A Working Rain-Collection System

Recently, I received these pictures from Troy Cormier who built a working rain-collection system.  His system has a capacity of 10 barrels as well as a built-in water level gauge.

 This picture shows that main inspiration for the modified system below.

(Click any picture to enlarge) 

 A raised frame for the barrels.  

You can see the drilled holes for the PVC that will capture the water from the bottoms of the barrels.  Troy adds, "The main structure is 6x6 posts with 2x12 cross beams at the bottom and 2x10 cross beams at the tops.  There is no cement on the 6x6 posts, but they are at least 3 feet in the ground."

This is the rain capture system connected into the home's rain gutter.

Another angle.

All of the barrels and the water drains beneath. 

 A closer view of the pipes under the deck.

 

 A multipurpose hose spigot and larger drain.

 These two photos and diagram show the water gauge, built so the owner doesn't have to always open the barrels to find out how full they are.

Some answers from Troy:

How long does it take to fill all 10 buckets?   

A light rain can take 24 to 48 hours of rain to fill, a good heavy rain 12 to 24 hours.  That is with only about 12 to 14 feet of gutter.  I have plans to add 20 to 30 feet more of gutters to cut the time down even more..

What do you use the water for?

Gardening.  Where I live they charge for every $1 of water used, a $2 sewage charge - so a $100 water bill will be a $200 sewage bill with a total bill of $300.

How long could the water last if you start from full capacity?

I guess it depends on the size of the garden and what you want to use the water for.  I have a small garden, two 4x8 beds.  It went 2 to 2.5  weeks without raining this summer and i was just about out of water when it rained again.

Troy adds:  Remember one thing when building - water weighs a lot!   8.34 lbs a gallon.  My system is 550 gallons that makes a full system 4587lbs!!  

Thank you, Troy, for sharing your rain-collection system with us! 

Trek

Photo belongs to the author of this blog.  Please do not use without permission.

I've been heavily involved with our church pioneer trek reenactment during the past many months.  We were able to trek the actual Mormon Trail near Fort Bridger, Wyoming.  We just returned a couple of weeks ago.  I haven't experience many things quite so humbling as to strip away many of our conveniences for several days and survive without. 

It was hard!  I had some medical inconveniences that resulted in my only walking about half of the projected 17 miles.  I was tired and worn out - even though I regularly walk several miles up and down hills.  We survived two thunderstorms with torrential rain (which had to be bailed out of our tent because there was so much water).  I was reminded about just how dependent we have become on technology and modern inventions.  I loved taking a shower at the end of our trek experience. It was so easy to just turn on the water - hot and clean. I almost cried when my husband told me he had just put fresh sheets on our bed.

I couldn't have survived like my past grandparents did - because I don't have the skills that they had.  Our water was trucked out to us - but it often ran out faster than it was available.  My grandparents had to look for their water and then hope it was clean.  Wyoming seemed devoid of life and food.  I was grateful for coolers full of food and refrigerated trucks instead of a measly 1/4 cup of flour a day like my two grandmothers had. 

We have so much!  But we rely heavily on others for it.

Just another argument for self-reliance!

2011 Garden

Photo is property of author.  Please do not use without permission.

Gardening isn't something that you just do.  It's actually a skill that you develop.  That's why it's so important when it comes to self-reliance that you try to plant a garden each year, whether a large plot or a few pots on a patio.  If you wait to develop those gardening skills, you risk a failed garden when it really matters.

Every year that we've planted a garden - which is most of the past 14 years - we've had new adventures.  Last year, we dealt with the encroaching shade from a quickly growing maple over the fence.  Now I know where *not* to plant my tomatoes.  We also tried "solarizing" a section of our garden to reduce the weeds last year.  We put clear plastic (edges buried) over a section of the garden.  Unfortunately, the plastic wasn't durable enough to make it through the heat of the summer. 

Some of our ongoing successes:  We have tomato volunteers every year.  It seems like such a fragile plant, so I'm always thrilled to find those new little plants.  I also have a fantastic rosemary plant that comes back year after year.  We're expanding our raspberry row because they are so popular that our kids sneak into the garden just to eat them.

This year, we're trying square foot gardening in addition to our regular garden.  It's been pretty expensive to set up two 3.5 x 7.5 beds.  The jury is still out on whether or not it's worth the extra cost. 

It's been a very wet spring.  I missed planting my spring crop of lettuce, peas, and spinach because I kept waiting for a dry Saturday.  I finally gave up and found a Monday afternoon late in May to get my summer crop of strawberries, beans, onions, carrots, watermelons, tomatoes, potatoes and peppers planted.  Almost three weeks have passed since dropping those seeds into the ground.  I was actually expecting that I'd have to replant, but this afternoon I discovered these late, but very welcomed, bean shoots finally emerging.  I can also see carrots and barely an onion or two.  No watermelon plants yet.

