About Farming and Survival

Here’s a short article that puts into words what I think much better than I can.

1930s Farm Life

The Great Depression changed the lives of people who lived and farmed on the Great Plains and in turn, changed America. The government programs that helped them to live through the 1930s changed the future of agriculture forever. Weather touched every part of life in the "Dirty 30s": dust, insects, summer heat and winter cold. York County farm families didn't have heat, light or indoor bathrooms like people who lived in town. Many farm families raised most of their own food – eggs and chickens, milk and beef from their own cows, and vegetables from their gardens. People who grew up during the Depression said, "No one had any money. We were all in the same boat." Neighbors helped each other through hard times, sickness, and accidents. Farm families got together with neighbors at school programs, church dinners, or dances. Children and adults found ways to have fun for free – playing board games, listening to the radio, or going to outdoor movies in town.
When the dryness, heat, and grasshoppers destroyed the crops, farmers were left with no money to buy groceries or make farm payments. Some people lost hope and moved away. Many young men took government jobs building roads and bridges. By 1940, normal rainfall returned, and federal programs helped to boost farm prices and improve the soil. About the same time, a new government program started to hook up farmhouses to electricity, making farm life easier and safer. (read the rest)
http://www.livinghistoryfarm.org/farminginthe30s/life_01.html

Notice that it mentions federal programs. Tax payers money had to be used to save the farmers. That gives you an idea of how profitable and safe the activity is during hard times.

The lesson I learned from my hard working grandparents is that you don’t want to depend exclusively on farming for putting food on the table, paying the bills, paying for your health insurance, heat, etc.

When my grandparents lived in Spain, my grandma’s family farmed for a living. Buying a few liters of oil, flour, the things they didn’t produce meant they had to sell a lot of what they produced to afford them. It was extremely hard work for little profit in terms of both food and purchasing power. My grandma became a teacher and soon started with classes, traveling through the small towns nearby, teaching in the houses where a few neighbors would gather. She got paid with food and some money. In those days it was a bit of an honor to host the teacher, she generally went to the wealthiest, biggest home in town where more neighboring children would fit for the class. My grandfather made a better living because instead of farmer he was a good carpenter, made good roofs which were much appreciated and sought after, and he got paid well for his work. That provided him with a better income and a better quality of life in general as well. When he came to Argentina they didn’t buy land to farm. My grandma opened a small bakery that soon became pretty successful and my grandfather opened a carpentry shop that went well too, soon had a workshop that occupied half a block. They had a house with an orchard and chickens but my grandmother said she’d never go back to farming. 

Unless you have several hundreds or thousands of acres and make an important amount of profit, farming really isn’t that safe an occupation. Like the article above explains, many farmers lost their land during the great depression because of this, were forced to take other jobs and so on. Basically its the same old story in USA, Spain during the civil war and my country too.

Meanwhile there’s resourceful people that find ways of making lots of money during hard times like these, while at the same time creating job opportunities for others in need as well. I think that’s just as honorable a profession as working the land. You get to make money and give jobs to other families as well.

The way I see it, producing food in most cases should be combined with a more profitable, safer occupations if possible. That’s why I’d rather have a small orchard, some fruit trees and small animals, but no more than that and certainly not make it a full time job.

Another thing that I think is important to mention regarding farming and survival is that such an activity basically pins you to your location. Emigrating like some Jews did when they saw what was coming, how my grandparents did during the Spanish civil war or how my own parents, brothers (and I’ll do as well) after the 2001 crisis would be much harder if not downright impossible if you depend entirely on your land for your survival. You need enough money to start over and you’ll have to get some other kind of job. Most immigrants worked in factories and today its not that different. People emigrating abroad usually end up with a 9 to 5 job and you’re much better off if you have a profession that allows you to do that more easily. In my grandfather’s time it was carpentry, for my old man, my brothers and myself it’s a degree (architecture, accountant) and above all, fluidly knowing a second language. A degree and being fluent in English and Spanish means that pretty much you can find a job in half the countries round the globe. That’s what I think is the smartest thing to do, and the more adaptable survival strategy. 

