A Victory Garden

Getting serious about food storage

Sharon Astyk has an excellent post today on the need to store at least 3 months of food. Read it here

She makes an very good case for stocking up NOW.

Quote of the day...

"The $1.2 billion the World Bank says will solve the food crisis in Africa is a $1.2 billion subsidy to the chemical industry," said Vandana Shiva, an Indian physics professor and environmental activist speaking at the forum in Modena.

"Countries are made dependent on chemical fertilizers when their prices have tripled in the last year due to rising oil prices," she said. "I say to governments: spend a quarter of that on organic farming and you've solved your problems."

Read the whole article here: 

I'll be back tomorrow with answers to some blueberry questions and my latest carrot experiment...

Blueberries and Changing Times

I have 6 blueberry bushes that I planted about 6 years ago, 2 I planted about 2 years ago, and 2 I planted this year. The 6 are amazingly productive – I just picked 2 pints off of one plant before it got dark, and they are just getting started. The others are coming in, too – I’ll need to do some serious picking and freezing soon.

Blueberries freeze well and easily. Just pick, put in a freezer container, label and freeze. (Always, always, always label the container with contents and date before you put anything in the freezer. Really. You’ll thank me later.) Sometime this winter I’ll publish my recipe for peach/blueberry cobbler made with frozen peaches and blueberries.

I’m going to be pretty busy for the next few days. I’m participating in a 2 year program with Malidoma Some on African Indigenous Spiritual Technologies, and our next meeting is this week. So I’ll leave you with a few articles to read between now and my next update:

Turning Your Lawn into a Victory Garden Won't Save You -- Fighting the Corporations Will
Which does not, of course, mean you should not plant a victory garden, It means you should become aware of the corporatocracy that is masquerading as our increasingly fascist government.

How a Shady Citigroup Subsidiary Secretly Makes Billions in the Oil Market
In case you were wondering if I’m being paranoid about corporate greed and control..

The Pesticide of Last Resort
Will someone please explain to me why a lawn is worth poisoning our children?

The Real Story Behind the Midwest Floods? Climate Change
Oh, those uncomfortable facts!

Farmers dealing with huge crop loss, erosion
Yep, food prices are going up! And you might consider sending prayers, magic, and/or kind thoughts for the folks who need it in the Midwest. Here’s an article on how you can help

How You Can Help The Midwest Flood Victims

Scientists warn of lack of vital phosphorus as biofuels raise demand
And let's not forget Peak Phosphorus

There is much here to consider, and denial gets us nowhere. Think about it – how are YOU going to cope with these changing times?

A Quandary Indeed

I'll post the info I promised on starting a garden soon, but I wanted to bring your attention to this article, entitled "Global quandary: How to feed a growing planet". The article focuses on those in extreme poverty, but the Midwest floods and the drop in Argentine production of wheat, not to mention the cost of fuel, will have global effects on food prices. So even if you feel you can afford the higher prices you'll soon be paying for food, go ahead and plant that garden anyway. It will be good for your physical and mental health, and you can send the money you save on your own food to help those who cannot afford to feed themselves and their families.