A Really Long but Important Article on Seed...

Wondrous Seed

Have you ever stood under a Giant Sequoia? If you never have...it is a remarkable experience. No matter how many times I see them in person I am always amazed at how enormous they are. The feeling I get is as if I am standing at the foot of a Brontosaurus or some other larger than life dinosaur. While not as old as the dinosaurs...it is amazing to think that one of those tree's has been recorded as being as much as 3,500 years old! That antedates the ministry of our Savior!

Not only are they old...they are tall. The tallest of these trees is named "General Sherman" and now towers some 274.9 feet! To get the whole tree into the viewfinder of a camera is a feat. I can remember myself and a group of Japanese tourists backing up away from the General....further and further...unable to photograph anything more than the trunk...and then finally turning and walking a good football fields length from the tree before we could photograph the whole tree!

What baffles the mind is that these giants are borne out of the growth that comes from a tiny...seemingly insignificant fleck of a seed. The seed is held inside of a scale-like seed case...and it is the size of a pinhead!...and yet...bundled up in that minuscule seed lies all of the genetic information and life required to give us one of the absolute wonders of nature.

Seeds truly are a marvel. They have the ability to lie dormant...like long-term hibernating bears...awaiting the conditions that will make it possible for them to survive. We count on them to lie dormant until we "wake them up" at a time we choose...when we go to plant our gardens. As we prepare our garden beds to plant our precious saved seeds...and run our rakes back and forth disturbing the soil we may also wake up potentially unwelcome dormant weed seeds...as they find their way to the surface and find the sun...moisture...and air that they also need to begin their lives.


As I pour my seed into the palm of my hand out of a seed packet...I am amazed at all of the sizes and shapes...and colors...some with swirling tails...spots...or wings. Many are as much a wonder as the plant they produce. In my minds eye I romanticize a heavenly art studio...where an artist sits at an art desk busily designing seeds and the plants they will produce.

The Creator and Seed

While that may or may not be how they are designed...we do know that they exist by the command of the Creator. The opening chapter of the Old Testament records...

Gen. 1: 11-12, 29

11 "And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.

12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

29 ¶ And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat."

So...the Creator made seeds to produce after their own kind....which means that a seed taken from the mother plant will produce a plant like the mother plant. Are you aware that there are basically two types of seeds on the market nowadays? Those that are made as God made them...to produce after their own kind...called "open pollinated" seeds...or those that have been artificially hybridized by man in an attempt to increase some sort of desirable trait...such as disease resistance...yield...etc.

Open pollinated seeds have the ability...with care...to produce a seed that can be saved from generation to generation. The best of these are generally given an "heirloom" status which basically means that they are of good enough quality to have been kept for a long time. The hybrid plants will produce a seed that is not reliable to grow a plant like the mother plant...and if it grows a plant at all it will be quite inferior to the mother plant.

For preparedness...I am a huge advocate of using only open pollinated/heirloom variety seeds. While I can concede that one would be hard pressed to find a variety of open pollinated corn that can compete with the sweetness of a hybrid variety...and that there may be some hybrid types that are desirable for their various traits...I say emphatically...THERE IS NO LONG TERM SELF RELIANCE TO BE HAD IN HYBRID SEED!!! With hybrid varieties...you are at the mercy of the seed supplier to give you new seed every season! What if they close down their business.? What if you have no way to get the seed delivered? What if the supply runs out...or the price goes so high you can't afford it? Without the seed supplier...with hybrid seeds you have one plant to grow and then you are done. That will work fine if your time of disaster is only one season...but what if it is longer?!

I agree with Alma who said...


Alma 32:31 "And now, behold, are ye sure that this is a good seed? I say unto you, Yea; for every seed bringeth forth unto its own likeness."


The Book of Mormon and Seed


Ezra Taft Benson said in "The Book of Mormon- Keystone of Our Religion"

"Each of the major writers of the Book of Mormon testified that he wrote for future generations. Nephi said: “The Lord God promised unto me that these things which I write shall be kept and preserved, and handed down unto my seed, from generation to generation” (2 Ne. 25:21). His brother Jacob, who succeeded him, wrote similar words: “For [Nephi] said that the history of his people should be engraven upon his other plates, and that I should preserve these plates and hand them down unto my seed, from generation to generation” (Jacob 1:3). Enos and Jarom both indicated that they too were writing not for their own peoples but for future generations (see Enos 1:15–16, Jarom 1:2).


Mormon himself said, “Yea, I speak unto you, ye remnant of the house of Israel” (Morm. 7:1). And Moroni, the last of the inspired writers, actually saw our day and time. “Behold,” he said, “the Lord hath shown unto me great and marvelous things concerning that which must shortly come, at that day when these things shall come forth among you.

“Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing” (Morm. 8:34–35).

If they saw our day and chose those things which would be of greatest worth to us, is not that how we should study the Book of Mormon? We should constantly ask ourselves, “Why did the Lord inspire Mormon (or Moroni or Alma) to include that in his record? What lesson can I learn from that to help me live in this day and age?”"


There is no fluff in the Book of Mormon. Prophets that saw our day...and events in our future put those things in it...that would be of use for us in OUR DAY.


So what does the Book of Mormon teach about seed that we should know for our day?


First I will say that the word "seed" is probably the most often used piece of agriculture in all of the scriptures. A bulk of the time it is used as a metaphor for ones posterity. The rest of the time "Seed" seems to be used in the context of a literal seed that one would put in the soil to grow a plant.

Here are most of the Book of Mormon uses of the word "seed" in that context that I could find...

The following three scriptures are from Lehi's families journey...

1 Nephi 8:1 And it came to pass that we had gathered together all manner of seeds of every kind, both of grain of every kind, and also of the seeds of fruit of every kind.

1 Nephi 16:11 And it came to pass that we did gather together whatsoever things we should carry into the wilderness, and all the remainder of our provisions which the Lord had given unto us; and we did take seed of every kind that we might carry into the wilderness.

1 Nephi 18:6 And it came to pass that on the morrow, after we had prepared all things, much fruits and meat from the wilderness, and honey in abundance, and provisions according to that which the Lord had commanded us, we did go down into the ship, with all our loading and our seeds, and whatsoever thing we had brought with us, every one according to his age; wherefore, we did all go down into the ship, with our wives and our children.

After they arrived in the promised land the record states...

1 Nephi 18:24 And it came to pass that we did begin to till the earth, and we began to plant seeds; yea, we did put all our seeds into the earth, which we had brought from the land of Jerusalem. And it came to pass that they did grow exceedingly; wherefore, we were blessed in abundance.

To summarize what happened...here is a family that was commanded by God to gather provisions for a journey and then to flee a wicked homeland and to make their way through a wilderness to live on a ship...shut out from the outside world for what could have been a year or so based upon the dates in the lower corners of the pages...which meant that for a time they would survive on only their stored provisions...after which the circumstances would allow for them to be able to till the earth and plant all of their seeds to have food to eat after their stored provisions had been depleted.

Nephi wants us to know that they did not casually grab a few seeds...but instead stored "seeds of every kind". He tells us this 4 times! If there was a chance that you could one day be surviving on what you could produce in a garden like the Lehites...would you store a few seeds...or would you store "seeds of every kind"?! I would store the latter...and do. I want to make sure that I have a variety of plants that could grow in different seasons and have a multitude of uses.

We were told by Marion G. Romney in General Conference April 1975 that "We will see the day when we will live on what we produce." In light of that prophecy that was repeated in General Conference at least another 2 times...once by Victor L. Brown and another time by J. Richard Clarke...it seems prudent to store seeds of every kind in preparation for a day when we may have to live on what we can grow.

Here is very similar story of a Book of Mormon families experience...

Ether 1:41 states the Lords command to the people of the Brother of Jared to gather together "the seed of the earth of every kind"

...and then Ether 2: 3 states their follow through with the commandment...

"And they did also carry with them deseret, which, by interpretation, is a honey bee; and thus they did carry with them swarms of bees, and all manner of that which was upon the face of the land, seeds of every kind."

Ether 6:13 states that "they went forth upon the face of the land and began to till the earth"

To summarize this families experience...their family was told to gather provisions...and to flee a wicked homeland to ultimately board a ship...separated from the outside world...to subsist upon food they had stored and other provisions for the space of 344 days...just under a year...until circumstances were such that they were able to come out and plant their seeds of every kind and eat their planted food as opposed to the now depleted food supply they had been surviving on.

Sound familiar!? Basically the same experience.

Now read 2 Ne. 5: 11, which covers a different time and place...

