What Should I Do?

Time Banking

Amanda Witman — Mon, 13 May 2013 17:52:31 +0000

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For many of my neighbors and friends, as well as myself, the “economic downturn” has crunched budgets that were tight to begin with. There are empty storefronts. Lots of people are unemployed or under-employed. Many people have more time on their hands than they have money. Taxes and fuel prices are rising, while wages stagnate. It's hard for many families to make ends meet. It's not just my community; it's happening all over the U.S. and in other areas of the world.

With the long-term value of the dollar uncertain and many people’s incomes shrinking relative to the cost of goods and services, alternative currency systems are being proposed in some areas. Some are even currently viable in certain communities. In Brattleboro, Vermont, where I live, there is still no alternative currency in use, although I am aware that certain community members have met over the years to see about getting one going.

Instead, just two years ago, the Time Trade (also known as “time banking”) came to our town, and although it is not a currency per se, it has been very successful in enabling people get for “free” what they would previously have paid for in cash. It has also fostered community among members, many of whom share concerns about the general health of our community and the erosion of social connection in recent years.

The basic premise of time banking, put forth by Edgar Cahn over twenty years ago, is simple: One hour of one person’s time is worth one hour of any other person’s time. Period. No matter what we do with that time, an hour is an hour.

Doing Laundry with Less

Steady Footsteps — Wed, 08 May 2013 15:10:32 +0000

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Let's talk about laundry!

It seems to me that those collapse-conscious folks who don't ignore the topic of laundry either anticipate a grueling regime of boiling clothes with homemade lye soap, beating clothes on a rock in a stream, or else getting used to living in filth and squalor. Hard as it is to believe for folks who grew up with the convenience of automatic washers and dryers and listening to tales of the bad old days of starch and lye, wringer washers, and/or boiling vats, there is a completely different, totally reasonable tradition of clothes washing that I've observed during the time that I've been in Vietnam.

Building a Cattle Panel Pallet Greenhouse

threemealsfarm — Wed, 01 May 2013 21:43:54 +0000

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As any experienced gardener will tell you, having a greenhouse can be an invaluable tool in the food-growing toolbox. Having a greenhouse at one's disposal opens up many different growing possibilities and can be a huge season extender in areas where the number of good growing days is limited. Greenhouses make it easier to get new seedlings started and help to protect plants from spring and fall frosts. They are a wonderful addition to any resilient garden space. But they can be expensive to put in, and there are many things to consider before getting one set up. Check out the WSID articles on Selecting a Greenhouse and Winter Gardening to get a better idea of the styles and options available.

We put a lot of thought and planning into the design and construction of our DIY greenhouse. With cost being one of the number-one constraints for this project, we did a lot of web surfing and idea gathering. Our research gave us inspiration for materials, styles, and what the end result should be. We found projects that people had built for under $50. At that price, we could build three or four and still be under budget. But we didn't think they would last more that one season or that we would find our greenhouse plastic in the next county after a spring storm. Then there were far fancier and much more well-built ones, but our experiences with major construction and the added cost kept us from these higher-end designs. So we used what we had on hand...

Creating Healthy Snacks from Your Garden

EndGamePlayer — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 21:41:03 +0000

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This post initially appeared on CM.com in November 2010. Given its continued relevance and the current growing season, we're republishing it to give our readers a reminder of what can and should be growing in your garden. Time to get your hands dirty and start growing healthy snack foods.

Last year, after all the essentials were stacked in the cupboards, the freezer full, and the root cellar piled to waist-high with 60% of all the food we needed for a year, I realized I was hungry for a snack. It was a hunger that lasted all last winter. As the winter progressed, I began a shopping list of snacks we could grow in our northern climate, process at harvest, and store away for winter snacking. My new goal in life was to become a professional at squirreling away snack goodies that were healthy, tasty, and nutritious.

