2012 Survival Guide: Learning to Farm, Forage, Hunt and Fish

Even setting aside the dire prophecies for 2012, today's global food shortage remains a threat to everyone on Earth. A new era of climate instability is thought partly responsible for all the severe weather, mega-wildfires, flooding and droughts plaguing the planet in recent years.

Moreover, people living in cities will be hardest hit in the event of a long-term failure of the power grid. The 2009 study by the National Academy of Sciences singled out this potential mega-disaster as most likely to occur in the near future. And larger-than-average solar storms have been predicted for the next peak in the sunspot cycle in 2012 or 2013.

And the interdependency of that grid means a problem in one part of the country could trigger cascading failures nationwide (and into Canada). Without working stoplights or the ability to pump gas from underground tankers, food deliveries to grocery stores will halt very quickly. Even a medical pandemic could produce food shortages, since the a flight of manpower from the cities is predicted under that scenario. With no one to deliver the goods and run the power plants, entire cities may collapse.

Thus, urban dwellers are more vulnerable to starvation than their country cousins. Farmers and ranchers have the capacity to grow, process and store, forage and hunt for their own food if and when there's a breakdown. They're also have all the necessary equipment and tools needed to survive in primitive conditions.

That's why learning some of the skills and techniques described below can help you become more self-reliant in a time of emergency. In addition to developing your expertise, you may want to acquire a few tools light enough to carry in a backpack out to the countryside in the event of an evacuation.

Foraging

It may be time-consuming, but foraging for leafy greens, nuts, berries, herbs and edible flowers is how most creatures pass their days on Earth. Even if you're just lost in the woods, your time would be better spent chewing on dandelion greens and sipping spruce tea than pacing around, wondering when the helicopter is going to arrive.

The key to successful foraging is simple. Learn first what's edible and identify it, then hone your technique out in the open terrain for spotting it. In a pinch, you can chew something in your mouth without swallowing it to see if it's palpable. It it is, then eat a little of it and wait 24 hours (or more) for your system to react. However, the safest method is just to learn a few things about plants and their uses.

Most community colleges offer a plant identification course through their horticulture departments. You can also check with your local arboretum, community garden or chapter of the Native Plant Society for information and classes. Ask about docent-led field trips and nature walks. Then you can get hands-on training with a professional at your side. Depending on where you live now or may evacuate to in the future, you should also consult a field guide for those specific locations, altitudes and climates.

In order to identify plants, the experts often start by identifying the plant family. You can do this by taking note of different characteristics of each specimen. Here are some the questions they ask:

Is the plant growing alone or as part of a group?
Is the plant hairy, smooth, shiny, or spotted?
Does it have thorns?
If there are flowers, seeds or berries on it, what are their shapes and colors?
Do the leaves have smooth or serrated edges?
Does the plant stand straight, arch over, or creep along the ground?
Is the plant woody or herbaceous?
What does it smell like?
What kind of area, habitat, and climate is it in?

Understanding the basic nomenclature of the trade obviously comes in handy when doing this. If you can't tell the difference between a stalk, stamen, pistil, bract or spike, then you might want to pick up a book on basic botany at the local library and begin at the beginning.

And even if a plant is technically OK to eat, keep in mind that any new food you eat can give you diarrhea. Always eat small quantitites initially when out in the wild.

By the way, nearly 80 percent of all mushrooms are poisonous. Within 48 hours of consumption, chemicals released by these toxic varieties will cause a shutdown of the kidneys and soon after that, death. Since their nutritional value is negligible, you're better off going hungry.

Gardening and Farming

In a long-term emergency, human survival may require two green thumbs as well as a fully functioning brain. Plants are not difficult to propagate; they require sun, water, fertilizer and a stable mixture of different sized particles - like dirt, peat, gravel or even shredded coconut - which give the roots a dark place to anchor in. The roots also need minerals to absorb, and these are found in organic ingredients like dirt and peat moss.

If you got the right soil and warm enough weather, in time your seeds or seedlings should sprout leaves, flowers and fruit, even if you're gardening on your roof! Remember to stockpile seeds for the next growing cycle, storing them in a dark, cool, dry place. And don't forget to plant herbs and medicinal plants to compliment your food crops.