"And the Lord was with us; and we did prosper exceedingly; for we did sow seed, and we did reap again in abundance. And we began to raise flocks, and herds, and animals of every kind."

Here...during a time of political/civil unrest...a people separate from a wicked people and flee to another land seeking safety...they till and plant and have success.

Now read Mosiah 9:9...

"And we began to till the ground, yea, even with all manner of seeds, with seeds of corn, and of wheat, and of barley, and with neas, and with sheum, and with seeds of all manner of fruits; and we did begin to multiply and prosper in the land."

Here...during a time of political/civil unrest...a people separate from a wicked people and flee to another land seeking safety...they till and plant and have success.

Basically the same story!!! The repetition should rivet our attention...and make us ask questions like..."Why did the authors of the Book of Mormon include these stories with such similar details?" "Could they have seen events in our future that they hoped to help us prepare for by repeating very similar stories...in hopes that we would follow their example?"

Often I hear people explain applications of scriptures...only figuratively. For example in this instance they might say "This teaches me that our families need to stick together when we are going on the journey of life...and we need to supply ourselves with the provisions of gospel truth...and separate ourselves from bad things by turning off bad TV shows...and we need to work together to plant the seeds of our faith so that they will grow and we will have the fruit of happiness". While this is may be true...I think that literal applications of the Book of Mormon are often not made.

A literal view of these scriptures would give you the message that there may actually be a day when the Lord warns you to leave your home to escape from a wicked place...separating yourselves from the wicked. You may have to gather whatever provisions you have to to survive. You may have travel a great distance...and live for a time on whatever you have stored. Then you could find yourself like all of these 4 examples...with a piece of land...and a packet of seeds...earning your food by the sweat of your brow...that is of course...if you had the foresight to store them!!! Are you ready to go!!!???

Seed Storing

A couple of years ago I found a box out in the garage that had 10 or so packets of seed. Common varieties of carrots, squash, cucumber, tomatoes, and corn. The dates varied on each packet...but I don't think a single packet was less than a decade old. To my knowledge...they spent their entire life in a hot garage with no real protection from the elements. Just as an experiment I planted those seeds...and to my surprise...up came the carrots and corn!!

While that may seem remarkable...it is dwarfed by the work of Soren Odum...who was able to sprout seeds that were 1.700 years old!! The average gardener should not expect the same results...at least not without the aid of some incredible science!!

The prophet Ezra Taft Benson told us...

"Store seeds and have sufficient tools on hand to do the job."

So how do we do that effectively?

It is widely understood that with the passing of time the germination rate of seed goes progressively down. Not all seed will store for the same length of time either. The germination rate can be monumentally improved if the seed is stored properly. "Properly" basically means to limit the amount of sunlight, moisture, and heat the seeds are exposed to. A constant temperature is also ideal as well.

There are different ideas about how best to accomplish this. I agree with Carole B. Turner who wrote"Seed Sowing and Saving" and Suzanne Ashworth who wrote "Seed to Seed". Put your seeds in ziploc bags...envelopes....or a variety of other containers and then to put it into a jar with a sealable lid...like a canning jar or a baby food jar. Then take that jar and put it in a cool dark place. Personally my cool dark place is my outside refrigerator. I would not recommend putting seed in the freezer as you may destroy the seed if the moisture content in the seed is too high.

Canned Seed for Long Term Storage?

There are companies selling cans of garden seed meant for "long term" storage. I think it is usually purchased with the thought that..."Hey...here is my doomsday garden kit!"

While I don't think it is a necessarily a bad idea...as it get's people to have some seed on hand...and it is a can you could grab and flee with quickly...I have a few concerns about this approach.

1. Do the people that buy these cans also have short term seed that they are using now? Are they practicing the skills they will need to grow food? Like growing plants from seed as opposed to just going and buying seedlings?

2. Will the people who buy these cans let decades pass without rotating the seed...perhaps storing it out in their garage...(like so many people do with their food storage)...and when their hour of need comes...will they still germinate?

3. Are the prepacked vegetable seeds the varieties that grow well in the buyers region?

4. Are those the varieties that the buyers family likes to eat?"

Personally...I think don't think canned long term storage of seed is really necessary. I bet I can get my seeds to germinate just as effectively....that are kept in my cool dark place...as the ones that are sealed in a can....even after the same amount of time. Rotating them doesn't require for me to break into my precious expensive can of seed either!!

Buying Seed

I'd encourage you to get online and type "heirloom seed" or "open pollinated seed" into a search engine. Find some suppliers and request their seed catalogs to come to your home. Many have them for free. In those catalogs you will find a wealth of information regarding the varieties they sell.

Here are some seed suppliers that I really like...

Peaceful Valley Farm and Garden Supply - The retail location is located in Grass Valley. It is the local "mecca" of organic gardening. They carry most everything. They have a large selection of open pollinated, organic seed....seedlings...organic fertilizers....etc...etc...and a helpful staff. They also do orders online and I'm sure over the phone.

Seeds of change has a great selection of organic open pollinated seed and a beautiful catalog. Their staff are super helpful...and will answer any question you've got. They have donated seed to my preschool in the past...and I have been really happy with the results.

Baker Creek has an unreal amount of heirloom varieties that I've seen nowhere else. Especially with regards to their tomato and melon collection. They also have many varieties that they have brought back from other countries. Their catalog makes everything look and sound so good!

Turtle Tree Seed is...I believe...an entirely local outfit. Various local farms and gardens supply the seed. Some friends at the Rudolf Steiner College in Fair Oaks supply with them with seed that is excellent. These are seeds that are adapted to 0ur region. I have eaten many a vegetable grown from this seed...yum.

Saving Seed

Learning to save seed from year to year can really be an art. Some varieties of vegetable require certain physical distances from other varieties that could compromise their "seed purity"...and other skills. Others are really easy...like tomatoes and many herbs.

There are many videos on youtube on saving seed. Here is one on saving tomato seed.

I would also recommend the books that I mentioned earlier "Seed to Seed" and "Seed Sowing and Saving". These books can walk you through step by step what to do with each variety. You might also check out the great work that is being done by organizations like the seed savers exchange.

Seed in Crisis

Heirloom varieties of all kinds of vegetables and flowers are disappearing. Many of these seeds have been passed down from generation to generation...but what happens when grandma can't find anyone interested in continuing the legacy?! The seeds get lost...and ultimately they die when she does. I have read that half of the seeds that existed earlier in our nations history are now extinct! That is not necessarily because they weren't good!

In addition...although there seems to be increased interest in heirloom seed...hybrid varieties have largely pushed them off of the shelves. Seed companies can make more money when they can count on you spending your money on their seed every year...instead of saving your own seed. Really...that is what has driven...what I consider to be the abomination of "terminator" technology. Seed that has been purposefully made to not produce a viable seed from the mother plant. Remember this..."He who controls the seed...controls the food." How do you think God feels about man taking his creation that by his command was made to produce in kind...and altering it so that it would not produce "meat" for man?!

Then there is the issue that comes with genetically modified plants. There is some really creepy and scary stuff going on out there.

Watch this documentary entitled "The Future of Food". It will surely get you interested in saving seed!!!!

My admonition to you is to get familiar with how to grow food in your region...grow heirloom varieties from seed....and learn how to save the seed for next years garden! You will truly find an increased sense of self reliance...a kinship with the Creator...and enjoy wonderful produce in the process!

Foraging Books...

I was reading last night about the saints who first came into the Salt Lake Valley...and how they survived through the harsh seasons while the land was being settled. Saints were eating crows, thistle, bark, roots, and sego lily bulbs...really...most anything that they could get their hands on to make their suffering and intense hunger subside.

While to many in our day...that is just an interesting history lesson...to me it is a story of survival that we could very well repeat in our lifetimes. Prophecy regarding last days events prior to Christ's return points to times of very primitive living. Times where farmers cease farming...and people flee from city to city to avoid mobs and destruction.

I have been studying for a while now the various edible plants that are found in the wild. When people find out that I eat wild food...some think that is pretty strange...a pursuit for someone who is a peculiar person...and perhaps not in a good way. Perhaps they feel this way because they do not understand the severity of what is to come...and how useful a skill foraging would be in hard times.

Others say to me "If things get that rough where I need to eat wild plants...I'll come and find you!!" But what if I am already gone? Relying on me to teach you what you can eat when "there is no store" is not a sound plan of self-reliance....especially if I have already evacuated my family!

Some think that they can grow all they need to eat or store it. But...what if you are driven from your home by war...natural disaster...mobs...etc? A person separated from their food could be in pretty sorry shape.

