5 Easy Tips for starting an effective food storage

If you needed to live off of the items in your home for an undetermined amount of time, would you be ready?  No matter where you live, your home is susceptible to natural disasters and emergency situations. Creating an effective food storage is important for everyone, no matter their household size or living situation. Because starting your food storage may be a bit overwhelming at first, we’re here to help you take care of this important detail in emergency preparation. Check out these five easy tips then start building your food storage today!

1.       Take your time :

While it may feel like you should be getting this done ASAP, it’s important that you take your time to get it right. Add a few items to your supply each week until you have three months of food stored away for you and your family. It takes time to stock up on a whole year’s supply of food. Learn to use your freezer and make extra portions of your favorite foods to bag and freeze them.

2.       Planning:

You don’t have to go broke buying supplies for your food storage. Start with a food storage plan and add a little at a time. Use a checklist to ensure that you’ve purchased foods that you will actually eat. This will help you stick to a budget as you add to your food storage over time.

3.       Find Storage space:

One of the major obstacles you will encounter is finding enough space for your emergency preparedness supplies. Preparing space in advance will help you find areas for storage. Don’t panic if you have a restricted amount of space to work with. It’s fun to get creative when looking for storage space ideas. The most common places that are overlooked are under beds, in closets, under dressers, under desks, and under or behind sofas. You can also go through your household items and toss duplicate or seldom-used items.

4.       Create a Rotation:

Occasionally, you will have to go through your emergency food supply to replace older items. You will want to do this once a year or even every two years. It is important to restock what you remove. Rotating your long term food storage is an awesome way to introduce your family to the flavors of your emergency supplies while keeping it refreshed.

5.       Keep track of your items:

Find a simple system for tracking what you have as well as what you need. Without a food storage inventory, you could end up with too much or too little of food.

Guest post by: Augason Farms 

                                                                 

About Augason Farms:

For more than 40 years, Augason Farms has provided quality a la carte and bulk food storage items to home and business owners throughout the U.S. Our high quality kits and a-la-carte items provide our customers with easy and affordable solutions for starting an emergency food storage supply.

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker 

Raising Poultry - Using Egg Shells as a Feed Supplement

While there are feed supplements that can be readily purchased from your local feed store, they can increase the cost of raising your chickens. One of the items often lacking in a chicken’s diet is calcium and this can be easily fixed by feeding your chickens crushed egg shells. It is simple to do and can save you a few dollars. It will also solve the problem of eggs with weak shells that break or damage easily.

The first thing you will need to do is thoroughly rinse your egg shells after they've been cracked to remove any remnants of the egg. Once they've been rinsed, allow them to dry in a dish or bowl. Once dried, you can crush them by hand into small pieces and mix in with their grain. This will provide your chickens with the calcium they need to give your eggs strong shells.

Many times people worry about their chickens becoming egg eaters. If your chickens are getting the necessary calcium, this should not be a problem. In fact, a lack of calcium in their diet can actually create this problem with your chickens. Like any animal, they will seek out a source of the nutrients they require.

Chickens also have a natural defense mechanism when it comes to their eggs. They will instinctively protect their eggs from possible predators by eating cracked or damaged eggs in the nest. Cracked or damaged eggs are easily honed in on by predators and could result in the loss of all the eggs in the nest. To avoid this problem, it is a good practice to pick your eggs at least twice a day. This way you will be able to remove any weak or damaged eggs as quickly as possible.

Got egg shells?   

                                                                                                             

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker                           

Riverwalker’s Book Review and Giveaway - The Pocket Guide to Wild Mushrooms

Foraging for edible foods in the wild can be an important skill that everyone should learn in order to be more self-reliant. Unfortunately, many food items found in the wild can be deadly if you lack the proper knowledge about the items you are foraging. Wild mushrooms are one such item that require a good guide in order to determine if the mushrooms you find are safe to eat.

In The Pocket Guide to Wild Mushrooms by Pelle Holmberg and Hans Marklund, the authors have created a condensed version of their larger book on foraging for mushrooms. This smaller and portable version contains a guide to many of the more common mushrooms found in the wild. It includes excellent pictures of the various types of edible mushrooms that are generally found in the wild. Cutaway views of the mushrooms are also included in order to help you further properly identify your wild mushrooms.

Amazingly, this is one pocket guide that actually fits in your pocket, even if it is a little tight. This makes it a lot easier to keep handy when you are out foraging for edible mushrooms. The guide also offers some helpful tips on cleaning and cooking your mushrooms properly. There is also a small reference section for more extensive information on mushrooms in the wild along with a handy index section for quick reference.

