Independence day challenge and a Rant.

  If there were any reason for following the Independence Days challenge;  I would have to say that  the financial crisis and the yoyo economics of this past week ( and today) are enough of a reason.  700 Billion dollars. 700BILLION DOLLARS.  I don't necessarily understand all the reason for how we got to this state of affairs.  I don't pretend to  understand all the ins and outs of economics.  I don't invest in the stockmarket.  I invest in tools, seed, books.

 

 But I know this, when you by junk and hope for it to turn to gold you are waiting a long time. I know that the bail out plan is just a bandaid ( maybe) and does not address the cause of this crisis. I know that in order to pay 700 billion dollars we are either borrowing the money from another government or the printing presses are smoking. And that means one of two things.First in order to pay the debt, taxes will have to be raised. Or, more money lessens the value of the money and inflation is going to go through the roof.  Hard Times either way.

So, I think that working toward greater self -sufficiency and preparedness may not stop the hard times from coming to my town or home. But it may lessen the impact. 

Plant: no

harvested:  Spinach, beet greens, carrots, radishes, amaranth. sweet annie wormwood.

preserved: pickled carrots, apple sauce,dried apples, tomato puree, tomato paste, shelled dry beans, strung paprika peppers

local foods:  Old timer neighbor gave us 5 gallon bucket of shelling beans, another friend gave us paprika peppers, we have a bushel of pears to process from an organic orchard.  I gave winter squash, potatoes, blueberry jam and garlic for seed to a friend who has to pay for heating oil this winter.  We gave another friend about 20 lbs of potatoes whose work hours have been reduced as a result of the factory  he works for having less business.  Last week was the last week of the delivery for the community garden until next year.

managed reserves: thinned out summer clothes and  brought out winter clothes for kids. Forever rearranging the pantry to fit canned goods, replaced batteries in all the flash lights.

prepped: saved tomato seed, saved dry bean seed,  sorted potato seed for next year, 

reduced waste: turned compost pile number one.

cooked something new: made a sour dough starter from the recipe in Wild Fermentation. Using concord grapes from our own plants as the source of yeast.

learned something new: I learned that I need to learn how to change a flat tire