I'd like to learn how to collect my own seeds.  I've tried several years in a row now, but have only harvested Marigold seeds with success.  I suspect that eventually I'll get it - but see - another reason to practice gardening now. 

How is your garden doing?  What have you learned from past gardens?  Successes?  Failures?  What do you want to do in the future?  I'd love to hear all about it!



Are We Still The Good Guys?

In the book The Road written by Cormac McCarthy, a father and son travel through a ravaged post-apocalyptic world.  Over and over the son asks his father, "Are we still the good guys?"  This question is posed in extremely difficult situations which include making the choice to share food and possibly go hungry themselves.  Clearly many characters are no longer good guys, but have abandoned their humanity with completely selfish actions, some of which are beyond imagination.  Others, despite their realizations of the consequences, reach out anyway.  The father, with his heart full of the desire to save his son, struggles throughout the book with the questions of how to act - with selfishness or with compassion.  And his son over and over helps him to remember that goodness and humanity is the answer.

Lately, as I've browsed the news, I been both thrilled with the unselfish actions of the good guys and simultaneously disappointed in extremely selfish actions of others.  I look at the ravaged neighborhoods of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Sendai, Japan and Christchurch, New Zealand and read of looting1 and exploitation.  From preparedness sources, I read about individuals who claim they won't need food storage because they have guns and plan to take it3.  I read of plans to loot, steal and hide2 resources from fellow neighbors if tough circumstances arise.  Thankfully, in contrast, I see individuals with destroyed homes and lives setting their own needs aside and helping neighbors who are worse off.  I hear of the poorest families sacrificing their own funds to help a little in these disaster areas.  I hear of families storing extra so they will be able to help their neighbors if needed.

I'm not so naive as to think that there aren't people out there that will continue to act without humanity regardless of what I think and say.  I also recognize the need for me to provide for and protect my family in difficult circumstances.  But what is survival without humanity?  If sharing and helping others meant my family would starve?  Well, I would much rather have the last acts of my life be ones of compassion and charity rather than of selfishness, greed, and violence.

As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I look closely at the example of Jesus Christ.  His life was full of compassion and love despite knowing his death would ultimately result from those actions.  He was definitely one of the good guys.

I encourage you in your preparedness plans and in your home-storage plans to plan with compassion rather than selfishness and to plan with love instead of greed.

And make sure that you ask yourself over and over and over again, "Are we still the good guys?"


Source:
1 - http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42834400/ns/weather/
2 - Sorry, not going to post the links and add traffic or credence to these sites. 
3 - http://www.survivalblog.com/2011/04/two_letters_re_confronting_tho.html

Self Reliance Thought

"Everyone is happier and feels more self respect when they can provide for themselves and their family and then reach out to take care of others."  

President Henry B. Eyring

First Counselor

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

April 2011 General Conference

Grow a Garden

After writing my last post, I have continued to think about ways to blunt rising grocery prices.  After reading a news article about produce prices rising because of freezing weather in unusual places, I realized I should have listed a fourth suggestion to my previous post on rising food prices.1  So here it is:

4)  Grow a Garden

I recognize that growing a garden isn't always the cheapest way to put produce on your table.  However, gaining gardening skills gives you the ability to supplement your three-month supply with fresh foods regardless of their cost or availability in stores. 

You might think that you can only grow a garden during the summer season.  However, there are many seeds that grow well in the cold temperatures of spring and fall.  With some planning you can grow lettuce, peas, kale, cabbage, broccoli, swiss chard, spinach, radishes, beets, cauliflower, carrots, turnips and parsnips.  You can also grow vegetables in pots inside your home or in a porch with a window all year long.  Many crops, such as potatoes, apples and carrots can be harvested in the fall and can last throughout the winter (if stored correctly).2

One family in our area invested in a back-yard greenhouse.  Medical dietary restrictions required one member of their family to live off of produce only.  They were aware that it would be difficult/impossible to store foods for that person.  So, they bought a small greenhouse.   Now they have fresh produce all year long.  Can you imagine the possibilities?  I would love to have access to a citrus tree here - and could if I had a greenhouse.

One year I served tomatoes from our garden for Thanksgiving dinner.  That's not remarkable if you live in Florida or Arizona, but we live in Utah.  Earlier in the fall when I knew it was going to freeze, I picked all of the remaining ripe tomatoes.  I also picked all of the green tomatoes that were shiny (the dull ones won't usually ripen).  I stored them in a mostly-dark, cool place in our basement.2  I separated the tomatoes so that they didn't touch each other.  I checked on them periodically throughout the next several months and brought up the tomatoes as they started to turn colors. 

Truly, a garden can provide fresh produce all year and can protect us from the ups and downs of pricing.

