Author Topic: Survival Situaton  (Read 42683 times)

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Offline The Village Idiot

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Survival Situaton
« on: January 04, 2010, 07:51:35 AM »
If you had 5 acres of land. I guess it would depend on the region.

Let us say the human waste hits the oscillation device? You need to live off your 5 acres.

 Hopefully good fertile land, what would you grow? What grain/vegetable gives the most return per space? What fruit trees would you add? Would you raise chickens? A cow? pigs? Knowing you have to feed them too?

Offline bijou

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Re: Survival Situaton
« Reply #1 on: January 04, 2010, 08:04:39 AM »
I'd keep some chickens and possibly a goat or two, but I don't think I could look after much more livestock than that. As for food, I'd probably grow fruit and vegetables rather than grain as that will be more difficult to harvest. Fruit trees take quite a while to get established so I wouldn't use up too much space on them. I'd prioritise having something to harvest most months rather than a major glut in late summer/autumn. So all the usuals potatoes, onions, garlic, green vegetables, tomatoes and herbs. Raspberries are low maintenance and hardy so I'd go for them. I'd also want to get a beehive as I'd have no way of sweetening anything otherwise (that would depend on me knowing how to keep bees!).



Offline franksolich

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Re: Survival Situaton
« Reply #2 on: January 04, 2010, 08:11:10 AM »
One need only to look at the Ukrainian peasants, who even during the worst years of socialist totalitarian repression, were allowed a small private plot of land, on which they kept 2-3 goats, a couple of pigs, and a bunch of chickens and geese.  Very few trees.  The usual potatoes, beets, other hearty vegetables that would keep, once harvested, for a very long time in crude dug-out cellars.  I don't recall seeing much fruit grown, although surely there was more than what I saw.
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Offline The Village Idiot

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Re: Survival Situaton
« Reply #3 on: January 04, 2010, 08:22:53 AM »
I'd also want to get a beehive as I'd have no way of sweetening anything otherwise (that would depend on me knowing how to keep bees!).

Honey is good. Very tradeable too. sugar beets?

Offline The Village Idiot

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Re: Survival Situaton
« Reply #4 on: January 04, 2010, 08:26:12 AM »
One need only to look at the Ukrainian peasants, who even during the worst years of socialist totalitarian repression, were allowed a small private plot of land, on which they kept 2-3 goats, a couple of pigs, and a bunch of chickens and geese.  Very few trees.  The usual potatoes, beets, other hearty vegetables that would keep, once harvested, for a very long time in crude dug-out cellars.  I don't recall seeing much fruit grown, although surely there was more than what I saw.

back to medieval times I suppose. I would defintely want some fruit trees, hopefully ones that do not require too much work. Apples, pears, oranges, lemons, peaches, plums, pecans etc etc. Could grow grapes along a fenceline I guess. Definitely chickens and hopefully a cow, goat, pig. If you have space a horse would be good, with a saddle or wagon.

Offline bijou

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Re: Survival Situaton
« Reply #5 on: January 04, 2010, 08:30:25 AM »
Honey is good. Very tradeable too. sugar beets?
Beets seem quite difficult to process, I was imagining 5 acres being farmed with only one or two adults and if TSHTF then maybe little or no machinery.



Offline Celtic Rose

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Re: Survival Situaton
« Reply #6 on: January 04, 2010, 08:48:35 AM »
I would probably start by focusing on hardy, calorie dense root vegetables,such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, etc., with other vegetables that store well, like cabbage and winter squash.  I would grow plenty of tomatoes because they can be made into salsa and pasta sauce and provide good winter food as well be eaten when fresh.  I'd add in plenty of fast growing prolific vegetables such as green beans, peas, and summer squash.  I would also probably grow good drying beans such as kidney beans, chickpeas, and the like.  Corn would be another good calorie dense item that would store well.  It could also serve as an easy to grow grain item. 

I would have berry plants before I tried growing fruit trees because you can get a better harvest faster.  I would grow herbs, especially perennials to make my food taste good.  Many aren't too terribly difficult to grow. 

Goats and chickens would be my choice for livestock.  They can both forage through most of the year so they won't take a lot food that is necessary for human consumption until winter and they will provide good protein food on a consistent basis. 