What about people with health needs...who rely on medication? When your supply of meds runs out...what then? Did you realise that God made a drugstore that may have the answer to many of your maladies (yes...not all...but many)?!

He reminds of this in...Alma 46: 40

"And there were some who died with fevers, which at some seasons of the year were very frequent in the land—but not so much so with fevers, because of the excellent qualities of the many plants and roots which God had prepared to remove the cause of diseases, to which men weresubject by the nature of the climate—"

God prepared plants and roots in North America to "remove the cause of diseases"!!

Wouldn't it be wonderful to have fresh vegetables...spices...greens...etc...to eat alone or to add to your food storage to make it more palatable...and last longer...that you don't have to grow yourself?!

Wouldn't it be wonderful to know how to heal yourself for free...from plants that grow all around us!? Nature can be your store...year round!

I would encourage you to learn about what foods can be eaten in the wild and how to prepare them....as well as their medicinal values. You could at least learn a handful of the really common plants that are found across the US. It would be wise to have this knowledge and have on hand at least one book (or more) that will help you to find some wild plants for a reference.

There are many foraging books that have been written over the years. Here are a few that I have picked up and read...and my take on them. They are in no particular order...and there are many more worthwhile books that I don't cover here. You may consider doing like I do and check some out from the library before you buy anything...

Foraging Along the California Coast - Peter Howthorn - I love the ocean...but have never cared much for any of the food that comes out of it. I do like fish and chips...but what doesn't taste good deep fried!? Though my taste buds now say "NO"...I do want to know what can be eaten from our local beaches...especially if I was in a survival situation. Peter Howthorn gives the methods to harvest all kinds of sea life...many of which I didn't know could be eaten...and gives recipes for each. He also has a section devoted to various types of seaweeds and their uses. The book is broken up into southern...central and northern California...and then into what kind of beach one is on...rocky...sandy...creeks...etc. The book is illustrated by Peters wife...and she does a good job. Still...I wonder if I would be able to identify the certain fish with her one drawing of it. If you were looking for certain identification of the various sea life...without a background in sea life identification...you would probably need another book to go with this one. This would be a fun read in the colder months...bundled up...drinking my hot chocolate on the oceans shore.

Edible and Useful Plants of California - Charlotte Bringle Clarke - First of all...I love the fact that this book is focused on the state where I live. Many of the foraging books will contain plants that you will never see in your locale. This book contains information on 200 types of wild plants...and gives some great recipes for how to use them. I really enjoy how much information it gives regarding how the American Indians used the plants. The book has lots of decent line drawings...and in the middle is a section with color photos of a handful of the plants. There is a helpful section that gives drawings of some of the basics of botany. The book is broken up into sections based upon what area you are in...wetlands...mountains...etc. I would not buy this book as the best book for a person to be able to identify various plants...though it is helpful...but instead for sheer number of plants covered...the fact that it is for California (if you live here)...and the depth of information about uses. Personally I consider this book a must have for a serious California forager.

Stalking the Wild Asparagus - Euell Gibbons - This is not an identification book. This is a book for a person who already is familiar with the discussed plant...or as a primer to get a person interested to find it! Euell Gibbons is seen by many as being like the father of modern foraging. Many other foraging books will cite his works. Here is a guy who as a youth foraged out of necessity for his family to survive through the dust bowl. His insatiable desire to understand the plant world...amassed a wealth of firsthand knowledge of the uses of various plants over a lifetime. He is not regurgitating things he read that someone else talked about...but his own experience. He has also written one on herbs called "stalking the healthful herbs" that is equally wonderful. His one on sea foraging called "Stalking the blue eyed scallop"...I haven't read yet.

Guide to Wild Foods and Useful Plants - Christopher Nyerges - One of my very favorite books. To my knowledge...the plants he chose can be found...with only maybe a few exceptions...across the US. The plants are listed in alphabetical order. Excellent information regarding the edible uses...and the medicinal. He includes much about Indian lore. One of my favorite things is all he put in the book about the vitamins in each plant and comparing it to other common plants. For example he states that "One cup of cleaned rose hips has as much vitamin C as 12 dozen apples". The photos are in black and white and not always that clear...but his descriptions of what to look for are great. I use this one regularly in the field.

The Practical Mushroom Encyclopedia - Peter Jordan and Steven Wheeler - Pictures so real that you feel like you could reach out and touch them!!! Seriously...the macro photos are remarkable...they remind me of the beautiful photo's in dorling kindersley books. The book is in 3 main parts...1. An intro to mushroom foraging 2. Edible and poisonous mushrooms photos and information 3. Recipes for cooking with the edible mushrooms. This is a wonderful introduction to the world of mushroom foraging.

Mushrooms Demystified - David Aurora - This book is no joke. It is just under 1000 pages of in depth mushroom info. This is NOT LIGHT READING!!! It covers some 2000 species and contains over 800 photos. Most of those photos are in black and white...but the middle section has some nice color photos. This book...to me...is quite overwhelming. Every page requires mental gymnastics as you try to figure out technical words longer than your brain can handle and the pronunciation of which would hurt your tongue. I think I will come back to it when I get more in depth with mushrooms...but that may be a while. For now I am doing mushroom addition and subtraction while this book is doing calculus.

Botany in a Day - Thomas J. Elpel - A wonderful book to get a person without a ton of time...to understand the basics of botany. This will help the studious reader to understand plant families and why they are in a family. It also contains all kind of information on the edible species and their medicinal uses.

The Flavors of Home - Margit Roos-Collins - A wonderful book about foraging in the San Francisco Bay area. She gives information as to what local places she has found various specimens...which can be valuable if you are seeking out a certain plant. The line drawings of the plants are well done...but I would still want other books to confirm that I had the right plant. There is a wonderful graph in the back of the book that outlines a plan of what you can be looking for year round to forage in our area. It covers to some extent poisonous plants as well...and even gets a bit into seaweeds. I'd love to have my own copy of this one instead of just checking it out from the library...but it is now out of print and it's $11.95 cover price is now $50 or more!

Weeds of the West - This is one that I will need to bite the bullet and buy. It is 630 pages...full of full page photos of the plants in California with descriptions of each...and small close up photos. This is the one that you want on hand to confirm that you have the right plant! It is purely an identification book and does not have any info on foraging. Do not buy this one off of the Internet...call the University of Wyoming at Laramie, they will sell you Weeds of the West for 26.50 with 5.00 shipping (9th edition, 2006). Their phone # is (307)766-5124

Wild Food Trail Guide - Alan Hall - One of my favorites. It tells you what regions to expect the plant to be found...uses...and what time of year. It has lots of history of the plants...and American Indian uses. Drawings of the plants are OK. A great guide to have...one that is in my backpack on foraging walks.

Acorn Pancakes, Dandelion Salad, and 38 Other Wild Recipes - Jean Craighead George - So...you've collected a wild plant...now what in the heck are you going to do with it! This book has beautiful illustrations of various dishes that can be made with plants that you collect. Each plant covered also gives a brief bit of information about the plant. A fun book.

Native American Wild Game Fish And Wild Foods Cookbook - David Hunt - 2/3 of the recipes are for things like turtle...raccoon and muskrat. The final 1/3 is devoted to various plant foraging recipes. Most all of them look very basic...requiring only a handful of ingredients...which would be good if you were supplementing food storage. Has a some interesting acorn recipes I want to try.

Where People Feast An Indigenous People's Cookbook - Dolly and Annie Watts - This one...kind of like the last...has recipes for a lot of wild game. I am currently mostly just interested in the plant recipes. A handful of the recipes look up my alley...and I'd like to try them...but most are pretty darned complicated. This is one to check out from the library to try a few dishes...and then take it back.

The Foraging Gourmet - Katie Letcher Lyle - A cookbook with much more! There are line drawings throughout....and a section in the middle with color photographs of some of the plants. Full of great information about each plants history and lore as well as how to find it.

The Wild Wild Cookbook - Jean Craighead George - The cookbook is listed as a "guide for young wild-food foragers"...but really is for any age. Has great recipes that are grouped into seasons when you can forage that item and cook it. Gives some brief info on description of the plant and it's habitat.

Wild in the Kitchen - Ronna Mogelon - A cookbook for wild foods. Line drawings throughout....not really the most attractive book in my opinion...still there are a few recipes I'd like to try.

Doctrines of Self and Family Defense...

