Although there are lots of food threads laying around here, this one's being inspired by the one at: http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=000Xx6 (in case you want to refer back).

Here's what I'd like to see in this thread:

I'd like to read about the experiences and impressions of everyone who's actually gone something like 60 days without food from a grocery store.

I'd like to read about the experiences and impressions of anyone who's actually grown, hunted, produced a year's food supply and lived on it (mostly - some supplemental "conventional" purchases perfectly okay in this category).

I'd like to read about the recent experiences and impressions of anyone who's purchased quantities of food in preparation for y2k and is now living off them (as in "practicing" or getting into the y2k swing of things).

There aren't any rules in these forums, I know. But if possible, I think it'd be interesting to "limit" postings to those who have actually had real world experience with this sort of thing instead of everyone jumping in with speculation as to what the food situation will look like 12 or 18 months from now. That stuff has its place, but something tells me if everyone could "stick to that rule," this would either wind up being a real interesting or real short thread.

-- Curious (momslaw@moms.com), February 27, 1999

Answers

I grew up during the second world war in holland. We had no electricity and managed fine. We as a family became closer and communicated and talked more. We would sit together in the evening with one candle, which we continually rebuild. As soon as it had burned down, we softened the wax in the sun and put in an other piece of cotton string and used it again. We were still able to get bread, but nothing to put on it. We put the following on our sandwiches and they were very delicious! Radishes, cucumber, onions, lettuce, etc. We even cooked the radish leaves like spinach and it tasted very similar. We got firewood from the bombed out houses, which we raided at night. Life was tough, but we managed and were happy. The Germans at times used raids to pick up men from their homes to ship to Gernany to work. We boarded up our front windows to make it look like nobody lived there. It worked and nobody bothered us. This is also my plan for Y2K. I bought chipboard and cut it to size for each window and numbered them so I can put them in place very fast. Then I will put broken glass on the ground by our front window to make it look like we already have been raided. Good luck to all of you during Y2K!!!

-- Freddie the Freeloader (freddie@aol.com), February 27, 1999.

Thirteen years ago our family of five lived in a 10 x 55 trailer. Our food was from our garden. We raised pigs and chickens. We used gray water (garden hose hooked to back of washer) to water the garden. If I used bleach I had to redirect the hose away from the garden. Chickens were let out each morning to forage for food. They would go back in the house to lay. Our main meal was vegetables. I let the squash get really large, then hollow out and fill with other vegetables then bake. Breakfast was obviously eggs. We collected wheat by hand. Ground it by hand. Made bread by hand. Killing the pigs and chickens to eat was the hardest! They were like pets so we only did it as a last resort. Had a goat for milk and weed control. We lived like this for about three years. Until I went back to work 6 months after by youngest was born.

Not easy, not fun, but you can survive! I feel for city folk. They have no clue what they may be in for. The physical demand will get most of them.

-- laf (laf@cal.com), February 27, 1999.

There are lots of us old timers around who have lived like this. Grown all our food, heated and cooked with woodstove, milked cows/goats, even spun wool and knitted sweaters and hand wove rugs, etc. Its no big deal not having power, IF you have water. Even if you have to haul it from the creek in a bucket. However.......this surviving is not the hard part if you have the ground and water, its the society that surrounds you. The poor, the sick , the hungry and the mauraders. The lack of morals; the idea that they will take what they want and the hell with you or anyone else. We shot lots of game, but not neighbors. That to me is the big hurdle.

-- Taz (JHaral2197@aol.com), February 27, 1999.

Freddie:

What an excellent post! You are a true survivor and will get through Y2K with your skin intact.

I plan on acting very poor when Y2K hits. I'll dress in my worst clothes and not shave. However, if I can detect an honest person who needs help and food, then I'll provide. Meanwhile, I'm dealing with the nincompoops who don't GI. They are SO VERY CONFIDENT that NOTHING will cause America to collapse. They don't know what YOU know. They are ignorant. They should awaken and take action, but... they're waiting for a signal, a certain alert, and THEN they will act. BUT THEN IT WILL BE TOO LATE!

I like you and your suggestions. Keep the faith!

-- dinosaur (dinosaur@williams-net.com), February 27, 1999.

laf:

I appreciated your post! The problems facing those who dwell in the cities may become so very troublesome that some may give up and die! There must be water in a city for people to dwell there. When Y2K hits and water cannot be obtained, then I expect many city folk will head out for the outlying country.

Thirst has first say!

-- dinosaur (dinosaur@williams-net.com), February 27, 1999.

Taz:

Yes, the big problem is having water. Those who are in high populated areas are in peril of having NO water. I live in northwestern Ohio and have access to ponds and creeks in the country. It will be a pain to transport water using plastic containers, but I'll cope with the worst case scenario when it happens.

-- dinosaur (dinosaur@williams-net.com), February 27, 1999.

You asked for it:

" Toward evening we went back to the scene of slaughter. Slowly we approached the manure pile while looking around for witnesses. When we felt unobserved, we climbed it.

Pigs root for truffles. Vultures rip cadavers.

Shit, this is soft.

The viscera glistened on the green altar. We grabbed the entrails, quickly wrapped them in newspapers and dropped them into the shopping net that we had brought with us.

Did I dangle in this at Doebeles?

We hurried back home. I felt guilty for stealing and for not having washed my hands. Oma always told us: Erst die Haende seifen, dann zum Essen greifen. Now Little Brother and I grabbed the food while ignoring the advice that was pounded into us so many times. Maybe we could wash the food instead, before we ate it. Back home we placed our haul on the kitchen table and went back out to play.

***

"Eat this," Ma ordered.

Little Brother and I stirred around our potpourri. Each waited for the other one to take the first bite. I could not bring myself to try one, thinking about the innards and where they had been.

Whats worse? Hunger pain, eating pain, whipping pain?

As we wavered, Ma helped in our decision when she reached for her waist ornament. "I will eat this," I mumbled courageously.

Does cowshit spoil food? Beetles in flour sauce? Vive la haute cuisine. Porc de la manure avec crhme beetle.

Under the threat of punishment, Little Brother and I slowly consumed most of this nutritious, if not delicious meal. Chunks of rubbery air tubes provided good exercise for our jaws. More so than the Wrigley's gum we received from our relatives in America. It also strengthened our characters and nourished us to deal more effectively with future gourmet meals.

The moral then is, when times are tough stay close to a manure pile. "

You have my permission to add this to your cookbook file.

-- Not Again! (seenit@ww2.com), February 27, 1999.

Not Again, I'm circling over your breakfast.

-- Lawyer (esquire@mountains_of_dollars.vulture), February 28, 1999.