The Best Staple Crops To Grow For Food Independence

To depend on your garden to feed your family, you must plant staple crops, the foods that are essential to human survival. The ideal staple crops for increasing food self-sufficiency should be easy to harvest and store, provide high yields, and be calorie-dense to give you the food energy from carbohydrates that you require each day.

The staple crops

I’ve done my research about staple crops, and I’ve noticed that most survivalists, preppers, and off-gridders often recommend growing potatoes, com, beans, and squash as the main staple crops, but I’ve extended that list by adding wheat, peanuts, sweet potatoes, cabbage, collards, and kale.

Food storage and preservation are important factors to consider when choosing staple crops to boost your household’s food security.

I enjoy growing food that does not require the use of fuels to preserve and store. The question then becomes where and how to keep it. Examine your home for suitable food storage locations because I’m sure you will find the needed storage space.

During the winter, I’ve discovered that a lower kitchen cupboard is frequently 10° F cooler than the kitchen itself. In that cupboard, I keep potatoes, sweet potatoes, and squash. You might also have an empty cooler room inside your home that stays cool throughout the year and could be used for food storage. The majority of the ten staple crops highlighted here are also high in other nutrients.

Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes

potatoes and sweet potatoes

Potatoes, just like grain corn, will provide you with the most calories for the least amount of space used in the garden.

They are easy to cultivate, and all you have to do is simply bury a potato roughly the size of an egg in the ground but make sure it has a couple of “eyes” on it. Burry it in the ground, in a furrow 4 inches deep, and wait.

In climates where summers are cool, plant early, in the mid-season, and the late varieties two to three weeks before your final spring frost date. Potatoes will grow easily and be ready for harvest in 65 to 90 days, depending on the variety.

Sweet potatoes, because of their high beta carotene concentration, are among the healthiest foods available for the small homesteader. They prefer heat, but they can be grown in cooler climates as far north as Canada.

I’ve discovered that I can keep potatoes in a newspaper-covered basket in the house or a storage shed. In October, I move the potatoes into plastic boxes with holes in them for ventilation, and then I put the boxes in the crawl space beneath my house

I keep sweet potatoes on hand, in baskets in a reasonably cool part of the house, or in the plastic boxes beneath the house.

In general, potatoes store well at temperatures ranging from 40° F to 55° F, and sweet potatoes do best at…

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MediaPost: Advocacy Groups Press Pelosi To Hold Vote On Privacy Bill

“The time is now to pass a comprehensive federal privacy and civil rights law,” 48 organizations including the Center for Democracy & Technology, Electronic Privacy Information Center, New America’s Open Technology Institute and Public Knowledge say in a letter sent Thursday to the Democratic lawmaker from California.

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8 Tips For Getting Started With Beef Cattle

The thought of home-raised meat that has been fed by hand, carefully tended to and humanely butchered to fill your family’s freezer is enticing to many a homesteader. Whether it’s a flock of meat chickens in the back coop, some rabbits in the new hutch, or a couple of beef cattle calves that you’ve bought, it’s hard to beat home-grown meat raised right. 

Purchasing and raising beef cattle can seem like a huge step—a daunting thought and rather large commitment. It’s true that cattle are for sure a bigger project than a handful of chicks. But the return you get for your effort is also much greater.

Raising beef cattle can offer a great learning experience for not only you but the entire family! Here are several tips that will help you get started on the right “hoof” when you decide to purchase your first beef cattle:

1. Know the Purpose of Your Beef Cattle

Knowing what the purpose is for your cattle will be helpful when picking out your cattle. It will also benefit you in the long run, as you seek to make them a profitable addition to your homestead. This is true even if the return comes simply in the form of fresh milk for your family and not necessarily additional dollars. 

For example, while Angus beef cattle will produce milk, it’s generally not as much of a quantity as the milk that would come from a dairy cow such as a Holstein or Jersey. So if looking for a high-producing milk cow, Angus likely wouldn’t be one of your top choices. 

2. Look for Good-Quality Animals

High-quality beef cattle with good genetics and calm dispositions are especially desirable. Genetics will play a larger role in your search if you think you might want to eventually begin breeding cattle and are searching for heifers and bulls to raise and breed. 

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Good conformation, though not necessarily a major factor for an animal you intend to raise and butcher, is also important if you ever hope to raise cattle to breed. Yet even in the shorter-term scenarios, confirmation can still play a major role.

For example, a heifer with poorly conformed hooves can begin to stand and distribute her weight unevenly among the hooves. This could eventually lead to lameness.

As far as the disposition of the family calf goes, it is very important to consider as it will likely grow up and be handled around (if not by) any children in the family. Look for an animal with a calm nature that has been raised by a gentle handler. Then continue to use gentle handling practices and keep a calm environment for the animal to grow up in. 

Read more: Here are some more tips for purchasing cattle for homegrown beef.

