New York Preppers Network

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2012-02-26T15:09:00.000-08:00

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Build a solid grape support and grow wonderful grapes

2011-08-14T14:05:00.000-07:00

By Paul & Liz Stevens

Like many we wanted to produce grapes, and like many that dream seemed to always end up in disappointment, as the grapes would come on and seem to just dry up before they matured. We did the typical 4 x4 post with wire strung between them, but after the first few years when the grapes were really starting to take off the post were crooked, the wire was sagging and no matter what we did the vines always ended up touching the ground.

In touring the Amish country we began noticing one more step they use in supporting their grapes. They use the post and wire, but they take one additional step. At about 54” high they run a solid pipe through the post and drill through and bolt it at each post.
When we moved to Texas we decided to take that next step and built our new support using three post set so that we could run a 20’ 1-1/2” galvanized chain link fence top rail through the post. This meant we had to subtract 4” off each end of the 20’ so that the pole would go from end to end, with one post in the center. Before we set the post we wedged them plum and used a string level on our chalk line and snapped a line level at 54” high, then another line where we wanted the top to be. We numbered the post took each one back out and drilled strait through the center of each post on our drill press using the chalk line as our horizontal center point. We used the next size up forstner bit from the actual pole size to give a bit of wiggle room. We then drilled a series of 3/8” holes in each post space 16” apart starting at 12” from the ground. This is where we ran our wire through to attach the vines as they grow up to the main pole. We cut the post to length and set the post back into the ground. With some extra hands we went ahead and slid the pole through the tops, drilled through the end post and bolted them, after we had the end post plumb, we plumbed the center post and drilled and bolted it.

We set the post with just a little bit of concrete just to fill the post hole, plus we only needed to go down around 2’. With this system all the tension is held by the pipe at the top, so we didn’t need to attack it with a 3’ deep hole and several bags of concrete. That was our first clue that we were really going to really like this approach, a lot less work! To add a bit of fancy to the project we purchased the ball tops and screwed them into the top of each post. After the post cured we ran our wire through the holes having the pole across the top keeps the post solid, thus we were able to really stretch the wire without worry of pulling the post inward.

We started our grapes and carefully nurtured them as they grew to the top. We choose Muscadine Grapes as we know someone living in the Florida panhandle suggested them. They have much of the same climate as we do in central coastal Texas, and have tried several of the varieties from up North with no success, except for the Muscadine, with that said where you live will have a lot to do with the varieties that do well in your climate.

Well with all this work we thought we were ready to cash in on a great grape crop, nope after they started to really mature about five years ago, the same old story, they came on strong and then just shriveled up like a pea and dropped off. We have them in the irrigation system so we knew they were getting plenty of water. We did notice that we were getting a fungus on the leaves and would spray but that didn’t really help either.

As we drove through Texas we would always admire the wonderful grape vineyards and wondered just what the secret was that we were missing. As we began to look closer we noticed there were no leaves up to around 4’ from the ground. At first we thought this was just because the plants were more mature. We went home and peeled off all our leaves that were close to the ground and kept new growth from coming out at that level. We also fertilized the plants and to our surprise the fungus went away the plants filled out the grapes came on stayed and we had a great crop that year. This year will mark our 3rd year with a strong crop of grapes. Last year off four plants spreading across that 20’ section we were able to harvest enough grapes to make jelly and nearly five gallons of wine.

In total it has been eight years since we planted our grapes, the support is still as plumb and straight as the day we installed it, and it appears it will be that way for some time. We are really sold on this system, as for what made the grapes finally take off, we are not sure which has more benefit the removal of the leaves or the fertilizer but we plan to keep a good thing going. Hope this helps someone else having the same problems with their grapes.

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http://www.cottagecraftworks.com

First Must Have in your Dental Prep Kit

2011-03-16T08:31:00.001-07:00

First Must Have in your Dental Prep Kit
From: roger o

Hi Everyone, in this first tip for what you should have in your dental emergency kit, I am going to tell you about a very simple yet invaluable product.

First, some language definitions; oil of cloves is the same as eugenol
cap is the same as crown

Other than routine dental hygiene and having toothpaste (whole 'nuther topic!) and dental floss, we have to address what to do in case of dental pain, the loss of a filling or cap, or an ulceration in your mouth.

One of the oldest, yet best medications we have to solve most dental problems is oil of cloves, also known as eugenol. A quick Google search revealed many sites devoted to the benefits of oil of cloves such as http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/251.html.

Eugenol, applied to a sore tooth, or on the gum tissue will reduce or eliminate pain within a very short time. Eugenol is highly anti-microbial, and wonderful for all kinds of infections, similar to tea tree oil. It can be somewhat irritating to sensitive gums, but can be thinned out with olive oil very effectively.

