We're extending out our gardens after seeing how the grocery is in such a terrible state from the coronavirus.

 

Right now my wife and I have twelve 4' x 8' raised beds.  We'll be adding 6 more this spring.

 

There are also three beds built from cinder blocks that are about 18' long.  We've sunk 4 x 4 posts and nailed in 16' cattle panels to help climbing veggies and tomatoes that need support.

 

There is room in my side yard for at least another 8 or 10  4' x 8' beds.

This will probably be our herb garden and garlic beds.

 

My wife has gotten a few more roosters to breed(happily I might add) our Americana hens.

She's sterilizing her incubators for the fertilized eggs so we can expand our chicken and egg supply if the time comes.

 

I'm buying another stand up freezer this week and will likely buy an older cow to slaughter for burger and cubed steak.

I need a generator in case power goes out.  I could also use it for primitive camping so I could charge my trolling batteries.

 

If it were really super desperate times, I could always kill more deer.  Not a fan of out of season killing, but desperate times calls for desperate actions.

 

The fish supply around here is reasonably reliable if push comes to shove. 

 

Ammo???  I'm a redneck white boy from NC.  I'm good with bullets.

 

Since this bug has grabbed America by the short hairs and the panic is more dangerous than the disease, have you guys made moves to become more self reliant?

If you've been living and prepping as a life style, how have you re-examined your tactics? 

 

Don't turn this political 

 

I don't live it - but I'm ready for disruptions. 6-5'x10' beds is all I could squeeze into my suburban lot. One is filled with black raspberries for both jam and wine (makes a wonderful Port). 4 has veggies that can well, the last one has a few 'special' treats - wife loves cantaloupe, I love honeydew.

 

Guns/Ammo? Lever-action 30-30, semi-auto 12 gauge, .22 rifle, .22 pistol and a GP-100 in .357 - all with a good amount of ammo.

 

House use to have a well, was capped when city water was put in 40 years ago (before I moved in), but I've had it cleared and hooked to the outside water - I have a manual pump ready to go on it if needed. Water's been tested and it's potable.

 

No room for 'animals'...and the city code prohibits them anyway.

 

There are deer and even wild turkeys that wander about...so there is that. Plus I'm only two blocks from the lake...so fishing is always an option.

 

The fireplace in the house is in the center - not an outside wall - and I have a few cords of wood stashed away and plenty of trees in the area as well.

I live on the river with 120,000 acres of National forest behind the house but I simply don't worry.....everything is open here.

Why ? What's going on ?

Here in Maine we're not all in the sticks. I'm rural but have close neighbors. We just talk over the fence though. A big day is a trip to get coffee at Macdonalds (not now though). Prepping with gardens and cord wood is good but....A run on the banks might be in the future. Got cash???

I got plenty ramen noodles cups and packs, spam, a bunch of toilet paper and my BB gun .......

 

I'M READY, LET THE ZOMBIES COME !

 

About the only good thing that will come from all of this, I hope, is that people will realize that the hoarding wasn’t necessary. There is no shortage on the supply side, just no way to refill the shelves as quickly as those who’ve been panicking are emptying them. 

3 minutes ago, Scott F said:

About the only good thing that will come from all of this, I hope, is that people will realize that the hoarding wasn’t necessary. There is no shortage on the supply side, just no way to refill the shelves as quickly as those who’ve been panicking are emptying them. 

Very well said my friend. 

AND hoping this thread doesn't turn into toilet paper. 

4 minutes ago, Scott F said:

About the only good thing that will come from all of this, I hope, is that people will realize that the hoarding wasn’t necessary. There is no shortage on the supply side, just no way to refill the shelves as quickly as those who’ve been panicking are emptying them. 

You're preaching to the choir. I'm a truck driver for a grocery chain.  All drivers are working maximum hours and making as many deliveries as possible.  We can't keep up. 

5 minutes ago, Scott F said:

There is no shortage on the supply side, just no way to refill the shelves as quickly as those who’ve been panicking are emptying them. 

It's gotta be up the line a bit - I talked with the manager of my local grocery store. According to him, the warehouses of both his main suppliers are running out.

1 minute ago, Bird said:

Very well said my friend. 

AND hoping this thread doesn't turn into toilet paper. 

If it goes to toilet paper, it can be deleted quickly.  Like I said.  Don't make it political.