I certainly have nothing against farming. I just see to many weak spots from a strategic survival point of view. I thinks it’s a honorable way of life, my grandparents on both sides of the family farmed and even today we have relatives that keep living and farming in the same town they did 200 years ago. I’ve visited them. I would not want to switch places with them and I know perfectly well that their situation is much more vulnerable from a survival point of view because of what I mentioned above: a) little income therefore little flexibility and less money to acquire resources b) they are pinned to their location and leaving would be much harder. Natural or man made disasters that affect their location will have a direct impact on their lives, losing their source of sustainability.

YMMV of course, just my opinion on the subject and all that.

FerFAL

Suicides after the Crisis

In close relation to the post “What kills you after an Economic Collapse” is the issue of suicide, which I thought desered a sepparate post.
Suicide had already gone up 60% through the nineties and up until 2001 before the economy finally collapsed. It went up 30% from 2000 to 2001 alone, so the link between suicides and harsh economic times is no mystery. From 1998 to 2008, suicide in Argentina has gone up 102%.
In average, 8 people commit suicide in Argentina per day, 50% of them young people, between 14-24 years old. While this is still around the international average and far from the higher rates of suicide often found in countries with excellent quality of life, its still noticeable. People kill themselves for different reasons, and poor socioeconomic conditions is one of them. Argentina has the highest suicide rate among young people in Latin America.

But lets not only look at Argentina alone, its not the center of the world after all, how about other countries? In Greece, suicides have DOUBLED since the crisis started and in Spain for every 1% increase of unemployment there’s a 0.8% increase in suicide.
I have mentioned before that around here suicide had become so common, it actually bothered me when I went to work taking the train, and someone decided to throw himself under the train at 8 am in the morning, a desperate way to get someone to notice the poor person in his final moments.

Where and Why

What surprised me the most is that Buenos Aires, where most of the population concentrates, is not where most of the suicides (per 100.000 inhabitants ) is taking place. Often it’s the poorest provinces.
Santa Cruz, Catamarca and Salta dispute the top of the list every year.
In Salta for example, suicides have gone up 328% since 1997, mostly young people 15 to 19 years old. Recently I’ve seen it mention on the news and its alarming to see kids from school just chocking themselves to death, sometimes filming it with their cellphones.
Now, Salta is a small province, its capital city where most of its population concentrates barely has 464,678. A wave of suicides took place in the town of Rosario de la Frontera, with just 24.000 inhabitants, where five teenagers between 13 and 14 years old killed themselves in only 3 months.

I find this to be surprising, given that we’re supposed to believe that after an economic collapse, small town lifestyle is supposed to be healthier both mentally and physically for both children and adults. Yet it is in these smaller and often poorer provinces and towns where suicide has peaked, often following unemployment.
According to several reports it seems that its not unemployment directly the reason why teens and young adults kill themselves, but rather the lack of hope in a better future. The difference seems to be subtle but its important to notice it since these poor towns are already used to poverty and hardships. Seems that not seeing light and the end of the tunnel, so to speak, is what pushes these people over the edge.

Another factor seems to be contagious suicide. This is something that experts believe to be possible, specially among teens. I don’t know if contagious is the right word (maybe its more about imitation) but there’s definitely something along that line. When Marilyn Monroe killed herself in 1962, suicide in USA went up 12%. Suicide rates increase when someone famous kills himself and the media pays particular attention to it. In small towns, people usually know each other better and its not unrealistic to expect a “celebrity” reaction when someone that is well known by the inhabitants kills himself, or when the local media deal with the news.
Its interesting to notice theses things, pay attention to them if a family member has a tendency towards depression. Be ready for it and specially discuss it in the family if your community sees something like this going on.