In addition, when mixed with zinc oxide powder, it can be made into a thick easily handling temporary filling material that can be placed in a tooth when a filling is lost, or inside a cap to recement it.

Eugenol is shelf stable essentially indefinately (although it will turn dark over time). It can be purchased at Amazon.com, as well as health food stores. Zinc oxide is also shelf stable, and can be purchased at Amazon, and many other sources.

A warning to all: Using any self applied medication is not a substitute for professional dental care. At the first sign of dental pain, swelling of problem of any kind, seek the advice and treatment of a licensed dentist.

Yours in health!

Roger

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New York Preppers Roll Call - All Preppers Please Check In

2011-03-07T06:07:00.001-08:00

The American Preppers Network is conducting a network-wide roll call. Whether you are a member or not please check in and let us know what you are doing to prepare.

This is a good opportunity to network with other preppers near you.

New York Preppers, to respond to the roll call please follow this link:
http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=184&t=9274

Reply to the Roll Call and let us know what you have been doing to prepare.

If you are not yet a member of the forum you can register here for free:
http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/ucp.php?mode=register

Twitter Reunites Homeless Man, Daughter

2011-02-27T19:18:00.000-08:00

One tweet. That's all it took to reunite homeless man Danny Morales with his long-lost daughter. But before we delve into the details--CNN interviewed Morales on just how he became homeless in the first place.

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Free Online Permaculture Course

2011-02-03T10:19:00.000-08:00

"Permaculture is an approach to designing human settlements and agricultural systems that are modeled on the relationships found in natural ecologies." This results in very dense food production that requires very little maintenance once established. These techniques should make life considerably easier for a prepper looking to establish a long-term food garden.

Permaculture design courses typically run in the hundreds to thousand dollar range and are out of the reach of many people, especially in this economy. So here is a free online permaculture course provided by NC State. This won't take the place of a hands on permaculture course and the climate down there is different than New York State, but it's certainly a great start!

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Beef Jerkey

2011-01-22T21:12:00.000-08:00

Beef Jerky. Most folks love it. It's extremely versatile, stores well, and it's much easier to make than you might imagine. This thread on the APN forum has a few different recipes for great jerky and also has links to Alton Brown's Good Eats episode on the topic (See below). I highly recommended the episode because it shows how to build a bulk low-temp dehydrator out of a box fan, some filters, and two bungee-cords.

Part 1

Part 2

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New York Preppers Events Calendar!

2011-01-18T09:56:00.001-08:00

The New York Preppers Network now has an events calendar! Check out the block on the right titled "APN New York Events Calendar". This calendar will link to events in and around New York State that preppers may find useful.

The calendar is hosted by Google and you can access and subscribe to it in many different ways.

XML - A raw feed of the calendar's data.

iCal - The calendar's feed, in the popular iCal format. This is the link you will typically use if you want to subscribe to the calendar.

HTML - The calendar in the regular web format.

Here is an example of how to subscribe to the calendar in Microsoft's popular Outlook application. And here is an example in the Mac calendar application.

Have any event suggestions? Does your group maintain an event calendar that the NYPN Should follow? Let us know about it in the comments!

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The Elements of Survival, Part 1

2011-01-14T12:16:00.001-08:00

For our New York City area members, the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation is running a four part series on the elements of survival. Part 1 is coming up tomorrow, January 15th at 1PM at the Forrest Park Visitor Center in Queens! See the NYCDPR website for more information.

In this four part series, you'll learn about the four basic elements of wilderness survival: shelter, water, fire, and food. The first part focuses on the importance of building a good shelter.

The other dates are:

Part 2 - Saturday, January 29, 2011 @ 1:00 p.m.
Part 3 - Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 1:00 p.m
Part 4 - Saturday, February 26, 2011 @ 1:00 p.m

This looks to be a great free event for the residents of the city. I hope to see you there! If you come around, look for the really tall guy in the black ZS shirt.

There is also a winter survival class being held on the 29th as well down at the Salt Marsh Nature Center in Marine Park. (East 33rd Street and Avenue U, Brooklyn)

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APN Mentioned on Popular Mechanics Website!

2011-01-12T13:56:00.000-08:00

Our very own North Idaho Patriot was interviewed by popular mechanics for this nice little write up. See the link below.

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Mother Earth News Fair - Any Interest in Going?

2011-01-11T18:08:00.000-08:00

Attention New York Preppers: Mother Earth News is having a fair! It will be on the weekend of September 24-25 in Seven Springs, PA. Here is the relevant page from Mother Earth News and the APN thread as well.

