America has enjoyed a surplus of bountiful foods. We’re used to large meal portions and food available at the snap of the finger. But what would happen if we endured a crisis such as a food shortage? What would happen if our economy slowly grinded to a halt, causing a rippling effect throughout the land, and inevitably affecting our food sources?
Every nation endures tough times, some more than others. Though America has been blessed more than she probably deserves, she is not invincible when it comes to tough times, especially when it comes to food production. All it takes is a few things to go wrong and the uncertainty of the times can spring panic upon the American people.
What would happen if there was a food shortage in the U.S.? How would you get by? How would you provide for your family? Would you be able to? These are tough questions that need serious answers.
With food shortages also comes high food prices. In the event that this would happen, an approach used not so much in the U.S. but in other countries is foraging for food. Foraging for food can vary from hunting and fishing to picking berries and mushrooms to gleaning fields after harvest. It takes effort but when in need of food, it is well worth it!
Often in the fall months, hundreds of pounds of black walnuts lay on the ground unused. Find a couple good trees and run over the walnuts with a vehicle to remove the outer husk (leaving just the shelled walnut). You can collect bushels of these at a time. Be sure to ask landowners or stick safely to public roads. Keep in mind that black walnuts are stronger than the English walnut in taste. So when collecting them, make sure to wear gloves to keep them from staining hands and clothing.
Pecans and other nuts can also be harvested in abundance. If you find a row of pecans where the owner doesn’t use all the nuts, you can easily collect 10 pounds of nuts in a half hour. At $2.99 per pound this isn’t small savings especially for those who love pecan pies. This is almost $60 for an hour’s work…few paid jobs offer that! (Again, make sure you ask the owner before you start picking!)
Blackberries and raspberries grow wild along fencerows in many areas, as does Rosa rugosa, touted as the best source of vitamin C rich rose hips. Many “weeds” have a use also. The stinging nettle gives an itchy and painful notice to anyone who touches or brushes against it but once dried or cooked can be a rich vitamin source for tea or greens.
Among those listed by “Wildman” Steve Brill, foraging expert, as edible wild plants include hackberry, wild apples, crabapples, plum, black birch, black cherry, black raspberry, black walnut, dandelions – all known as food. Less common but useful are chickweed, plantain, sow thistle, burdock, cattails, lambs quarters and Jewelweed.
The #1 biggest risk and therefore something to be absolutely SURE of is misidentification of a plant. This can be fatal. “When in doubt leave it out.” For example, chickweed is edible but can be confused with spotted purge, as both trail the ground with paired leaves, but different flowers. If there is a milky white sap it is NOT chickweed but the toxic look-alike.
Mushrooms are also misidentified and the results can be deadly. Morels are hollow on the inside, and sometimes thimble-caps or false morels are picked by accident. Checking thoroughly reveals these are not hollow all the way through when split lengthwise and even real edible morels should be cooked at least 15 minutes. Puffballs are edible if you have a true puffball. If it’s got a stem and gills when cut open with slimy layers or are hard and black inside then they are toxic varieties confused with puffballs.
If you’re interested in foraging, go with someone who knows how to identify what the plants are. This isn’t the place for experimenting. Nonetheless, with a little research and knowledge, foraging can provide a plethora of food gathering opportunities that may end up saving your life.
Guy McKinney edits the website: http://www.foodshortageusa.com/Articles.html
The website contains articles about food shortages and food crisis globally and in America.
Fire safety is not something that can be half-baked. You cannot simply equip your place of business with all sorts of extinguishers and then not know how to use one. Installing smoke alarms would not be enough if you do not maintain these devices properly. It is not smart to hold trainings and drills among your employees and stop in the middle of the course because you have no budget for it anymore. It is the same thing with formulating a fire escape plan. When you do this, you need to do everything you can to finish it and ensure that everything is in the right place. You cannot just create a comprehensive plan and leave your employees guessing how they would get out of the premises when an emergency occurs.
Planning exit routes requires extensive work. For one, you need to ensure that you have all the devices you need to create one that is effective and feasible. For example, you would need to ensure that there is a fire escape ladder handy for people who would want to get out of the burning area from a window located on the second floor or any higher level. You should ensure that there are ladders that are ready to be used in case there would be people who would be trapped inside rooms that have windows in them.
