Season Two of THE COLONY introduces viewers to a new group of volunteers with differing backgrounds, skills and personalities, to bear witness to how these colonists will survive and rebuild in a world without electricity, running water, government or outside communication. Over the course of 10 episodes, the colonists — who include a construction foreman, teacher, carpenter and auto mechanic — must work to utilize and strengthen their exploration, technology and survival skills in ways they’ve never had to before. THE COLONY features on-going commentary and input from experts in homeland security, engineering, psychology and the medical community, with expertise and insight into what the future could look like after a biological disaster.

Filmed on 10 acres of abandoned neighborhood on the Gulf Coast of Louisiana, THE COLONY’S simulated environment had been left decimated by Hurricane Katrina, a naturally occurring disaster zone that was slated to be bulldozed and turned into a public park. Empty buildings, weedy streets and the backwoods are all the colonists have to work with as they scavenge essentials for survival from their surroundings while fending off threats such as wild animals and malicious outsiders.

Throughout this season, the colonists face daunting physical and emotional challenges as they attempt to survive in a world void of all the niceties they’ve ever known, including environmental dangers such as disastrous weather and indigenous wildlife.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS 2010 SEASON OF “THE COLONY” AT  http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/colony/

There are a couple of things you can do to help reduce the risk of punctured bags.

1. Try to cut foods with a smooth, rounded shape. This helps to some extent, but once veggies have been dehydrated, they tend to “bunch up” and lose their shape. Even with the smooth, rounded potatoes, I have experienced bag punctures.

2. Use more heavy duty bags. The vacuum seal bags you find in your local grocery store are usually quite thin, about 1 or 2 mil. These work fine for most foods. However, if you find that you need something with more strength, bags are also available in 3, 4 and even 5 mil thickness. Just remember that the thicker the plastic, the more you’ll pay for the product.

3. Double-bag your items. This is usually the way I go when I have a food that is too pointy and sharp for a single bag, but rather than make double-use of vacuum seal bags, I first put my items into regular freezer bags, then into the vacuum seal bags. I can buy the store-brand freezer bags for a fraction of the cost of vacuum seal bags. Since most now come with a zip top, I merely cut the zipper portion off, fill the bag with my dried produce, throw in an oxygen absorber, then loosely fold the top, just so the food doesn’t fall out as I place the bag into a vacuum seal bag. Once the bag is nestled inside, the single fold loosens up, allowing air to escape as I vacuum seal the outer bag. The extra thickness allows me to remove the air, but not puncture the bag.

If you have any other suggestions or ideas, I’d love to hear from you!

Happy dehydrating!

You may already have a bugout bag, food supplies and a plan for getting out, but in the rush, you may forget some key tasks to secure your home.  Below is a quick list to help you make a plan for getting out FAST.

MAKE A LIST

Rather than trying to remember everything that needs to be done before exiting the house, take the time now to make a list of important tasks.

• Do a walk-through to determine what needs to be locked, turned off, put away, etc.
• Locate your home’s electrical panel and learn how to shut off the main breaker to your home.
• Also locate the main shut-off valve to your water supply and learn how to turn off the water at the meter (or at the well).
• If you have propane or natural gas service, find out how to properly shut off the gas to your home.  It may be helpful to have a technician help with this task to ensure that you understand how gas pilots might play a role in how gas should be shut off, and more importantly, how it is cut back on.

CREATE A “SHUTOFF” KIT

Having the right tools on-hand will help with the above listed tasks.  Be sure that you have the tools necessary to shut off the water, such as a wrench or a “T-Bar” in your toolkit.  If there are special steps required, document those steps and keep them with your kit.  Owner’s manuals should also be kept on-hand for questions about any appliances you may need to shut off (or restart) during an emergency.