If there's any interest in going, we can arrange a trip to leave from the NYC Metro area and try to get either discounted lodging or a nice camp site near by. Other members of APN will be going and it will be a great opportunity to learn and meet other like-minded folks.

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Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking

2011-01-03T21:56:00.000-08:00

When the grid goes down, will you know how to bake a loaf of bread? Do you have books of recipes that require exotic ingredients? Will you be able to throw together some kind of edible meal from strange or new ingredients? It may be time to look at cooking from a different point of view.

Ratio: Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking by Michael Ruhlman provides just that alternate point of view, focusing not on the recipes that make a good meal, but on the underlying ratios that make a good recipe.

From the review thread here...

I've been cooking for most of my life, even though my definition of cooking has changed considerably over the years. When I was young, cooking meant helping my mother in the kitchen with whatever she would let me do. It started out with holding a spoon here and there, to stirring the pots, to actually cutting up the veggies. Cooking was listening to what my mother told me to do, and following her instructions closely. As I grew, cooking became more complicated. I found cook books and cooking shows, which opened up an entirely new world! All of a sudden I had recipes to follow instead of just my mother's words of wisdom. This evolution continued as I learned to "customize" recipes. Take a little from one recipe, a little from another, maybe change up some spices here and there... This led to some culinary triumphs, like the oddly delicious scrambled pancake, and many culinary failures; pancakes should never have tendrils. The evolution continued as I realized there were different techniques for cooking. I purchased the Culinary Institute of America's The Professional Chef and worked my way through bits and pieces of it to broaden my horizons and skill base. I watched shows like Alton Brown's Good Eats and began learning how ingredients actually worked together. I started to see the patterns in recipes and come up with some of my own. But I was still basing my culinary work on existing recipes in one way or another.

Then I came across a list of Alton Brown's favorite cook books. Some of the items on the list were familiar, the first one was my mother's culinary bible, The Joy of Cooking. Others were just plain intriguing, like this book called Ratio. Math? In cooking? My inner engineer just had to know more...

Eventually, Ratio was ordered, made its way into my mailbox, my book pile, and my hands. Let me start by saying that Ratio is not a cookbook in the classic sense: it does not contain a list of recipes. In fact, Ratio has only a handful of recipes in the whole book. Ratio is, as its title suggests, about ratios. More specifically, it is about the fundamental ratios that exist in the world of cooking. Why is this important? Allow me to quote from the first paragraph of the book: "When you know a culinary ratio, it's not like knowing a single recipe, it's instantly knowing a thousand." Ratio is primordial culinary power, pure and simple.

Ratio's author, Michael Ruhlman gives each ratio in its own chapter, where he discusses some of the nuances of the ratio. In the bread section, for example, he details kneading, yeasts, and a few ways to expand on the basic ratio. Each chapter then has some example recipes using the ratio, and a few final notes. Every section of this unassuming little tome is packed with useful information. Even it's cover is a useful chart of the continuum of dough, from bread to crepes.

Ratio is a true eye-opener. Want to bake bread? Five parts flour to three parts water. Salt and yeast are encouraged, but optional. Five to three and you will have bread. All bread, of any kind starts with this simple ratio. Want pie dough? 3:2:1 flour, fat, water. Crepes? 1:1:0.5 Liquid, Egg, Flour. Stocks? 3:2 Water, Bones. Mayonnaise, not the clunky, bland store-bought mayo, but deliciously creamy and flavorful mayonnaise? 20:1+1 Oil, liquid, yolk. Ratio is the culinary world at its simplest and most elegant.

Ratio by itself won't do the average person much good, I suppose. You have to have an appreciation for cooking and a desire to understand why it works the way it does. If you like your TV dinners luke-warn, Ratio is not for you. If, on the other hand, you want to learn the most fundamental parts of actual cooking, if you want to expand your horizons past simple recipes, if you want to grow as a cook and not just be a follower, Ratio may well be your path to enlightenment.

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“The Truth is We’re Freakin’ Finished”

2010-12-31T11:45:00.000-08:00

While Bob from Drinking With Bob may be a little bit emotionally driven he does a pretty good job of getting his point across. In the following video Bob rants about the failing public services sector in New York and points out what many of us already know:

(Video follows excerpt and commentary)

The truth is we’re freakin’ finished. The government has bankrupted this city, this state, and this freakin’ country. Meanwhile, they keep freakin’ taxing us. New York City is charging for services they can no longer provide. It’s like charging you for a movie they’re not going to make, or charging you a toll to go over a bridge that doesn’t freakin’ exist.

New York is just a microcosm of the greater problem facing the nation. As we reported in Doomsday Fear Mongers Get It Right Again, the cities and states are facing extremely serious budget problems which will eventually lead to a federal fiscal crisis unlike anything we’ve ever seen in America.