The only drawback of this guide is there isn't very extensive information on where the different edible mushrooms can be found. The guide does reference basic regions and areas where edible mushrooms are found but you may need a larger and more detailed guide for specific varieties of edible mushrooms in your area. This guide does include a very extensive section on beginner mushrooms that can help to get you started in the proper foraging of edible wild mushrooms.

Pockets guides are not meant to be a definite source and while not all inclusive, this is an excellent pocket guide for both beginners and experienced foragers to use when hunting edible wild mushrooms.

The Giveaway

A lucky reader will also win a free copy of The Pocket Guide to Wild Mushrooms direct from the publisher. Just leave a comment about your experience (or lack of) in foraging for mushrooms or other edible food items in the wild. If commenting anonymously,  please leave an identifier in your comment. A winner will be chosen at random from the comments left on this post. The winner will be announced in a separate post on July 31st.

Got pocket guide for wild mushrooms?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Riverwalker's Pics - Mrs. RW's Rooster

Rooster

He's also a good alarm clock.

Got chickens?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Bushcraft - Central Texas Style - Natural Cuisine - Part Two - Mud Bugs

Many rivers are fed by small creeks and streams. Many of these creeks and streams originate from springs that occur naturally. Many of these springs are also a source of the fresh water that is necessary for many aquatic species to survive. One such creature that can be found in fresh water is the crayfish. 

Crayfish or “crawdads” are considered a delicacy by many people and are a staple food item at most Cajun celebrations. They are easily trapped and are often caught by hand and are also quite simple to prepare. They are an excellent source of food in a survival situation. Crayfish are found in most regions throughout the United States. 

In my younger days, many a “mud bug” fell victim to a stick with a piece of bacon hanging by a string.

Got mud bugs?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Bushcraft - Central Texas Style - Natural Cuisine - Part One

There are always numerous food sources available in a wilderness setting. Finding a good meal really isn’t all that hard. The main trick is to know where to look when you need a meal. When it comes to survival, you want to thrive as well as survive. There’s really no better menu available than what nature can provide. You just have to know how to read the menu.

Can you find the culinary delight in the above picture?

Got natural cuisine?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Backyard Bushcraft - Edible Little Critters with Horns

Texas has an edible little critter with horns. The common brown garden snail (Helix_aspersa) is found in many areas throughout the state. The brown garden snail generally feeds on most any plant that is available, whether it’s in your garden, your flower bed or your greenhouse.

This species is also edible and constitutes a good source of survival food. The appendages on the top of its head are often referred to as “horns” and the lower appendages are referred to as the feet.

Got Escargot?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Mrs. RW's Potatoes from the Garden

Mrs. RW recently harvested a couple of rows of potatoes from the garden. She said it was comforting to know that she could at least grow a little something to eat. She usually grows a couple of different types of potatoes for variety. She's also starting to harvest a few ears of corn from the garden but usually tries to pick the ears of corn straight off the stalk before a meal.

Gardening is one of Mrs. RW's best survival skills. 

Got potatoes from the garden?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Survival Super Foods - Cucumbers

Cucumbers are a member of the gourd family and are also considered a fruit.  Cucumbers are quite easy to grow, can be eaten raw as a snack by themselves, on sandwiches or in salads and are easily canned for long term storage.  Cucumbers have many beneficial qualities that put them in the class of survival super foods.

Cucumbers contain the vitamins A and C, have high fiber content and also contain the minerals magnesium and potassium.  Cucumbers also have a very high water content which makes them important as a food source that will help keep the body properly hydrated. Cucumbers also contain silica. This is an important factor in maintaining healthy muscle and cartilage.

Cucumbers are very sensitive to heat and should be stored in a refrigerator in either a sealed container or tightly wrapped to preserve their freshness. When properly canned and pickled, they can last a very long time.

Cucumbers have many qualities that make them a survival super food.

1. They can be eaten raw and require no cooking.

2. They have a high fiber and water content.

3. They are excellent for long term food storage when properly processed.

4. They have excellent vitamin and mineral content.

5. They are easily grown in a small garden.

Got cucumbers?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Homesteading Project - DIY Chicken Nesting Boxes Using Kitty Litter Buckets

Front View of Nesting Buckets

RW, Jr. and Medicine Man spent some time yesterday finishing up their DIY nesting boxes for the main chicken coop. Some extensive repairs were made on the main coop and some additional coop space was added. In the above picture, you can see the buckets with fresh hay ready for the little ladies. The raised nesting boxes will make it easier to harvest the eggs once someone has seen and made the birth announcements that the Hen's have laid the eggs. Saving time with harvesting eggs means more time for other chores and even a good egg breakfast.

