My concerns for safety and security in the Kearny area.
No matter what plans you make; changes in your family, living conditions, and location means you need to re-evaluate your plan. What you store, how you store it, and where you store it depends on your plan, your living conditions, and financial security.

02 May 2010

Seed Banks

This is not an advertisement for or against seed banks, only some things to think about for your own emergency preparedness.

I've seen and hear commercials for emergency seed banks for a while now and there is a big misconception in the public about them. Here is a link to an article that is quite alarmist in it's description of seed banks and why we need them: Don't be alarmed!

The biggest problem with these seed banks is that they are not controlled by you! What good are seed banks that are controlled by the very institutions that are manipulating world markets for their own ends?

This brings us to personal seed banks. There are plenty of sites on the interwebs that will happily sell you personal emergency seed banks, but buyer beware. Not all seed banks are created equal.

When considering a seed bank there are a couple of things you need to consider. First is "Are the seeds hybrids or Heirloom? You might be wondering what the difference is. It's simple: Heirloom varieties produce fruits and vegetables with seeds that can be replanted the next season to grow more fruits and vegetables, while the seeds from Hybrid plants will not produce more food. So while hybrid seeds may produce wonderful vegetables and fruits this season, the seeds from those those fruits and vegetables either will not produce at all, or will produce a weak version. This is how seed companies mean it to be. They can't make money if you can just replant every year.

Here is a website for a heritage seed bank that is advertised on several conservative talk shows. The seed banks look pretty pricey, but when you start comparing them to 'over the counter' seed packs, they aren't so bad...

The 2nd important issue to consider is are the seeds suitable for your climate, soil, and water. It does you no good to have 300 corn seeds that can't grow in the Arizona heat. Look for varieties that are 'native' to Arizona.

The 3rd issue with seed banks is where do you store it. Do you hide it in a wall, bury it in the back yard, stick it in with your food storage? Would you want to take it with you if you had to leave your home due to an emergency or forced evacuation? What are you going to store the seeds in and how long can they be stored?

The last issue to consider when buying a seed bank is: What the hell are you going to do with it if you don't currently have a garden? All the seeds in the world do you no good if you have never planted a garden, especially in Arizona. So start now! You don't have to till 20 acres, you can always start small and simple. Square Foot Gardening Is pretty simple and removes the need to till up and prepare your soil for years before you can actually grow anything. Another simple form of gardening is Strawbale gardening. You can start small with both and build up over time.

Well I'm done. I only hope this wasn't too confusing...