Recommended Crop Foods for your Home Garden, plant the basics for sure-fire success.

Green Peppers

Growing a garden is a personal thing and as such, you need to select crops that suit your personal tastes.

For instance, I mention Beets below. Some people love Beets, even whole nations consume Beets in large quantities.

I, on the other hand, detest beets, regardless of the way you cook or spice them up, and you will not find me planting these in my garden.

How to trap Wild Animals, Simple traps can provide a good yield of wild meats

Raccoon in Trap

There are many Wild Animals that can provide you with good meat.

Some wild animals are pests and there are a lot of options available for getting rid of them.

But, many of these animals can provide a good source of protein for you and your family.

Using traps is the simplest way to capture these critters, and fellow HubPage writer, Country Sunshine has written a very good article on how to trap Wild Game.

How to Build a Backyard Garden, grow your own fresh foods to eat and store.

Home Garden

Let’s assume that you have a relatively large backyard, with anywhere from as little as 200 square feet to as much as 2000 square feet that you want to use for your garden.

There are a few things I can tell you that will help you build a garden that produces abundant crops of your favorite foods and herbs, efficiently and with minimal problems.

And yes, I said crops.
Once you get to this size of garden space available, you will be able to grow enough of your favorite foods to not only feed yourself and your family but also be able to can, freeze and store some for later use.

How to Store Root Vegetables, use your Cellar to stretch the life of your Root Vegetables

Potatoes stored on Shredded Paper

Most people don't live in the tropics where you can plant and harvest multiple crops throughout the year.

So, most people need to find ways to stretch the usable life of their garden foods.

Some vegetables can best be stored only if they are processed and caned.

Root Vegetables, such as Potatoes, Beets, Turnips, Rutabagas and others, lend themselves to being stored for several months, if it is done properly.

Understanding Fertilizers and Pest Control in your Home Garden

Fertilizers

In addition to requiring the right environment to thrive, all food plants require certain nutrients and, at times, special chemicals in order to grow properly.

In a truly natural, forest or field or mountainside you will find many plants growing that have adapted to the specific light, water, seasonal and soil conditions that exist in that area.
These plants have adapted to their environment over centuries and are able to thrive and reproduce there.

But when you grow a garden you will find that you have two serious problems. Most garden vegetables grown today have been bred to produce a proper crop under far more specialized conditions than nature typically provides, in the wild.

A Family Sucessfully Living OFF the GRID. Using Solar Power efficiently.

Typical Solar Panel

Actually, it is easy to be Green!

Everyone dreams of keeping their lifestyle and still cutting themselves loose from the power grid.

Today, technology has finally evolved to the point that the determined family can cut themselves free of the power grid relatively easily and at a reasonable cost.

How to Dehydrate Fruits at Home, Use your oven to save your excess fruits for later.

Dehydrated Fruits

When you go to the Supermarket or Health Food store and pick up a small bag of dried fruits, too often you will just put the package back on the shelf after seeing the price.

At the same time, when your favorite fruits are in season they are so cheap that you often end up gorging yourself on what you have purchased before they go bad.

Well, you can save a lot of money by dehydrating your excess fruits and storing them for use later, after their season is past.

Re-Use your Wood fire Ash, how to replenish your compost pile or Garden

Open Fire Wood Ash

Many people complain as they clean out their fireplace or wood stove. What a pain, right?

It's just ashes, Right?

Well, those ashes are full of nutrients that can improve any Compost pile and even help in a number of ways to improve your gardens health.

The ash from a wood fire will still contain the nutrients in the wood that was burned and these ashes will also contain significant amounts of Potassium.

Basket Weaving for the Beginner, Make your own basket for convenience and savings.

Woven Basket Pattern

Basket Weaving?

What? Why would you want to make your own Baskets?

Well, there are several layers of reasoning to go through;

• For the Survivalist, Basket Weaving is a useful skill that saves you money you might spend on plastic and other synthetic devices.
• For the Artist, it provides an outlet for your skills that uses natural materials.
• Your basket can be made to match your needs whether for carrying small, large light or heavy loads.

How to Grow BROCCOLI in a pot, indoor gardening tips for year round foods

Broccoli Blossum

Broccoli is such a healthy food for us all. And, its sad to say, Broccoli is actually a seasonal plant and is normally not available year round.

OK!  Yes, these days, you will find Broccoli in supermarkets throughout the year, and even though you might squirm a little over the price, you will pick it up and take it home for your family.

How to Build your own PATIO GARDEN

How to Build a Patio Garden

A typical Patio Garden

Anyone can build a small patio garden regardless of whether they only have a small piece of open land on their property at the rear or side their house or even if they only have a patio space attached to their apartment in a city.

There are even a lot of people who do not have an actual yard, but they do have a Patio that could be used for growing at least some of their favorite fresh foods.

Herbs and Foods you can Grow INDOORS

Potted Tomatoes

The interested Survivalist will often start small in their quest for more control of their life and lifestyle.

One popular way to start small is for the Beginner to grow certain of their Herbs and some plants indoors.

Whether you live in an apartment or a home, there is always room for a few well-placed pots that can contain nutritious and healthy food items.
Doing this is not only a good way to save money it also gives you small amounts of these foods year-round.

