'One Poor Harvest Away From Chaos'

Originally posted by bigfatfurrytexan
i will hear no whining. no, i don't tend a garden every year. but i can (and will this year, just to get the kids outside some more) and have. i can start a fire. i can dress an animal, bait a hook, set a trap...all the things needed to stay alive.

Am i an expert? Nope...but i have taken the time in my lifetime to make sure i knew some basic skills.

Personal responsibility, folks. Learn to tend your own.

:
up:

reply to post by Wiseupall


The US also 'forgets' that Canada is bigger.

The prairies start in Manitoba/Sask (Alberta is in there as well) and extend down into the US. It is basically one massive valley between east and west mountain ranges that provides roughly 50% of the grain available to the entire planet.

(it may be ignorance on the part of us Canadians, but I have never heard of Australia being a significant contributer, at least not on the scale that we are)

Originally posted by [davinci]
reply to post by Wiseupall

 

Everybody likes to be special.

Here in NA the prairies start in Manitoba/Sask (Alberta is in there as well) and extend down into the US. It is basically one massive valley between east and west mountain ranges that provides roughly 50% of the grain available to the entire planet.

Canada is ONE BIG country with lots of mouths to feed and if there are more weather phenomina as we have been having and as is expected due to (not even going into that) Counties, like communities rely on eachother to help eachother out at times like that but when they're all having problems all over the world I don't think they will be sharing their 50% do you? I would also like to see the evidence for your 50% provision of the worlds grain.

They won't be getting much out of Queensland this year.

At least Japan will be okay. They already can't feed themselves but they have 6000 tons of whales meat caught during research expeditions and a massive stockpile of everything else.

reply to post by Wiseupall


We are on the same side, no need to argue.

Re-read my post...Canada AND the US amount to roughly 50%.

You are absolutely correct though, if times get rough exports from BOTH countries will dry up.

Originally posted by [davinci]
reply to post by Wiseupall

 

We are on the same side, no need to argue.

Re-read my post...Canada AND the US amount to roughly 50%.

You are absolutely correct though, if times get rough exports from BOTH countries will dry up.

edit on 10-1-2011 by [davinci] because: (no reason given)

The scary part is that at some point,America along with other major donors,will have to stop delivering food aid to already impoverished,starving countries in order to protect their own. Think about the consequences of that happening for a moment...

I'm not afraid. I can do without prepared foods and imported ingredients. I'll miss things like cinnamon and pepper, but I imagine anything that grows in the States will be available in Canada... even if expensive.

I've reclaimed the soil on my modest residential plot, and it will be almost all garden next year. I'm hoping for a better harvest than last year. Some things did very well (my father's tomato crop was bumper) but I had less luck with the kohlrabi, beans, and beets. Snap frosts, too much rain at the wrong times. Next year is forecast by the Farmer's Almanac to be better, but we'll see...

I live near the University in Calgary. If things begin to collapse, the Universities will hold out the longest, and also be the first institutions and communities to re-assert themselves.

Don't be afraid! People won't start killing each other over the last chef boyardee - it won't happen. People will come together. They'll remember what they are. They'll live like our grandparents lived, and the world will be better for it.

At least in North America... the Old World is in a world of hurt, I have no idea what they'll do when SHTF.

reply to post by FlyingJadeDragon


That's where the nightmare starts.

35ish million in Canada, 300ish million in the US and yet the scale of our farmland/output is sufficient that we can easily feed a a large percentage of the world.

...and I've only been talking about wheat/grain. Corn, rice, assorted veggies...the combined contributions of 2 countries, 5% of the planet's population, amount to 50%+ of the foodstuffs available.

If situations deteriorate to the point that we can't/don't export anymore then there are large portions of the world that are just straight up F$&ked.

In this scenario, you can write off a billion people without batting an eye.

reply to post by [davinci]


You can buy enough heirloom seeds to feed a family of four for a year for about 150 bucks, maybe a little less.

I will restate that: a family of four for a year, for 150 bucks. That is a 1 time investment. You harvest your next batch of seeds from the previous crop, dry them, store them for a year, and do it all again.

If people go hungry, short of climate collapse of some sort, it would be through lack of effort.