Take care folks,

FerFAL

QuikClot for Major Bleeding

Ferfal,

Compliments on the recommendations of antibiotics on amazon. As a former Army officer, and professional in risk analysis, first aid is tremendously important to everyone during our everyday lives. It doesn't have to take a widespread crisis for life to decide to come take a shit on your head. It happens, and with or without help, your life, or the life of friends around you may depend on what goodies you've got to take care of the situation. Here's a recommended first aid pack list for the expert traveler (which incidentally includes antibiotics) http://www.concierge.com/images/cnt/pdf/UltimateFirstAidKit.pdf -from Conde' Nast of all people ;-)

Bad things happen, and those bad things typically fall into two categories, short term (like a commute to work) and medium/long term (vacation, camping, disaster of some sort). In short term life threatening situations we focus on stabilizing the person and evacuating them to emergency services (hospital, EMTs, Medics). In these short term situations that means "ABCs" (Airway, Breathing, Circulatory) and treat for shock, heatstroke and hypothermia. This is basic first aid stuff that everyone should take the time to learn.

For trauma the focus is on keeping the patient alive and losing blood is a pretty common way in which people die before reaching medical help. The idea is to keep them alive until you can get them to more professional help (hospital etc). I carry a trauma-focused first aid kit in both my wife's and my car, and my laptop bag/briefcase. The one personally mandatory trauma item I emphasize as a must have isn't typically in off-the-shelf first aid kits is "QuickClot", especially anyone who does recreational shooting / hunting. Quickclot is a chemical powder that in the event of someone bleeding out, you stuff a pack of this in the wound which will stop the bleeding. There's videos on the net demonstrating stopping arterial bleeding on a pig using the stuff. It's standard issue to US soldiers, and I say a must have for every home. If you can keep someone from bleeding out long enough to get them to a hospital, you can save a life.

At home I would recommend those with any interest in trauma first aid to keep a bag or two of saline as well (especially those that enjoy recreational shooting at off-the-beaten path areas and ranges.  Saline gives volume to someone who's lost alot of blood, and can help stabilize them.  Giving an IV isn't that hard.  Even front-line military personnel are trained in giving an IV as part of "combat lifesaver" training. 

As far as the long term, you made a pretty good case for the antibiotics.  To the guy who asked if you could determine a viral vs bacterial infection... well alot of doctors prescribe antibiotics to people who have a cold to make them go away... and that's a virus.  Just have some common sense, do a cursory amount of research and don't be a dumbass and you'll be fine. 

Net: For those who wish to take control of their own destiny, choose not to be a victim and be able to provide basic first aid after a farm, car, construction, home, recreation, shooting, etc accident, it's a given. 

Regards,

"Black Six"

Excellent email “Black Six”, thanks.

I completely agree with you regarding the antibiotics. People sometimes fool themselves thinking doctors do complete blood analysis over every little thing, while the truth is that when they suspect bacterial infection, they just give you some broad spectrum antibiotic (like amoxicillin) and see how you evolve.

Quikclot is excellent stuff, thanks for bringing it up. I remember reading about how its saved thousands of lives already, stopping soldiers from bleeding out. A must have in your survival kit and EDC kit too. The QuikClot Trauma Pak has 25gr of quikclot, gauze, dressing, trauma pad, triangular bandage, duct tape, etc, everything you need to stop major bleeding. (video link)

 

Adventure Medical Kits Trauma Packwith QuikClot 

Here’s the video you mention. (WARNING: Graphic blood) VIDEO LINK The link shows a video of a pig that is being opened and its femoral artery cut. It starts pumping blood like crazy. That’s what happens to you if you get shot or stabbed there too people! Happens in accidents too.

The doctor uses QuikClot and stops the bleeding. Its impressive how effective that stuff is. If your not sensitive to bloody scenes, I recommend watching it if only to see how bad a femoral wound bleeds. Pigs are often used in these tests because they are the most similar to humans. That’s how you would bleed too.

QuikClot also has something called Combat Gauze. Here’s how you use it.

Again Warning: Graphic material.

Quikclot Combat Gauze video link 
I really like how this product works, looks easier to manipulate during messy situations.

  

QuikClot Combat Gauze, 4 Yard Roll

Basic first aid along with GSW (gun shot wound) training is very important. As you say, an IV isn’t that big a deal and learning how to use them is of great value for a survivalist. In a previous post I mentioned that my son almost died, he had been vomiting for three days and we couldn’t hydrate him. Guess what was the first thing they did when we reached the ER? That’s right my friend, a IV with saline to hydrate him. His lips where dry and were back to normal in a matter of minutes, his condition improved visibly. Then they gave him some glucose through the same IV.

