Just add water meals requiring no heat might be the ultimate prepper food. — In the development of a resilient food storage strategy, it's important to consider all of the available options and most likely scenarios. Having a variety of storage and preparation methods helps to insulate you against a wider variety of emergencies. Many hikers travel without a stove or any means of…

Playing to learn valuable skills. The beginning of preparedness is confidence, creative problem solving, self reliance and common sense. For our young preppers this means learning to do for themselves and contributing to their family. Daily Preparedness Starting with the very basics of practical preparedness. Someone should always know where they are…

Easy to grow herbs and shrubs can add a layer of income to the permaculture landscape. A tea garden may be just the right addition to a permaculture landscape and offers the potential of an income stream with naturally higher returns than standard fruit and vegetable production. Many of these…

Quick cooking protein that’s easy to store and highly nutritious. — Pulses (beans, peas and lentils) may be the perfect food. They’re absolutely the most perfect storage food. Loaded with protein, fiber and essential vitamins and minerals, they’re a great source of nutrition while being inexpensive, long-storing and easy to grow. Except for a few of the smaller members of the…

Myrica Pensylvanica and its many uses. In the quest for novel but useful plants for our permaculture-based farm, I stumbled upon Northern Bayberry (Myrica Pensylvanica) which has the potential to be both a hardy addition to the landscape and provide a small source of income. While not edible, the berries…

Gardening is the backbone of a resilient food system. — Only a few generations ago the kitchen garden was a staple of life and an insurance policy against trouble. Just as a well stocked pantry was the key to household resilience and surviving the lean seasons. …

Radical Hope in a Changing Climate — It’s difficult to examine our own society. We are as much a part of it as it is a part of us, and it’s easy to fall into the trap of accepting things are unchangeable or even right, because they are familiar. As we grapple with our changing climate, late-stage…

Experimenting in over-wintering annuals for resilience and food security (and early tomatoes!) — I hate starting seeds. Hate it. I direct sow just about everything, including plants that everyone swears must be started early in order to obtain a yield. Here in zone 5, that’s a lot of plants. …

I tell you this to encourage, not discourage — There is a growing movement of vegan and veganic (vegan + organic) farmers throughout the world, who are both concerned about the welfare of non-human animals, and understand that the standard practice of using animal by-products as soil amendments is actually not benefitting soil health, productivity, and their bottom-line. Unfortunately…