FOOD - our fragile system and the powers that seek to control it.

Food is not as fun to discuss as guns, knives, and other essentials. However, it is, in my somewhat informed decision, likely to play a critical role in whatever large scale catastrophe is awaiting mankind.

I neither condone nor encourage the consumption of humans. However, I have researched the historic evidence about canniblism throughout history in protracted survival circumstances as part of my attempt to educate people moderately aware of the perils facing mankind. Again, the purpose of my research was to shock individuals into understanding the depth of seriousness a food crisis creates. I would never resort to the act as I hold humanbeings in extremely high regard and have no interest in defiling the dead.

My knowledge is related to deep research into human behavior while subjected to extreme survival circumstances. I conducted corresponding research into contemporary views regarding depravitity to gauge the likelihood of savage behavior in modern times. The topic generally enraged uninformed individuals who espoused a utopian vision of the end times wherein all people would join hands and sing kumbaya. This is in obvious contradiction to all historic evidence regarding human behavior in critical circumstances. The level of self delusion I encountered, ironically, reinforced my concerns about a canabalistic apocalyptic scenario as many in the now defunct "prepper movement" where woefully under prepared for the realities of a world without the rule of law. Therein these individuals would have participated (willingly or unwillingly) in the creation of the very environment they denied had existed.

We must all remember that our "first world" view of food has changed. Most individuals do not grasp the fragility of our food supply and distribution systems. Thus, they anticipate the never ending availability of Twinkies at Wal-Mart. Their cupboards are as bare as their knowledge of food production, food acquisition and preservation.

The "first world" has never been more susceptible to a food crisis than now.

I cannot buy a bell pepper made in the United States locally. One major EMP event and every subjected tractor, cultivator, and semi truck will stop working. The government subsidizes soybean and corn so fields once being soil enriched with cattle manure are now covered with these crops. Therefore, farmers do not even possess the beasts of burden required to till, plant, and harvast crops in the traditional ways.

GMO is also invading every corner of US agriculture. If you're uniformed about the potentially castrophic effect of GMO food ask a biologist what they think about people releasing invasive species into nature. They'll likely tell you about the havoc created by the apple snail and others. Short story: they destroy the indigenous species. Now, what happens when an organization creates "patented food" that cross breds with indigenous species? Monsanto sues the farmer for patent infringement. They have not been defeated in court. This is a serious issue on two fronts: heirloom seeds are disappearing (the only type of seed capable of producing the same plant from harvasted seeds) and one mega corporation is exerting increasing control over our food supply: they will literally sue you if their product falls out of a grain truck and sprouts on your property.

Randy, if this topic is too incendary - delete the post.

Gary, I think that it is a VERY good Post! We here like guns and knives, that is a given. TO ME that also means we are concerned about life in a Post apocalyptic situation, one in which we HOPE we would survive until our NORMAL lifespan ends. YES, it would be a much different life, more difficult on ALL levels, but one that again we all wish we would survive.

Patty and I were just talking the other day about "Heirloom" seeds/plants and also, don't forget animals. I suspect that not many "Ranchers" raise their animals without the benefit of modern science.

Absolutely - great comment on animals.

We raised all of our chickens without growth hormones, antibiotics, non-organic feed. We felt the strongest would survive. They did. Their offspring were stronger for it.

I am sure the information is out there, but I wonder how many people the world (specifically the United States/Canada) would support if we had to depend on TRUE Horse power and the REAL Sweat of our Brows for our lives and seeds/plants from a bygone era.

I have access to enough MRE's to last Patty and I through about any disaster that we might have to go through here in Southeast Missouri, but that is NOT survival, that is just surviving through a disaster of some sort, NOT a life long change.

Gary,

I have used "The Walking Dead" show as a conversation piece with some people not about "survival" but about human nature. One friend is Eastern European and is always saying "why did they have to kill or leave that person, if they all just worked together...etc etc". And my position is, sadly, there are people they should have dealt with or abandoned sooner. To emphasise my point (that in any post apocalyptic scenario - be it Zombies (yes I feel you cringe from here mate ) or a food crisis the MOST dangerous thing will be OTHER PEOPLE.

Like those points you have already made, the trend will be that people decent into the most basic state of "surviving". In many cases that will be indirectly at the expense of others but in many cases directly so.

The example I use at work now centres on OMCGs (Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs) or MEOC (Middle Eastern Organised Crime) but can include any criminal gang/organisation. They ALREADY don't conform to any sense of social norm and happily flaunt laws and harm others for their own gain. Just how does anyone think they would behave when the rules went out the window and the constraints of society that exist now (however fragile) were no more ? They certainly would not be doing a "Toy Run" or collecting canned food for Syrian refugees. They would attempt to take control and they would use all the violence and contempt that they could. I would propose much like "ISIS" without the religious justification.

Trust will no doubt be one of the rarest commodities in existence.

Andy,
I agree 100% with you.

In the past, I had ongoing and escalating arguments with self proclaimed preppers who had this utopian view of the end times. They all wanted to call me out as pessimistic and even "dangerous" for discussing the "72 hours to animal" principle. Ironically, these same people were enthralled with the Z (twice in one day is way too much) concept. Some even attended a themed ball. I found it hard to reconcile their absolute refusal to acknowledge we won't "ascend" into a neo socialist agriarian society but instead will DECEND into a hellish nightmare wherein staying alive is virtually impossible with their love of all things Z (THREE TIMES!).

That particular group eventually banned me from their site after I had made THOUSANDS of contributing posts with gear reviews, etc.

I am most leery of these types of individuals. They're physically armed but mentally unprepared for the stark and bleak prospects of a cataclysm. Some openly WANTED something to happen. These people are complete unknowns. Their inability to cope with the psychological realty makes me fear they will turn to uber predators. These people were mostly well armed and trained types.

Yes mate there is a fine line of "something" that holds together our "civilisation", in recent years we have seen what can happen when that line is strained and not even broken (LA Riots, Katrina in NO, London in 2012, Macquarie Fields and Redfern here in Aus, Ferguson MO, RAWANDA in 94, Sierra Leone), some of those examples are left field and people will argue "Third World" but the reality is that the human beastie is only just under the surface already in many societies.

I have significant first hand experience dealing with the worst society has to offer. I know and have seen the depravity and violence that some will inflict on others for either fun or just to make a point, I do truly hate to imagine what it would look like without any constraints in place whatsoever. Feudal warlord'ish I suspect.

I see one of the hardest tasks in such circumstances is to maintain one's humanity. I am already pretty hard of heart, whilst also being the guy trying to gently steer people in the right direction. If push comes to shove I am afraid I will be short on "the milk of human kindness" but I firmly believe that I will not become a "general predator". The scared and unprepared (psychologically and physically) actually scare me more than the truly bad. They will be rash, ill considered and hysterical. All things that are very difficult to easily manage. They will be the people that would see everything lost because they have little and are bleating on about it/jealous etc. Or they will be the ones who will run to the predators looking to sell another out for a small morsel.

At least the truly bad/predacious are predictable in so far as the avenue to best manage them is clear.

Oh and ...Zombie Zombie Zombie....

Ditto on top quote.

You are hard of heart on the bottom quote.

My family has been building up a reserve of non GMO seeds for around 5 years now we have and grow enough of the essentials to be GMO free most of the time but yes some veggies are almost impossible to get viable non GMO.

Greaser, for the veggie "Seeds" you are having a hard time finding NON GMO, check with Amish and Mennonites you have living in your area. They may not have what you are looking for, but MIGHT have a source from other areas/parts of the country.