Where to plant

If you ultimately evacuate to the wilderness and have to settle in for the long haul, choosing a spot to garden or farm may amount to a life-and-death decision. If the crops fail in one spot, it may be too late in the season to try again at another location.

Of course, if you don't find a flat, open field, you can always terrace a slope for a workable irrigation scheme, or cut down trees to let in more sunlight. In fact, access to a reliable water source year round will probably be the first priority in selecting a site. Your choice of garden ground must also be:

fertile (Look around to see that other vegetation in the area is thriving)
free of both toxic chemicals and organic contaminants (such as the oil of eucalyptus leaves)
resistant to a possible bug infestation
not littered with buried rocks or granite protrusions
not bone-dry hard-pan that's too back-breaking to plow

Soil Preparation

Master gardeners are known to fret a lot about the pH level of their soil. Depending on your location, this can be a non-concern or a showstopper. Generally speaking, in temperate climates (i.e. under 2000 feet above sea level and about halfway between the Equator and axis poles), most food crops and herbs need a semi-acidic pH level between 4.0 and 6.5. A pH level above 7 is considered too alkaline, so you might have to add an acidic substance (e.g. coffee grounds) to get the figure down before you start planting. On the other hand, if you dump a lot of coffee into an already suitable pH level, you run the risk of making your soil too acidic.

Unfortunately, calculating the pH requires a chemistry kit, something you're not likely to be toting around in the aftermath of a mega-disaster.

If you're thinking about an evacuation spot that's either high in altitude, deep in the continental interior, close to the Equator or two poles, you'll have additional challenges. Regions high above sea level have shorter growing seasons and get a lot more frost in the spring and fall. Interior regions, meanwhile tend to be extremely arid if a nearby mountain chain blocks the moist air from a seacoast. (In the United States, areas just east of the Sierras and Rockies feature high chaparral and experience a lot of bad weather.) On the other hand, latitudes nearer the equator have tropical climates, more rain, lush growth and much higher acidic pH levels. This is where coffee, cocoa beans and bananas grow - not grapes, potatoes, carrots and apples.

See the world climate link to the right for more on this subject.

Propagating (Starting) Plants

There are four easy-to-learn methods for starting brand new plants in your garden, and all of them are likely be necessary for growing food and herbs on your own. I culled this information out of Growing 101 Herbs That Heal.

Seeds - Seeds are produced by live plants at a certain time in their growth cycles. Collect them directly from the plants, off the ground or from the excrement of seed eating animals. Ripe seeds are generally plump, dry and colored something other than green. Separate the seeds from any shells or chaff using a screen or by hand if they're big enough to handle. Store them in labeled paper envelopes without any added moisture; otherwise, they will grow mold. They should remain viable for up to several years in cold, dry places like a freezer or, if the seeds come from tropical plants, at room temperature out of the light. Before planting seeds, you'll have to replicate their natural process leading up to germination -- whether it's soaking them in water, alternating freezing and thawing (i.e. stratification), scraping or slightly cutting open the skin (scarification) etc. Plant seeds at twice the depth of their diameter in the moist, tightly packed soil of a seed flats, containers, or directing in the garden. Keep the soil constantly moist so tender roots don't dry up. Don't use any fertilizer, either, until they reach the seedling stage, with a well established root base.

Cuttings - Not all plants can be grown from cuttings but many can. Utilize this method when the donor plant is in optimum health. Snip off 2 to 3 inches of new growth on a plant. Don't take more than half the new growth available, though, or you might damage the mothership. Remove the leaves at the bottom of the cutting's stem so you'll have an inch or two of empty nodes to stick under the soil. That's where the new roots will emerge. Dip this bottom part of the stem in a rooting hormone (if you have any), or you can make your own rooting enhancer by mixing ground kelp (seaweed) in a little water. Plant the new root into a hole you've prepared in a container or the ground, then gently push in the soil around the root so that everything's snug. Prune the remaining leaves a little, since your baby roots won't be able to service all that real estate.

