Food storage, water storage, energy independence, emergency kit, survival skills…
One Family Prepares for Peak Oil
I watched this series of videos last summer and was very impressed and inspired by what this family is doing to build resilience and live sustainably. Make sure to grab a pen and paper because you will want to take notes!
Peak Oil – Preparing For: Part 1 of 4
Preparing For Peak Oil – Part 2 of 4
Preparing For Peak Oil – Part 3 of 4
Preparing For Peak Oil – Part 4 of 4
Published Jan 24 2011 by Yes! Magazine, Archived Jan 24 2011
Rocky times ahead: Are you ready?
by Sarah Byrnes, Chuck Collins
Community support and solidarity is helpful in the face of tough economic times.
“I don’t believe the economy is getting better,” says Billy R., a member of a mutual aid group in Oregon that he jokingly calls “my reality support group.” “All around me I’m surrounded by media and advertising urging me to keep borrowing, buying, and sleepwalking. I love meeting with others who are staring down the potential risks and challenges of the future.”
Maybe more of us could use a reality support group.
Even with the announcement that the official unemployment rate fell to 9.4 percent, millions of people remain in dismal economic straits. The pace of home foreclosures has barely slowed and millions remain out of work. Even upbeat scenarios still assume protracted unemployment and economic stagnation for much of the decade ahead. The unspoken scenario is that things could get worse.
So here’s the point: you must not face the future alone. Find your own “reality support group” (we’ll tell you how below). This year, make a resolution to deepen your relationships with people around you with whom you can face what’s coming down the pike.
Sometime during the next couple of years, there will likely be a fundamental shift. It might be another economic meltdown along the lines of 2008, or a shock to the economy thanks to a rapid spike in energy costs. It could be a series of extreme weather events that result in flooding, drought, or unprecedented heat waves. Think Hurricane Katrina on a larger scale. These changes could lead to food and water shortages—and test our personal and community preparedness in ways that we have not experienced in our lifetimes.
You should know that we, the authors of this piece, are not apocalyptic, bunker-building, pessimistic people. We’re both parents, gardeners, and active in our neighborhoods. We like a good football party—though we root for different teams (Patriots v. Steelers).
We believe our society has almost everything we need to build stronger communities, reduce inequality, live in harmony with the earth, and make a graceful transition to a new sustainable economy. But we won’t get there ignoring the data, and we won’t get there disconnected from one another.
We’re not talking about yet another issue campaign. We certainly need to remain engaged in the good fights around economic justice, peace, democracy, the environment. But there is something huge missing right now in our approach to social change. Our social movements are weak and, with some inspiring exceptions, not changing the political dynamics. The “Net Roots”—online organizing and social media—are creative ways to aggregate money and power in specific situations, but online activism is not a substitute for a movement based on durable and trusting face-to-face relationships. In some religious and labor traditions, this is called solidarity.
Fearful, Alone, & Ashamed
Presently in the United States we are witnessing the emergence of politics based on fear and the erosion of status. Millions of people saw their livelihoods and dreams collapse in the aftermath of the economic meltdown. People lost their homes, jobs, savings, and sense of a positive future. They’ve had to adjust their expectations—for example, facing the reality that they may never be able to retire or improve their standard of living.
Some people respond to these circumstances by blaming themselves and feeling ashamed about their difficulties. Many are hunkering down, feeling depressed and withdrawn. In the U.S., we tend to think everything is about the individual—even blaming ourselves for things that are largely beyond our control.
Others of us respond by scapegoating others, often those more disadvantaged. These responses often come from a place of fear, isolation, and shame.
There is good reason to be angry and focus on powerful financial and political actors who are responsible. But, as in the grieving process, we must move from anger to a place where we can boldly face today’s difficult realities and also initiate pro-active responses. We can start by learning to accept and live within new limits set by economic and ecological reality. Many people are already deliberately moving away from the old economy, and they’re finding new types of security and abundance. Perhaps unsurprisingly, they often feel much richer than they did in lives defined by the “work-watch-spend” cycle.
Rebecca Solnit, in her remarkable book A Paradise Built In Hell, reminds us to look for the “shadow governments of kindness,” the deep reservoirs of resilience and compassion that emerge during disasters and troubled times. All over the planet, people are defying the stereotypes of the self-centered “economic man” and instead caring for one another, building alternative economies, and deepening solidarity.
