Author’s Note: This is meant to be the introduction to the book, whose title this site’s name comes from.  Think of it as the author’s introduction at the beginning of any book you sit down to read.

For most of my life, gardening and preserving what comes out of that garden has been something I’ve enjoyed.  For the past few years, the rumblings about the things around us that we take for granted possibly disappearing have become more and more common and, to the thinking person, not as “far out” or “fringe” as we might wish to believe.  Those things (grocery stores full of all kinds of foods, money that is always worth something, electricity and other utilities, etc.) are such a part of our modern American lives that most of us can’t imagine what life would be like if they weren’t there.  Can’t pick up the cell phone or boot up your computer and get online?  Unimaginable!

Yet they are fragile.  Just looking at the natural disasters happening globally right now shows you that, at least temporarily, these things can be disrupted in an instant.  What if those disasters continue to pile up, one after the other, as they seem to be already getting close to doing now?  What then?

Then we are in a situation where those utilities and services we take for granted might become inoperable for a long time.  Imagine living in your house, right now, with no electricity, gas, or running water for two years.  Think you could do it?  Really?  Here’s a really important question, then: what would you eat?

Most Americans have a few days (at best) worth of food in their homes.  Some of the more astute might have a few weeks and the really prepared might have a full year’s worth.  But what if the problems persist for two years?  Three?  Five?  Then what?

The Premise Behind The SHTF Garden

The entire point of this book is to address one of the three key issues that face anyone in a survival situation, whether it be short- or long-term.  Those three issues are (in order of importance):

1. water,
2. food,
3. and shelter.

This book assumes you’ve taken care of water and that shelter is not a problem.  Our focus is on food production for the long term.  When you can’t go to the garden center, the greenhouse, or the big box store, you’ll have to be ready to operate a SHTF Garden.  And to do so without benefit of electricity, gasoline, etc.  In other words: by hand.

To do that, you’ll need specific knowledge and the foresight to have the right tools and materials already on hand.  That’s what this book is all about giving you: the knowledge you need and the lists of tools and materials you should have in order to successfully grow a garden when the excrement has entered the ventilator.

What You’ll Find In This Book

The SHTF Garden contains practical information about the tools, techniques, and requirements of a sustainable, self-contained, productive vegetable garden.  Everything you need to know from what type of shovel you should buy to the best ways to plant and harvest your crops is included here.

The goal of this book is to be an all-in-one resource for growing food when there is no support system around you from which to get seeds, seedlings, soil, fertilizer, etc.

What You Won’t Find In This Book

This book does not have a lot of political rhetoric, environmental dogma, or information about “survivalism” meant for those who wear camouflage and own more guns than IQ points.

I love politics and get involved in them constantly, but frankly, once the manure is blowing out the fan, politics will go with it.  Surviving and thriving in a SHTF scenario doesn’t mean being Demopublican, Liberocrat, or Repubian.  It means being human.  Period.  No party labels.  Left, right, middle, or anarchist, we’ll all be the same at that point.

Environmentalism, like politics (likely because the two have become so intertwined), has become a sort of religion for a lot of people.  I view it as tending the earth the same way we tend for the other things we care about.  I do not, however, believe that we should crimp all human activity to the point where all of us are living like Neanderthals in order to save the planet.  Nearly every good environmental practice we can undertake is, coincidentally, financially rewarding in terms of savings and effort.  Putting what amount to giant corks in the smoke stacks of industry in order to prevent a greenhouse gas that has a negligible effect on atmospheric warming is asinine, but recycling aluminum cans and stopping the dumping of chemicals into streams, rivers and lakes has obvious benefits for everyone.

As for the gung-ho survivalist types, I think they have a rude awakening coming.  Sure, most of us will probably be required to defend ourselves from desperate or control-hungry human beings after the SHTF.  But I doubt that will be even 10% of our total day-to-day operations as survivors.  Most of our time will be spent feeding and sheltering ourselves and our families.  For that reason, those guns that many survivalists focus so much attention on will be just another tool in the shed – something you may need once in a while and should know how to use, but not any more special than a shovel, a rake, or a hoe.

In the end, our minds and the knowledge we’ve put in them will be more important than any other item we can have at our disposal.  The goal of The SHTF Garden is to put information in your mind that will help you and your family survive for the long haul.

So Why Should I Listen to You, Aaron?

Besides being totally awesome, I have several qualifications that make me suitable for teaching others how to garden.  I have been a gardener, writer, cared for animals and livestock, and otherwise worked at what some people would think of as “farming.”  Actual farming requires that you show a profit, but I don’t generally do these things for anything more than a try at self-sufficiency and personal satisfaction.

You can find out more about my qualifications on our About Us page.

