EU PROPOSES NOW CONTROLLING…SEEDS?!

The European Commission proposed legislation that would restrict plantings for professionals to a specific list of approved seeds.

Backlash over the proposed regulation from growing groups resulted in some concessions but they worry the law is still bad.

The commission believes the package simplifies current legislation in the interest of protecting public health and the economy, but growing groups say it is an infringement that could lead to more expenses and less biodiversity.

The European Commission is proposing legislation that would have the government regulate what can be planted to its “tested, approved and accepted” list of seeds. Some worry the legislation, in addition to being over-regulation by the government, would lead to less biodiversity and that it could set a precedent that could someday criminalize the average gardener planting so-called banned seeds.

According to the European Commission, the Plant Reproductive Material Law seeks to update existing legislation by cutting down 70 pieces of law to five and reducing “the red-tape on processes and procedures for farmers, breeders and food business operators (producers, processors and distributors) to make it easier for them to carry out their profession,” the press release stated.

Th commission believes its package modernizes and simplifies rules “guiding the operation of the food chain” in the best interest of protecting health.

“The package responds to the call for better simplification of legislation and smarter regulation thus reducing administrative burden for operators and simplifying the regulatory environment. Special consideration is given to the impact of this legislation on SMEs and micro enterprises which are exempted from the most costly and burdensome elements in the legislation,” the press release stated.

As TechDirt pointed out, the intent to ensure plants grown in the EU are safe and that if any problems occur they can be traced back to the offending source is commendable, but growing organizations have expressed concerns that the legislation would ultimately add up to “forbidden seeds.”

The Soil Association in its press release regarding the proposed legislation stated it would have a “disastrous effect” on the availability of rare plant varieties and those used by farmers.

“This will not only affect farmers and growers in the short term by outlawing exchange of seed not currently commercially available, but in the long term will erode the diversity of species that even the large seed companies, who are driving the proposal, need to provide their future varieties,” the Soil Association stated.

Ben Raskin, head of horticulture for the association, explained that access to diverse varieties is important for adaptation to local environments and changing climate conditions.

“The proposed regulation will require every seed to be registered and an annual license to be paid for each variety,” Raskin said in a statement. “Under this law it won’t be possible to register old and new niche varieties and populations (e.g. conservation and amateur varieties, landraces and farmers’ selections) based only on an officially recognized description (ORD), without official registration and certification, as is currently practiced. If this regulation is passed, not only will we lose a huge number of plant varieties , we will lose the amazing diversity of appearance, taste, and potential benefits such as disease resistance and nutritional content.”

Raskin worried that while some have assured the proposed legislation would only apply to farmers that the text suggests every gardener could be subject to it as well.

An online petition organized through AVAAZ.org stated that the list of approved seeds is “60% dominated by big corporations like Monsanto, AstraZeneca, Bayer and others” (emphasis added):

The pros list are basically only hybrids – which means that you can not take next year’s seed from his crop. Furthermore, it not only be forbidden to sell other seeds than those already mentioned, but also to grow. “File sharing” in the area of seeds will become a criminal act. This means that people be even less able to influence what you eat, when you can not even decide what to grow. It also means that the varieties that are historically interesting will disappear, even varieties that can withstand our climate, because the market is too small for the majors to be interesting. This means that poor people who live off what they grow is referred to in the seedtrades discretion in terms of pricing, which can be costly where there are few players.

As of Wednesday morning nearly 43,000 people had signed the petition saying they don’t accept the proposed legislation and want the EU to let them “keep our seeds.”

Due to concerns being voiced, the proposed regulation was amended somewhat, but the Food Policy for Thought blog states that the EU is still ”trying to find a balance on where producer protection stops and regulatory oversight is necessary.”

As for whether the amendments adequately accounted for concerns, Food Policy for Thought wrote that when it comes to those “demanded by civil society” — that regulation not require registration of plants without intellectual property rights associated with them — it didn’t go quite that far.

Still, the amended draft “already looks much better than what was discussed previously.”

The Real Seed Catalog in the UK too wrote that the law is “still bad,” it is “much less bad” at this point. Real Seed Catalog broke down some of the concessions made:

Home gardeners are now permitted to save and swap unapproved seed without breaking the law. Individuals & small organizations can grow and supply/sell unapproved vegetable seed - as long as they have less than 10 employees.

Seedbanks can grow unapproved seed without breaking the law.

There could be easier (in an unspecified way) rules for large producers of seeds suitable for organic agriculture etc, in some (unspecified) future legislation – maybe.

Ultimately, Real Seed Catalog director Ben Gabel said there wasn’t a need for any new regulation on this front.

“We already had very strong consumer-protection laws that cover all this – seeds must be fit for the purpose sold, match their description, and perform as advertised. The old seed laws already covered health, traceability and safety. Anyone who produces seed is already inspected and certified by the Secretary of State,” he said in a statement.

“This is an instance of bureaucracy out of control. All this new law does is create a whole new raft of EU civil servants being paid to move mountains of papers round all day, while interfering with the right of people to grow what they want, and charging fees for the use of plants that were domesticated and bred by the public over thousands of years of small-scale agriculture,” Gamble said.

The commission’s proposal will now be considered by other EU institutions and could be implemented by 2016 if adopted.

Lay Up in Store - Keith B. McMullin - April 2007 General Conference

It is given unto many to know the mysteries...Alma 12:9-11

It is given unto many to know the mysteries of God; nevertheless they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart only according to the portion of his word which he doth grant unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him.

And therefore, he that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word; and he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full.

And they that will harden their hearts, to them is given the lesser portion of the word until they know nothing concerning his mysteries:

Alma 12:9-11

Is Insurance Part of Your Preparedness Plan?