Source:
1 - Deep freeze escalates produce prices
2 - Vegetable Harvest and Storage

Rising Food Prices

Several news sources have been reporting ongoing food shortages and resulting rising food prices.  In fact, the UN food and agriculture organization just reported that world food prices are at their all time high (since they started tracking prices 20 years ago).3

Unfortunately, home storage is not likely to completely blunt rising prices.  Even if you lived completely on your home storage, you would eventually run out and have to start replacing at the higher prices.  There are several things you can do, however, to maximize your money and utilize your home storage to give you extra savings in these circumstances.

1) Wait for sales.

Having a good  home storage allows you to pay attention to sales and purchase only when items are cheaper than they might be at regular prices.  When you already have a good supply on hand, you can ride the waves and maximize your funds.

Several years ago a bucket of wheat climbed to $25 in our area.  Because I had a good supply of wheat, I didn't need to replace my wheat right away.  In fact, a year or two later, prices dropped down to $14 a bucket which was the lowest I'd seen.  I was able to wait and replace when prices were low.  Here's another example:  I like to buy refried beans when they drop to $.50 a can.  Instead of the normal yearly sales, prices seemed to continue climbing.  I had almost decided that it was time to replace anyway when I noticed an advertisement for $.60 a can.  I paid a bit more, but at least I didn't have to pay the regular price of $1.19.

Now you have to be careful about doing this.  You can get burned by waiting when prices just continue to climb.  I try to keep a minimum amount on hand, replacing those minimums at the higher prices if necessary so that I won't be caught without a good supply of food.

2) Be aware of WHY food prices are rising.

Wheat prices are very volatile.  Disease, drought and/or flood in different parts of the world affect crop prices.  When wheat prices went up several years ago, I was aware that there were some drought-issues affecting wheat prices.  I was fairly confident that these weren't long-term issues, that wheat crops would return to their normal levels and that I could wait to replace the storage that I had used.  In fact the next year was a bumper crop and prices dropped to new lows. 

By the way, there is a usually a delay before rising/lowering prices hit the market, so you may have to wait to see the price changes.  The wheat crop this year has suffered from both drought and flood so prices will be going up in the future.  My neighborhood store, however, still has wheat buckets from last year's inventory and prices are still good.

There is a cascade effect that happens when commodity prices increase.  When wheat prices go up, so do pizza, bread and cereal prices.  Recalls can also affect inventory and pricing.

Knowledge gives you buying power!

3) Maximize your education and skills.

Inflation, unfortunately, is real.  Prices will continue to climb.  One way that you can ensure that you stay on top of rising prices is to maximize your salary potential.  Keep your job skills current.  Get extra education when possible.  Make sure your spouse is doing the same.

Obtaining high levels of education and skills mean in tough times you will be more likely to keep your job and/or find a job.  In two different circumstances, I competed with 70 and 90 other candidates for a job.  I was hired and told afterwards that in both cases I was different than every other applicant because I had two bachelor's degrees in related fields.  Additional education made all the difference in the opportunities presented to me.

Those with the most education usually have the highest paying jobs and often the best job security.4   Make sure you are able to adjust and adapt to a changing world with rising prices by always learning and gaining new skills.


Want some good news?  Rice, milk, and meat prices are down.2   Ice cream prices are also down.1  It's a good time to stock up!


More on the importance of education:
http://iprepared.blogspot.com/2009/03/education.html

Sources:
1 - Rising food prices sour Utah families
2 - Food inflation isn't in every grocery aisle
3 - World food prices hit record highs
4 - Education equals job security

Serving Others

I am completely convinced that we are blessed in our lives with so much abundance so we can help others. I think home storage plays a similar roll. When we have an abundant home storage, then we can take our of our family's needs and still help those around us.

I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas and urge you find a way to help others during this Christmas season. Make it a family tradition! Our annual family service tradition brings the Spirit of Christ and Christmas into our home especially when selfishness threatens to prevail.

The first commandment is to Love God and "the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There are NONE other commandment greater than these." (The Holy Bible, Mark 12: 31) I don't know of a better way to show love to God and our neighbors than by serving others. In fact, Christ was teaching us this principle when he said, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." (The Holy Bible, Matthew 25: 40)

Be generous with your funds, time and talents. And be generous about the circumstances of others. Everything that we have comes from God. "Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have? . . . O then, how ye ought to impart of the substance that ye have one to another." (The Book of Mormon, Mosiah 4: 19, 21)

I know that Jesus Christ, my brother lives again. Merry Christmas!

Self-Reliance

This morning, I was directed to this new site found on LDS.org on self-reliance: Self-Reliance.

It's not got a ton of information, but there are some great quotes and ideas about becoming self-reliant. I love that half of the content under self-reliance resources talks about the importance of being self-reliant so we can, in turn, help care for the poor and needy.