Layering - Some plant species cast out runners and offshoots, parts of which often take root in the ground on their own. You can learn which ones they are by observation, then replicate the process by snipping off lengths and pinning them into prepared soil yourself. Use forked twigs or unwound paper clips (that you re-bend) as anchors.

Root Division - Here you simply dig a root ball out of the soil, then use a sharp knife to separate the whole plant into two or more divisions containing roots and crown. Replant the sections immediately and prune as needed. Try to avoid undertaking this task at high noon or on really hot days, since roots are extremely delicate whenever they're removed from the soil.

Gardening Essentials

1. Know your growing times and requirements for sunlight:

Most vegetables take 2 to 4 months from the day their seeds sprout to the day they bear fruit, but some take longer. Keep in mind that the sun's trajectory across the sky will change as the months go by. For instance, a completely shaded spot on April Fool's Day may be getting nine hours of daily sunlight by the time the summer solstice arrives on June 21st. (That assumes you live in the northern hemisphere. Below the equator, the seasons play out in reverse.)

One way to stay on top of each plant's particulars is to photocopy the A-Z vegetable section of the American Horticulture Society's Plant Propagation book, or another guide. Knowing the best time of year for planting different vegetables, how much sun they require, the pH level and the altitude they'll grow in is critical information when your survival depends on a good harvest.

2. Get a jump on the season using flats and containers.

Flats are boxes made of wood or plastic that hold enough soil for you to sprout four or five rows of seeds in a safe place out of the cold. The dimensions of the flat are typically 12 to 18 inches long, 10 to 15 inches wide, and 3 to 4 inches deep. Several slats on the bottom of the box should have an eighth inch opening between them to allow water to easily drain. Fill the box with a silty soil - about 8 to 25 percent dirt and the rest lighter material that keeps the soil loose. Don't add any fertilizer to flats or containers used to propagate seeds.

Water the soil, cover the box and keep it sheltered and warm (e.g. off the cold ground) while the seeds germinate. Remember to re-water the soil daily so it stays moist. Once the seeds sprout, uncover the box. After the second set of leaves form, transplant the seedlings into the ground or small containers. Whenever transplanting, always protect the roots from direct sunlight and heat since they're extremely sensitive to both. Have your holes in the ground or containers ready to go before you start, then water the new soil immediately.

3. Prepare your garden ground carefully.

When preparing your garden for plant growth, dig and aerate the soil so the roots of your plants will have room to spread and dive downward. The depth you dig depends on the size of what you're planting, but the general rule is to excavate a shovel's length down (at minimum), and at least two shovel lengths for root vegetables like potatoes and carrots.

Learning to mulch dry leaves and mix the material in to loosen up a hard clay soil is a critical skill. Some plants prefer "loamy" soils. Some grow well near the ocean, where the soil is full of sand and drains quickly. Cacti and succulents like a less aerated, drier ground.

To quickly familiarize yourself with the growing preferences of different plants, visit a garden store or college nursery and examine the soil in the different varieties of potted plants. As mentioned early, getting the right pH is also important, so ask questions or read up on this subject so you'll have an idea of what "amendments" you may need to add to the ground or plant containers.

4. Build a compost heap to use for fertilizer

Whether it's cow dung, food scraps, rotting leaves or coffee grounds, a compost heap is essential when there's no general store around to sell you fertilizer. Remember, the different ingredients affect you throw in can affect the pH of the soil, so bone up on their properties in advance.

Because compost heaps attract insects and can sprout seeds voluntarily, they should be placed away from the garden, ideally getting a combination of sun and shade. Mix in dry and wet materials evenly and chop your food scraps into tiny pieces before adding them to the heap. Ideally, red worms will crawl up into the compost and expedite the process of decomposition. Ants, on the other hand, should be kept out of the heap. However, don't spray it with insecticide, as this will contaminate your soil.

Once some of the material in the heap breaks down into a granular mulch that's dark, uniform-looking and odorless, you can scoop it from the heap and spread it around the garden before the next watering. This will supplement or even replace fertilizer as food for your growing plants.

If you're in a hurry to fertilize your garden, fish emulsion will do the trick. This material is composed simply of ground fish and fish excrement.

