Best Home or small farm method

I’ve taken many gardening and permaculture classes, but by far the best way to grow your own food is explained in John Jeavons’ book “How to grow more vegetables And Fruits, Nuts, Berries, Grains and Other Crops Than You Ever Thought Possible on Less Land Than You Can Imagine”. I also recommend taking his biointensive workshop in Willits CA. Jeavons has you plant at least 60% of your garden plot with high-calorie potatoes, corn, beans, and grains.

Grow food with calories that doesn’t need refrigeration

This is essential because it won’t be long before refrigeration goes away as the grid gets less reliable. You will need to grow as much of your own food as possible, and try to have supplies of dried corn, beans, and above all wheat, which stores the longest – up to 25 years if properly stored. Grains are the basis of civilization because of this. It was very common to have a year or more of bad harvests. Anyone who could afford to stockpile enough grain to see them through these years of hardship stood a better chance of surviving until growing conditions were good again.

Any kind of seed, whether its wheat, beans, corn or whatever, is chock full of nutrition, because it has to have everything a baby plant needs. They’re full of vitamins, minerals, essential healthy oils, fiber, and can also have a good amount of protein.

You need to start using whole grains and legumes now, don’t wait to plant them. I wrote a book called Whole Grain Artisan Chips and Crackers to teach people how to use any kind of grain, nut, legume, or bean flour to make crackers, flatbreads, and chips. Besides being delicious and easy to make, crackers can last up to a year, so they’re a good emergency food, and I eat them as my go-to snack since they never go stale like bread. This is the most simple food you can make — just mix flour and water.  You don’t have to buy the book, my website www.wholegrainalice.com has videos and recipes.

Plant an orchard with nut and fruit trees

Hazelnut trees are a good choice (see Woody Agriculture – On the Road to a New Paradigm)