I see an economic diasater coming...

[the_big_m_in_ok]

author=d3adp00l said:

Does anyone think the the economy will get better, and our debts less?

I took the liberty of creating a poll to reflect the thought above.  Then I voted against the economy improving.  History is replete with examples if boom-and-bust cycles of human, cultural and business activity.

NOTE:
The polls and title bars of posts cannot be spell-checked.  I *should* proof read them more diligently.

--Lee

[ATT]

Does anyone think the the economy will get better, and our debts less?

Well, *THE* economy will do some smoke-and-mirrors jumps and dives, fits and starts and eventually go down for the count.

While our 'personal' economies could be stable, not reliant on global economics and not dependent on FOREX dollar/euro values...If we put ourselves (individually) in a sustainable position.

So some economies will be OK and others won't do so well.

Tony
.

[the_big_m_in_ok]

ATT said:

Well, *THE* economy will do some smoke-and-mirrors jumps and dives, fits and starts and eventually go down for the count.

I had thought of adding the poll option:  "No, it'll decline slowly as it's been doing" but I didn't know ahead of time someone might think of it.

Oh, well, too late to change it now, I think.

--Lee

[ATT]

I had thought of adding the poll option:  "No, it'll decline slowly...

I think you got it right, Lee. I said 'fits and starts', I didn't necessarily mean that to be slow.
(but I currently think we're looking at 3-5 yrs, subject to revision...)

Tony

[exxcomm0n]

Hi Gents,

I think you're correct on quite a few points. Being outside of larger metropolitan areas is ALWAYS a good thing in my opinion, mostly since most of the modern day conveniences now seen as necessities are still not available out in the country and so the people act accordingly.

They plan when they shop because the convenient store is just as many miles away as the regular one.

They know how to fix most (if not all) machinery they rely on as a service call  run into some serious money. They also try to fix older machinery as it was built without the aim of planned obsolescence.

Recycling happens @ home, and is not "destroy and remake", but reuse (and not always in the way of the products original use).

You know your neighbors!

On the point d3 makes about heirloom vs. GMO I'd like to throw out the suggestion that, if possible, try to frequent farmers markets in your area. These farmers (but NOT all of them) are interested in growing sustainable crops where the product that doesn't sell this year can be used for seeds next year.
Make sure to talk to them and find out farming practices as some things at a farmers market are the same things you get in stores, but with a marked up price.
(BTW, Monsanto is one of the very few businesses I would like to see completely eradicated from the face of the earth!)

They know the "tricks" for raising hormone and antibiotic free livestock, and livestock will be VERY important for food (meat, CHEESE, milk, eggs), clothing (wool, leather, feather down), and working stock (horses/oxen). Veterinary knowledge and animal husbandry will be important as well.

Here's a strange one........mushrooms.
Ones like portebellas, shitakes, maitakes, oyster, puffballs, etc. are pretty easy to raise, need little area and care to grow, and have very high protein content

EDIT:
As much as it might be against the law were you are, HEMP will be an important product to raise. The pressed seed stock is what "gruel" was made from when the oil was pressed out of it and very nutrient/protein rich. It also makes good clothes and paper (in fact, worn out clothes were used for making paper back in the day).

EDIT 2: Re: triffids post. They do now sell large bags of tobacco for RYO (roll your own) that may store/freeze better than cigarette packs and tobacco seed might be a good crop to grow a small patch of for barter.

EDIT 3: Some good products to stockpile might be cocoa and coffee. tins of cocoa and cans of coffee should last quite a few years. A great re-use for 5 gallon plastic buckets is storing large quantities of dry goods. It works especially well if the buckets are filled with a heavy non-reactive gas like CO2 or nitrogen, filled with the dry good, and then sealed. When storing anything, oxygen and water are your biggest concerns.