Many articles and plans for preparedness talk about fire starting, water, shelter, and food storage.  Those are very good topics that should be learned as part of our survival skills, but what about insurance?  When spending the money that we all do in being prepared doesn't it seem wise to invest in protecting it?

With the economy the way it is right now, the thought of the added expense of more insurance plans makes me cringe.  However, imagining what life for my children and I would be like if we lost my husband is even harder to imagine.  His check pays the mortgage, the car payment, utilities, all of our health/medical insurance and not to mention clothes, food, and basic day-to-day needs.  If something were to happen to him, *life as we know it* would end.  This thought sets us on a journey into the world of financial preparedness.

Wikipedia describes a financial plan as;

In general usage, a financial plan is a series of steps or goals used by an individual or business, the progressive and cumulative attainment of which are designed to accomplish a financial goal or set of circumstances, e.g. elimination of debt, retirement preparedness, etc. This often includes a budget which organizes an individual's finances and sometimes includes a series of steps or specific goals for spending and saving future income. This plan allocates future income to various types of expenses, such as rent or utilities, and also reserves some income for short-term and long-term savings. A financial plan is sometimes referred to as an investment plan, but in personal finance a financial plan can focus on other specific areas such as risk management, estates, college, or retirement.

A successful financial plan and monthly budget will allow you to see where costs can be trimmed to set aside money for the type of insurance you need to protect your family.

Different types of insurance your family can consider are;

• Life Insurance: Life insurance is a contract between an insured (insurance policy holder) and an insurer, where the insurer promises to pay a designated beneficiary a sum of money (the "benefits") upon the death of the insured person.  Depending on the contract, other events such as terminal illness or critical illness may also trigger payment.  The policy holder typically pays a premium, either regularly or as a lump sum.  Other expenses (such as funeral expenses) are also sometimes included in the benefits.
  The advantage for the policy owner is "peace of mind", in knowing that the death of the insured person will not result in financial hardship for loved ones and lenders.  It is possible for life insurance policy payouts to be made in order to help supplement retirement benefits; however, it should be carefully considered throughout the design and funding of the policy itself. ~ Source
• Health Insurance:  A recent Harvard study noted that statistically, "your family is just one serious illness away from bankruptcy."  They also concluded that, "62% of all personal bankruptcies in the U.S. in 2007 were caused by health problems and 78% of those filers had medical insurance at the start of their illness."
  Those numbers alone should urge you to obtain health insurance, or increase your current coverage.  The key to finding adequate coverage is shopping around.  While the best option and the least expensive is participating in your employer's insurance program, many smaller businesses do not offer this benefit.
  Finding affordable health insurance is difficult, particularly without an employer-sponsored programor if you have a pre-existing condition. According to the Kaiser/HRET survey, the average premium cost to the employee in an employer sponsored health care program was around $4,100.  With rising co-payments, yearly deductibles and dropped coverage's, health insurance has become a luxury less and less can afford, yet even a minimal policy is better than having no coverage.  The cost for a day in the hospital can range from $985 to $2,696.  Even if you have minimal coverage, it can provide some monetary benefit for your hospital stay. ~ Source

• Auto Insurance:  There were over 10-million traffic accidents in the U.S. in 2009 and 33,808 people died in motor vehicle crashes in those accidents, according to data released by the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).  The number one cause of death for American's between the ages of 5 and 34 were auto accidents.  Over 2.3 million drivers and passengers received treatment in emergency rooms in 2009, and the costs of those accidents including deaths and disabling injuries was around $70 billion.
  While all states do not require drivers to have auto insurance, most do have requirements regarding financial responsibility in the event of an accident.  Many states do periodic random checks of drivers for proof of insurance.  If you do not have coverage, the fines can vary by state and can range from the suspension of your license, to points on your driving record, to fines from $500 to $1,000.
  If you drive without auto insurance and have an accident, the fines will probably be the least of your financial burden.  Your car, like your home is a valuable asset you use every day.  If your car is damaged in an accident and you have no auto insurance, you will have no way to replace that vehicle unless you have a large savings account, and you don't really want to tap into that savings when auto insurance could cover the cost.
  If you, a passenger or the other driver is injured in the accident, your auto insurance will pay those expenses, and help guard you against any litigation that might result from the accident. Auto insurance also protects your vehicle against theft, vandalism or a natural disaster such as a tornado or other weather related incidents.
  Again, as with all insurances, your individual circumstances will determine the price of your auto insurance.  The best advice is to seek out several rate quotes, read the coverage provided carefully and check periodically to see if you qualify for lower rates based on age, driving record or the area where you live. ~ Source

• Long-Term Disability Coverage:  This is the one insurance most us think we will never need, as none of us assumes we will become disabled.  Yet, statistics from the Social Security Administrationshow that three in 10 workers entering the workforce will become disabled, and will be unable to work before they reach the age of retirement. Of the population, 12% are currently disabled in some form, and nearly 50% of those workers are in their working years. ~ Source

• Renters Insurance:  An insurance policy which provides most of the benefits of homeowners insurance, with one notable exception.  Renters Insurance does not include coverage for the dwelling, or structure, with the exception of small alterations a tenant may make to the structure.  This way the tenant has liability insurance and the tenant's personal property is covered against named perils such as fire, theft, and vandalism.  The owner of the building is responsible for insuring it, but bears no responsibility to the tenant's belongings. ~ Source

These are a few of the more common insurance types that you can research and consider investing in.  Always check with your employer first and see what types of insurance they offer.  Only you can decide what type and how much insurance is right for you and your family  While insurance can be costly and require sacrifice of some of life's daily pleasures, the bottom line is that without it, you (or your family) could be financially ruined if you have a bad car accident, become disabled, lose your job or have a house fire.  You could also leave your family in a world of hurt if you do not take responsibility now and purchase life insurance.