A Movement to Build Economic Security
The good news is people are already coming together in small groups to form and strengthen relationships. Some are called “common security clubs,” while others go by names like “mutual aid groups,” “resilience circles,” and “unemployed support groups.”
Call it what you want, but the purpose is the same: getting together regularly—8 to 15 adults—to face ecological and economic change. Small group organizing is part of the missing architecture in our social movements … which may be why it’s catching on so quickly.
Such groups are designed to strengthen our personal and community resilience. They typically have three purposes: to learn together, support one another through mutual aid, and engage in social action.
Learn together. It’s hard enough for each of us alone to keep up with news about the ways our changing economy and ecology are impacting our lives. But it’s particularly challenging to face unsettling realities in isolation. In order to move forward, we need a community to help us learn and figure out how to deal with our fear, anger, loss, and feelings of betrayal.
Group members watch videos, read articles, talk to each other, and organize forums. Since the “experts” mostly got things wrong two years ago, participants are investigating things for themselves. What’s really happening in the economy? What caused the economic meltdown? What’s changed? What are the ecological risk points? How will the decline of cheap, easy-to-get oil affect the future economy? What will a transition to a new economy look like?
Mutual Aid. Our mutual aid muscles are out of shape. We need to find ways to increase our real economic security and web of support through shared resources, skills, experience, and capacities. Some folks do this through extended families, religious congregations, and ethnic and fraternal associations. But millions of people are disconnected from extended family and the immigrant and civic associations that helped earlier generations survive. And many religious congregations have gotten out of the practice of being centers of mutual aid.
Common security clubs often gather around potlucks, sharing food and recipes for healthy, low-cost meals. They support one another to get out of debt, brainstorm about employment options, share tips on saving money. They form bartering circles to swap skills, tools, and time. They talk about the challenges of parents moving in with children, children moving in with parents—and adjusting to new norms and limits as a result of the changing economy and future.
Social Action. Many of us want to make meaningful change at the local and national level. We want to find ways to constructively channel our anger and fear to resist further Wall Street destruction of our local economies. We want to act together in ways that go beyond online petitions or phone calls to our member of Congress. Think “affinity group” or “social action group”—a place to deepen our effectiveness as a small unit, but be part of larger movements.
Common security clubs in particular have worked for national policy changes, from universal health care and Wall Street financial reform to the extension of unemployment benefits. Many clubs, animated by the “break up with your bank” and “move your money” efforts, relocated personal, congregational, and other funds out of Wall Street, and into community banks and credit unions.
Other clubs have connected with community-wide “transition” efforts, inspired by the Transition Town movement sweeping England and now moving U.S. communities into action. Transition neighborhoods and towns proactively prepare themselves for climate change, economic hardship, and the decline in easy-to-get oil and cheap energy—with its huge implications for transportation, food security, building design, and our standard of living. Within the broader initiatives, small personal groups like common security clubs provide a place where people can meet to practice mutual aid and reciprocity. Both transition towns and common security clubs are integral components of building needed personal and community resilience.
A Few Stories
Encouraging stories are emerging from common security clubs and other mutual aid groups.
A group of unemployed workers in Maine created a resource sharing exchange. They met regularly at the library and laughed so much the librarian didn’t believe they were economically struggling.
A group in Greenfield, Massachusetts calls themselves “the neighbors” and meets monthly to check in, sing together, and practice mutual aid. On another night they meet for a monthly game night—what one member called “fun and affordable entertainment.”
In Fort Wayne, Indiana, a network of Unemployed and Anxiously Employed Workers meets weekly and has formed committees to help educate one another about computer use, unemployment insurance, stress management in tough times, and green job opportunities. “Part of our work is to help face the unemployment bureaucracy so people get their benefits,” said Tom Lewandowski, a founder of the group. They invite people leaving unemployment offices to join the group. Members volunteer at libraries on Sunday afternoons to help unemployed workers file claims online.
Small Groups in Social Movements
Can forming a small group like this really make a difference, when the problems we face seem so overwhelming? History tells us they can. At many crucial moments in our past, small groups have played an essential role in incubating the seeds of great change.
During the Great Depression of the 1930s, more than 27,000 “Share Our Wealth” clubs formed to discuss the causes of the Depression and advocate for a radical program of wealth redistribution.
