Xpost from Economy: Catastrophic Fall in 2009 Global Food Production

[GliderGuider]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=114&topic_id=57092&mesg_id=57092

Here's a line from the referenced article: The world is heading for a drop in agricultural production of 20 to 40 percent, depending on the severity and length of the current global droughts.

Thanks to bhikkhu for the original post.

[kestrel91316]

1. It's time, people. Start planning your spring gardens NOW.

It might be wise to focus on calorie crops such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, and corn (to dry for meal rather than sweet corn for eating fresh). Learn how to preserve what you grow.

If you have even a scrap of land, it could make the difference between life and death, if not for you then for some person who gets to eat what you would have eaten if you hadn't grown some yourself.

Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew and
Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carla Emery..........two references for home food production that everyone should have.

[woodwrite]

2. Take it a step further

Support the Victory Garden Petition Drive at www.eattheview.org

[GoesTo11]

3. How much do you have to worry about soil safety

I've never really gardened. I live in an old house that had lead paint in a city that had bad air pollution back in the day. If I grow food here just planting in the soil will I have to worry about lead (or who knows what else) in the food, or is that long gone?

[susanna]

4. I live in an industrial area as well, same issues as you.

I grow using the Square Foot Gardening method noted above. You create raised beds filled with a compost mixture so the existing soil problems are minimized. IOW, I didn't plant in the ground itself. The other notable plus to Square Foot Gardening is that you can plant pretty intensively and raise a lot of vegetables on a small piece of land. Which describes where I live pretty well. Been at it ten years and grow a nice chunk of my produce in the summer that way. :hi:

[kestrel91316]

5. If I were in your shoes I would either avoid growing food within 6-8 ft of the

house or look into removing the top layer of soil (6"?? 1 ft???) and bringing in nice new clean soil. Also, I have read that a high organic matter content of the soil (lots of compost) ties up heavy metals quite nicely. I am not an expert - best do your homework on this one to be safe. YMMV.

[phantom power]

6. Well, at least the world economy is going str--

never mind.

:banghead: