North Dakota Preppers Network

2012-02-26T15:11:00.002-08:00

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Backyard Flooded by Missouri River

2011-06-10T01:18:00.000-07:00

Higher flood waters in my yard. The worst is on the way. In Bismarck North Dakota

Free Flood Preparedness Downloads

- ARC - Are You Ready - Flood

- Fact Sheet - Flood
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North Dakota Preppers Roll Call - All Preppers Please Check In

2011-03-07T06:10:00.000-08:00

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.

North Dakota Preppers, to respond to the roll call please follow this link:
http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=499&t=9276

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

North Dakota National Guard Flood Preparations

2011-02-26T21:39:00.000-08:00

The North Dakota National Guard is getting ready for what is predicted to be a heavy spring flood season. See more DoD videos at http://www.dodvclips.mil

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A few thoughts on gun control…..

2011-01-26T13:06:00.000-08:00

I don’t often talk a tremendous amount about politics or common political “talking points”. Gun control is one issue that I certainly have opinions on and you may or not agree with me.

The recent shootings in Arizona have spurred talk on gun control all across the country. Often when a mass shooting gets a lot of press – “gun control” will be mentioned as something that could have prevented what occurred and what should be put in place to prevent future occurrences.

Let me start off by stating for the record – I support the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution. Period. I believe that our forefathers placed the right to bear arms into the Constitution for a reason – and it was not for the creation of out military and police forces.

“A well regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.”

The Minute Man statue - Concord, Mass.

Knowing the history of how the United States came to be I firmly believe that the above statement refers to the ability of the people to possess firearms – not just the government.

The mass shooting in Arizona was a tragedy for all involved and their families. It is an unfortunately reality that there are sick, crazy, malicious and evil people in this world with an intent that is no better than they are. The argument that decent, law-abiding citizens should have their rights effected due to those that are not decent, law-abiding citizens is unjust, unfair and against our Constitutional rights. Whether it be the Virginia Tech massacre or the Arizona shooting – those physco’s that perpetrated these acts would do so regardless of any law.

The bottom line is that gun control laws only effect those that will obey them – law abiding citizens. Criminals are termed that for a reason – they break the law. How many drug dealers and gang-bangers are purchasing their firearms at local gun shops following laws?

Now – here is where I may stir a response from you. Some gun control and regualtion is responsible and I feel required. I have no problem with a background check. I have no problem with a 24-hour waiting period. I do not have a problem with certain age requirements. I do not have a problem with any Dick or Harry walking into their local gun shop and NOT walking out with a fully automatic M60 machine gun. There has to be some common sense involved in gun regulations. This problem is - what is common sense to me may be different than to you. The other problem is most that are in favor of gun control is that if you give them an inch – they will take a mile. What I mean by this is every regulation, every law is one step towards their eventual desired goal – the banning of guns altogether. Not all gun control advocates want this – but a very large majority.

Being able to defend myself, my family, and my property goes beyond “God given” – it is built into the genetic make up of the human species to protect that which is nurtured and cared for. For some political group, “cause” or politician to suggest that I am not allowed to possess a pistol that can shoot 17 shots or a semi-automatic rifle because I can affix a bayonet to it is not just pathetic – it is idiotic.

There are 40,000 people killed every year in automobile accidents. 40,000!! I don’t hear anyone suggesting cars should be banned. Hmmmmm…….

One final thought. What if someone with a Concealed Weapons Permit was present at Virginia Tech or in Arizona for either one of those shootings?

Rourke

modernsurvivalonline.com

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A Guaranteed ROI?

2011-01-09T15:06:00.000-08:00

20% Profit?

Now I am not an investment counselor or a financial expert. This is just a few comments on what I believe may ensure considerable, and fairly short term, return on an investment. Are you ready for it........?

Socks and underwear. Maybe jeans and t-shirts, too. It seems that cotton has skyrocketed in cost over the second half of 2009, but the manufacturers have not passed on the rise to customers. Until now. Cotton has gone up due to increased demand in China and India, and poor production levels from Asia and Australia from bad growing weather.

What does it mean for us? If you have a little extra cash or can alter your budget a bit, go out and pick up a few extra packs of socks, underwear, and t-shirts. Grab a few extra pair of jeans. If you have small children, pick up some in larger sizes that they will grow into. If the price goes up 20% or more as expected over the next year, you'll get a return on investment more than one would typically expect even from the stock market.

Dress tomorrow on today's money.

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We’re Going to Experience Apocalyptic Pain, and It’s Going to Be Out of Our Control

2010-12-28T20:46:00.000-08:00

The US Treasury Department tells us that our federal debt is currently sitting at $13.8 trillion. On its most basic level the federal deficit is the difference between current government spending (including interest payments) and total current revenue from all types of taxes.

In 2001, when President George Bush took office, our debt was around $6.5 trillion. Combined with President Obama’s spending packages and commitments, our public and gross debt over the last 10 years has more than doubled.

But that’s not the scary part. What’s scary is how much money we owe when we look at current and future liabilities over the course of the next three decades. Officially, this figure is estimated to be around $150 trillion. Unofficially, according to Boston University economist Laurence Kotlikoff, our future liabilities exceed some $200 trillion. Considering that the tax revenue of the United States is around $4 trillion per year, anyone who’s ever held a balance and made a credit card payment can understand the near impossibility of paying off such a debt.

Senator Tom Coburn is one of many who warns of dire consequences if we can’t get our finances under control:

I think you’ll see a 15 to 18 percent unemployment rate . I think you will see an 8 to 9 percent decline in GDP. I think you’ll see the middle class just destroyed if we don’t do this. And the people that it will harm the most will be the poorest of the poor, because we’ll print money to try to debase our currency and get out of it and what you will see is hyperinflation.