Also in the 1930s, seniors organized “Townsend Clubs” to advocate for old age pensions—a formidable social movement that added to the pressure to establish Social Security. By 1936, more than 8,000 Townsend Clubs had been formed with over 2 million members. In ten states—including Oregon, Colorado, California, Florida, South Dakota—there were more than 50 clubs per congressional district.
In the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s, people formed nonviolent direct action groups to engage in sit-ins and keep up morale. Activists rooted in faith-based congregations and tight-knit communities were able to take greater risks knowing that if they should be jailed (or worse), there were others to care for their children and elders.
The women’s movement was built upon small consciousness-raising groups, which enabled millions of women to reflect on their identity. “The personal is political” was experienced in thousands of face-to-face gatherings, ultimately shifting gender attitudes throughout the society. The anti-nuclear movement in the late 1970s formed “affinity groups” as part of direct action efforts to prevent power plants from being built.
In the labor movement, the success of organizing female clerical workers into trade unions depended upon an organizing approach that included small support groups. Large mega-churches have grown upon a foundation of “small group ministry” in which members connect through smaller, face-to-face groups. A growing number of organizers today are examining the “power of networks” in social movements.
Given the challenges we’re collectively facing in the present, where are such movements today? It appears that without a lived experience of “solidarity” in our personal lives, it can be difficult to respond to an abstract call for the common good. It may be that small group organizing is central to our hopes for broad-based change.
Potential Shock Points
There is good reason to believe that the next 10 years are going to be very different than the 10 years prior to the 2008 economic meltdown. Persistent unemployment means that millions of people may live out the decade in an economic depression.
Moreover, the underlying economic structures that brought on the collapse have not been addressed. We remain at risk for more financial nosedives. As a result, new Wall Street economic bubbles and busts may emerge. The “danger” light on the dashboard is still flashing…
In fact, the future could bring any number of “shock points”: another economic meltdown along the lines of 2008; a further increase in unemployment, even to 20 percent; more extreme weather events (hurricanes, floods, droughts, heat waves); new spikes in the cost of energy; rapid deflation as the value of money falls; a dramatic increase in the cost of food; and/or shortages of fresh water.
Because of the extreme inequalities of income and wealth that have opened up over the last generation, the brunt of these changes is falling, and will continue to fall, most intensely on lower and middle income and disadvantaged folks. But these changes will touch everyone in various ways, even those who believe they have built a wall of economic security around their families.
These are some of the reasons people need to face the future together and strengthen the social fabric of our communities. This is not a future you can, or should, face alone.
How to Start a Common Security Club
Calling All Organizers! Does this idea of a small support group appeal to you? Is it a missing part of your organizing work? Would it benefit your community, or your own life? Check out the resources provided by the Common Security Club network to help you organize a group.
Calling All Facilitators! Are you good at getting people together and holding a respectful space? If you’ve ever successfully facilitated a small group, you can facilitate a Common Security Club. You don’t need to be an expert on these matters, just good with people. There is a network that provides a free downloadable Facilitator Guide chock full of ideas for discussion, learning, sharing, mutual aid, and social action. The network provides facilitation tips, conference calls, and ongoing support.
Visit www.commonsecurityclub.org to learn more.
The Transition to the New Economy
Eight million jobs in the old economy are not coming back. But new jobs, enterprises, and livelihoods are emerging. We are seeing vibrant new kinds of enterprises in the local food sector, green building, and alternative transportation, as well as locally rooted cooperatives and producers. These are the pieces of a new economy that is emerging piecemeal around the country—an economy based upon entirely different models of economic growth and indicators of community health, and also new conceptions of wealth, community, and governance.
This new economy includes financial institutions invested in the real economy, like community banks and credit unions walled off from the Wall Street speculation that adds no real value to our economy. It includes respect for “all that we share”—our commons of public and private institutions such as libraries, schools, or agricultural knowledge. It is based on sound management and protection of the gifts of nature including water systems, seed banks, and land conservancies.
In the current political moment, leadership for large-scale transition to this new economy will not come from Washington, D.C., but from movements around green jobs, local manufacturing, alternative transportation, regional food, and more. This is a moment for each of us to reflect on our own power and agency. We each have a role to play, but perhaps we aren’t sure what it is yet. This is where your small group is important. Small groups help disconnected individuals find their roles, turning them into community players who contribute to the movements toward the new economy.
If we are prepared for a transition, we will be in much better shape than if we simply hope life will somehow return to normal. If we have our “core group,” we can face changes with less fear and more sense of our personal agency. Together, we will be able to work toward an economy that works for everyone.