Bob discusses the problems New York is having with the lack of sufficient emergency personnel and law enforcement - and this trend is only going to continue to expand. Just about every state and major city in the country will be forced into the same cuts. They simply do not have the money to pay for these services anymore. Financial analyst Meredith Whitney stated in mid-2010 that the public sector will have to lay off 2 million workers over the coming 24 months - and that won’t even help them to break even, that’s just to keep operations going.

Currently, the focus is on the aforementioned public sector jobs, but consider what will happen as states can no longer afford public pension funds or health and human services like Medicaid and Medicare. Eventually, the contagion spreads to the Federal level.

The billions of dollars in services on which many Americans depend will start being reduced. This is going to hit Americans like an 8 pound sledgehammer.

We’ve become so dependent on entitlement programs, that the majority of people on those soon to be cut services will be left with nowhere to turn.

As early as the first quarter of 2011 we can expect to see massive protests, potentially even riots, as public pensioners and employees hit the streets because Republicans are now prepared to pass new legislation that will force states into bankruptcy - no more borrowing - which means states are going to have to make significant cuts to those pension funds.

Over the course of the next couple years, the outrage against forced austerity will continue to spread and will include all of those who have become accustomed to free government handouts, including those on welfare, health care, food stamps and unemployment. It’s not going to be pretty.

All the while, as government pulls services, they will move to raise taxes, either overtly or under the cover of doublespeak legislation or inflationary monetary policy.

Bob on the incompetence of Mayor Bloomberg and the state of affairs in America:

Author: Mac Slavo
Date: December 30th, 2010
Visit the Author's Website: http://www.SHTFplan.com/

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FCC internet takeover faces potential roadblock

2010-12-25T10:06:00.000-08:00

Just days after the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) decided to essentially take over the internet, FOX News is reporting that a procedural delay could bring any new FCC rules to a grinding halt. Several Congressmen plan to take advantage of the 60-day waiting period required before any new rules can come into effect, and effectively block the new regulations.

Sens. John Ensign (R-NV) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) together are planning to introduce legislation to overturn the FCC's takeover before it can take effect two months after being published in the Federal Register. And according to FOX News, the FCC is set to publicly release the new rules in early January.

"This vote is an unprecedented power-grab by the unelected members of the Federal Communications Commission, spearheaded by Chairman Genachowski," explained Hutchison in a statement. "The FCC is attempting to push excessive government regulation of the Internet through without congressional authority and these actions threaten the very future of the technology."

The FCC flagrantly violated several previous court rulings by deciding on Tuesday to seize control of the internet. In a 3-to-2 decision, the FCC Commission essentially declared that it would begin policing the internet under the guise of "net neutrality", even though the agency cannot legally do so with approval from Congress.

Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI), incoming overseer of the House Energy and Commerce Committte, has also indicated that he plans to stop the takeover "by any legislative means necessary." And with many new Republicans set to be installed in the new Congress, analysts say it is likely that any new FCC rules will eventually be overturned.

Sources for this story include:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB100...
Thursday, December 23, 2010 by: Ethan A

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Terrorist may poison the food supply (but the food companies already have)

2010-12-25T09:54:00.000-08:00

(NaturalNews) Always on the terror streak, the mainstream media is now warning Americans that terrorists may strike the food supply by dumping poison into restaurant salad bars and buffets, for example. CBS News broke the story, quoting anonymous "intelligence" sources who insist that terrorists might use ricin or cyanide to poison foods in salad bars.

I have news for CBS, the federal government, and the terrorists: If you really want to poison the U.S. food supply, just use aspartame. It causes neurological disorders and yet remains perfectly legal to dump into foods such as diet sodas and children's medicines. You don't even have to dump it into the food supply in secret, either: You can do it right out in full view of the public. Heck, you can even list this chemical right on the ingredients label!

Or get into the MSG business. MSG, which is often hidden on "natural" foods under an ingredient called yeast extract, is a potent neurotoxin that promotes obesity and even cancer, according to some experts. Feed people enough MSG and they'll probably die of cancer sooner or later, and that counts toward the goal of terrorism too, doesn't it?

If you really want to get nasty and up the body count, start a hot dog company and dump sodium nitrite into your processed meat like all the other hot dog companies do. Sodium nitrite promotes aggressive cancers -- even in children -- and yet the USDA and FDA allow its use in the food supply (http://www.naturalnews.com/007133.html).

Better yet, feed the population genetically modified corn and then wait for the mutations to kick in. GMOs might actually be called a biological weapon because they cause so much harm to humans and the environment. (http://www.naturalnews.com/GMO.html)

Why be a terrorist when you can do so much more damage as a processed food company?

