Sweet April Elephant!
"If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear."
D&C 38:30
Spiritual Goal:
Attend the temple one more session that you normally do this month.
Provident Living Goal:
If you normally do not grow a garden, plan to grow at least one vegetable this year. If you already have a garden, either grow a vegetable you haven't tried before...or try a new method or technique this year.
Storage Goal:
- 2 pounds of yeast per person.
- 2 pounds baking powder per person.
- 1 pound soda per person.
- 1 gallon vinegar per person.
- 10 cans evaporated milk per person.
- 10 pounds peanut butter per person.
- Spices, condiments and vanilla.
72 Hour Kit:
- 4 granola bars per person.
- 2 sticks beef jerky per person.
- 1 package chewing gum per person.
- Hard candies or lollipops...at least 12 per person. Rotate items every 6 months...Conference time is a good time to do this.
Spring Time is Garden Time....
A Prophet's Words
"We encourage you to grow all the food that you feasibly can on your own property...Grow vegetables and eat them from your own yard. Even those residing in apartments or condominiums can generally grow a little food in pots or planters. Study the best methods of producing you own foods." -- President Spencer W. Kimball
Springtime is the time to think about gardening! Whether you love to garden, feel guilty about not gardening (me), or have just never considered it, being able to grow some of your own food is an important part of emergency preparedness and provident living. You don't have to have a large garden and spend your life canning to enjoy the benefits of growing some of your own food. Everyone has different needs and lifestyles...gardening can fit them all.
Container Gardening
Perhaps your time is limited, your health is questionable, or you plan to travel extensively over the summer. In these cases a container garden might be a good options. Why not plant your food in pots? For example, you could have one tomato, one zucchini, and one cucumber plant...each in it's own large pot. Set up a drip watering system with an automatic timer. This arrangement would require minimal care, but could still provide a lot of fresh food.
Small Gardens
Even a garden as small as 2 ft. by 3 ft. can provide a family with lots of fresh food. Gardening magazines often include plans for miniature size gardens. If you don't want to have a garden per se, how about "sneaking" a couple of vegetables into the landscaping? There is always zucchini...which even I can't kill. And there are plenty of bush-type plants that yield a lot of vegetables, like yellow squash, tomatoes and cucumbers in wire cages. A row of radishes or baby lettuce could be planted early on; they'll be gone before the regular plants begin to bush out. I like the idea of flower bed gardens because I am just too lazy to walk....all...the...way...out to the backyard!
Share the Wealth
We can help each other out by sharing the surplus from our gardens. Not just the dreaded zucchini, but peppers and herbs and other ingredients for our canned salsas, chili and spaghetti sauces. I will always be happy to pass on the info if you have produce to spare and wish to share.
Free Resources
There is more free info than you will ever need online or on Pinterest! These resources cover everything you would ever want to know...from container gardening, to organic gardening, to complete self-sufficiency.
Have a Happy and Productive Month, Sisters!
