Cooperation among your neighbors?

[the funny farm6]

i can count on several neighbors to barter with, and some that would just want to take. there are a few old timers willing to give advice also.

our neighbor/horseshoer/and friend does trimmings and training help for trade of chicks, fruit and vegies, or cooked food.

 

[Blaundee]

Although I respect survivalists for many reasons, I have not really been one in a dedicated way. My wife and I do live on rural land, know how to raise food, have probably a year or so of food stocked here (much of it just the accumulation from raising food & smart bulk shopping), etc. We're handy with the outdoors & with tools. Plus we're pretty flexible and adaptive.

We're in Canada, so my circumstances and perspective may be different from that of many people in the US. I've long realized that there could be a massive breakdown (or "change-up") in society, because - mainly, in my view - too many people have become un-skilled, un-self-reliant, and thoroughly dependent on "big systems" - plus have perhaps badly priorized the values in their lives. But I won't go into all that now! LOL

Okay, now here's my question: How cooperative do you believe the people in your neighborhood would be in a crisis that might extend to affecting your own region (e.g., shortages or interruptions of goods and/or services people have come to expect)? If you feel cooperation would occur, what forms do you believe it might take?

Here, where I am, we do know our neighbors. I'd say the majority of people living in my general area also know theirs. We have circles of friends here who are truly mutually supportive - plus, there are many links amongst these circles. As well, very many skills are represented among the people in these circles - with food provision, construction, mechanics & hand skills, first-aid, home-making, etc being some of the ones that come easily to mind.

I'm interested in knowing how you perceive or feel about the situation where you live.

Where I live is a community of about 200-300 people, most of whom are related to each other in one way or another. The majority of us are also Christians, though of several different religions, and most of the family "branches" in town are represented by at least one woman at the weekly Tuesday women's Bible study. It's not only a Bible study, it is also a time & place where we all reconnect, since we are all very busy, self reliant, and dont have time to call or visit each other. Most of us have the same thoughts on our government and the economy, and most are ready for the bottom to fall out. Our community was created with a land grant in the 1920's, and that's when most of our grandparents moved in- they were all involved with helping each other get their bean harvets to market, and formed a co-op, were pretty supportive of each other even while gossiping about everyone lol, and that's how we have all been raised, as well. We do have our spats here and there, and some grudges lol, but I know firsthand that you can ask anyone here for help (though most of us will RARELY ask for help!) and anyone here will give you whatever they can to help you. We are all hardworking, and expect everyone else to be, as well. Since we are already this way, and always have been, I expect that we will continue to be this way, especially when the bottom does fall out on us all. Some of us will be more prepared than others, and nobody will advertise their stashes, but anyone will help anyone. Just dont try to hurt anyone, because you WILL get shot!

The closest towns to us are on the other side of the Divide, 15, 20, & 30 miles away (small grocery store and small clinic 30 miles away), and our community has pretty good relations with those 3 communities, as well, so I imagine our larger area will be pretty much the same, though the town with the grocery store & clinic are getting rather "modern" and liberal and are not very self reliant, so I think that town will be hit rather hard, while I dont think much will change in our town except we'll all have to go back to riding horses instead of pickups. I think the people in my own town will be the best prepared, and may be the ones being asked for assistance- which is why my entire family and I are preparing for many more people than just ourselves, but will NOT be advertising it.

I imagine many of our relatives will "come home" when it all hits the fan, including their spouses, children, and inlaws, but each person's home family is preparing for that occurence, not preparing for it as a community. We aren't preparing AS a community, but we are encouraging and helping each other to get ready.

ETA- we dont visit much with anyone because we all live so far apart from each other on our own ranches, so we only see close relatives on a daily basis- I see my MIL, Mom, and 2 sisters nearly every day, and without going to the Bible study I would see those ladies probably twice a year- SERIOUSLY! We are all busy with our own homes, families, and ranches, but if something happens, we jump in and do what we can to help each other. When my FIL was put in the ICU from a burn in the middle of our wheat harvest, several men whom I hadnt seen in years showed up and helped us finish, NO charge. When a neighbor was injured in a vehicle accident, many people from our community donated items for a raffle to raise money for his family, since he wouldnt be able to work. Whenever someone dies, everyone cooks a bunch of food for the grieving family 7 takes it to them for a week or two, and whenever one of the old generation (in their 70s, 80's, and 90's) need to go to the doctor in town (2 hours away), someone volunteers to take them and/or take care of their chores at home, whether their blood relative or not. (My sisters and I take turns right now helping some of our neighbors in their 70's, they aren't blood relatives, but knew our grandparents and great grandparents, and their own children live in other states, though one comes to visit them often and will probably soon move back to the ranch- the other children do NOT like country living! lol They live 8 miles away and have been having health problems, so we take care of their horses and other ranch work- they pay us, but we would do it for free, the only reason we take the pay is because they got VERY upset with us when we wouldnt take it and we were afraid he'd have a heart attack! lol) They are wonderful people, and we love them very much.

There is a new family in town, moved in last summer, but I haven't met them yet- been too busy! But my sisters and I are determined now to meet them and invite them into our lives