There is plenty that you can do.
There is some talk about food shortages because of the very hard winter in Mexico and the Southwest where much of our produce comes from. I talked with the produce manager at our local grocery store and he confirmed that the shortage is a reality and is in the works as we speak. He gave an example of box of tomatoes going from $16 a box to $50 a box within a matter of two weeks. It is just a supply and demand thing. Only the produce is going to be affected at this point in time and it should only last for 3-4 months or until the next growing season comes around.
In the meantime growing your own produce such as lettuce, peas, green beans, and spinach, all fast growers, will keep you in greens. Also, buying local at farmers markets and co-ops is always a good thing to do. And when you are buying seeds to plant in your garden buy an extra pack or two now and put them in your freezer to store for future use. You never know about availability of seeds with all this crazy weather. If you have seeds then you always have the ability to grow your own food if need be. This is just insurance. Here is a great blog that explains seed saving. http://terroirseeds.net/113/seed-saving-and-storage/
Don’t forget those dandelions greens either.
The most basic and readily available wildcrafting plant you will ever find. They are just dying to be part of your tossed green salad. Dandelion tea from the flowers packs a real punch too. All parts of the dandelion, flower, leaves and roots, contain minerals and vitamins: A, C, D, E, & B complex, calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc, manganese, copper, choline, and boron, etc. when infused in hot water or eaten fresh. Here’s a little piece I did on dandelions you might find useful.
Sprouts sport
Also, a quick easy way to get very nutritious greens is from sprouts you grow in your window. It takes 72 hours. Another reason not to panic. Again, get your sprouts seeds from a co-op and then buy some extra that you put in the freezer. I use mason jars to store my seeds. Glass is better than any plastic wraps, no residues. Also, if the electricity goes out and you have to use things in your freezer right away because they will spoil, not so with the seeds. You have just extended their life by a year once they defrost. Now you are also working on a long-term survival kit and you didn’t even know it.
This is just to get you started on getting prepared. Next week I am going to show you how to grow sprouts as easy as 1-2-3. I use a large glass french press coffee maker to grow my sprouts in and it works great, better than the sprouting jars that didn’t always get enough air flow and the sprouts fermented before they sprouted. I got the french press at the Goodwill store for $3.
So, keep your eyes open for a good sprouting container, get your seeds, some mason jars, or save all your glass jars, meet me back here next week and we will get started sprouting with some surprises.
Thanks for the mention of us in your article! It’s good to see others that are on a similar path to local food. What’s more local than growing some of your own?
Great site Stephen. Glad you are there and we can share.