A History Lesson of the Great Depression in Preparation

Many think the banks will collapse and money will scarce. There might be mass layoffs and other disrupters.

Let’s look back at one of my favorite periods. The Great Depression.
There are so many stories. A lot of us know the bad. Grandparents that were so scarred they would save a two inch piece of string, yada yada.

Let’s talk about the good, the survivors.

People that had a farm and that could grow their own food were ahead of the game.
People that could house others were ahead of the game.
There are documentaries out there with people that actually went through it and they said a big misconception is that the towns didn’t help people, and they said that wasn’t true.

This might sound crude, another thing we have going for us, at least in America is that so many people are sooooo overweight to begin with, a little tightening of the belt won’t hurt us at all. Dr. Now on my 600lb life said this one lady had eaten enough for 4 years in the future. Did you know one guy was so obese he didn’t eat food for an entire year, only vitamins and water and he was JUST fine, think about that. 100% true story. We massively overeat here. I think some scarcity might actually let some people to live longer and without medication.

Back to the depression. One thing I’ve done and I highly suggest is think about things that can function without any cost.. Line drying clothes, a rocket stove, solar lights, lint as fire starters, seeds to harvest and get more seeds. Think about how people lived before technology. All these things will help you. The more of these things you can think about and get now while they are cheap and available the better.
Even in good times, these things will come in handy.

a reply to: JAGStorm

a reply to: JAGStorm

I've been hoarding silver for the last decade.

Hopefully i survive long enough to swap it for the new recognised trade vehicle they implement to replace paper currency.

Going to be a lot of pasta and human livers to munch on before then. Thankfully i also have a good stock of Chianti and fava beans to wash it down.

originally posted by: JAGStorm
Many think the banks will collapse and money will scarce. There might be mass layoffs and other disrupters.

Let’s look back at one of my favorite periods. The Great Depression.
There are so many stories. A lot of us know the bad. Grandparents that were so scarred they would save a two inch piece of string, yada yada.

Let’s talk about the good, the survivors.

People that had a farm and that could grow their own food were ahead of the game.
People that could house others were ahead of the game.
There are documentaries out there with people that actually went through it and they said a big misconception is that the towns didn’t help people, and they said that wasn’t true.

This might sound crude, another thing we have going for us, at least in America is that so many people are sooooo overweight to begin with, a little tightening of the belt won’t hurt us at all. Dr. Now on my 600lb life said this one lady had eaten enough for 4 years in the future. Did you know one guy was so obese he didn’t eat food for an entire year, only vitamins and water and he was JUST fine, think about that. 100% true story. We massively overeat here. I think some scarcity might actually let some people to live longer and without medication.

Back to the depression. One thing I’ve done and I highly suggest is think about things that can function without any cost.. Line drying clothes, a rocket stove, solar lights, lint as fire starters, seeds to harvest and get more seeds. Think about how people lived before technology. All these things will help you. The more of these things you can think about and get now while they are cheap and available the better.
Even in good times, these things will come in handy.

Only difference between then and now is you won't be allowed to buy that $20 loaf of bread unless you have a certain credit score

a reply to: ancientlight

There was a booming traders market during the GD. I’m 100% sure something similar would happen.
My cast iron pan for three slabs of bacon, etc…

I garden and grow hops, I have smoked meats, made beer, wine and moonshine, grown and processed tobacco, tapped maple trees, I've had chickens and will be soon again, been hunting, fishing, and can field dress most animals. Canning, I've never done that yet and I want to try some trapping. I've other skills of a more modern kind as well and a library of useful do-it-yourself type books.

a reply to: MichiganSwampBuck

You need a lodger?

I can pay you in silver and human livers.

I like how you've prioritised alcohol and tobacco.

originally posted by: Grenade
a reply to: MichiganSwampBuck

You need a lodger?

I can pay you in silver and human livers.

I like how you've prioritised alcohol and tobacco.

Thanks, I think I have my priorities in order.

I've been dabbling with using my own maple syrup, extracts of menthol from mints I grow along with anise and fennel to help with my tobacco processing. I preferred the last batch to what I was buying. I must admit though, I've quit tobacco since November, but I was really close to perfecting my methods and will still be growing regardless.

a reply to: MichiganSwampBuck

Sounds like a plan, i like it.

a reply to: ancientlight

Buy bread? You bake bread.