Just a couple days ago, a kid was shot during a robbery. They shot him in the leg after surrendering his car during a carjack, he just got his drivers license. They shot him none the less, just because. He bled out there on the street. A pack of Quikclot might have saved his life.

A small first aid kit can be carried with you at all times if you have a bag for every day carry. I’d also include a good amount of sterile dressing, a tourniquet and an emergency bandage  (Israeli bandage).

Again, thanks for your email, take care.

FerFAL

Reply: Antibiotics 500mg ... for the fish.

Dan said...

So, if my, um, fish need to use that, what would the dosage be? You know, for the fish? Say my fish were about 150 lbs (I have a big fish tank), how much and for how long would I give my fish? I'm sure the labels don't cover, um, fish that big!

:)

Dan

ps: heh - the word verification is "prepers"!

Depends on the type of antibiotic you are using and your age and weight. You can google the dose for each type. :-)

Before antibiotics where discovered, a simple infection most likely ended your life. There’s a chance you’ll get better, there’s also a chance you’ll get worse, and that’s where it gets interesting: If you don’t get antibiotics prescribed, the infection keeps spreading and you eventually die.

During a trip to USA a few years ago I ended up with a sore throat. I ended up with an infection but pharmacies in USA don’t just cell you antibiotics without a doctors recipe. (more power to them of course, its not as if antibiotics are more dangerous than antifreeze if you drink it, yet I can buy all the antifreeze that I want). I should have gone to the doctor and pay the small fortune but kept finding excuses not to go. By the time I took the plane back home the infection had spread and it was turning harder to breathe. It required a long treatment to control and then stop the infection and I was left with a nasty scar in the throat for my stupidity. I don’t travel anywhere without a couple of broad spectrum antibiotics any more.

This may sound like dangerous ground because in general terms its not safe to take medicine without medical supervision.

Having said that, doctors are not God, even though we are brainwashed to believe so. I’m 31 years old and already have had the following experiences a) A doctor of recognized reputation almost killed my son by not telling me to take him to the hospital even though he had been throwing up for three days. He said it was normal and not to worry, just hydrate. Had I listened to him my son would be dead by now. b) A fancy (expensive) doctor told me I had to get surgery in my right wrist after a boxing injury. Otherwise, he said, and I quote “you could end up losing your right hand” I’m just fine and in fact keep drawing, shooting and boxing, lifting weights without a problem. c) With my son’s illness, it took over 20 doctors to actually find one that was smart enough to figure out what he had. This doctor simply ran every single test he could think of until he had a positive result in one. Not exactly a medical genius, just following a rational scientific method. d) Just last week, a doctor almost killed my sister prescribing her corticoids for her back pain she just didn’t need. She ended up hospitalized for 3 days. Good for her she stopped taking them when she started feeling ill.

Now I know better and understand that doctors are just people, in the most cases people that aren’t that smart either, or have their heads so deep into their asses they just don’t listen to you. Now I take everything doctors say with a huge grain of salt, if I don’t trust what I’m hearing I’ll get at least two other opinions or more.

Bones Said:

Additionally, "-cillin" type (and many others) antibiotics carry a risk of fatal anaphylactic shock if the patient is allergic, which is fairly common.

It is certainly not fairly common and most people know soon enough if they are allergic or not. Have you taken Amoxicilin before? Then you know if you’re allergic or not.

Besides, self medication is a truly bad idea because most people aren't doctors and infections aren't something to play around with. Can YOU tell the difference between a viral and bacterial infection just by looking? I can't.

