preppers

Living in a Northern climate means we sometimes take a rest winter in our greenhouse. We are very limited in what we can grow through winter though usually we keep it full of yummy things that are sustainable in our environment.

This past winter it was empty. Now we broadfork, recreate the rows ( we grow cover crop in the rows all season then let it winter kill, compost and repeat until we have a couple of inches of new soil created then broadfork it and shovel it up into the rows giving new nutrients to our soils, thus growing healthy vibrant plants), and planting starts. It gets earlier here every spring. When we started in this location it was too cold to grow anything other than roots and greens only through summer without some kind of cover. Now we grow many of those things through winterbin the hightunnel.

The greenhouse is 20'x50' and now has permanent herbs, artichokes and fig trees that stay year round along with rotational planting of crops. We water with drip irrigation that is plumbed from the house and have power available if necessary. When summer comes it grows mostly tender plants like tomatoes, cucumbers and melons. In colder seasons it's broccoli, greens and peas.

Outdoors we have about 1/4 acre devoted to vegetable production, fruits and berries as well as laying hens and meat chickens. We hunt, fish and trap and live in a place that is all possible. We barter with neighbors who live our lifestyle and stock our pantry ourselves not from the store.

Our form of prepping is providing our own for our family of five and our immediate relatives that live close. Having the skills means we can do it anywhere we go we just need to adapt to different environments. We have moved around quite a lot and learned these skills in several different places.