hello Folks

I live just outside of Edmonton. I've been looking through this site for a while and comparing some interesting ideas and information, and i thought I would say hello. Although I feel I'm much more of self-sustainer, than a prepper, I guess much of it falls under the same umbrella. I find it humorous that people look at you funny when you say you like to prepare and have some food and water and such, put way in case something goes wrong. I think for the most part, we are only one or two generations from the days when we as farmers and urban dwellers used to grow enough food to last until the next harvest, we would cure, preserve, or freeze our animals to last. Nobody joked or though silliness of you because you did not want or could not make it into town to buy milk and bread and such on a daily basis. My sister in law grew up on a little farm several hours north of Peace river. She went into town once or twice a year until she was an adult, and she is only 35 now.

My reasons for prepping are not so much as being ready for nuclear winter or civil unrest, even though it can happen, but more realistically economic or health issues. I was in the military when i was younger and have hunted and used firearms all my life, but I worry more about losing my job or breaking a leg where i can't go to work or get into town. I keep the freezers full, the water storage tanks topped up, I gather wood for the year and have another batch drying and waiting to be cut. I have a moderate size garden and greenhouse with a few fruit trees and generally have enough produce for the season by drying, freezing, and canning. I have a half dozen chickens to make fresh eggs, and i generally get enough meat from hunting to make sausage, jerky, and steaks for the year. If I need beef, i get it from my brother who raises organic cows and goats. In general, I don't spend much money or time going to grocery stores.

My attempt at humor and advice is as follows: Water is like toilet paper, it only becomes valuable when you run out. make you you always have plenty of both. 😉