My area has been presented with quite a challenging year. It's been very hot and extremely dry since the end of May. Garden produce has been seriously affected. For me mostly by the long and extensive heat. I garden in IBC totes so I do have control of moisture. That was the reason I went to this system, droughts. I have not been able to deal with the excessive heat.

Beans have fizzled. Low beet yield and tomatoes not setting fruit well. I got enough yellow beans canned but having to plant another green bean crop. Hoping for better results in the fall. Winter squash not setting fruit well so far. Red cabbage also fizzled.

Things that do look good are cucumbers. I have a few watermelons, onions and potatoes did well. Put up a nice amount of red raspberries and some strawberries and it is elderberry harvest right now. The elderberry harvest will be about half of normal. They have been severely affected by drought.

This weather pattern has drawn a lot of varmints to my barnyard and dooryard. I have put down a large number of predators this year so far.

Locally there was only a small first cutting of hay. Looks like no second or third cutting will happen. Pastures are all dried up. Retail feed prices have nearly doubled. Cattle producers will be forced to thin their herds. Most have been feeding hay for a month now.

Nothing beats a "Boots in the Field" report. Thanks.

Question: If it got so bad that you were truly looking at food survival; and wanted the highest probability of success, what "ONE" food would you plant to bet your survival on.....???

Oh, potatoes for sure. You can leave them in the ground or store them easily enough. I plant the small quarter sized ones in the fall after I harvest and they hold in winter weather and grow fine in the spring.

Hard to beat meat and potatoes to keep you going.

quote:

Originally posted by Aspen Hill Adventures:
Oh, potatoes for sure. You can leave them in the ground or store them easily enough. I plant the small quarter sized ones in the fall after I harvest and they hold in winter weather and grow fine in the spring.

Hard to beat meat and potatoes to keep you going.

I was 98.888% confident that would be your response, but I needed to ask. Thanks for the reply. Yukon Gold is my potato of choice, does very well in Alaska. I would think after meat & potato, that onions would be my third choice. Onions have lots of Vitamin "C".

For me, after meat and potato I would go for Purslane.

If I didn't have a pond for irrigation by garden wouldn't be doing very well at all.

Another very good variety for potatoes is Kennebec. Very tasty and grow very well. I also grow red skins and purple potatoes.

Still, being a skilled forager in addition to hunting, fishing and cultivation skills- all will keep you going. The main thing after collecting is preservation techniques along with knowing and being able to produce enough for your household. The more people you are feeding the more you will need. I know, obvious but a lot of people in America do not realize how much 'stuff' it takes to do that anymore.

A pound of food a day is reasonable survival rations.

I know a lot depends on ??.

A lot of hail damage around here is going to put a dent in crop production.

Grizz