All Your Food is Gone, Now What?

As preppers, we often talk about stockpiling food for SHTF scenarios. One of those scenarios is a run on the grocery stores or, worse, a collapse in the supply chain. But a scenario that we fail to fully consider is, “What happens if YOUR food disappears?” The scenario that southernprepper1 lays out in the video below is that, somehow, your food just disappears. Maybe it got stolen while you were away, and your neighbors don’t have any food stockpiled either! Now all you’re left with is whatever you have growing in the garden, animals, and that which can be sourced from nature. Watch the video and then I’ll share my thoughts.

Honestly, this isn’t something I’ve prepared for whatsoever. I’ve always assumed that I will have my food storage, at least until it gets used up. But it’s true that my food storage could just disappear one day. Maybe not due to theft, but a fire sure could ruin the day. So, too, could an infestation of rats or bugs or animals. Maybe you just left it in a bad spot, like a garage exposed to high heat and freezing temperatures. Sure, you thought the cans of food were good, but then they weren’t when you opened them. Now what?

You might assume that you would still be fine. Maybe you hunt, but so do a lot of other people, and then there will be those out attempting such things for the first time. I can only imagine how that will turn out. But do you know how to process whatever you’ve bagged? How about storing it for months? What I can say is this: local deer and other wildlife will be decimated in short order. Then what?

Gardening is wonderful, but it takes time. Most of us couldn’t survive the months of time it takes until those wonderful little potato spuds grow up. And then there’s the problem of having food planted before your food disappeared, seeds stockpiled, watering, weeding, and hoping something (or someone) else didn’t get to your veggies first.

Maybe foraging will be your savior? I don’t know about you, but besides the dandelions that have sprouted up in our front yard, I haven’t a clue what else could be potentially edible, and even then I don’t what to actually do with the dandelions. Maybe I should buy a book about that? But then I would surely get something wrong and end up deathly ill because I picked the wrong mushroom anyway, lol.

Fishing is always a potential option for many of us. My property happens to have a small pond with some bass and whatnot in it, but those fish won’t last long if that’s all we had to rely upon. And I’d imagine the local fishing holes will be knee-deep with other fishermen. But, if this is a problem that only affects you (and possibly your nearby neighbors) then it could be viable; same goes for hunting, I presume.

What is this happens in the winter? We assume such a tragedy would occur when there is a possibility of replenishment, such as by gardening or foraging, but tragedy often strikes when least convenient. I can only assume such a scenario would that much more difficult…maybe impossible.

The truth is that, as much as I prefer not to consider it, losing all (or most) of your food stockpile is a real possibility. At the very least, it will dwindle over time. Then what? You’d best be considering precisely what you’ll do if/when that time comes because, sadly, it may come sooner than you realize.


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Comments

2 responses to “All Your Food is Gone, Now What?”

  1. Frank

    What I have done is to purchase books on “survival gardening” and books such as “The Square Foot Method” by Mel Bartholomew which is easy to follow.

    I purchased a few written by David “The Good” Goodman because of his experience and knowledge raising food in Florida and Costa Rica. I’m in Orlando so I can adapt if I move, but for all I know, this is where I will be when things collapse. This means I won’t spend time reading how to grow food in other climates or foods that won’t grow at all in my own garden.

    We all have to realize that unless food is available that we have to learn how to grow crops or raise some livestock, and to hunt, forage and trap, so we should learn what’s available where we are and take advantage of it. We don’t have to learn about every weed or edible plant or be able to hunt or fish every animal on the planet, just what is around us. We only have to survive in our own environment. Understanding this should help alleviate some fears and anxiety. It reduces our burden.

    And naturally some of us will be limited by finances or skills, but I think we have to look at what we can do and not discourage ourselves with fear of new things.

    All we can do is learn what we need too and I try to buy or build equipment to execute a task. Get some books on wild edibles and look at what is around us and maybe buy or build some traps and learn to use them. Learn how to fish in local ponds, streams or oceans and what equipment you’ll need. This is no different than setting up a water collection and containment system or buying appropriate clothing. I know I just have to learn and get to work.

    Right now I can dehydrate food and that’s how I will supplement store bought staples and extend the shelf life of fresh produce. I do wish I could pressure can food or freeze dry food, but one thing at a time in due time and to the best of my ability to afford and to learn.

    I can also have livestock on my property, but I don’t know much about harvesting meat so I have to find help (butcher) or learn how to do it all myself. If I can feed them and shelter them I will then have a resource.

    The point is to maximize and utilize resources. Stock what we can, have the essentials, have seeds, encourage weeds and wild edibles to grow, know where they are, know what you can hunt, trap or fish and prepare ourselves to live through tough times.

  2. Greg

    Yes, I agree that would be a difficult situation for me too although I did buy a small book on edible weeds and how to prepare them and I also have a couple of books on bush tucker too. You do need to ensure that they àre applicable to your area since I live in Australia a weed bòok from the USA might not be a lot of use although some things like nettles and dandelions are fairly global in distribution, I don’t know if you would have things like mallow weeds etc. Although we do have deer, kangaroos and some fishing a few kilometres away it is more likely local cattle and sheep farmers would set up a local abatoir in exchange for goods and services e.g. working for the meat processing, guarding property or providing vegies etc. One thing that might be useful is seeds that you can harvest as microgreens which can typica?ly be harvested in a couple of weeks since most vegies take around 2 to 3 months starting from scratch and they can also be grown indoors in the off season?

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