BUILD YOUR EVACUATION KIT

In times of chaos, you may end up grabbing things you don’t really need while leaving important things behind.  Having your evacuation kits ready in advance will solve this problem.  Preparing for emergency evacuation is often less about purchasing supplies than it is about gathering what you need in a transportable pack or box and keeping it in a convenient place where you can access it on your way out.  The easiest kit to carry is an ordinary backpack.  While the contents vary by your own personal needs, I’ve included some suggested items:

• Flashlight (either a hand-crank type or battery powered with extra batteries)
• Water jug (collapsible water jugs are available at most sporting good stores)
• Water - this can be bulky and heavy, but water is a MUST
• Water purifier and/or water purification tablets
• Rainsuit
• Extra clothing (2-3 changes of clothing with at least one cold-weather set)
• Space Blanket
• Trash Bags (a variety of uses including keeping possessions dry, or even a make-shift rain poncho)
• Basic first-aid kit, supplemented with a supply of your prescription meds and pain relievers
• Extra socks (wool are best for keeping feet dry and warm)
• Toiletries (soap, toothpaste/brush, feminine hygiene products, etc)
• Sunblock
• Notepad and pencil
• Matches/Lighter
• Pocketknife
• Spare eyeglasses/contacts
• Cash
• Cell Phone
• Insect repellent

Some larger items that should be carried if possible:

• Sleeping bag
• Tent (Size appropriate for number of people in party)
• Additional water (can’t have too much water..)
• Additional pillows, blankets, etc for added comfort

Photo from car-crashes.org

Flooding is one of the most common natural disasters.  It can affect your home, entire neighborhoods or even an entire region.  Flooding can build slowly as steady rains cause creeks and rivers to swell out of their banks, or quickly as a wall of water brought about by torrential rain, a breach of a dam or levee, etc.. giving little or no time to prepare.

Here are some things you can do to protect your family, your property and yourself from flooding:

ADVANCED PLANNING

Proactive planning is always the best way to go.  Consider the following now so that you will be more prepared later.

• Plan evacuation routes that take you to high ground.  Know your area, particularly low-lying roads, bridges, etc that could pose a problem if the need arises to leave your home.
• Make copies of all vital records and an inventory of your possessions/valuables.  Store in a safe place such as a safe-deposit box or at a relative/friend’s home away from your home.  It’s a good idea to also do the same with treasured photos.  Consider making a digital copy to store in the event that your photos are damaged by water.
• Have the usual emergency supplies- flashlights, extra batteries and a radio that receives NOAA weather alerts.  Crank-powered radios can be a great asset since you don’t have to worry about having dead batteries when the radio is needed most.
• Store water.  Flooding can contaminate tap water, so having an ample supply of clean water available is key.
• Be sure you know how to turn off electrical service, gas and water valves in your home.  Local authorities will usually notify residents if shut-off is necessary in an emergency, or you may to choose to do so proactively if you plan to evacuate your home.
• Elevate items that are vulnerable to damage, such as boxes, appliances etc that are stored in a basement or ground-level floors that may be subjected to flood.

IF A FLOOD WATCH IS ISSUED

Flash flood WATCH means that flooding is possible in your area.  Flash Flood WARNING means that flooding is actually occurring or is imminent.  In the event of a flash flood WATCH, take these steps:

• Stay tuned to your NOAA weather station or a local radio or television station for emergency updates.
• Make sure your vehicle has a full tank of gas.
• Place your evacuation kits in your car or by the front door.  Evacuation kits include items like extra clothing, toiletries, prescription meds, food items, water- items to help you get by outside of your home.
• Move essential or irreplaceable items to an upper floor.  Secure outdoor items in storage or a high place to avoid damage or loss.
• When in doubt, evacuate.. You can always return home, but you may only have a narrow window of time to get out, especially if you live in an area with low-water crossings or are prone to flooding.

