No rebuild. No help. No relocation. If you're still waiting for someone to save you, you're already too late. The only path left is radically local, and I’m mapping the way. No fluff. No theory. Just straight-talking, radically local action—read on.
Congratulations Margi. You're way ahead of so many, radicalized by your deep knowledge and now your personal and shared tragedy; climate change trial by fire. We'll likely all arrive at the same place via various dark impacts, and none of us is remotely ready to deal with it. My wife and I have homesteaded and built a small commercial organic farm in Alaska based on local support and sales. In the land of the rugged individualist it is obvious that transition to whatever is next has the best chance when intentionally pursued within community. I worked with many tribal villages along the Yukon River for 7 years, a tough territory to survive and live. Indigenous folks would never consider a solitary life, making it on your own. The idea is ridiculous, out of context and likely to fail over the long run.
From our experiential and practice in the area of feeding ourselves through this next phase of human evolving, if you have land and are considering growing your food along with foraging, hunting, fishing etc; whatever makes sense in your biome. I would suggest looking into the the books and experience of farmers Elliot Coleman and Jean Martin Fortier. These author/farmers use simple tools, biological approaches and basic techniques borrowed from professional French intensive growers to produce incredible yields of nutritionally dense food on minimum acres. Now; here's the rub, and I never hear this discussed in all the preppy, transition, planning for an uncertain future blogs, books and prognosticators. Few, if any are discussing seeds. Presently most small scale growers and gardeners purchase seed from their favorite seed company's and a goodly percent of those seeds cannot be saved for next years crops as they are hybrids and revert to mixed parentage and attributes. These come through the mail, shipped all over. An unlikely scenario if the SHTF. Anyway the seed does not hold true. You need what is referred to as "open pollinated" or heirloom seed. AND those crop varieties must be handled in specific ways for protecting the genetics you want to carry forward. Not all crops are of concern; you can save potatoes, garlic, onions and others over winter and replant in the Spring, but many crops need more careful husbanding. Our grandparents and great grandparents did this, and those before but most of us are totally unaware of this potential survival bottleneck, if the worst happens. Check out Seed Savers Exchange on line for the full story and to connect to a network of seed savers. What varieties are best suited for your growing conditions?
Wow, Wayne. Huge apologies. I can't believe how much time has passed.
THANK YOU for this rich and informative comment. You are so right. It's only modern, western thinking that promotes individualism. Traditional communities, across the world, have always known survival is a group affair.
I strip mined Elliot Coleman and Jean Martin Fortier's books at the start of my community market gardening journey and am super glad you've mentioned them for folks reading these comments. I will absolutely include their online materials in the lists. Both a super generous with information. I also love the No-Till Growers Network (www.notillgrowers.com). I have learned so much from their videos and podcasts. Jesse Frost's book, The Living Soil Handbook, is also excellent. What I didn't know until your comment is that the Coleman/Fortier/Frost wisdom stems from professional French intensive growers. That titbit is golden.
I am fully in line with you on the seed comment. I hinted at part of the problem in a past essay, Carrots are Hard ( https://margiprideaux.substack.com/p/carrots-are-hard ), focusing on seed viability. But have wanted to swing back to writing about collecting seed and open pollination sometime soon. Incidentally, I've been running a trial here this year. I have some raw seed (for those who are no market gardeners this is seed that not coated to create a tiny, uniform balls that work easier in seeders) from the heirloom supplier and also my own saved seed of the same variety. I've planted them out in rows, side by side. No surprises, the saved seed has germinated far stronger and is rocketing away. I know that freshness is partly the reason, and also a small amount of acclimating to my soil and conditions, but I was surprised just how much better the germination was. Which makes me wonder just how old that bought raw seed is.
Anyway, this is a bit of a long reply, but I wanted to acknowledge the depth and quality of information you provided. And, as a temperate region grower, with a year round (6 month summer veg/6 month winter veg) growing season, all I can say is RESPECT ... seriously ... for market gardening in Alaska. That's a brutal climate you have to contend with!
Wayne ... kindred spirit! Thank you. There is so much I love in your comment, but I can't do a reply justice on my phone. I'll come back to you tomorrow
When you say, "We all know how bad things are, how much worse they’ll get, and how fragile our systems are." I have to demur. I have been pestering everyone that was brave enough to talk to me by asking them "You realize that we have a limited supply of oil right?" and they always answer in the affirmative. I followed with "What will happen when we run out?" and, pretty much across the board, people responded with "We will find something to replace it before that happens". I have not really encountered any other response. Magical thinking. As daunting as the end of oil is, the climate change trauma that is coming will be even more significant. Even so, people continue to count on some magic happening and life going on as usual. Perhaps the people I bump into are exceptionally foolish, certainly a possibility, but I see very little to suggest that people around the world are taking this as seriously as the existential threat that it is or that they really understand the scope of the problem. I suggest that if you find people that do understand the severity of the problem, hang on to them tightly.