We are all getting fat, sitting on our butts, and forgetting how to sustain ourselves. I, too, have done it for far too long. It has been years since i have grown anything of value (like most, i have some flowers and a lawn...but nothing edible). Much has changed for me in 2011.

I have often asked people when the last time they ate something that they picked from the plant themselves? Or something that was purchased from the person who grew it? Fresh stuff, not that cardboard crap you get in the grocery store. How many people actually know what a tomato is supposed to taste like? I promise you, what you find in the produce section of the grocer is nothing even close. Or (OMG) a peach, fresh from the tree. There is this flavor that you just can't get in a store.

For 150 bucks, that fresh taste can be had. In your backyard (well...my backyard is pretty big). And if i work fast, i won't have to pay the rental fee on the roto tiller.

Just Google Norwegian Seed bank and tell me why they are doing this. They have collected every kind of seed from all around the world. I'm pleased someone is - but hey WHY? A whole Mountain dug out and reinforced?

The next war will be over food and it's all about depopulation.

ya know, i'm surprised this story didn't make the threads (at least the breaking news one) or isn't getting more attention now.
With regards to the food shortage and upcoming inflation ... are you guys aware the Alaskan Pipeline is currently shutdown to 5% of normal output?

if repairs take any length of time, we are in for a world of hurt sooner than anyone imagined.
source: www.alaskadispatch.com...

The leak was discovered Saturday morning by workers who found oil on the floor of a booster pump building at the pump station. Alyeska officials said the leak appeared to be in a below-ground pipe that leads to the basement of the building. The pipe is encased in concrete and Alyeska crews still have not been able to get to it to determine the cause of the leak

Originally posted by bigfatfurrytexan
reply to post by [davinci]

 

You can buy enough heirloom seeds to feed a family of four for a year for about 150 bucks, maybe a little less.

I will restate that: a family of four for a year, for 150 bucks. That is a 1 time investment. You harvest your next batch of seeds from the previous crop, dry them, store them for a year, and do it all again.

If people go hungry, short of climate collapse of some sort, it would be through lack of effort.

We are all getting fat, sitting on our butts, and forgetting how to sustain ourselves. I, too, have done it for far too long. It has been years since i have grown anything of value (like most, i have some flowers and a lawn...but nothing edible). Much has changed for me in 2011


I have often asked people when the last time they ate something that they picked from the plant themselves? Or something that was purchased from the person who grew it? Fresh stuff, not that cardboard crap you get in the grocery store. How many people actually know what a tomato is supposed to taste like? I promise you, what you find in the produce section of the grocer is nothing even close. Or (OMG) a peach, fresh from the tree. There is this flavor that you just can't get in a store.

For 150 bucks, that fresh taste can be had. In your backyard (well...my backyard is pretty big). And if i work fast, i won't have to pay the rental fee on the roto tiller.

You are so right - but we also need to educate ourselves on rotation of crops - if you deplete the soil you won't grow anything. The soil needs feeding. But not with chemicals as they do now. There are ways to rotate your crop so that the first harvest leaves the right conditions for the second one and what plants benefit from being planted next to eachother to deter insect invasion - it really is quite scientific but hey if we can adjust to the computer world we can adjust to this. Record keeping is key to crop rotation and information on which crops follow which.
Good Luck! Enjoy your first crop it's the tastiest thing in the world. Tasting is believing - the way they are supposed to taste OH and get yourself some chickens and pray they don't fall Foul of Bird Flu

Originally posted by RedBird
I'm not afraid. I can do without prepared foods and imported ingredients. I'll miss things like cinnamon and pepper, but I imagine anything that grows in the States will be available in Canada... even if expensive.

I've reclaimed the soil on my modest residential plot, and it will be almost all garden next year. I'm hoping for a better harvest than last year. Some things did very well (my father's tomato crop was bumper) but I had less luck with the kohlrabi, beans, and beets. Snap frosts, too much rain at the wrong times. Next year is forecast by the Farmer's Almanac to be better, but we'll see...

I live near the University in Calgary. If things begin to collapse, the Universities will hold out the longest, and also be the first institutions and communities to re-assert themselves.

