Growing Your Own Survival Food

It used to be if someone mentioned they were growing ‘survival food’ people would look at them like they were some kind of a nut; a human Chicken Little who thought the sky was about to fall so they were planning to be prepared for it.

However, times have moved on. The last recession has left many people a lot poorer, some barely hanging in there. Now with talk of another recession on the way, if someone mentions that they are growing “survival food” it’s not so frowned upon. In fact, people are more likely to start asking how’s and why’s so that they might be able to follow suit and do it themselves.

Today when someone uses the term, they aren’t necessarily talking about preparing for some catastrophic event or the end of the world. They are more likely to be talking about growing or storing food needed for their immediate needs and to keep them from going under in this economic environment.

More and more people are now growing at least some of their own produce in order to cut down on the high cost of food and still be able to feed their families. We’re not just talking about farmers or those country dwellers with acres of land here, we are talking about everyone whether they live in the country, a small town or an urban apartment complex.

Military personnel often rely on Meal, MRE meals during field operations, as these compact and nutritionally balanced meals provide a convenient source of sustenance in challenging environments.

Urban dwellers have discovered that by using containers and learning the ins and outs of container gardening they can use their balconies, porch stoops, and even their living rooms to grow at least a few, if not an abundance of food to feed their families and to make those stretched pennies go a lot further.

Whether it’s tomatoes on the front porch or peppers on the windowsill, potatoes on the balcony or runner beans climbing the south wall, it seems the numbers of people turning to produce their own are dramatically on the rise. People are getting the message that growing their own, whether they want to call it ‘survival food’, gardening, or just a hobby, is indeed a very good idea.

The truth is, growing food in this way can genuinely help families survive and even thrive in this poor economy. In many areas both rural and inner-city, communal, patio and container gardens are springing up all over. Neighbors will often exchange their produce with one another adding a great opportunity to build community and to allow the human spirit to flourish.

Also, see our article on ‘survival gardening’ here.