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  • From: "Douglas Willhite" <drwillhite@earthlink.net>
  • To: "Douglas & Hillary Willhite" <drwillhite@earthlink.net>
  • Subject: [Livingontheland] Preparing Our Families for Economic Hard Times
  • Date: Thu, 31 Jan 2008 10:32:35 -0800

Wishing you folks all the best,

Doug

 

Preparing Our Families for Economic Hard Times

by Doug Willhite, Copyright 2008

"The debate is not whether we're going to have a soft landing or a hard landing in the U.S. but how hard the landing is going to be." Nouriel Roubini, Professor of Economics, New York University; from Time Magazine, Feb. 4, 2008.
 
In President Bush's 2008 State of the Union address he stated: "Our security, our prosperity and our environment all require reducing our dependence on oil consumption over the next decade." [1]
 
If your family is NOT feeling a burden from higher food and fuel prices, the bursting housing bubble, wobbly Wall Street, or too much debt, then count yourself among the very fortunate.
 
The good news for the rest of us is there is much we can do to help cushion our families and stabilize our communities in the face of financial hardships and vital resource shortages. [2] If we look back a few generations in America, many families had a wealth of traditional knowledge and skills which were passed down from one generation to the next that made living with less purchasing power doable and even pleasurable. Our ancestors managed without crude oil for thousands of years. There is much that we can learn from them. They often worked hard and enjoyed life even while getting by with far fewer conveniences, choices and creature comforts than the smorgasbord of options which today's Americans take for granted and have grown dependent on. [3]
 
What To Do
 
Scholar, Richard Heinberg, recently advised "if you're interested in finding shelter during the storm, get thee to the productive side of the economy. Grow something, or learn to make or repair something useful." [4]
 
So, if you aren't already, start growing as much of your family's food, medicine, fiber, fuel and other resources as possible. Especially food! Farming, gardening and manufacturing were once cornerstones of traditional family life, and must become so again. Use your backyard, patio or rooftop [5] to begin setting up a "modern homestead." [6]  Raised beds and container gardens are the easiest way to build fertile soil, conserve water, and virtually eliminate tilling and weeding. Build fertile soil by adding amendments such as compost, worm castings and mulch to the top of the beds. [7]  Plant or graft as many fruit, nut, olive trees, berries, and grapes as your lot can support. Use attached greenhouses, solariums and cold frames to extend your growing season, produce multiple crops and protect from predators. Raise chickens, rabbits, geese, guinea pigs, sheep, pigs, goats and cows for meat, eggs and dairy. If necessary, get your zoning laws changed to allow backyard agriculture.
 
Save heirloom or open pollinated seeds to grow true reproductions of your favorite plants. Preserve harvests by canning, drying, and pickling. Build a root cellar to store potatoes and root crops. Expand your knowledge and use of local wild foods and herbal remedies. Join or form a community farmer's market and a local food co-op. And learn to cook from scratch the way grandma did!
 
Begin making things, if you don't already. Repair, re-use, and recycle everything. Work from home or live close to your job. Support your regional economy by buying from neighbor-owned businesses. Eliminate credit card debts by living simply, within your budget, and making a shopping list and sticking to it. Pay off your mortgage early by adding extra principal to your monthly payments. Barter and trade goods, labor and services with friends and neighbors. A sure way to save money on health care costs is to make certain you and your loved ones get plenty of exercise, fresh water, nutritious food and rest. [8]
 
Recycling rainwater is as easy as funneling your rain gutters into a water storage tank. (Be sure to filter and boil before drinking.) You can modify your plumbing so that grey water from sinks, showers and tubs flows into separate pipes from toilet water and may be reused to water fruit trees, grapes and berry bushes. Set-up a composting toilet and use composted manure to fertilize trees and bushes. [9]
 
Using solar and wind power technologies to heat and pump water, and provide electricity to your home or business will pay for itself and provide your family with added security during electrical grid outages and price spikes. Adding extra insulation to your attic, walls, and floors will save money on energy costs too. One way to super-insulate your house is by retrofitting with straw bales and covering with clay plaster. [10] Other ways to improve insulation include 2x6 or larger wall cavities, earth-jacketing, or underground homes.
 
Train draft horses, mules and oxen for work and transport. [11] Walk, ride a bike or a horse, carpool or use public transit whenever possible. Organize with neighbors to have electric railways installed between the town centers in your region. [12] Transportation and infrastructure are critical to your family's economic well-being. It's a common misperception to assume you'll be better off living remotely in the mountains. History reveals that those who live closer to water routes and centers of commerce have more opportunities during financial hard times. [13] But, if you live at or near sea level consider moving your home to higher ground in case the melting ice caps raise ocean levels. [14]
 
Don't forget to help educate your community. In the future your family's financial freedom will be more tied to your neighbors, as fuel prices and spot shortages force the global economy to relocalize. [15] Use emails, gardening clubs, potluck gatherings and other opportunities to exchange tips and information. Knowledge and communication will help insure local economic stability and security.
 
If you feel frightened or overwhelmed after reading this article, take a deep breath and rest assured you're not alone. We're all in this together. Each positive action you take will bring your family one step closer to financial freedom and security. So make a list, prioritize, then get started. Sure beats waiting around for the government or the "experts" to fix things! (Recall how they bungled Katrina.) [16]
 
Bibliography:
[1] Transcript of President Bush's 2008 SOTU speech  http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/01/28/sotu.transcript/
[2] Heinberg's brilliant essay, "What Will We Eat as the Oil Runs Out?
[3] President Bush said in his 2006 State of the Union address that "America is addicted to oil."
[4] More from peak oil scholar, historian, and cultural analyst, Richard Heinberg.
[5] Design a rooftop garden 
[6] Harvey Ussery writes instructional articles for Mother Earth News. He and wife, Ellen, practice an integrated approach to raising poultry which includes orcharding, vegetable gardening, and vermicomposting (worm castings for fertilizer). Save yourself some trouble and read his web page BEFORE setting up your homestead. http://www.themodernhomestead.us/
[7] To read a variety of informative letters from market gardeners and others living on the land, sign-up at:
[8] Michael Pollan's New York Times article: "Unhappy Meals"
[9] The Humanure Handbook
[10] The Beauty of Straw Bale Homes, by Athena & Bill Steen
[11] Renewing Husbandry, by Wendell Berry
[12] Kunstler lists ways for us to survive the housing bubble implosion and an energy scarce future: http://jameshowardkunstler.typepad.com/clusterfuck_nation/2008/01/disarray.html
[13] Survival in Times of Uncertainty: Growing Up in Russia in the 1990's
[14] CBS News warns that a NASA climate scientist said: "At this rate, the Arctic Ocean could be nearly ice-free by 2012, much faster than previous predictions." This will raise sea levels.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/12/13/tech/main3613698.shtml?source=mostpop_story
[15] Find or form a relocalization network in your area. 
[16] NBC's Brian Williams reports on how our government mismanaged Katrina


  • [Livingontheland] Preparing Our Families for Economic Hard Times, Douglas Willhite, 01/31/2008

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