Page 46 - Fall2020

An added advantage of these plants is that they are finding that their local farmers have wait lists. Many more—seeing
help our main plants by attracting beneficial that Covid-19 appears to be especially dangerous for individuals who
insects. They are often easy to grow indoors or were unhealthy to begin with—are renewing their efforts to improve
in spaces around other plants as well as in loca- their health and nutrition.
tions that typical garden plants dislike. For our family, events have been somewhat surreal. What we have
taught and practiced for years meant that when toilet paper was in short
LET THERE BE LIGHT supply and stores were swamped by hordes seeking out basic necessities,
Five kids and a farm mean that we have we were able to stay self-sufficient on our homestead for weeks, with little
often been awakened at night to deal with need to resupply or get mired in all the madness. We also were able to
problems befalling both two- and four-legged help friends and neighbors put in their first gardens. In addition, we have
creatures. As a result, of the many tools and expanded our on-homestead classes to help people more quickly learn a
gadgets we have around, our LED headlamps wide range of skills—sourdough baking, gardening, food preservation
and lanterns have seen far more use than I ever and more—while also sharing strategies for avoiding costly mistakes
expected! Importantly, both have red-light and setbacks. The array of people who have attended these classes has
modes. Things go wrong at all times of the year amazed us. Their serious desire to grow—literally and skill-wise—has
and at all times of day and night, so we have not been a constant source of encouragement in an otherwise challenging year.
infrequently found ourselves needing to take ac- If 2020 hasn’t convinced you of the need to prioritize preparedness,
tion in conditions of little to no light. Red-light I can’t think of anything else that would! I can promise you this: if you
modes let you work without ruining your night do it wisely and in keeping with Wise Traditions principles, preparing
vision and with less disruption to your body’s is something you won’t regret, regardless of what the rest of 2020 and
ability to go back to sleep. Headlamps also beyond brings.
keep your hands free, which for almost every
task is why we prefer them over flashlights. John Moody is a well-known food grower, researcher and author, ap-
(We still have a few flashlights but use them pearing at conferences across the country and helping people improve
infrequently.) their lives, land and health. His most recent books, The Elderberry Book
and Winning the War Against Weeds, are available at johnwmoody.com.
To power these gadgets, we use recharge- Elderberry products are available at abbyselderberry.com.
able batteries; these represent a substantial
financial and environmental savings compared REFERENCES
to standard batteries. The brand we currently 1. Runyon L. Are farmers market sales peaking? That might be good for farmers. NPR,
use is Eneloop, which has performed very well February 5, 2015.
for over five years. 2. Helmer J. Why are so many farmers markets failing? Because the market is saturated.
NPR, March 17, 2019.
3. Forman-Cook W. Growth of local food markets may be slowing, USDA report shows.
NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT Agri-Pulse, June 4, 2015.
I have told my children that they will never 4. Moody J. Eat your yard out! Wise Traditions, Winter 2019;20(4):49-51.
5.
Moody J. How to grow a massive sweet potato harvest with DIY containers. https://
forget the first six months of 2020—similar to www.gardeningchannel.com/how-to-grow-a-massive-sweet-potato-harvest-with-diy-
what 9/11 represented for my generation. With containers/.
the economic outlook remaining highly uncer- 6. Moody J. Year-round vegetable growing: more doable than ever. Wise Traditions,
Summer 2019;20(2):56-59.
tain, many Americans are now treating food 7. Bubel M, Bubel N. Root Cellaring: Natural Cold Storage of Fruits & Vegetables.
production and preparedness as high priorities. 8. Storey Books, 1991.
Moody J. Options for drinking water filtration. Wise Traditions, Spring 2019;20(1):62-
Tens (hundreds?) of thousands are turning to 67.
gardening, and some, turning to local producers, 9. https://johnwmoody.com/be-prepared/.

A NEGLECTED BUT USEFUL PREPAREDNESS ITEM: PAPER PLATES
Over the years, we have lost power and water numerous times; once, we even had our septic system freeze because
of a record cold spell. Under such circumstances, good-quality, compostable paper bowls and plates are a “must-have.”
They have consistently been one of the most useful preparedness items in almost every type of stressful or emergency
situation, ranging from sickness to thunderstorms to snowstorms that knocked out the power and thus water. Not having
to do dishes in an already tense situation is something no one is going to complain about! Paper plates make it possible
to conserve water and consume food with far less fuss, saving one’s energy for other tasks such as food preparation.
They also create another input for the compost pile instead of a mound of dishes.
44 Wise Traditions FALL 2020