I Go Gloom and Doom...

I said in my previous post that I would explain my absence since October of last year. For a few months I didn't post to this blog at all and I tweeted very little. The reason is very simple - I needed a break.

The constant drumbeat of bad news got to me: economic crisis, joblessness, budget deficients, national debts, riots, protests, loss of freedoms, terrorism, war and rumors of war. Our nation and the world seems poised on a cliff, teetering and on the brink of tumbling over and collapsing. Worse still, the elites (the ruling class, our leaders or whatever you want to call them) are offering no real solutions, instead pushing themselves and their interests over the interests of everyone else. Petty politics and self-interests rule the day. And still worse, many of us regular folks are oblivious to the problems and the dangers we face, kept distracted, often on purpose, by mass media, political correctness and a misguided, failed educational system, not to mention our own everyday problems.

I'm Back....

After a long hiatus (I haven't made a post to this website since last October), I am ready to start posting new material. In the coming days, I'll explain why I've been away and what I've been doing. And, of course, I'll be presenting lots of new information and analysis to help folks survive the challenges that are ahead.

Right now, I want to take a moment to point out a few recent changes to this website. The biggest change is that it is now ad-free and no longer a part of any affiliate programs. You will no longer see any Google Ads on this site. Also, I am no longer affiliated with either Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble. If you buy anything from those sellers linked to from this site, I do not receive any commissions. Links to those sites are for your convenience only.


I make no money from this website, though it does cost me money to maintain it. If you like this website and wish to show your appreciation, please consider buying me an item or two off of my Amazon.com Public Wish List or Just For Fun Wish List. It would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

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How To Make a Forest Garden, part three

This is the third part of a three part essay on how to get started in forest gardening (read part one and part two). For those unfamiliar with the concept, I would suggest reading my Introduction to Forest Gardening.

Check out these organizations and websites for more information on forest gardening, including ideas for what trees, shrubs and other plants may be suitable for your forest garden.

Agroforestry Research Trust - The world's leading temperate forest garden research institution. Excellent publications, including Agroforestry News.

American Bamboo Society - Amateur and professional bamboo enthusiasts.

American Chestnut Foundation - The American Chestnut Foundation is working to restore the American chestnut tree to its native range within the woodlands of the eastern United States.

How To Make a Forest Garden, part two

This is the second part of a three part essay on how to get started in forest gardening (read part one by clicking here). For those unfamiliar with the concept, I would suggest reading my Introduction to Forest Gardening.

The Shrub Layer

In part one, we examined the canopy and understory layers of a forest garden. The next layer to consider is the shrub layer. Most shrubs can tolerate shade, and can do well planted beneath larger trees of the canopy and understory layers. Here are some ideas for plants in the shrub layer:

How To Make a Forest Garden, part one

Forest gardening is a type of permaculture in which trees and other plants are grown for food, fuel, fiber, medicine and other resources in a method that mimics a forest ecosystem. The advantages of forest gardening include extreme productivity, relatively low maintenance requirements, and the fact that it does not require inputs of artificial fertilizers, pesticides or other chemicals. Forest gardening can be done by anyone with even a small plot of land. See my Introduction to Forest Gardening article for more on the general concept.

How To Make a Forest Garden, part one

Once started, a forest garden can be relatively low-maintenance, but it does take some planning to get there. Your approach to the design of your particular forest garden will be affected by the current state of the land you are using:

Eight Points of MVM

Following up my introduction to the Modern Victory Movement (MVM), here is a more detailed examination of the eight main points of MVM:

#1 Store food, water & other supplies as a hedge against economic chaos.

There are plenty of reasons to fear that hyperinflation, economic chaos and even political turmoil could hit the USA at any moment. In fact, there is a long list of financial insiders, experts and pundits predicting just that - John Williams of www.shadowstats.com, commodities expert Jim Rogers, financial guru Peter Schiff, hedge fund manager Barton Biggs, business journalist Eric Bolling, and media personality Glenn Beck among many others.

Lessons Learned

Just a quick post passing along some lessons I learned this weekend.

I had a three-day weekend that I dedicated to several big projects around my home. I cleared out a section of my backyard that was wooded and overgrown, sawed up several large branches and a fallen tree for firewood, and preprepared a new area for more lasagna gardening next year.

All this involved a lot of hard physical labor, making several fires to burn debris, and using (and repairing) a number of tools such as a chainsaw, hacksaw and an axe. In other words, for a few days I experienced a taste of what life might be like post-collapse. And I learned some important lessons.