Sure Brad ... I get it. That's my experience to. I guess when I typed 'we' in that context I meant the group of people here on substack who are climate collapse aware. You, my friend, are not only aware you are actioning far, far beyond anyone I know.
Thanks Margi. I still feel like I am looking over my shoulder all the time. I am doing what I can but some days I feel the "thud thud thud" of the giants footsteps behind me telling me to hurry up.
Just looked at the site [ https://www.americanresiliency.org/ ] ... looks like they are doing great work. Thanks for the link I'll reach out and ask them if they want to share some content.
Thank you, Ian. It's gives me focus for the year, so I can ignore the political ripples and waves for awhile (well at least I can either side of our own election!)
Thanks for this. But, I'm utterly hopeless in that I'm young, have little to no savings, I'm completely blocked out of "just move to the country and become self sufficient" - anyone got an extra £500,000 to help me move, buy land, get solar, water treatment and storage, animals, equipment etc? My community is tightly packed with very limited access to land or natural resources (just move, again how?). Unfortunately the majority of the world is too stupid, too selfish and too poor to actually take action and I feel they're going to drag us all down with them, capitalism demands blood.
I feel for you, Grelloh. But please don't assume my message is going to "move to the country and spend money". Actually, it's the opposite. But a message worthy of your comment will be too long for here, so in the coming weeks I'll get an essay out addressing exactly this. I'll circle back to your comment and reply again so you know it's out.
Margi, this is stunning and devastating and so so true. I’m in of course. But struggling with how to implement, so thanks for stepping up to help map the way forward. Xxoo
I live in the town where the Almeda fire started. The direction of the wind was the only thing that stopped my town of Ashland from burning to the ground.
It has been a stark reality to face, but those of us in the Western US prepare every year for the possibility of evacuating if a fire threatens our home, just like others around the country preparing for floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, etc. Climate disasters are already here, and it's important to share knowledge, resources, and strengthen our communities now, before things get even more chaotic.
It's so easy to just feel fear and see doom and gloom ahead. But living through 2020 has helped me appreciate life and this community even more. There is so much we can do, now, to help ourselves and others have it easier in the times ahead. Why not dedicate ourselves to truly living in such a way?
Thank you for doing this important and life-giving work!
My appologies for the photo, Jessi. I hope it wasn't triggering. Your words are beautiful, especially your comment: "There is so much we can do, now, to help ourselves and others have it easier in the times ahead. Why not dedicate ourselves to truly living in such a way?". From the depths of my soul, I agree. Personally, it's the most important thing we can do now.
I'm recently retired and feel I can now do a little something about protecting biodiversity and warding off pollution on a local level. I attended our township's environmental commission meeting last month (West Windsor New Jersey) and have started to grow my own vegetables. I have no idea where this will lead but feel compelled to take some sort of action. I've subscribed and look forward to reading your posts.
Creating an online resilient community that can translate the shared strategies into reality for themselves in their individual lives and the surrounding communities. Right on! It’s all about people supporting people with tried and true FEWSSS strategies - food, energy, water, shelter, sanitation, and security.
Just became a paid subscriber. Your assessment of the future pretty much parallels mine. We're in our late 60s and trying to prepare as best as we can to protect ourselves and our family.
Thank you. Well written and true, so I look forward to the rest.
You are possibly aware of the Transition communities, started in Britain about 15 years ago to try to build communities that might survive after fossil fuels run short.
I find some naivety in some of their approaches, but the network is now extensive worldwide and they do have a contribution to make to public awareness.
Thank you, I had heard of them whole I was writing FIRE, but am glad to have them put back on front of me. I'll reach out to them to see if they are happy for me to share some of thier resources.
I'm sure they will be. There are also a few American towns that have adopted the Transition approach, so their experiences may be more relevant for you.
Congratulations Margi. You're way ahead of so many, radicalized by your deep knowledge and now your personal and shared tragedy; climate change trial by fire. We'll likely all arrive at the same place via various dark impacts, and none of us is remotely ready to deal with it. My wife and I have homesteaded and built a small commercial organic farm in Alaska based on local support and sales. In the land of the rugged individualist it is obvious that transition to whatever is next has the best chance when intentionally pursued within community. I worked with many tribal villages along the Yukon River for 7 years, a tough territory to survive and live. Indigenous folks would never consider a solitary life, making it on your own. The idea is ridiculous, out of context and likely to fail over the long run.
