In the veil of darkness

As we race to beat the setting sun on this chilly winter's eve, we were able to get 3 new beauties into the ground of our Food Forest/subUrban Garden...




Amanda has been wanting to add a Donut Peach to our Stone fruit collection for a while, and she got her wish today!

And to continue our berry collection, we added Loganberry & Youngberry to the front bank.















We are also adding Rainbow Chard, Celery, Cilantro, Bok Choy, Spinach, and Snow Peas to our winter veg garden. Navigating our seasons is a bit trickier now. Frost came more than a month early, and summer lasted well into October/November. Next, it's off to our local landfill for aged compost, and woody mulch!
May the winter inspire you with and abundance of ideas, for spring will soon be upon us.

-Bethany

No Knead Artisan Bread

We posted this on our Plan To Thrive facebook page in May, but we love it and think it should be here as well. No need to spend extra money on artisan breads when it's so simple to make your own! Please check out this blog... http://theitaliandishblog.com/imported-20090913150324/2010/2/26/amazing-artisan-bread-for-40-cents-a-loaf-no-kneading-no-fus.html

Who knew...

Okay, maybe some of you knew... I have never been a big fan of zucchini, so when I decided to add a couple plants to the garden this spring, I had no idea how many they would produce!

I am fairly certain we have given away more than we have consumed.

So... in honor of our lovely zuc ladies, I give to you a tasty tidbit I found online!

Click on the link below to go to the recipe for these Zucchini Fritters!

http://kitchenster.com/vegetarian-recipes/courgette-fritters-with-yogurt-dip/

Preserving Lemons

Click the link below the pic to learn a simple way to preserve lemons!

http://www.sfgirlbybay.com/2011/08/31/got-lemons/

Week 4 - Video-polooza

Last week totally got away from me! I thought that this week I would share some videos that may spark some ideas and give you a bit of inspiration...

This is about 30 min long, but pretty interesting ideas for your Go-Bag. It's worth checking out!

A quick bit about keeping things handy!

Yet another reason why living prepared is just smart!

I will be putting together another post for this week, to further discuss these topics!

Week 3 - Buggin Out

Here we are... week 3, and tho we will revisit food and water on a deeper level, this week we will cover the all famous "Bug-Out Bag."
It is actually a good idea to have two bags. One smaller pack for your car, and one larger pack at home in case your residence has become inhabitable.
Living in Southern California, there is always the possibility of fire season catching you by surprise, as well the ever present threat of an earthquake. Both of these tend to strike without warning, hence why we recommend the dual prep.

A Basic kit for your car should include:

1. Bottled water
2. Food that won't spoil, such as dried fruit and canned goods
3. Wash Cloth(in case of smoke, dampen with water to cover mouth for breathing)
4. Flashlight and extra batteries
5. Whistle
6. Compass
7. Socks and walking shoes
8. Blanket/Jacket
9. Extra clothes
10. Toilet paper and other personal care supplies
11. Road flares(in case of accident)
12. Knife (a Swiss army knife is excellent for emergencies)
13. First aid kit
14. Some small bills and coins
15. List of emergency contact numbers

For a Pre-made 3 day kit: (Click Here) This is a good foundation to give you a jumpstart on a car pack.

A traditional bug-out bag is a larger endeavor, and you may want to consider a pre-made option. It seems like a investment, but you might be surprised how much you will spend piecing it together. Click Here for a pre-made option. Always remember... If you are a woman, don't forget to pack feminine products.


You can also check out THRIVE's pre-made kits by clicking (HERE) and click on the shop tab at the top of the page and then scroll down to Pre Assembled Kits on the left. There are a few sizes to choose from.

The advantage to creating your own bug-out back, is that it can be tailored to your personal needs. Here are some examples of kits...

Only you can determine your needs and what events you wish to prepare for. I tend to side on the go big or go home club... but if nothing else - food, water, and first aid will get you pretty far! To see the FEMA recommendations and ideas, Click Here They cover everything from power outages due to solar flares, to tornado and hurricane preparedness.

For those of you that have animals, don't forget to consider their needs in your preparations. Please see the ASPCA recommendations Here

and FEMA pet recommendations Here You may want to consider a separate bag for your pet(s) If you plan your pets needs ahead of time, you will have far less stress in the event of an emergency!

Here is a link to the website for the company in the video above Click Here

As always... feel free to email me with questions at wytchwoodfarms@gmail.com or plantothrive@gmail.com

Happy Prepping!

Week 2 Random Thoughts...

So...
As I was considering what comes next for all you following the Living Prepared posts, I realized I may not have covered a couple things in the prior posts. That said... for just such occasions, I will add a "Random Thoughts" post and will email or text the link to those signed up for that.

