Disaster Prep For The Rest Of Us

Preparedness Gardening

    Whenever the economy does a downturn the seed companies experience an upturn.  Planting a vegetable garden is viewed by many as one way to push back against high food prices and an uncertain economy.  Many preppers consider a garden as a hedge against not only high prices but the inability of the grocery supply line to come through in the event of a disaster other interruption.  
    Obviously gardening is a long-term project not to be rolled out the day after an earthquake with the expectation of a ready food supply.  But with Spring just around the corner, now would be a good time to start thinking about adding gardening to your disaster preparedness plan.  If you’ve never tried growing your own vegetables it can be not only a rewarding hobby but could potentially feed your family if needed.   

By way of disclaimer, I am certainly not a Master Gardener by anyone’s definition, barely an amateur gardener.  But if this interests you, contact the OSU Extension Office in Myrtle Point and inquire about their next Master Gardener Training Classes.  According to the Extension Office website the program offers a basic, practical  course in plant science and horticulture. Classes usually include basic botany and plant psychology, pest identification and control methods, soil management and plant nutrition and diagnosis and control of plant problems.  You may call the Extension Office at 541-572-5263, Ext 295 for full details.  

Something to consider before you plow up your backyard is the raised-bed concept of gardening.  Build a raised-bed enables you to confine your garden space to a specific area controlled by the framework of the raised bed.  Other benefits include the ability to control the soil or planting medium you prefer, enhanced draining ability, and raised beds tend to warm up faster, possibly giving you a jump on the planting season.  There are plenty of books and on-line resources to glean for information about raised-bed gardening.

Another item to consider is a sprout kit.  A sprout kit usually contains a variety of seeds suitable for raising edible sprouts.  There are several versions available and most come with the hydroponic growing apparatus needed to raise healthy, nutritious, organic sprouts.  Sprouts can be grown in just a few days and are rich in vitamins, minerals, trace elements, enzymes and fiber.  They provide a quick supply of vegetables for use in salads, sandwiches and stir-fry.  They may be steamed and even used in some baked goods.  Prices for a sprout kit run in the $50-$80 range, depending on which model you prefer.

    So while you’re laying in supplies, don’t forget that vegetable gardening can take you just one more step closer to the independence necessary for surviving calamity.  As always,send your comments and questions to disasterprep.dave@gmail.com.