From our experiential and practice in the area of feeding ourselves through this next phase of human evolving, if you have land and are considering growing your food along with foraging, hunting, fishing etc; whatever makes sense in your biome. I would suggest looking into the the books and experience of farmers Elliot Coleman and Jean Martin Fortier. These author/farmers use simple tools, biological approaches and basic techniques borrowed from professional French intensive growers to produce incredible yields of nutritionally dense food on minimum acres. Now; here's the rub, and I never hear this discussed in all the preppy, transition, planning for an uncertain future blogs, books and prognosticators. Few, if any are discussing seeds. Presently most small scale growers and gardeners purchase seed from their favorite seed company's and a goodly percent of those seeds cannot be saved for next years crops as they are hybrids and revert to mixed parentage and attributes. These come through the mail, shipped all over. An unlikely scenario if the SHTF. Anyway the seed does not hold true. You need what is referred to as "open pollinated" or heirloom seed. AND those crop varieties must be handled in specific ways for protecting the genetics you want to carry forward. Not all crops are of concern; you can save potatoes, garlic, onions and others over winter and replant in the Spring, but many crops need more careful husbanding. Our grandparents and great grandparents did this, and those before but most of us are totally unaware of this potential survival bottleneck, if the worst happens. Check out Seed Savers Exchange on line for the full story and to connect to a network of seed savers. What varieties are best suited for your growing conditions?
Wow, Wayne. Huge apologies. I can't believe how much time has passed.
THANK YOU for this rich and informative comment. You are so right. It's only modern, western thinking that promotes individualism. Traditional communities, across the world, have always known survival is a group affair.
I strip mined Elliot Coleman and Jean Martin Fortier's books at the start of my community market gardening journey and am super glad you've mentioned them for folks reading these comments. I will absolutely include their online materials in the lists. Both a super generous with information. I also love the No-Till Growers Network (www.notillgrowers.com). I have learned so much from their videos and podcasts. Jesse Frost's book, The Living Soil Handbook, is also excellent. What I didn't know until your comment is that the Coleman/Fortier/Frost wisdom stems from professional French intensive growers. That titbit is golden.
I am fully in line with you on the seed comment. I hinted at part of the problem in a past essay, Carrots are Hard ( https://margiprideaux.substack.com/p/carrots-are-hard ), focusing on seed viability. But have wanted to swing back to writing about collecting seed and open pollination sometime soon. Incidentally, I've been running a trial here this year. I have some raw seed (for those who are no market gardeners this is seed that not coated to create a tiny, uniform balls that work easier in seeders) from the heirloom supplier and also my own saved seed of the same variety. I've planted them out in rows, side by side. No surprises, the saved seed has germinated far stronger and is rocketing away. I know that freshness is partly the reason, and also a small amount of acclimating to my soil and conditions, but I was surprised just how much better the germination was. Which makes me wonder just how old that bought raw seed is.
Anyway, this is a bit of a long reply, but I wanted to acknowledge the depth and quality of information you provided. And, as a temperate region grower, with a year round (6 month summer veg/6 month winter veg) growing season, all I can say is RESPECT ... seriously ... for market gardening in Alaska. That's a brutal climate you have to contend with!
Wayne ... kindred spirit! Thank you. There is so much I love in your comment, but I can't do a reply justice on my phone. I'll come back to you tomorrow
Thank you. I breathed a sigh of relief when I read this, I feel so ill prepared for what is coming. What a gift, seriously, thank you x
I am glad to help, Kristy.
When you say, "We all know how bad things are, how much worse they’ll get, and how fragile our systems are." I have to demur. I have been pestering everyone that was brave enough to talk to me by asking them "You realize that we have a limited supply of oil right?" and they always answer in the affirmative. I followed with "What will happen when we run out?" and, pretty much across the board, people responded with "We will find something to replace it before that happens". I have not really encountered any other response. Magical thinking. As daunting as the end of oil is, the climate change trauma that is coming will be even more significant. Even so, people continue to count on some magic happening and life going on as usual. Perhaps the people I bump into are exceptionally foolish, certainly a possibility, but I see very little to suggest that people around the world are taking this as seriously as the existential threat that it is or that they really understand the scope of the problem. I suggest that if you find people that do understand the severity of the problem, hang on to them tightly.
Sure Brad ... I get it. That's my experience to. I guess when I typed 'we' in that context I meant the group of people here on substack who are climate collapse aware. You, my friend, are not only aware you are actioning far, far beyond anyone I know.
Thanks Margi. I still feel like I am looking over my shoulder all the time. I am doing what I can but some days I feel the "thud thud thud" of the giants footsteps behind me telling me to hurry up.
