Off Grid Alabama

BIG question; so I live in South Alabama, 36426 is the zip if you want to zone it. Here’s the thing, how do you live off grid? Lets really assume that we’ve all fallen off the grid, there’s really a dissolution of society to the extent that we can’t ever buy any food, ever again, so what do we do? What food do I grow, not only for the summer, fall, spring, what food? How do I do it? How do I smoke all the meat I need for winter? What food do I grow in the fertile seasons to sustain? Lets talk about seed saving, lets talk about community involvement, lets talk about how to mow a field of hay without gas, these are the questions I’m interested in. So lets have it; I want THE farm plan for survival for OFF GRID South Alabama.

AND; I want it without politics, because at this level all there is is dirt right, so this isn’t about survivalist fantasies, this is a slow thoughtful question that I would really like considered and answered as honestly and helpfully as possible. LIFE!

Sometimes Lunch Takes Months To Prepare

First move a bunch of dirt and compost, heap it into long piles, cover it in mulch, plant seeds in the hill you made, add water, wait, pray for rain, squish bad bugs, offer habitats for good bugs, thank the bees when they show up, Oh! and keep the dog from digging! Then one day, visit the purslane patch, then the squash patch, then the basil bush, wash the dirt off everything, trim, chop, simmer, and FINALLY YUM!!!!! LUNCH!!!!!!

This is Slow Food, and oh how sweet it is.

I just realized today while looking at some of my less successful plants, it’s still May. Just because it feels like August doesn’t mean it is August, I could start all over again, I have time to correct the mistakes, and try other experiments. It’s amazing how different the climate is down here, there is so much more time for growing than I had in the North East. OK, back to it!