Riverwalker’s Book Review and Giveaway - Good Clean Food

In a world of ever increasing dominance of large national companies that control our food sources, it is increasingly important that we make ourselves aware of the risks this poses to our food supply. In his new book,Good Clean Food, Samuel Epstein, MD helps to inform everyone of these risks and gives you a better understanding of the effects certain practices are having on our current food supply.

One of the main features of this book is the help and understanding that can be gained from knowing about how our food is labeled and whether it is truly organic and safe from toxic substances that can affect our health. There is a wide discrepancy in the manner in which our food is labeled and everyone should be aware of how to properly read and understand the labels on our food products. While most labeling isn't meant to be deceptive, it can also be very misleading if you aren't careful when reading the label. You can also learn to decipher the codes on fruit and vegetables in order for you to determine which products are truly organic and better for you and your family.

The book also offers tips on shopping locally (farmer’s markets, etc.), growing your own food and even tips for dining out. It also offers advice on nutritional and dietary approaches to help undo some of the harmful effects in many of our processed foods.

There is also a section at the end of each chapter with information on different organic farms and growers that are considered to have safe and reliable food products. There is also an extensive index with numerous businesses in the various states that have reliable products that you can trust to be safe for your consumption.

Information can be a vital key to understanding what is going on in our world. With government regulations that are at most inadequate in the majority of cases where our food supply is concerned, it is important to educate yourself about the possible risks to your food supply.

The Giveaway

As an added bonus, a lucky reader will also receive a free copy of “Good Clean Food” direct from the publisher at no charge. Simply leave a comment about how you are taking the necessary steps to have good clean food available for yourself and your family. Whether it is growing your own vegetables, forming a buying club, or going to farmer’s markets, let us know how you are working to make your food supply safer. A winner will be chosen at random from the comments received. If commenting anonymously, please leave an identifier in your comments. The winner will be announced in a separate post on July 15th from the comments received.

  

About the Author

Samuel Epstein, MD is an internationally recognized authority on avoidable causes of cancer. He is the author of more than twenty books and 270 peer-reviewed articles and has served as president of the Society for Occupational and Environmental Health, the Rachel Carson Council, professor emeritus of environmental and occupational medicine at the University of Illinois School of Public Health, and chairman of the Cancer Prevention Coalition. 

Got Good Clean Food?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Riverwalker’s Book Review - Hawke's Special Forces Survival Handbook: The Portable Guide to Getting Out Alive

Hawke’s Special Forces Survival Handbook is a “portable guide” that contains a significant amount of useful survival information. Being portable and having pages that are water-resistant makes it easy enough to include with your other gear items in your “BOB” or “GHB” or you might just want to keep a copy handy in your vehicle’s glove compartment or console.

It’s important to remember that this book is exactly what it says it is...portable. Don’t get confused by the title either because it’s not a “combat training” manual. While not as comprehensive as his first book (Hawke’s “Green Beret Survival Manual”), it is a more concise and to the point “civilian version” that covers the basics of survival. This is done in a manner that makes it easy to find the information you need quickly. This book actually reads more like a field manual than an encyclopedia.  While I wouldn’t consider it the “ultimate” reference guide for survival information, it is a very functional “field” guide. Hawke’s simple “Stay or Go” philosophy may just save your life.

Hawke's Special Forces Survival Handbook provides relevant information and numerous illustrations on all the basic areas of survival. These areas include shelter, water, fire, food, first aid, tools, navigation, signaling, and his thoughts on survival psychology. This handbook will give you the basic information necessary and help you to survive numerous disaster scenarios and make it out alive. Hawke also includes his own recommended survival kit items that you should carry on your person and further recommendations for what you should also have in your bug-out bag. 

Riverwalker highly recommends Hawke's Special Forces Survival Handbook: The Portable Guide to Getting Out Alive.

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Disabled People and Disaster Planning (DP2) - A Website Review by Shorty

After reviewing Disabled People and Disaster Planning (DP2) , here are my thoughts on this site. The information is broken down into short and easy to understand bullet statements. The links all seem to be leading to the information sited and are written in the same format. Suffice it to say that so far I like this site. It mainly applies to earthquakes but can be applied to other disasters as well. Simply replace the disaster with the one that affects your area. The main thing I like is that it is written and geared to get you to think. It causes you to employ your brain, which is your main survival tool. This is a critical part of the process no matter what the situation you may find yourself facing.

I have to say that a lot of thought and footwork went into putting this site together. I have looked in many places which I thought actually had workable information, only to find out that everything was theoretical and nothing was practical. However, this was a refreshing breath of air to look through such a site and while I have not had time to try everything I have worked with enough to realize this information will work IF seriously followed. I believe that it is very well written and because it is simply that well written and well researched, if followed. it will save lives, handicapped as well as non-handicapped.