IF FLOODING OCCURS

If you find yourself caught in a flood:

• Wear sturdy boots, preferable high rubber boots.
• Watch carefully for downed electrical wires.  Do not approach them and do not approach any water into which a downed line has fallen.
• NEVER walk through moving water. Even 6 inches of moving water can knock you down.  Water can be deceiving, looking as if it is moving slowly, but lower currents can be moving quite fast.. plus water depth is unpredictable.  If you MUST walk through standing water, probe the area in front of you with a long stick or broom handle for hazards such as sink holes or debris.
• NEVER drive into a flooded area.  it doesn’t take much water (less than 1 foot) to float and wash a car from a road.  Plus, you cannot be sure of what is below the surface of the water.  Moving water can erode your path (even asphalt roads) leaving a hole that will put your car in unexpected depths of water.  Cars can easily stall when crossing high water as wiring becomes wet.

AFTERWARD

• Do not drink from your municipal water supply or from well water from a flooded area until you know it is safe.
• Avoid standing water.  There is a possibility of contamination from raw sewage.
• Stay out of structures that have been surrounded by flood waters.  The foundation could be damaged.
• Do not return home until authorities have declared it safe to do so.
• Clean and disinfect everything that got wet from the flood waters.  a 10-to-1 water/bleach solution can be sprayed on colorfast, solid surfaces.  Wash clothing and other fabrics in hot water with a strong detergent.  Dry at the highest temperature possible.

The key to safety during flood season is being alert to changing weather conditions and pro-active planning.

Stomach flu is usually caused by a viral infection in the digestive system, hence the medical name, viral gastroenteritis.  To prevent stomach flu, you must avoid contact with the virus, which is not always easy to do.

Food poisoning is caused by bacteria that grow in food that is not handled or stored properly.  Bacteria can grow rapidly when certain foods, especially meats, dairy products, and sauces are not handled properly during preparation or are kept at temperatures between 40 degrees and 140 degrees.  The bacteria produce a poison (toxin) that causes an acute inflammation of the intestines.

Suspect food poisoning when symptoms are shared by others who the the same food, or after eating unrefrigerated foods.  Symptoms of food poisoning may not begin for 6 to 48 hours after eating.  Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea may last from 12 to 48 hours for common food poisoning.

Botulism is a rare but often fatal type of food poisoning.  It is generally caused by improper home canning methods for low-acid foods like beans and corn.  Bacteria that survive the canning process may grow and produce toxin in the jar.  Symptoms include blurred or double vision, muscle weakness and headache.

PREVENTION

To prevent food poisoning:

• Follow the 2-40-140 rule.  Don’t eat meats, dressings, salads, or other foods that have been kept more than 2 hours between 40 and 140 degrees.
• Be especially careful with large cooked meats like your holiday turkey, which require a long time to cool.  Thick parts of the meat may stay over 40 degrees long enough to allow bacteria to grow.
• Use a thermometer to check your refrigerator. It should be between 34 and 40 degrees.
• Defrost meats in the refrigerator or by microwaving, not on the kitchen counter.
• Wash your hands, cutting boards and counter tops frequently.  After handling raw meats, especially chicken, wash your hands and utensils before preparing other foods.
• Reheat meats to over 140 degrees for 10 minutes to destroy any bacteria.  Even then, the toxin may not be destroyed.
• Cook hamburger well done.  Cook chicken until the juices run clear.
• Cover meats and poultry during microwave cooking to heat the surface of the meat.
• Do not eat raw eggs or sauces made with raw eggs.
• Keep arty foods on ice.
• When you eat out, avoid rare and uncooked meats.  Eat salad bar and deli items before they get warm.
• Discard any cans or jars with bulging lids or leaks.
• Follow home canning and freezing instructions carefully.  Contact your County Agricultural Extension office for advice.

HOME TREATMENT

• Viral stomach flu will usually go away within 24 to 48 hours.  Good home care can speed recovery.
• Watch for and treat early signs of dehydration.  Infants, children and older adults can quickly become dehydrated from diarrhea and vomiting.
• If you suspect food poisoning, check with others who may have eaten the same food.  If possible, save a sample of the food for analysis in case symptoms do not improve.