Offline The Village Idiot

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Re: Survival Situaton
« Reply #7 on: January 04, 2010, 08:48:42 AM »
Beets seem quite difficult to process, I was imagining 5 acres being farmed with only one or two adults and if TSHTF then maybe little or no machinery.

Thats the scenario, you are correct. I didn't know how much processing beets would require.

Offline The Village Idiot

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Re: Survival Situaton
« Reply #8 on: January 04, 2010, 09:24:49 AM »
So how do we get some traffic in here?

This board is lonelier than a Baptist church in San Francisco.

Offline Thor

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Re: Survival Situaton
« Reply #9 on: January 04, 2010, 09:53:24 AM »
Typically, one large animal per acre or grassland would be acceptable. Giving that one acre would probably be a garden and some sort of food bearing trees (e.g., apples, peaches, pears, pecans) That would allow for almost four acres of potential grassland. I would hope to have one horse, a breeding/ milk cow, a pig, some chickens and maybe a couple of turkeys. A beehive would be nice, too, as others have mentioned.

My question would be is how many people have the skills to make the farm work?? (such as, mechanical repairs, fencing, home repairs, etc) Many people I know don't know enough because they have been raised in the modern society where we take out vehicles to the repair shop, call out a handyman for home repairs, etc etc etc
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Offline The Village Idiot

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Re: Survival Situaton
« Reply #10 on: January 04, 2010, 09:56:12 AM »
Typically, one large animal per acre or grassland would be acceptable. Giving that one acre would probably be a garden and some sort of food bearing trees (e.g., apples, peaches, pears, pecans) That would allow for almost four acres of potential grassland. I would hope to have one horse, a breeding/ milk cow, a pig, some chickens and maybe a couple of turkeys. A beehive would be nice, too, as others have mentioned.


That sounds right. There would need to be a well or other water source as well.

Quote
My question would be is how many people have the skills to make the farm work?? (such as, mechanical repairs, fencing, home repairs, etc) Many people I know don't know enough because they have been raised in the modern society where we take out vehicles to the repair shop, call out a handyman for home repairs, etc etc etc

and many of those people live in the big cities, they'll mostly die when TSHTF. Some will become part of roving bands of pillagers and bandits.

Offline Thor

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Re: Survival Situaton
« Reply #11 on: January 04, 2010, 10:47:21 AM »


That sounds right. There would need to be a well or other water source as well.

Yep. People would need to insure that there was water available. I've seen many parcels that have no water available unless it's DEEP in the ground.

Quote

and many of those people live in the big cities, they'll mostly die when TSHTF. Some will become part of roving bands of pillagers and bandits.

And many would die in their attempts at looting, at least around where I live.
"The state must declare the child to be the most precious treasure of the people. As long as the government is perceived as working for the benefit of the children, the people will happily endure almost any curtailment of liberty and almost any deprivation."- IBID

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Offline Specbid

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Re: Survival Situaton
« Reply #12 on: January 04, 2010, 10:51:55 AM »
One need only to look at the Ukrainian peasants, who even during the worst years of socialist totalitarian repression, were allowed a small private plot of land, on which they kept 2-3 goats, a couple of pigs, and a bunch of chickens and geese.  Very few trees.  The usual potatoes, beets, other hearty vegetables that would keep, once harvested, for a very long time in crude dug-out cellars.  I don't recall seeing much fruit grown, although surely there was more than what I saw.

My Ukranian Grandmother, during the depression, grew cabbage, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, potatoes.
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Offline The Village Idiot

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Re: Survival Situaton
« Reply #13 on: January 04, 2010, 10:52:57 AM »
Yep. People would need to insure that there was water available. I've seen many parcels that have no water available unless it's DEEP in the ground.

And many would die in their attempts at looting, at least around where I live.

I saw a 5-acre tract of land for $3000 or so. But it was in the desert near Mexico. No way Jose. Don't want to live on a tiny tract right on a lake that could flood me annually either.

Offline Specbid

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Re: Survival Situaton
« Reply #14 on: January 04, 2010, 11:04:29 AM »
Now I'm pretty much a city boy, but how about planting certain ground cover which might attract wild game. Don't deer like clover for instance?