There are many different options out there to pick from and many plans that are affordable.  Why not make sure you and your family are covered financially in the event of a disaster?  It is definitely something that we, as preppers, should consider a top priority in our plans.

Fools Mock

“Fools mock, but they shall mourn; and my grace is sufficient for the meek... for if [men] humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.” 

– The Lord Jesus Christ to Moroni 

Sewing, Mending and Altering Your Clothing After the Ball Drops

My husband, children and I live in a largely off-grid community in the desert southwest.  We live on forty acres with solar power, a water well and water catchment.  We garden and live with chickens and are adding skills to our new life style all of the time.  My husband does not like for me to be too specific, but I outlined some of our lifestyle changes in an article on trash in July 2012.

This article is about clothing.  It is about sewing and mending and altering.  I know you’d rather read about AR-15’s, but IMHO, clothing is going to be a big deal in a TEOTWAWKI situation.  Before radically changing our lifestyle two years ago, I was the typical American mother.  I bought new clothing when the old became too small or too worn.  I bought when the seasons changed, and worse, I bought when the fashions changed.  Another thing I steadfastly did was to donate clothing by the tub and box full.  I worked very hard at keeping our closets clean and clutter free.  This is something that every home management book, blog, and article tell American moms to do.

Whether you shop in charitable thrift stores or big box discount stores or big name fashion stores, the quality available to most Americans is pathetic.  But, while we still have shopping opportunities, look for quality clothing, for yourself and every member of your family.  Buy it whether you need it or not.  And once you own it, where ever you got it, you need to hang on to the quality stuff and learn to repair it.  I advocate charitable giving, but I also advocate the discontinuation of consumerist disposal of the old to make way for the new because of fashion dictates and other materialistic mindsets.

Have you taken an inventory of your closet lately?  Is it 90% professional clothing?  Do you have suits and ties for weekdays?  Is it chinos and button down Oxfords for the weekends?  Or do you have heavy duty work-type seasonal clothing that is suitable for your climate?  Do you have enough to layer in a cold climate with no household heating?  Can you protect yourself from the sun in the heat of the summer?  What about work boots?  Do you have a pair or two mixed in with your dress loafers?  Women, how many of you have heavy denim jeans?  I say this because women’s jeans are usually thin stretch denim and it is flimsy.  I know because I repair it!  Ladies, those high heels and flirty flip-flops that we all love are not going to serve you well in most TEOTWAWKI situations.  Neither are the flimsy tank tops that are so popular in summer.  Most of us do not wear them in the desert.  What is in your closet?  If you can’t imagine what you’d need, there are books, like Mr. Rawles’, that have fictionalized accounts of what a TEOTWAWKI scenario would be like.  Look around for people who work outdoors or farm; go into GEBO’s or whatever your farm supply store is.

I’d like to add one last thing before I begin my main topic.  I have no idea what I’m preparing for.  We, those of us who have a certain mindset about future possibilities, don’t know what the future holds.  We all have an opinion.  We think it may go this way or that way, but really, we don’t know.  Our job is to prepare, as best we can, for many different scenarios.  There are plenty of scenarios where we will all be blessed to just get out alive, never mind our extended wardrobe. There are others, like a long slow economic decline, where we simply have to roll up our shirtsleeves and do more with less.  There are plenty of TEOTWAWKI scenarios in the middle of those two.  If you are preparing, though, you need to prepare to have no new and maybe no new-to-you clothing options in the foreseeable future.

New clothing construction.  This usually begins with a pattern.  There are a few points to think about with patterns.  First, what kind do you want?  Well, IMHO, you want basic patterns for clothing that suits your area.  Pants, shirts, coats, jackets, hats, gloves, vests, the list could go on and on.  You can find a sewing pattern for just about everything, so if you’ve got an interest, look through the books and pick out patterns for additional items like luggage, organizers, tea cozies, etc., whatever suits your interests.  Just make sure you cover the basics first.  Also, if you are young, starting a family, think you may continue to add to your family, you need to consider the different stages of that child’s growth when looking at patterns.  Second, if I were you, after searching out the patterns that I like and want, then I would wait for a pattern sale.  Patterns can cost $10 to $15 these days, but most stores put patterns on sale regularly.  These sales used to be across the board, come in and get it sales.  These days, they have restrictions here and there.  Just educate yourself.  They all eventually go on sale.  Also, you can find many free patterns on the internet.  Granted, most of these are craft patterns, but you can find basic patterns too.

Quick side note.  While tissue paper patterns have been around for a long time, they haven’t always been available. So what was the process before tissue patterns?  You can use newspaper, butcher paper, freezer paper (smaller items), muslin, or light colored sheets to make a pattern.  It is always easier to have a deconstructed item of clothing for this, but simpler garments can be traced without deconstructing.  You lay the garment pieces out on the fabric you are using and you trace around it.  You need to make sure that you leave enough for a seam allowance, usually 5/8 inch.  A basic understanding of clothing construction is helpful here.  Let me admit right here that the only time I’ve done this was in college.  Several of us in the dorm made matching sleep pants.  Two hours and lots of giggling later, we were done.  We used shoe strings for the waist, so I’m pretty sure that experience doesn’t qualify as “making my own pattern”.  So, I haven’t done this before.  If it interests you, research it.  However, one of my roommates could draw a basic dress on the fabric, cut it out and sew it up.  Many people can do this and they don’t all live in large cities.  Maybe you can find someone with this skill who is like minded enough to join your group.  Wouldn’t that be a great asset?

Back to store bought patterns. 