Thanks to RW for suggesting this site for my review.

Learning to stand on my own!

Shorty

Note from RW: A creditable source of good information is always important when planning for any type of disaster.

Survival Solutions for Persons with Disabilities or Physical Impairments

Quite often those persons who have disabilities or physical impairments are left out of the equation when it comes to being prepared for an emergency or a crisis. Persons with disabilities have much the same goal in life as any other person does but quite often have limited access to preparedness information in a useable format.

Thankfully, there is a good resource for preparedness information for those with disabilities. Documents in Braille or LARGE PRINT and videos in a sign language format (ASL) for the hearing impaired are just a few of the examples of the type of information that can be found at the following link:

http://www.accessibleemergencyinfo.com/

The information on this website is free for anyone to use and there is no charge for their services.

It is important that our preparedness efforts include everyone. It is especially important to include those friends and family members who may have a disability or a physical impairment that may place an even greater stress on their preparedness efforts.

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Backyard Food Production -How Much Land Does it Take?

Here is a free report from Backyard Food Production that will help you in your efforts to become more self-reliant. They also offer a very informative DVD on what it really takes to become effective at producing your own food straight out of your backyard. Along with the DVD, there is a great resource CD with over 60 files with information from rainwater harvesting to composting.

Here is the free report:

How Much Land Does It Take?

When thinking of becoming self-reliant, the question arises "how much land do I need to be able to sustainably grow enough food for my family?" The exact answer to that question depends on several factors, but you can learn a lot, and make a pretty good estimate, by looking at some scenarios that span the various alternatives.

Let’s start first off with the almost magical dream of the pure hunter/gatherer. I often hear this one from those concerned about a collapse of civilization. The shit hits the fan and you take your rifle and a few supplies and head out to the wilderness to live off the land. Just how much land does it take to support you without destroying all the wildlife and plant populations? How much area do you need in order live sustainably as a hunter/gatherer?

Since there are so few actual hunter/gathers left alive on the planet, and the few places where they do still exist tend to be jungles which look nothing like anything in North America, we will turn to anthropological data. The quick and easy answer is that traditional peoples used on average, about 10 square miles per person. 10 square miles is 6,400 acres - that is for one person. There are numerous studies and authors that cite this number and one of the most accessible is Jared Diamond, author of the popular title Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed. Another excellent source is Tending The Wild: Native American Knowledge and the Management of California's Natural Resources which is a wonderful book detailing how sustainable wild-crafting is more about taking care of the land than simply taking stuff (both books are available at Amazon here). California's lush and diverse landscapes were able to support some of the highest native population densities known in North America with the highest being almost 1.5 people per square mile living on the coast of the Santa Barbara channel. The plant and animal communities in the Santa Barbara area have been largely destroyed by modern peoples and that density is no longer possible today of course. As another comparison, desert regions of California had roughly 1 person per 12.5 square miles.

Before we head off into other more obtainable land use scenarios, lets pause for a moment to acknowledge that in addition to having access to a huge tract of land for living the hunter/gatherer lifestyle, you also need at least a decade to learn the many, many, skills of living such as tracking and hunting, trapping, botany, weather cycles, fiber and cordage, shelter, tool making, fire starting, tanning, and so much more.

OK, so you won't be going that primitive. What about you growing your own food in gardens, food plots, orchards, livestock, and perhaps a bit of hunting? Agriculture has gotten us these high population levels so far anyway, hasn't it? Yes it has, and small scale agriculture is definitely the way to go for most people. So how much land are you going to need for that?

The research to the answer to that question was started back in the 70's by a very forward thinking man named John Jeavons. The work has continued since then and a method developed into a system called "Bio-Intensive Gardening". The Bio-Intensive method has been implemented worldwide to alleviate hunger and malnutrition. There is a wealth of detail in the entire Bio-intensive method, but the short answer to how much land you need can be summarized as approximately 8,000 sq. ft. for a complete diet for one person (you need 4,000 sq/ft. of actual growing space and at least 4,000 sq. ft. for pathways and access). That is also assuming you have four growing seasons per year. So if you can only get two growing seasons, then you need to double the space needed per person. For reference, an acre is 43,560 sq. ft. So in a more southern climate, you could theoretically support about 5 people per acre.

The absolute best reference for the Bio-Intensive method is the book How To Grow More Vegetables Than You Ever Thought Possible On Less Land Than You Can Imagined by John Jeavons (available through Amazon here). And for another comparison, with data taken from Jeavons book, the average U.S. diet with conventional farming requires 15,000 to 30,000 sq. ft. and is done in such a way that it diminishes soil - i.e. it is not sustainable.