WHEN TO CALL A HEALTH PROFESSIONAL

• If vomiting lasts longer than one day in an adult.
• If sever diarrhea (large loose stools every one to two hours) lasts longer than two days in an adult.
• If signs of severe dehydration develop.
• If you suspect food poisoning from a canned food, or have symptoms of botulism (blurred or double vision, difficulty swallowing or breathing).  If you still have it, take a food sample with you for testing.

I got the idea for building a mini greenhouse from listening to Jack Spirko on TheSurvialPodcast.com. I haven’t really had good results with starting plants inside under grow lights or from placing them in a sunny window sill. The plants come up fine but end up lanky and weak. The look terrible compared to the big (expensive) plants you find at the garden centers.

I’ve always wanted a green house to start my plants in. The problem is the cost . You can drop several thousand dollars for a small one. The mini greenhouse can be built for less than $50 and an hour of your labor.

I built mine out of some left over 2 x 4’s. The greenhouse is 4 x 6 feet and 2 feet tall. It took 7 2 x 4’s . The reason for the 6 foot length was to reduce the number of 2 by’s and to not bee too heavy. The 2 foot leftovers are used in the construction as well.

Steps to building the mini greenhouse.

1. Cut two 2” x 4’ x 8’s in half to give you a a quantity of 4 pieces of 2” x 4” x 4’
2. Cut 2 feet off of 5 2”x 4” x 8’ to yield 5 pieces of 2” x 4” x 6’ and 5 2” x 4” x 2’.
3. Screw or nail together two separate rectangles of 4 by 6 feet.
4. Connect the rectangles together using the 2 foot sections of 2 by’s
5. Use some scrap pieces of lumber to add a little height to the middle of the top.
6. Connect the final 2” x 4” x 6’ to form a taller ridge in the middle (connected to the two scrap pieces in step 5)
7. Cover the frame with 6 mil clear or milky plastic. I used some scrap lumber to hold the plastic to the frame along the long sides.
8. Recommended: strengthen the corners or any sharp edges with shipping tape. The rubbing and flexing of the plastic on the corners will eventually cause some tears in the plastic without some reinforcement.

Using a Mini-Green house:

Put your plants in the mini green house and prop up one edge with a brick or scrap piece of lumber. If you don’t prop it up the plants can easily overheat.

Keep the plants watered and bring them inside when there is a danger of freeze or a frost. The green house does offer some protection from frosts (I left my plants in the green house during one night that had an non-forecasted frost and they survived) but it may not be worth the risks.

The mini greenhouse offers a lot of the advantages of a full size green house including increasing late winter and early spring temperatures enough for germination and good growth and increases the humidity. You can’t beat real sunlight to get plants off to a good start. It also prevents strong winds from stressing the plants.

The mini-green house is light enough to be able to open it (I roll it over on it’s side to water or move the plants) but still heavy enough to not blow over in strong winds. It does not have built in temperature control or heat but appears to work quite well in North Texas to help get your plants off to a good start. And best of all, it doesn’t cost thousands of dollars. After the danger of frost is over, it will go in the barn to be used again next spring.

This book has an excellent introductory chapter that gives a good feel of the entire book. I had to read the introduction several times because it resonated with me yet contradicted the way I have been gardening for years. Being told that intensive raised bed gardening is not the best method was difficult to accept at first.

The book does a good job of explaining why this is true but it took me a while to accept it. He also explains the advantages of being able to produce food with less reliance on municipal water supplies and oil or chemical based fertilizers. He even has his own formula for making your own organic fertilizer from materials you can purchase at feed stores. This complete organic fertilizer is based on agricultural waste products and crushed rocks.

There is a lot of information in this book. One of the most interesting things to me was how to grow enough food to feed a family using only hand tools. The author has done this and goes in to detail on how to do things like sharpen a hoe, prepare a new bed area, and how to make slightly raised beds. The tools of choice are shovel, hoe, bow rake, and a file to keep them sharp. I’ve expanded the size of our garden over the winter using the methods in this book and I must tell you - it is a LOT of work to break ground in new garden territory.