3. Purchase from an Individual

While the thought of stepping into a live sale at a local sale barn might seem intriguing, keep in mind…

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New EPIC Report Highlights DHS’s Extensive Collection and Circulation of Location Data

In a new report titled DHS’s Data Reservoir, EPIC Fellow Dana Khabbaz analyzes the ways that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) collects and circulates location data. DHS’s collection of location data results in disproportionate and harmful surveillance of immigrant communities. As the report explains, DHS obtains precise location data from cell-phone apps, license plate readers, and social media as well as collecting common addresses people frequent like a home or work address from utility bills, credit reports, and state DMVs. 

The report focuses on Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement in its analysis of 5 sources of location information and 10 DHS systems—providing a more complete view of the location information available to DHS and the many DHS systems the location data ends up.

The report makes several policy recommendations that would move DHS more in line with national and international standards of privacy and limit unnecessary surveillance of immigrants:

  • End purchases from or subscriptions to commercial data brokers and require a warrant before accessing sensitive location data;
  • Minimize bulk collection and transfers of location data, and end use of sensitive location data for development of new leads;
  • Limit storage of sensitive data;
  • Disclose commercial databases that it accesses but does not store internally; and
  • Define precise location information as personally identifiable information and comply with the Privacy Impact Assessment requirement of the E-Government Act of 2002.

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How to Build a Modular Concrete Block Fire Pit

concrete block fire pit featureconcrete block fire pit feature

My concrete block fire pit is a serious pit. I designed it for performance. I can do everything with this pit from enjoying a simple evening fire to using it as a big outdoor cook station. I wanted a fire pit that could do whatever I needed it to do. Those needs vary.

Concrete blocks are great. They’re cheap and versatile. I’ve made a concrete block raised bed garden before, and plenty of people have also used them for fire pits.

There are plenty of fire pit options available. You can buy the Solo Stove fire pit that many people like or you can just assemble some rocks in a circle. That has worked for centuries. I wanted something more.

I have cooked over a Solo Stove and over a fire in a ring of rocks. Both can be done, but I wanted a better blend between a fire pit and an outdoor cook station. I wanted options.

Not finding any fire pit close to what I wanted on the commercial market, I decided to design my own fire pit. One big, modular concrete block fire pit.

Concrete blocks are like Legos for men. They come in different shapes and sizes and can be stacked in various ways for many different projects beyond basic building construction. Given that they are rugged and fire proof, they are an obvious choice to build a custom fire pit.

Do they have their downsides? Of course. Everything does.

Pros and Cons of Concrete Block Fire Pits

Pros

  • Concrete blocks are versatile. They come in different sizes. You can stack them in countless different ways.
  • You can add or remove bocks to change the layout of your fire pit at any time.
  • Construction is fast and cheap.
  • Blocks and bricks can often be salvaged. Your fire pit could be entirely free.

Cons

  • Concrete blocks are heavy. This may not be an issue for some, but for people with physical limitations or anyone with a small car who needs to transport the blocks, it could be a challenge (lumberyards often deliver for free).
  • This fire pit is modular, but it’s not portable. Unlike a portable pit, you’re not going to pack your concrete blocks up and reassemble them at a campsite.
  • Concrete blocks are known to crack around a fire.

My Design

The last con, concrete cracking around fire, was my biggest concern in building a concrete block fire pit. I believe my design gets around this, however. My pit is big enough that the fire doesn’t have to rest up against the blocks, reducing the chances the blocks will overheat. If a block does crack, it’s not a big deal or expense to simply swap it out for a new one.

I designed this fire pit for work. My design is for dry stacking concrete blocks. That means stacking…

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CyberScoop: FTC sues data broker over selling location data that can reveal abortion clinic visits

“By undertaking this enforcement action they’re making it clear to other players in the industry that this is not a practice that will be tolerated in the future,” said John Davisson, director of litigation and senior counsel at privacy nonprofit Electronic Privacy Information Center.

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1000 Days In The Wild

Editor’s Note: Extracts of Dad’s Story (Eugene Telesor Maciejewski 1916 – 1998) from “A Lost Heritage” by D. Mariana Robinson ©

My father’s story is one of trial, fear, starvation, survival techniques, and eventual salvation in another country. He was born in Poznan, Poland on 5th January 1916 but I know little of his formative years.

I visited his family home in 2003, and saw an oil painting on the wall, riddled with bullet holes. This painting was a reminder of the German invasion of Poznan on the 1st of September 1939. That day, my father had been working outside Poznan but walking home that evening, he saw a commotion with army trucks in town and heard gunshots and screams.

Germany had invaded Poland. He heard machine gun fire, rifles, and shouting. Terrified, he hid in fields until nightfall – never to return to his family again until 1974. I cannot imagine what went through his mind during that invasion.

Dad kept under cover and skillfully found his way to the Polish Army barracks, to join up, eat and have a bed, before working out what he could do. After a short amount of training with the Polish Army, he was eventually captured by Germans whilst out on maneuvers and taken prisoner.