If we don’t take some pain now, we’re going to experience apocalyptic pain, and it’s going to be out of our control. The idea should be that we control it.

We share Senator Coburn’s sentiment. Unfortunately, we’re not as optimistic as he is that any of Congress’ placations will be sufficient enough to help us get out of this hole.

With $4 trillion in annual tax revenue, at today’s debt levels it would literally take 50 years just to pay off the debt that we’ve already committed to - that’s if we stopped all additional spending right now - today. The odds of that are zero - thus our debt liability will continue to grow, as will the interest payments required to service our debt.

The end result of our pulling forward 25 - 50 years of debt is not going to be pretty. As we’ve outlined before, we are on the brink of a catastrophic collapse in the credit of the United States of America. This means that at some point our national credit card is going to be maxed out.

When that will be is difficult to predict. According to Senator Coburn, we’re looking at about 3 - 4 years - which sounds like a viable time line. Really, it all depends on China, because they are the largest buyer of US debt.

But the Chinese are not going to stand by while their US currency reserves become worthless. They are already taking action to counter the effects of a soon-to-be suicided US dollar.

We recently learned that the Chinese have signed agreements with the Russians to drop the dollar as a settlement vehicle, essentially replacing the world’s reserve currency with the Yuan when dealing with each other. We’ve heard many people suggest that this is just a drop in the bucket because of the widespread use of the US dollar - and we agree. However, China is working with other trade partners to do the same thing. And eventually all of those drops in the bucket will fill it up.

Once the Chinese pull the plug there will be only one entity left to support the US dollar - The Federal Reserve. They’ll digitally print trillions of dollars for as long as they can, but sooner rather than later the US dollar will collapse.

And when it does, the end result can only be described as an economic apocalypse.

If the dollar gets to the point it is equivalent to Monopoly money it will be impossible for holders of the bills, as well as our government, to settle transactions with the currency. This means that commerce on a global scale, for all of those expecting to fulfill transactions in US dollars, will come to a standstill.

How will individuals and governments buy food, gas, and other essential goods when the very currency being used to settle the transaction is no longer a viable trade instrument?

Really, it can get that bad. We have no confidence that Congress, the President, the Federal Reserve or US Treasury can fix this problem.

Over the course of the next decade we will see a new US monetary system introduced - just like we saw in 1971, 1944, 1913 and 1785.

This time it will be very disorderly. We can expect trillions in wealth to be wiped out and the many complications that come along with such an event - violence, protests, riots, breakdown in the rule of law and potentially even large-scale war.

If you haven’t done so already, take action to protect your wealth and preserve your well being now, before it hits the fan. Follow the investment strategies of the Chinese and you might have a chance of coming out with something when the chickens come home to roost.

Take possession of hard assets whenever you can, including precious metals, long-term food stores, tools & equipment, and anything else that will retain value when the US dollar loses it.

Author: Mac Slavo
Date: December 27th, 2010
Visit the Author's Website: http://www.SHTFplan.com

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Sing the health praises of parsley and sage

2010-12-25T12:42:00.000-08:00

Those of us who go back a few years likely remember the line about parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme in the huge Simon and Garfunkel hit song about two ill-fated lovers, "Are You Going to Scarborough Fair". Many have speculated that the reference to the four popular herbs was due to their use in Medieval Europe to help cleanse the air and ward off the infamous black plague. Others have thought that the reference to the four herbs was because the combination may have been used as a love potion. Whatever the reason for their inclusion in the popular song, the many health benefits of parsley and sage are worth loving and singing praises about in their own rights.

PARSLEY

Parsley is an amazing medicinal herb with a world of health benefits. The root contains calcium, B-complex vitamins, and iron, which nourish the glands that help regulate the uptake of calcium. It is a source of magnesium, calcium, potassium, vitamin A, beta-carotene, vitamin C and vitamin K.

Among the many benefits reported for parsley are:

*It is a diuretic which helps the body produce more urine to keep the urinary system operating smoothly and which helps prevent problems such as kidney stones and bladder infections.

*It is wonderful for removing toxins from the body, such as heavy metals.

*It is an effective breath freshener. It is believed that the practice of including parsley on a dinner plate began due to its breath freshening abilities and not merely for its decorative effect.

*The root and leaves are good for the liver and spleen.

*It helps relieve bloating during menstruation.

*It provides relief for edema, often helping when other remedies have failed

*Parsley root and seeds help relax stiff joints, often making stiff and unmanageable fingers work again.

*It helps remove gallstones when used properly by taking a pint of the tea daily.

*It is beneficial for the adrenal glands.

*It is a powerful therapeutic aid for the optic nerves, brain and sympathetic nervous system.

*Parsley juice is an excellent tonic for the blood vessels.

Note: It is best to avoid large amounts of parsley if you are pregnant, especially the use of the volatile essential oil.

SAGE

Like rosemary, its sister herb in the mint (Labiatae) family, sage contains a variety of volatile oils, flavonoids and phenolic acids, including rosmarinic acid. The oils found in sage are both antiseptic and antibiotic, helping it fight infections.

Besides the antioxidant and other properties shared with Rosemary, sage`s other health benefits include:

*It is effective for symptoms of menopause, night sweats and hot flashes because of its estrogenic action and because its tannins help dry up perspiration.

*Sage helps provide better brain function and has been used in the treatment of cerebrovascular disease for over a thousand years. It helps provide better recall and research has suggested that it may be an effective option to help treat Alzheimer`s.

*There`s also compelling evidence that sage may be of value to people with diabetes for whom the hormone insulin does not work as efficiently as it should. Lab studies indicate that sage may boost insulin`s action.

