First it was a tornado watch, then yesterday I felt the earthquake and today it looks as though we are possibly going to get some effects from Hurricane Irene. So much for living in the safest place on earth. Actually, none of these weather events had, or is likely to have, much effect on us but there are certainly good for getting us to refine our preps and update our plans.
Thank you all for the good ideas. We are putting many of them into place, including the seating in the basement, preplacing supplies in vacuum sealed bags and making a list of the things to grab and keeping on the basement door. The shoes are such a small thing but they really matter. We are people who spend a lot of time barefoot, hence the name of our little farm, and who wants to be shoeless in a crisis. Knowing where one’s footwear is should just not be that hard for otherwise intelligent people.
It is pretty busy around here. My grandkids are here for a visit so, naturally, all of the other kids and grandkids are coming by to see them. We are feeding 10 to fifteen nearly every night. Can I just say that this takes a lot of food. I think that most people underestimate just how many calories it takes to get through a day of even medium work. Maggie has been working on our food inventory. She created a spreadsheet for the first of the three places we keep our food storage and, when finished with the rest of the food, will then tackle the non-food items. Our web site work has come to a halt as we spend time with family and get the canning down.
We sustained a lot of damage from the last two storms. I think we will get no corn at all. The squash was pretty severly damaged as were the cucumbers. I will end up buying corn for freezing although, time running short. I may just look for a good brand of organic frozen corn, buy a case and call it a day. Corn is hard on the soil and I may just buy it from now on. I have also decided that I will no longer grow peas. I get so much more bang for my buck with beans and cukes. As I get older, I have to garden smarter. We love pickled beans. I need at least one hundred jars to be happy. That sounds crazy, even to me.
Today is the final class in my food preservation series. I am going to teach root cellaring. I had such a good time teaching. I love the opportunity to connect with other like-minded folks and teaching is always good for me. It makes me pay attention and it keeps me from getting sloppy.
I know I have been terribly negligent about getting to all of your questions. I can’t promise to catch up until after my family leaves and the garden is out to bed. Until then, as the hurricane approaches and the earth stretches, I hope all of you remain safe.
August 24, 2011 at 6:45 am
People think I’m nuts for not growing corn and some of the other traditional veggies, but I want to get the most out of my space. I can support a local farmer who has more space and time for the things I only like once in a while.
You are so good at thrift store shopping, have you thought of getting an extra pair of shoes/boots for everyone and keeping them in a tub in the basement?
Nothing wrong with 100 jars of your favorite pickles! If the family eats them on a regular basis, that’s barely a year’s worth! I’ll be interested in hearing how Maggie does the inventory. My problem is not writing down everything we use as I grab it.
August 24, 2011 at 8:00 am
We decided last year to not grow corn or peas this summer. It was so much easier this year to buy local corn and peas to freeze and can. I think it was better, cost-wize, in the long run, as well. And I didn’t feel the least bit guilty! We concentrated on the veggies that we know will produce well, and it was so much better!
Keeping you and yours in my prayers in the coming days of uncertainty, for safety and peace of mind. All of us – me especially – should remember every day to thank the Lord for His goodness, in easy times as well as in not-so-easy times. He will always provide.
August 24, 2011 at 8:27 am
If you have a Coscto close to home, they carry an Organic Frozen corn. I can’t remember exactly how much it is (maybe 5lbs. for $8.99).
Weather here in Ohio has been down right scary. Four hailstorms this summer alone, felt the earth equake yesterday day and the worst thunderstorms that I can remember. I wish I knew what all of this meant. Anyone have a crystal ball
Looking forward to seeing you at the Mother Earths News Convention next month. I’ll be camping for the weekend and like to know if any other readers of your blog will be camping also ?
August 24, 2011 at 9:06 am
I refuse to grow corn. Here in the midwest everyone with a garden grows corn, it’s readily available. When we were in an urban setting it wasn’t worth my limited space. Now that we live out, I’ve got nearly 100 acres of gmo corn/soybeans in rotation growing in a field that starts about 70 feet from where I currently sit. I’d love to try a red dent corn but who would be pollinating what? It’s not worth the potential hassle.
It is a balance isn’t it? Twice in the last year or so I’ve been at a level I was comfortable with – plenty on the shelf and very, very little waste. But add one more person and suddenly the food flies off the shelf and there are always seems to be major adjustments; for medical reasons, or personal taste.
August 24, 2011 at 10:58 am
Amy (and Kathy of course)–Not camping, but staying at the hotel for the MEN fair. Hope to meet up with you! The times sure are a’changin and I hope to learn even more at this year’s fair.
August 24, 2011 at 11:09 am
Well, Amy, now that you mention it, I am looking into it, since I have to go that way for work on the 25th anyway. How might we connect beforehand, and do you know which campground is closest to the Fair?
August 24, 2011 at 11:51 am
I dedicated an enormous amount of space to two varieties of corn in this year’s community garden. I won’t do that again; buying it from organic local farmers makes much more sense — thanks for the good idea! Despite the blistering heat and lack of rain here in Zone 7, the stand-outs in my garden have been okra, Lacinato kale and Swiss chard. Who knew the kale would hold on so long?
Kathy, I thought of you yesterday when the tremor shook me in my chair. Instead of reacting purposefully and thinking about next steps, I wandered around looking daft. The unexpected tends to freeze people in their tracks unless they are trained to move. Best wishes!
August 24, 2011 at 12:30 pm
I was totally astonished to hear about a sizeable earthquake in the northeastern US!
Along with the earthquake in your corner of the world, Kathy, there was a quake near where my cousins live in south- east Colorado! and it was a 5-6 strength. They were just fine.
I do hope damage from Irene passes everyone by except for giving them some rain. Good luck with all your preps in the face of a hurricane!
peace and safety to all, Shamba
August 26, 2011 at 9:21 am
Kathy, Will keep you in my prayers as Irene approaches. I live in Georgia near the Tennessee border. Several years ago when Hurricane Opal came inland, I thought we wouldnt be affected, but we had several trees blow down in our woods and several big pines snapped off at the top like matchsticks. Thank goodness you have Ben and Maggie to help batten down everything.