Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["Tradingpost" <tradingpost@lobo.net>]

Preparing Our Families for Economic Hard Times
Chihuahua Valley Community Bulletin
by Doug Willhite, Copyright 2008
http://www.chihuahuavalley.net/sustainablelocalliving.html

"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

Peak oil 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]

*Grow 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. Grow your own feed
if possible.

*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!

*Make things. 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]

*Harvest rainwater by funneling your rain gutters into barrels or
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]

*Use solar and wind power technologies to heat and pump water,
and provide electricity to your home or business. This will pay for
itself and provide your family with added security during electrical
grid outages and price spikes. Add extra insulation to your attic,
walls, and floors to 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]

*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?  http://www.energybulletin.net/38091.html
[3] President Bush said in his 2006 State of the Union address that
"America is addicted to oil."
http://www.whitehouse.gov/stateoftheunion/2006/
[4] More from peak oil scholar, historian, and cultural analyst,
Richard Heinberg.
http://www.richardheinberg.com/peak_everything_economics
[5] Design a rooftop garden
http://www.container-gardens.com/Container-gardens-rooftop.htm
[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:
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/livingontheland
[8] Michael Pollan's New York Times article: "Unhappy Meals"
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/28/magazine/28nutritionism.t.html?ex=1327640400&en=a18a7f35515014c7&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss
[9] The Humanure Handbook
http://www.chelseagreen.com/2005/items/humanure
[10] The Beauty of Straw Bale Homes, by Athena & Bill Steen
http://www.caneloproject.com/
[11] Renewing Husbandry, by Wendell Berry
http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/article/160/
[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
http://www.sott.net/articles/show/147683-Survival-in-Times-of-Uncertainty-Growing-Up-in-Russia-in-the-1990s
[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.
http://www.oildepletionprotocol.org/citizens/relocalize
[16] NBC's Brian Williams reports on how our government
mismanaged it's response to the Katrina disaster
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14559053/