Basic Principles of Welfare and Self-Reliance

Last February, I attended a training meeting specifically geared for LDS church leadership. We learned all about self-reliance and welfare principles. And in fact, our stake has encouraged us to teach these principles for our first-Sunday lessons, which we have been doing for almost a year.

There was so much great information given, but the materials were not generally available, so though I've wanted to, I've waited to post some of the great quotes. I discovered today, however, that the information is now available at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' website. Here is the link: Basic Principles of Welfare and Self-Reliance. (PDF link)

And here are some of my favorite parts:

ELDER ROBERT D. HALES

"The first building block may be described as provident living. This means joyfully living within our means and preparing for the ups and downs of life so that we can be ready for the rainy-day emergencies when they come into our lives. Provident living means not coveting the things of this world. It means using the resources of the earth wisely and not being wasteful, even in times of plenty. Provident living means avoiding excessive debt and being content with what we have."

"It is important to understand that self-reliance is a means to an end. Our ultimate goal is to become like the Savior, and that goal is enhanced by our unselfish service to others. Our ability to serve is increased or diminished by the level of our self-reliance. As President Marion G. Romney once said: “Food for the hungry cannot come from empty shelves. Money to assist the needy cannot come from an empty purse. Support and understanding cannot come from the emotionally starved. Teaching cannot come from the unlearned. And most important of all, spiritual guidance cannot come from the spiritually weak” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1982, 135; or Ensign, Nov. 1982, 93)."

"As Latter-day prophets have counseled, some of the most important welfare building blocks have to do with preparing for the future. Preparing for the future includes making a spending
and savings plan with our income. . . Preparing for the future also includes obtaining an education or vocational training and finding gainful employment. . . If you are seeking a new job, increase your faith in the Lord’s desire and power to bless you. Also seek counsel from those you trust, and don’t be afraid to network and ask for help in finding a new job. If necessary, change your lifestyle—and possibly your place of residence— to live within your means. Willingly seek additional training and learn new skills, regardless of your age. Maintain your health and stay close to your spouse and children. And, above all, be grateful. Express your gratitude in prayer for all that has been given to you."

"Every year Church members contribute to the digging of wells where there is no other source of drinking water. Consider the benefit of just one of these wells, dug in a remote village. While some might characterize it as a strictly temporal blessing, what are the spiritual blessings to a mother who had previously walked hours to get water and more hours to bring it back to her children? Before the well was dug, what time did she have to teach her children the gospel, to pray with them, and to nurture them in the love of the Lord? What time did she have to study the scriptures herself, ponder them, and receive strength to bear the challenges of her life? By putting their faith into action, Church members helped quench the temporal thirst of her family and also provided a way for them to drink freely of the water of life and never thirst again. By being faithful in living welfare principles, they were able to help dig “a well of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:14)."


JULIE B. BECK

“Self-reliance means using all of our blessings from Heavenly Father to care for ourselves and our families and to find solutions for our own problems.” Each of us has a responsibility to try to avoid problems before they happen and to learn to overcome challenges when they occur."

"How do we become self-reliant? We become self reliant through obtaining sufficient knowledge, education, and literacy; by managing money and resources wisely, being spiritually strong, preparing for emergencies and eventualities; and by having physical health and social and emotional well-being."


As I cut and paste these quotes, I find myself tempted to post everything. The entire talks are worth reading!

self-reliance

Marie, at Food Storage, A Necessary Adventure, recently wrote about the importance of perpetuation, or the need to gain skills that allow you to replenish your storage supplies from your own resources. Marie is currently learning about storing and using her own pumpkins. I love her thoughts on perpetuation. If you are able to consistently replenish much of your storage with items that you produce and preserve, you become self reliant and the idea of "If you are prepared, you shall not fear" (Doctrine & Covenants 38:30) translates into a whole new level of confidence.

You may recall from a recent post on home storage centers that Kevin Nield, director of bishop's storehouse services for the welfare department of the LDS Church, said "Following the guidelines of the First Presidency is about "the spirit of preparation" and the "idea of being strong and self-reliant . . . " So, in my own words, the purpose of home storage is a lot about self-reliance.

Becoming self-reliant in a way that you can count on, however, definitely takes practice. I think that is the main reason that we've been counseled to grow a garden. As much as you might wish it was different, you can't just pick a spot and grow a successful garden. We've been growing a garden for more than 10 years now and we still have regular failures. It takes practice to grow a garden, to preserve peaches and to gain the skills that allow us to be able to count on more successes than failures.

Initial efforts with home storage, especially for the beginner, are often centered on simply acquiring supplies. That's great! As you acquire food supplies, you are doing exactly what the prophets have asked us to do. I suspect that as you gather your supplies, you will be filled with the "spirit of preparation" and have a desire to be more self-reliant. That's what happened to me. And now I find myself wanting to gain the skills of producing, preserving and personally perpetuating my home storage.