The continuing drought in California is contributing to higher food prices. As explained in this Zero Hedge article the drought is expected to get much worse. It could even turn into drought of epic proportions according to some new scientific studies. This is serious stuff. California provides 80-95% of many fruits and vegetables. It’s time to prepare.
We’ve previously covered numerous excellent gardening methods such as Back to Eden and Natural Farming and Forest Gardening. Here are some more very good methods to consider. I like to study numerous methods and choose what works best in our situation. In addition to saving money, you also gain fresher, better tasting, healthier food.
Ruth Stout Gardening Method
She’s done with all garden work, house work and answering mail by 11 am, because her methods are so fast and efficient. She doesn’t have a compost pile, never plows or spades or pulls weeds or uses chemicals in the garden. She doesn’t fertilize or water the garden. In 35 years of gardening she’s never watered once. She’s never gone to the supermarket in 14 years. She just plants and picks. Her ‘root cellar’ consists of leaving the root veggies in the ground and covering with a hay bale. To plant potatoes she drops them on the ground and puts hay on top. No cutting, etc. She never covers seeds with mulch. She uses cottonseed meal for nitrogen. She keeps a book for visitors who tour the garden. She’s had 7,000 visitors. She doesn’t lecture to garden clubs. She talks for 5 minutes and then opens it to questions. Her 45’x50’ garden provided all the food for her and her husband. Sadly, she has since passed away.
No Dig Garden Method
Turning an uncultivated plot of land into an abundant garden using the no-dig approach — all within a few months in 2013.
He’s in England and had trouble with slugs using Ruth Stout’s mulch method.
Keyline design for larger gardens and farms
Here’s another excellent way to restore land. The inventor in Australia had land that was eroded down to the shale. (Sounds like Haiti.) Simply by cutting grooves/channels on contour he restored his land into a lush, highly productive farm. These channels are much easier to make than swales.