Subsist
The whole point of this guide is a bit optimistic-- that if society were to waiver or even, come to an almost complete collapse, that you could subsist off the land. However, when faced with such a possibility, it is only human to at least give surviving an earnest effort. Here I have compiled a guide for beginners to begin a homestead.
Furthermore, with the price of eggs on the rise, one must ask themselves, why not have a chicken?
Growing your own food, now, even before collapse of society, I believe is an extremely important thing and should be started immediately. If you have a source of your own food, and eventually having your seeds, etc, we as a common people finally are able to place a strict cap on the prices for nessecities. That price is your own labor and time. You will feel less psychological stress and turmoil even in the most trying times if you opt to grow food for you, and your community. I have a vision of the future where many households have their own plentiful gardens and communities are once again united by weekly markets for swapping and buying what others grow. This era is turning dark, at times, it feels. But we can always strive to repair what is lost.
At the end of the day, if we grow food for our community and provide for those around us, we will not hate our neighbors or be hated by them for our class, race, gender, sexuality. We will see where we are alike, how we all can work to make our communities better for ourselves and future generations. How can you hate someone who brings food to your tables?
It makes so much more sense why land used to matter. You want lots of fertile land, because then you can have more food and live a better life. Now, land is status, but meaninglessly so. Rich people buy houses not for their growing potential, but instead status. We common folk need to return to our roots. We can support ourselves!
Key Crops
Storage crops be cured + left in long term storage. Curing is the process of letting air run over your crop for a few weeks so that blemishes can heal over, etc. Cure produce in a dark, cool, place with good airflow. Produce should be arranged on racks/tables/surfaces near eachother but without touching. After curing for a few weeks, produce should be good to place in bins and store in a cool dark location for several months.
- Beans (Bush or Pole Bean)
- Corn
- You can grow pole beans up and around the stalk of corn.
- Leaving and letting the ears of corn dry out on the stalk allows for the dried corn to be made into meal.
- Squash
- The in "three sisters", the squash provides a good ground cover for the corn and beans (both of which prefer stabler soil).
- Plant squash at the base of your corn
- Kale
- Not calorically that useful. BUT a cold-resistant leafy green. Good nutrients!
- Potatoes
- Nurtient complete, calorically benenfitial food. Grows easily. Do not eat greens or potato that has risen to surface!
- Sweet Potato
- Takes longer to grow than potato, but can also be plentiful. Greens are edible.
- Lentil
- ~155 days to grow and completely dry on the plant. Very storable! Then can be made into soups. Contains protein aswell.
Crops for Canning/Preservation
- Tomatoes
- Canned Whole Tomato
- Canned Pasta Sauce
- Canned Salsa
- Green Beans
- Fruits + Berries
- Cilantro + Basil
- Frozen w/ a bit of oil
- Herbs + Teas
- Dried
Buying your First Seeds
Heritage seeds
Optimal Land
There are a variety of landscapes and climates that can support a plentiful garden and life. However, if you are young and mobile and planning on settling down in the coming years, making a subsistence-informed decision can be smart! When buying property here are a few things to consider.
- Climate: days of frost, days of sunlight, rainfall
- Local community: a community that has an established farmer's market, library, good (even if small) local infrastructure
- Proximity to water sources: streams and rivers on a property can be valuable. Fishable water sources are vital aswell.
Climate and Location
The globe warms, so assume that perhaps your local area is, if anything, higher than what the map indicates.
| Zone | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | a | < −65 °F (−53.9 °C) | |
| b | −65 °F (−53.9 °C) | −60 °F (−51.1 °C) | |
| 1 | a | −60 °F (−51.1 °C) | −55 °F (−48.3 °C) |
| b | −55 °F (−48.3 °C) | −50 °F (−45.6 °C) | |
| 2 | a | −50 °F (−45.6 °C) | −45 °F (−42.8 °C) |
| b | −45 °F (−42.8 °C) | −40 °F (−40 °C) | |
| 3 | a | −40 °F (−40 °C) | −35 °F (−37.2 °C) |
| b | −35 °F (−37.2 °C) | −30 °F (−34.4 °C) | |
| 4 | a | −30 °F (−34.4 °C) | −25 °F (−31.7 °C) |
| b | −25 °F (−31.7 °C) | −20 °F (−28.9 °C) | |
| 5 | a | −20 °F (−28.9 °C) | −15 °F (−26.1 °C) |
| b | −15 °F (−26.1 °C) | −10 °F (−23.3 °C) | |
| 6 | a | −10 °F (−23.3 °C) | −5 °F (−20.6 °C) |
| b | −5 °F (−20.6 °C) | 0 °F (−17.8 °C) | |
| 7 | a | 0 °F (−17.8 °C) | 5 °F (−15 °C) |
| b | 5 °F (−15 °C) | 10 °F (−12.2 °C) | |
| 8 | a | 10 °F (−12.2 °C) | 15 °F (−9.4 °C) |
| b | 15 °F (−9.4 °C) | 20 °F (−6.7 °C) | |
| 9 | a | 20 °F (−6.7 °C) | 25 °F (−3.9 °C) |
| b | 25 °F (−3.9 °C) | 30 °F (−1.1 °C) | |
| 10 | a | 30 °F (−1.1 °C) | 35 °F (1.7 °C) |
| b | 35 °F (1.7 °C) | 40 °F (4.4 °C) | |
| 11 | a | 40 °F (4.4 °C) | 45 °F (7.2 °C) |
| b | 45 °F (7.2 °C) | 50 °F (10 °C) | |
| 12 | a | 50 °F (10 °C) | 55 °F (12.8 °C) |
| b | 55 °F (12.8 °C) | 60 °F (15.6 °C) | |
| 13 | a | 60 °F (15.6 °C) | 65 °F (18.3 °C) |
| b | > 65 °F (18.3 °C) | ||
Animals
Animals are much more difficult for the casual home-steader to start investing time in. They cost more in resources aswell as space aswell as time. Thus, I predict most people should not get too many difficult to care for animals. However, if society begins to fail to produce animal products at large, this may change. Animal products have the potential to greatly improve the quality of life of a community by providing nutrient-rich foods, as well as leathers and crafting products.
Chickens
The easiest and perhaps best "return on investment" animal, is the chicken. Chickens provide a renewable source of eggs for up to four years, at which point, you can then eat the animal for meat if you so choose, or keep it as a pet.