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Image | Building a Solar Dehydrator
Building a Solar Dehydrator
by harmonyguy

This is a story of one of the steps my family has taken towards increased resiliency, including actions taken to build a more sustainable lifestyle and invest in our food security.  My family lives on mostly a vegetarian diet. We currently grow a large garden and plan to grow most of our food for the full year. Growing a year's worth of food brings up many questions, but the most critical one is how do we preserve the bounty of our garden?  Of methods that I know of, one can dry, ferment, can, or use cold storage. Canning heats the food and takes away some of the nutrients. Not all foods can be stored in cold storage (but I am working on this, as well). We have an Excalibur dryer but find it takes forever to dry things and the electricity to match.

So I decided to build a solar dehydrator. After researching different design ideas, I went with a design that I could use some recycled materials and materials left over from other projects, plus some new. I also wanted a high-capacity design that could dry a lot of food at once. This design has a heat collector and a tower.
Building a Solar Dehydrator
 by harmonyguy

This is a story of one of the steps my family has taken towards increased resiliency, including actions taken to build a more sustainable lifestyle and invest in our food security.  My family lives on mostly a vegetarian diet. We currently grow a large garden and plan to grow most of our food for the full year. Growing a year's worth of food brings up many questions, but the most critical one is how do we preserve the bounty of our garden?  Of methods that I know of, one can dry, ferment, can, or use cold storage. Canning heats the food and takes away some of the nutrients. Not all foods can be stored in cold storage (but I am working on this, as well). We have an Excalibur dryer but find it takes forever to dry things and the electricity to match.

So I decided to build a solar dehydrator. After researching different design ideas, I went with a design that I could use some recycled materials and materials left over from other projects, plus some new. I also wanted a high-capacity design that could dry a lot of food at once. This design has a heat collector and a tower.
Image | 5 Ways to Start Storing Water
5 Ways to Start Storing Water
by JW

Having a store of clean drinking water is one of the most important and crucial components of resiliency building and emergency preparedness.  It has been said many times that a person can live for three weeks without food but only three days without water.  There are many emergency situations and events that can cause your everyday water supply to become unavailable or undrinkable.  The unexpected natural disaster or perfect storm will typically wreak havoc on the powergrid. When widespread power outages occur, water may not flow from the tap, or treatment plants may not be working to properly treat and deliver safe water. It is events like these that we all must prepare for.  Here we explore ways to ensure you are prepared to meet these types of situations without much effort or concern.
5 Ways to Start Storing Water
 by JW

Having a store of clean drinking water is one of the most important and crucial components of resiliency building and emergency preparedness.  It has been said many times that a person can live for three weeks without food but only three days without water.  There are many emergency situations and events that can cause your everyday water supply to become unavailable or undrinkable.  The unexpected natural disaster or perfect storm will typically wreak havoc on the powergrid. When widespread power outages occur, water may not flow from the tap, or treatment plants may not be working to properly treat and deliver safe water. It is events like these that we all must prepare for.  Here we explore ways to ensure you are prepared to meet these types of situations without much effort or concern.
Image | Moving to Town
Moving to Town
by Amanda Witman

Last year I was living with my children in a worn 1969 split-level ranch-style house on an acre, ten rural miles from the nearest town hub (technically a city, with a population of 12,000.)  This year we moved to a 1920s two-story Victorian on a tenth of an acre, right in the heart of that city.  I’d like to share how we made that decision and increased our resilience in the process.

Moving to Town
 by Amanda Witman

Last year I was living with my children in a worn 1969 split-level ranch-style house on an acre, ten rural miles from the nearest town hub (technically a city, with a population of 12,000.)  This year we moved to a 1920s two-story Victorian on a tenth of an acre, right in the heart of that city.  I’d like to share how we made that decision and increased our resilience in the process.

Image | The Essential Gardening and Food Resilience Library
The Essential Gardening and Food Resilience Library
by Old Hippie

Under the general topic of growing some (or all) of our own food, we have broken the larger topic down into several knowledge areas.  We think you should understand why growing your own food is a good choice to make, and so “Understand It” is our first general topic.  Following that, “Grow It,” “Save It,” and “Use It” will help you think about the critical topics of how to get food into the ground, how to get it out, how to keep it from spoiling, and what to do with it once you’ve got it on the shelf, in the freezer, or in the root cellar.  Introductory notes in each section will help you choose which books, publications or websites to read first.  We’ve included links in the text, so you can click for more information as you read. Some of the material that follows is fairly basic; other material is more advanced.

Don’t let something supposedly “advanced” keep you away.  Everyone has to start at the beginning.  We all did.  Whether you choose to grow food against possible shortages, or as an economic decision or as part of changing your lifestyle in healthy and rewarding ways, we hope you find this annotated bibliography of the books that have helped us will help you as well.  We’ve included full citations for each book, to help you locate them.

 
The Essential Gardening and Food Resilience Library
 by Old Hippie

Under the general topic of growing some (or all) of our own food, we have broken the larger topic down into several knowledge areas.  We think you should understand why growing your own food is a good choice to make, and so “Understand It” is our first general topic.  Following that, “Grow It,” “Save It,” and “Use It” will help you think about the critical topics of how to get food into the ground, how to get it out, how to keep it from spoiling, and what to do with it once you’ve got it on the shelf, in the freezer, or in the root cellar.  Introductory notes in each section will help you choose which books, publications or websites to read first.  We’ve included links in the text, so you can click for more information as you read. Some of the material that follows is fairly basic; other material is more advanced.