Note: this article is sharable under a Creative Commons BY-SA license.  For more information on what this means, click here.

from Zazzle, image is link

Poop Happens.  It’s not just a bumper sticker, it’s reality.  Sometimes, things just get out of control.  When serious disasters hit, the problems are immediate, short-term, and long-term.  The immediate issues usually abate within 72 hours.  I’ve written a book on that subject and how to deal with the first 72 hours of any disaster, whether natural or man-made.  Click here to check out Survival of the Smartest: The First 72 Hours.

After the immediate problems are past, the short-term issues reign.  These are things like access to clean water, housing, food, medical care, etc.  These issues are what government and charitable institutions like FEMA and the Red Cross are meant to handle.  Whether or not they handle them well, of course, is another issue altogether.

Short-term issues usually last for at least a week and for as long as a year.  At that point, these issues become long-term and are often compounded by new, bigger problems thanks to that combination of time and problems.

For the Long Term, A Garden Can Be Your Salvation

Now think about this: if the disaster you’ve just survived and its repercussions last only a couple of weeks, you will probably get through it okay.  Most of us have enough food and water in our homes to last at least a couple of days and can probably figure out how to take care of ourselves for a week or two.

For most survivalists who’ve come through a major disaster, such as a plane crash, boat wreck, etc., the period from one to two weeks before rescue or salvation is the worst.  This is when the adrenalin and “survival mode” mindset wears off and low morale and the high stress of it all begin to take their toll.

If things are bad at two weeks, imagine what they’re like at fifty-two weeks.  During wartime, when disasters and survival are literally a daily thing, this constant barrage of stress often leaves the participants gaunt, fatigued, and with the blank, numb stare of the shell shocked survivor.

Physically, after one year of scraping for food, worrying every moment over whether you and your family will survive takes a serious toll on the body.

The three major concerns of survival are water, food, and shelter.  In that order.

The whole point of SHTF Garden is to focus on food.  It’s assumed that you have found a ready water source and that your shelter has been intact or unaffected by whatever events lead to a long-term survival requirement on your part.  Most of the time, this will mean an economic collapse or civil war (or similar event).  These events will mean that your money (Dollars) are nearly useless and the infrastructure on a national scale has collapsed so food deliveries and so forth are almost non-existent or only include staples like grains.

The idea is that you and your family are living either on your own or as part of a small group from your neighborhood or town.  In this scenario, your lives will literally depend on a garden.

So you had better know how to tend one, maximize yields from one, and do so without access to a garden store or greenhouse.

Even in Good Times, a Garden Is a Savior

Even if none of the really bad scenarios happen, however, having a lush, productive garden in the good times is still a boon.  It’s possible to grow $400 or more in groceries in only a 100 square foot area.  In fact, a quarter acre of garden can feed a family of four if it’s grown correctly.  That’s not insignificant when you think about the dollars you spend at the grocery store.

Now think about this fact: in the past year (2010-2011), grocery (mostly produce) prices have risen 30%.  THIRTY PERCENT in only a year.  There are various reasons for this, but the three major factors are a lower supply of produce due to natural disasters, rising fuel costs to transport the food, and a falling value for the U.S. Dollar (inflation).

These factors are affecting a lot of other things around us as well.  Just about everything is becoming more expensive.  We’ve all seen it.

Having a productive vegetable garden means these things won’t affect you as much and will make your budget less stressful in times of hardship.  What’s more, a vegetable garden is literally food storage on the vine.  So if disaster does strike, you can likely have enough food either in the garden or leftover from last year’s harvest to bring you through.

In short – there is no reason NOT to have a garden and a LOT of reasons TO have one.

Note: this article is sharable under a Creative Commons BY-SA license.  For more information on what this means, click here.

One of the inspirations for this website is the large number of “survival seeds” and “disaster seeds” I see advertised as huge buckets of seeds that will supposedly save you and your family from starvation when the SHTF.  I get the feeling that a lot of the people who purchase those seed banks are under the impression that all they need are the seeds and that any idiot can throw them into the ground and get food.

In reality, they’re right.  I’m living proof that any fool can throw seeds into the ground and get food.  The question is: how much, how fast, and how reliably?

from Karen Van Vleet Illustration (pic is link)

Here’s an example: Mary is a long-time gardener who’s been growing tomatoes, carrots, lettuce, and a lot of other things in her back yard for several years.  Joe is not a gardener and has devoted his entire yard to grass and a few bushes that he cares for meticulously.  He looks into Mary’s yard with a sneer when he sees the “wasted space” and “untidy mess” of her garden.

When the SHTF, Mary not only knows how to garden and get good yields from her plantings, but she already has the soil, composting, and heirloom seed-saving in place to continue to garden for years.