If you're a terrorist looking to poison the U.S. food supply, get in line, buddy! The food companies have beat you to it!

In the U.S. food supply right now, you can find toxic mercury, BPA, acrylamides, petrochemicals, dangerous preservatives, synthetic chemicals like aspartame, pesticide residues and artificial colors that alter brain function. The FDA doesn't seem to care about any of this, of course: All these poisons in the food supply are legal!

So here's a message to Al-Qaeda and all the other terrorists trying to kill Americans: Don't bother with bombs and missiles... just get into the processed food business!

Or, heck, if you really want to kill Americans with poison, get into the cancer industry! The "Al-Qaeda Cancer Clinic" could really rack up some body bags by doing what all the other cancer clinics do: Inject patients with chemotherapy and watch them die (http://www.naturalnews.com/029996_c...).

Seriously, if you want to kill Americans, all you really need to do is keep supporting conventional medicine and the FDA with its do-nothing position on dangerous chemicals that threaten the health of Americans right now. FDA-approved drugs kill well over 100,000 Americans each year -- a statistic that dwarfs the body count of any terrorist group.

Come to think of it, how do we know the FDA isn't already being run by terrorists? Their actions, which blatantly endanger American lives, are entirely consistent with the aims of a terrorist organization. (http://www.naturalnews.com/001894.html)

By the way, this is all depicted in a CounterThink cartoon I created in 2006 called The Food Terrorists: http://www.counterthink.com/The_Foo...

This cartoon anticipated today's terror news alerts by four years. That's because when it comes to the U.S. government's rhetoric on terrorism, it's not that difficult to see where they're taking it.

Want to know what the next four years will bring us? I'll soon be publishing a list of predictions for 2011 and beyond. Watch NaturalNews.com for that announcement.

In the mean time, you might want to steer clear of FDA-approved foods and drugs, because you just never know what's really in them.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
Editor of NaturalNews.com

Sources for this story include:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010...

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Magnesium Fire Starters

2010-11-30T12:00:00.000-08:00

Many folks have those old magnesium block fire starters in case of an emergency, but how many actually know how to use them properly?

Forum Goer Tigger2 asked that very question over in this thread. Here was my answer:

Use the hacksaw blade to shave the block (which is the actual magnesium). Do this till you have a nice sized pile in/on your kindling. I usually take 5 minutes worth of shavings working at a slow pace. Then, take the hacksaw blade and hold it over the pile. Put the ferrocerium rod against it firmly and pull the rod back. This should send a shower of sparks against the magnesium. This should cause it to ignite.

Below is a video example from a non-affiliated youtube channel.

What is your preferred backup fire-starting method? Have you practiced it recently?

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New York Preppers Roll Call

2010-11-27T10:34:00.001-08:00

The New York Preppers Network is conducting a Roll Call on our forum. If you are a prepper please check in.

* Here is a link to the Roll Call:
http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=184&t=6187

You have to be registered to check in. If you aren't registered please join here:
http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/ucp.php?mode=register

* If you are a HAM Radio Operator check in here:
http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=143&t=6219

* If you are an A.N.T.S. member please check in here:
http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=618&t=6220

Viking Turf Homes

2010-10-08T20:29:00.000-07:00

The folks over at Failblog came up with this interesting article on viking turf houses. The technique is very similar to cob construction and provides for a tremendous amount of thermal mass. Though the original designs were very unhealthy (Fire pit with no chimney/flue? No thank you!) these could be adapted as mid-term to long-term expedient shelters.
-TL

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New from New York

2010-10-07T13:36:00.000-07:00

Welcome our new members:

Jubil05

Hello All:

New to the site, been prepping for awhile as I live in snow country...4 WD vehicles,extra chow on hand, generator, wood burning stove and other things required. Veteran, retired civil service, HAM radio operator. Looking to sharpen skills, build knowledge,network in Western NY area.

Welcome our new member by clicking on link below:
http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=563&t=6073

Marksent

Small business owner in NY..my wife is retired..I'm working part time..
Always lived in the country..
Have always been self sufficient..
God-centered home..
Both A personalities..

Welcome our new member by clicking on link below:
http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=563&t=5980&sid=5877

hudval

Hello all, new member from behind enemy lines(NY).

Welcome our new member by clicking on link below:
http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=563&t=5945

tiiijaaa

I just found this site as I was looking for information on surviving the upcoming chaos we are all about to face. Although I won't be able to spend an inordinate amount of time here, I will most certainly be checking in from time to time. So hello to all from upstate NY.

Welcome our new member by clicking on link below:
http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=563&t=5885&p=55638

Rondygal

Hello all! Western NY here. Happy to meet you all. I am a disabled grandma who tries to put something back every payday because I believe food is going to become harder and harder to come by. I really like the concept of this site and am excited to read what others here have to say.