Chuck Collins and Sarah Byrnes wrote this article for YES! Magazine, a national, nonprofit media organization that fuses powerful ideas with practical actions. Chuck is a senior scholar at the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS) where he directs the Program on Inequality and the Common Good. Sarah is the organizer for the Common Security Clubs at IPS.
I often wonder why we Americans are we so willing to pay top dollar for stuff (tvs, computers, houses, etc…) while treating our own bodies so poorly. We certainly wouldn’t put cheap fuel in our gas tank if we knew it would burn up the engine quickly, require more time at the shop and shorten the lifespan of the car by decades. Frankly, there seems to be a mindset that says, “If I feel OK I’ll eat whatever I want and then, when I get sick/diseased, I’ll just go to the doctor and get some drugs, surgery, or chemo to take care of it.”
Unfortunately, over 100,000 people die every year from taking prescription drugs exactly as they are prescribed by their doctor. Pharmaceutical drugs often interact with other drugs to cause more problems and frequently result in side effects that have to be treated with still more drugs. NO THANK YOU! I’m just as interested in quality of life as I am in quantity and I believe the quality comes with prevention. Eating healthy empowers me to take control of my health and my future. Sure, it’s not a guarantee that I’ll never get sick or get cancer, but it certainly stacks the odds in my favor, plus I’ll have a stronger immune system to fight with.
So, yes, we spend a lot on food but in the days to come I’ll be exploring more ways to get the same quality of food for less as I continue on this journey. I understand that many people simply can’t afford to eat 100% clean but everyone can take baby steps. That’s how we started. I truly believe that if the American people start demanding quality when it comes to food, then the food companies will respond. It’s already happening but the only way we can effect change is with our dollars. I vote every time I go to the grocery store and so do you. Why not vote for health and for a sustainable future for all of us?
More Reasons to be Diligent in Nutrition and Become Informed about Toxins in the Environment:
• The skyrocketing of childhood allergies and asthma
• The prevalence of Genetically Modified foods in the diet
• The 60,000 chemicals to which we’re exposed in our air, food, and water
• The unprecedented number of vaccines mandated today
• The epidemic of autism in the US, between 2 and 4 million
• The absence of regulation for the safety of foods in our supermarkets
• The eternal advertising of drugs, drugs, and more drugs
• Side effects of drugs as a primary cause of death
Five Year Plan for Becoming Resilient
My Goals:
Steps for becoming energy-efficient:
Steps for food storage:
Steps for water collection and storage:
Steps for creating an emergency supply kit:
For the car: (My friend Tony Fischer recommended most of these items for my emergency car kit)
72-hour “Grab and Run” Emergency Kit:
Steps to convert land for food production:
Steps to furthering education:
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Preparing for Emergencies
I’ve added some items to my emergency kit wish list. I’m still hoping to be prepared before we face a crisis like the folks in Texas and New Mexico did this past week with prolonged water shortages, rolling blackouts and for some, days without any electricity. I’m not entirely ready for that yet. We have stored a good bit of water and food (three days worth) but that’s about it. We are definitely in the market for a good generator. Let me know if you have one to recommend. Here’s a few items that are on my wish list:
2. Camp Chef Explorer Series EX-60LW 2-Burner Modular Cooking System, Black – The Camp Chef Explorer Series EX-60LW 2 Burner cooker is more than just a camp stove, this modular outdoor cooking system allows you to create easy gourmet meals at home, camp or at the game. Includes a 3-sided windscreen ,Clover Leaf cooking surface and appliance-style temperature controls enable easy adjustment of output, making cooking fast and easy. 2×30,000 BTU
3. Wonderwash – -This is a hand-cranked, non-electric mini washing machine that washes loads clean in only 1-2 minutes using 90% less water and detergent. No maintenance required.