To be successful growing foods indoors you only need a few items and you are on your way to a better eating experience. Go to a few of your local Garden supply stores and talk to one of their gardening “experts”to get the appropriate Planting Supplies you will need.

Eat Healthier, Grow Your Own Foods, know your Seeds

A Beautiful Backyard Home Garden. 

We all remember that last roadside stop we made and picked up those fresh grown vegetables, took them home and made one of the most delicious meals we have ever had.

We all want that level of flavor in our meals, flavors that are often the result of the gardening techniques used the chemicals avoided, and the freshness.

A Small Garden can still be a Good Garden

Well, you don’t have to own a large tract of land to grow at least some of your own foods and herbs.
Many people, living in homes on very small pieces of land are able to grow a surprising number of plants, herbs and other foods.
In fact, I know of people who only have a small area on their apartment patio who, through careful planning are growing seasonal foods and year-round herbs for their personal enjoyment.

Supermarkets and Meats, know how to protect your self when purchasing and handling

Fresh Supermarket Meats

Regardless of how hard the VEGANs and VEGETARIANS might complain, Americans are a nation of Meat-eaters.
So, we should all know at least a little something about those cuts of the different meats we purchase every day, then prepare and serve to ourselves and our families.

Just so you know, there are some basic federal standards on meats such as how to handle them, how they are graded and even recommendations on when to remove them from the shelf and we should take the time to understand these basics about the meats we eat.

But the bad news is that you might be surprised at how few real and enforceable standards actually exist.

By knowing the real standards, you will have a heads up over your fellow shoppers in your search for the best meats you can buy.

Understanding Food FRESHNESS and Sell By Dates

Product with Expiration Date on the bottom

Its a Reference Date, not "will Spoil By date"

First of all, you need to realize that many of the foods you see in supermarkets with a "sell by date" (aka Expiration date, Best By date, etc.)on them don't actually go bad on that labeled date.

In fact, for the majority of foods, these dates are set as guidelines for the store itself and are often there just to provide a reference for the customer.

Even though the ”sell by date” is important and should be checked on all food purchases, there is still some room for you to take advantage of those sale items that have dates that expire soon.

And, some foods are not labeled with “sell by dates” at all. But there are some standards you can follow with these foods to assure you are still managing your older foods properly.

Actual Life Expectancy for different Foods

Here are some of the realities that you can use to your advantage when handling your stored foods or reading those Sell By dates on your food labels:

SUPERMARKETS; their PRIORITIES versus the Public's Health.

Standing in Lines

Supermarkets!
Those places that the vast majority of us shop at for our food do not exist just for our convenience. In fact, the customer must realize that a major corporation owns the neighborhood supermarket and that they are there to make a profit, not friends.

The corporations that own the major supermarkets in our country locate their retail food stores strategically for certain specific population groups.

CHINA and FOOD QUALITY Issues - Things to know before you Buy or Eat

Salmon Filets

I received most of this information from a friend last week in an email and honestly, I hesitated to pass it on because I had not researched it all myself.

But, as I read through it again, I realized that I had read about over half of these myself from other sources.
So, I present it here for you to read and think about.
If any of it concerns you, it should be easy for you to check it on the web.


DID YOU KNOW that:

SMITHFIELD FARMS:  

Smithfield Farms, the largest pork producing farm in
the USA was sold recently to China with the  unanimous support of
its stockholders.  The hogs will still be raised here, but slaughtered
and packaged for sale there before being sent back here.
This includes labels: of Morrell, Eckrich, Krakus, Cudahy, Premium Hams,
Cook's, Gwaltney.

GMO - Genetically Modified Organisms and your Foods

Corn in Field

The business of genetically modifying foods has drawn criticism for decades and still there is no clear-cut data that can totally condemn this practice.

Agri-Business is the largest proponent of GMO’s as they focus on changes that allow for larger production volumes of certain foods.

On the other side of the fence are the people who can show that, unchecked; many of these modified foods have been proven as being dangerous to the health of the consumer. More and more of us will need to take a position as this practice expands around the world.

Understanding Food LABELS and using them to eat healthier

In our modern world, if you are concerned about what you and your family are eating then you really need to read the labels on those cans and bags in your Supermarket, very closely.

Once you pick up a can of your favorite beans or a bag of potato chips, and actually read the labels will find that you have opened up a new world of information.

NUTRITION Information

The USDA requires the listing of the nutritional information of a packaged food. It will include the percentage of the official Minimum Daily Requirement (MDR) that is based on a 2000 calories a day diet.

The nutritional data table will include such data as serving size; servings per container, and then for each serving it will list percentage of the MDR of Fats, Total Fats, Saturated Fats, and Trans Fats.

It also lists the percentage of the other nutrients such as Cholesterol, Carbohydrates, Sodium, Protein, Salt, Sugar, Calcium, Dietary Fiber and Iron as well as any Vitamins present.

Using this nutritional data can help you select healthier food options and select your foods for a better diet.

ORGANIC, NATURAL or Mystery Foods? What do these words mean.

In today’s world of mass produced food, the consumer is at the mercy of the producers when it comes to how the food or meat is grown and what chemicals can be used in its production.

Pick up a can of beans or grab a bag of chips or crackers and you quickly realize that you need to be a chemist to figure out what some of the ingredients are and what they are doing in your food.