History plainly shows that natural and man-made disasters can bring out the best and worst in people. In the aftermath of earthquakes, hurricanes, famines, wars, riots, and so on...stories surface of people that risked their lives to give aid to others...putting their own needs...and perhaps those of their families on hold in order to perform acts of truly selfless service. Many of these amazing and touching stories are of those in the medical and emergency services fields who stick to their jobs serving a higher call than just a paycheck...even when it could put them in great danger. Other stories of those who rise to the aid of others are of just everyday people who believe that they are their brothers keeper and take to heart what it is to be a good Samaritan.

On the flip side to these Christlike individuals...are others who use times of societal distress as an opportunity to become like devilish animals...seeking only their own well-being...even if it means hurting others. There are even dark individuals whose hearts are so dead and sickened that they find amusement in the pain of others and only the rule of law and fear of punishment now keeps them from acting out their satanic desires. History tells the tale that when this rule of law is strained enough...these bad guys do come out of the woodwork to prey upon the weak. Businesses are broken into...people are robbed or even killed for their possessions...the chastity of our women is taken by force...gross darkness and fear covers the land and the natural man and the devil reign. The good and yet foolish that have professed that anarchy is preferable to government see first hand their folly as that law that has protected them now disappears into the shadows leaving them naked to the cruelty of the coarsened.

And it doesn't take a sudden disaster for the bad guys to come out either. As the economy continues to look like the day of economic reckoning that Ezra Taft Benson spoke of in his teachings...and people continue to lose jobs...crime goes up and up! The local news reported a few weeks ago that burglaries are up 59% in South Sacramento over the last two months! Those reporting attributed this to having less parole officers and a strained economy. It is reasonable to suppose that if our economy continues in a downward spiral...that those percentages will rise as the desperate become more so and our riches become "slippery" as they fall into the hands of these desperate individuals.

While we may hope that disasters/societal distress and the subsequent evil acts that are spawned out of them would not happen in the future...prophecy would tell us that this is not to be the case. The Lord through His prophets has clearly spoken of an increase in the frequency of disasters...as well as and increase in the severity. The result of at least some of these disasters WILL bring people to violence against each other.

The Doctrine and Covenants 45:33 speaks of the calamities of earthquakes and desolation's that SHALL be...and a then mentions the resulting bloodshed...

"And there shall be earthquakes also in divers places, and many desolation's; yet men will harden their hearts against me, and they will take up the sword, one against another, and they will kill one another."
Joseph Smith gave added details about a future time of violence when he spoke this prophecy...

"I saw men hunting the lives of their own sons, and brother murdering brother, women killing their own daughters, and daughters seeking the lives of their mothers. I saw armies arrayed against armies. I saw blood, desolation, fires. The Son of man has said that the mother shall be against the daughters, and the daughter against the mother. These things are at our doors. They will follow the Saints of God from city to city. Satan will rage, and the spirit of the devil is now enraged. I know not how soon these things will take place; but with a view of them, shall I cry peace? No; I will lift up my voice and testify of them. How long you will have good crops, and the famine be kept off, I do not know; when the fig tree leaves, know then that the summer is nigh at hand." (Joseph Smith Teachings of the Prophet JS Section Four 1839-42, p.161)

It may be hard for those who have never known anything other than the days of prosperity to understand how things could get so bad that family members would turn on each other and kill their own flesh and blood. The reason for such behavior... or at least a contributing factor may be the coming famine that Joseph mentions at the end of his quote. Famines can dull the morals and proper reasoning of the usually moral. Famines have taken the lives of millions upon millions of people in the earths history and show that men commit great atrocities against their fellow man to get through them. There are sobering biblical recordings of some of these famines that as we sit in the cushy comfy armchair of life seem harm to fathom.

2 Kings 6:25-30 records the famine that took place during the Syrian siege of Samaria where people were boiling and eating their own children.

Lamentations 4:1-11 records the famine that took place as Jerusalem fell to Babylonia and the cruelty and cannibalism that resulted.

The great historian Josephus recorded the famine that happened in Jerusalem when it was besieged by the Romans in 70AD. He tells the story of a people gone insane...practicing all sorts of cruelty and lack of natural affection even for ones own family. He also tells of how people were breaking in doors of others homes and taking their food that they felt entitled to and torturing them to tell them where their food was hidden. Read Book 5 of the War of the Jews...Chapter 10.

Hopefully we are not so naive as to suppose that now we are all civilized and such things could not happen now! A couple of years ago I was talking with a police officer about preparedness. We got on the subject of food storage and he said "Yeah...I'm worried because I haven't stored anything". Then he pointed to the people on the street and said "None of these people have stored anything! When the food supply gets cut off...and it will...people will go nuts!" He went on to say incredibly candidly..."If I don't have food...I do have guns...and I will go and take it from whomever I have to!!!!!" He went on to tell me about how hard it was to defend a house and how no one could defend a home in the city forever. I couldn't believe it!!! Here...one of our police that many hold in such high regard was conceding that he would use his guns (he has an arsenal) and training as a police officer to take food for his family from other people!! At first I was stunned...but then I realised...that he was more in touch with reality than our average public is. He understands on some level what times of true distress can be like. I have since been trying to work with him to get his food storage together.

With a realization that there will be a time when anarchy will prevail...and the bad guys and good guys turned bad will come out of the woodwork and may seek to hurt you and yours...the prudent must ask questions such as...

"Do I need to protect myself and my family from people that would seek to kill us?"

"Can I expect that the Lord will protect me and what do I need to be worthy of that protection?"

"What will I do to protect my family? What weapons or training do I need?"

For many...the thought of ever having to take someone Else's life even in self defense is about as repugnant as a thought could be. This is good! We should tremble and shake at the thought of dispatching someone "unprepared to meet their God". Much like Nephi we should "shrink at the thought" of having to kill a man. An article called "Somebodys Going to Get Hurt" from the New Era magazine has excellent examples that should shape how we feel about violence. We must not buy into the deception that there is glory or some sort of satisfaction in killing as Hollywood would make it seem...regardless of how malicious or wrong the enemy is.

One should also read Alma chapter 48 for a clear understanding about how a disciple of Christ should feel about killing in self defense. We are to Bear no malice towards any man
Still...in spite of how we feel about having to kill...we must come to grips with the doctrinal reality that if we are to preserve our own lives or the lives of others in the days to come...we may have to kill in self defense and that such action is approved of the Lord.

In that New Era article Larry A. Hiller makes the point that...

"We need to be absolutely clear that there is such a thing as justified self-defense. You have the right to protect yourself against physical harm if you are attacked. You have a right to use physical force to protect virtue, family, freedom."

In 1969 President Ezra Taft Benson spoke of the need to protect and provide for our families...

"The scriptural parable of the five wise and five foolish virgins is a reminder that one can wait too long before he attempts to get his spiritual and temporal house in order. Are we prepared? A man should not only be prepared to protect himself physically, but he should also have on hand sufficient supplies to sustain himself and his family in an emergency." (Conference Report, April 1967, p.61)

In "The Family; A Proclamation to the World" this role of a man was reiterated...

"By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families."

Our pioneer fathers were no strangers to mobs and physical danger. They had been beaten by mobs...had family killed...and ultimately were driven to the State of Utah to finally settle in peace. Brigham Young had great concern that the Saints would think that the danger was past and that they had no need to defend themselves any longer...

"As for this people fostering to themselves that the day has come for them to sell their guns and ammunition to their enemies, and sit down to sleep in peace, they will find themselves deceived and before they know, they will sleep until they are slain. They have got to carry weapons with them, to be ready to send their enemy to hell cross lots, whether they be Lamanites or mobs who may come to take their lives, or destroy their property. We must be prepared that they dare not come to us in a hostile manner without being assured they will meet a vigorous resistance and ten to one they will meet their grave." (Brigham Young Journal of Discourses,Vol 1, P . 171 - 172, July 31, 1853)

Heber C. Kimball encouraged the women to be ready to defend themselves...

"Let me say to all of you learn to be true and faithful and instead of laying out your means for fine bonnets and fine shoes and for coffee and tea my advice to you is, if you can [sic] 5 or 10 dollars, go and buy a good blanket, a gun, or a sword. And we want you, ladies, to provide yourselves with weapons, and with all that is necessary and be ready to defend yourselves, for you won't always have your husbands to defend you." (Heber C Kimball, Journal of Discourses 4:376.)

Here...Brother Brigham put it as plainly as could be written!!!...