4. HYBRID SOLAR POWERED FLASHLIGHT WITH EMERGENCY BATTERY BACKUP BLACK (*2-pack*) – Hybrid Solar Powered Flashlight! Doesn’t Need To Be Left In The Sun! Once Charged It Can Be Stored Anywhere And Holds A Full Charge For Over 3 Years! The Hybrid Solar Light uses revolutionary technology that generates power from sunlight and stores it. When fully charged the Hybrid Solar Light can hold a charge for years. It is environmentally friendly, durable and guaranteed for life*
5. Mini Countertop Spin Dryer Clothes Spin Dryer Portable Clothes Dryer – Works in only 2-3 minutes 2.2 lb capacity for dry laundry (about 1-2 pairs of jeans per load) 1600 rpm spin speed Portable, only weighs 11 lbs Compact, measures 13.5″ x 13.5″ x 15″ Very quiet Perfect for use with our Wonderwash 110V, uses 82W Important: please note that this is a spin dryer, not a regular tumble dryer. It extracts much more water from the clothes than a regular washing machine spin cycle, they come out slightly damp. (this is more for energy savings that a black-out since it does require 82 Watts of electricity)
6. Global Sun Oven® – World’s Best Solar Oven – The Global Sun Oven? is the world’s most widely used solar oven. Solar cooking has been around for centuries, but up to now, not many people have had the opportunity to try cooking with the sun. Using the most advanced materials, the Sun Oven takes all the hassles out of solar cooking to create the ultimate solar appliance.
Features:
The sun oven can be used in the winter as well as summer. It has been used very successfully at below zero conditions at a base camp on Mt. Everest. Measures 19″ x 19″ with an average depth of 11″. The total weight is only 21 pounds. You can bake bread, make cookies, pizza, muffins, or anything you could prepare using a conventional oven.
In urban situations, space is limited, there may be little or no access to land, and various regulatory restrictions when it comes to gardening or backyard animals. We want to share some of the concepts that people have used in urban settings which allow them to circumnavigate these obsticles. Below is a list of some solutions practiced by various groups in cities across the nation. It is a mix of approaches, ranging from gardening to co-parenting, going across of aspects of sustainability.
Inspirational ebooks on Permaculture Media Blog:
Food Not Lawns: How to Turn Your Yard into a Garden And Your Neighborhood into a Community – Food Not Lawns doesn’t begin and end in the seed bed. This joyful permaculture lifestyle manual inspires readers to apply the principles of the paradise garden—simplicity, resourcefulness, creativity, mindfulness, and community—to all aspects of life. Plant “guerilla gardens” in barren intersections and medians; organize community meals; start a street theater troupe or host a local art swap; free your kitchen from refrigeration and enjoy truly fresh, nourishing foods from your own plot of land; work with children to create garden play spaces.
Cities as Sustainable Ecosystems: Principles and Practices– shows how cities and their residents can begin to reintegrate into their bioregional environment, and how cities themselves can be planned with nature’s organizing principles in mind. Taking cues from living systems for sustainability strategies, Newman and Jennings reassess urban design by exploring flows of energy, materials, and information, along with the interactions between human and non-human parts of the system.
Community Gardening (Brooklyn Botanic Garden All-Region Guide) – This all-region guide, filled with hands-on tips, offers a snapshot of today’s vibrant North American community gardening movement. Whether you are already a member of a community garden, want to get involved in one, or are just curious, this guide will inform and inspire you. Models include vegetable gardens, aesthetic and art gardens, children’s and youth gardens, and several others. Using real-life case studies from around North America, the expert contributors show how community gardening produces safe, eco-friendly food; brings neighbors together; offers valuable lessons for children; and gives each participant the personal satisfaction that comes with cultivating the land and making things grow.
Gaia’s Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture by Toby Hemenway– This extensively revised and expanded second edition broadens the reach and depth of the permaculture approach for urban and suburban growers.
Many people mistakenly think that ecological gardening—which involves growing a wide range of edible and other useful plants—can take place only on a large, multiacre scale. As Hemenway demonstrates, it’s fun and easy to create a “backyard ecosystem” by assembling communities of plants that can work cooperatively and perform a variety of functions, including:
* Building and maintaining soil fertility and structure
* Catching and conserving water in the landscape
* Providing habitat for beneficial insects, birds, and animals
* Growing an edible “forest” that yields seasonal fruits, nuts, and other foods
Critical Mass: Transport, Environment and Society in the Twenty-First Century – This book, pointing out that car-dependency is shared throughout Europe, Asia and North America, argues that the problems can only be solved globally by a shared recognition of common needs. In addition, with transport inextricabley linked with consumerism and the lifestyles that car ownership has created, the book argues that the challenge is to replace the current technology with an alternative that is sustainable and will solve the fundamental problems of poverty, inequity and social development.