First... I want to say that any and all may feel free to forward the weekly posts to friends and family. My goal is to get as many people hooked on the concept of self reliance as we can. Come what may... if more people take it upon themselves to be prepared, then we are better off as a whole!!

I am by no means a professional at this, and these "mini classes" are mostly geared towards those who are starting out. We will start with the basics, and move on from there. Occasionally I may post videos and other information on the blog that may interest you, so you can always go to the main page and look at all the posts. http://wytchwoodfarms.blogspot.com/

In the first week, I discussed water and gave some storage links. I did not suggest individual bottles of water. The main reason behind this has to do with the out-gassing and hormone disrupting issues that come with bottled water. In a survival situation, this is the least of one's concerns, and bottled water can save your life. So when we discuss Go-Bags, it is likely you will be looking at bottled water options. But... they are not my first choice for water storage in the home.

I will add many links along the way. Amazon carries an array of goods and most of the time its no tax, no shipping, so I will link to them frequently. Some items can also be found at your local outdoor stores, such as REI or Bass Pro Shops. I am a fan of not driving all over town, so I love Amazon.

For those of you that have "liked" our Plan-To-Thrive page on Facebook, you know that this is not just about surviving a disaster... Its about Thriving in uncertain times and adapting to an ever changing global climate. It's about redefining what's real and what keeps us happy and healthy. It's about self reliance, to insure that we never need to worry about being without, in times of need. And it's about helping others, because it is with others that we create strong communities who work together. If you would like to get the posts from our facebook, please go here: PlanToThrive and like us.

As always, please free free to email me at wytchwoodfarms@gmail.com if you have any questions.

-Bethany

Week 2 - Food Storage: In the Beginning

There are several options available for food storage, and it is likely that you will incorporate more than one. Lets look at a few...

Canned foods:
This is of course the easiest methods, but it also tends to have the shortest shelf life. Another thing to consider about canned food, is BPA in the can liner. If you choose to keep canned foods as part of your storage plan, check to see which companies use non BPA cans. Eden Organics is one that is Non BPA.
The following is an article on this...
http://www.treehugger.com/green-food/7-companies-you-can-trust-to-use-bpa-free-cans.html
It's a good idea to use a black sharpie and put the expiration date on the front of each can so you can easily rotate your stock. Only buy what you like and will eat. If you don't like SPAM, then don't put it in your food storage!

Freeze Dried & Dehydrated Foods:
These items have a much longer shelf life, some up to 25 years. This makes them a desirable option for a prepared home. There are several methods and options to freeze dried foods, from MREs to #10 cans.
The following are companies that carry this type of food, please check out there sites and see the options.

Food Insurance:
http://www.foodinsurance.com/index.php?gclid=CPTL4JW6_K8CFWQKRQodNV8jFw
I like their Emergency backpack!

Emergency Essentials:
http://beprepared.com/default.asp?SID=GOOGLE&EID=GLB200801050&gclid=CIPEhOi6_K8CFSIHRQodoQGGHA
They have a good selection, and frequent sales.

Shelf  Reliance/THRIVE Foods:
This is the company I not only chose to get the bulk of our food storage, but I also signed up to be a consultant. They have one option that others did not, and that is the Pantry Can. I like the smaller size for certain items. Not to mention that if you are planning for only one or two people, the smaller sizes are nice to have. I also like that most of their items are NON GMO and although the can't label it as Organic because they are not currently certified, they purchase from organic growers. They do not support factory farmed animal producers either. If interested, you can email me at wytchwoodfarms@gmail.com for more information. They also have the option of setting up a Q, which auto ships food to you once each month and stays within a budget that you set. It is customizable and changeable each month.
http://www.shelfreliance.com/plantothrive
Many of the products have a video at the bottom of the page that shows ideas how to use it.

Seed Banking:
Yes... I said seed banking. Often this is over looked in our long term plans. Here is an interesting video about how the world has made plans...

We have an airtight container that we keep in the back of our fridge with seeds we wish to keep long term. Growing our own food keeps us in a constant supply of fresh seeds. The following are companies we trust for Non GMO, Heirloom Seeds;
Seed Savers Exchange  http://www.seedsavers.org/
High Mowing Seeds http://www.highmowingseeds.com/home.php?xid=4d912ba32299b9496c8fd7b7dd92928a
Baker Creek http://rareseeds.com/
We will discuss the importance of growing food at a later time.