* The ability of sage to protect oils from oxidation has also led some companies to experiment with sage as a natural antioxidant additive for cooking oils that can extend shelf life and help avoid rancidity.

In an upcoming article, we will also sing the praises of the other two herbs mentioned in the popular song - rosemary and thyme.

Sources included:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scarbo...
http://www.healthy-holistic-living....
http://www.greenmuze.com/blogs/natu...
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/pars...

About the author

Tony Isaacs, is a natural health author, advocate and researcher who hosts The Best Years in Life website for baby boomers and others wishing to avoid prescription drugs and mainstream managed illness and live longer, healthier and happier lives naturally. Mr. Isaacs is the author of books and articles about natural health, longevity and beating cancer including "Cancer's Natural Enemy" and is working on a major book project due to be published later this year.
Mr. Isaacs is currently residing in scenic East Texas and frequently commutes to the even more scenic Texas hill country near San Antonio and Austin to give lectures in health seminars. He also hosts the CureZone "Ask Tony Isaacs - featuring Luella May" forum as well as the Yahoo Health Group "Oleander Soup" and he serves as a consultant to the "Utopia Silver Supplement Company".

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North Dakota Preppers Roll Call

2010-11-27T10:38:00.000-08:00

The North Dakota 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=499&t=6185

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

How To Join The North Dakota Preppers Network

2010-09-15T15:16:00.000-07:00

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 North Dakota 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 North Dakota forum and introduce yourself. The North Dakota 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.North DakotaPreppersNetwork.net

4) After you've visited the North Dakota forum, follow this link to learn how to join the North Dakotaa Preppers 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!

No One Lives in a Perfect World

2010-02-28T09:21:00.000-08:00

I heard the following story the other day:

A couple was out with some friends and met a man who was missing part of his finger. When he was asked what had happened, his story went something like this:

When he was growing up, his family had a well on their farm that had a pump. The pump had two pieces of metal that moved when the pump was used, and each piece had a round hole. At a very precise moment, those two holes would line up, and he and his brother would wait for that moment so that they could quickly stick a finger all the way through both holes and then pull it out before the pump continued on its way. The brothers played this game, and one day the man telling the story miscalculated his timing, and his finger was snapped off.

When the people listening commented on how stupid a practice that was, the man replied, "You think that was stupid? My brother has lost three fingers!"

The story is almost funny (mostly only if you are not one of the people in the story) because of the shock value of someone continuing to do something dangerous and painful even after knowing firsthand of the consequences. Then I started thinking about this story in the context of emergency preparedness, and I thought of a couple of issues:

A) I never want to snap my finger off in a well pump. Pretty elementary, but true nonetheless. I don’t have to practice putting my finger in the holes or have one snapped off in order to learn from these boys’ experience.

The same holds true when it comes to being prepared. I know that I don’t want to go without water/food/other emergency supplies if I don’t have to. I know that it is better to have something on hand than to join a last-minute stampede for limited supplies at a grocery store. I know that I don’t want to have to depend on help from others that may or may not come in time, when I would have been in a lot better shape if I had only prepared ahead of time. It is true that sometimes you have no choice in the matter, depending on the situation. Unfortunately, in some emergencies you may lose your supplies altogether. But in many, many situations where you would find yourself in need of food storage or emergency supplies, you would be in a situation to use them if you had them in place. Learning from other peoples’ experience is a lot less painful than having to go through it yourself, and if you are prepared you may be able to help those who are suffering as well. Look at any disaster that has happened, and learn what helped people survive, and what they wish they would have had, and it could help you learn how to avoid problems that they had.

B) Failing to put aside any emergency supplies when you have the means to do so is pretty much like expecting those holes on the pump to always be lined up perfectly. Perhaps your job is secure. Perhaps you live in a hurricane/tornado/earthquake/other natural disaster-free zone. Perhaps you have a lot of money put aside that you could use to buy supplies.

Those holes might line up if there were never a trucking strike, and there was always food on the shelves. They might line up if your area is truly never hit with any kind of disaster, and there isn’t a run on the stores so that there are no supplies available, no matter how much money you are able to wave around. They might line up if there is no quarantine due to a pandemic, where no one would be allowed to go out and buy supplies of any kind from grocery store shelves that remain full but untouchable. They might line up if there is no illness or other personal emergency that empties out your bank account and keeps drawing on your paycheck, making it hard to afford even the most basic necessities. In other words, there are a lot of "ifs" to be covered for those holes to line up, and if you are caught without emergency supplies in an emergency situation, the consequences could be a lot more dire than snapping off a finger.

Gathering supplies when you are already in a tough situation financially can be difficult, and for those who find themselves in such a situation, I hope that things improve for you soon. If you can, add a can of food or bag of basics (flour, sugar, etc.) as often as possible, and if that truly is beyond your means, at least gather information while you save up. The library is full of information, as is the internet. Do what you can to prepare while you can---no one lives in a perfect world, and the chances of the holes always lining up so that you won’t ever need your emergency supplies are pretty slim.....

Another Prepper

Special thanks to Another Prepper for a great post!

Riverwalker

APN Free Giveaway!

2009-12-09T15:40:00.001-08:00

Stop in at APN for a free survival seeds giveaway courtesy of Hometown Seeds. Go here for your chance to win

Survival and Blogs

2009-12-08T16:49:00.000-08:00

I was reading today on SurvivalBlog.com (http://www.survivalblog.com/) It’s always nice to read Rawles and his information. He is like us a prepper and a survivalist but he is also a Pioneer.

Today I read about a man: Minnesota man arrested for trespassing on his own land and just can understand it.

People: You need to prep and get ready for hard times. This is why we have this blog and the American Preppers Network as well as Pioneer Living (http://pioneerliving.net)

I hope all is safe and well for the holidays and I hope America will return to the once great nation it was.