Offline The Village Idiot

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Re: Survival Situaton
« Reply #15 on: January 04, 2010, 11:15:29 AM »
Now I'm pretty much a city boy, but how about planting certain ground cover which might attract wild game. Don't deer like clover for instance?

Another thing I hadn't thought about. Texas has whitetail and wild hogs.... hhmmmm

Offline debk

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Re: Survival Situaton
« Reply #16 on: January 04, 2010, 11:32:16 AM »
Now I'm pretty much a city boy, but how about planting certain ground cover which might attract wild game. Don't deer like clover for instance?


Mine are pretty fond of my hybrid daylillies....  ::)
Just hand over the chocolate...back away slowly...far away....and you won't get hurt....

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Offline Specbid

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Re: Survival Situaton
« Reply #17 on: January 04, 2010, 11:36:16 AM »

Mine are pretty fond of my hybrid daylillies....  ::)

Hmmm, maybe that's why you have hunters roaming around your neighborhood...

Offline Specbid

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Re: Survival Situaton
« Reply #18 on: January 04, 2010, 11:39:05 AM »

Mine are pretty fond of my hybrid daylillies....  ::)

Tried your Italian dressing/breadcrumb chicken this weekend. Turned out great.

Offline debk

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Re: Survival Situaton
« Reply #19 on: January 04, 2010, 11:49:56 AM »
Hmmm, maybe that's why you have hunters roaming around your neighborhood...

The woman who owns the property up behind us called over the weekend.

Told me two hunters, with guns, came up on her 2 older boys down by the creek between our two properties....asking if they could hunt in here.

She was royally pissed!

Also said she found 2 guys on the property that said they were harvesting gingseng. She said, huh? They told her they'd been coming here for years to get it. She told them this was now all private property and they weren't grandfathered in and that the next time she saw them here, she'd call the cops!!

Told her to make sure that the boys knew they could come here for help at any time or if they got scared, and we'd bring them home.

Guess we need to be a bit more diligent....

So much for living in a "gated" community.... :(
Just hand over the chocolate...back away slowly...far away....and you won't get hurt....

Save the Earth... it's the only planet with chocolate.

"My therapist told me the way to achieve true inner peace is to finish what I start. So far I've finished two bags of M&M's and a chocolate cake. I feel better already." – Dave Barry

A balanced diet is chocolate in both hands.

Offline The Village Idiot

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Re: Survival Situaton
« Reply #20 on: January 04, 2010, 11:53:32 AM »
So much for living in a "gated" community.... :(

If the gates don't work, start a militia.

 :p

Offline Specbid

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Re: Survival Situaton
« Reply #21 on: January 04, 2010, 11:59:08 AM »
So much for living in a "gated" community.... :(

I guess the "gate" only keeps out the folks who drive right up to it.

Good luck with this. I don't mean to make light of your situation.

Offline IassaFTots

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Re: Survival Situaton
« Reply #22 on: January 04, 2010, 12:00:08 PM »
It wouldn't hurt to learn how to can, if you don't know already.  Freezing may not be an option, if electricity isn't.  
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Offline The Village Idiot

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Re: Survival Situaton
« Reply #23 on: January 04, 2010, 12:02:13 PM »
It wouldn't hurt to learn how to can, if you don't know already.  Freezing may not be an option, if electricity isn't.  

We'd need a bauxite mine, a metal processing plant and a can factory though.  :naughty:

seriously though, how did humans survive this? heh.

Offline debk

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Re: Survival Situaton
« Reply #24 on: January 04, 2010, 12:05:56 PM »
We'd need a bauxite mine, a metal processing plant and a can factory though.  :naughty:

seriously though, how did humans survive this? heh.


Along with digging that garden....you would need to dig a root celler, an ice house, and build a smokehouse.

Piece of cake.... :lmao:
Just hand over the chocolate...back away slowly...far away....and you won't get hurt....

Save the Earth... it's the only planet with chocolate.

"My therapist told me the way to achieve true inner peace is to finish what I start. So far I've finished two bags of M&M's and a chocolate cake. I feel better already." – Dave Barry

A balanced diet is chocolate in both hands.