Those that are attempting to adopt the homesteading mindset are trying to re-learn the lost knowledge from our agrarian ancestors, as well as trying to find practical ways to save a buck or two.  The homesteading mindset is all about re-purposing items we already have in our possession.  With 230 million tons of trash that is thrown away each year in the United States, many people do not realize that the trash they are throwing away can truly be a treasure. 

Finding ways to re-purpose trash can not only make your lifestyle more “green,”, but it can save you money and time as well.  For example, for those of you trying to get your gardens to grow – did you know that plastic soda and water bottles can be used as a drip irrigation system for your garden?  This would not only save on time watering the garden, but also conserve water.  What about all of those great vegetable and fruit peels we throw away instead of composting them?  Most of the trash we throw away can be re-used, re-purposed or re-cycled for another use. 

Here are 10 ways to make your trash work for you:

1. Save those glass jars and bottles and recycle them.  

2. Tuna cans can be used as food plates for rabbits.

3. Popsicle sticks can be used as garden markers.

4. Worn down crayons can be melted into a mold to make more crayons, or used to create fire starters.

5. Ziploc bags can be washed and re-used for future uses.

6. Fruit and vegetable peelings, tea bags, coffee grounds, filters, newspapers, wood ash, grass clippings can be taken to the compost pile.

7. Bones from last nights dinner can be dried out and pulverized to be used as bone meal for garden (make sure all the meat is off the bones).  Once the bones have dried out, they can be thrown into the compost pile or put directly into garden for a fertilizer (provides plants with phosphorus and calcium).

8. Small plastic containers used for yogurt, butter, etc can be re-used as seed pots.

9. Coffee cans can be re-purposed and used as an organizational container for bug out bags, in the home or around the homestead.

10. Plastic containers for spices, oil, laundry soap and shampoo can all be re-used or re-filled.

Many ourdoorsmen, survivalists, and households preparing for emergency disasters rely upon common household bleach as a disinfecting agent to make water safe to drink.

Bleach will destroy most (but NOT all!) disease causing organisms (boiling water to make it safe to drink is always the best method).

What is not well known is Calcium Hypochlorite is far better for chemically disinfecting water.

Old Way: Using Bleach to Disinfect Water

I cringe to think how many people have expired bleach in their disaster emergency kits that will be used for treating polluted water.

Those of us who have emergency preparedness stocks of survival food and survival gear often keep a gallon or two of unscented household bleach on hand for making safe drinking water in large quantities. Bleach is often the chemical of choice because it is commonly available and frequently mentioned when discussing the how-to’s of drinking water.

Typical fresh household chlorine bleach has about 5.35% chlorine content (be sure to read the label).

To use household bleach for disinfecting water:

• Add two drops of bleach per quart or liter of water.
• Stir it well.
• Let the mixture stand for a half hour before drinking.

If the water is cloudy with suspended particles:

• First filter the water as best you can.
• Double the amount of bleach you add to the water.

Why Using Bleach to Disinfect Contaminated Water is a Problem

A little known problem with long term storage of bleach in your disaster emergency supply cache is that it degrades over time. Consulting a Chlorox bleach representative produced this statement:

“We recommend storing our bleach at room temperatures. It can be stored for about 6 months at temperatures between 50 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. After this time, bleach will be begin to degrade at a rate of 20% each year until totally degraded to salt and water. Storing at temperatures much higher than 70 degrees Fahrenheit could cause the bleach to lose its effectiveness and degrade more rapidly. However, if you require 6% sodium hypochlorite, you should change your supply every 3 months.”

I cringe to think how many people have expired bleach in their disaster emergency kits that will be used for treating polluted water. Even what are considered reliable sources of information such as the EPA and the Federal Emergency Management Agency FEMA will show you how to use bleach to disinfect water but will leave out this exceedingly important piece of information.

This is why I created Survival Topics – to give you the real information you need to survive.

So if bleach is unreliable for long term storage in emergency preparedness kits then what other commonly available chemical methods of disinfecting water are there? As it turns out a better solution is easily available.

Use Calcium Hypochlorite to Disinfect Water

A 1-pound pag of calcium hypochlorite in granular form will treat up to 10,000 gallons of drinking water

Calcium hypochlorite is one of the best chemical disinfectants for water, better than household bleach by far. It destroys a variety of disease causing organisms including bacteria, yeast, fungus, spores, and viruses.