"We all believe that the Lord will fight our battles; but how? Will He do it while we are unconcerned and make no effort whatever for our own safety when an enemy is upon us? If we make no effort to guard our towns, our houses, our cities, our wives and children, will the Lord guard them for us? He will not; but if we pursue the opposite course and strive to help Him to accomplish His designs, then will He fight our battles. We are baptized for the remission of sins; but it would be quite as unreasonable to expect a remission of sins without baptism, as to expect the Lord to fight our battles without our taking every precaution to be prepared to defend ourselves. The Lord requires us to be quite as willing to fight our own battles as to have Him fight them for us. If we are not ready for an enemy when he comes upon us, we have not lived up to the requirements of Him who guides the ship of Zion, or who dictates the affairs of his kingdom." (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 11, p. 131, August 1-10, 1865.)

Nine months ago in the September 2008 Ensign the Church reminded the Saints of their "duty" to defend themselves and lives of their families when they printed and article with various letters that the Prophet Joseph Smith wrote to his wife Emma. It was called "My Dear and Beloved Companion". They included this quote from a letter that Joseph wrote just before he died in the Carthage Jail:

"There is one principle which is eternal…It is the duty of all men to protect their lives and the lives of their households whenever necessity requires, and no power has a right to forbid it."

Joseph Smith did not say that it was a "good idea" to defend your family...he did not say "Don't worry about defending yourself...God will do that for you"...he said it was a "duty of all men". Brother Brigham did not say "It is the righteous who should expect God to fight their battles for them with no effort on their part". No...he said in so many words that those who thought there was no need to defend themselves were deceived and would wind up dead!

The Churches "Leaders Guide to Welfare: Providing the Lord's Way" reminds us of this very important principle..."He never forsakes us, but he does not do for us what we can do for ourselves"

While it is ultimately God who wins our battles...as evidenced by scriptures like...

D&C 105:14 - I will fight your battles
and...
Joshua 23:10 - One man chase 1000

...that does not mean that he doesn't require of us to show up ready to fight. This is made clear in numerous scriptural passages and events in church history...

D&C 35:14 "And their arm shall be my arm, and I will be their shield and their buckler; and I will gird up their loins, and they shall fight manfully for me; and their enemies shall be under their feet; and I will let fall the sword in their behalf, and by the fire of mine indignation will I preserve them."

While for some reason there may be some who may read the above only figuratively...I believe that there is a transparent literal meaning that....yes...the Lord can preserve us with His power...but he still requires us to "fight manfully for" Him.

In the Doctrine and Covenants 98:23-31 we are told of great blessings for bearing with patience and not retaliating against our enemy "smiting us" and how those blessings are multiplied depending on how many times we endure the smiting. Smiting in this context seems to be referring to physical blows...not meant to kill...as evidenced by how many times the enemy could come back to do it again! Then in the latter part of verse 31 it no longer speaks of just smiting....it speaks of if the enemy comes with the intention to kill...

"Nevertheless, thine enemy is in thine hands; and if thou rewardest him according to his works thou art justified; if he has sought thy life, and thy life is endangered by him, thine enemy is in thine hands and thou art justified."

In the Doctrine and Covenenants 134:11 it reads....

"We believe that men should appeal to the civil law for redress of all wrongs and grievances, where personal abuse is inflicted or the right of property or character infringed, where such laws exist as will protect the same; but we believe that all men are justified in defending themselves, their friends, and property, and the government, from the unlawful assaults and encroachments of all persons in times of exigency, where immediate appeal cannot be made to the laws, and relief afforded."
There may be some that may believe that having a gun or weapon in some way shows a lack of faith in Gods power. To those who feel this way...I would lead them to the words of James who said....

James 2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

Here are some more examples...

Our prophet Joseph Smith accepted a six shooter from Elder Cyrus H. Wheelock while in the Liberty Jail...and ultimately shot several of the mob before his own death. Why would the prophet have grabbed the gun...and used it...if he felt that self defense was unnecessary?

Alma Chapter 49 and 50 outline the many works of Moroni and his people to protect themselves from the invading lamanites. They got ready all kinds of weapons and prepared "forts of security" to be ready for the coming lamanites. While speaking of their preparations...the author uses the word prepared and forms of it at least 13 times! He wants to drive home the fact that Moroni and his people had to work for the protection of God. In chapter 50 verse 12 he speaks of the "assurance of protection which his works did bring forth unto them". Earlier he states that these works were given by way of commandment when he said "Moroni had kept the commandments of God in preparing for the safety of his people". The people of Nephi wisely knew that it was the Lord who had delivered them (see 49:28) and given them peace again. Despite that time of peace...Mormon states in Chapter 50:1 that "Moroni did not stop making preparations for war, or to defend his people". This same Moroni was described not as being a faithless warmonger...but so righteous that "if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men."

Ammons father Mosiah had recieved a promise that Ammon and his brothers would be delivered from the Lamanites. (see Mosiah 28:7) Perhaps Ammon (if he was aware of the promise) could have just layed down when he was being threatened by the men at the waters of Sebus...saying "The Lord will protect me...and make a miracle happen without my participation"...but no...he physically stood against them and defended the property of the king and the lives of servants.

Those are just a handful of examples to consider. While it seems doctrinally conclusive that the Lord expects us to be ready to protect ourselves...we must not fall into the trap of relying solely upon the arm of flesh and worshipping the gods of steel. No matter how many guns you have...no matter how big and bad you are...there will always be someone bigger and badder with more firepower than you. I would rather be on the side of God than have all of the guns in the world.

There are other promises given that perhaps we may never have to physically defend ourselves and may be delivered without such conflict...

"I am grateful that the Lord gave me the vision and strength to refrain from trusting in the arm of flesh and to put my trust in the protecting care of our Heavenly Father. I am grateful for the Book of Mormon promise to us of the last days that “the righteous need not fear,” for the Lord “will preserve the righteous by his power.” (1 Ne. 22:17.) I am grateful for the protection promised to those who have kept their covenants and qualified for the blessings promised in sacred places."(Dallin H. Oaks, “Bible Stories and Personal Protection,” Ensign, Nov 1992, 37)

The Doctrine and Covenants 45:68 speaks of a future time when...

"And it shall come to pass among the wicked, that every man that will not take his sword against his neighbor must needs flee unto Zion for safety."

It could be concluded from that scripture that we could be spared from ever having to take the sword..or gun...or whatever weapon you have...against our neighbors...by being a resident of Zion.

So...personally I advise the following....

1. Prepare to defend yourself as if it all depends on you...but know that only God can deliver you.
2. Talk to someone who knows about guns to get advice about what they recommend. Personally I like the Remington 870 express shotgun. Most law enforcement officers and people that are knowledgeable will steer you towards a shotgun first for home defense. It doesn't require a gun license...and is pretty simple to use. Make sure that you practice from time to time to become familiar with it's operation. Not much puts fear into the heart of someone coming into your home than that "CHCKKK...CHCKKK" sound when you load a shell into the chamber!
3. Live your life in such a way that you may be worthy of His divine deliverance...or at least His divine comfort.
4. Look into ways to make your home more protected. Strong locks on your doors...good lighting outside...taking out bushes where people can hide etc...are all things I've heard recommended.
5. In addition to guns...consider non-lethal deterrants like pepper spray. It can be picked up fairly cheap at sporting good stores and doesn't require a special license.
6. Self defense courses I think can be a good idea...as long as they don't turn you to enjoying violence.

After having read that advice...you might say to yourself..."Well...that isn't what the current prophet is saying!"

To which I would reply...

"What would happen if our current prophet stood up in General Conference and recommended that we all got guns!" "What would the media do with that?" "What kind of persecution would begin?"

Perhaps we would quickly join the ranks of those that the FBI is watching as being potential "domestic terrorists" who are "Storing foodstuffs and supplies"...or"caching weapons and ammunition" like those from the Christian Identity? Or how about on their list of 1000 American "apocalyptic cults" who "share the belief that the battle against Satan, as prophesied in the Book of Revelation, will begin in the years surrounding the millennium" or are led by "persuasive persons who claim to have a special mission in life or have special knowledge"...that is of course...if we aren't already on that list. I called the FBI and they wouldn't tell me if we were...or were not.

President Gordon B. Hinckley spoke the truth when he said...

"Our critics at home and abroad are watching us. In an effort to find fault, they listen to every word we say, hoping to entrap us." (Gordon B. Hinckley, “Our Testimony to the World,” Ensign, May 1997, 83)

Mostly now it seems that they just give us history lessons and let us connect the dots...

"The Saints broke camp and headed for home to prepare their defenses. Rather than flee, this time President Young declared, “We have transgressed no law, and we have no occasion to do so, neither do we intend to; but as for any nation’s coming to destroy this people, God Almighty being my helper, they cannot come here.”"(Boyd K. Packer, “The Test,” Ensign, Nov 2008, 88–91)


He gave these reassuring words later in the talk when he plainly said...

