Food Security Begins with You

We are plunging into the worst food crisis in modern history

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Climate change amelioration fantasies and the continuing malfeasance surrounding Covid have greatly added to the world’s food crises. WEF news sycophant, Reuters even admitted that Africa is facing the worst food shortages the continent has ever experienced:

“Across Africa, from east to west, people are experiencing a food crisis that is bigger and more complex than the continent has ever seen, say diplomats and humanitarian workers.”

Remember Michael Jackson and “We are the world,” concerts all over the US and Europe raising money to help starving people in Africa? It’s far worse now than it was back then.

Of course, the danger of something on this scale has never threatened the US, Canada, or most other western nations in modern time. Certainly, Americans experienced food insecurity during the depression era and it didn’t affect only those who were already struggling prior to the Great Depression. According to a unit on US History by Lumen Learning, the depression “affected some sixty million people, most of whom were wealthier Americans…”

Depression Era Historical Photos (Source: Creative Commons)

The agony Americans faced during those mean times seems unreal to most people who enjoy the abundance western civilization has afforded them. And no wonder — it’s difficult to imagine. But this historical amnesia, brought on by ease and comfort is a dangerous state of being. Most Americans, while they might feel sympathy for the struggles and starvation occurring ‘over there’, will simply not have the prescient vision needed to fathom the possibility of such food shortages here.

But it’s coming…

Grow a victory garden, start now

During World War II, the American government encouraged citizens to plant Victory Gardens so they could grow their own fruits and vegetables — as foods, such as sugar, dairy products, eggs, coffee, meat, and various canned products were rationed. Government agencies and private groups worked together to provide instruction and moral support for those growing these gardens.

Ad for Victory Gardens (Source: Creative Commons)

We’re receiving no such encouragement during these current times of soaring food prices and the other financial dysfunctions thrust upon us by our own government and the central banks. Further, many Americans have no idea where to begin. Even so, begin you must.

Even if you grow only a few different herbs and vegetable varieties, you can barter with others, closing the gap between what one another lacks.

It’s late, but it’s not yet too late

In 2010, long before Covid was a tiny spark of malevolence in the demented minds of Fauci, Baric, that guy whose first name is Peter, and others, we began our food growing journey.

Perhaps those of you who have been reading for awhile know that we’re moving to about 70 acres in the mountains of Idaho in 2024 and we’ll be growing on a much larger scale at that point. But currently, we live in a suburban home, north of Houston. Our house sits on a 1/3 acre lot with about 1/4 of that taken up by the front garden area (not for food growing).

Despite that space restriction, we now grow about 2,000 pounds of food a year. Of course, figured into that approximate weight are watermelons, acorn squash, butternut squash, etc., so this skews the total.

Amazing basil - made tons of pesto

About two and a half years ago, we added chickens to our suburban farm — 8 layers and one ornery rooster. That has been super fun for both of us, but mostly me because the DS works a lot.

We use permaculture and regenerative farming techniques to get the maximum out of the space we have. Almost everything has a dual purpose. A small fence erected to enclose an herb garden can act as a trellis for snow peas and other climbing food plants. We have three huge rain barrels that I use for watering everything each day. The DS has them set up with a small solar-powered pump so I can water with the hose he attached to them. Convenient, far better for the plants than city water, and economical.

We can massive amounts of what we grow

We only use organic pest control and fertilizer (our chickens make a good bit of the fertilizer) and place nitrogen-fixing assistant plants and trees all around to augment soil nitrogen retention.

I’ve gone on too long at this point and will further explain both permaculture and regenerative farming principles in a future post. I wrote this because I want to encourage everyone to start growing some food, whatever it is, even if it’s only one thing like basil or tomatoes on your porch. It has been such a beautiful, empowering, and fulfilling activity for us. We’ve had our failures, oh yes, but we’ve had way more victories.

Took awhile, but we finally had a Brussels Sprouts victory

If you have questions, or want to know more about how you could do this, even if you live in an apartment situation, let me know. I’ll do my best to help.