Welcome our new member by clicking on link below:
http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=563&t=5593&sid=7489

ranger61

Hello from Darien Lake New York everyone!I happen to come across this site and it looks very interesting.I have a long background in survival and prepping.I am looking forward to learning more from all of you,you can never get enough info in your life there is always something new to learn.Glad to be here with you all!

Welcome our new member by clicking on link below:
http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=563&t=5555

ClosetPrepper

Hello,

Thank you so much for having this forum. Can't wait to learn from all the experienced preppers here.

Welcome our new member by clicking on link below:
http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=563&t=5394&p=51072

laditek

Hi! I'm Laditek and I've been prepping for a few years now (mostly getting camping gear and other BOB essentials together). I live in NYC with theLight and we split the preps between the two of us. I'm an amateur radio tech and love to do anything and everything related to fiberarts. Hoping to exapand my knowledge and meet some like-minded folks.

Welcome our new member by clicking on link below:
http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=563&t=5163

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Items For Your Prepping Library

2010-10-06T19:53:00.000-07:00

Forum member TaffyJ posted about a particularly good series of books from the Hesperian Foundation. Here are the books available for download with links. Readers are encouraged to add them to their physical library by printing them out or purchasing the published versions.

The Hesperian Foundation requests email verification for downloads. The following links take you to their website:
A Community Guide to Environmental Health (Paperback)
Where There Is No Doctor (Paperback)
Where Women Have No Doctor (Paperback)
A Book for Midwives (Paperback)
A Health Handbook for Women with Disabilities (Paperback)
Disabled Village Children (Paperback)
HIV Health and Your Community (Paperback)
Helping Children Who Are Deaf (Paperback)
Helping Children Who Are Blind (Paperback)
A Worker's Guide to Health and Safety
Cholera Prevention Fact Sheet
Sanitation and Cleanliness for a Healthy Environment
Water for life
Pesticides are poison
Safe Handling of Health Care Waste
Women's Health Exchange
Global Health Watch 2005-2006
Global Health Watch 2
Where There Is No Dentist (Paperback)
The Story of Stuff with Annie Leonard

Some of the above books are also available in other languages. Check out Hesperian's Download Page for more information.
-TL

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New New York Members

2010-09-28T13:27:00.000-07:00

The New York Preppers Network Welcomes our Newest Members

urban bugger

Hi everyone just wanted to introduce myself to the forum. Im from NYC and thus am prepping for a bug in situation. Anyone else from NYC please feel free to say hello. I would be very interested in sharing ideas for prepping in an urban area particular to NYC where we are surrounded by water

to post your welcome please follow this link:
http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=563&t=4965

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How To Join The New York Preppers Network

2010-09-15T15:11:00.000-07:00

Come learn survival, preparedness and sustainable living with us!

The Preppers networks are all about volunteering our knowledge and skills with each other. We share ideas, tips and basically network with each other to survive any type of disaster whether natural, man made, or economic. Information that you learn and share with others will help everyone learn how to find "Freedom Through Teaching Others Self Reliance."

Joining the New York Preppers Network is simple, and most of all, it's Free! To join, just follow these few steps.

1) Register to become a member of the American Preppers Network www.AmericanPreppersNetwork.net The registration page is here: http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/ucp.php?mode=register

2) Once you have your account, go to the index page of the forum and do your first post by introducing yourself in the new members area. http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/index.php

3) Once you know how to do posts, visit the New York forum and introduce yourself. The New York forum can be found by scrolling to the lower section of the index page where you will find a list of states, or you can go directly by following this URL: www.NewYorkPreppersNetwork.net

4) After you've visited the New York forum, follow this link to learn how to join the New YorkPreppers Network group:
http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=564&t=2738

APN's success depends on your contributions. If you would like to donate to our organization by becoming a Gold Member you can join the APN Gold Members club by following this link:
http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/page.php?p=apn-gold-membership&sid=5b241e92a767cdfbe7a345c54dd55127
Gold Membership is only $5 per month. For a list of Gold Member benefits go here

Thank you for your support!

Potential Future Gas Drilling Effects in NY

2010-06-09T07:21:00.000-07:00

This also effects other states where the damage has already polluted ground water, damaged landscapes and turned natural areas into a stomping ground. Be prepaired for the changes in
our habitat that will begin to threaten our lives as much as wildlife, and plant species.
Soon to be coming...to a town near you..

Tompkins Legislative Committee Advised on Potential Future Gas Drilling Effects
Members of the Legislature’s Public Safety Committee were told today
that local natural gas drilling in the Marcellus shale will likely
produce more above-ground emergency incidents—many stemming from human
error—and social effects arising from an influx of drilling workers.