John Milandred

Last Post by: Pioneer Living. Net

2009-11-30T19:11:00.000-08:00

Our Homestead
at 03:18 PM on July 26, 2009

After our first week on the property in March, we have come to realize that we are truly living the pioneer life. A little about our property. The gentleman who purchased the property sometime in the 1930?s, and his wife raised 11 children on their 80 acres of land.

The Mrs. passed away around 1990, and the Mr. passed away in 2003.

The property was then divided up into eight 10 acre tracts. We were fortunate enough that one of the daughters was selling her 10 acres that just happens to be the original homestead. There is a house and a small barn on the property. The house has not been attended to for the last 6 years, ceiling falling down, floors are falling through, windows broken, not to mention the rodents that have since made this home their new residence. It is in really bad shape. Once we get rid of the rodents and possible snakes we will gut the home and turn it into our small animal barn to house our chickens, rabbits and goats at night.

There is approximately 5 acres of prime farm land with rich sandy loam soil and 5 acres of forest. The primary cash crops that were grown on this property consisted of strawberries, cucumbers, peanuts and corn. The family garden plot consists of a ½ acre completely fenced to keep the critters out with trees planted on the perimeter of the garden plot.

There is an 80? hand dug well, that has the cleanest, freshest water we haveever tasted. After two days of John working on re-installing the pump that was provided to us for the well, we attempted to prime and start it up just to find out it was shot. Thank goodness the hardware store in town had a pump, as we were in need of water. We both worked on installing the new pump the next day and jumped for joy when the pump started pumping out water that evening.

You never realize how important water is until you don?t have it for three or four days. Water is the most important element for human survival. We tested the water with a water test kit and every single test came back perfect. The water is crystal clear, cold, tastes and smells clean.

There is an old barn on the property that is in pretty good condition. You can tell that the owner built this himself, even down to sawing his own lumber as there is still some bark on some of the lumber as well as all the 2x4?s in the building are true 2 inches by 4 inches! It took 2 days just to clean out two sections of the barn. One section that was used as a pantry/storage will take a little longer as there are still jars and jars of canned blackberries, potatoes, beans and who knows what else. Now mind you none of this food is going to be any good, but it does show us that this family lived off this land for the last 70 years and we intend to do the same. There are dozens, and dozens of mason jars that we will be able to use once they are cleaned and sterilized. Carrie was thrilled to see that as we will only have to purchase new lids and rings.

We are going to see what we can salvage from the house before it is torn down. We are then going to turn the barn into our living quarters. One of the boys who grew up on this property stopped by to pay us a visit. We learned that the original home had burned down and they had to live in the small barn for a while until they could afford to build another house. I can?t imagine trying to raise babies in the barn, but back then, you do what you have to do to survive. It is kind of ironic that we are going to take advantage of this same shelter as our living quarters on our homestead (See Photo page).

During our visit, we were told that there are two pecan trees, several black walnut trees and 4 hickory nut tree. There is also bing cherry trees,2 persimmon trees, and wild blackberries. We were shown where the deer trails were and informed us that there are wild turkey as well. We thought that this was a great start for our new homestead with already established nut and fruit trees as well as an abundance of wild game.

The grass in the fields and the family garden plot are about three feet high, so it will have to be cut and we will need to turn the soil in the garden plot as we have been told that it is time to get your garden in. The days have been warm and sunny. Cabbage and broccoli can be planted now. We were told that potatoes need to be in by March 17th,then everything else right after that. Yes, we have a lot to do. All this work to do, just as the pioneers before us, as we have no modern day farm/garden equipment so it will have to be done by hand.

Thanks to all our readers,

John & Carrie

Co-editors, Pioneer Living
www.pioneerliving.net

Change

2009-11-28T07:02:00.000-08:00

What is happening in the world today has not changed. It is our beliefs that humans all over the world still need to educated themselves. Educate yourselves on what is happening around the world.

Educate yourselves to be able to provide for your family whatever the future may be.

We live in a society of people who depend on other people to take care of them. We rely on our jobs to pay us to be able to feed our families. We rely on the grocery stores to provide us food for us to buy for our families to eat.

Almost every day, well it seems like it, we hear reports of contaminated food being sold to us. Our family has had these items in our cupboards, freezers, pantry’s in the past. We had to throw these items out for fear of our children getting sick or possibly dying from these contaminated foods.

We do believe again that everyone should educate themselves and find out what does GM seeds mean? What does GM foods mean?

Why are we genetically modifying our foods. Foods that the good earth provides us that is nutritional and healthy. Why are we modifying these foods. What is wrong with the foods that our ancestors ate?

I ask myself these questions almost every day. Why have we become a society of being taken care of by others. What happened to taking care of ourselves. What happened to the lost art of basic human survival.

I also ask myself, “What has happened to the human spirit of standing up for what is right?”

I was taught by my parents, grandparents that you are always free to voice your opinion no mater what it was. You are always free to stand up for what is morally right.

We are looking in the face of a changed America. A changed World.

We come across so many people who are afraid today. We are not sure why they are afraid. We assume it is because they do not know how they will survive should they loose their job, or should the grocery store shelves go empty. They do not even know where the food comes from that they eat.

It is really sad. We are only here to help those who have been wronged by not having the information passed on by their ancestors what it takes for basic human survival.

Sorry I was in a ranting and raving mood tonight. Thank you all for your support in our efforts to give people the resources to be able to take care of themselves and their families no matter what happens in the days to come.