Don’t let something supposedly “advanced” keep you away.  Everyone has to start at the beginning.  We all did.  Whether you choose to grow food against possible shortages, or as an economic decision or as part of changing your lifestyle in healthy and rewarding ways, we hope you find this annotated bibliography of the books that have helped us will help you as well.  We’ve included full citations for each book, to help you locate them.

 
Image | Revolution – New TV Show
Revolution – New TV Show
by JW

A new NBC television show depicted 15 years into a future where global electricity is no longer available.  Prepper TV is becoming more mainstream. Maybe something to watch while canning tomatoes. 

http://revolutiontvshow.com/

Revolution – New TV Show
 by JW

A new NBC television show depicted 15 years into a future where global electricity is no longer available.  Prepper TV is becoming more mainstream. Maybe something to watch while canning tomatoes. 

http://revolutiontvshow.com/

Image | Five Ways to Store Tomatoes
Five Ways to Store Tomatoes
by JW

With bumper crops and unpredictable weather conditions, figuring out what to do with your pile of tomatoes can sometimes be a challenge. Being creative and having a variety of methods to put away and store the value of that wonderful fruit will give you months' (if not years') worth of enjoyment from your Summer and Fall harvests. Here are five ways to store your tomatoes for future use and to ease you through the cold winter months with tomato goodness.
Five Ways to Store Tomatoes
 by JW

With bumper crops and unpredictable weather conditions, figuring out what to do with your pile of tomatoes can sometimes be a challenge. Being creative and having a variety of methods to put away and store the value of that wonderful fruit will give you months' (if not years') worth of enjoyment from your Summer and Fall harvests. Here are five ways to store your tomatoes for future use and to ease you through the cold winter months with tomato goodness.
Image | How to Make Lacto-Fermented Pickles
How to Make Lacto-Fermented Pickles
by threemealsfarm

This is a super easy and nutritious alternative to the vinegar, water-bath canning method of pickling cucumbers.  It utilizes fresh cucumbers as they become available in your garden.  This method is quick enough to make that during the peak of cucumber production, we make a small batch of pickles every day or so.  The results are a tasty probiotic treat.
How to Make Lacto-Fermented Pickles
 by threemealsfarm

This is a super easy and nutritious alternative to the vinegar, water-bath canning method of pickling cucumbers.  It utilizes fresh cucumbers as they become available in your garden.  This method is quick enough to make that during the peak of cucumber production, we make a small batch of pickles every day or so.  The results are a tasty probiotic treat.
Image | The Language of Food Storage
The Language of Food Storage
by Denis Korn

When beginning down the path of resiliency building and preparedness planning, one must look at the need for food on a daily basis as well as the possible events that would require the use of stored food and emergency rations.  This subject can be expansive and confusing at times.  There are lots of options and choices available to meet  your nutritional needs.  This article and explanation of terms will hopefully clarify the many aspects and terminology of long-term food storage and help shed light on this important component of resiliency building. 
The Language of Food Storage
 by Denis Korn

When beginning down the path of resiliency building and preparedness planning, one must look at the need for food on a daily basis as well as the possible events that would require the use of stored food and emergency rations.  This subject can be expansive and confusing at times.  There are lots of options and choices available to meet  your nutritional needs.  This article and explanation of terms will hopefully clarify the many aspects and terminology of long-term food storage and help shed light on this important component of resiliency building. 
Image | Understanding Emergencies: Every Day Carry and Survival Equipment
Understanding Emergencies: Every Day Carry and Survival Equipment
by Aaron M

Part I – Practical Survival Equipment

In this segment of the Emergency Assessment series, we’re going to discuss equipment, but not in a way that is commonly seen.

We’re going to take the information from the previous segment (Understanding Emergencies) and set up some definitions that we will use to frame what we need in order to meet emergencies head on.  If you have not yet read that article, please take a few minutes to read it now, because this article builds on the knowledge gained in the previous one.

Most of the time, this discussion focuses on what you hear when you hear “survivalists” consider their options. Typically it’s the equipment: What rifle for deer? What (this) to accomplish (that)? Our section on equipment is intentionally placed halfway through this article, because before we decide on any sort of equipment, it’s imperative that we shape our demands, and our demands are not equipment — our demands are skills. A set of lock picks aren’t going to do you any good if you’re trying to escape a dead city and you can't tell a rake from a torsion wrench.

In short, our priorities are:

  1. A cogent assessment of the situation
  2. A detailed plan on what you have, lack, and need, in terms of skill set, mindset, and know-how
  3. The skills to perform the given task
  4. The tools to perform the given task
Understanding Emergencies: Every Day Carry and Survival Equipment
 by Aaron M

Part I – Practical Survival Equipment

In this segment of the Emergency Assessment series, we’re going to discuss equipment, but not in a way that is commonly seen.

We’re going to take the information from the previous segment (Understanding Emergencies) and set up some definitions that we will use to frame what we need in order to meet emergencies head on.  If you have not yet read that article, please take a few minutes to read it now, because this article builds on the knowledge gained in the previous one.

Most of the time, this discussion focuses on what you hear when you hear “survivalists” consider their options. Typically it’s the equipment: What rifle for deer? What (this) to accomplish (that)? Our section on equipment is intentionally placed halfway through this article, because before we decide on any sort of equipment, it’s imperative that we shape our demands, and our demands are not equipment — our demands are skills. A set of lock picks aren’t going to do you any good if you’re trying to escape a dead city and you can't tell a rake from a torsion wrench.

In short, our priorities are:

  1. A cogent assessment of the situation
  2. A detailed plan on what you have, lack, and need, in terms of skill set, mindset, and know-how
  3. The skills to perform the given task
  4. The tools to perform the given task
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