Patterns come in a range of sizes.  For example, women’s pants can include sizes 8, 10, 12, and 14.  You simply cut the pattern along the line that corresponds to your measurements.  And you need to have accurate measurements.  Sewing patterns do not always correspond to store sizes.  This is mostly a problem with women’s clothing, not men’s.  And, IMHO, you should buy a range of sizes from the smallest through at least extra-large in a range of patterns.  Example: my youngest son was tiny until the age of 14.  He is now the size of The Hulk.  Many women are different sizes from top to bottom.  A range of sizes is good. If you don’t want to have that many patterns, then just get the most basic clothing patterns in the widest variety of sizes.  For the more specialized patterns, you can be more size specific.  You might be able to barter with extra patterns, though, you never know.  Patterns are meant to be cut.  I don’t cut mine.  

I trace them onto paper.  Besides having an aversion to cutting that pristine pattern, I don’t cut mine because I can be different sizes at different times.  I gain, I lose, I add pockets.  If you cut the pattern, it is cut.  I don’t cut mine.

If you are going to sew new clothing, then fabric is the next step.  Useful fabric is probably another article all together.  I came from a small city of just over 200,000 and if you want to make a prom dress, no problem.  Most fabric stores sell craft fabric, home decoration fabric, and fabric for special occasion clothing.  Professional suiting (for women), fabric for Sunday dresses can be had, but the everyday hard wearing fabric is harder to find.  You can find home dec denim or denim for dressy skirts, but not hard wearing, “play outside” denim.  Since I haven’t lived in a really large city, I can’t speak to what is available there, but I don’t think it could be too different.  If I’m wrong and you live in a large city and can find good thick denim, canvas, thick flannels, strong thick cottons, then stock up and learn to sew.  Let’s not forget all of the other necessary sewing notions, either.  Thread, buttons, zippers, slacks closures, hooks and eyes, the list could be long, but it doesn’t have to be.  Stock the basics.  Now, here is the kicker, after four paragraphs, I say to you that, right now, new clothing construction is not cost effective.  I think in some scenarios, it could be…again, but right now, it isn’t.  There are just too many lower cost and more efficient ways to find clothing, such as thrift shopping.  I still stand behind what I just wrote, though.

So what were the previous paragraphs for?  You’ve got store bought patterns and sewing notions, now what?  Well, I haven’t sent you down the rabbit hole; I simply do not know what role clothing manufacturers or cloth manufactures will have in certain end times scenarios.  So you take those patterns and you read them.  This is how you learn about basic clothing construction and then, in turn, you learn about alterations and repair.  I find these two topics to be more useful for my continued efforts in prepping.  If what is ahead is a severe, deep depression similar to the 30’s, then it could be that fabric is affordable and store bought is not.  Sewing in any form will be a fundamental and much needed skill.

As I’ve stated before, I live in a small community.  I often work in a small quilting shop.  The owner will take in repairs and small, easy alterations.  We repair a lot of clothing here.  We sew up pockets, we hem new jeans, and we repair rips, tears, and wears.  For many in our community, they have no concern whatsoever about how a repaired item “looks”.  We can repair holes with a patch and the heavy and liberal use of the zigzag stitch.  If a pocket is ripped, most don’t mind if we put on a different colored pocket.  In my family of men, there are so many tiny holes in underwear and socks that can be easily repaired with a darning stitch or a zigzag stitch on the machine.  My daughter’s things have to be handled more carefully, but all in all, she’s not that picky.  My point is, when you find a rip, or a tear, fix it right then.  Don’t wait for it to get worse.  Sew it together with a strong stitch and be as neat as you can with it.  Don’t throw it away if the main part of the garment is still useful.  If you cannot wear it in public, then wear it at home or store it.  If the repair is major, get out a pattern and cut a new sleeve, or a new collar.  Use the patterns to fashion new pockets or cuffs.  I don’t know about you, but I cannot just wing something like that on the fly.  I need a pattern.

Patterns will be very useful when altering clothing.  In any end-time scenario where people actually survive, you can pretty much count on losing weight.  Regardless of how much food you’ve stored, your supply is limited. You’ll ration your food.  Pair that with the absence of processed foods and you’ve probably got a significant loss of excess pounds.  What you also have is a closet full of clothing sized for your pre-TEOTWAWKI self.  Now, you can prep for weight loss and buy clothing in smaller sizes and store it.  You could go ahead and lose the weight now and that way you’d only have minor changes to make.  Still, your clothing is going to need alteration at some point.

I’ve thought about this portion of this article for a while now.  There is no way that I can write, describe, or illustrate all of the ways to alter clothing in this article.  So, what follows is a simple start to a much larger learned skill.

The very best way to alter clothing because of weight loss is to deconstruct the item, cut them down and reconstruct them.  This is where those sewing patterns come in handy. Not many people will to want to do that. I wouldn’t do it unless the item of clothing needed to be severely cut down.
So, if we are not going to deconstruct the item, then what?  Starting at the top, most shirts can be altered by simply taking in the side seams.  If the shirt has sleeves, then you probably will need to take in the seam of the sleeve as well. The seam is usually on the underside of the sleeve.  You can use pattern pieces to keep the shape of your garment.  Pattern pieces also will have the seam allowance already marked.  If you are a complete novice, break out the patterns.  Or, if you have some basic knowledge of sewing, then put the shirt on inside out and have a friend or family member pin (straight pins) the seams to the contour of your body.  You don’t want to do this too tightly.  Most clothing seams have a 5/8” seam allowance, meaning you sew your seam 5/8” from the edge.  You’ll need to consider that allowance as you pin.  If you need to take in the sleeves, pin the sleeve as well.  Take the time to mark it.  Any writing instrument will do, it doesn’t have to be a sewing marker.  These two seams will meet at the sleeve hole and will have taken up the necessary excess fabric in the sleeve hole.  Sew it up with a straight stitch.  I would suggest you try the garment on before you cut away the excess fabric.  If it isn’t right, that is okay. A straight stitch is easy to rip out.  Rip the seam and make any corrections needed.  Once you are satisfied, then I suggest you use a narrow zigzag stitch just inside the straight stitch to make the whole seam stronger.  Then you cut away the excess fabric.  It probably took me longer to type and edit this paragraph than the process actually takes, so don’t be intimidated.

