Food Security For The Faint Of Heart

There are books you merely read. There are books you read, recommend to others and pass along. Then there are those books yu read, lay aside, jump to your feet, throw your hands in the air, and holler, "Yes!!" Food Security for the Faint of Heart is one of the latter. Robin Wheeler has managed to extract logic from hysteria, package it with a strong environmental perspective, an abundance of practical suggestions and enough good humour to make this a must-have for every soul interested in surviving whatever natural disaster comes along. Wheeler wastes no time in addressing the central theme of her book: Anything can happen so you better be prepared--and here's how. In her impressive list of "Good Things to Have in an Emergency", she catalogues essential items, including lesser touted items such as cooking oil and salt. If Wheeler has done anything by writing this book, she's pulled thr proverbial rug from under our feet when it ocmes to excuses for not eating well through any disaster. Reviewed by Linda Wegner, Country LIfe in BC Where would you find your groceries if your supermarket’s shelves were suddenly empty? The threat of earthquakes, trucker strikes, power outages, or a global market collapse makes us vulnerable like never before. With spiraling fuel prices and unstable world economies, individuals and communities are demanding more control over their food supply. Food Security for the Faint of Heart is designed to gently ease readers into a more empowered place so that shocks to our food supply can be handled confidently. As well as acquiring new skills and ideas, there are other compelling reasons to get better prepared. The local economy gains support and encouragement to expand, in turn boosting food’s taste and nutritional value, along with the health of people and ecosystems. Community support helps low-income families eat higher quality food, and the preparation provides a psychological edge in an emergency. Chapters are devoted to useful, transferable skills, including: Preserving garden food Saving freezer food during a power outage Managing through an earthquake Preparing quick herbal medicinals Foraging for wild food A humorous treatment of a sometimes threatening topic, this book will appeal to both long-time food security advocates and newcomers to the topic who are wary of it all and would prefer to avoid it. Robin Wheeler teaches traditional skills, sustenance gardening, and medicinals at Edible Landscapes (www.ediblelandscapes.ca), a nursery and teaching garden in Roberts Creek, British Columbia. She is also the author of Gardening for the Faint of Heart (New Catalyst Books).

“Be warned! Independence Days will change the way you eat. It is not just a guide for storing food but a manual for living in a changing world.” —Kathy Harrison, author of Prepping 101 Hard times aren’t just coming, they are here already. The recent economic collapse has seen millions of North Americans move from the middle class to being poor, and from poor to hungry. At the same time, the idea of eating locally is shifting from being a fringe activity for those who can afford it to an essential element of getting by. But aside from the locavores and slow foodies, who really knows how to eat outside of the supermarket and out of season? And who knows how to eat a diet based on easily stored and home preserved foods? Independence Days tackles both the nuts and bolts of food preservation, as well as the host of broader issues tied to the creation of local diets. It includes: · How to buy in bulk and store food on the cheap · Techniques, from canning to dehydrating · Tools—what you need and what you don’t In addition, it focuses on how to live on a pantry diet year-round, how to preserve food on a community scale, and how to reduce reliance on industrial agriculture by creating vibrant local economies. Better food, plentiful food, at a lower cost and with less energy expended: Independence Days is for all who want to build a sustainable food system and keep eating—even in hard times. “[Astyk] builds a sturdy path to a full larder, a safe family, and a more secure community.” —Robin Wheeler, author of Food Security for the Faint of Heart

Once we could fill our grocery carts with cheap and plentiful food, but not anymore. Cheap food has gone the way of cheap oil. Climate change is already reducing crop yields worldwide. The cost of flying in food from far away and shipping it across the country in refrigerated trucks is rapidly becoming unviable. Cars and cows increasingly devour grain harvests, sending prices skyrocketing. More Americans than ever before require food stamps and food pantries just to get by, and a worldwide food crisis is unfolding, overseas and in our kitchens. We can keep hunger from stalking our families, but doing so will require a fundamental shift in our approach to field and table. A Nation of Farmers examines the limits and dangers of the globalized food system and how returning to basics is our best hope. The book includes in-depth guidelines for: Creating resilient local food systems Growing, cooking and eating sustainably and naturally Becoming part of the solution to the food crisis. The book argues that we need to make self-provisioning, once the most ordinary of human activities, central to our lives. The results will be better food, better health, better security and freedom from corporations that don't have our interests at heart. Critical reading for anyone who eats and cares about high-quality food and food sources.

The next severe storm, power outage, or financial meltdown could hit at any time. Having a household contingency plan and being part of a strong, resilient community could mean the difference between life and death. This friendly and highly accessible guide introduces the most important, practical steps your whole family can take in advance to ensure survival, safety, and comfort in short- or long-term emergencies. The critical information is presented in 40 achievable tasks, ranging from creating a preparedness notebook and repackaging store-bought food for storage to more involved preparations, such as learning to collect rainwater and building a solar oven. This publication conforms to the EPUB Accessibility specification at WCAG 2.0 Level AA.

While no one looks forward to what comes after Doomsday, author K. Scott Bradbury prompts readers to consider what will happen and how to mentally and physically prepare. In his debut work of nonfiction, The Post-Apocalyptic Primer, he examines what life might look like after the end of the world and it's not as abysmal as some might fear. In ten chapters including: Assessing Your Existing Survival Skills, Civilization After the Fall of Civilization, and Eat, Drink, and Be Wary, Bradbury offers commonsense strategies that exponentially boost one's chances of a bright future. Among other Apocalyptic scenarios, he describes what one might expect after a seismic catastrophe, an ice age event, nuclear war, and alien invasion as well as the stages of disorder, which he breaks down into Instant, Coming Soon, and Slow-Burn events. Where someone lives makes a big difference, but besides new threats, there are also new careers, new hobbies, and a whole new adventure, the only trick is to be ready for it.

This humorous yet practical gardening guide will help you get "down to earth." Packed with whimsical illustrations and overflowing with useful suggestions, Gardening for the Faint of Heart is ideal for the novice gardener. Learn about everything from planning a garden and getting started to pruning, managing pests, seeding and breeding, greenhouse and container gardening and more. A perfect rainy day read, this book never loses sight of the fact that above all, gardening should be fun!

Not for the Faint of Heart was written from a heart of compassion with a spirit of brokenness by one who has not lost the will to fight. Within each of us, there is a fighter looking for deliverance from the monotonous, the mundane, and, most of all, from hurt and pain. It is a search for a life worth living, one that involves making a difference and finding fulfillment. The path to this life is easily found, but the Way will demand you to follow with your whole heart, never turning back. If you choose this path, your life can become a journey as each new day dawns filled with great and magnificent promises. Your courage and commitment will be challenged as you learn the mystery of a hidden strength from deep within from a reserve you never really knew. Your heart will be filled with love, joy, peace, and the assurance of hope for every tomorrow. Come, taste and see if this is what your heart has been searching for.