Escape ladders come in two types. The first one is the fixed sturdy structure that is attached to the window at all times. The second one is the rope ladder, which is portable and is light enough to be transported anywhere. Aside from this, there should also be fire exit signs that would clearly mark the exit ways and exit doors. Exit doors should be equipped with panic bolts so that they can be easily accessed from the inside and yet cannot be opened from the outside. This can prevented unwanted entries and unauthorized use of this door.
When planning an escape route, it would also be a good move to consult a fire expert. It is also necessary to conduct drills afterwards to ensure that your staff and employees know their way out and they can easily get out if ever a real emergency occurs. Make the drill as real as possible by giving out circumstances such as if the exit door is blocked or the stairs are not available for use. This would help greatly in ensuring fire safety and protection in your business.
Planning emergency escape is one of the most important facets of fire safety and protection. It is a must to see to it that you have every tool and device necessary to formulate an effective and feasible escape. Fire escape ladder can be purchased in many online stores. Just make sure that you rely only on a respectable and trustworthy store that sells state-of-the-art and high quality firefighting devices and equipment. Go for a store that offers products that are manufactured according to British Standards and yet would offer you excellent deals that would enable you to save money.
Bennett Glover is a professional fire safety expert and consultant for commercial businesses to help promote fire safety and awareness in the UK area. He regularly writes articles to inform the general public about the safest ways of handling fires and how to prevent them in the first place. His knowledge and expertise has earned him many writing and speaking engagements. He enjoys teaching fire safety to students, business owners, and learning institutions to help save lives.
For more tips and information about fire escape ladder, please visit: fire exit signs.
Climbing the ladder of success
Hurrying along fast and furiously
Though I have no idea where
It shall lead and in the end take me
Nevertheless I hurry along feverishly
No time for a meaningful conversation
My nose is now set to the grindstone
Forget being weary. No time to groan.
I work late night hours before going home
My family it seems I no longer even know
Yet my professional career is most dear
I don’t get much time off during the year
To go on vacation or elicit new inspiration
I’m ready to bleed as a workaholic indeed
I’m important and meet my company’s need
Never do I hesitate to work or do a good deed
My incessant restlessness my employment
Does silence, sedate, distract, and feed
Because after all, the American way is greed
We’ve got to go out, buy, sell, and acquire
Of consumerism, the people must never tire
For we are consumed by our fiery desires
Contentment we can’t possess, neither know
We are forever enslaved to the vain show
Comparing and competing with each other
Disregard considering ourselves equal
As if we were loving sisters and brothers
The exterior and outward has taken over
What we wear, drive, and where we live
Charitable contributions we don’t give
It’s me, myself, and I who I forever love
No time for spirituality, nor God above
Onward I march, press, push, and shove
Paying my bills, life has lost its thrill
I’ve forget as I boy what I dreamed of
Continually climbing up the ladder of success
Deceivingly, I look like I’m all put together
Yet I assuredly know I am one big mess
Look beyond that which I say and profess
Dumbfounded and leaning on the wrong building
I’ve climbed this ladder of reckless success
Only to discover it is an illusion without basis.
Paul Davis is a life purpose and love coach (professional & relational), worldwide minister, change master, and FL real estate agent.
Paul is the author of several books including Breakthrough for a Broken Heart; Adultery: 101 Reasons Not to Cheat; Are You Ready for True Love; Stop Lusting & Start Living; Waves of God; Supernatural Fire; Poems that Propel the Planet; and God vs. Religion.
Paul’s compassion for people & passion to travel has taken him to over 50 countries of the world where he has had a tremendous impact. Paul has served in many war-torn, impoverished and tsunami stricken regions of the earth. His Dream-Maker Inc. is building dreams, breaking limitations & reviving nations.
Paul’s Breakthrough Seminars inspire, revive, awaken, impregnate with purpose, impart the fire of desire, catapult people into a new level of self-awareness, facilitate destiny discovery and dream fulfillment.
Contact Paul to minister, speak at your event or for life coaching:
RevivingNations@yahoo.com, 407-284-1705.
http://www.DreamMakerMinistries.com
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