Episode-36- The Value of a Garden and Do You Want the Crash
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Today’s podcast is a short one on two quite different subjects. In the first segment we discuss the actual financial value of a small home garden. The numbers are quite surprising with even a very modest garden producing well over 500 dollars a year in food based on current supermarket pricing. With a bit more examination we discuss how it could easily move up to 1,000-1,500 dollars. Then further how a bit of permaculture can ratchet it up to 2,500 dollars or more even on small suburban lots.
I then ask the question, “does some part of you want the collapse to come”? Is there a piece of most survivalists that actually looks forward to a major economic or other collapse.? If so what does that say about the current state of affairs in the world? Also does it say something to us about the way most of us are continuing to choose to live our lives? I am really interested in hearing your answers to those and similar questions.
No – do not want a collapse as that would immediately send all my friends and relatives with chronic medical conditions into a full on panic. Try to buy insulin if we have a real crisis. You can not make this stuff yourself.
Offroad,
There are many versions of “collapse”. One would be a lot more “gentle” then the big splat so many are expecting.
Consider the following,
1. We have massive unemployment and there is a run on the stock market. The market drops so the run gets bigger. We don’t have a market that dies just goes way down and is based a lot more on reality.
2. When this occurs large numbers of families cut back on gas and driving more then ever, the government has massive short falls in tax revenue (they are 5 billion short this year already).
3. Families make hard choices and start to double and triple up in home, growing food themselves, etc.
4. This drives the real estate market lower and banks have more failures.
The result is a depressed economy, government programs failing but much of society comes through just fine. People adapt and learn they don’t need credit cards or a new car every two years. The economy shifts and begins adapting to a new reality.
Possible? You bet. Likely? I am not sure but I think it is a hell of a lot more likely to occur then say the scenario I am reading right now in the book “Patriots”.
Not sure if you listed to the show or just read the notes but the questions were more about if some components fail, rather then a total melt down.
Jack, I’ve not listened (yet) to this podcast; but simply put, I don’t want the meltdown in whole are significant part; I do though want the problems of abuse of democracy, rape and pillaging of people’s lives (via the way the economy and government take a well paid job and take so much away that the person is depressed and working themselves to death) and also improving our connection to life and land to be improved.
I do look forward to learning to live without the credit card, et al. (I don’t need to learn to live without the car, as I don’t have one).
Jack, I’ve just finished listening to this episode and I wholly agree on the topic of not working in what one really would like to. I do agree that there is a deep felt urge in most people to work the land, make something useful of their labour and enjoy what they do. I can say, without reservation, that though I like my co-workers, I don’t like the industry or job in which I work and would like to be able to live closer to the land. That’s partially why (as people who’ve read my other comments will also note) my family is considering moving across the country and finding some place to start anew.
There is a side of me that wants to see a crash, and another that does not. Not to cause harm or inconvenience to others, but to wake others up. I want to see a change in peoples outlook in values, society and government. I am tired of the fake left/right paradigm. I am tired of the dependence people have on others.
@Scott – I feel sort of the same way. Honestly I feel that some crash or honestly a few crasheS are inevitable, so let’s get on with it.
Part of me also feels like you say that only a crash on some level will wake up people to reality. The problem is it will go one of two ways and one is very bad.
One – it is a wake up, people “get it” and demand a return to our nation’s constitution.
Two – it scares people who run hat in hand to “Uncle Scam” and ask the government to “fix it”. The erosion of liberty from this could be unbelievable.
The key is even in number two would at some point they cross the invisible line that would piss us all off enough to revert to number one.
Who knows, I don’t think anyone wants the crash in reality but subconsciously may be many of us realize it is going to happen and perhaps may be the only way we can reclaim our nation.
I will tell you what though, as long as we argue about Democrats vs. Republicans, those twerps stay in control and we won’t go anywhere except deeper into the hole.
I know this is an older podcast but I wanted to post as I have just recently started listening to the Survival Podcast and I enjoyed this one in particular.
Don’t forget about the value of the vegetables you can store long term (ie. Pickles, Salsa, Tomato sauce, etc). Although the canning process requires a bit of an initial investment, at $3 – $4 a jar for most of the above items (at least in Canada) will definitely make it worthwhile.
I particularly enjoy the gardening and food aspects of the podcast but am learning a lot of new things through listening to the podcasts. Keep up the great work!
Melissa, Ottawa, Ontario