The author was the founder of Territorial Seed Company and has a lot of facts and recommendations about purchasing, saving, and starting seed. The author steers you away from purchasing transplants and buying your seeds from the garden center seed racks. This goes a long way towards explaining why I have had such mixed results using transplants and garden center seeds. The book explains the advantages of direct planting so I gave it a try along with some transplants. The direct plants seem to grow slower and take longer to start producing but they produced until frost and I ended up with much more production from the direct seeded plants compared to the transplants

The author separates plants into low-demand, medium demand, and high-demand crops and how to treat each type. There is a chapter devoted to how to water and not, making compost, insects and disease, and what to grow and how to grow it. All of this with eye of producing food without reliance on tractors, tillers, chemical fertilizers, and using very little water. The secrets to using very little water include plant spacing, weeding, and soil surface cultivation. I tried this on some of my garden last year after spending some time sharpening my hoe and the results were very positive.

I highly recommend buying the book and making it part of your gardening library.

Robert Brock is the facilitator and contributing author of HobbyOrchard.com.  An organic gardening and pecan tree enthusiast, Robert spends most of his free time working at his hobby orchard in North Texas where he specializes in grafting native pecans with improved varieties.Robert also writes for Country Consultant, Living the GOOD LIFE in the country.

Red-Tailed Hawk at our farm

The most common large hawk in North America, most birds are year round residents except in the northernmost areas. This is one of the most variable of the hawks as far as plumage is concerned. Adults of most forms can be told by the rusty red tail. In general the species is a large hawk with dark “hood” appearance and many have a dark lower belly band. This feature may not be present in the southwest forms. This species is often seen soaring lazily over the plains or woodlands or perched on a telephone pole.

One reason for the abundance of this bird is its ability to adapt to various habitats. In the east, any significant section of woodlands can have a nesting pair, even within major cities. In the west, barren canyon lands have nesting birds on cliff faces, and in the desert, large cacti often support the nest. Food consists of a wide range of rodents from mice up to rabbit size. Occasionally snakes are taken, including venomous forms.

Depending on the area where one lives, the key requirements to attract this species are available hunting areas in the form of extensive fields or open areas and woodland or other suitable nesting areas. Birds often come to regular feeding sites where carcasses from animals killed along the road can be found.

For pairs to breed, woodlands or other suitable nesting habitat and hunting areas rich in rodents are needed. In the east these habitats are the fast disappearing farmlands that at one time dominated the landscape.

**in-store coupons listed below were not doubled/tripled

Here’s what I purchased today:

Kellogg’s Cereal - Regularly 2.99 per box:
SALE: 1.69 each x 2 boxes= 3.38 with coupon 50 cents off 2 (doubled) = 2.38 — 1.19 per box

Kraft Miracle Whip - Regularly 3.76 each:
SALE: 2.50 each x 2 = 5.00 with in-store coupon 1.00 off = 4.00 — 2.00 per jar

Kraft Singles Cheese Slices - Regularly 3.00/pkg:
SALE: 2.50 each x 3 = 7.50 with in-store coupon 2.50 off = 5.00 — 1.66 per package

Kraft Cheese 8oz block - Regularly 3.49 each:
SALE: 2.00 each x 3 = 6.00 with in-store coupon 1.00 off = 5.00 — 1.66 per package

Red Gold Tomato Sauce - Regularly .69 cents each:
SALE: .25 x 5 = 1.25 with in-store coupon 25 cents off = 1.00 — 20 cents each

Ragu Spaghetti Sauce - Regularly 1.99
SALE: 1.50 x 2 = 3.00 with coupon 1.00 off with purchase of 2 = 2.00 — 1.00 per jar

Progresso Canned Soup — Regularly 2.39
SALE: .94 per can x 3 = 2.82 with in-store coupon .75 off = 2.07 — 69 cents per can