Joe, on the other hand, has no gardening experience and most of his tools are made for lawn care, not tomatoes and potatoes.  Worse, his soil is conditioned to grass and has only a thin layer of nutrition below the turf line and is otherwise a chemically-treated barren wasteland about three inches down.

For every carrot that Joe manages to eke from his soil, Mary will get five from hers.  Worse yet, once Joe’s packets of seeds are gone, he has no idea what to do next.  Mary has been cultivating the same heirlooms for years, continuing the line by devoting part of her yield to seed-saving.

So who is better off when it’s hit the fan?

For this reason, I began SHTF Garden.  Originally, this was going to be a standard book, but I realized that:

1. writing a lengthy, in-depth book takes a lot of time (I should know, I’ve done it before);
2. publishing and marketing that book takes even more time and (often) a fair amount of money to boot;
3. with the way things are going politically and economically, we may not have that kind of time.

Knowing those three things, I decided to create SHTF Garden as a book-in-progress.  I will be writing that book, but it will be in sections and you, the readers, will have access to them as they’re written.  I’ve set my goals as to how fast I plan to have the book completed (2 sections per month with extras to speed this up as time permits so the book will be done in a year or less).

In fact, as of this writing, the Members Area already has the first few sections, covering:

• What your garden needs to have before the SHTF and these things are no longer available – many of those things are in the above anecdotal narrative.
• The tools you absolutely MUST have in order to garden – these are the physical tools you’ll need and the information you’ll want to have in order to care for and repair them as well.
• A quick overview of basic gardening techniques and information for absolute beginners – making even the most inexperienced gardener into a greenthumb in just a few pages.
• Everything you need to know about your garden’s most important resource: soil. From creating a great garden soil to maintaining it in peak condition and what you need to have and know how to use to get those done.

That’s just the beginning.  The progression of information should be pretty obvious.  Plus, for the busy person of today’s world, this metering of information in chunks means that you’ll get it in a short, readable format with each section of the overall “book” being stand-alone and intact.

It’s my goal to have, by the end of 2011, enough information for SHTF Garden members to have everything they need to know to have a basic garden that operates as close to 365 days a year as their climate allows.  In most of North America, in fact, gardeners without an expensive greenhouse can grow 9-10 months per year without a problem.  It’s all in what, how, and when you grow things.

For those who are following this site but haven’t signed up, you’ll get the occasional bonus article and information.  I’ve set up the system behind SHTF Garden so that, if you sign up for a free account (do so here), you will be able to see some things that the general public can’t and will be able to download some items occasionally.  Although free members won’t get most of the wealth of information reserved for paying subscribers, they will get enough to stay interested, I think.  Further, everyone who signs up for the SHTF Garden monthly newsletter (it’s FREE, sign up on the right) also gets more bonus information that won’t appear anywhere else on the site.

So beyond just purchasing the seed bank from someone online who claims it will save your family in times of long-term crisis, the best thing you can do to really be prepared is to know how and be ready to use those seeds to their maximum benefit.  That’s what SHTF Garden is all about.

Note: this article is sharable under a Creative Commons BY-SA license.  For more information on what this means, click here.

Nuclear Disaster in Japan. Quakes from Europe to New Zealand. Tornados that flatten entire swaths of the US. 9/11. Hurricane Katrina. Riots from Cairo to Greece to…Wisconsin.

Would You Survive a Major Disaster?

Prepare in Advance for a Disaster & Protect Your Family

If you have never been involved in any type of major disaster, count yourself among the lucky ones. Disasters can happen anywhere and anytime. The confusion immediately following a disaster is terrifying—especially if you have not prepared yourself in advance and discussed emergency steps with your family members.

Any major disaster–either man-made or heaven-sent–has the potential to throw society into shock, paralysis, even out an out chaos. First responders and the help you normally rely on may not be able to help. YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO HELP YOURSELF FOR THE CRUCIAL FIRST 72 HOURS OF A CRISIS SITUATION.

Are you ready?

Don’t wait until it’s too late. You’ll discover strategies and techniques that may end up saving your life—and the lives of those you love!

Dear Friend,

My name is Aaron Turpen, editor of this site, SHTFGarden.com, and the monthlies Health Freedom Network Newsletter and Truth2America Manifesto. I’m also the author of dozens of books and ebooks. I’m very proud of my latest work: Survival of the Smartest: The First 72 Hours because it address a problem I believe is rampant throughout our modern world. In my humble, yet honest, and very informed opinion, modern Americans are simply NOT equipped to face natural disasters, economic collapse, or a serious terrorist attack. Let’s take man-made events out of the equation for just a moment.

The truth is, natural and disasters are relatively common—and appear to be growing more frequent and more extreme.

Even worse, if you do face a major disaster in your area… you’ll probably be on your own, at least in the initial stages.

When Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans in 2005, at first it appeared government agencies were poised to respond. News crews covered the approaching disaster. Officials issued statements as the weather grew worse. The governor was on TV.

But once the hurricane hit, help was difficult, if not impossible to find.

With the exception of the U.S. Coast Guard, which single-handedly rescued half of the 60,000 people stranded in New Orleans, most government agencies failed to respond adequately during Hurricane Katrina.

More than 1,800 people died as a result—with more than 1 million people evacuated and 300,000 homes destroyed.

Every year, hundreds of millions of people worldwide are evacuated or driven from their homes due to natural or man-made disasters.

The Munich Re Group, a reinsurance company that tracks worldwide disasters, estimates that there are about 750 to 850 large-scale disasters every year—with the total death toll ranging from as low as 10,000 deaths (in 2009) to as many as 250,000 (in 2008 and 2004).

The most deadly disaster is fire. Fire kills more Americans than all other natural disasters combined—the overwhelming number (85%) occur at home.

In 2009, fire departments responded to 377,000 home fires in the United States, which claimed the lives of 2,565 people. In addition, there were 78,000 wildfires spread over 6 million acres.

The most common disaster is flooding. According to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), everyone in the United States lives in a flood zone. It’s only a question of whether you live in a low, moderate—or high-risk area.

You are 6 times more likely to face a flood at home than you are a fire. While floods only kill an average of 200 people a year in the U.S., the property damage is staggering.

Beyond fire and flooding, however, there are many other types of disasters or emergencies you may face:

You Can Avoid Becoming a Statistic on the Evening News

Fortunately, you’re NOT helpless before or even during a major disaster.

“I live in hurricane country here in Florida and Aaron’s information is something that everyone who lives in a potential disaster zone needs to have. It’s quick, concise, and very accessible.”
–Craig Agranoff, television news personality, author, and entrepreneur.

There are many simple, easy, inexpensive steps you can take right now to prepare for the most common disasters you’re likely to face—and ways you can cope even during catastrophes, such as a medical emergency.

I’ve arranged for you to get a special disaster preparedness manual that I believe should be readily accessible in every home and automobile in America.

It’s called Survival of the Smartest: The First 72 Hours. It’s chock-full of proven survival strategies, disaster preparedness techniques and the very best information that can make all the difference in a true emergency.

As you know, I believe that disaster preparedness equals self-reliance. The steps you take now to prepare for possible disasters will make you stronger… more independent… and more self-reliant than you are now.

As usual, you won’t find this privately printed manual in stores. I’ve arranged for a specially printed edition exclusively for my extended family of readers, and I’ve made sure it’s filled with practical, real-world strategies for coping with the catastrophes that are becoming increasingly common in our troubled world.

Your copy of Survival of the Smartest: The First 72 Hours also comes with detailed checklists for preparing in advance for the most common disasters you’re likely to face.

These practical, no-nonsense steps can be implemented over the course of a few hours, then practiced and refined for a few weeks or a few months so you’ll be prepared no matter what happens.

You’ll discover…

Order Survival of the Smartest: The First 72 Hours —and get these valuable SPECIAL GIFTS!

Order now for just $19.95 and you’ll get an immediate download of the book.

PLUS

You’ll also get two links embedded in that book that will take you to download both a simple 72-hour kit checklist to speed up your preparedness kit building.

AND

A link to a free, great list of the 12 natural remedies every first aid kit should include – 12 all-natural, readily-accessible items that can make any first aid kit an excellent source of natural, chemical-free relief.

So order now!

“Quite a bit of useful information.”

“I have been reading through the book and have found quite a bit of useful information. I do not think you can ever be too prepared for any thing in life. I also believe it is very important to have a plan. This book is really great for helping you come up with the a great plan of survival. My favorite part of the book is the emergency preparedness kit, I really believe everyone should have one. After reading this I am hard at work on my own. You can tell the author has worked very hard to give you the best information for every situation so you will have the greatest chance of Survival.”
–The Reynolds Family

“Make an emergency disaster plan ASAP with the guidance of Turpen’s ebook.”

“Disaster preparedness is a topic many families neglect and regret their disregard when it matters the most. In Survival of the Smartest, Turpen explains how to put together an emergency grab-n-go bag (which he calls a “bug out bag”), an emergency 72 hour kit for your car and the supplies you need to survive for three days. The tips provided are easy to understand and I truly believe that an emergency disaster plan is something every family should form and practice together.”
–Flora Richards-Gustafson

Survival of the Smartest: The First 72 Hours is also available in the Amazon Kindle Store at a steep discount. The Kindle version has no illustrations (because of Kindle limitations) and no bonus content.  If you’d like to get it there, click here to find out more.