When it comes to where and how to store your food, get creative. But... keep in mind that for long term storage, you want to keep your food in a cool, dry, dark location. The cooler the better! This will insure the maximum amount of shelf life possible. Always consider foods that you like. The more you can incorporate into your daily life the better.
Everyone will have different needs and different tastes. Feel free to email me if you need more help or suggestions getting started. Remember... you are just getting started. I will have more tips as we go along.

Understanding Peak Oil...

Week 1 - Water

For those that know me, know I tend to jump on my soap box from time to time. Especially when it comes to living a prepared life. It seems like such a simple common sense thing, but when I look at how most people live, I realize that it is a foreign concept to the average person. So... rather than bombard you with all the reasons why(as there are many) you should be prepping, or a long list of what you should have on hand, I have decided to have a "Prep of the Week" post. Every week I will give you one or 2 items or ideas that will make stocking up simple and stress free.

That being said...
This weeks(and for many weeks to come)prep is WATER!
I know... big surprise there. But we all know that w/o water, you don't survive. Some people are blessed to be in areas where there are natural springs, and rivers. Some even have a well on their own land. But unless you fall into one of these groups, then like me, you are stocking up on water.

My first choice(although not thrifty)for water storage is a glass carboy. This can be heavy when full and not easy to transport. But I prefer glass for storage items.
http://www.amazon.com/Gallon-Glass-Carboy-Home-Cider/dp/B005D88DEO/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1336435774&sr=8-11

If glass is not practical, then non BPA plastic will work.
http://www.amazon.com/Bluewave-Gallon-Reusable-Water-Bottle/dp/B000ZHMVM8/ref=pd_sim_sg_3

I also recommend a pump attachment such as this
http://www.amazon.com/Dolphin-Manual-Drinking-Water-Pump/dp/B000LXX8H8/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS?ie=UTF8&coliid=I1SOSE1CPSUL00&colid=2FB67PDVBSTPW

Try not to use tap water if at all possible. Some areas have water stores that sell reverse osmosis water pretty cheap, usually around .40cents a gal. Again, fresh spring water is best if you have a source.
It seems like like an investment at first. But if you use and rotate your water, it's cheaper in the long-run.

So that should start you off! If you have already accomplished this, then hang tight. More is on the way, and who knows, even if you are already prepping, we may have a new idea for ya down the road!

It has been a bit since I posted on here... seems like facebook has taken over. Here are a few new pics of our Spring 2012 garden...

Transformation

We are still working on the front yard transformation. I wanted to add pictures as we go so you get the idea of how a yard can go from sparse to abundant in one season. We are still in the building and planting stage, so sparse is a fitting term...

Our Journey ...

There are times in life when something is revealed and creates instant change in the way we live. The turning point for me started back in 1991, when my son who was 6 months old, came down with an upper respiratory infection. After several visits to the pediatrician, as well as several attempts with different antibiotics, I had enough. I knew that what they were doing to him could not be in his best immune interest, so I took it upon myself to learn methods of natural healing. Not only was his body able to cure the infection, but he has maintained optimal health to this day. He has never missed a day of school... including college.

As the years have gone by, the road seems to have turned from progressing forward, to progressing backwards. Having spent the majority of my adult life in healthcare, I was now taking control of my family's health by looking back to the remedies of old. I was rethinking the way we looked at medicine, and soon I would take a good look at the foundation of our healthcare... our food.

In 2001, I came across a book titled "Genetically Engineered Food: Changing the Nature of Nature. I was mortified! We had already switched to organic dairy, but I was now aware of what was happening to our food supply and how unnatural it was becoming.

The next step in this progression became organic fruits and veg, and finding all our local resources. Being in Southern California, we are blessed with an abundance of farmers markets, CSAs, and markets with organic options.

Then, one day I was at the market and the price of heirloom tomatoes was $4.99 per lb, which can mean $5 per tomato. Thus our journey into home gardening began. We had already been growing herbs for a few years, but now we added heirloom tomatoes to the garden. By 2009, we had added beans, peppers, lettuce, spinach, strawberries, blackberries, and various citrus.

Every year we learn new methods and add to our little home farm.

This year we are expanding from the back, into the front and side yards. Since we all work outside the home, the process has taken some time. But the rewards are plenty!

For those that know me, know that the instability of the world is a motivator for food independence. The piece of mind that comes with knowing that come what may, we can provide for our family, is invaluable. I fully believe in living a "prepared" life, a gift instilled by my grandmother and her abundantly filled pantry.

Our goal is to ignite the love of home farming in as many people & families as we can. If we all started taking responsibility for growing food, imagine how many people we could feed!

And if you think it is not possible in your space, I offer up this video...

http://youtu.be/7IbODJiEM5A