Jack Abner - Live off the land : survival gardening basics

Since the beginning of time, the acts of survival and gardening have gone hand-in-hand. Though today many view the practice of gardening as a healthy hobby or pastime, the truth is that those of us who know how to produce and harvest their own crops have an upper hand in contrast with the rest of society: should the circumstances ever arise in which our access to food would be drastically limited (or altogether cut off), the green-thumbed members of our population would still be able to live comfortably. In that regard, gardening isnt simply a hobby; rather, its a way of life thats been in practice for centuries, and still remains as the most basic, safest, and guaranteed means of acquiring food known to mankind.

Even in terms of a personal emergency, gardening can prepare you in ways that other methods fall short. Survival gardening lets you ready yourself for virtually any drastic circumstance, whether the economy collapses to the point at which people find themselves destitute, or a major storm wipes out the resources and transportation lines to an entire region. If ever you find yourself penniless and unable to pay the grocery bill, your lush garden can sustain you and see you through the tough times. Likewise, if your region were to be wiped out due to a catastrophic storm and it took prolonged periods of time for aid to reach you, the garden you worked hard to cultivate would still put food on the table.

Of course, you might think that stockpiling offers the solution to these catastrophes, and in a way, it does. But, the truth of the matter is that stockpiling provides only a temporary solution. At a certain point, youre going to run out of the supplies that youve collected; theres no plausible way for you to store an infinite supply of food, or one that will be replenished on its own. The most promising way to secure your future is to learn how to grow your own food so that it will, in fact, be able to last you through the foreseeable future, should any disasters arise.

Think of it this way: how were our ancestors able to survive through the Great Depression and World War II? There was rationing, of course, but many individuals had to rely on home-grown produce and goods developed by volunteer farmers. They were largely responsible for providing food for individuals on a national and local level. Nowadays, though, the art of gardening is lost on many; the demands of a 24/7 workforce and a chaotic, nonstop world has left many people with little time for hobbies or pleasures, especially something as seemingly antiquated as gardening. After all, who would spend the time or put in the extra effort to grow his or her own food, when there are grocery stores, farmers markets, and natural food stores where we can purchase fresh produce with convenience?

Heres the thing, though: growing your own produce isnt just a hobby or relaxing pastime, nor should it be viewed as such. Of course, if those are your reasons for growing your own goods in the first place, then thats fine! Gardening is fulfilling, enjoyable, and some even say, soothing for the soul. But lets not overlook the fact that growing your own crops was once a necessity for survival, and should still be considered as such.

Unfortunately, the art of survival is a skill thats lost on many individuals in todays world. Yet, you dont have to be an extremist to recognize the fact that there are changes taking place every day, and that the shifts that our world is experiencing have the potential to do great damage on our environment or ways of life. There are no guarantees that the comforts we rely on day in and day out will be here tomorrow, which begs the question: if the food supplies you rely on were taken away right now, how would you survive for the foreseeable future?

This guide answers that question for you. For individuals who have zero familiarity with gardening, those who have lived in an urban environment their whole lives, or even those who are skilled gardeners but would like to learn a bit more about the survival aspect of the practice, this guide is intended for anyone. Theres a wealth of information to be learned about how you can survive off the land, and whether youre looking for peace of mind in the fact that youll outlive a disaster or you simply want to learn how to make your own food from the seed to the table, then this guide is a must-read.