City Farmer: Adventures in Growing Urban Food – celebrates the new ways that urban dwellers across North America are reimagining cities as places of food production. From homeowners planting their front yards with vegetables to guerilla gardeners scattering seeds in neglected urban corners, gardening guru Lorraine Johnson chronicles the increasing popularity of innovative urban food growing.
“Vibrant and alive… a spirited journey to meet those who are rediscovering the economic, social, and healing power of growing food in the city”
Ecocities: rebuilding cities in balance with nature– is about re-building cities and towns based on ecological principles for the long term sustainability, cultural vitality and health of the Earth’s biosphere. Unique in the literature is the book’s insight that the form of the city really matters – and that it is within our ability to change it, and crucial that we do. Further, that the ecocity within its bioregion is comprehensible and do-able, and can produce a healthy and potentially happy future.
Sustainable urban planning: tipping the balance – introduces the principles and practices behind urban and regional planning in the context of environmental sustainability. Its publication reflects a growing recognition in the fields of planning and environmental studies that cities, where the majority of humans now live, need to be developed in a sustainable way. The text takes a balanced approach, weaving together the concerns of planning, capitalism, development, and cultural and environmental preservation. It helps students and planners to connect the needs of the environment with the need for financial gain. This approach is mirrored in the structure of the book which is divided into two parts, one focusing on theories and the other on techniques.
Climate Resilient Cities: A Primer on Reducing Vulnerabilities to Disasters – provides city administrators with exactly what they need to know about the complex and compelling challenges of climate change. The book helps local governments create training, capacity building, and capital investment programs for building sustainable, resilient communities. A step-by-step self-assessment challenges policymakers to think about the resources needed to combat natural disasters through an innovative hot spot risk and vulnerability identification tool. This primer is unique from other resources in its treatment of climate change using a dual-track approach that integrates both mitigation (lowering contributions to greenhouse gases) and adaptation (preparing for impacts of climate change) with disaster risk management.
Resilient Cities: Responding to Peak Oil and Climate Change – The authors of this spirited book don’t believe that oblivion is necessarily the destiny of urban areas. Instead, they believe that intelligent planning and visionary leadership can help cities meet the impending crises, and look to existing initiatives in cities around the world. Rather than responding with fear (as a legion of doomsaying prognosticators have done), they choose hope. First, they confront the problems, describing where we stand today in our use of oil and our contribution to climate change. They then present four possible outcomes for cities: ”collapse,” “ruralized,” “divided,” and “resilient.” In response to their scenarios, they articulate how a new “sustainable urbanism” could replace today’s “carbon-consuming urbanism.”
Several of you have asked me about our food budget and how much we are spending on this or that. Honestly, I need to start a supply journal so I can answer some of your questions accurately.
Right now, we spend on average $1,200.00 a month on food and supplements (not counting eating out once a week). That is about 20% of our budget which is comparable to what people in other countries spend (the percentage, not the amount). The average American spends less than 10% of their budget on food. I used to believe that buying the cheapest food was the way to go. Now I realize that I can’t fuel my body with cheap junk and expect excellent health, lots of energy, clear thinking and longevity. Why are we so willing to pay top dollar for stuff (tvs, computers, houses, etc…) while treating our own bodies so poorly. We certainly wouldn’t put cheap fuel in our gas tank if we knew it would burn up the engine quickly, require more time at the shop and shorten the lifespan of the car by decades. So, yes, we spend a lot on food but I’ll be exploring more ways to get the same quality of food for less as I continue on this journey.
Some strategies I’m planning and already starting to implement are; eating less meat, buying in bulk and using coupons for supplements whenever possible. I’d love to hear some of your tips for saving money while eating healthy.
There’s a lady in my community who has a blog called, ‘Little House in the Suburbs’. I’ve actually visited her suburban, backyard farm. She’s into simplicity, frugality, raising chickens, and goats, and gardening. I love her blog and I found this post quite helpful.
Save Money with a Food Journal, from ‘Little House in the Suburbs’.
by Ivory Soap on 05/11/2010
I’m so jealous when I watch Jane Austen-ish movies and Father furrows his brow and says something like, “We won’t have enough to buy coal through the winter. We’ll be out by December.” Huh? How does he know that? And the general store managers on pioneer shows that know exactly how many bootlaces Mr. Smith buys each season. And the farm wife of yesteryear who knew how many eggs her hens laid and how many bags of flour and salt it took to get through a year.
