stale or moldy?
Reduce your beef intake. Cattle consumes incredible amounts of grain, it's mind boggling. Switch to chicken. If you want to get a little crazy, try goat, co-op with a small farmer for your pork or beef and even your milk, or go vegetarian.
Bird food. It's seed - aka GRAIN. They can live without as much as we give them.
Reduce your sugar. Since sugar cane is being planted for use in producing ethanol, it's taking away from grain production and pushing prices up.
Reduce your use of cooking oil. In all honesty, we use very little in our house. But many homes use pints per week. Try cooking without it. Broil, pan fry, grill, roast, stew. All of these options use virtually no cooking oil.
Grow Your Food. It's far easier than you think. From our Victory Gardens during WWII, to our Community Gardens in urban settings, we are incredibly creative in our ability to grow our vegetables.
For another site I haven't had time to work on, I compiled information on starting Community Gardens http://katrinanetworking.blogspot.com/2007/02/community-garden.html. From here, are links that can help you start your own garden, with simple tricks, fixes and tips.
I'd love to see them called a Humanity Garden, but that's just me...

By reducing demand in the US, prices will fall. They may not fall substantially, but even a few percentage points is considerable, since prices have gone up, on average, 70% in the last 12 months.

Don't borrow
The Feds keep lowering interest rates because of the foreclosures and defaults occuring at record pace. To help minimize further rate reductions, stop borrowing. Stop using your credit card. Hold off on that car loan. Hold off on that student loan. Hold off on that home improvement loan. Pay cash.

Donate
Donate to your local food pantry. Prices have gone up here, not just around the world. Along with donated monies not going as far to purchase food for the needy, people aren't donating as much.
Donate to UNICEF. Their money is only going about half as far, meaning people are only getting half the food they were before, which was bare subsistence.
Donate to organizations who help communities farm - heifer international, seeds for peace, seeds for change, etc.
If you're a gardener, plant a row for your local food pantry.

Finally,
We, as a nation, must understand that every action we take has a global reaction. That's a huge responsibility. But, it also allows us to all make very small changes that will conclude in a very large impact world-wide.
If mothers around the country can create a highly successful network to donate breast milk to children in need, certainly we as a nation can create an equally large impact on the world.

4/30 FAO's projection for world rice crop for 2008:
http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2008/1000820/index.html
In the rest of the world, a dismal production is forecast in Australia, reflecting extremely low water availability. A reduced crop is also expected in the United States, mainly as a result of a cut in area caused by mounting competition from more profitable crops.
(also - noted on CNN, flooding in rice growing areas is delaying planting (ironic, huh) for at least 3 weeks, which means 1 whole crop may be lost)