And you can buy flour. But you can also make your own “flour” as in not from wheat.

a reply to: Ahabstar

White oak acorn flour. I want to experiment with chicory root for coffee, haven't tried that yet.

It certainly is time to replenish the pantry.
Even just the basics will go a long way with some quick planning.

If you have room get seeds and a few chickens, a pig will eat your
kitchen scraps. Never hurts to have water filtration and some garden
tools just in case.

a reply to: burntheships

Don't forget weapons, no point in being well stocked if you can't defend them, you can be sure those who haven't prepared are coming for your supplies.

a reply to: Grenade

Hence my “garden tools” advice 😂

a reply to: Ahabstar

I have a nifty hand turn grinder for grains-
builds muscle, An outdoor camp stove is
also a good investment. Cast iron oven...

a reply to: MichiganSwampBuck

Chicory root and dandelion root and yes even white oak acorns can roasted and ground into a coffee substitute. Substitute being the operative word. It doesn’t taste like coffee. It has zero caffeine. It doesn’t even taste like old bad coffee.

It does taste better than plain warm water. Warm because you have to boil it to kill the bad things.

Edit to add: Leaching out the tannins from acorns is very important. White or Red acorns. Also fresh is only available in the fall.

a reply to: Ahabstar

I’d prefer potato flour!

originally posted by: JAGStorm
a reply to: ancientlight

There was a booming traders market during the GD. I’m 100% sure something similar would happen.
My cast iron pan for three slabs of bacon, etc…

We have about twenty pounds of bacon in stock for the upcoming depression. Enough to feed our blind cat for about twenty weeks...the little pig loves bacon.

I talked to people over the years about the Great depression, people who lived through it. The local farmers did ok, and they supplied food for lots of people around this area...especially a lot of eggs. They did not charge much for their foods and for decades afterwards, the people remembered their kindness during the hard times. Their kids became the centers of the communities, they became public officials, bank presidents, store owners, etc... because people repaid them for helping them during hard times when work and money became available. The farmers who owed lots to banks failed and lost their farms....I suspect the same will happen again.

A major economic event does not have to be the end, unless society is corrupt and people are out for themselves. I grew up on a farm during the summer and we supplied lots of food for the community we lived in, mostly potatoes and root veggies and strawberries but also lots of carrots and green beans and rutabagas and less quantities of other veggies that grew in the Copper Country. But respect for the small farmer had already waned during the sixties, people were led to believe the pesticide loaded veggies at the store were better....that was when DDT was the miracle of science in the early sixties.

We were workers, not like some who would just sit around after work. My mother had a job in the evenings cleaning business, my dad worked at a flooring mill full time...and we still grew enough veggies to feed thirty families for a year. We sold green beans by the peck, people would blanch and freeze them or bottle them. One of our prep obsessions is having lots of bottles to preserve things plus enough salt in stock to salt a lot of meats in case the power goes out for a long time everywhere. We do need a new canning pot though, the one we got had an accident with the cage to hold the bottles. We should invest in a new one....but the problem is, other than freezer stuff, I have never canned veggies or meats that do not need refrigeration. I had plenty of people to learn from, but most of them are now dead and they can't teach me anymore.

I hate that the vinegar comes in plastic jugs nowadays, we stock only about two or three gallons of it because of that. When they get old, we use it for cleaning some stuff...works well for that.

originally posted by: JAGStorm
a reply to: Ahabstar

I’d prefer potato flour!

100,000,000 times easier to grow, gather and process. And potato bread is very good. Also you can gather your own yeast easily so it isn’t a flat bread.

a reply to: rickymouse

You can get glass gallon jugs & transfer your vinegar to them. Or buy the quarts in glass that have the mother in them. Quarts aren’t as cost effective though. Make your own in the fall from apples.

Canning was a little scary at first. Not so much water bath. The pressure canning was, until I got more used to it. It’s just like anything else, it takes practice. Then as you go, you build confidence & get more comfortable doing it. It’s a great feeling seeing your shelves full of home canned food! Plus you control what goes into it. Even make ready to eat meals.
I even tried water glassing eggs last fall! Priceless!

WOQ