This is more about how we should all be more self reliant 

in term of preparation I did nothing, I have fish in freezer and I have my fishing tackle and dear south California wtaters all around me . I am just sitting home Monday to Friday and go overnight fishing every weekend till the panic is over.

Our Grandparents were called to fight in world wars across the globe.

You're being called to wash your hands & sit on the couch.
Don't Jack This Up ~ !

 

A-Jay

If the feces were ever to his the fan I could walk out my back door and catch my dinner (I live on a lake). I’m not a big fish eater though. I could walk across the street and hunt deer, turkey, rabbit, whatever I needed. 
 

Everything is running pretty smooth around here. I’m working overtime and the wife’s business is picking up new clients every week. The only thing out of sorts is my son not having school and us parents having to be teachers, while trying to work our normal jobs. 
 

We’ll survive. I might even launch the boat this weekend. 

7 minutes ago, 12poundbass said:

If the feces were ever to his the fan I could walk out my back door and catch my dinner (I live on a lake). I’m not a big fish eater though. I could walk across the street and hunt deer, turkey, rabbit, whatever I needed. 
 

Everything is running pretty smooth around here. I’m working overtime and the wife’s business is picking up new clients every week. The only thing out of sorts is my son not having school and us parents having to be teachers, while trying to work our normal jobs. 
 

We’ll survive. I might even launch the boat this weekend. 

Glad to hear this ~ 

 Also Parents = Teacher.

That continues for life.

When we're doing it right.

A-Jay

Like Hank says, “Country folks can survive”

The pendulum always swings to far.

We will get through this and there are some good lessons learned.

As a country we need to make our own ***** especially medications.

We need to keep an emergency cash fund.

Independence is invaluable.

keep a months food in hand.....Preppers aren’t worried.

Be prepared to protect what’s yours.

........most important, Marry the right gal......this mistake can make 2 weeks seam like an eternity ????

 

Seems like everyone around me is loosing their feces about every possible thing they can worry about. I’m a plumber by trade and although my company is still working our work load has been cut in 1/4 because nobody wants people in their house unless absolutely necessary. If stuff really goes sideways I’m not worried. 20 mins to my north I have a river full of eater sized walleye/sauger/northerns and 20 mins to my south I have about 100 streams with amazing populations of wild brown trout so if I need food it is going to be available. I don’t want to take advantage of that unless absolutely necessary because all the fish I mentioned are out of season but if I have to put food on the table than that’s what I have to do.

Outta here , gone fishn 

2 hours ago, A-Jay said:

Also Parents = Teacher.

That continues for life.

When we're doing it right

Good point

Can't plant anything for at least two months, and even then it won't be until late July before the very first crops would harvested.  Cash?  I'm not touching anything I don't know where it's been.  About the only thing I stocked up on was a few extra pounds of coffee beans.  Have enough meat in the freezer for a month.  Last time I was out, there were some weird things absent from the shelves:

 

cake mix

garbage bags

laundry detergent

eggs

milk

basic pain killers and cold medicine

carpet deodorizer

flour tortillas

 

I can sort of see why some of these might be in demand, but some are more perplexing than hoarding TP or PT.  I mean, milk?  Milk spoils pretty quickly, and I imagine thawed frozen milk is probably pretty gross.  Garbage bags? Maybe laundry detergent, since you want to wash things if you've been out.  Cake mix?  Just bored at home?  Something for the kids to make?  I suppose people will want to hide any symptoms, so there's your cold meds.  Does everyone's carpet stink, or did I just have bad luck?  I thought it was pretty funny that all the flushable wet wipes were gone, too.  Looks like more than a few have resorted to the "dark side" of personal hygiene.  Septic cleaning should be big business by fall, lol.

 

Anyway, it's been day four of working remotely, and that's fine.  I've been self quarantined for a few days longer, since I had the sniffles since last week.  My queen is to return this weekend.  Been skateboarding in the basement, and completely took apart my Dyson and cleaned it.  I'm sure I can find things to keep me busy.

I heard from a reliable source one grocery chain made more sales in the last week than all of the month of December which was strong month. 

Me and my fiance drink a gallon of milk in 2-3 days. Its a hopeless addiction

13 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Me and my fiance drink a gallon of milk in 2-3 days. Its a hopeless addiction

Guess the milk isn't free....

 

sounds like you're buying a cow

1 minute ago, Choporoz said:

Guess the milk isn't free....

 

sounds like you're buying a cow

Haha! She grew up on a dairy farm, she should be the heiress to several cows