To make a small shirt larger, say for children who are growing, you could cut the side seams and add fabric to each side to the seam. Sew it up with a narrow zigzag stitch or a straight stitch.  Add fabric to the bottom of the shirt; add more fabric to the underside of the sleeve and you have a larger shirt that can see some more wear.  You can probably get at least another season of wear out of a shirt by using this technique.  Actually, since adding fabric at the seams is a style statement at the moment, you can find examples of this on the internet if you look.

Sleeves deserve a little extra attention.  Shortening sleeves? Not a problem. Most people can easily cut sleeves off and hem either what is left of the sleeve or hem the sleeve hole.  Pretty obvious and pretty easy.  Can you lengthen sleeves?  Well, if you don’t mind fabric that doesn’t match, then sure, you can lengthen sleeves.  You can add extra material at the shoulder seam or at the wrist.  Here is another time you can use the patterns that you’ve stored.  You can make a whole new sleeve by using the sleeve from a shirt pattern similar to what you are altering. If it needs to be lengthened, most patterns have a line where you can cut the pattern to lengthen it or fold it to shorten it.  Cut it out and sew it up.  Or, at the shoulder, use the upper part of the sleeve to make a pattern for the sleeve hole.  I’d use an inch or so in addition to your seam allowance of complimentary fabric and not even try to match the fabric of the sleeve.  Use a straight seam to sew the sleeve on to the new fabric. Pin your whole sleeve into the sleeve hole. If you have a pattern, follow those instructions. If you don’t have pattern instructions, then find the side seam of the shirt and pin to the seam on the underside of the sleeve. Do the same with the top of the sleeve. Once those two pins are in place, ease the rest of the fabric in on the curve.

You could also take the cuff off, if there is a cuff, and add fabric there.  Same procedure, you simply make a pattern from the end of the sleeve with the cuff off.  Sew the new fabric on and then reattach the cuff.   If there is no cuff, add one for extra length.  This is probably something that you would only do in a TEOTWAWKI situation.

The next obvious item of clothing that might need altering is pants or slacks.  If the waist needs to come in just a bit, then add darts.  Basically, to make a dart, you put your index finger in the back waist band and then using your thumb and third finger, press excess material to the front of your index finger.  You’ve done this a million times, so you know how to do it.  Pin it.  Once you have the clothing off again, pull the material together and smooth it into a long triangle on the wrong side of the fabric.  This is a dart.  Pin it and sew it up.  Make another dart on the opposite side in a similar place.  If you have a lot of material to take in, you may have to take the waistband off, take in the extra from the center seam in the butt. You’d also have to take in the waistband and that will involve removing a belt loop or two and the pockets as well.  This may be worth it if you have nothing else to wear, but it is a pain otherwise.  For general resizing in the hips and thighs use the inseam. If you are sizing jeans and the inseam is a double hem, then I’d just cut that off and make a flat seam.

After all of that, hemming the length of the pant leg is a breeze. Get a friend or a family member to pin them and sew with a straight stitch. If you need to hem more than an inch, consider cutting the material off leaving enough for a 5/8” seam.  You’ll want to turn the raw edge and then turn it again for the best results.

That is a very basic description of alteration for basic clothing. I didn’t cover altering a suit or a prom dress or any other kind of dress for that matter.  I don’t really consider those items important after the ball drops. I don’t think any of the readers on this site would either. If the world is truly gone, then I’d cut up those wool suits and make quilts out of them (you can’t wash them, but they are WARM). I’d use the softer prom dress type material for sleepwear or underwear for women or children.  You also may need to cut adult clothing down to child size.  Another good reason to have patterns on hand.

I have a final observation about Americans and clothing.  I said above that I do believe in charity and I do not advocate discontinuing that practice.  I don’t know about you, though, but the images of the mountains of clothing dumped on Sri Lanka and other areas affected by the Christmas tsunami in 2004 was eye-opening for me.  As Americans we have SO MUCH that we sent it to those people by the container full.  I think it was a wonderful testament to the giving hearts of most American people.  But!  Most of it was not usable in their tropical climate.  I read that much of it was destroyed.  The people there could not use it and they could not deal with the onslaught of all of that clothing.  So, I urge you to look at clothing that you might give away with a more discerning eye.  Absolutely donate your professional clothing!  If an item is in pristine condition, someone will be thankful to receive it.  But I know that in our little church clothing room, I receive far more articles of clothing that are stained and ripped than those that are pristine.  Many organizations will not put these clothes out at all.  They destroy them.  But, if you do not donate them; if you mine those clothes for zippers, buttons, collars, cuffs and any number of embellishments that clothing companies use, then that clothing won’t be wasted.  You can either deconstruct the garment completely and keep the pieces organized, or just store the shirt.  You can also use the deconstructed garment to make a pattern if you missed those pattern sales that I told you about.  You’ll be tempted to say that you cannot possibly store one more thing.  I agree.  Storage is a problem for all of us, but buttons and zippers don’t take that much room.  Find a way to store at least some items because you will need them.  And before you throw away the body of the garment, could you use it for a blanket or quilt?  Could you use it for cleaning rags or even bandages if it comes to that?