Dr. Theodore Them, MD, Chairman of Occupational Medicine at the Guthrie
Health Care System in Sayre, PA, also holds Masters degrees in Science
and Public Health and a PhD. In an hour-long presentation to the
committee, he spoke not only from his background in occupational
medicine, but also from many years of experience as a geologist, who is
familiar with drilling operations throughout the country and with
Marcellus hydraulic fracturing operations during the past decade in
nearby Pennsylvania. Public Safety chair Nathan Shinagawa invited Dr.
Them to advise the committee on public safety and emergency
preparedness issues related to drilling in the Marcellus shale.

The gas drilling, Dr. Them said, boils down to a matter of risk versus
benefit. With the highly concentrated natural gas supply in the
Marcellus shale, he cautioned that too much political pressure exists
for the gas not to be extracted: “The question is not ‘if’, it’s
‘when’,” he said, “…the trick is getting it out safely.” While much
focus has been on chemical hazards, the doctor suggested that “most
problems will be above ground”—related to aspects including
transportation, deliveries, and dilution of substances. And he
predicted that most hazards “are going to be people, rather than
chemicals” related to human error, since “mistakes kill.” He advised
that the drilling will produce “what you have now, but a lot more of
it”—more people, traffic, movement, trucks, and accidents.

Based on his experience in other locations, Dr. Them advised that an
influx of new workers will create social issues such as increased
crime, drug and alcohol problems, traffic, housing shortages, school
overcrowding, poaching, and the related effects to an infusion of new
money to landowners, including an increased number of scam artists. Of
the workers who will come in to drill the gas, Them said, “These are
hardened, tough, heavy-duty people who are used to a hard life,” with
“enough bad apples to create a problem.”

Danby Town Supervisor Ric Dietrich, who has been involved in the
Tompkins County Council of Governments’ efforts to assess potential
effects Marcellus drilling would have on the area and its local
governments, expressed concern that there is much for local responders
to do to prepare within a relatively short time.

County Director of Emergency Response Lee Shurtleff stressed that the
area’s emergency responders are committed and well prepared to protect
their communities, and to handle a full range of challenges, and will
continue to train and prepare to handle the potential increased volume
of events that drilling could eventually produce.

Contact: Nathan Shinagawa, Chair, Public Safety Committee, 280-7557.

- END -

------
Marcia E. Lynch
Public Information Officer
Tompkins County
125 E. Court Street
Ithaca, NY 14850
Tel: 607-274-5555/ Fax: 607-274-5558

What is Hydrofracturing and how is it used.
http://www.hydrofracturing.net/

The Marcellus Project in NY and PA
http://nywellwatch.org/what-is-the-marcellus-shale/

http://www.ithaca.edu/naturallands/fracking/

What it really is in the natural gas industry
http://nywellwatch.org/2009/11/27/what-is-hydrofracturing/

Problems in other States
http://shaleblog.com/category/hydrofracturing/

http://www.baski.com/WWDR_AskHank_Hydrofracturing.pdf

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Trees with multipurposes - landscaping and biofuel

2010-06-02T09:01:00.000-07:00

^-My buddy in my tree pot
While visiting one of my other Prepper friend Nets, I was inspired to talk about my experience with volunteering locally to help learn more about our trees and green space. How important it is as drinking water, and how to not only better appreciate it, but identify some possible problems with my own landscaping plans, and benefits.

Here in NY I was a volunteer with our cooperative agency. They had us plant a bunch of "bio fuel" willows. Many places along highways as windbreaks and in some park lanes. The great thing about these (and they are being studied) is that they grow relatively fast, you can start them by just taking a one ft cutting and jabbing it into some dirt. (I put my cutting in dirt in a pot so I could keep my eye on it! I'm not easily convinced..lol) and when we had to go late fall, in the snow to prune them, I was offered some to take home for baskets or whatever else. So I helped prune and then started making two bunches of the thinner branches and some thick ones to store in my attic like local basket weavers used to do. (It used to be a trade industry here before Chinese baskets and then plastic baskets took over)