Calcium Hypochlorite is widely available for use as swimming pool chlorine tablets or white powder that is much more stable than chlorine. This is often known as “pool shock”.

How to Disinfect Water Using Calcium Hypochlorite

Using granular calcium hypochlorite to disinfect water is a two step process.

• To make a stock of chlorine solution (do not drink this!) dissolve 1 heaping teaspoon (about one-quarter of an ounce) of high-test (78%) granular calcium hypochlorite for each two gallons (eight liters) of water.
• To disinfect water add one part of the chlorine solution to 100 parts water to be treated.
• Let the mixture sit for at least one-half hour before drinking.

 Be sure to obtain the dry granular calcium hypochlorite since once it is made into a liquid solution it will begin to degrade and eventually become useless as a disinfecting agent. This also means you should make your treated drinking water in small batches, for example enough for a few weeks at a time at most.

Another plus for using calcium hypochlorite to disinfect water for emergency use is that a little goes a very long way. A 1-pound pag of calcium hypochlorite in granular form typically costs only a few US dollars and can be obtained in any swimming pool supply section of your hardware store or online. This amount will treat up to 10,000 gallons of drinking water, which is enough for a family of four for some six or seven years at a gallon per day per person!

Calcium hypochlorite will store for a long period of time and remain effective as a chemical drinking water treatment. So get rid of the household bleach and buy a can of Calcium hypochlorite for your disaster emergency water disinfection needs. It lasts far longer and treats far more water than the traditional chlorine bleach water disinfection treatment.

This article was originally posted at Survival Topics

There are some plants that can be harvested when young and can still be used before it completely dies:

• For instance, squash blossoms can be picked and eaten in salads or slightly sauteed.
• Radishes can be eaten early by either sauteeing the greens and root, or using them in salads.
• If the herbs are started to die, remove them by the root and hang them in a brown paper bag upside down to dry.  Or herbs can be dehydrated.
• Onions, garlic and shallots can be picked early and used as chives to spice up dishes, soups, or used in salads.
• Baby lettuce can be picked early as well, if there is concern they will not make it.

Any plants that cannot be used as salad ingredients or stir fry ingredients can be put in the compost pile to decay into future soil for the next season, or can be given to livestock as a tasty snack.  To be in a micro farmer mindset, nothing should be thrown away.  Everything can be used and re-purposed!

For one reason or another, the garden did not make it.  It could have been that the plants were planted in the wrong place, or planted too early or too late for their growing season, or the soil was not up to par for the seedlings.  In fact, soil is a commonly overlooked gardening problem.  If the plants do not have to right environment to thrive in, they will die.  But, look on the bright side, it isn’t a total loss.  Chalk it up as a good lesson learned and try and figure out what they mistake was and correct it.  No one said gardening was going to be easy.  It definitely is a learning experience.  And, with each season comes more practice to get better.

Spraying smelly bug repellents on  the skin to keep mosquitoes away is the worst, and can be dangerous to children and pets.  The thought of chemicals seeping into the skin literally make my skin crawl.  But no one wants to be stalked by a swarm of mosquitoes either.  Not to mention they carry diseases with them that all of us would like to avoid.  There are plants that can do double duty in the garden by being aesthetic and pleasing to the eye as well as a repellent from mosquitoes and flying insects. 

Despite what many believe, mosquitoes are not after your blood.  They can smell you from 100 feet away!  The deodorants, lotions, perfumes and smelly shampoos confuse the mosquito into thinking you are a flower, and they believe your blood to be flower nectar. 

 There are some easy solutions to remedy this nuisance.  Plant herbs and flowers that give off a scent.  These plants release a smell into the air that mosquitoes cannot stand to be around.  Truly any herb that is pungent, or gives off a distinct smell will deter mosquitoes from coming around it.  These herbs and flowers can be made into a tea or natural repellent, and then sprayed around the yard before a person has a party or BBQ.  Another method of creating a all-natural repellent is to crush the leaves of the herbs or flowers to bring out the oils from the plant and put them in a quantity of alcohol or vodka.  Once the oils have infused with the alcohol begin spraying it outside as one would do with a regular store bought repellent. 