So, my suggestions are:

• Learn about sewing or better yet, learn to sew.
• Stock up on patterns, material, and sewing notions that will be useful in a survival situation.
• Learn to keep your basic wardrobe in good repair.  Learn to alter clothing.
• When going through your closet, keep in mind emergency/survival scenarios.  Do you have the clothing necessary to keep you covered, cool and/or warm enough in any type of situation?
• If the clothing that you seek to remove from your closet would be useful in a survival situation, do not throw it out or donate it.  If it is too small, it won’t be after the ball drops.  It may be something that you could barter with.   Good, heavy duty clothing will be a gold mine.  If it is not in good repair, repair it yourself or have it repaired while you still have professionals who can and will repair and alter.
• Lose the bulk of the extra weight now.  It is just easier that way.
• By all means, donate your professional clothing to charitable organizations, but the items that are too ripped, or worn, or stained to donate should be mined for usable parts.
• On February 8th, 2013 Mr. Rawles posted an article to Survivalblog called “Industrial Sewing Machines for Prepared Families”, by Lockstich.  This is really an excellent article.  Obviously, if you don’t have a sewing machine, then that article is the place to start.  Get a good machine.  And then learn to use it!

Peas are a great crop to add to any garden and a 'must have' in your survival seed kit.

Peas are among the first things that can be planted in the spring and even in a cooler climate they are a delightful crop you can get going up to a month before the last frost. For emergency food storage, peas provide carbohydrates, flavor, sugar, dietary fiber, and an amazing variety of vitamins and minerals including magnesium, potassium, and zinc. Peas come in four separate varieties to suit your garden and cooking needs

Shell Peas: These sweet green peas are to be shelled from their tough inedible pods. Shell peas are excellent for storage, they can be eaten raw by the handful or in salads, cooked, and as a crunchy snack in their dehydrated form. Shell Peas are sometimes called English peas.

Snap Peas: Are eaten whole - shell and all. The pod and the peas are sweet and crunchy. They are marvelous in salads. Snap pea varieties yield more food per square foot than either other type of pea.

Snow Peas: The pea plants produce tender, flat pods that are meant to be eaten whole. Their vine tips are also tender, taste good and can be added to salads and stir-fries.

Soup Peas: Soup pea varieties produce hard starch filled peas meant to be dried inside their pods. As their name suggests they make excellent peas to add to soups.

If you have peas in your survival seed kit, there is no better way to learn how to grow them than by actually doing it a few times.

Growing Peas
To prepare the pea bed add soil amendments in the fall and turn the soil over, do not fertilize prior to planting in the spring. Like other legumes pea plants will fix nitrogen in the soil making the nitrogen available for other plants to use. Since peas are an early season plant, its ideal to plant a non-legume in their place when they are done, carrots work well as they can be harvested in the fall. If the growing season in your area is too short to do that, the pea bed can be rotated to a different location for next season. This practice will also help prevent the build up of fungi and bacteria in the soil which can be detrimental to your peas.

Peas grow poorly in hot weather so plant peas early in the season or late in the season. All peas can benefit from some method of support, this is best installed before planting. Long vine varieties may need a trellis up to six foot tall. Shorter varieties can do with mere staking.

Planting
Loosen the soil by working it by hand or by tilling 10-12 inches deep. Most peas varieties can be planted in a double row (this is the technique I use, but you should still read and adhere to the recommendations for the specific variety of pea) about 2 inches apart and about and inch deep. Then run a another row a few inches away right alongside it. I soak my peas overnight prior to planting. While I know this is optional, I have noticed the ones that I soak usually sprout first.

As you can see from my pictures I used a cattle panel attached to two T-Posts for my peas to climb. This will also work with other varieties of fencing in a pinch, anything the vines can grab they will climb. I plant two double rows of peas. Two on the left side of the panel and two on the right side. I do not thin my peas unless I have messed up my spacing while planting as it is not usually necessary.

Once the vines are taller than a foot you can mulch them to help keep the base moist and cool. This is especially helpful to those growing peas in warmer climates. Peas are a beautiful crop and I love watching them grow, they can even make a great ornamental plant that gives you something back, with their vines and beautiful flowers. Try container peas on the front porch or put some on the side of the house with lattice instead of other flowering vines.

Harvesting
The sweet shell peas I grow are ready to pick when their pods are looking plump and they start getting a waxy sheen to them. When peas are ripe, pick them daily or as often as you can, but do it with two hands to avoid wrecking the vines. If you have a husband or wife who wants to help you pick peas remind them of this several times as 'one handed picking' will collapse the vines and prematurely put an end to your pea production.

Preserving
Pick peas before the green starts to fade on them. What is happening is that the sugars in them are being converted to starch so the longer you wait the harder and more flavorless they will become. Immediately store your peas in the fridge to stop this process, next quickly shell and blanch peas meant for storage - for one and a half minutes. Blanching by lightly boiling or steaming is necessary to stop the sugar conversion process, preserve color, cleanse the peas, and it retards the loss of vitamins. If you are going to can the peas using a 'raw pack method' you can forgo the blanching process.

Click here for two free recipes on pressure canning peas.

I have found dehydrating peas to be one of the best methods of storage for peas. This makes them easy to add to soups, use as snacks, or to re-hydrate for regular cooking. Above is a gallon bag of dehydrated peas - one gallon of dehydrated peas equals two gallons or more of re-hydrated peas.
Saving Seeds

Peas are open pollinated and self-fertile, so if you have chosen to grow some nice heirloom peas you can save some seeds for next season and not have to buy more (click here for an article on buying garden seeds). I select several nice large pods (while its tempting to eat these beautiful pods, they will produce the best pea plants next year) and allow them to dry on the vine and turn completely brown. Then collect the dry pea pods, shell the now "pea seed," and stick it in the freezer for 2-3 days. This will kill off any bugs living in the seed. From there I store pea seed in paper envelopes in a dry dark place for next season. I have read that pea seed will store this way for three years if not longer.

