sadly it doesnt look good for that area. many climatologists only think it will get worse. seems like every few months there are new record low reservoir numbers being reported out west. not just Cali. too many people living in these drier regions that dont have adequite water to support them.
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Actually silver is really not a good investment. There are companies that would like you to believe it is, but that’s because they own a lot of it and want to sell it. Gold is better, but certainly far from liquid.
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i dont buy p metals to make money off of it, just to have a stable currency in my possesion if stock markets crash and our currency bottoms out. i invest in the food/ vice stuff much more than precious metals. that will be worth much more than anything else if the supply is cut off.
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I think this thread has cemented my mind to really dig into a cold frame setup. I already cut our old garage man door in half and plan on fabricating a small setup for greens using the glass portion of it, but I may do more just to experiment. Lettuce and spinach should be pretty easy and I think I have more than enough seeds for both already.
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Sadly, I think the most important thing to have plenty of if/when the grid goes down are guns and ammunition. They will get you any and everything you need in a post-apocalyptic world.
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Being able to supplement food supply with your own crops, etc. is very good when there are food shortages or conditions, such as price increases, to make it less available, whether natural or orchestrated.
However, regarding prepping for major shortage, something many don’t realize is that legislation exist that allows gov to take your supplies, including crops, if doing so is deemed necessary in an emergency situation. Also to destroy trees, crops, etc. if deemed necessary ( such as spread of disease) ( as they can do with bee hives) They tend to have power reserves allowing them to keep going if everything has gone down.
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I think we all know the ultimate fate of threads like this, so I wanted to get my 2 cents in before the inevitable happens. I for one find the political discussion refreshing. It shows me that people come from all walks of life and all different world views yet still share a common interest/bond in growing fruit. Diversity is held in such high esteem except when it comes to different world views (which one could argue is vastly more important than demographic diversity) So often in today’s world people insulate themselves in little bubbles of their friends and acquaintances with identical world views and anytime they encounter someone with a different view of the world they have a negative gut reaction to it. I have some good friends from college who have lived on the coasts for the past several years and find it fascinating how living in those areas has galvanized their opinions almost to the point of religious fervor. This is likely because they rarely if ever encounter an opposing view in their daily lives.
So long story short, I think its good for people to have differing opinions and this type of conversation is something that should be encouraged (albeit in a civilized manner) rather than stifled. So let’s please all keep things civil and within the rules of the forum.
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@steveb4 - I absolutely loved bread and potatoes and other extremely high carb stuff… and ate lots of that for most of my life. That is what eventually did me in…
After 2 surgeries and loosing part of my colon both times… and a 3rd one on the way… I was getting sick exactly the same way, same pain… trips to the ER, expensive meds and procedures that did not help… I finally said I have to do something… or I am not going to be here long term for my wife and kids…
After about a year of eating no regular bread, potatoes, and all that other high carb stuff… you get to where you don’t miss it so much. Your palate changes and you get used to it. The waitress at your fav restaurant might even stop bringing you a plate full of bread before you order.
It is not easy to eat KETO all the time and I don’t… I keto normally for 2 weeks, then have a weekend where I have a few more carbs… then back to Keto for 2 more weeks. You have to experiment to see what works for you… everyone is different.
If you can eat all that high carb stuff and you are reasonably healthy… no T2 Diabetes, no Sevier authritus, no nasty gut issues, kidney or liver failure… Great… some people can. Many can not… but if that is the case there is something they can do about it.
If you are extremely tight on prepping space… make sure you make room for Meat, Salt, Water 
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I agree. The key is one has to be smart enough to admit or realize if they are wrong and learn. I find it refreshing as well. Hearing other points of view allows you to learn. If no one ever told you stealing was wrong you might think it was ok.
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Our company is looking at flex schedules right now. I’m in management. My flex schedule is work until it’s done! 
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To get back on topic, I expanded my vegetable garden to grow more greens. Inspires by Eliot Coleman this garden will hopefully provide all the salads we want til January or February.
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You really are an exceptional Gardner and Orchardist. I’m always impressed with your posts. Those greens look great! Do you still work professionally at a nursery? I’ve been sitting here posting about it and you already did it!
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You don’t let the government know you have a
‘stash’ …
or a garden…
or an orchard…because you’re absolutely right, they’ll come take it
Large purchases draw attention, but putting away a few cans of food once every now and again won’t cause store shelves to empty…nor attention to be focused on your emergency store of goods.
For many reasons people should be growing more of the things they consume. Especially this goes for those that already love fruit and vegetable gardening
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Which of Eliot Coleman’s works do you find the most helpful? I have the Winter Harvest Handbook and haven’t delved in too deeply but the main takeaway I have from it so far is to focus on growing in the growing season, then generally focus on protecting the crop you grew throughout the colder months as the crop will gain minimal growth but remain fresh throughout the season.
If interested in growing food over the winter - I’ve had some success overwintering greens in 6b - kale, spinach, arrugila, etc with just a low hoophouse type of setup with greenhouse plastic over narrow gage pvc pipes which I bent In a upsidedown U shape and slid over rebar in the ground. They don’t grow much throughout the winter but you can still pick a continuous supply throughout the winter and have a flush of new growth in spring before they bolt.
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Also there are plenty of edible weeds to eat in the yard as long as there is no snow cover
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My intentional patch of weeds is growing nicely as long as my wife can’t get to it with the lawnmower before winter 
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@clarkinks I’m at a golf course now, thanks for the compliment!
@disc4tw A lot of his books seem to roughly cover the same stuff, but all have slightly different stuff. The winter harvest handbook has been really informative me.
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There are no coal subsidies. To the contrary, there are penalties