Clorox Bleach - Regularly 2.19
SALE: 2.00 x 2 = 4.00 with coupon 50 cents off purchase of 2 (doubled) = 3.00 — 1.50 each
Coupon Buy 2 bleach products, get FREE package of Clorox wipes - value = 2.99

Bounty Paper Towels 8 Roll Pack - Regularly 7.39
SALE: 4.99 with coupon savings 50 cents (doubled) = 3.99 — less than 50 cents per roll

Charmin TP 12-Pack - Regularly 7.39
SALE 4.99 with coupon savings 1.00 = 3.99

Maxwell House Coffee - Regularly 8.99
SALE: 5.99 with coupon savings 1.00 = 4.99

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If all items had been purchased at regular price, I would have spent: $75.72
Amount saved through sale pricing: $23.81
Amount saved with coupons: $14.50
Total price after sale/coupon prices: $37.41 — that’s a 49.4% savings on items I use daily!

…and the two fabric grocery bags were FREE because I completed a telephone survey and returned the validation code to the store.

Not bad..

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For starters:

On a sheet of paper, list your family’s favorite foods. Think about breakfast, lunch and dinner. Try to put down as many meals that the entire family likes as a collective, and then branch out to meals that maybe most members like (taking into consideration that you may have a “fussy eater” in the household). Leave a little space between each item and list at least 2 or 3 breakfast meals, 4-5 lunch meals and 4-5 dinner meals. Using the space you have left between the listings, write down all of the ingredients needed to prepare that meal.

You will discover that most of the meals that you make contain a mixture of fresh, pre-packaged foods, refrigerated/frozen food and canned food. The goal is to strike a new balance so that you have enough items that are non-perishable and requiring no refrigeration to reduce your dependence on those types of food.

Notice that I didn’t say that you need to stop using fresh, refrigerated and frozen foods. The goal is to create an EMERGENCY food pantry that coincidentally contains foods that you currently eat so that you can rotate as much of the food as possible for maximum freshness.

I do not feel that it is necessary to give up all of the luxuries of our current lives while they are readily available and affordable. My goal is to have the peace of mind that comes with knowing that I will be able to feed my family if some type of disaster strikes.

So, with that said, take a look at your food list and the ingredients it takes to produce those meals. Are there any meals on your list that you can easily store all of the ingredients for without having fresh fruit or produce, refrigerated or frozen items, fresh meat, etc? If so, these are great items to start with as you prepare your food storage plan. Add them to your list of foods that you’ll be buying.

If you found that most of the ingredients are storable, but some aren’t, try to think of substitute ingredients that can be stored that might work well in a pinch. For example, if your family really loves chicken salad with celery, sliced tomatoes on a bed of salad greens—maybe you can substitute canned chicken (or the chicken in a pouch) for fresh chicken, celery seed or celery salt to add the flavor of celery, canned tomatoes or a nice bowl of tomato soup, and whole wheat crackers. In the spring and early summer, you’ll still have that bed of lettuce if you grow a garden, not to mention a nice beefsteak tomato sliced up on the side.

Your family likes spaghetti with meat sauce? Spaghetti stores very well and there are a variety of sauces in a jar or can that taste pretty good. Try some chicken spaghetti, using canned chicken.

Breakfast foods like pancake mixes are easier than ever to store. Opt for the mixes which only require water. They may cost more than the other mixes, but eggs and milk may not be available if there is no power to keep them cool (although powdered milk is an option as long as it is consumed on the day it is mixed, otherwise it will need refrigeration).

Even powdered eggs are available for purchase, but this is one of those items that most likely you will not find in your neighborhood grocery store. In most cases you will need to order them from a specialty store.

Once you are able to get this basic plan on paper, you can easily begin to add these food items to your food storage pantry. Don’t worry that you don’t have enough variety at this point. Most people eat the same handful of menu items over and over again in their regular life, so why would you suddenly decide to change your cooking habits in the event of a disaster? Sticking to foods that you (and your family) are accustomed to eating will not only make your life easier, but it will also retain a sense of normalcy that your family may desperately need.