Interview with a Pioneer

2009-11-25T08:08:00.001-08:00

My name is George Smith ( known as Texas George to my friends) and I thought this might be a good post for a way to find honey in the wild. I have been living in the deserts of Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas all my life and have been an Instructor in desert survival for many years as well. I was shown a good technique for getting honey in the wild and this is how it works:

Take a glass jar and collect about 15 honey bee’s and put holes in the top for the bee‘s to breathe, cover the jar with a cloth and let the bee’s settle down. Once this has been done take the cloth off and all of the bee’s should be collected on one side of the jar. Now just travel in the direction that the bee’s have gathered in the jar. This will take you to their hive where you can collect the honey from the wild hive.

Remember to go at night and hopefully when it is cold out so you don’t get stung. In the desert when it is at night and cold I have found many bee hives and have collected honey. This will work anywhere and in the woods I have found hives that I have gathered and transplanted into new hives so that I don’t have to look for them anymore.

Thanks,

Texas George

Quote:

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler.

Henry David Thoreau

Re-posted by: www.pioneerliving.net

Water Cure

2009-11-24T07:11:00.000-08:00

A little history of water cure

The Greek, Hippocrates, who lived about five hundred years before Christ, was the first man who wrote much on the healing of disease with water. At a very early period the Egyptians practiced bathing considerable. The ancient Persians and Greeks erected stately and magnificent public buildings. In Constantinople the Turkish baths were used extensively in the 15th century. In the year 1600 public vapor baths were numerous in Paris. From the very earliest part of the 18th century water was used for cures. Floyer published a history of bathing where remarkable cures were made by means of bathing, and he recommended them for numerous diseases. A Mr. Hancock, who was a minister, published in 1723 a book called Common Water the Best Cure for Fevers. Another book, published by someone else, was called Curiosities of Common Water and was published in 1723, in which it was said to be an “excellent remedy which will perform cures with very little trouble, and without charge,” may be truly styled a universal remedy. In 1840 to 1850 Victor Priesnitz, of Germany, led in the use of water as a curative.

The water cure spread to America about 1850 and until about 1854 prospered greatly, but the doctors would not stand for this, as they did not want the people to get hold of any remedy which was practical and non-expensive, that could be used in any home. About 1870 they had successfully prevented the water-cure practitioners from practicing in New York by medical law.

Even our North American Indians use baths for many diseases. They have original ways of giving both water and vapor baths, the vapor bathing being the most commonly used, followed by plunging into a stream.

You can read more on Back to Eden by going to our Mercantile page and buying Jethro Kloss book.

Quote: Man’s intelligence has made it possible for him to become grossly perverted in almost everything-food, appetite, bathing, etc. Man does not go astray from nature because he lacks intelligence or instinct, but because he wishes to gratify his own desires.

By: Jethro Kloss book

Use and Re-Use - Mason Jars

2009-11-20T08:56:00.001-08:00

Use and Re-Use - Mason Jars

I think most of us have heard of mason jars. They are mainly used for canning to preserve food.

Here are a few uses for empty jars sitting on the shelf waiting to be used for next years harvest:

* My favorite, Store emergency water, you can never have too much emergency water.

* Use them for leftovers.

* Use as drinking glasses. We have been doing this for years. I think most of my friends think that we can’t afford drinking glasses.

* Useful when making homemade sour cream. (Recipe on our Chuckwagon Chow Page )

* Useful when making homemade butter.

* ½ pint wide jars can be used to start your vegetable seeds indoors then transplant your plants into the garden after the last frost.

* They make a great country vase for fresh cut flowers out of the garden.

* We store dried goods in them as well, dried herbs, dried onions, dried leaks, and dried tomatoes to name a few.

* In regards to the mason jar lids, don’t throw them away after only one use. You can use them more 2 or 3 times while canning and they will seal just fine. The seals and rings should last for years to come when storing water or dry goods in.

Use and Re-Use - Plastic Milk, Water, Juice Bottles

How many plastic jugs and bottles do you throw away every year? I didn’t know the answer to this question either. Until I started re-using them. Now I can answer, almost none.

Here are some re-use ideas for all this plastic:

* My favorite again, Storing Emergency Water. After you have consumed what was in your plastic jug or bottle simply wash, rinse with hot water and fill with water. You never know when the extra water will be needed.

* Re-use your personal size plastic water bottles. Don’t keep buying more. How long do you think a plastic bottle will last? I have read that they last a pretty long time in the landfills.

* Carefully cut plastic milk jugs, plastic water bottles, juice bottles in half to start your seeds indoors for transplanting the seedlings in the garden after the first frost.

* Use the tops you cut off of gallon milk jugs as a portable greenhouse for your delicate seedlings after transplanting into the garden. Just to keep them warm at night until they have established themselves.

* Freeze water in smaller plastic bottles to use in your ice chest. Do not drink the water that has been frozen in the bottles as there have been studies suggesting it is not safe to drink the water once frozen in the plastic.

* Use the larger clean jugs/bottles for storing chicken, rabbit, goat, and duck feed to prevent rodents from eating the feed out of the open sacks in the feed barn. Storing the feed this way also makes it easy when it comes feeding time for the animals.

* Use the bottom half of plastic gallon milk/water jugs as feeders for your small farm animals. (These work well for chickens and ducks, however, in our experience rabbits and goats tend to start eating the plastic once they have finished their meal.

Basic Animals On The Homestead

2009-11-19T06:00:00.000-08:00

Basic Animals On The Homestead

Before buying animals, learn as much as you can about them, but don’t expect to become an expert just by reading. When you get your animals you will need to also listen to them, watch them and notice their behaviors because they can tell you a lot.

Note: Do not give growth-stimulating hormones and medicated feed, because this may have long-term side effects that are as yet unknown. If medicine needs to be given for some reason do not eat, or drink anything from that animal for at lest two weeks.

1. Chickens

Most chickens are bred to produce either eggs or meat. There are a number of dual-purpose breeds that provide plenty of eggs as well as meat. My favorites being Plymouth Rock and Rhode Island Reds.