Pea Storage Alternatives
If growing peas is not doable for you personally, another frugal option is to purchase frozen peas when they are on sale and put them directly in your dehydrator. No blanching or other treatment is needed, that chore has already been done for you.

Peas can be in any store-bought dehydrator or in a Sun Oven which can be used for both cooking meals and dehydrating fruits and veggies from sun power alone.

Also if you don't have time to do any of this, or if you would just like to bolster you're supplies immediately (there is no shame in that, everyone's circumstances are different) consider purchasing dehydrated or freeze-dried peas for storage. You can find high quality Freeze Dried Peas by clicking here and a nice selection of Beans and Legumes here, both specifically produced for food storage.

“Mother’s Day Surprise!" After a good laugh there's a nice video and story below!

From the "FRIEND" 1988...

As soon as Brother Hansen said the closing prayer in church and the girls started handing out flowers to the mothers, I knew that we had forgotten. I looked down the bench at my brothers, Alma, Jarom, and Jared. Alma shrugged his shoulders. Jarom looked back at me with a sad frown on his face. Jared, who’s just two and a half, whispered, “What’s wrong, Aaron?”

“It’s Mother’s Day,” I muttered.

As we walked out of the chapel, I poked Alma with my elbow. “What are we going to do?” I asked him.

Alma shook his head, but I could tell that he was thinking hard.

Just then Dad touched me on the arm. “Aaron, Mom and I have a meeting for a few minutes. Do you boys want to wait here until we’re finished?”

Our house is just a little way from the ward, so I said, “We’ll walk home.”

“And we’ll take Jared with us,” Alma added.

Alma took Jared by the hand, and I took Jarom, and we headed home. Alma and Jared walked faster than Jarom and I, so by the time Jarom and I made it to our bedroom, Alma had all his money dumped out on the bed.

“Get your money,” he told Jarom and me.

It wasn’t long until all our money was piled in the middle of Alma’s bed, even Jared’s twenty-eight pennies.

Alma dropped to his knees, spread the money out, and started counting. He scratched his head and chewed his tongue a lot. Finally he scraped all the money into one big pile and announced, “There’s seven dollars and eighty-nine cents.”

“Is that a lot?” I asked.

Alma nodded.

“How much is it?” Jarom asked.

Alma tugged on his ear. “It could buy about twenty candy bars.”

“I want a candy bar,” Jared said.

“How much gum?” Jarom wanted to know.

“Maybe twenty-five or thirty packages. Or if we got it out of the gum-ball machines, we could each get a couple of pockets full.”

“I want some gum,” Jared said.

“Are we getting Mom gum or candy bars?” Jarom asked.

“I don’t think Mom would like candy bars or gum for a present.”

“What would she like?” Jarom asked.

“A dress or a purse or perfume or stuff like that,” Alma said.

“Are we going to buy junk like that?” I asked.

“Well, Aaron, it’s Mother’s Day. We have to get her something that she likes.”

“I think we ought to get her something good,” I growled.

“Yeah,” Jarom said. “If we get a purse she might not want it. Then she’ll just put it in the closet, and it won’t be any good to anybody. But if we get a lot of gum, even if she doesn’t like it, we can chew it for her.”

“I think that we can get a pretty good dress for five dollars,” Alma said. “With all our money we might even be able to get her some gum and candy bars too.”

“Let’s get the candy bars first,” Jarom grumbled. “Then if we have enough money, we can get a dress or something.”

“We can’t get her anything today,” I said, suddenly remembering. “Today’s Sunday. We don’t buy things on Sunday.”

We all looked at each other and sat down on the edge of the bed to think.

“I know,” I called out. “We can still give her the money, and tomorrow she can buy whatever she wants.”

We took the money, dumped it into an envelope, licked the flap, and closed it. Alma got a crayon and wrote, “To Mom from the boys.”

“But we have to do something for her today, too,” I mumbled. “Today’s Mother’s Day, not tomorrow.”

“I’m hungry,” Jared whined.

“That’s it!” Alma grinned. “We’ll fix a Mother’s Day dinner.”

Jarom and I looked at each other and then at Alma.

“I don’t know how to fix dinner,” Jarom said sadly.

“We can do it,” Alma said with a grin. “We’ll have the best Mother’s Day dinner ever.”

Jarom, Alma, and I changed our clothes, then we helped Jared change his. While Alma and Jarom worked on his bottom end, pulling off his shoes and pants, I worked on his top end and jerked off his shirt. It was pretty hard work because Jared thought that we were playing a game. But we finally got the job done.

A few minutes later we were all in the kitchen. Alma pulled open the fridge door, and we looked inside.

“Mom was going to have fried chicken and potatoes,” Jarom said.

“Do you know how to make fried chicken?” I asked Alma.

“No, but we don’t have to fix fried chicken. This is going to be a special dinner. We can fix anything we want.”

“I like peanut butter sandwiches,” Jared said.

“You don’t have peanut butter sandwiches for Sunday dinner,” I protested.

“Sure we can,” Alma said, still grinning. “Peanut butter sandwiches are good for you. Mom said so.”

“What do you want?” I asked Jarom.

He ran over to the pantry, stared at the shelves stacked with cans, and brought out a big can of pork and beans.

“I want baloney in it,” I said, grabbing a package of it from the fridge.

“OK,” Alma said, “but let’s hurry and fix everything before Mom and Dad get home.”

I helped Jarom open his can of pork and beans, and we dumped them into a bowl. Then we took the baloney slices, tore them into pieces, and mixed them in with the pork and beans.