Side View of Raised Nesting Buckets

Here's a side view that shows how the buckets fit in the raised portion of the holder for the new nesting buckets. RW, Jr. and myself put this together using some scrap lumber. The buckets fit easily into the raised platform. There are some additional ground nesting buckets visible in the background.

View of Bucket with Partial Lid

A small section of the lid was left on the nesting buckets to help hold in the nesting material. The lids cut easily with a knife and the partial lids really help in retaining the nesting material.

Kitty Litter Bucket

Since the regular round buckets aren't always available in sufficient quantities, it was decided to use empty kitty litter buckets to make the nesting boxes. There was no shortage of kitty litter buckets available thanks to the Cat Lady.

Raised Ground Nesting Buckets

RW, Jr. also made a small raised platform about 4 inches high for the ground nesting buckets. These are for those hens that feel more comfortable at ground level. With no shortage of kitty litter buckets, there'll be plenty of nests for the hens.

It is always important to utilize all your resources. Usually a simple solution to your needs can be found quite easily if you spend a little time looking in the right place. 

Got DIY nesting buckets?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Gardening - The Ultimate Food Storage Backup

Shallots from the Garden

The importance of gardening is sometimes overlooked when considering a long term food storage plan. The ability to grow your own food will ultimately make your ability to provide a true long term food source for your family a reality.

Gardening does require a lot of more effort on your part and presents challenges that will test your skills in self reliance. The rewards for your efforts are well worth the time and effort it requires. Nothing tastes quite like fresh vegetables from the garden.

While it may seem easier to stack cans of food on a shelf, you will eventually need to acquire gardening skills to be fully self reliant. When the stores in your pantry start to diminish, you will have the knowledge and ability to restore your pantry without a trip to the grocery store.

There are some limitations on gardening depending upon where you live. The different types of soil and weather conditions will play a large part in which direction your gardening efforts should take. You will need to learn what will grow and when according to the conditions in your area. You can then focus your efforts to take advantage of these conditions for your maximum benefit.

One of the easiest ways to get started with gardening is by learning from your friends, neighbors and relatives. Most will readily share their experiences. You will be able to learn quickly what plants are successful and which ones will most likely be doomed to failure before you even start. You can also learn the best times of the year to plant and what can be done to improve or maintain your soil to get the maximum production from your garden. There is no need to re-invent the wheel when it comes to gardening.

Another advantage that comes from developing your garden skills is the barter factor. Fresh garden produce is one of the easiest items to barter. If you get to the point where you start to experience real success in your gardening, the extra foods items that can be traded for other items you may need. You can trade food for just about anything from anybody. If they’re a little hungry at the time, it’s even easier.

Gardening will also allow you the opportunity to “customize” your food storage to fit your family’s needs. You can concentrate your efforts on food items that grow easily in your area that your family enjoys eating and that are easy to preserve for future use.

Got food with dirt on it for backup?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Raw Survival - The Natural Meal for Survival

We’ve learned that cooking meat prior to eating it can protect us from a variety of problems, especially since our digestive systems aren’t designed to handle the consumption of raw meat. Unfortunately, the practice of cooking our food has changed our way of eating and we now rarely consume food items which haven’t been cooked in some manner. You may want to consider a “Natural Meal” for survival.

Nature probably didn’t intend for everything we eat to be cooked over a fire. Although it does enhance the flavor in some cases, many times it is to the detriment of the vital nutrients contained in that food. This is where nuts, fruits and vegetables excel. In their basic form, they are tasty and nutritious and there is no cooking involved.

A raw carrot plucked from the ground, a handful of berries from a bush, a tomato plucked from a vine or a few nuts from a tree can easily make a meal or a quick snack. No need to build a big fire. 

You will also derive a lot more benefits from the nutrients in those food items. You’ll also have a tendency to eat less as the raw foods you consume are often a lot tastier than their often over-cooked and sometimes bland counterparts. This will satisfy your appetite a lot faster. With enhanced flavor, you won’t need to add as many flavorings such as salt, pepper or mayo and you may have fewer problems with indigestion.

