Homestead mailing list

[Leslie <cayadopi AT yahoo.com>]

I figure gold is only relevant to homesteaders to the extent that the gold 
warning bells of hyperinflation are ringing.  I figure it is very important 
to determine how a hyperinflation will directly affect a homesteader, if at 
all.

Some of my personal experience ----we went thru hyper-inflation in ecuador 
(as fresh water lobsters farmers).  It did affect us.  This was as commercial 
farmer though.  
 
1.  The government set minimum wages higher nearly every week.  Had we only 
had a sucres account - we would never have been able to keep up with wage 
increases.  We did have a dollar account and bought sucres on pay day - the 
only reason we could continue to pay employees.
 
2.  When we were trying to get to the airport to ship product, hungry 
peasants in large gangs blocked the roads - cash payoffs were required to 
continue down the road.  One time they stole the truck, which we later 
retrieved in Colombia of all places.  Peasants demanded more cash than was in 
the bribe pocket that day...
 
3.  Armed guards were needed to go anywhere, even into the grocery store (one 
to guard the vehicle, one to guard the food at the checkout)
 
4.  The only way to ship anything was to pay off everyone, including the 
secretary.  If the secretary wasn't paid off, you couldn't speak to the next 
clerk, and so on.  If you missed paying off the loader on the tarmac - your 
product "missed" the plane, etc.
 
5.  Food prices for workers (who we housed on the farm) rose weekly - 
significantly at times.  Some of their food was grown on the farm.
 
6.  Armed guards were needed 24/7 to keep the local peasants from slipping 
onto the property to steal anything that wasn't bolted down (water hoses, 
buckets, you name it).  And steal they did, even with armed guards.
 
7.  Most of the food for the lobsters was grown on the property, but...
 
8.  ...the entire operation required electricity.  We had our own huge 
generators, but fuel prices for diesel went up continuously in terms of the 
local currency.
 
9.  The place was still under construction, and construction costs escalated 
- loans were 100% unavailable.... unless the bank thought they could 
raid/steal/attach money from a non-Ecuadorian currency account (preferably a 
dollar account).
 
10.  Taxes rose - although very few seemed to bother paying them, they didn't 
have quite the same heavy arm of government that we have here.
 
We left in the midst of the collapse of their currency, it was impossible to 
do business under those conditions.
 
Which is why I watch the "gold" warning bell - it's ringing and warning of 
hyperinflation here in the US,,,, when it unfolds I suspect there will be an 
effect on homesteaders.  How much will depend in part on what level of 
self-sufficiency has been reached.
 
Some here use tractors?  watch fuel costs in a hyperinflation.
Some here buy chickens?  watch shipping costs & chick costs.
and so on.... 
 
I figure whatever still needs to be acquired off-property is something each 
homesteader needs to look at and have a plan for.
 
 

--- On Tue, 1/13/09, Lynn Wigglesworth <lynnw1366 AT hotmail.com> wrote:

I don't think you will find many homesteaders with any money 
to invest anywhere, except for things essential for the homestead. That's 
why the whole discussion about gold is irrelevant (to me, at least).

Lynn Wigglesworth 




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Subject: Re: [Homestead] Carrots
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Well, I'm sure they are VERY particular and fussy and don't grow with
prunes, at least for me unless I let the kids grow them or I simply plant a
bucket load of seeds and just ignore them.  Also, don't give up.  Mine
germinate when they darn well please.  I'll plant them and wait and wait and
wait, some years, and then when I give up, sometimes a month or two after
they are supposed to have germinated and suddenly I see the little lacy fern
like bits of green showing up.  That's when I gave up doing them in their
own bed and started just planting them any ol' where.

We plant Red Core Chantenay, Little Fingers, Half-longs, and Danvers.  This
year we're going to try the Tonda di Parigi.  I've never had much luck
growing the really long carrots.

Lynda
----- Original Message -----
From: "Lisa K.V. Perry" <lisakvperry AT gmail.com>


>
> Thanks, Lynda. I've read that carrots are 'particular' so have been leery
> but would really like to give it a solid try this year. Sounds like you
> don't have a specific bed for carrots then but just put them wherever. I
> had
> not thought of your method. What variety do you grow? I had hoped a couple
> of people would pick up on this thread.
>
> Lisa
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