According to my reading, they did it through little monthly lists, kinda like this:
I couldn’t stand not to know anymore. So, I started keeping my own supply journal. Here’s how you do it.
1. Get a half sized spiral notebook. Label one page per category for May 2010: meat/dairy, fresh/frozen produce, beverages, paper/plastic products, baking aisle, convenience foods and impulsive trash, etc. (You’ll start a new set each month.)
2. Record the quantities and prices for the different categories. No obsessing. This isn’t your budget, it’s just an expense record. Leave out the tax. If it says 1.98, feel free to write 2.00. K?
3. Be shocked at the inordinate number of tiny chip bags your family goes through in a month just trying to keep the kids quiet in the store. I had no idea Mr. Ivory did that too! (I should break up a larger bag into serving size and keep them stashed in the back with the reusable shopping bags.)
4. Be appalled at the number of times you and your hubby run to the store without having hydrated and attack one of those mini-fridges for an over-priced bottle of water. (Throw some water bottles in the back too.)
5. Be impressed at how much you could cut your spending if you wanted to… Look at all the things I could make myself if I needed to. Look how much of our food budget goes to laziness or impulse. We’d save a fortune if I’d just make a bunch of freezer pizzas a month ahead of time. And did Mr. Ivory really buy jerky?
6. And finally, say things like “WOW, we eat a lot of almonds and walnuts! Six pounds in one month? Seriously? I had no idea. We killed twelve pounds of produce in five days? True we had company and all, but that plus the five pounds of strawberries I picked out of the yard? We are some plant-eating people! And olive oil. We just bought 17 oz on Friday and it’s half gone. CRIPES!”
Kid you not, it will change the whole way you look at your grocery list. I expect in one year to say something to Mr. Ivory like, “We ate sixty pounds of chicken thighs last year, but only 15 pounds of beans. We really should have a bean night every week, like we do fish. And with the fluctuations in poultry prices…it will probably save us (fill in the blank).” I’m so excited!!!!
So, you can do it to save money. You can do it to reduce your carbon footprint. You can do it because of good stewardship. You can do it because, like me, you were born 100 years too late and it irks you to not know how often you buy socks. Heck, you can do it to find out what a three month’s supply actually looks like so you’ll be prepared for that impending zombie apocalype my husband keeps training for on the XBox. But, regardless, I highly recommend it.
Today I’m expanding my sustainable food horizons. I’ve been on a path to better health for my family and the environment by choosing to purchase organic and locally grown food whenever possible. So far my food search has led me to Whole Foods, local farmer’s markets, Kroger’s organic section and West Wind Farms . I purchase my raw, organic milk, cheese, butter, eggs and grass-fed/pastured meats from West Wind, a Tennessee Farm, and my farmer delivers them to my doorstep. Now I’m ready to start purchasing larger bulk items like grains, beans, fruits, nuts and legumes from another local farm that offers bulk natural foods. I just ordered 10 lbs of raw, unpasteurized almonds. I’ll let you know how they taste.
Last year I purchased a worm composter with 1000 red worms and they have been working very hard for me. By spring I hope to have plenty of compost for my backyard garden. This year I’m really hoping to put in a rainwater harvesting system so I’ll have plenty of water for my garden in the event of another drought like last summer. In the spring we will be building a chicken coop. I’ve been wanting to raise chickens for their eggs and to help with our fly and mosquito problem for some time now. I know my girls will enjoy petting the hens and collecting their eggs.
Helpful links: (You can also click on them in the text above)
You are probably wondering why I named my blog, ‘Transition Now’. What is the transition that I’m referring to? According to the Transition Network Site,
A Transition Initiative (which could be a town, village, university or island etc) is a community-led response to the pressures of climate change, fossil fuel depletion and increasingly, economic contraction. There are thousands of initiatives around the world starting their journey to answer this crucial question:
“for all those aspects of life that this community needs in order to sustain itself and thrive, how do we significantly rebuild resilience (to mitigate the effects of Peak Oil and economic contraction) and drastically reduce carbon emissions (to mitigate the effects of Climate Change)?”
I have started this process with my family here but I’m hoping that this effort will grow into a movement in our community. There are many great resources that are available for anyone who is interested in building resilience.
Definition of Resilience: The capacity of a system to absorb disturbance and re-organise while undergoing change, so as to retain essentially the same function, structure, identity and feedbacks.