When you don’t have to cook your food, you save time and trouble with cleanup chores and cooking time as well. You also don’t have to worry about burnt fingers from grabbing a hot pot. You can spend your time enjoying your meal. What about leftovers? If there are any, they can go straight to the compost pile.

It’s important to remember in a survival situation that not everything we eat has to be cooked.

Got “Natural Meal” for survival?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Stealth Gardening - How to EAT in a SHTF World

Please, Please, Please, do NOT take this article as a general assumption, just as my thoughts on long term planning! I've seen so many posts claiming that many preppers have 500 pounds of rice, wheat and beans or whatever...when it’s all gone, then what? Sure, you may have a year or more supply of basic food staples but let's look at the big picture.

Let's assume there are 3 different types of gun owners. Type A just bought a big black nasty gun, assumes he can kill anything, but never goes to the range. Type B bought a big black gun, but only goes to the range every 6 months. Type C, well he has a gun for every critter on earth and goes shooting every weekend!

    

 In a SHTF scenario, Type A will just scare off the game, type B may get a few, and type C will get the leftovers...not a good plan!!!

Based on the previous assumption that you have 500 pounds of each food staple....have you ever loaded it to bug out? We're just talking the dry stuff, not the camping gear, generator, solar panels, propane, fuel, etc. I drive a 1 ton dually and there would not be room for 30 or more 5 gallon buckets in it, much less the camping gear! So, unless you own a U-Haul or some other kind of big trailer, your stuff just won't fit in there!

   Don't plan on hunting once you get to your bug out spot either, as everyone else will have the same plan because they will be starving for food also. And if you are lucky enough to have a few acres to garden, the zombies will try to take anything halfway ripe. Anything that looks like a plowed field or a garden is an open invitation to be raided.

So, how do we make a garden that won't be raided by zombies??

Plant things they won't see!

Everyone knows what a tomato plant or corn looks like. Any bright color plant will get attention. A green pepper is less likely to be seen than a red pepper, a tomatilla (green tomato) will hide nicely...peas and beans 50 feet away from a trail won't draw attention. Maybe you could use something like an old badminton net for a lattice for the beans or peas to grow on or to camouflage the tomatoes? Think eggplant, potato, carrot....how many non-preppers could spot a potato or carrot top? Root veggies keep better and are never seen by most. If you stumbled across a patch of dandelions, you would know they are edible but would anybody else? The leaves are edible and the roots can be cooked like carrots!

So, in general...my concept of “Stealth” gardening is... the less obvious, the better!

Dean in AZ

Thanks Dean for a great guest post.

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Backyard Bushcraft - Natural Body Armor

          Nine-Banded Armadillo Foraging

                                                                 

The art of bushcraft involves many things. Learning about those creatures in nature that we share our surroundings with is an important part of the process. Many creatures have developed special abilities that are unique or have adapted in special ways to their environment. One such creature is the nine-banded armadillo which is found in many parts of the southeastern United States.

Nine-Banded Armadillo at Dusk

The most unique characteristic about the nine-banded armadillo is that it has natural body armor. This characteristic combined with their surprising speed and the ability to quickly dig a hole to hide in can make it virtually impossible to catch them. Once they get dug in, it is extremely difficult to dislodge them and most predators will quickly give up and search for an easier meal. Many armadillos also have numerous burrows throughout their territory that they inhabit on a frequent basis.

They generally feed at dusk or in the early evening hours and forage mainly for insects, grubs and worms. Their grubbing can cause extensive damage at times and they have an appetite for eggs. If you are raising chickens, this can be a problem if you have armadillos around your area.

Their meat is edible and the taste is somewhat similar to pork and even though they have natural body armor, they are not “bullet-proof”. They are also quite often hunted for their meat. Nice to know that you can have a little variety in your "survival" diet.

When searching for armadillos, it’s best to wait for them to show themselves. Abandoned armadillo burrows are often used as homes by skunks and rattlesnakes. If you aren’t careful, you might find yourself encountering something altogether different than you expected.

The nine-banded armadillo (the actual number of bands can vary) has another very unique ability. It has the ability to inflate its intestines which allows it to simply float across rivers and streams. This makes it one more of nature’s creatures that are...

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Bushcraft - Central Texas Style - The Land Crustacean - Cylisticus Convexus

The thought of eating bugs in order to survive is often a very distasteful thought to many people. The first thing that comes to mind is there is no way they are going to eat a bug to survive. What if it’s not really a bug but something altogether different from what you perceive it to be? Quite often things are not always what they seem if you take the time and effort to be a little more informed than the average person. What if you could dine on crustaceans instead of bugs?