Here is a list of some flowers and herbs that repel mosquitoes and flying insects.

• Geraniums
• Hibiscus
• Mosquito Plant
• Catnip
• Rosemary
• Citronella Grass
• Lemon Grass
• Basil
• Lavender
• Peppermint

Summer is just around the corner.  It is not too late to begin growing some herbs and flowers that can serve mulitple purposes.  All of your guests will be thanking you for your thoughtfulness and forethought of keeping the nagging mosquitoes away during their visit!

By Rebecca Boyle

You say tomayto, I say tomahto.

You say Miracle-Gro, I say … pee.

Apparently, human urine works remarkably well as a fertilizer for tomatoes, according to a new study out of Finland.

Plants fertilized with a mixture of stored human urine and wood ash produced 4.2 times more fruit than plants without the pee, the study found. The urine-fertilized tomatoes had more beta-carotene than unfertilized ones, and much more protein than traditionally fertilized plants.

And the tomatoes were just as good as those grown with traditional fertilizer, according to a panel of 20 brave tasters.

Healthy human urine is rich in nutrients like nitrogen, potassium and phosphate, all key ingredients for healthy plants. As long as the pee doesn’t contain any fecal matter, it’s usually free of any microorganisms.

Surendra K. Pradhan, K. Holopainen and Helvi Heinonen-Tanski of the University of Kuopio in Finland collected human urine during the winter of 2007-2008 from several eco-toilets in private homes. The urine was stored for about six months at 45 degrees F and tested for microbes and bacteria. The team mixed it with wood ash collected from a household furnace, and found the mixture was just as good as — or better than — conventional chemical fertilizer.

In taste tests, the urine-fertilized tomatoes tasted different from those fertilized with urine and ash, but tasters didn’t have a preference — “all tomato samples were evaluated as being equally good by the tasters,” the study says. The results are reported in the latest Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

The same team had previously tested human pee as a fertilizer for cucumber and cabbage, and a South African team reported last year that urine had successfully fertilized maize. The Finnish team said they tried tomatoes because they’re grown all over the world and are a staple ingredient in many recipes.

The use of urine to fertilize crops has been practiced since ancient times, but is relatively rare today, thanks to the ick factor and the prevalence of chemical and mineral fertilizers. But as farmers and home growers seek organic ways to grow food, urine could be a solution.

The study “may contribute to the development of positive attitudes about the use of urine and ash as fertilizer as a way to both increase crop yield and reduce water pollution,” the authors wrote.

It may not be necessary to go all NASA with our pee and start drinking it. But if we can safely and efficiently grow food with it, why not?

This article was generously contributed by Popular Science for your reading pleasure.

Since March 2009, the stocks and commodities have soared – and investors have been thrilled.

While many attribute this rise in valuations to economic recovery, some believe that rising costs are a direct result of the monetary expansion by the Federal Reserve, resulting in price inflation on certain goods, namely those assets such as commodities, which are not considered debt-based (i.e. cars, houses).

The Labor Department reports that prices in the month of March rose across the board:

There was little sign of budding inflation in the report. Excluding volatile food and energy costs, wholesale prices rose by 0.1 percent, matching analysts’ expectations.

…

Food prices jumped by 2.4 percent in March, the most since January 1984. Vegetable prices soared by more than 49 percent, the most in 15 years. A cold snap wiped out much of Florida’s tomato and other vegetable crops at the beginning of this year.

Gasoline prices rose 2.1 percent, the department said, the fifth rise in six months.

In the past year, wholesale prices are up 6 percent, with much of that increase driven by higher oil and other commodity prices. But the core index, which excludes food and energy, rose only 0.9 percent.

…

“Today’s report … does not bring any renewed concerns about inflation in the immediate future,” Dan Greenhaus, chief economic strategist at Miller Tabak, wrote in a report to clients.

Low levels of inflation also allow the Federal Reserve to hold down interest rates. The Fed has kept the short-term interest rate it controls at a record low of near zero in an effort to boost the economy.

The core index is up only 0.9% over the last twelve months, but this does not take into account the most important consumption goods in America, gas and food. While core index numbers may be touted as a victory against inflation, it is clear that Americans are spending more precisely where it hurts the most.