You should buy your chickens at about four months old. Their eggs will be small at first but soon they will be laying full sized eggs.

The number of birds you need depends upon the number of eggs you want. A good layer will produce an egg almost every day. You should let some of your chickens lay on their eggs butchering the males for meat when they become full grown at about 5 to 6 pounds live weight and the females that you don’t need come winter time when there egg production is low.

Feeding: Mash can be purchased as well as corn feed, but you can save money by feeding them with food scraps like: left over vegetables, fruits, and breads. The best in addition to this is letting your chickens range freely to get their protein from bugs and grass.

To supplement calcium in their diet feed chickens ground up egg or oyster shells, make sure the shells are completely dry and grind the egg shells almost into a powder to prevent egg cannibalism.

Weather you are using a shack or new building you will want a chicken house that is warm, dry, and easy to clean. You also want to make sure your chicken house is secure enough to keep the chickens safe from predators. This building should have at least 3 square feet of floor space per bird. If you are free ranging then it will help to have it on wheels so that you can transport it easily from one area to the next.

I have found that by putting a light (60 watt) bulb on a timer in the fall for an extra 3 hours can increase your egg laying season if needed.

2. Ducks

Ducks are extremely hardy and will forage for most of their food they need. You can supplement with the same food as chickens if needed. We buy young birds-ducks about 4 weeks old to start with. Two males and six females is a good number to start with. I think the Peking ducks are the best breed for meat, they are fast growing and taste the best, bigger then most other breeds and do not need any care. They lay 1 egg every other day and their eggs are great for baking cookies, cakes, pastry’s.

Duck eggs are larger then chicken eggs and have a stronger taste but can be treated and used the same way. Peking ducks are ready to butcher at about 8 to 10 pounds live weight.

3. Rabbits

They are excellent animals to raise for meat. Not only are they delicious and hardy but they are also inexpensive to feed.

Rabbit pellets do provide the best diet, but food can be supplemented with hay, fresh grass, vegetables, fruits, and leaves.

My favorite breed is the New Zealand white. They have a good weight of about 5 pounds and when the rabbits are about 12 weeks old, they can be butchered as fryers.

If breading; a small box with a hole should be in the cage and you will need to put a male into your females cage for breading but after about two weeks or so he should be removed.

Note: Rabbits will need plenty of clean water and a small salt lick in the summer heat should be used.

4. Dairy Goats

Goats make ideal dairy animals for a small farm or homestead. They are easy-to-handle, and excellent foraging ability’s. Their milk if fully comparable in flavor and in some ways it is superior. It is naturally homogenized-the fat particles are so small, they do not separate from the milk and this makes it easier to digest. The breed I like are Nubians.

Goats will forage for most of there food but you should include well-cured hay at times and additional mixed-grain in their diet. Do not overfeed them with grain, since this can lead to bloat. To prevent overeating, feed grain only after they have eaten plenty of grass or hay and only enough for that moment. Make sure your goat area is free of buttercups. If ingested they will get sick and lethargic and will require you to inject them with a shot of vitamin B complex.

Note: You must have 2 goats minimum, if not they will get lonely and become to stressed.

Super Food

2009-11-18T06:00:00.000-08:00

Golden Grain of the Aztecs - Amaranth

This not very well known dual-purpose golden grain of the Aztecs is not only nutritious for its greens, it is also a high-protein whole grain.

Amaranth is one of the most nutritious, easy-to-grow and well-adapted plants on this earth. This plant can provide you with year round sustenance. In the early summer the young greens are a wonderful addition to salads with a flavor similar to spinach. As the leaves get bigger, they are delicious steamed, sautéed or added to soups. In the fall when the seed heads have matured they will yield many ounces of protein packed seeds with a slight nutty taste.

Most whole grains are about 10 percent protein, Amaranth seeds are about 16 percent protein and has a balanced amino acid profile high in lysine which is rare for plant foods and essential to humans for protein synthesis. The grain also contains generous amounts of iron, calcium, fiber and phosphorous. The leaves are high in protein as well as calcium, iron, beta carotene and fiber.

This plant requires very little water and can grow in almost any type of soil.

The first known record of amaranth is from about 6,000 years ago and was found in a mountain cave near Mexico City. In the 1500’s the possibilities are endless for making protein packed foods for your family.

We have enjoyed the young greens in our salads. We have sautéed the leaves in a little butter.

When harvesting the seeds, before the first frost you cut the top of amaranth was being widely cultivated by the Aztecs, and used it in a variety of their foods.. From one plant, from one tiny seed, you can get up to 100,000 seeds to add to your seed bank.

A hundred square feet or so should yield a few pounds of seed, enough for a winter’s worth of cooking. There are several varieties of amaranth to choose from. Our favorites are Golden Giant Amaranth, and Burgundy Amaranth.

We add the seeds to our morning oatmeal, add to the batter of muffins and breads. Grind the seeds into flour and the plant and you can either shake the seeds into a container or hang the plant head over a tarp where the seeds will drop when dried.

The next step once your seeds are dry is the process of winnowing; separating the grain from chaff. To do this you can simply put some seeds in a shallow pan and blow lightly on the seeds. The chaff will separate from the seed and fall to the ground.

Store your seeds as you would store any other grains. You can also grind the seeds into flour. In our opinion this is one of the most important plants in our garden. Not only for their nutritional value, but for their beauty as well.

How to make Charcoal

2009-11-17T07:41:00.000-08:00

How to make Charcoal at home

a. Separate and clean coconut shell, wood, corn husks, or bone from other materials, such as coconut fiber or soil.
b. Sun dry and let age 6 months.
c. Burn dried material at burning sink or drum at 500-900 F for 3-5 hours.
d. Crush or refine charcoal with crusher wood/iron into size.