In fact I bent and cured a few to make basket handles and just now taking them from the attic. Though I did plan on this as a traditional winter project, my husband got ill so it had to be detained. (thankful he is feeling much more human, but not cured)
I feel its important for you to know about, because they grow so well, and are great for making fuel to run vehicles, as well as warming a stove, maybe you should look into planting a hedge row. They can be very useful windbreaks for other plant protection and typically get about as tall as two persons. You can shape them bushier or more single stem with longer branches. They tend to grow mostly upward instead of weeping. They are a light tan to yellow bark on younger wood to a deeper tan for the central or older bark. If you need sticks of any shape or size for a project, this is the way to get them cheaper and more convenient. Twigs..yes..Twig furniture, baskets, frames, poles for tomato plants (last seasons cut wood) or bean poles..You know how cheap these used to be, but not anymore! or you might want to build a living trellis by trimming the trees (topiary) and then you can twine or graft sections together into an arch..leaving the central part high enough to walk through. In the Spring time while awaiting for the walk through to truely mature, you could plant beans or even morning glories along the outer edge to give a color of blooms or useful food space by going up instead of out. If you like to learn more information, I included some links for you to check out.

http://www.heatingoil.com/blog/middlebury-college-plants-willow-trees-for-biofuel-1020/

Wikipedia has a good explanation also and the plant name identifier
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willow_Biomass_Project

Last but not least. What we are doing here in NY state and Central Ny to learn about biomass and supporting local development as well as greener alternatives.
http://cnyrcd.org/
Then I was a volunteer working in contingent with CommuniTree Stewards to help get the willows planted.
http://www.esf.edu/energycenter/salix/willowbrochure.pdf

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Are You Already a Prepper?

2010-05-13T13:46:00.000-07:00

There are many aspects of being a Prepper. Some people already do some of the
same things a Prepper would do, but might not actually be a Prepper. Its complicated
and then again it's not. Really...

We all gravitate towards that which we know and understand best, so some may get to
know us a little bit and decide, oh well that's all a Prepper is....Ummm Maybe.

I know many times I write about gardening, seed saving, or methods of preparing of
food; but this is only one little aspect of the whole big picture. The part of being more
self reliant with ones self to some degree.

Some people feel disaster preparedness has to do with more every day possible turn of events, or being ready in case the power fails to come back on after a few hours or even days. What if your car were to slide off the road because of heavy rain or ice, or maybe just quit on a long stretch of road. Hot summer or mid winter both could be a challenge. All the way to the ultimate disaster loss of home, family members and job all at the same time. We felt that with 911 and the Katrina disaster. Even though I was not there it compelled me to take a few classes
at a training center in CPR and helping my neighbors if we had to open a shelter.

Who would ever think there would be a time when there was a divider page in your phone
book on how to plan for a disaster, dialing 911, or where to find the nearest shelter? Who
would rather not think of the worst and try to live more positive. Well part of being a
Prepper is preparing in various ways, the best you can so that if any disaster hits, you can
be ready in case it happens. I remember a few winters just after the blizzard we had in 1966.
Every time they said we had some heavy snow heading our way, the store shelves would empty
out by the time everyone got out of work to go home. It was sort of eerie to walk around a large
supermarket and literally see large empty spots. There was a limit on bread, flour and sugar and still the market had no problem emptying its shelves. Perspectives had changed.

Make a habit of checking your stored supplies on a regular basis. Even if its just buy ahead sale items to put away, and your not stocking up for any big disaster. Check cans for rust, bulges
and date or rotate newer items to the back of the shelf as best not to create a disaster.
Nothing like going for the flashlight and find the batteries have malfunctioned in your unit so
new batteries wont work. (Batteries that are almost discharged or worn can leak) We keep candles already mounted on safe holders with a way to light it, along with battery flash lights and generator types. (btw..Check those hand generators as we did just the other day and found one barely still worked and one the rechargeable battery failed in it. The unit we purchased was made with screws so you could open it, so it was worth the few extra dollars we paid and with some research found the right batteries to go in it.) We even purchased a solar light tube. We
used this for years during storms and to go up into the attic where there is no electric to
find things like Christmas decorations or camping equipment. It could light a huge room for hours (around 12) if used constantly.

I could list all the things you could possibly use, the very least you need, or even fancier systems that people have purchased. Just remember, that the back pack of supplies back home doesn't help if you can't get to your house or are somewhere else. If your home, and you have to leave, you cant take it all with you. So take some time to think of ways you may have already prepared yourself or maybe some way you could become just a little more by organizing some of the items in a safe reachable location.

Maybe you need to take a moment and open that pack and see where things are. Anything get borrowed out of a kit? Anything outdated or possibly be put in a better space. Even if you might be going to a shelter, its a good idea to try and bring ID, and your meds, and possibly a snack/or diabetic bag in case it takes longer than you think to get to another location or you have to wait for a transport or even getting through in your car; or heading to another family members home.
If an older family member brings up a memory of one of their struggles, this might be a good moment to inquire about what they would want you to do, or if they have what they need in case
something were to happen. Keep it matter of fact and upbeat, and maybe even understand how well they made it though that time.

Thanks for stopping by and reading this article. I hope that it helped in a positive way to think about what you have done or used to do.

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