I can, not by just looking but because of prior experience. You know your body better than any doctor, you know your children. Say I have the flu. Feel sick, fever. Do I start popping pills? No, you go to bed, hydrate, drink tea with lemon and honey, chicken soup too. If the fever is high I start taking something for it. Aspirin, Ibuprofen. Why? Because that’s what has worked (and what doctors told me to do) the last 20 times my kids, my wife or myself had it. In my case it sometimes gets worse. The fever doesn’t go down. In that case, the last 10 times this has happened, I was prescribed Amoxicilin 500mg. and it worked. Guess what I’ll be doing if I have those same symptoms, I have the antibiotics, and I don’t have a doctor around to say “yes, take it”. 

Its not that different if you have an infected wound. In some cases you can control it, the body takes care of it, but in others you see the redness around the wound, it feels hot, infected. If there’s no doctor around and the infection just gets worse as the days go by you can a) wait until you die b) do something about it yourself and try with a broad spectrum antibiotic like amoxicillin or Clarithromycin.

(Warning: This is in no way medical advice. Always go to the doctor and do everything he says.)

This is an emergency/post disaster type “what if” exercise where there’s no professional medical help available. One in which you’ve done some research about what antibiotics can do, you’ve read “Where there is no Doctor” and you happen to have some sort of antibiotic at hand.

Amoxicillin covers a borad spectrum of uses. This is what you generally get prescribed when there’s respiratory infections, wounds, or you’re getting a tooth pulled. In my case (31 year old average height and weight adult) they give me 500mg every 12 hours for 7-10 days depending on the doctor.

If you’re allergic they give you Erythromycin, or so I’ve heard. If your fish happens to be allergic it’s the same thing. Erythromycin (read the reviews, people are happy with how its been working for their fish)

  

Fish Mox (Amoxicillin) 250mg, 100 Capsules

Guys. I like to think that my readers are smart, responsible adults. None of this is medical advice of any kind. Personally, I have a big box full of meds of the type you guys just cant buy across the counter unless you go to Mexico. The most important ones I have, the ones I know can be life savers in some situations, those are antibiotics. If you need them and you don’t have them you may die, that’s why I stocked up on Amoxicillin 500mg, also the pediatric version which is the same thing but in liquid form and 200mg, Clarithromycin and Azithromycin. Thinking about getting Cephalexin. These I get legally in Argentina across the counter in pharmacies.

What if I couldn’t get these? I’d do what I can in case my fish get sick, I’d learn what each antibiotic does, the dosages and try not to use them but would use them in a worst case scenario, when a vet is not available. 

FerFAL

Antibiotics 500mg ... for the fish.

Ferfal:
Stumbled upon your blog and love it. I agree for the need to be prepared, but, agree with your outlook that to prepare for the Zombie Apocalypse is probably none to realistic.

I congratulate you on your reply to the gentleman who appeared to state that ones race determined their criminality. As a white guy who has adopted a Filipino girl and an African American girl I can tell you race does not determine anything. Environment, culture, and education determine far more. My girls are being raised in church, a church where whites, Latinos, Blacks, Asians, and others all go to worship together. Racists are stupid.
I have attached a picture to show you how beautiful they are, not for publishing please.

Secondly, it seems some folks have asked you about antibiotic sources in the USA. One can find many antibiotics on Amazon.com, you have to search for fish antibiotics. These are made to USP pharmaceutical specifications. I have checked and they are of the same quality as that made for humans. I am a Registered Nurse who works in the Pharmaceutical industry, also a former US Navy Corpsman. I do not know about the legalities of you sharing this with folks in the US. If a blogger posted this in the US one would state that using these for human consumption and without a MD prescription should only be done in case of an emergency where help is otherwise not available.

Please do not share my name.
D-

Hi D, thanks for your email. I've always wondered about those. Seems that the manufacturers themsleves have to some degree the same thing in mind since they put the specs in the label as they do with the ones for humans.(500mg pills)
Panikillers you can live with, but not having antibiotics when you need then will get you killed. Its pretty simple. When you need them, nothing else will do.
Amazon sells these... interesting. Read the people's review.

Fish Mox Forte 500 mg x 100 ct

Given that these are hard to come by in pharmacies, I'd get one or two and rotate each year.
For the fish, that is... Seriously. Its' the one thing you'll desperately need when you, I mean your fish,  have an infection.

FerFAL