In light of the Recent Pandemic

If there is anything that this world-wide Covid-19 pandemic has taught us, it is how delicate our food supply has become and the chaos that ensues when there is disruption in that supply chain.  Now, more than ever, it is important for our families, and community, to become as self-sufficient as possible. 

The government is in place to govern, not supply our most basic needs, that is OUR OWN responsibility.  If, and only if, you are not physically able to care for yourself, due to physical disability, and your family cannot provide for you, should you look to the governing body to help you.  

We need to start taking some lessons from our Great Depression and war era (great-)grandparents; plant a food plot at home.  If you live where you do not have land for a garden, think about growing food inside your house, on your porch or balcony, even a roof top, rent a plot in a community garden, ask your landlord and/or community leaders to use an empty lot for a community garden, use a church property to grow food for the poor, there are many places a garden can be established, just look around.

You’ve heard the mantra “Grow food not lawns”, it really is not that hard to do, especially if you utilize raised or elevated garden beds.  By having a garden bed above ground, you do not have to till or dig up the ground, there is a lot less weeding, if any at all, to do.  It will take about half a day to set-up and plant your raised garden bed, then to maintain the bed about five minutes a day, if that.  Water it when needed, prune if called for, check for bugs, pull a wayward weed.  Watch it grow. Do you know how satisfying it is to watch something you planted grow into food for your family? Very rewarding!!  

Start small, put in a raised or elevated bed or two, start now.  This food shortage, pandemic or not, is not going to change, it’s going to become more prevalent as the world’s population keeps growing and farmland keeps shrinking.  Many large farms in the US are now being bought by foreign interests, to feed their own countries, it is scary, and it is real, and it is happening now.  Now is the time to get started on planting a garden when you may have extra time on your hands, get the whole family involved, children tend to eat more vegetable if they are the ones growing them.

Just one 2’x4’ or 4’x4’ raised or elevated garden bed can supply you with quite a few vegetables, check out the sample garden plot below, and the ones found on our website: www.AaronsHomestead.com. Many of the items can be re-planted for two-three crops per season.