If the economy gets much worse...

[Adoration]

I'm seriously thinking of buying chickens and a goat!

Really, We've planted a garden with a multitude of veggies, have some fruit trees, but still are looking at escalating prices.

Are we all going to have to go back to farming during this period?
I'm considering buying in bulk, but I know that sometimes that doesn't save you money. You have to price it out per ounce, or per package, etc.

What about Co-0p farming, when all the folks say in your church, grow different items, and then bring the harvest to church, and everyone trades?

What are you doing to bring down prices for yourselves?

[christianmom]

We buy in bulk but even that is really making our grocery shopping tough and we are blessed more than enough but it is still a little scary.

I've planted some veggies in containers and wish that we lived in a cooler climate to plant potatoes as well. Since we live in the burbs we can't have any livestock whatsoever. I really want to move out to the country.

[HSmomto4]

We buy in bulk, can, grow tons of our own food, shop sale items like BOGO's and we are getting chickens.

[lisaann]

We live on a farm and have a dwindling flock of elderly chickens. :heh The kids have made pets of them so we can't get rid of them. :rolleyes I would get some more but someone in the current flock likes to eat their eggs so we need to wait until they die off. :tsk

I got 3 female goats last year and was told they would be of breeding age this Sept. Oct. My dd want's to show one in 4-H so we might end up breeding at least one of them. That would give us milk as opposed to having to go to the store or the main farm (to rob the milk tank :whistle)

We usually try to butcher two steer's a year which we split between our family, my bil's family and my dh's parents. My bil's kids show pig's in 4-H so we usually have enough pork to go around as well. In the next year or so my ds will probably start with the pig's as well. :thumb

My fil usually plant's enough sweetcorn for us as well. We have friends who crop farm and share things like potatoes, string-beans and peas with us. The barter system is alive and well between farmers. :lol2

Personally I have a black thumb so I haven't done much other than tomatoes each year. However this year I am going to plant some other veggies as well like zuchinni, lettuce, radishes, cucumbers. Normally I use 3/4ths of my tomatoes to make and can spaghetti sauce.

My birthday is next month so I am thinking of asking for a pressure canner/cooker. Normally I cook in large batches so I would love to can the extras that I have to use later. We have some mormon friends who, of course, stock up on food big time. He told me that I should be canning my potatoes as well since then they will last for years as opposed to months. If you do this you can take advantage of the bulk potatoes in the warehouse stores. :thumb

For the last several years each time I grocery shop I buy twice as much grains and pastas as I need. This way we use half then save the other half for harder times. With my husband in an unpredictable occupation this has come in very handy over the years. :nod

One thing I've really tried to do this year is not waste anything. I'm embarassed to admit that we weren't so good at this up until now. For instance any kitchen scraps go to feed the animals (goats, chickens, rabbit). This helps cut down on the feed bills. We have a wood burning furnace so all of our burnable trash goes in it to heat the house. I would like to start canning all of our extras like soups to use at a later time. I've been trying very hard to stay at home as much as possible and make any trips really count by saving all errands for one trip. Easier said than done! :hehee

[Adoration]

Wow! Y'all are doing great! Really self-sufficient.
Lisaann, can we move in with you? (j/k)
We have a 1/4 acre...really tiny compared to any acreage, but I figure that the least we could do is have chickens. I don't know if the neighbors would have a fit..but until they start paying the food bill, maybe they can't complain! :heh

I'm impressed with what you all are doing for your families!

[HSmomto4]

1/4 acre will also grow you LOTS of food. Most things you can grow in containers, up trellises, in hanging flowerpots and even garbage cans. We only have 1/2 acre ourselves and we grow tons of our own stuff.

[Adoration]

1/4 acre will also grow you LOTS of food. Most things you can grow in containers, up trellises, in hanging flowerpots and even garbage cans. We only have 1/2 acre ourselves and we grow tons of our own stuff.

Thanks HSMom, and yes I agree that our space is a lot more than what some others have, and I am grateful. I also know that we can get lots of food out of this space.

Our garden is cool: it is raised, so that I can put snail poison around the outside edge,and the food remains organic.

We are growing onions, spinach, corn (non-gmo), 3 kinds of bellpeppers, lettuce, broccoli, carrots, 3 kinds of tomatoes, cillantro, garlic, strawberries,zuchinni, and I'd like to put in potatoes.
We also have a small raspberry vine, a peach, orange and plum tree...oh, and a seedless red grape vine. So, we're off to a great start.

The only thing i'm thinking ahead to is milk,protein and grains other than corn.
That is , if this recession deepens into a depression.

[lisaann]

Thanks HSMom, and yes I agree that our space is a lot more than what some others have, and I am grateful. I also know that we can get lots of food out of this space.

Our garden is cool: it is raised, so that I can put snail poison around the outside edge,and the food remains organic.

We are growing onions, spinach, corn (non-gmo), 3 kinds of bellpeppers, lettuce, broccoli, carrots, 3 kinds of tomatoes, cillantro, garlic, strawberries,zuchinni, and I'd like to put in potatoes.
We also have a small raspberry vine, a peach, orange and plum tree...oh, and a seedless red grape vine. So, we're off to a great start.The only thing i'm thinking ahead to is milk,protein and grains other than corn.
That is , if this recession deepens into a depression.

I'll tell ya what............you come here and get my garden going for me and I will trade you eggs and milk. :thumb

[Adoration]

I'll tell ya what............you come here and get my garden going for me and I will trade you eggs and milk. :thumb

Deal, girlfriend!:lol2

[HSmomto4]

We buy powered milk to cook with or to make flavored milk with and then buy our grains from Walton feed. I have on hand hard read wheat and soft white wheat. I also buy oatmeal, white sugar and brown sugar in large quantities from them as well. I can still get rice at a good price here right now, but if they start limiting it, I may have to go to Walton for that as well.