By spring, my seed list consisted of turnips, sweet potatoes, sunflowers, popcorn, celery, and carrots, along with dried fruits. Here are the snack recipes that emerged:

Reflections on Using a DIY Fodder System

threemealsfarm — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 23:30:06 +0000

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Growing fodder for animal feed is starting to catch on, and many homesteading families and small farm operations are exploring the possibilities of what this type of feed can do for the health of their animals and cost of feeding them. If you haven’t yet read the first two articles on growing fodder and building a simple DIY fodder system, you can find them here: http://www.peakprosperity.com/blog/growing-sprouted-fodder/72618 and here: http://www.peakprosperity.com/wsidblog/80359/diy-home-fodder-system.

It has been a few months since I wrote the DIY fodder system article for Peak Prosperity. It turns out that a lot of people are interested in growing their own fodder, as this article has been extremely popular. With the combination of all of the valuable feedback (thank you!) and a few more months of experience, we have some additional thoughts to share.

How to Start Sweet Potato Slips

threemealsfarm — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 22:40:35 +0000

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Snow is beginning to melt. Temperatures are on the rise. Now is the time to start sweet potato slips. There are many ways to start sweet potatoes, but in this tutorial, we will show you a simple way that produces great results and can be done with resources already available in your kitchen.

Start with organic sweet potatoes from the store or from a previous harvest. If you purchase conventionally grown sweet potatoes, they may have been irradiated to prevent sprouting. A quick note about products labeled as yams – all products marketed as yams in the United States are technically still sweet potatoes. The “yams” you find in the store are usually a variety of sweet potato known as ‘Jewel’ – a selection with moist, orange flesh and orange-reddish skin. The other variety, which is marketed as a sweet potato, is usually either ‘Jersey’ or ‘Hannah’. Both Jersey and Hannah are characterized as having white or creamy, dry flesh, and creamy skin. If you are fortunate enough to have access to a decent organic food co-op or natural food store, you may find other varieties as well.

Emergency Preparedness & Outdoor Adventure Planning Checklist

DenisKorn — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 23:38:30 +0000

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For most people, planning for emergencies is similar to planning for a camping trip or any other outdoor adventure where the normal conveniences of home are not available. The biggest difference is determining whether to plan for being away from home or in your own residence – or perhaps both. The equipment to include in your emergency kit or camping supplies list will be very comparable. Differences and variations will generally depend upon the severity and length of time you anticipate for your emergency scenario. Long term emergencies and outdoor explorations will require, in addition to this list, more extensive planning and provisioning. Your skill level and knowledge set for survival techniques and resourcefulness will also play a big role in determining your needs.

Growing Your Own Potatoes

Woodman — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 15:19:50 +0000

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Why Grow Your Own Potatoes?

We can improve resiliency, health, and quality of life by growing our own vegetables locally. Many of the vegetables commonly grown in backyard gardens, such as lettuce, tomatoes, and carrots ,are great sources of vitamins and minerals but are not as high in energy content as measured by calories. Much of our daily caloric needs come from staple grains (wheat, corn, rice) which are difficult to produce from a backyard garden due to the time, space, and effort required. Fortunately the potato is an energy dense vegetable with many advantages for the part-time gardener, including:

Easy and rewarding to grow
Store well with minimal effort
Nutritious source of carbohydrates as well as fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
Simple to prepare
Homegrown potatoes taste great!

Understanding Ammunition

A. M. — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 16:08:33 +0000

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Ammunition can be a very intimidating subject for those who do not know much about firearms. It can also be a very important decision with strong implications for the performance and safety of your firearm. With lots of opinions, misinformation and geek speak floating around on the topic; it can be overwhelming to the point of exasperation.

Resiliency with IKEA

jasonw — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 21:05:57 +0000

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In building resiliency and establishing emergency provisions and preps, finding good values and quality products are an important part of the process. We evaluate our basic needs and look over resources like the WSID Guide and books like When Technology Fails: A Manual for Self-Reliance, Sustainability, and Surviving the