5. Always plant more seeds and seedlings than you need

A lot can and will go wrong in the course of a growing cycle. Bug infestations, plant disease, marauding birds and rodents, unseasonal weather and drainage problems may cost you half or more of your harvest, so factor in high losses when you plan your garden or farm.

From Gardening to Farming

Once you've mastered the propagation of so-called garden-variety vegetables, you can move onto growing fruit and nut trees, grains like wheat, oats, hay and barley in large tracts. These will require an irrigation scheme, as well as pest management and ways to cover plants whenever an overnight frost is expected.

If global warming persists, it may also be worth delving into the particulars of growing cacti and succulents, which offer plenty of nutrition alternatives, as well as essential healing agents like aloe vera.

If you have the time, read a chapter or two on traditional farming tools and irrigation techniques, as well as the terraced planting method and other soil conservation tricks developed in the United States after the Dust Bowl. Besides growing from seeds, many plants can be grown from cuttings and by other means, so be sure to review as many propagation techniques as possible.

Before the invention of modern meteorology, farmers in the United States and Europe purchased a copy of the Old Farmer's Almanac or Poor Richard's Almanac (written by Benjamin Franklin) every autumn in order to plan for their growing season the following year. These invaluable guides predicted the year's weather based sunspot observations and astronomical projections. See almanac.com for the latest issue of the Old Farmer's Almanac, still published out of Dublin, Ireland.

Books on the subject of country skills and self-reliance are also contain tips and easy-to-follow instructions on how to build and run a small-scale farm.

Hunting

Try taking firearms out of the picture of bagging game, and hunting suddenly becomes a pre-historic occupation. Interestingly, archery continues to be taught at public colleges, affording you an opportunity to learn this Stone Age method for bagging game. In addition to developing good aim, you should track down some instructions for throwing together a makeshift bow and arrow using materials available in nature.

Creating arrowheads from obsidian or other volcanic rock is an ancient art known as flintknapping, discussed on the native skills page of this website.

Before the bow and arrow were developed, primitive hunters used spears and throwing sticks. Paleolithic tribes hurled the "atlatl", a two-foot length of wood with a hook at one end that holds a spear or dart with the help of some animal sinew wrapped around it. Another instrument called a rabbit stick is shaped like a boomerang, although not meant to reverse course when thrown. By knocking a small animal in the head with the stick, the hunter can slow its retreat or wound it severely enough for easy capture.

Most survival guides, however, favor traps and snares over sticks, spears and arrows. Instead of tracking down a single prey on foot, a hunter can set several snares using rope or paracord, then check back for results later. (When breaking camp, it's equally important to decommission any set snares, sparing a prospective prey from of a slow, agonizing death while immobilized inside the restraint.) See wilderness survival for more tips, book suggestions and online resources for hunting game.

Fishing

In primitive times (and still in many places around the globe), a fishing device consisted of little more than a hook made from bone or thorns, attached to a line fashioned out of plant fiber or animal sinew. Needless to say, the line has to be strong enough to hold the weight of the biggest fish in the water. For bait, you can use berries, worms, grasshoppers, or other insects. If nothing tasty is available, try some other type of lure, such as a piece of bright cloth or a button.

You can also bag a fish with a spear, grab one under a rock with your hands, or make a net by interweaving plant foliage around a simple round frame, lashed together with vines or some paracord.

You can divert fish away from a river current into a small pool near you on shore by damming the stream with rocks or logs. Likewise, you can take advantage of an ocean tide by building a dam while the tide is in, thus preventing fish from getting back out to sea when the tide retreats.

Since fishermen often decide not to keep a particular catch rather than all the fish lured by their efforts, it's a good policy to release fish you don't want quickly. Either back the hook out of them while keeping them dipped in the water, cut the line, or remove the dam you've built.

According to fishresource.com, you can sometimes revive an unconscious fish by moving it very gently back and forth in the water, enabling oxygen to pass through its gills. Such humane practices are essential to the sustainability of a water resource for fishing. It's also not a bad idea to stay on good terms with the Cosmos by respecting all life forms. Only take from the Earth what you need to survive.