"It is my purpose to show that in troubled times the Lord has always prepared a safe way ahead. We live in those “perilous times” which the Apostle Paul prophesied would come in the last days.1 If we are to be safe individually, as families, and secure as a church, it will be through “obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.”2 (Boyd K. Packer, “The Test,” Ensign, Nov 2008, 88–91)

While one could take that quote and the one by Dallin Oaks above as saying that "all you have to do is be obedient to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel to be protected "...that person would be denying all of the other words of the prophets quoted earlier in the article. When one puts together the puzzle pieces of this topic the message is to obey the laws and ordinances of the Gospel and do your "duty" by being prepared to defend your family.

Old or Spoiled?

From time to time...I hear of people who are getting rid of old food storage. Perhaps they inherited it from a deceased relative and are uncertain of it's age or the care with which it was stored...or maybe they are the original owners and feel that because it was purchased 20+ years ago that it is now of no worth and it should be dumped to start over. This food finds it's way to the local landfill or with some luck...into the hands of someone who believes that it still has value. I have actually been the recipient of some of this food storage...saving it from finding a new home ...nestled along side of some old mattresses and broken toys.

What each of these old food storage philanthropists has reassuringly said to me when I pick up the food is..."I will replace it with new food". While I have never followed up to confirm that they followed through with their plan...I have to wonder if they really ever got around to doing it. Are their shelves still bare?

While I whole-heartedly appreciate anyone willing to give me their old food storage...I am always concerned first of all that they are putting themselves in a precarious position if a disaster came and they hadn't yet replenished their supply...and I am also concerned that they will think that I am like their free storage space and plan to show up at my door and ask for it back!....Meanwhile my chickens have eaten it all...and they don't care who it once belonged to! That is why whenever I accept someone's food storage I always confirm with them that it will now be mine...and they won't want it back just so that we are totally clear.

Here are some questions I have for people who want to get rid of food storage...

1. Is it old...or is it spoiled? In my mind there is a big difference. Old is edible...spoiled can be toxic. Yes...I can taste the difference between 25 year old wheat and fresh wheat...but hey...it will still fill your belly!

2. If the day comes that you need to live on your food storage...how long will you need to live on it? Will it be weeks...months...years? Will you be wishing you hadn't given away your old storage if you run out of food?

3. If needy people show up at your door wanting to trade goods or services food...what food will you give them? Is a starving person going to turn up their nose at older...but edible food!!? The answer is no. Not the truly starving. If you doubt that...do a study of famines and read about what they ate!! Leather...worms...bark...termites...etc...are not nearly as good as nice bisquit made from old wheat.

The church came out not too long ago letting us know that the shelf lives of our properly stored long term foods may be considerably longer than previously estimated. See this graph. I'd encourage you to think twice before getting rid of old but unspoiled food storage...and use a little positive peer pressure to dissuade others from getting rid of theirs too.

An Animal Farm in the City...(Not Orwells)

A few weeks back I was at a local feed store and overheard a conversation between a customer and the girl behind the counter. The man asked where all of their spring chicks were that they usually sell and the girl responded "We sold out!! Faster than we ever have!." She went on to say..."and it's not just us...the hatchery that we purchase from is OUT OF CHICKS!!" The hatchery that they purchase from is not a small hatchery...and to have run out is a big deal!

After the man left I got to talking with her and we agreed that because of the current economic climate...there are many people considering keeping chickens and other animals at their home that haven't in the past. People are wanting to be more self reliant.

My family started keeping both chickens and rabbits several years ago. On a regular basis people stop me and ask questions about how I do it. Many of these same people also end up on my doorstep to see my coop and concoct their plans.

Now...I didn't grow up on a farm. I was never in 4-H or anything like that. I had not had a lot of experience with animal husbandry...with the exception of moral support to my cat Spice when she had several litters! I've learned most everything I know from two books..."Storeys Guide to Raising Chickens" and "Storeys Guide to Raising Rabbits"...both of which I highly recommend.

So why do we raise chickens...

1. Fresh eggs not filled with antibiotics etc...

2. They provide manure for our garden.

3. They are a meat source if we need it.

4. They provide eggs which could be a valuable item to barter with in hard times.

5. They are an effort to keep the commandment from God to go into home production.

6. They are a guilt free way to get rid of food scraps. (They eat most everything!!)

Why do we raise rabbits...

1. The rabbits provide a great manure that can be put straight into the garden.

2. They are a nice pet that makes no sound. (Unless they are being bit by another animal)

3. They are a meat source that is that is super high in protein. (We don't eat much meat...it is a backup for times of famine)

A few bits of advice regarding chickens...

1. Buy an automatic waterer. I purchased a trough one from Murray McMurray...that they no longer carry....but I am really pleased with it. With an automatic waterer you don't want to have to worry all the time if your chickens have enough water. If they go too long without water...they could lose the ability to produce eggs...or die.

2. It is also a good idea to have a feeder of some sort. Mine looks like this one...only I made it myself by bending sheet metal. It was a hassle to make...but I can fill it up with food...and leave for a month or more...and the chickens would have food!

3. Call around to local feed stores to see if they have chicks. You could mail order the chicks...but they usually have a pretty large minimum order...like 25 or so...so you may have to split an order with friends.

4. Make a shelter for your chickens (it can be elaborate...or really primitive) that is big enough for the number of chickens you want. You many consider buying a few more chickens than you think you'll need as you may get roosters you will have to get rid of...or some may die. Introducing chickens to a flock later can be difficult or impossible.

5. Confirm your zoning laws to make sure it is legal where you are.

6. Talk to your immediate neighbors and tell them your plan. If they sound really sour on the idea...you might buy them off with some of your fresh eggs!!

7. Read the book I recommended above...and it will tell you everything else!

A few bits of advice regarding rabbits...

1. They die REALLY easy in our heat if you keep them outside. It would be wise to have an automatic watering system for them too. To get them through the summer months here takes some care...bringing them frozen water bottles...making shade available...holes to get cool in...mine even have misting system!!

2. The gestation period for rabbits is one month!! The miracle of life happens REALLY quick when the male and female get together. Unless you are going to be eating them...you could have a real problem on your hands if you start having litters without an avenue to find them homes. I'd recommend starting with a female rabbit...and then having more when you are sure you can commit to it. Also...not all rabbits get along...and territorial issues...could end in the death of a rabbit.

3. Buy a cage for your rabbit...or make one...but have a fenced in area for the rabbit to roam. It always bothers me to see somone buy a rabbit and stick it in a tiny cage...and then never let it out to run and play.

4. There are two sides to the rabbit community. One side is like the "House Rabbit Society" that believes it is totally inhumane to ever have a rabbit outside...and treat rabbits as pets that are a part of their family. Then there is the other side that raises them for show...or meat...or for science.

5. You can purchase rabbits often at local feed stores. This seems to be cheapest that way. To buy one at the pet store...generally you have to "adopt" one...and pay for it to be spayed or neutered if it hasn't been already. This can be REALLY expensive.

6. Read the book I recommended above.

If you still have children at home....I would also get them involved in the care of your family farm! Every day my children do their "farm chores"....and I think they are better for it.

Something that is true of both rabbits and chickens is that their breeds can often determine their personality. Just like there is a difference between how a chihuahua...and a golden retreiver act...there is a difference between a Buff Orpington and a Rhode Island Red chicken...or a mini rex and a New Zealand White rabbit. I'd recommend researching a bit which varieties suit you the best. You might check out the ARBA site to learn a bit about rabbit varieties....or read the info under the chicken breeds at the Murray McMurray site. Whatever you do...don't get any animals until you have studied it out and got things ready for them.

There is plenty more I could say...but hey....you'll figure it out...with trial and error...reading the Storey Guide...and asking questions to people that have chickens and rabbits.

Gardening Workshop Summary...

Today was the Gardening Workshop! All in all...I think it was success...and people seemed to enjoy the info and free plants. Now they just need to put their new knowledge into practice! Let me know if there is anything that you think would make future events better...

The notes on Alisons 4 season harvest class will be posted here...as soon as she gets them to me. I'm sure it will happen within the week.

Happy Gardening....

Foraging Walk/Hike...

As a follow up to the class I will be teaching this Saturday on Foraging (at the Gardening Workshop)...I will be going on a free foraging walk/hike with whomever is interested in coming. We will gather Saturday May 16th at 9am at Lew Howard park at 7100 Baldwin Dam Road. I will be there rain or shine.

We will walk around the park and I will point things out that I know...and you can show me things that you know. This is a physically easy thing to do...and there will be PLENTY to see just in the park.