Pill bugs are often incorrectly thought of as bugs by a majority of people while they are more correctly classified as terrestrial Isopods (land crustaceans). They actually belong to the class known as Crustacea. The more familiar type of crustaceans includes lobsters, crabs and shrimp.

The pill bug familiar to most people is known as Cylisticus convexus. This is the only species that is capable of rolling into a ball and makes it easily recognizable. This is the reason they are often called pill bugs. They resemble a small pill when curled into a ball shape and this action is a part of their natural defense mechanism.

Pill bugs can be easily found amongst debris piles or leaf litter which can have significant and very large numbers of these little creatures. They can also be found in relatively large numbers under rotting logs and other areas that provide a very moist and humid environment.

Pill bugs actually breathe through gills and require a very humid and moist environment to survive. Unlike their marine counterparts (lobsters, crab and shrimp), they can’t survive if they are submerged in water. They also suffer and die if they become severely dehydrated. They can actually be ground up and eaten and are a relatively good source of calcium There are other types but the ones that roll up into a little pill-shaped ball will generally be better tasting. Avoid eating pill bugs if they have a bluish color or tint as this is an indication they have contracted some sort of viral infection which you will probably want to avoid.

Got terrestrial Isopods for lunch?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Bushcraft - Central Texas Style - Natural Food Sources - The Pecan

Being able to recognize and find natural food sources in a survival situation can be a vital skill. This is a skill that can help you to survive. Depending upon your geographic location, natural food sources can vary in their type and their availability. In Central Texas, one of the most easily recognized and widely available natural food sources is the pecan.

Pecan trees (Carya illinoensis) are native to many parts of Texas and are the official state tree of Texas. They can be found growing in river bottoms throughout much of the state. The pecan tree is also native to many other parts of the United States. They produce a sweet, edible nut that is usually a dark brown in color and can be eaten as is with no cooking or other preparation needed. Mature pecan trees can grow to be as tall as a 100 feet or more and sometimes reach heights as great as a 150 feet.

Many Native Americans used pecans as an important food item and pecans were an important part of their normal diet. They used wild pecans which were ground up to thicken soups and stews and carried roasted pecans as a trail food. Roasted pecans were an excellent source of sustenance when traveling or when other food sources may have been scarce or non-existent. They also used pecan trees as a source of firewood, for medicinal purposes and to make handles for tools and many other implements.

Pecans are also a great source of fiber and contain numerous vitamins and minerals essential to a good diet. They can even be used to make a homemade non-dairy milk product for persons who are lactose intolerant or who don’t like the taste of rice or soy milk.

Got nuts?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

                                           

Seeds for Survival - The Emergency Seed Bank

True self reliance relies on a very important factor...sustainability. Gardening is one of the best ways to maintain a sustainable supply of food for a number of years. Having a supply of seeds for your garden will help you maintain a supply of food that will be essential to your long term survival.

One of the best solutions for maintaining a sustainable supply of food is gardening. The basic requirement for a garden is having plenty of seeds available. One of the best ways to achieve this is with a supply of seeds in an Emergency Seed Bank .

An Emergency Seed Bank can provide you with everything you need to keep your gardening efforts sustainable for a long period of time. It has all the important qualities necessary in a seed bank required for growing a sustainable garden for your survival.

One of the basic requirements for any seed bank is protection. This seed bank is packaged in a compact storage case that is 6” High x 8” Wide x 14” Long and doesn’t require a large amount of storage space. Storage space can be critical and being very compact is a definite plus. It is also water-tight and offers the added feature of lockable storage to provide additional protection and security for your seeds.

Another basic requirement is a wide variety of seeds to fit your needs. With a numerous variety of seeds, you can plant a garden that will provide the variety of food necessary for maintaining proper nutrition and healthy food for your family. This seed bank also offers high quality seeds that are non-genetically modified and are non-hybrid heirloom varieties.

Proper labeling of the seed packets is also a basic requirement and this seed bank satisfies that requirement nicely. With clear and definitive labeling on the package, you will have no problems in this area and will be able to keep track of the types and kinds of seeds in your seed bank. The packaging also provides the best storage possible for your seeds to maintain their viability and also offers the option of being re-sealable even after being opened. There won’t be any need to re-package your seeds once they have been opened.

Cost is another important quality when considering a seed bank and Mrs. RW checked out this department and being the ever so reliable family accountant gave this package a green “thumbs up” when it comes to value for your money. 