Don't be afraid! People won't start killing each other over the last chef boyardee - it won't happen. People will come together. They'll remember what they are. They'll live like our grandparents lived, and the world will be better for it.

At least in North America... the Old World is in a world of hurt, I have no idea what they'll do when SHTF.

I like your optimism but I do believe people will be fighting over things like cans of pasta just for the very reason that people have largely forgotten how to take care of themselves and be able to live in a 'slow-food' world where they must actually produce what they eat.

This world is now based on instant access and instant gratification. You take that away and people will seriously start freaking out. If people are willing to fight in the aisles and literally trample each other at places like Wal-Mart during the holiday season (America) just to catch a sale on some cheap,imported crap they don't need,you can bet your bottom dollar they're willing to do much worse when it comes to getting foods in their stomachs.

Maybe Canada has a different mentality when it comes to these kinds of things. In which case,you will probably have to cut America loose and fend for yourselves.

Originally posted by [davinci]
reply to post by Wiseupall

 

The US also 'forgets' that Canada is bigger.

The prairies start in Manitoba/Sask (Alberta is in there as well) and extend down into the US. It is basically one massive valley between east and west mountain ranges that provides roughly 50% of the grain available to the entire planet.

(it may be ignorance on the part of us Canadians, but I have never heard of Australia being a significant contributer, at least not on the scale that we are)

edit on 10-1-2011 by [davinci] because: (no reason given)

Australia is a big contributer here in the Southern Hemisphere - but will do the same as Russia and stop as Russia has already all export of essential food ready for the coming food crisis.
Anyone who cares about humanity should flag this post so as many people as necessary become aware and take steps to protect themselves. Ofcourse you will get those who simply won't believe it. That's there choise.

reply to post by muzzleflash

So why the hell isn't the government getting them into agriculture and livestock? There is vast vast VAST tracts of arable land left unused. Not to mention all of the hydroponic techniques etc. My God this world is run by nincompoops!

I agree with that much. Secondly, why the heck aren't governments investing in saltwater purification plants for mass irrigation and consumption? All this water and people all over the world cant drink it. Heck we build oil pipelines, why not water pipelines?

Thanks again jade for another informational thread.

reply to post by FlyingJadeDragon


Thankyou for this Thread FlyingjadeDragon - It really should be flagged up.

Well,in Germany,we have Emergency Food Reserves in Secret Places all over the Country since ~1950, over 100 if i remember correctly.

Originally posted by Wiseupall
reply to post by FlyingJadeDragon

 

Thankyou for this Thread FlyingjadeDragon - It really should be flagged up.

No, THANK ALL OF YOU for reading it. This topic is one of my hobby horses where the world is concerned and I am shocked by how many people are only partially-aware or completely unaware of what's happening. This is the 'silent crisis' that is getting buried behind the myriad of other problems facing the world but I believe this one to be the most important one that we should be,as the human race, unifying towards fixing. If there's no food,then NOTHING else matters.

reply to post by Nephalim


Why not a water pipeline from Queensland to the interior or where it's needed. Oh well...

If there's a shortage Australia will be attacked first. Have a look at anti-Australian threads on You Tube all calling the white people racist. Some of these trolls are gov't employed. It's about control and the need to censure any dissent from the prevailing culture. China has all but won the re population stakes and they've sure'd up their food supply, having bought thousands of Kilometres of arable land. Indian politicians have already been threatening war, lol.

reply to post by FlyingJadeDragon


Thanks for the thread.

Of course we know the population is expanding exponentially.
Climate change is bringing extreme weather.
Crops will fail. Poor countries will keep starving but more organised countries will sure up their future any way that they can.

Crops will fail. Brazil, America, Australia (at the very least sugar prices will go up now), Russia, Canada and Europe etc. It's impossible to say that 2-3 won't have a bad year. There's not much food left in the sea. The pollution and temperature changes in the ocean is already dire.

Many island state near Australia will have to abandon soon.

The frightening aspect to me as I watch this all play out, is the divisive way a countries population can plan a covert invasion - and how it builds momentum, (shouting you're racist at everyone). It's so damn short sighted and destructive. I can't imagine how desperate people already are... Now times that x 10 - that's the future!

I've long since felt this is where the world must be headed.