Jared got out one of Mom’s loaves of bread, Alma cut it into slices. He got only eight slices out of the whole loaf.

“Aren’t the slices just a little thick?” I asked.

He laughed and shook his head. “Dad likes them thick.”

“But this is for Mother’s Day,” I pointed out.

“Well, we’ll just have to make open-face sandwiches and put on an extra layer of peanut butter.”

“What’s for dessert?” Jarom wanted to know, as Jared and Alma started digging out gobs of peanut butter and spreading it on the bread.

“Yeah,” I said, “we have to have dessert, especially on Mother’s Day.”

Jarom ran to the pantry and came back with two cans of applesauce.

Alma looked at me, shrugged his shoulders, and said, “Looks good to me.”

“I want banana slices in it,” I said.

“And I want marshmallows in it,” Jarom insisted.

“All right,” Alma agreed, “but hurry!”

I dumped the applesauce into a bowl, then took two bananas and cut them up, dropping the chunks into the applesauce. I dumped half a bag of little marshmallows into it, too, then ran to get a spoon. When I got back, Jared was already stirring everything with his hands.

“Let’s set the table, now,” Alma called, putting the peanut butter sandwiches on the table. “Since this is such a special day, let’s use paper plates and cups and plastic spoons so that Mom doesn’t have to do the dishes.”

“We could do the dishes,” I said.

“Then let’s use paper plates for sure,” Jarom mumbled. “Then nobody will have to do the dishes.”

Just as I finished putting the plastic spoons on the table, we heard Mom and Dad pull up in the car. “Let’s hide,” Alma whispered. “When they come in, we’ll jump out and yell ‘Happy Mother’s Day!’ ”

Jared hid behind the couch, Alma and Jarom hid in the closet, and I ran into the bathroom and lay in the tub. We heard the front door open and close and Mom say, “It surely sounds quiet. I wonder what the boys are doing.”

“Maybe they went over to the Cauleys,” Dad suggested.

When Mom headed for the kitchen, we all ran out screaming, “Happy Mother’s Day! Happy Mother’s Day!”

Mom jumped and Dad laughed and grabbed Jared and put him on his shoulder.

“Who fixed dinner?” Mom gasped, looking at the food on the table.

“We did,” Alma said, beaming.

“And it’s the best dinner ever,” Jarom said with a grin.

“Probably even better than dinner at a restaurant,” I bragged.

“I helped,” Jared shouted, wiggling out of Dad’s arms. “Let’s eat,” he added, pushing his high chair up to the table.

After we sat down, Alma exclaimed, “Oh, we forgot something!” He jumped down from his chair and ran into our bedroom. A few seconds later he dropped the money envelope onto the table—CLUNK!

Mom took one look inside and gasped, “Oh, you shouldn’t have. It’s all your money.”

“But it’s Mother’s Day,” I cried, “and nothing’s too good for you, Mom.”

“I’m hungry,” Jared shouted, banging on the high chair with his spoon. “Let’s say the blessing.”

“Was it a good Mother’s Day dinner?” Jarom asked when we were all finished.

Mom came around the table and gave us each a hug and a kiss. “That’s the very best Mother’s Day dinner that I’ve ever eaten,” she told us.

The Top 50 Things to Disappear from Store Shelves during an Emergency

Have you ever noticed how, whenever a big storm is predicted, people start rushing to stores to clean them out of ever food item and supply they have on the shelves? In one sense, it’s probably good that they are trying to anticipate the emergency, despite being last-minute about it. It sure beats those people who don’t bother to prepare at all, then complain when emergency services are overwhelmed by requests for assistance.

But why panic in the first place? Why not have a stash of necessary items always ready for such an emergency? Even if there isn’t a storm approaching, it’s nice to know that you don’t have to rush out to the store every time you run out of toilet paper. Keeping some extra around the house is always a good idea!

With this in mind, I decided to ask CampingSurvival.com’s Facebook fans what they felt were the emergency supplies that stores were most likely to run out of when people start to panic. Then I compiled the top comments in various categories so I could share it with you. Since this list is based on the comments of our Facebook fan page, some of the items (canned meat, for instance) may not be the absolute first things for a store to run out of, but are still items that you should consider having among your emergency supplies nonetheless.

Without further ado, here the list of the Top 50 Things to Disappear from Store Shelves during an Emergency, compiled by yours truly:

FOOD

1. Bread
2. Butter
3. Cereal
4. Coffee
5. Eggs
6. Flour
7. Fruit, canned and fresh
8. Honey
9. Meats, canned
10. Milk
11. Peanut butter
12. Pet food
13. Salt
14. Sugar
15. Vegetables, canned and root vegetables
16. Water

POWER AND LIGHT

1. Batteries
2. Candles
3. Charcoal
4. Coolers
5. Flashlights
6. Gasoline
7. Generators
8. Glow sticks
9. Ice
10. Lamp oil and oil lanterns
11. Lighter fluid
12. Matches
13. Propane, propane stoves

FUN

1. Alcohol, drinking
2. Beer
3. Cigarettes

FIRST AID

1. Alcohol, rubbing
2. Antiseptic
3. Aspirin/pain relievers
4. Cold medicine
5. First aid kits

HYGIENE

1. Feminine hygiene products
2. Paper plates/napkins
3. Shampoo
4. Soap
5. Toilet paper

BABIES

1. Baby food/formula
2. Diapers

IMPROVISATION

1. Duct tape
2. Plastic bags
3. Plywood
4. Radios
5. Rope

Now, before you file this away as mildly interesting reading, take this list and compare it to what you have stocked up. Check to see what you may be missing or what you need more of. And don’t forget that this is only a Top 50 list, so there are plenty of other items.