How to make Wood Charcoal in the Wilderness

a. Let wood age for 6 months.

b. Cut wood evenly and place in a fire and keep turning it so that it burns evenly.

c. Burn until you can just poke a stick into it and or break a piece by striking it with a shovel.

d. Remove it from the fire and place it into the ground and cover it up until there is no smoke coming from it.

e. Let it remain there for about 2 weeks

f. Crush to size.

Note: I have made charcoal this way many times, and you can speed thing up and let it sit for 1 day in the ground and still have Success.

Why Charcoal?

There are many uses for charcoal.

1. You can cook with it and it will burn better and hotter then wood.

2. You can use it to clean your water and make a water filter or to make sweet water. If your water is a little skunky boil water with 2 pieses of charcoal for about 15 min to remove the smell.

3. You can use it to help stop poisoning. For instance if you eat something by mistake that would kill you and their was nothing you could do to stop it, just take 2 teaspoon full’s and eat it three times a day. The poison will be absorbed into the charcoal and just may save your life.

4. Charcoal is one of the main parts of black powder as well as other things.

5. It also can be used as a top dressing on a wound to absorb infection.

6. Can be used to add Potassium to the soil and raze the ph levels as well.

7. Can be mixed with white ash for a cleaner and soaps.

This is just some things that charcoal is used for and is very important to your survival

Hello to you!

2009-11-16T17:11:00.000-08:00

Hello All,

My Name is John Milandred one of the founders of Pioneer Living and over the next two weeks I will be sharing with you some of the information on our website at: www.pioneerliving.net

Just a little note today and hope you all like my posts.

The forgotten/lost art of basic human survival. How did our grandparents, great grandparents, and ancestors survive without all the modern conveniences available to us today? Helping humans all over the world with solutions for caring for themselves and their families.

Often when people think about a survivalist, they envision someone who is trained in the outdoors and can survive off the land but a survivalist also stock piles food and possibly weapons to prepare for a disaster and the future unknown. Our ancestors were in reality survivalists.

This was because they were self sufficient, were responsible for one’s own self and family, protection, health, and sustenance as well as shelter.

This is what our ancestors knew and lived every day. They were prepared for what life brings through planning, learning, and preparing for any possible future.

The articles you will find will be focused on simpler times what our ancestors knew and lived every day. From disaster preparedness, extreme wilderness survival, growing and preserving your own nutritious food, foraging for food in the wilderness, water survival, and basic every day living.

Information and solutions to survive our ever changing environment in which we live in today. Solutions for taking back the responsibility of ones own self.

We think that you will be surprised how simple it is, no matter what walk of life you come from, how to get back to basics and in control of your life.

Another Reason to Add Wheat to Your Storage

2009-05-13T23:21:00.000-07:00

Do you have wheat in your storage? If not, you may want to consider the information in this article, (http://www.minotdailynews.com/page/content.detail/id/527818.html?nav=5010) entitled "Late planting is impacting wheat"-- the opening sentence of which is, "Cool and wet conditions across much of the Great Plains this spring have seriously delayed planting." If you read the entire article, it is clear that the weather conditions could seriously impact both the amounts of wheat harvested and the revenues associated with the wheat crops.

And this impact, if the current weather conditions continue, would definitely be a negative one. An example can be found in this paragraph, taken from the linked article:

"April planting predictions from the North Dakota office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service estimated that 6.6 million acres of spring wheat and 1.6 million acres of durum would be planted across the state. If the wet and cool conditions persist, Peterson estimated that the state could see a 10 percent overall decline in spring wheat acreage, with a 30 percent decline potential in the eastern part of the state, which could be partially offset with steady or even increasing acres in the western half of the state. For durum, Peterson is anticipating a 100,000 acre decline from the 1.6 million acres expected to be planted. "

Are you prepared if there is a decrease in available wheat? Do you know what to do with wheat that you have and/or are planning to purchase for your food storage?

Over at iPrepared, (http://www.iprepared.blogspot.com/) there is a very comprehensive post on wheat (http://iprepared.blogspot.com/2009/05/wheat.html) that explains the differences between different types of wheat, as well as ways to use wheat, and other information, such as allergies and storage. It’s a great place to get started, and I recommend looking at posts throughout the blog to get even more information about food storage.

The article linked ends on a hopeful note: ""If we can get a stretch (of warm weather) uninterrupted by rain, with the equipment we have we can catch up really quickly," he added.”Here in North Dakota, we can put in a lot of crop in a short time." Hopefully the crops will work out in the best way possible for everyone--but if you have some in storage, you won’t have to worry about the weather quite as much.

Another Prepper (anotherprepper@gmail.com )

2009-03-12T09:08:00.001-07:00

When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

~Psalm 31:21

The first thing you should know about North Dakota is that it's cold. I know that should be a no brainer, but if you're new here or not from here, or again, caught here at an inopportune time, you have to really really understand, to the depth of your core, how cold it is. To know that sometimes, your car won't start because the gas lines are frozen. Or that somedays you wake up and the HIGH for the day will be -17. Or that your kids don't get to play outside for about 8 months out of the year. That you can't grow food outside except maybe 6-12 weeks out of the year, so your garden has to be ready as soon as it thaws. That some days, despite the layers and heaters and warm foods, you still just don't warm up. Hypothermia is barely kept at bay from November to April. You keep these kinds of nightmares for a movie based in the Arctic or northern Alaska in Winter. No no, it's been a HORRID winter here in North Dakota and downright dangerous. You need to know that!

As a prepper, I'm making a shortlist of things you need to prepare for, with cold weather considerations. It's coming up on spring, which means NOW is a good time to evaluate how your winter went, what you need to do to prepare for next winter.

1) Always have alternate heat sources. Imagine a worse-case scenario leaving you without electricity. Those space heaters, heating blankets, and the central heat are all GONE. Now what? I know people who have removed their wood-burning stove to replace them with the pretty electric fireplaces. They are stunning additions to a family room, yes, but what good will they do without electricty? A few years ago, we were hit with an early blizzard. Most of the trees still had their leaves, so when the leaves were laden with snow and ice, they pulled the branches down and pulled the power lines with them. People were cold in their homes for days as crews had to dig out live wires and reestablish the grid. Not a pretty sight. The craziest thing is that no one expected it to be that bad and therefore.... DID NOT PREPARE! C'mon, people! We have a wood burning stove, which not only provides a massive amount of luscious heat, but also enabled me to warm dinner on the top. Grilled cheeses and Tomato Soup by a roaring fire.... heavenly! (By contrast, my in-laws were eating Chef Boyardee COLD out of a can for days!!!) Consider always having alternate heat sources. Propane heaters, wood burning stove, wood burning fireplace, and of course, plenty of fuel-- fire or propane.

2) Emergency blankets and pocket warmers. These things are SO COMPACT and SO CHEAP, it's crazy not to have these stored by the pallet! We like Hot Hands. We also keep mylar blankets in the glove compartments, all the emergency kits, even in the kids' emergency kits in their backpacks.

http://www.amazon.com/Emergency-Mylar-Blanket-Survival-Reflective/dp/B000Y9IUVI/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_k2a_3_img?pf_rd_p=304485601&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-2&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B000FETSDQ&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=020G8A7JPC7WH9KFH4XS

Okay, I'm trying to post the picture but I don't know if it's showing up. You can follow the above link to one from Amazon, for all of $1.59. Like I said, keep them everywhere!

Something else to consider: Fur blankets. Now, don't get mad at me for condoning fur and animal cruelty, blah blah blah. You can get a good faux fur too. A while back, like late 90s, these were a huge trend. Everyone was getting fur throw blankets, in rich mink- blacks, browns. I got a faux one from lillian vernon, I think. Big Queen size. Faux leopard print on one side, fake brown mink on the other. This is the heaviest, warmest blanket I've ever had! Bulky, so not meant for a bug-out-bag, although it would probably be the last thing I would grab if we were bugging out. Like I said, it's the warmest thing I've even been in. Including a down comforter. You may disagree based on your experience. One other thing I've noticed it was good for, though, was as insulation UNDER us. We were in yellowstone a few summers ago, it was chilly at night. The air mattress was cold underneath, the air in the mattress turning cold overnight. Put the fur blanket (yes I took it camping, I told you it would be the last thing I would grab!) under us and stayed toasty the rest of the trip. (well, threw the hot hands in the sleeping bags, too!)

3) Warm foods and warm beverages. We keep stashes of hot chocolate in our emergency pantry. And even in the bug out bags. Also beef broth. Some warm beef broth with some dehydrated veggies tossed in will be an incredible booster in an emergency!!!

4) Cold weather gear. Okay, I'm not talking about heavy equipment. Coats, hats, gloves. It's spring which means you can go to walmart and get gloves for $1, mittens and knit hats for 50 cents. Coats for $15-20. Everything's on clearance so buy now for next season. We got the teen a fleece-lined microsuede jacket at the department store for $9!!!!! It's heavy and warm and he loves it. Picked up the next size too for him to grow into. If you have a really really good coat, now might also be a good time to make repairs- does the zipper need replacing? How about any loose buttons? Want to sew in a warmer lining? Now's the time to do it to get it ready for next winter. Make sure you take care of your winter gear before you store it for next year.

Okay, like I said, this had to be a short list. My hubby is begging me to finish the taxes today so I suppose I should be working on that! If I can think of anything else during the day I'll add it. Otherwise, email me and let me know if I forgot anything vital!

inhiding

2009-03-10T09:33:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!

I'm going to take this first blog just to introduce myself. We'll get into the prepping business soon!

First, if you met me on the street, you would not assume I'm a prepper. I think many people have a preconceived notion of what a prepper is- pretty grizzly, maybe flannel-wearing or long prairie dress wearing, log-cabin dweller, and probably strictly religious in some way. Well, I would not fit any of those stereotypes. I'm a petite female, I wear $20 mascara and get my hair colored every six weeks. I'm married with two kids and you would think my kids don't have a care in the world. They go to really good public schools, have a wide variety of friends, and are constantly caught up in the latest video games and gadgets and the sport of the season. My husband and I like a good movie and dinner. I love to cook, love to read (warning: you may get some future Twilight references! Consider yourself warned! giggle giggle), can sew a seam and a button, can cook better than Emeril, buy mostly designer jeans because i've learned that they fit better and last longer.

Still, I have secret plans and secret stashes. My kids carry emergency kits in their backpacks and have a plan if we are seperated. My husband and I always have a Plan B. I feel like being prepared in case of an emergency was simply a matter of taking responsibility to plan for our family. I feel like being prepared mid-to-long-term was not a matter of the Second Coming or End of Days, but knowing that there are some very real, very frightening scenarios that could come to fruition and I would not want to be wandering around waiting for FEMA!!

I'm not originally from North Dakota, and therefore had to learn the hard way that there are some things that you have to be prepared for in this unique environment. I think the fact that I have to think of these things-- whereas for locals, it's just second nature-- gives me a unique perspective, and the ability to tell you what you need to know if you're new here, find yourself here at an inopportune time, or even if you are from here but have not started preparing yet.

Preparing for what? Who knows.

Anyway, follow me along as I hope to help others in or around this area! Make it a great day!

inhiding