World War II started with a pact between Russia and Germany, The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, signed on 23 August 1939. As a prisoner of war, my father spent weeks being marched eastwards toward Russia. He soon realized they were being marched to their deaths.

Related: 5 Survival Foods Made By Soldiers During WW2 On The Normandy Front

It was a short-lived pact, so by Spring 1940, after surviving an intense winter, dad was handed over by Germany to the Russians. They were somewhere in the deep forests of the Polish/Ukraine border. Many columns of Polish soldiers in different areas of South East Poland, were massacred in the Katyn Forest.

1000 Days In The WildBy June 1941, thousands of Polish prisoners were also being moved towards Russia before dying from fatigue or being shot.

Poznan was annexed into Germany’s Third Reich, and Poznan Castle became a Nazi Headquarters, whilst Poznan’s citizens were either murdered or taken prisoners. This was genocide of the Poles on a massive scale.

It is hard for us to comprehend the fear and trauma of war, at age 23, for we’ve grown up in an era of peace and prosperity in Europe.

To have the wit to find sanctuary with the Polish Army rather than try and go home must have left dad with a terrible fear, isolation, unbearable loss and possibly a feeling of betrayal of his family and loved ones, the fate of whom, he did not know.

He was marched through the area known today as Belarus, and decided he had to escape – if caught, he’d be shot and if he stayed with the column of men, he’d also be shot or die a slow death…

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IAPP: A view from DC: ‘Dear Speaker Pelosi’

With a couple of notable absences, the letter [signed by EPIC and 47 peer organizations] represents an unprecedented consensus among civil rights, privacy and consumer organizations. Together, they deliver a forceful message: “The time is now to pass a comprehensive federal privacy and civil rights law.”

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44 Easy Corn Recipes for Preppers

The idea of this recipe round-up was to collate fairly simple recipes that a person could easily make from corn and corn products that have been stockpiled, or from fresh corn grown in a survival garden.

corn recipes collage

The recipes have been collected from around the world because many cultures have had to survive in difficult economic and agricultural conditions.

They manage to make a little go a long way using the most basic of ingredients, yet still feed their families nutritious food.

Corn is high in carbohydrates (76%), with some protein (13%) and fat (11%). It contains no cholesterol and is high in fiber – one serving supplies 44% of daily dietary fiber, and is rich in potassium (26% of RDA) and Vitamin C (34% of RDA).

It is the combination of spices and herbs that can transform corn from a Mexican to a Chinese, African, Chilean, or Brazilian dish. Who said a basic survival food like corn had to be boring?

1. Parched Corn

Corn must be dry to start making this, then it’s as easy as frying it in a skillet until the kernels plump up, adding some flavoring and you have a lightweight trail food.

It was popular with Native Americans and was soon adopted by pioneers who realized how useful it was. Here is the recipe.

2. South African Sweetcorn Bread

Using fresh corn kernels as well as corn meal, this bread developed when people were traveling in wagons exploring the interior, and is still a favorite accompaniment at barbeques today.

It is steamed rather than baked making for a tender, moist loaf. Here is the recipe.

3. Never Fail Corn Bread

When the recipe is printed on a cornmeal bag you know it’s been seriously tried and tested. This is an easy one to prepare to go with meat dishes and will mop up the gravy!

The batter can also be divided into little muffin tins and when baked split and a slice of bacon inserted or spread with butter and syrup. Here is the recipe.

4. Cattail Corn Bread

Collect cattail pollen from these reedy plants that are found growing near or in water. The pollen is bright yellow and is high in protein. Here is the recipe.

5. Hot Water Corn Bread

An easy recipe for survivalists, this one can be enhanced with the addition of other ingredients, like bacon, scallions, chili peppers – whatever you have available that would add some flavor.

Deep fried, these have a crisp crust outside but are soft in the middle – yummy! Here is the recipe.

6. Corn Fritters

Adapted from an Amish recipe these can be quickly made without sugar and served with stew or soup, or add a little sugar in the batter and finish with a sprinkle of confectioner’s sugar when serving with maple syrup or a fruit jam for a sweet treat. Here is the recipe.

7. Corn Dodgers

This recipe relooks at some of the older pioneer recipes and comes up with a variation that is less dense and gritty….

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Inside Cybersecurity: Civil and consumer rights groups urge passage of House privacy bill

“To accomplish these sweeping advancements and bring relief to millions today, we understand that some compromise is necessary,” [EPIC and 47 peer organizations] said. “ADPPA has limited preemption of state privacy laws that cover the same issues as ADPPA. It does not preempt state civil rights laws, consumer protection laws of general applicability, or laws related to student or employee privacy, health privacy, financial privacy, social security numbers, facial recognition, electronic surveillance, encryption, or several other categories.”

Read the full story here (registration required).

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