If this trend were to continue, and the cost of food were to rise an average of 2.4% per month for the next twelve months, here is how it might look a year from now at the grocery store when purchasing exactly the same items on your shopping list:

Month 1          $100.00

Month 2          $102.40

Month 3          $104.85

Month 6          $112.56

Month 9          $118.09

Month 12        $126.79

Thus, one year from now you’ll be paying $126.79 for the same groceries that cost you $100 today, a 26% increase in food prices over the course of a single year – and that’s with inflation “under control.”

Is what we are seeing play out in the market place the biflation we’ve discussed previously?

From Wikipedia:

The term was first introduced by Dr. F. Osborne Brown, a Senior Financial Analyst for the Phoenix Investment Group.[2] During Biflation, there’s a rise in the price of commodity/earnings-based assets (inflation) and a simultaneous fall in the price of debt-based assets (deflation).

It is still difficult to predict exactly which way we will go from here – deflation or inflation. As the referenced article pointed out that food and energy costs are volatile, and they will follow the broader commodities markets. If, for example, a global stock market correction or crash were to take hold, then chances are that energy prices would drop as they did in 2008, unless that global crash is triggered by military action in or around oil producing nations.

Food would also follow the commodity pendulum, and as we saw in 2008, agricultural investments around the world completely collapsed.

If commodities remain tied inversely to the US dollar on the broader trend line, then we may continue to experience price increases as stock prices rise, and as such, if stocks drop significantly, so too should food costs.

There is, of course, the other possibility that global investors will lose confidence in the dollar, and commodities like food, energy, base metals and precious metals will decouple from stock markets and take a completely different trajectory.

The timing of such a decoupling event is difficult to predict, but our view has been that a decoupling in commodities will be apparent in the near future, especially if the US Dollar begins to disintegrate and lose purchasing power.

While the volatility in food and energy costs may swing prices back and forth on a short-term trend, the longer term trend, we believe, is likely to be one of continued price hikes resulting from an eventual dollar devaluation or US debt crisis.

It’s ironic that a minuscule seed holds the power of life or death for humans. Multiple disaster organizations, as well as government web sites, recommend that a person have food stored for emergency shortages. Although a food crisis seems unlikely, there is a possibility that it could occur. While canned goods can sustain a family for a short while, seeds are required for producing food for a longer-term crisis.  Storing seeds will ensure that in a long-term disaster, you will be able to provide essential vitamins and nutrients that will be needed for more physical exertion and mental clarity. 

Non-genetically modified (GMO) seeds and heirloom seed varieties are preferred for long-term survival because they produce fertile seeds that can be saved for subsequent growing seasons.

Think of seeds as a necessary security investment for your future. If you need them for a long-term survival situation, then you have them. Store the seeds for a long term disaster in a safe, dark, dry place.  Many suggest packaging the seeds and placing them in the freezer to prevent them from aging.

Some ask how seeds can provide security and how they can provide immediate aide in food-shortage scenario.

1. Bartering. Seeds could be used as a bartering item, and if they are used for that purpose, then their value increases ten fold. Many people do not consider storing seeds with their long-term food items. Start thinking of your seeds as a form of currency.

2. Inflation. If you have seeds to grow produce, then the plants are continuously producing more seeds for future growing seasons. If you don’t have to buy produce, then you are saving hundreds of dollars a year on your grocery budget.

3. Nutrition. Many farmers dispute the nutritional value that GMO seeds; in fact, farmers would like more research conducted to further gain insight in how GMO seeds affect our nutritional health. Heritage and non-GMO seeds are safer nutritionally for you and your family.

4. Safety. If you plant your seeds, then you know where they came from and what chemicals/fertilizers were used on them. When you buy produce from a merchant, you do not have that security. Even if the produce says that it is organic, it doesn’t mean that it is grown to the same standards that you would dictate for your family’s nutritional safety.  Many are growing more concerned about the potential of an attack on our food source.  Even the Department of Homeland Security is concerned with the possible terrorist threat on food. Tommy Thompson stated, “For the life of me, I cannot understand why the terrorists do not attack our food supply because it is so easy to do.”  This supports the need for every family to put food storage as the highest priority on their family’s disaster plans.

5. Sustainability – Using non-GMO seeds will create plants that will provide seeds for future harvests, thus creating sustainability for those who need the food the most.  Seeds can also be sprouted to eat for added nutrition and vitamin intake.  There is a certain satisfaction to growing your own food.  Food that you can depend on, that you have invested your time in seeing it grow to fruition.  Through this satisfaction and pride, comes the understanding that you are self reliant and can take care of yourself without any involvement from the outside (grocery stores, government hand outs, etc).  The end result from planting a tiny seed is freedom.

Seeds are an invaluable commodity and hold the key to long term sustainability, and survival in some cases.  Investing in these meager seeds can hold the power to sustained health.

Contributing Author: Misty Baker

Just because you live in an apartment, does not mean you have to live without the joys of fresh, homegrown garden vegetables. There are just a few simple steps that can help you achieve your homegrown produce dream.

 The first thing that you need to do is to consider your growing conditions. Ask yourself what is the availability of sunlight? It is a good idea to spend a few days watching the sunlight pattern on your patio, deck, or balcony. The amount of sunlight directly affects which plants you can grow successfully.

 The second step is to assess your space.  If you have a small space, then you will have to grow small plants with smaller root systems. It would not be a good idea to plant corn or other large plants. Most importantly, make the best use of your space!  Use additional space on walls to grow vegetables and fruits.  And hanging planters could also make good use of a small patio.  Strawberries, cherry tomoatoes or dwarf pepper plants would thrive well in a hanging basket.  The following is a listing of plants that grow well in containers:

• Tomatoes (you will have to provide support for their stalks)
• Peppers (you will have to provide support for their stalks)
• Lettuce
• Cabbage
• Mustard greens
• Carrots
• Turnips
• Onions
• Garlic
• Radishes
• Potatoes
• Most herbs

 The final step is to purchase good dirt. I prefer a mix of five different types of compost, e.g., worm compost, cow manure, mushroom compost, vegetable and fruit compost, etc., vermiculite, and peat moss. If it is good enough for Mel Bartholomew, the inventor of square-foot gardening, then it is good enough for me.

 If you would like some more information on small container gardening, then there is an abundance of information on the Internet. I highly recommend the Squarefoot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew.

When spring comes around, so does the annual planning of the summer garden.  No doubt, there were also fantasies of walking through a robust garden clipping off tomatoes for salad, and pulling off bountiful ears of corn for supper.  The gardening process begins with finding the perfect garden location, waiting for the right temperature, and planting the minuscule seeds that will inevitably become a harvest.  But there is more to gardening than just planting a seed and watching it grow.

Watering the Garden

Even moisture is an essential key to maintaining plant growth.  Plants should have on average about 1-2 inches of water per week.  More water should be provided during hot summer months where there is drought like conditions.  Soaker hoses and other methods, such as the use of rain collection barrels can assist in water conservation and at the same time, providing water during the rainless summer months.  Another method of crop irrigation is the use of ollas, or unglazed clay pots buried in the dirt.  These clay pots get water to the roots, as well as alleviating water evaporation.  This type of irrigation is 50-70% more effective than modern day irrigation systems and it also assists in eliminating disease caused by excessive watering.

Mulching the Garden

Mulching around the base of the plants is another essential method in maintaining healthy plants.  Adding 2-3 inches of natural mulch will assist in retaining more moisture in the soil, discourage unwanted weed growth, prevent soil erosion and help eliminate unwanted pests and insects.  Mulching also helps the soil have an even temperature which will assist is healthy growing roots.  Additionally, natural mulches such as grass clippings and straw will provide added nutrients to the soil in the decomposition process.

Feed Your Garden

Native American Indians planted fish at the base of a garden mound as a gift for the plants.  That gift of fish, when decomposed, provided needed nutreints for the plant to grow and bear it’s fruit.  Using natural fertilizers will condition the soil, or growing environment for the plant.  Plants need certain “foods” to grow and become more productive.  Typically, “foods” that plants need to thrive are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.  These elements will promote strong, healthy root systems and healthy fruits.  Natural fertilizers can be purchased at gardening centers, or a person can try and create their homemade version of fertilizer in the form of compost.  Composting is a great way to give back to the garden.  This natural soil amendment is a process that needs to be started before the garden is grown as it takes time for the weather, and nature to break down particles that will become compost.  Depending on the size of a compost heap, compost would be ready for use in the garden after 4-6 months.

Another way of feeding plants is  companion planting.  Companion plants have a symbiotic relationship and equally benefit from being planted near eachother.  Some of the benefits are pest control, higher yield, and added nutrients in the soil.  This fertilizing method, simplifies the gardening process to a minimum.

Pruning Your Garden

Many do not like to take the time to do this essential step, but it truly makes a huge difference in the health of the plant, as well as assist in helping the plant redirect it’s ergy on the growing of fruit.  Taking time to prune dead foliage, branches, non-producing limbs, etc will assist in developing better sized fruit.  Pinching and pruning are two methods of controlling the growth of vegetables.  Plants are very adaptable, and prefer to be pruned or pinched from time to time.

What to Pinch

Pinching is used to remove growth buds, flowers or immature fruit.

• Pinch branch tips throughout the growing season to grow more bushy and full instead of lanky and tall.  Remove only the last set of two leaves, including the stem, each time you pinch a branch.
• Continuously remove any dead or faded foliage.  Keep only the growth that is green and healthy.
• For flowering fruits and vegetables, pinch off 1/3 to 1/2 of the blooms that appear in order for the plant to concentrate on growing larger fruits.

What to Prune

Pruning is used to correct or remove branches or prevent the spread of the plant outside it’s growth area.

• Prune plants when they are growing too large for their allocated area.  Use sharp, clean shears to prevent the spreading of disease.
• Remove entire unwanted or non-blooming branches to keep plants contained.  Keep some foliage to shade the developing fruit and prevent sun scald.
• Continuously remove any dead or faded foliage.  Keep only the growth that is green and healthy.

If practiced, these simple gardening methods will help a person grow healthier plants with higher yields.  Growing fruits and vegetables requires constant practice, and learning from mistakes.  These methods listed above can help a person establish a better understanding of what plants need in order to thrive.  Happy Gardening!

Sprouts are a delicious alternative to expensive bottles of vitamins which can lose their nutritional value as well as expire within a year of it being purchased.  In fact, sprouts provide the highest amount of vitamins, minerals, proteins and enzymes of any of food per unit of calorie.  Enzymes are important because they heal the body, cleanse the body, prevent diseases, enhance general functioning of bodily organs, aid in digestion, and remove gas from the stomach.  

Once a seed has germinated, it begins to sprout.  Within these sprouts contains vitamins A, B, C and E, and K, as well as, Calcium, Potassium, Zinc, Chlorophyll, amino acids, and up to 35% protein.  Inside these small biogenic (living) foods lies essential nutrients and vitamins that can assist in providing a good portion one’s daily requirement of nutrients.  Sprouts can grow anywhere, during any season, and require minimal work. 

These small living plants, are commonly referred to as complete foods because they are packed with high levels of complete proteins, vitamins, minerals, enzymes and extraordinary amounts of protein.  When eaten, the sprouts provide the body with nutrition and gives the body what it needs to stay strong and healthy on a daily basis.  In fact, James Wesley Rawles creator of the Survivor Blog  believes that “ounce for ounce, sprouting seeds are the most nutritious and space and weight efficient form of storage food!” 

Anything Can Be Made Into a Sprout

 The most common types of seeds to sprout include alfalfa, fenugreek, peas, lentils, radish, broccoli, cabbage, mustard seed, garbanzos, quinoa and red clover.  However, many people sprout grains, nuts, and an assortment of beans as well. 

Sprout Safety

Because raw foods have been known to carry traces of salmonella and e. coli, it is suggested to use organic seeds or untreated seeds since these type of seeds have no traces of insecticides and have been handled in a way that minimizes contamination.  Additionally, persons that have compromised immune systems or those that are very young should avoid raw sprouts.  It is best not to use seeds from the nightshade family, such as tomato, eggplant, cayenne, ground cherry, paprika, potato, sweet pepper.  They can cause serious illness.  However, any other type of seed is fine.  They can be cooked or eaten raw, and can easily be incorporated into one’s diet. 

Related Articles and E-Books:

Make Your Own Sprouter

The Ultimate Guide To Sprouting