That description is exactly how I feel many days, too, but have never captured it as well as that. Giant footsteps ... brilliant.
Magical thinking surrounds me too. So frustrating.
Love. Love. Love.
www American resiliency.org
Just looked at the site [ https://www.americanresiliency.org/ ] ... looks like they are doing great work. Thanks for the link I'll reach out and ask them if they want to share some content.
Thank-you Margi. I can easily ditto Kristy H's comments.
Thank you, Ian. It's gives me focus for the year, so I can ignore the political ripples and waves for awhile (well at least I can either side of our own election!)
Thanks for this. But, I'm utterly hopeless in that I'm young, have little to no savings, I'm completely blocked out of "just move to the country and become self sufficient" - anyone got an extra £500,000 to help me move, buy land, get solar, water treatment and storage, animals, equipment etc? My community is tightly packed with very limited access to land or natural resources (just move, again how?). Unfortunately the majority of the world is too stupid, too selfish and too poor to actually take action and I feel they're going to drag us all down with them, capitalism demands blood.
I feel for you, Grelloh. But please don't assume my message is going to "move to the country and spend money". Actually, it's the opposite. But a message worthy of your comment will be too long for here, so in the coming weeks I'll get an essay out addressing exactly this. I'll circle back to your comment and reply again so you know it's out.
Margi, this is stunning and devastating and so so true. I’m in of course. But struggling with how to implement, so thanks for stepping up to help map the way forward. Xxoo
Bless ... as always, my friend. 🙏
I live in the town where the Almeda fire started. The direction of the wind was the only thing that stopped my town of Ashland from burning to the ground.
It has been a stark reality to face, but those of us in the Western US prepare every year for the possibility of evacuating if a fire threatens our home, just like others around the country preparing for floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, etc. Climate disasters are already here, and it's important to share knowledge, resources, and strengthen our communities now, before things get even more chaotic.
It's so easy to just feel fear and see doom and gloom ahead. But living through 2020 has helped me appreciate life and this community even more. There is so much we can do, now, to help ourselves and others have it easier in the times ahead. Why not dedicate ourselves to truly living in such a way?
Thank you for doing this important and life-giving work!
My appologies for the photo, Jessi. I hope it wasn't triggering. Your words are beautiful, especially your comment: "There is so much we can do, now, to help ourselves and others have it easier in the times ahead. Why not dedicate ourselves to truly living in such a way?". From the depths of my soul, I agree. Personally, it's the most important thing we can do now.
I appreciate that you shared it. No apologies needed. I am so grateful you agree and to have found your work!
I'm recently retired and feel I can now do a little something about protecting biodiversity and warding off pollution on a local level. I attended our township's environmental commission meeting last month (West Windsor New Jersey) and have started to grow my own vegetables. I have no idea where this will lead but feel compelled to take some sort of action. I've subscribed and look forward to reading your posts.
Building mental fortitude hit me… I’ve been thinking a lot about this and how DBT distress tolerance skills could be a good resource for folks !
This is exactly what I’ve been hoping to find. Thank you!!!
Creating an online resilient community that can translate the shared strategies into reality for themselves in their individual lives and the surrounding communities. Right on! It’s all about people supporting people with tried and true FEWSSS strategies - food, energy, water, shelter, sanitation, and security.
Thanks for the vote, Angus!
Just became a paid subscriber. Your assessment of the future pretty much parallels mine. We're in our late 60s and trying to prepare as best as we can to protect ourselves and our family.
Gratitude, Gregg
Seems there something about our age cohort that are deeply tuned into this. Glad to have the connection to you as your journey unfolds.
Thank you. Well written and true, so I look forward to the rest.
You are possibly aware of the Transition communities, started in Britain about 15 years ago to try to build communities that might survive after fossil fuels run short.
https://transitionnetwork.org/
I find some naivety in some of their approaches, but the network is now extensive worldwide and they do have a contribution to make to public awareness.
Thank you, I had heard of them whole I was writing FIRE, but am glad to have them put back on front of me. I'll reach out to them to see if they are happy for me to share some of thier resources.
I'm sure they will be. There are also a few American towns that have adopted the Transition approach, so their experiences may be more relevant for you.
Good to know. Thanks!
Transition Australia is doing good work in connecting groups and has a directory available www.transitionaustralia.net
Thanks, The World We Dream Of.
This is exactly the type of content I'm looking for. Thank you for sharing your wisdom.
It's very hard to imagine life without the societal structures we've been accustomed to.
We truly need strategies.
I am glad it resonates with you Lynn. I look forward to the conversation with going forward.
Absolutely glorious—thank you SO much for sharing this wisdom.