Almost as important as the seeds are the instructions necessary to plant and save your seeds successfully. Not everyone has a green thumb and having guides to help you achieve success with your gardening efforts is a big plus in any situation. This seed bank also includes a Growing Guide and a Seed Saving Guide. A definite requirement if you don’t have a green thumb.

With value for your money, secure and protected seed storage in a compact package, a wide variety of seeds in a more than adequate quantity and a capability of supplying the nutritional needs for you and your family, makes this seed bank an excellent addition to the basic items needed to make your survival gardening efforts a success.


There is only one negative thing that was experienced with this seed bank. Mrs. RW is now looking at my ammo storage boxes in a whole new light. Looks like there will be a definite need for more ammo boxes to keep her from confiscating mine for her own use.

Your long term survival will require long term solutions and having an Emergency Seed Bank will help you achieve that goal.

Got Emergency Seed Bank?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Bushcraft - Central Texas Style - Buffalo Gourd

Buffalo Gourd, Cucurbita foetidissima H.B.K., is a sun-loving and drought-resistant perennial that is a member of the squash family that thrives in poor soils. It grows wild in many parts of the country and is most often found in open pastures or along fence lines. It is frequently found in most areas of Central Texas.

The roots, stems, and leaves of the buffalo gourd were used for a variety of medicinal purposes by Native Americans and the seeds were considered an important food source in arid or dry regions of the country. The buffalo gourd is also known by several different names. It is also known as wild gourd, Missouri gourd, pumpkin gourd and stink gourd.

Buffalo gourd is normally found in pastures, growing along fence lines or alongside roadways.The vines or runners can be several yards in length.

Recognizing this plant is a fairly easy process. The leaves are 9 to 10 inches long and 6 to 8 inches wide and have a very rough texture. The leaves are roughly triangular in shape.

The flowers consist of five petals and are a bright yellow color. The flowers are normally about 4 inches in length. Both male and female flowers are found on the same plant. This condition is known as monoecious.

Unripened Fruit

Size Illustration

It produces small round gourds that are green with vertical off white stripes that are approximately 4 inches long. When the fruit is ripe, it turns a yellowish or light tan color. The seeds are the only part of the ripened fruit and plant that are edible. This is due to the high level of saponins that are found in buffalo gourds. There are significantly lower levels of saponins in domesticated squash and cucumbers.

The seeds were usually roasted and ground into a meal that was mixed with water to make a sort of mush. The seeds were sometimes boiled and then eaten. The seeds contain about a 25 % fat content and are also quite high in their protein content.

The roots of the buffalo gourd are also rich in saponins. The root and the outer shell of the fruit contain high enough concentrations of saponins that they were quite often used as soap.

The root was known to have astringent and disinfectant properties and was quite often used to treat sores or boils.

Due to their tough outer skins, the gourds were often made into spoons or ladles or used for ceremonial purposes in the making of rattles or decorative containers.                                   

Got gourds?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Stealth Gardening - Hiding Your Garden in Plain Sight

Gardening is a great way to supplement your food supply. Unfortunately, having a big garden in the middle of your backyard may act as a beacon during a crisis. It will immediately get the attention of those who failed to put forth the effort and the time required for a garden. If they find themselves needing a food source, they will look at your garden as the answers to their problems. There is a simple way to minimize this problem.

The presence of decorative and ornamental plants is a common sight most everywhere and few people look beyond the pretty flowers. This is where you can put a little “stealth gardening” into action.

If you don’t have a fence or other barrier to help, you can simply add a garden plant here and there to your regular flower beds. The blooms from your vegetable plants will blend in with your flowering plants and still look quite normal and not be readily apparent to those who may be looking in your direction.

If you’ve got a solid wooden fence, this won’t normally be a problem since most of your yard is already hidden from view. It won’t hurt to put a few garden plants along the fence where they may be not so visible.

If you have a chain link fence, simply plant your garden on the backside of your fence line so as to hide your garden plants from normal view. Those persons passing by will only see the shrubs and plants you allow them to see. On the front side of your fence are your pretty flowering plants and on the backside of your fence are your garden plants.

Try to match your garden plants where they will be hidden by your ornamental plants. Low growing shrubs and hedges can be complemented with things like squash or zucchini plants, while taller shrubs and hedges can be used to hide plants like tomatoes or okra. Plants like beans or cucumbers can be allowed to vine along your fence line which will give them extra support.

Got garden in plain sight?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker