The Tangrens

Yesterday in church we were informed that there is a big push in the stake to have a three months supply by the end of the year. To facilitate that effort they were encouraging all families to plant a garden this summer and to can their harvest. Our ward has a lot of apartments dwellers in it who don't have access to land in which to plant a garden. Problem. Solution? They were sending around lists in priesthood and Relief society to see who would be willing to offer some of their land to us high risers. Derek and I were each given two leads on land yesterday! I'm so excited that I will have a garden this year. An honest to goodness garden!! One that's not going to fry on the sweltering hot concrete in the south facing sun. One that won't be contained to inches but to feet! I laid awake last night dreaming of all the vegetables I was going to include in my garden. What varieties of tomato, how many zucchinis, cucumbers, broccoli, peppers, beans, squash, ooo maybe even carrots I will have in my garden. I need to nail down where it will be so I can get my peas, and lettuce in. Time's a wastin' and I might even be too late for some of it. They are also going to be starting a crop share program for those who aren't able to do a garden be it physically or otherwise. I'm just so excited about it all!

We were talking about what might have fueled this push. Not that we haven't been counseled in the church since the early 40's to have a garden and to store your harvest. And we've been counseled to have a years supply since before that! Have we followed that council? Some perhaps, probably even most but certainly not all. But as we looked at the world today we started to see why there may be a push particularly right now.

As you may or may not know we are experiencing a wheat shortage. The cost of wheat has doubled in the last few months if not weeks. The United States of America has imported wheat for the first time in our history. Why? Because so many farmers planted corn this last year instead of wheat, which I guess was probably for the production of ethanol. But that doesn't seem to be helping the price of diesel because that's up to over 4 dollars a gallon. Someone was saying that the truckers have been threatening strike which if they did strike the store shelves would be emptied in a matter of hours. Then afterwards food costs would go up significantly as well. As would everything else. So I'm duly motivated to get my food storage underway and a garden growing. Want to join me?

I was all set to go dump a ton of money on food today but Derek, always the voice of reason, said simply to just get 5-10 dollars more food every week to put aside. They say to get three months of food that you normally eat every day and the rest of the year supply of food that will keep you alive ( ie wheat, dry beans, rice, flour, water, etc.) They even suggest storing seeds and vitamins. Good idea. Seeds will last for hundreds of years if you store them right.

Let's get planting!!!!

Doesn't he look like he's ready to help me garden? That's the cut he got on his head from falling down in the grass on the stick.