High Risk of Food Shortage in the US?

[Miriam_M]

We'll have to learn.

over 80 % of the US population is in urban areas which means little or no access to land which can grow food.

This is much more important than the learning issue.  The two enormous obstacles are
(1) housing design in urban America, most of which omit even balconies for gardens of any kind.
(2) the time period involved from beginning to harvestable yield.  Many people can grow veggies, even indoors, but fruits, protein, and dairy sources will be out of reach for much of urban America as our cities are currently designed.  It could become possible in future urban design, or in re-design, but it is not an instant solution for large portions of the population.

[Vox Clara]

We'll have to learn.

over 80 % of the US population is in urban areas which means little or no access to land which can grow food.

This is much more important than the learning issue.  The two enormous obstacles are
(1) housing design in urban America, most of which omit even balconies for gardens of any kind.
(2) the time period involved from beginning to harvestable yield.  Many people can grow veggies, even indoors, but fruits, protein, and dairy sources will be out of reach for much of urban America as our cities are currently designed.  It could become possible in future urban design, or in re-design, but it is not an instant solution for large portions of the population.

You can grow protein indoors. Just ask any cat lady how many you can fit in an apartment.

[Elizabeth]

We have free-range chickens so I guess we're kind of set. Growing has been tough since the weather is still not warm enough and we mostly have sandy soil. We trade our eggs for beef with the locals. And, there are some deer on our property.

How many chickens?  I am so tempted to start, and they have some cool coops on the market these days.  I would be happy to have even one as a pet to eat bugs, as long as I could keep her safe.

[Jayne]

over 80 % of the US population is in urban areas which means little or no access to land which can grow food.

This is much more important than the learning issue.  The two enormous obstacles are
(1) housing design in urban America, most of which omit even balconies for gardens of any kind.
(2) the time period involved from beginning to harvestable yield.  Many people can grow veggies, even indoors, but fruits, protein, and dairy sources will be out of reach for much of urban America as our cities are currently designed.  It could become possible in future urban design, or in re-design, but it is not an instant solution for large portions of the population.

If things became bad enough, people would need to learn to catch and eat urban protein sources, such as rats, squirrels, and pigeons.  There would probably be more resistance to eating cats, dogs, and other pets, but they are protein too.  I'm not sure how long this food source would last though.

I daresay these things do not appeal to most, but are probably more feasible than gardening in cities.

[Jayne]

You can grow protein indoors. Just ask any cat lady how many you can fit in an apartment.

We are on the same wave length. 

(possibly you should be concerned about this.    )

[Jayne]

I'll add the diesel shortage will hit hard.  Big input in farming and also shipping.

Present tense, not "will," according to some people I know in farming -- for them, at least.

It is not likely to help with a diesel shortage, but people should know that diesel engines can run on vegetable oil (depending on ambient temperature).  This could come in useful in an emergency.

Vegetable oil (with a few exceptions like olive oil) is extremely unhealthy for human consumption and we would be better off using it to run engines.

[james03]

We'll have to learn.

over 80 % of the US population is in urban areas which means little or no access to land which can grow food.

This is much more important than the learning issue.  The two enormous obstacles are
(1) housing design in urban America, most of which omit even balconies for gardens of any kind.
(2) the time period involved from beginning to harvestable yield.  Many people can grow veggies, even indoors, but fruits, protein, and dairy sources will be out of reach for much of urban America as our cities are currently designed.  It could become possible in future urban design, or in re-design, but it is not an instant solution for large portions of the population.

You can grow protein indoors. Just ask any cat lady how many you can fit in an apartment.

You're being catty.

[Kaesekopf]

If things became bad enough, people would need to learn to catch and eat urban protein sources, such as rats, squirrels, and pigeons.  There would probably be more resistance to eating cats, dogs, and other pets, but they are protein too.  I'm not sure how long this food source would last though.

I daresay these things do not appeal to most, but are probably more feasible than gardening in cities.

[Mushroom]

We have free-range chickens so I guess we're kind of set. Growing has been tough since the weather is still not warm enough and we mostly have sandy soil. We trade our eggs for beef with the locals. And, there are some deer on our property.

How many chickens?  I am so tempted to start, and they have some cool coops on the market these days.  I would be happy to have even one as a pet to eat bugs, as long as I could keep her safe.

17 hens and 3 roosters. I butchered our 4th rooster (almost a year old) a few weeks ago since the other roosters would attack him and it would create bloody fights. The meat was super tough so i recommend slow-cooking them. The hens are production types so they probably wouldn't live long. The rooster keep the hens safe and they're really nice pets. We're trying to breed the hens but it got cold suddenly, so they stopped brooding I guess.

[Heinrich]

We have free-range chickens so I guess we're kind of set. Growing has been tough since the weather is still not warm enough and we mostly have sandy soil. We trade our eggs for beef with the locals. And, there are some deer on our property.

How many chickens?  I am so tempted to start, and they have some cool coops on the market these days.  I would be happy to have even one as a pet to eat bugs, as long as I could keep her safe.

17 hens and 3 roosters. I butchered our 4th rooster (almost a year old) a few weeks ago since the other roosters would attack him and it would create bloody fights. The meat was super tough so i recommend slow-cooking them. The hens are production types so they probably wouldn't live long. The rooster keep the hens safe and they're really nice pets. We're trying to breed the hens but it got cold suddenly, so they stopped brooding I guess.

Where do you live, the Yukon?

[diaduit]

lol food shortage? Grow a friggn garden. My countrymen are kinda lazy.

Yes this is unrealistic.

We're growing veg for a few years now and it still only amounts to supplementing grocery shopping.  Last year we lost most of our potato crop to wire worm.  You do all that work for months and then its rubbish food.
We have chickens and they are they best, this year we are incubating eggs to rear meat chickens.  It takes months to learn what to do and what not to do.  All you need is one fox to destroy your stock, a dose of worms to make them sick or as happened me last time, I lost most of my chicks in the pipping stage. 

[Jayne]

I can't remember the last time the forum was as united on an issue as we are in saying that gardening is not a realistic solution to a food shortage.  Tennessean has made a suggestion that got all kinds of people agreeing with each other.  He should be awarded some sort of SD Peace Prize.   

[james03]

Not to mention The Great Dog Chicken Massacre whereby you learn not to let the little ones name the chickens.

"Mommy, what's wrong with Princess?".

[Lynne]

If things became bad enough, people would need to learn to catch and eat urban protein sources, such as rats, squirrels, and pigeons.  There would probably be more resistance to eating cats, dogs, and other pets, but they are protein too.  I'm not sure how long this food source would last though.

I daresay these things do not appeal to most, but are probably more feasible than gardening in cities.

Move the line one animal to the right please...

[Lynne]

Stock up now on dried beans.