So small scale agriculture is definitely going to be your best bet. My personal experience is that 2 acres in a mild temperate region will completely wear you out and is enough room to comfortably support a family of four with a variety of food sources such as gardens, orchards, small livestock, and wild crafting. You can still do a lot in less area, and of course, everyone always wants more. Some caveats I've got to throw in there is you definitely need about a decade of experience to homestead like this, and you also need enough water. An excellent source for seeing what a diverse sustainable homestead on small acreage looks like is the video tutorial package titled Food Production Systems for a Backyard or Small Farm. The video we have created shows in good detail the systems we've setup to generate a lot of calories per year, how we did it, and why. It is a good example by folks who are actually living it.

But don't forget, even if you live in an apartment, there is a lot you can do. The most important thing is to get started. Did you get a few plants from a nursery, or check out a gardening club yet?

Jacque and Jim Gates are the owners of Bastrop Producers Market, Inc. (www.bastropproducersmkt.com). A market for local, organic, and sustainable farmers. Here is what they say about the DVD: Food Production Systems for a Backyard or Small Farm has all the information you need to become self-reliant and sustainable. It comes with basic "how to" DVD with demonstrations on a wide variety of subjects and a bonus resource DVD. A real bargain really well done!"

As always, good luck and

Cheers,

Marjory Wildcraft

& the Backyard Food Production Team

www.backyardfoodproduction.com

After a review of their DVD and the Resource CD, this is a fairly straightforward introduction for those persons who wish to become more self-reliant. It does make a couple of things very clear to anyone seeking a more self-reliant lifestyle. It takes a lot of time and hard work.

As an added bonus, this DVD along with the Resource CD will be given away on the Texas Preppers Network.

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Free Download – Burn Prevention and Care Guide

One of the most frequent and most preventable of all serious injuries are burns. Even a minor burn if not treated properly can have devastating effects that could affect you for the rest of your life. Burns can be one the most serious types of injuries that a person may face in their everyday lives but are also one of the most preventable.

Knowing how to prevent them and the proper care required for the treatment of burns is an essential part of being prepared. Recognizing those things which can affect you in your everyday life and being prepared to deal with them can be critical if the worst happens.

Here is a simple guide to help you understand the proper care for burns and how to prevent them:

Burn Prevention and Care Guide

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Free Download - Bushcraft and Survival Guide

An excellent resource on bushcraft and survival is available for free in a secure download. This bush survival manual was put together in order to help people be better prepared. It's 120 pages of very useful information and tips on how to survive in the bush. Much of the information and many of the survival tips in this manual can also be applied to your daily lives as well. It will be a great addition to your digital survival library.

You can download a secure copy here:

Bush Survival Manual (1.3 MB)

Got bushcraft and survival guide?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Free Download - USMC Winter Survival Course

It’s that time of year and the weather has already started getting colder in many parts of the country, mine included. So take some time before you head out on your hunting trip or that last camping trip for this year and take a refresher course on winter survival.

One of the best available resources for information about cold weather survival is the USMC Winter Survival Course. This is packed with great information that everyone can benefit from and by having a copy you will be better prepared to handle a cold weather emergency. It is a large download. If you are on dial-up services you may need a friend to download the copy for you.

You can get a copy here via a secure download:

USMC Winter Survival Course (4.2MB)

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Preppin’ 101 - Part 6 - Educational Resources - Food Safety

Being prepared also includes knowing your educational resources. Today there are a wide variety of resources available to further increase your knowledge. From your local library to the internet, the knowledge and information is out there. Invest some quality time to obtain some quality knowledge.

Food safety is a very important part of the knowledge needed to keep you and your family stay safe. Knowing the different factors that can affect your food and its proper storage will help you and your family to survive. Food safety information will be a valuable part of your survival library.

Important educational information about food safety can be found here:

Food Safety Education

Source: Dr. Angela Fraser, Associate Professor/Food Safety Education Specialist, Clemson University, Clemson, SC.


Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Preppin' 101 - Part 6 - Educational Resources

Being prepared also includes knowing your educational resources. Today there are a wide variety of resources available to further increase your knowledge. From your local library to the internet, the knowledge and information is out there. Invest some quality time to obtain some quality knowledge.

Charlotte M. Mason was a firm believer in the value of education and was one of the leaders in homeschooling. Her series of articles on homeschooling are now available for free download and will make a great addition to your survival library. This online version of Charlotte Mason's six-volume book series is provided for public use at no cost.

The Original Homeschooling Series by Charlotte M. Mason in HTML format is available here for free:
http://amblesideonline.org/CM/toc.html#1

You can also find additional homeschooling tips here: Homeschooling Tips

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker