How to Start an Edible Garden for Preppers

Having a garden can be one of the most important features in any long term survival situation. They can also help keep everyday living expenses low which is especially important in times of economic hardship.

mid season garden with squash and zucchini plants and a few plants growing in buckets

If you only have experience flower gardening or little gardening experience at all, the thought of trying to provide some or all of your family’s produce needs can be a little intimidating. Thankfully, edible gardening is really simple to get started with, and can be accomplished on any scale.

Choosing a Site

Depending on your location you may not have much of a choice but if you can select a spot that receives at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day. Also look for an area that’s protected from the wind. Strong winds can dry out the soil and potentially damage crops.

Start with the Soil

The most important part of any garden is the soil. Healthy soil means healthy plants which produce more and are less prone to disease and pests.

One of the best things for any garden is to simply add some good quality compost. It adds nutrients, helps sandy soils hold water better, and helps heavy clay soils drain better.

You should also consider getting a soil test which can be done through your local agricultural extension agency.

It’s typically very cheap and will let you know the pH of your soil, if it needs any specific nutrients, and if there’s any contaminants present. If your soil is too acidic it’s a good idea to add lime.

If the acidity is too low, use acidic mulch like pine needles around your plants. Your extension agency should be able to offer you in depth advice based on the test results.

If you’re an apartment dweller and considering planting in containers you’ll need a good quality potting soil. If you want organic produce look for something that’s OMRI (Organic Materials Review Institute) certified.

Breaking Ground with No-Till

Probably the easiest way to turn a new area into garden space is the no-till or lasagna method. No till gardens are typically healthier as the soil microbes and beneficial insects aren’t disturbed or killed by the soil being turned over.

To start, cover the area you want to garden in plain brown cardboard. Then add a thick layer of mulch (leaves, straw, or hay) before covering it in a layer of compost. As the mulch and cardboard breaks down it will add fertility to your garden.

Raised beds are also an excellent idea because they drain well and warm up faster in the spring. They also tend to require slightly less weeding than the traditional garden.

Choose Your Crops

What you choose to plant in your garden will depend on your food production goals, taste, climate, and living environment.

For those with a lot of space and big goals it may be wise to try a grain or staple crop along with traditional summer produce. Some good options include:

• Amaranth
• Quinoa
• Wheat
• Rice
• Potatoes
• Sweet Potatoes
• Yams (not sweet potatoes)
• Jerusalem Artichokes
• Dry Beans
• Flint, Dent, or Flour Corn

To learn more about what plant’s are suitable to your climate you’ll need to find out your USDA garden zone. Knowing your zone makes it easier to find plants that are suitable to your specific growing conditions.

It may also be a good idea to look for an heirloom seed company that’s located in your region. They’ll have seeds from plants that have thrived in your climate for generations…

Ultimately it’s important to choose plants your family will enjoy enough to use and preserve the excess. Just because it’s easy to grow kale doesn’t mean you should if you or your family hates it.

Urban Edible Gardens

For people living in urban or suburban areas having an edible garden can be tough. There’s often regulations and concerns from nearby neighbors that put limits on vegetable gardening. Thankfully it’s easy enough to reap a good harvest even without growing all traditional vegetables.

Landscaping Plants

There are many attractive fruit bearing trees and bushes that can be used in place of traditional ornamentals even in the suburbs.

Low bush blueberries offer beautiful foliage, blooms, and of course berries! Plus their small size means they can be grown on the side of a house without the need for extensive pruning.

Dwarf cherry, pear, and apple trees can also look just as lovely as an ornamental tree if kept well maintained. They can also be espaliered to a fence or wall to conserve space an add a unique touch.

Hosta plants are very common landscape plants that happen to be edible. The young leaves and shoots are great in stir fries.

Beautiful Vegetables & Herbs

Veggies can be beautiful too! Many vegetable varieties are good-looking enough to fit right in with common landscape plants.

Rainbow chard, beets, ornamental lettuces, well tended cabbages, and kales can look great in a flower bed. Many perennial onion varieties also offer gorgeous flowers.

Sweet potatoes are actually a relative of morning glories and have similar looking vines and flowers. Asparagus has large fronds that would look good in place of ornamental grass.

Basil and thyme are both beautiful herbs. There are many basil varieties available with a range of colors and flavors. Thyme makes a lovely, fragrant, and useful ground cover.

The options are virtually endless!

Edible Flowers

Many flower varieties offer edible blooms and/or leaves. Nasturtiums vining nature is beautiful and helps shade the soil. Both their blooms and leaves are edible and great for making tasty salads.

Bachelor’s buttons, Johnny jump-ups, and day lilies (in moderation) also have edible blooms which make for colorful salads. Bread poppies offer poppy seeds and saffron crocuses can provide an extremely expensive spice.

Sunflowers are probably the most versatile edible flower as almost every part is edible. Sprouts and young plants can be eaten in salad. Fairly young stalks can be peeled and eaten like celery. Older leaves can be boiled or added to stir fries.

The buds are used like artichokes and of course the seeds are edible and can be pressed for oil. They also add height and structure to a garden and can even be used as a living trellis for other plants. They’ll also serve to attract local songbird populations.

Some flowers like echinacea and calendula also offer medicinal benefits.

Rural Edible Gardens

While it is feasible to have a productive urban garden those who own rural property will probably have more options and freedom. This can make decision making tough.

Many rural gardeners often have the opposite problem from urban gardeners, their garden is too big. While a large garden can be a wonderful thing if it’s well maintained, you may be better off starting small.

A small intensively maintained garden can produce more than a larger garden that’s neglected and weed ridden because it’s too big to manage.

If you have large gardens you’ll have room for productive sprawling crops like winter squashes and cucumbers which can also be used to shade out weeds beneath taller plants.

Corn and other grains may also be good options especially with a survival situation in mind. They can be great staple crops. Dry beans are also an excellent crop as they provide a lot of protein.

Planting in the Shade

Especially if your property is small a shady area may be your only option for a garden. There are some plants that can tolerate varying levels of sunlight.

If you have a really shady area consider planting some traditional woodland plants or growing mushrooms. Plants like nettles, ramps, and fiddlehead ferns will tolerate a lot of shade.

For slightly less shady areas you may be able to grow some greens. Plants like lettuce, kale, arugula, spinach, and swiss chard will tolerate lower light levels. In areas that are only partially shaded you may be able to get a good harvest of root crops. Beets, potatoes, carrots, and radishes will all tolerate partial shade.

Eat Your Weeds

No matter what your garden looks like odds are you’ll have some weeds popping up. Thankfully many garden weeds are actually wonderful edible plants. Chickweed, purslane, and lambs quarter are all wonderful greens. Purslane can even be pickled for later!

Violets have both edible greens and blooms. The blooms are especially wonderful when made into syrup or candied. Creeping Charlie many be a nuisance to many gardeners but it’s also a powerful medicinal and was traditionally a cultivated species.

Succession Planting

The best way to make the most out of your garden space is to plant multiple successions. To start don’t plant all of your seeds all at once. For example plant a few rows of corn or kale then plant another few rows in two weeks. This ensures you’ll have fresh produce over a longer period and not too much to preserve all at once.

Secondly every time a crop is harvested a new one should be planted. This is especially true with short season crops like greens and radishes.

With both of these techniques it’s important to consider your first fall frost date and growth period so that you plant crops that will be done before they’re killed by the frost.

To help with planning and planting Mother Earth News offers an online garden planner and “what to plant now” app that will send updates to your email whenever it’s time to plant.

Management

The upkeep for your garden may be the most difficult part. Planning and planting are a lot of work upfront but throughout the growing season you’ll need to weed, harvest, water, mulch, and monitor for and possibly combat pest and disease issues.

Watering

The best way to water is through drip irrigation right next to each plant. You’re not watering the pathways or weeds just your plants and little is lost to evaporation. Unfortunately sprinklers are usually the cheapest option aside from hand watering.

With any watering method but especially sprinklers it’s important to water in the early morning or late evening. This prevents some evaporation loss and can help lower your water usage.

A great way to decrease the need for watering is mulch around all your plants and/or plant vining plants underneath taller ones to shade the soil.

Weeding

No one likes weeding but there’s a few simple tricks you can use to lessen the summer burden. First mulch, mulch, mulch! Weeds have a tough time growing up through mulch so it’s important to keep a fairly thick layer around plants throughout the season. Try a layer of newspaper or cardboard followed by a layer of hay, old leaves, or straw.

You can also use plants to help block weeds. Plant low vining plants beneath taller ones. Use cover crops if you’re “resting” a bed for a season or during the fall and winter.

Use the right tools because hand weeding when you have anything but a tiny garden is extremely impractical. Learn about different tools like weed weasels, shuffle hoes, and wheel hoes to make the most of your weeding efforts.

Maintaining Soil Health

Soil health is the key to a productive garden!

Always rotate your crops. This can help prevent disease and pest issues and can help replenish nutrients. The same species should never be planted in the same space several years in a row.

Never leave soil bare! you can spread mulch around all of your plants during the growing season and in the off season utilize cover crops. It’s also a good idea to rest sections of your garden as part of your crop rotation and those rest areas should be seeded in a cover crop. Cover crops like alfalfa and clover actually add nitrogen to the soil as they grow.

Apply compost, lime, and other garden amendments as needed. It’s a good idea to have your garden’s soil tested every few years.

Practice no-till. This along with the mulch will encourage beneficial insects and microbes to flourish. It’s also a good idea to create permanent beds and avoid walking in growing areas as much as possible as this compacts the soil. You can use a broad fork to lift the soil as needed.

Fighting Pests & Disease

The best thing you can do to fight pests and disease is to grow healthy plants by watering well, keeping the weeds down, and maintaining your soil’s health. Beyond that there’s a few organic methods that you can employ.

Utilize companion planting. Some plants will help keep insects away from others. A great example is interplanting a cabbage bed with wormwood which repels cabbage moths. Others are believed to simply grow better and be healthier when planted together. A common example of this is planting basil plants in between tomato plants.

Grow crops and varieties that are well suited to your area. Sometimes it just isn’t worth the fight if you can grow a different crop more efficiently.

Try to attract beneficial insects to your garden. Learn what different species prefer and consider building an insect hotel.

If all else fails to stop pests you can hand pick them off crops which can be very tedious or use row covers to prevent them from getting to the plants in the first place.

Sadly most folks have gotten away from growing their own food. Ornamentals and vast lawns have replaced bountiful gardens on the landscape. While some people believe that it’s no longer important to grow food they couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Being able to produce at least some food can help you save money and even survive in the event of a disaster. Starting an edible garden is simple and easy and even a small one can help build your survival skillset…

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How to Survive a Trip to a Developing Country

So you’ve decided to embark on an overseas trip, and this time it is not to Italy, France or the Bahamas, but instead to a developing nation, sometimes called a Third World nation. An estimated 50 million people from industrialized nations travel to the developing world every year.

boats in the port of Essaouira Morocco

The difference between industrialized and developing nations is the reduced availability, even total absence, of certain essential goods and services like medicine, food, security, housing and education. While these services and necessities may be present, the quality and consistency may be lacking, antiquated or erratic.

While years of travelling experience may have taught us First Worlders a thing or two about mishaps during a trip, travelling to a developing nation is a whole new adventure (or misadventure) entirely.

Below we have collected the tips and tricks you need to know to survive and prosper in developing countries, and placed them into this article.

As a bonus, and to aid you in developing the right mindset to survive in such faraway places, we have included a section called “What Would The President Do?” with tips and considerations from a veteran U.S. Secret Service agent. Your trip awaits, read on.

Medical and Health Preparation

Your body, and how it adjusts to unusual surroundings, is definitely on the agenda when it comes to preparation. As our most valuable asset, the body needs to be cared for and maintained. What is the best way to accomplish this?

Visit Your Doctor or a Travel Clinic

A travel clinic will prepare you with information that you need to be able to travel to another country, along with all the preventative immunizations and vaccinations that you may require. Ensure that you tell the clinic of the exact itinerary of all countries you are visiting. A common mistake, that may have severe consequences, is to confuse two similar sounding countries, like Guyana and Ghana.

Ensure You Have All Necessary Medication

Ensure you have sufficient medication, according to your prescriptions, for the time you are away plus no less than 3 additional days. Any medical conditions and allergies should be recorded on your person. Properly labeling medication and repacking it into waterproof, rugged containers is also crucial.

Doctors Letters, Authorizations and Translations

Ensure that you have a letter from your doctor authorizing you for your medication in the recommended doses. Another important factor often overlooked is the importance of translating all this information into the native language of your destination.

Imagine a situation where you are depending on a medical doctor, or explaining your bottle of pills to a customs agent. It’s bad enough that you have no patient history in that country, it could be worse if your prescription medication is mistaken for contraband illicit drugs.

Insurance

The Devil is in the details: make sure that your insurance policy covers any illness or incident while abroad is essential.

Normally, insurance companies will have partners in the countries you may be traveling to, or you may need to add a simple rider or additional coverage. If you need extra coverage, take out a specific travel policy and understand exactly its restrictions and limitations.

There are normally three important factors to remember about your travel insurance:

• Notify the insurance company of any medical condition.
• Restrict your activities to what’s covered in the policy.
• Behave responsibly- injury or illness resulting from drunken or illicit behavior is not covered.

Do not forget to add the following to your Packing List:

Copy of your medical records and doctor’s letter (preferably translated).

Medicine, labeled and packed in plastic containers.

Insurance policy & emergency contact number.

• World’s Thinnest DIY Survival Pack.

A traveler’s survival kit should be able to address some of the most common mishaps that might happen. The most common are:

Loss or stolen documents and valuables

Falling ill or being involved in an accident

• Miscommunication incidents and language barrier issues

The biggest issue encountered with bug-out bags is storing or carrying without causing inconvenience or drawing attention, yet still remaining easily accessible.

Arriving in a new place tired and jet lagged can cause disorientation. It is easy to lose documents, equipment and your valuables. International visitors are easy prey for both petty and professional criminals in many developing countries.

Your shoes are a good hiding place for cash and smaller, flat items. If you are pick-pocketed, mugged or kidnapped, the last place your assailant will probably look is your shoes. In a tiny space barely a few millimeters thick, we will create the world’s most compact survival kit. Consider packing all these items below and add a few others if you have enough room while remaining comfortable.

Pre-paid SIM card- Most pre-paid SIM cards will work if you notify your carrier of your destination and the duration you will be staying. Ensure that you have call minutes and mobile data already pre-loaded on the card. Store important emergency numbers on it also.

Cash, American dollars and local currency– A reasonable amount should do. Think in practical terms. One thing you would want to do in an emergency is pay for transport and be able to buy a smart phone with internet access. The almighty U.S. greenback is accepted nearly anywhere.

Memory Card/Flash Drive– Store electronic copies of your passport, medical records, credit card details, airline tickets, vital emergency contact information and everything else you may need to know.

Paper Copy of Vital Info – Your name, nationality, emergency contact number, passport number, allergies, embassy location and phone number and any other information you consider important. On the other side of this piece of paper photocopy and certify your passport and probably a copy of your visa.

Band Aids– A few band aids on hand will help deal with nicks and scrapes, through which your body will be very vulnerable to the novel germs in the country you are visiting.

Medicine, powdered– Use tiny zip lock bags to crush and store your meds into powder. You may also choose the pre-made packets of travel medicines.

Credit Card– Preferably a less valuable card with a limit on it. Several prepaid cards allow you to have a few hundred dollars. Visa or Master Card backing will allow you to use ATM’s around the world. Remember to notify your bank of your travel itinerary prevent your card being locked down.

Ziploc Bag– This will store all the above contents. In a desperate situation, it can be used to hold potable water.

Take all the above and wrap it in a piece of paper, preferably the certified copy of your passport. Do not stack anything, and ensure that the contents are spread out. Take out the insoles of your shoes, set the bags inside, and replace the insoles. Try the shoe on for comfort and ensure you can walk without any pain or discomfort.

Remember: install this kit in your shoes after you arrive at your destination to avoid problems with airport security.

Another neat trick is to take electrical or duct tape and tape one end to the survival kit and the other on your socks right up the heel of your foot. If you are unconscious; when medical personnel try to take of your shoes, they see your kit. If it is labeled “please read me” in the local language they will find your pertinent medical info and adjust treatment accordingly.

a street in Cape Town, South Africa

WWPD? -What Would The President Do?

When it comes to best practices in foreign countries, the Secret Service is the outfit to beat. Keeping the most powerful man in the world safe in any locale takes a tremendous amount of skill, preparation and good tradecraft.

Long time serving secret service agent Dan Emmet writes about his 21 years of service protecting four US presidents. His book is titled “Within Arm’s Length: The Extraordinary Life and Career of a Special Agent in the United States Secret Service“. Below I have summarized the most important points for you.

He equates preparing for a foreign trip to preparing for a domestic one, only a dozen times more complicated. Assignment to the presidential detail requires an agent to distinguish himself among others. You have to rise up the ranks starting with smaller, less prestigious assignments and responsibilities.

Several trips to less risky areas can work well for you as good preparation to the main show. Do not throw yourself into the deep-end immediately. Assessing your skills in areas like major domestic cities before going into the wild or foreign countries will help you prepare for your time abroad.

Advance Party preparation begins many weeks ahead of the President’s visit. Begin planning for your own trip many weeks in advance. Reliance on local resources, research and intel is vital to success. Try to find and join local expatriate groups and forums online.

Make acquaintances with someone who has firsthand experience of what is happening on the ground and review your plans with them. Checking their advice against other credible sources and authorities is also essential; not all sources are created equal.

Avoid known hostile destinations, regions and local areas as much as possible. No matter how prepared you are certain places are no-go zones for Westerners! Do not put yourself in unnecessary danger. Ensure that you do not leave a weak spot back home. While you are away, be sure that you have not created an opportunity for your property or home to be vandalized.

Effective and clear communication is vital. If travelling with others establish redundant rendezvous points and methods of communication. Double-check all your correspondence to ensure you have clearly understood the message and vice versa.

Seek clarification where not clear. Email your embassy in advance of your arrival and keep in contact with friends and family back home. Ensure they have a copy of your itinerary.

Having a secret distress signal that only you and companions know is important. Establish a distress signal and use it in case of an emergency. America, and Americans, are not as popular as you may think. While you may think we are the most loved nation in the world, a great many of Earth’s dwellers do not.

Don’t be obnoxious. Don’t play a stereotypical, swaggering American. You’ll be obvious no matter what you do, so just pay attention to local customs and culture. Be as respectful and as discreet as possible.

Cheap can be costly. While you may have a budget, ensure that in your quest for savings you do not compromise your trip by using unreliable or sketchy goods and services. Hotels for instance will normally use old photos of when facilities were still new.

What About Weapons?

It is engraved deeply in some survivalists’ brains that they need a little extra defense against unforeseen circumstances. By defense I mean a weapon.

Getting one in a developing country can be tricky and a somewhat grey legal area. Typically visitors will have extremely curtailed or no weapons rights or legal protection. Here are a few things you should consider.

Acquiring a firearm in a developing country will likely not be as simple as getting one in America. Firearms being sold by private sellers mandate you be very careful; you will not know that you are dealing with someone trustworthy.

Some countries will have cheap handguns and rifles, or even heavy weaponry. Don’t let the price fool you: Many of these countries have been through a war or some serious civil unrest in the recent past. Assume any firearms are contraband.

Consider purchasing a knife as opposed to a gun; a knife is not only an invaluable tool but very handy in self-defense, and far less likely to attract serious heat from law enforcement.

The written law can differ from the law in practice. Often times in developing country the law can easily change at the enforcer’s discretion. Check with your local guide what the attitude on weapons is like in the area you are visiting.

While the law may allow certain things, it does not mean it is socially accepted or necessary. Remember that even carrying a mere pocket knife could be illegal. The locals may do it but that does not mean foreigners are allowed to.

Fool’s Gold is Exactly That

Developing countries are also rife with scam artists and con men. Someone is normally trying to sell you something “amazing” or “top quality” for an unbelievably low price.

It is unfortunate that harsh living conditions make for such desperate “salesmen”. In extremely poverty stricken areas, some people live on less than a dollar a day. Imagine what they are prepared to say for 20, 50 or 100 American bucks.

Here are a few common tricks and scams that you should not fall prey to:

Wondrous Medicines or Natural Cures– Desperation and poverty leave people searching for solutions and remedies, even dangerous ones. Witch doctors, charlatans and faith healers are abundant and normally exploit a population’s desperation while they live in luxury. Avoid being drawn in.

Precious Metals- It is not rare to be offered gold, diamonds and other precious stones at suspiciously low prices. If you have heard of the blood diamond trade, or forced mining of gold, you might easily think this is your big break. It is possible it will be a big break, but it is probable you are going to be fleeced, and the only thing you will be breaking is your bank account.

Ensure all your agreements with people are written and signed- A simple handshake may not do the trick. Verify all information and document it.

Never pay for anything in advance- Even from seemingly credible places. Some international businesses will not know what is going on halfway around the world, even global brands.

If it seems too good to be true it normally is. Certain things are genuinely cheap but remember this as a rule, if you are not a native you are probably being charged double or quadruple for something in an informal market place or setting. Check with your local guide for what the actual price for something is before you pay.

A Last Word to the Wise

The medical, technical and travel advice given here is a guide for your own preparations. Emphasis on preparation in areas like health and documentation need to be taken seriously. Traveling can be an exciting experience, but you need to ensure that this potential once-in-a-lifetime expedition does not turn into a waking nightmare.

Preparation is what it all boils down to. A professional prepper should always think about having a primary, alternate and contingency solution to conceivable emergencies. A more aware and prepared person makes for a better trip, and a safer journey!

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