Commodity freight rates poised to 'go parabolic,' Genco CEO says To get a better overview of coming supply chain challenges and price increases, it is very helpful to watch the freight industry.
I have a very hard time believing that there isn't something every able-bodied person can do to store up extra food to help offset shortages and rising prices.
Can you practice reducing food waste? Use all of what you have prepared. Buy a chicken at .98 a pound. Roast it with veggies. Reserve the meat and veggies. Take all of the chicken scraps (bones, fat, cartilage, skin) to a pot. In an oven, you could roast the chicken scraps first for additional flavor. Add any vegetable scraps (celery, onion and carrot ends, potato peelings, etc) in the pot with the chicken scraps. Bring to a boil, then reduce and allow to simmer for hours to make a rich broth. Strain. Toss in a few new veggies, add seasonings, and cook until veggies are slightly tender. Then add the meat and veggies you reserved and heat thoroughly. This is an easy way to get all of the nutrition out of the items you have purchased and to get a few meals from one bird.
Can you grow cool-season or quicker maturing vegetables between now and your frost date?
Can you grow lettuce in your windows (research Kratzky)?
Can you buy seeds for 12 crops you can grow next year? Can you read and watch videos and learn how to start seeds, harden off and transplant seedlings, watch for and eliminate pests, harvest, preserve, collect seeds from the plants you grew, short day vs long day, etc? Some believe the stereotype that farmers are simple-minded, but there is a great deal of science one must know to get consistent good harvests.
Can you buy lights to grow food under? Some people are using multiple layers of these to grow lettuce, tomato plants, microgreens, etc. Tip: Mylar blankets can reflect the light back to the plants.
Can you harvest and preserve wild edibles?
Are you able to purchase or barter for laying hens (chickens)? You do not need a rooster for a hen to lay an egg. If you have room for them to forage for their own food, you can use a sturdy large dog carrier (not a wire crate) as a coop. A coop and fenced-in area can also be bush-crafted, but it is labor-intensive. Research how to predator-proof. Everything eats chicken.
Can you trade labor at a local farm in exchange for food you can preserve?
Does a neighbor or a family member have fruit trees they are not utilizing? In a neighborhood near my own, I am watching heavily laden apple trees go untouched. The fruit is falling on the ground where it will rot. Year to year, the able-bodied people in the house do not appreciate or make use of this resource which could help them or someone else. If I knew them, I'd ask if I could have them and would gift them with a jar of applesauce.
Can you use different apps and couponing websites to help you find bargains? Much of the time the coupons are for beauty aids and cleaners or junk food. However, if you save money in those areas, you can take the savings and apply to food.
Can you buy a cheap fishing pole and catch fish you can preserve?
Can you regrow kitchen scraps like lettuce and celery bottoms? grocery store gardening?
Can you grow herbs in your windowsill?
Can you plant fruit trees, fruiting vines and bushes, perennial vegetables? Propagation skills, easy to learn, will make it very economical.
Can you research frugal meals and penny-pinching methods in other areas to free up more money for food?
Can you recycle metal, pick up aluminum soda cans, sell off unnecessary items to obtain more money for food now to help give yourself more of a cushion?
Can you delve into the history of the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, or the collapse of Venezuela and the aftermath? Phillippines? What can you glean from those subjects that will be useful to you and your family?
Dear Reader, With so much bad news hitting us from every angle, it is very easy to allow fear to get a grip on your thoughts. When I feel myself becoming fearful, I may do all or just one or a few of the following: I do self-reflection...what things do I need to change in me to become more like Him. Those sinful areas that are revealed- I repent of and plead with the Lord to help me become more like Him. I do Bible studies on relevant topics. I remind myself of how God has provided for and protected my family from those who wished to harm us in the past. I also study and restudy prophecy. I stop following the news for a week and give more attention to the Lord through personal Bible study, sermons, worship music, Christian fellowship, etc.
The fastest and most effective cure for fear I have found and have used for decades...is to remind myself of just Who God is, what He has done for His people before, what He says He will do, and who I am to Him. When I answer those questions, my heart is often instantly calmed.
Fear comes from taking our "eyes" aka expectations off of Jesus and placing them on the storm. Watch the storm knowing God is in control and will make His move according to His perfect plan.
My love to all!