Here are a few of my favorite resources:
Transition USA – Providing inspiration, encouragement, support, networking, and training for Transition Initiatives across the United States
Transition Culture – An evolving exploration into the head and hands of energy descent
Post Peak Living – Everything you need to know about Peak Oil and how to prepare for post peak life.
Beyond Peak – A Guide to Self-Sufficiency and Sustainable Living
Recommended Reading List for Transitioning to Post Peak Living – This list is put together by Transition USA
Films – Comprehensive list of documentaries also put together by Transition USA
More on Peak Oil and why we need to build resilience:
Peak Oil News – The latest on peak oil news, information resources and articles
If Oil Runs Out – BBC video on Peak Oil
The Oil Drum – For news and insights and peak fossil fuel production
Why Peak Oil is Serious (Video)
Wolf at the Door – A beginners guide to peak oil
Dry Dipstick – A Peak Oil Metadirectory
TED TALKS – Rob Hopkins: Transition to a world without oil
“Pondering our Post-Petroleum Future” with Michael Ruppert (Video)
Addicted to Oil ( Video)
It all started for me when I watched, ‘A Crude Awakening, the Oil Crash’ and ‘The End of Suburbia’ back in June of last year. That was my first exposure to peak oil and the depletion of fossil fuel that’s coming. Since then I’ve been thinking, reading and learning everything I can about becoming resilient and living sustainably. A few months ago I put together a five-year plan for my family that I hope will prepare us for any disaster or emergency, including skyrocketing oil and food prices. So here’s my long-term plan:
Five Year Plan for Becoming Resilient
My Goals:
1. Be 80% Energy independent (housing and transportation) by 2017
2. Have 6 months of food and seed storage in place by 2012
3. Have water collection and water storage in place by the summer of 2012
4. Have a complete long term emergency supply kit in place by the summer of 2012
5. Have 60% of our land in use for food production by the spring of 2013
6. Become educated about permaculture, food preservation, food storage and basic survival skills (ongoing).
7. Join or build a community of like minded individuals to work together toward a brighter, more sustainable future.
Steps for becoming energy-efficient:
1) New roof with radiant heat barrier.
2) New heater or heat pump (energy star) more attic insulation, all devices on power strips including garage doors and kitchen appliances. Put fridge and freezer on timers.
3) Purchase clothes dryer spinner
4) Research and purchase solar panels or solar windows by 2015.
5) Research and purchase electric car and battery-powered bike or scooter by 2015.
Steps for food storage:
1) Decide on location (clean and organize)
2) Learn what food stores best
3) Find a bulk provider
4) Begin purchasing storable food
5) Order seeds from the seed vault
Steps for water collection and storage:
1) Put in a rainwater collection device and purchase water barrels.
2) Put in an irrigation system from water storage to the garden.
3) Purchase water purification tablets or water purifier/distiller
4) Purchase reverse osmosis for drinking water
5) Put in a well (if necessary – do the research)
Steps for creating an emergency supply kit:
For the car:
1) 2 gallons of water, survival manual, first aid kit, spare clothes, water filter, flashlight, rope, blanket/sleeping bag, granola bars, batteries, crank radio, knife.
72-hour “Grab and Run” Emergency Kit:
1) Purchase LED or crank flashlights, batteries, crank radio, water filter, iodine tablets, waterproof matches, long butane lighter, sleeping bags and wood/pile blankets, headlamp with LED light, candles, basic toiletries, cooking device, first aid kit, duct tape, survival manual, 25 gallons of water, waterproof/fireproof container with important documents, (and ask my survivalist friend Joe what else I need)
2) Purchase firearms for self defense.
3) Purchase a generator and 5 gallon can of gasoline
Steps to convert land for food production:
1) Till all farm-able land and mix with compost and yard waste
2) Build more raised beds
3) Build better composting system
4) Use 100% of kitchen scraps for compost
5) Plant fruit trees in the front yard.
6) Raise chickens and rabbits for food. Use manure for garden.
7) Build fence to enclose the entire back yard.
Steps to furthering education:
1) Participate in local classes on gardening and sustainable living. Visit organic farms and learn what they are doing. Purchase resource materials at garage sales. Start resource supply list (books, DVDs, blogs, newsletters, etc…)
2) Spread the word. Build community around sustainable living and the gospel.
3) Start a blog to use as a resource center and journal of my progress in this endeavor.