'Crisis gardens' start sprouting as Americans fear the future

[babylonsister]

Some stockpiling to prepare should times turn perilous
By RICK MONTGOMERY
The Kansas City Star


JILL TOYOSHIBA

Just planted, the garden of Ron and Jan Owens near Lawson, Mo., is big enough to sustain everyone on their rural cul-de-sac should summer bring disaster — economical or meteorological. “If they’re not as well prepared for whatever might happen, we’d like them to know everything on our property would be theirs, too,” Ron said.


Ammo. Canned goods. Vegetable seeds. Fortified water by the case.

They are reportedly flying off the shelves, these staples of the stockpile crowd.

“Survivalist” isn’t the right term, not in a downturn that has got everyone nervous. “Preparedness” or “self-sufficiency” — that is what they are saying.

Adhesive bandages. Gardens in the works — be they victory gardens or, as some prefer, “crisis gardens.”

The closet off the living room in the Owens home near Lawson, Mo., isn’t huge, but it’s organized.

Heavy coats, sweatshirts and Ron Owens’ cap collection greet wife, Jan, as she enters and flips the light. She pulls back the heavy coats.

There, on a rack covering the wall: Nonfat dry milk. Rice. A cast-iron skillet.

“You never know when you’ll need it,” she said of the food supplies she began stockpiling five months ago.

Jan is a cheery person who works in a nursing home. She apologizes for the cramped closet, just up the stairs from the cramped basement bathroom where more essentials are stuffed behind a curtain: Stewed tomatoes. First aid in a suitcase. Large bottles of liquor.

“Er … that’s for snakebite,” deadpans Ron, who works in alternative fuels and holds an MBA.

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http://www.kansascity.com/746/story/1162649.html

[Kerrytravelers]

1. I'm not laughing at them, and I don't mean to belittle preparedness, but I don't think things are

getting to the point where everyone has to kick into survival mode. I trust that Obama has enough sense to look and think ahead and to be honest. It's not like * is still in charge.

[ixion]

2. I've been preparing... just in case

it's hard to imagine the wheels coming off, but if they do, I'd like to be prepared. I have never-in-my-life done anything like this, but a bit more than a year ago, I started buying extra dry goods, etc. I have enough for 6 to 8 months now. If I don't need it, nothing lost. If I do, I'll be happy then that I have it. :)