Stocking Up, Putting Back, Prepping = Paranoia?

[Maschil]

Hey guys.... I must admit, i just read all 31 pages... of this thread....Just joined as well. This is amazing i must say, im glad to see there are people who are trying to prepare for hard times.... like me.! Basically im a young fella.. in his 20's. Just finished school.

To tell you a little bit about myself, me and my mother inherited 2 acres in southern mississippi, from my grand parents (grandpa died in 2006 (was a heavy gardener for about 20 years on the land), and grandma is still live but lives in indiana due to having a stroke), we inherited fruit and nut trees, so i consider myself somewhat privileged in that respect... my goals are to have atleast 1 year of canned(literal cans/and/or glass ones) and dried foods) and learn how to garden year round(spring-summer-fall and winter). My mom doesnt see the need to garden YET. But i know soon she will (hopefully)...

Just encouraged with everyones attempts at this. im doing to post some picks of my pantry and try to get some further suggestions... Things i am looking to get into are...

Solar panels and water heat-for greenhouses
a dehydrator electrical first but eventually solar!
hand grain mill.

and other things....

but for now i wanted to introduce myself and say thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!i now have a online community who has experience in this process! WOOH

Welcome to SS!! I live in southeast Texas and we share a lot of the same climate. Start planning your winter garden now. Prepare an area that gets full sun and get the soil ready. I live about 75 miles north of Houston and while we get winter temps down in the low 20's, they usually don't stay there very long. Winter veggies survive just fine all winter. On the menu: greens of all kinds, mustard, turnips, collard. Broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, green onion sets, kale are what graces my garden. I've had snow and ice capped on my broccoli and lettuce, but in true southeast Texas fashion, it melted and the veggies were fine. We have evolved into seasonal eaters and in your climate, you can have fresh veggies year round too. Glad to have you here! Keep us updated.

thanks so much. This is so encouraging.I am really happy that others are doing this. It's so encouraging. Thanks so much )))))))))) big smiles. This year im going to try to have my first winter garden. Got my seeds ready!!!!!!!I Just went seed crazy again. Question my friend... do you garden year round? Spring/Summer/Fall-Early Winter. If so i desperately need your help... Thanks1

 

[Maschil]

Hello Maschil,
once your mom gets to try some vegetables from your garden I think she will come around... Home grown ones from garden taste sooooo much better than the store bought.. Plus you know how fresh they are and what was used to help grow them..

Thanks for the encouragement. You all are so encouraging. Its like i have a new family, this is what i was hoping for for the last couple of months... I love this place..... I think you are right to... I have about 40 melon plants growing, 5 okra, 2 cucumbers, 10 potatoes, 10 corn. But overall my success rate was very low. Hopefully i can sale some though. if not im going to get very creative. Thanks again!!!

 

[Dawn419]

Hello and Welcome to the forum, Maschil!

I'm north of you (in North Central Arkansas) and can pretty much keep a winter garden of cold crops going with little to no trouble so it should be even easier for you!

We didn't have a real spring here this year so I didn't even bother with much in the way of spring garden crops but am getting ready to be super-busy with planting my fall/winter garden.

I'm glad you joined us as it is wonderful to see people your age interested in gardening and self reliance! Hope you don't mind, but gotta give you a !

 

[Maschil]

Hello and Welcome to the forum, Maschil!

I'm north of you (in North Central Arkansas) and can pretty much keep a winter garden of cold crops going with little to no trouble so it should be even easier for you!

We didn't have a real spring here this year so I didn't even bother with much in the way of spring garden crops but am getting ready to be super-busy with planting my fall/winter garden.

I'm glad you joined us as it is wonderful to see people your age interested in gardening and self reliance! Hope you don't mind, but gotta give you a !

hi and thanks!!!!!!!!I am going to have to get my plan ready.....for this winter...Do you grow greens in the winter or... carrots, radishes, parsnips? etc...i have so much to learn!

I went to college in arkansas and i do remember spring time. One time it rained so much that it covered our green house.... it was probably atleast 7 feet of rain....

 

[Wannabefree]

How much bread do you bake???

About 10 full size commercial loaves a week.

I bake it for the neighbors too, so feeding 9 people. Not to mention all the pizza crusts we go through too. LOTSA flour! On the flip side, I only buy a tank of gas about once a month, neighbors buy the rest It helps us both, and they love my bread. We buy 50 pounds of flour, and they buy 50 pounds and bring down here every month and we go through every bit of it within that time.

 

[BarredBuff]

I see! That's quite a bit of bread and bread products!

 

[Wannabefree]

Yeah I also make a loaf to make Shake n Bake with, and use for breadcrumbs on top of casseroles and such. Lots of bread gets made here, for various reasons.

 

[Dawn419]

hi and thanks!!!!!!!!I am going to have to get my plan ready.....for this winter...Do you grow greens in the winter or... carrots, radishes, parsnips? etc...i have so much to learn!

I went to college in arkansas and i do remember spring time. One time it rained so much that it covered our green house.... it was probably atleast 7 feet of rain....

I grow mostly greens (leaf lettuces, chinese cabbage, spinach, arugala, endive) over the winter but will be attempting carrots, radishes, broccoli and brussels sprouts this year.

We had a lot of rain here in 2009, when we first bought the property (summer) and moved to it (fall) but it has been pretty dry ever since then.

 

[moolie]

Yeah I also make a loaf to make Shake n Bake with, and use for breadcrumbs on top of casseroles and such. Lots of bread gets made here, for various reasons.

Just a thought--we don't make shake n bake, but we throw all of our "bread butts" into a bag in the freezer to get buzzed up in the food processor for breadcrumbs--I'd never waste the "good" part of a loaf for that! We've always got an old peanut butter jar or two full of breadcrumbs in the freezer this way.

 

[Wannabefree]

Yeah I also make a loaf to make Shake n Bake with, and use for breadcrumbs on top of casseroles and such. Lots of bread gets made here, for various reasons.

Just a thought--we don't make shake n bake, but we throw all of our "bread butts" into a bag in the freezer to get buzzed up in the food processor for breadcrumbs--I'd never waste the "good" part of a loaf for that! We've always got an old peanut butter jar or two full of breadcrumbs in the freezer this way.

We go through way too much between the two houses to not make a loaf especially for bread crumbs and Shake n Bake. I make a gallon Ziploc of Shake and bake at a time, and make it every 3rd week at that. The neighbors mostly use it, and they're a family of 6, so it adds up quick. If it were just us, i would do it that way. As is i have a half gallon jar of breadcrumbs in the cabinet at all times. in the cabinet, because it'd never even get cold in the freezer