Scenario: Food supply problems

[bacpacker]

Here is the scenario for all you scenario lovers. Give this one a shot and see what we come up with.

In various parts of the country we have different problems going on. From drought causing severe shortages and very poor quality in the west of all the seasonal fruits and veggies that is shipped all around the country. To all the bad storms in the north and Midwest with ice and snow for months on end taking the animal herds and grain crops to all time low’s. Add in multiple freezes in Florida wiping out their input of fruits and veggies. The add in lots of rain, plus higher than normal snow and ice in the southeast delaying planting of seasonal crops.

What are your plans for short term (1-3 months), medium term (3-6 months), and long term (6-24 months)?

What is your expected availability locally of fruits, veggies, and meats?

How do you expect prices to react of the times given?

[Possom]

Luckily my wife and I have enough food storage to survive out of our pantry for about a year. We will be butchering 3 goats in September. About to take a feeder calf to slaughter in a week or so. Will be planting a garden soon.

Feed costs is where it will hit me in the wallet. Let's hope for another good hay season here in Arkansas or we are in trouble.

[ak474u]

Supplement available food from stores with storage food until garden is up and running this spring. Add additional production capabilities with vertical gardening (working on this for several plant types now). Start hunting again for supplemental meat (Haven't done it in several years due to my son being born, and time constraints). Split a calf with a cattle raiser we know. Build a rabbit hutch and grab a bunch of Flemish giants (can be partially fed with garden scraps) Assuming there isn't unrest, and a grid issue, we've got lots of frozen food, probably 3-4 weeks of meals if we just ate off of that, and 2 months worth if supplementing garden/hunting/available food supply etc. process and can surplus garden production to replace used up items.

I've got a .28 acre lot, most of which is back yard, so I can till up most of that if needed. I can also hang planters on the fence. I've got 400 + linear feet of fence that would support "gutter gardens" as well. We're trying to figure out different greens that produce fast and often for our diet, so having fast producing food would be nice.

[helomech]

We have 3 freezers full of meat, and chickens, ducks, geese, rabbits, and wild game so no worries there. We would be sucking on fruits and vegetables, but they are not a big stable of our diet. I would miss having bread though.

[bacpacker]

For this scenario we will say there is no roving gangs or raiders at this point.

[ditchmedic]

We would be screwed. Our food supply isnt where it should be, but its growing.

[Alas Babylon]

Short term live of the food preps: the freezers first, then into the can good.
Your scenario included freezes in Fl, I'm thinking that probably put a hit on my fall / winter garden.
Some plants like mustard greens and peas might survive, but most plants I have in the ground now (carrots, lettuce, broccoli) would not. I have a “gutter planter” that can be moved into the porch to keep warm. It’s currently full of lettuce, spinach, and strawberries. So we could at least have salad to supplement the stored food.
Right after the freeze pick all the citrus, juice, and freeze. The freeze should not hurt the other trees –apples, peaches, nectarine, plums, grapes, olives, so hopefully they will produce in the spring.
Then get back out and plant again, living off the can foods until its ready. High rains would flood my main garden, so I would have to start in a new area on top of a grassy rise between the olive trees. I have a planter garden around the porch that should never flood. If it does, every road in central Florida would have to be under 3 feet of water.
Hopefully the chickens will keep producing.

[bacpacker]

Alas Im betting at least your carrots would continue growing. I planted some ba k in the fall and last time I pulled one to check it was long and skinny but very much alive. I need to pull another tonigt to see how they have done the last 2-3 weeks with temps into the single digits.

[ak474u]

Alas Im betting at least your carrots would continue growing. I planted some ba k in the fall and last time I pulled one to check it was long and skinny but very much alive. I need to pull another tonigt to see how they have done the last 2-3 weeks with temps into the single digits.

Mine made it thru the winter, they look really sad, very skinny like yours. If they'll survive icemageddon like we had in December, where they sat under a glacier on our hill for a week in a raised planter, they should make it just about anywhere.

[Onestep]

AB, carrots, bok Choy, collard, cauliflower, broccoli, lettuce, spinach and onions will survive frost and then some down here.
I'm with you though, freezer first, then canned, then long term if needed. Gardens will be fine as you can always grow something down here regardless of the weather.
Throw in some fish and other game (while it's still available) and you buy more time. Don't have chickens yet but would plan on them and rabbits (getting them might be a problem though).