Then those that are up for more of a rigorous hike will walk with me...I don't know...it is probably at least a couple of miles down a walking path that goes into the "folsom woods" and then wraps back to the park where you parked your car. Most of it is shaded and quite pretty.

We will stop A LOT to look at plants and speak of their food and medicinal uses. I will also bring with me a variety of foraging books to help us with our identification.

Some of the things you should expect to see on the trek are...

Wild lettuces, curly dock, chickweed, horehound, wild mint, lemon balm, wild carrot, miners lettuce, plantain, pokeweed, wild radish, filaree, wild mustard, sow thistle, thistle, shepherds purse, wild grapes,...etc....etc....whatever I see and know! I will also point out some of the things that you should not eat as well.

Please dress appropriately for the weather...bring water...and perhaps a backpack to help hold my books!! If you go on the full hike...plan on it taking a couple of hours.

I know this is short notice for some who may want to come. I am willing to do it again and again if you get together some people. Contact me and we can work to schedule it.

Dental Preparedness

Did you ever see that movie with Tom Hanks called "Castaway"? In that film Tom's character has a toothache when he is living in civilization that he means to get taken care of...but before he can see a dentist...a plane that he is a passenger on goes down and he becomes a castaway on an island. The film has a sobering scene where Tom...who is in excruciating pain from his rotten tooth...takes an ice skate blade and a coconut...and beats the tooth out of his mouth!! After screams from the intense pain and incredible trauma...he finally finds relief as the tooth comes out.

While we may not expect that we will go down in a plane and be a castaway on an island...there are all kinds of disasters...man made and otherwise that could make a visit to a dentist a short or long term impossibility. In my mind...there are few pains that are more debilitating than that of dental pain! A sore arm you can shake off and get back to work whereas a rotten tooth can make your brain feel like it is in a vice...making all of your physical and mental abilities of no worth to anyone.

So far as I know...there aren't home remedies for major dental work! Of course other than liquor and a pair of pliers! There are various plants such as what is called the toothache plant that will numb the pain to some degree...but it won't fill a gaping rotten hole!

I recommend that you get your families dental house in order...and practice superb oral hygiene to avoid future issues. You should also keep a stock of floss...toothbrushes...rinses...pastes...whatever your belief is regarding what will keep your teeth healthy. I personally recommend not using fluoride products of any kind as I believe that fluoride is poison.

Take care of it now and chew happily later!

Read the comments for some more on home remedies...

Surviving the Plagues of the Last Days...

Recently I have heard of some latter-day saints who have said things to the effect of "I believe that the plagues of the last days aren't going to be sickness related...but like the plague of pornography". Another woman I was speaking with regarding plagues in the last days made a comment lightheartedly belittling how severe the plagues of the last days would be. In her mind it was as if the sickness would just be a passing flu. I mentioned the words of the prophets regarding the severity of the plagues to come and she stopped laughing and we shared an awkward moment of silence.

While I could agree that pornography is a "plague" and has been referred by the prophets as being such...and I can also agree that there will be passing sicknesses without substantial severity...it is a doctrinal fallacy to believe that there will not be physical plagues to come and in a severity not yet experienced by man. A casual study of the topic reveals that this is the truth.

An easy place to point to where this doctrine is made plain is in the Doctrine and Covenants 45:31 where the words of the Lord tell us speaking of last days events to come...

31 And there shall be men standing in that generation, that shall not pass until they shall see an overflowing scourge; for a desolating sickness shall cover the land.

So there will be a sickness or sicknesses...that make desolate. We don't often use that word...desolate. In this context it means uninhabited...deserted. Some would point to AIDS as being fulfillment of the prophecy...but I would ask..."Has AIDs made geographic areas without inhabitants?!!" The answer is of course a resounding NO.

Bruce R. McConkie stated...

“We can rest assured that if we have done all in our power to prepare for whatever lies ahead, he will then help us with whatever else we need.”
We do not say that all of the Saints will be spared and saved from the coming day of desolation. But we do say there is no promise of safety and no promise of security except for those who love the Lord and who are seeking to do all that he commands.” (Bruce R. McConkie “Stand Independent above All Other Creatures,” Ensign, May 1979, 92)

So what has the Lord commanded that we need to be obedient to...so that we can be worthy of his safety with regards to the coming plagues?

While I do not know for certain all of the answers...here are a few to consider.

Get Prepared

The Lord commands us to "prepare every needful thing" (D&C 109:8). A great place to start your education on what things you need to be prepared can be found by visiting the churches information on pandemic preparedness. There you can learn the basics on the "stuff" to have on hand...and the knowledge on what to do. We must prepare as if it all depends on us. We must not fall into the trap of expecting the Lord to save us from illness if we aren't doing all in our power to avoid it. For example...allowing someone with swine flu to sneeze into your face and saying "The Lord will protect me" is not a good idea. The Lord may dispatch you home early to give you a lesson on how we must make use of the means He has provided and that we "reap what we sow".

Stand in Holy Places

In the Doctrine and Covenants 45:31 the Lord first tells us of a sickness that makes desolate and then in verse 32 let's us know where his disciples will be while the wicked are dying...

32 But my disciples shall stand in holy places, and shall not be moved; but among the wicked, men shall lift up their voices and curse God and die.

Holy places may mean temple worship...it may mean your home...it could mean a place consecrated for safety...or something else.

Sabbath Observance

James E. Faust said...

"In this day of increasing access to and preoccupation with materialism, there is a sure protection for ourselves and our children against the plagues of our day. The key to that sure protection surprisingly can be found in Sabbath observance: “And that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day.” (D&C 59:9.)(James E. Faust, “The Lord’s Day,” Ensign, Nov 1991, 33)

While one could make the case that he was referring to only materialism as a plague...it is of interest that he used the word plague. This could have multiple meanings in this instance.
True sabbath observance could be a key...a commandment that if kept faithfully could serve as a protection from physical plague.

The Word of Wisdom

If you were to sit in a gospel doctrine class and discuss the word of wisdom. It is inevitably a can of worms...as the saints have all kinds of ideas with regards to what it's true observance means. Without getting into it...I will say that I believe that there is a big difference between how what I will call the "Mormon culture" practices the word of wisdom and how it is written and has been taught by the prophets.

In the final 4 verses of section 89 are some wonderful blessings for those that keep the law of health. I think many of us could rattle some of them off..."Run and not be weary...walk and not faint"..."wisdom and great treasures of knowledge"...etc. Then there is this final line...

21 "And I, the Lord, give unto them a promise, that the destroying angel shall pass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them. Amen."

I don't think that I have ever...in my life...had someone try to explain what that means! It is usually breezed over in our classes for a lack of knowledge.

Roger K. Young in a book called "Behold the Fig Tree" (pg. 116) states...

"The destroying angel is a reference to the angel that was sent by the Lord to kill the first born of the Egyptians and all of their beasts and even Israelites, who were not obedient to the counsel of the current living prophet, Moses."

That is merely a summary of Exodus of major points from chapters 11 and 12.

In Exodus 12:13 those that are obedient are promised that if they put the lambs blood over their doorway...that the destroying angel will pass them by...that the plague will not destroy them.

13 "And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt."

Brigham Young corroborated this doctrine that the observance of the law of health would serve as an antidote to last days plagues when he said...

"Every son and daughter in Israel should say, we will keep the "Word of Wisdom" independent of father, mother, or any elder of the church; we know what is right and we will do it. By so doing this people will increase in health in their systems, and the destroying angel, when he comes along, will pass them by. Will you take this course?" (JD, Vol.13, p. 2-3, April 7, 1869)

and this one...

"The Word of Wisdom...shadows to me that a time will come in the midst of this people when a desolating scourge will pass through through our ranks, and the destroying angel will be in our midst as he was in Egypt when he slew all the firstborn of the Egyptians. God says "The destroying angel shall pass by" and shall not harm you if you observe to do these things." (Brigham Young, Jr., JD Vol. 15, p. 193-195)

Cleansed from Iniquity Every Whit

3 Nephi 8:1 states...

1 "And now it came to pass that according to our record, and we know our record to be true, for behold, it was a just man who did keep the record—for he truly did many miracles in the name of Jesus; and there was not any man who could do a miracle in the name of Jesus save he were cleansed every whit from his iniquity—"

If one is to expect great miracles to happen...healings...deliverance...etc...we must be cleansed from iniquity every whit. Priesthood holders should ensure that their priesthood is in "good working order".

Lines of Communication Open

There has been a great stress these last few conferences on the importance of being able to receive revelation to get through the last days. Are you in tune enough with the spirit to be told "Don't go into that crowd of people without a face mask and eye shield"...and obey...even if people think you are a nut?! Will you listen if told to not let your child go to school? We need to turn off the noise of Babylon to listen to the Lord and receive His voice of safety. We need to study the words of the prophets to hear His words as well.

Now...while I do not know if this Swine flu will be one that will be one to turn out severe or not...I will say that it should serve as a wake up call to do all within our power to be prepared in the methods that the Lord has commanded. Do we really know how to protect ourselves from disease and are we ready to do so? Are we really standing in holy places?...Are we really observing the Sabbath? Are we really observing the Word of Wisdom as the Lord has commanded and not as our culture would persuade us to? Truthful answers to those questions will help you to know how prepared you are for the coming plagues.

Now...don't feel bad for too long if you aren't doing well in those areas...repent! Get to work to be prepared in these matters. Oh...and one more thing...I would really hesitate before I went out and got a flu shot of any kind. Make sure you know what is being injected into you and why!

Swine Flu Escalates...

Right now the news is a-buzz with the talk of the swine flu that is currently spreading in Mexico. Every day the death count has risen...and every day the measures taken to control it have become more severe. Currently, forced government quarantines are taking place.

The nations are no longer islands to themselves. International travel of people and products takes place daily that could carry such pestilence and spread it to unsuspecting victims. It is a danger that although not seen with the naked eye...is all too real. Mexico having such an outbreak is especially of alarm to the US who shares a common border and whose government does not enforce illegal immigration effectively.

Now may be a good time to review the churches information regarding pandemic preparedness and to gain the knowledge and supplies that may one day keep you and those you love from getting seriously ill or perhaps dying.

Since I typed this this morning...it apparently has spread to the US. Be prepared to baton down the hatches...

Schnitzer Flaker

Here is a product that you may not have heard of. It's called a "Schnitzer Flaker".

It is a durable little contraption made of wood and metal that pretty effortlessly "flakes" your whole grains into a width that you determine.

My family buys the whole oat groats in the bulk from various suppliers and then I put the groats into a bucket I buy for a dollar from a donut shop. A lid goes on the top until we are ready for our morning oatmeal or to add oats to our bread...I scoop a cup into the hopper on top of the flaker and we turn the crank and magically rolled oats drop out into our bowl. I say "magically" because many or most people have never seen the oat groat grain...and put together the fact that a rolled oat is merely a squished grain. I rarely have to roll my own as the kids love to do it. In fact...I have 3-5 year olds that will stay entertained rolling oats for as long as I will let them! If a child that young can do it...you certainly can and not break a sweat.

The value of having such a tool is that you can store a whole grain...that flaked fresh is healthier than eating stored rolled grains that have been processed. I believe that the flavor will be retained better as well over the long term.

Oatmeal flaked fresh has almost a milky quality to it and doesn't seem so dry and stale. Once you have supped on fresh oatmeal you may turn into an oatmeal snob...as there is no comparison between store bought rolled oats and homemade!

Schnitzer flakers are pricey. I got lucky and put "craigslist schnitzer" into a search engine and found a guy in New York willing to ship it to me! I was able to buy one for less than $100...I think he sold it to me for $70.

There are other products I know on the market (even made by Schnitzer) that combine both a grain mill and a flaker into one tool. Perhaps the one you currently have can flake?! There are also less expensive options out there if you look. The others I can't vouch for...but...if you go with the Schnitzer flaker...I expect it will outlast your mortal probation and increase the quality of your flaked grains experience!

New Food Crisis Looms...

Here is an article that I cut and pasted below. It is not some abstract speculative piece that points to potential events that could cause worldwide food shortages...but instead shows how economic, weather, and other conditions have already set in motion what could truly be a "food crisis" in the worlds near future. Such reports can serve to aid to motivate us to work harder with regards to our home storage and home production!

By MARTIN WALKER UPI Editor Emeritus WASHINGTON, April 6 (UPI) --

We tend to forget that the worldwide plunge into recession last year was the result of three separate phenomena that combined to breed disaster. The financial crisis was joined by a food crisis and a fuel crisis as the prices of food and energy soared, triggering food riots across the world.

And now there are ominous signs of another food crisis in the making this year, spurred in part by the ongoing credit crunch that has made it difficult for farmers to get loans.

"I think the world would like to focus on one crisis at a time, but we really can't afford to," warned Josette Sheeran, executive director of the U.N. World Food Program. Food supplies are tight and prices still high, she said, and more people in poor countries are unable to afford what they need because of the recession.

"These are not separate crises. The food crisis and the financial one are linking and compounding," she noted, adding that food shortages often trigger political instability. "I'm really putting out the warning that we're in an era now where supplies are still very tight, very low and very expensive."

Alarm bells are starting to ring about another food crisis this summer. Last week's acreage report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that 7 million fewer acres were being planted for all crops. This came after the USDA's January report that noted that winter wheat acreage was down 7 percent.

This means lower output from the United States, the world's top food producer, at a time when world stocks are already low, and farmers are blaming the difficulty in getting credit and the high costs of key inputs like fertilizer.

Mother Nature is making things worse, with the worst drought in almost 70 years hitting northern China and devastating the winter wheat crop. More than 200 million acres in China's top six grain-producing provinces have been hit, and yields are down by as much as 40 percent.

The problem is not just hitting grains. With world soybean stocks 9 percent lower than they were this time last year, a further drought in Latin America is a new concern. Yields in southern Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina are also running at 40 percent of last year's levels. All this is triggering concern in the markets, where analysts are warning that price hikes are looming, and the speculators coming into the market could drive prices even higher.

"It's my opinion that producers feeding livestock need to protect against a possible sharp rise in corn prices," said Dennis Smith, a food-price specialist at Archer Financial Services. "This trade idea would also apply to a speculator looking to profit from a sharp move upward in the corn prices as well."

Smith also factors in the prospect of biofuels distorting the markets again, as they did last year when high oil prices triggered a demand for biofuels like ethanol, which sent crop prices higher. "What happens if crude oil prices continue to move higher and ethanol margins expand?" Smith asked.

Sheeran, whose World Food Program stands between the world's poor and starvation, said she will need about $6 billion this year for food aid, which feeds about 100 million of the world's poorest people in 77 countries. That is slightly more than she raised last year, when food riots erupted across Asia and the Middle East. As of March, donor countries had pledged less than 10 percent of the sums required, or $453 million, mostly thanks to $172 million from the United States and $129 million from Japan.

The one relatively bright spot is in rice, where stocks are relatively high. But concern is rising across Asia. Arthur Yap, agriculture secretary for the Philippines, has warned the United Nations that he fears his country will not be able to secure enough food this year. And Ralph Hautman, the Asia Pacific marketing and global finance officer for the Food and Agriculture Organization, warned last week that the credit crunch is pressuring farmers to reduce the amount of land they cultivate.

"If farmers or agriculture producers have less access to credit, they are less likely to buy a lot of new seeds and fertilizers, and they're also less likely to expand their production areas," Hautman said. "Then there would be less agriculture production. This is the concern. The lower production of food crops caused by the lower availability of credit may lead to lower food stocks and shortages."

This is precisely what has happened in Brazil, where farmers encouraged by last year's high food prices borrowed money to put more acreage under cultivation and buy new farming equipment, only to face bankruptcy when the squeezed banks called in the loans and foreclosed on their farms and tractors.

Part of the problem is underproduction in some parts of the world, where for various reasons of national planning and priorities, farmers are not free to respond to market signals. This is particularly acute in Russia; analysts at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development noted that 16 percent of the world's arable land is in Russia, but it produces only 6 percent of the world's food because of a shortage of both public and private investment.

Cheese Wax Will Save Us All...

As I have put together my families food storage I have wondered how to fill what would be a HUGE gap in our everyday diet. That product that if lost that would greatly be mourned is...CHEESE!! We consume a lot of cheese. Grilled cheese, cheese cubes on chili, cheese and crackers, burritoes...etc...etc... The thought of cheesy enchiladas...steaming warm...and dripping with cheddar cheese...ahhhh...heaven on earth! I would go through withdrawals like a drug addict...if cheese were no longer available to me.

I have looked into the cheese powder...but...it just isn't the same. Who wants to put a slobber of macaroni and cheese powder on a piece of bread?!! I have investigated canned cheese...but it is expensive...and I have heard some really bad reviews...saying it can taste like fish. Spray cheese is hardly cheese at all in my opinion...and could probably embalm a dead person with all of the weird chemicals that are in it. Having a milk cow or a goat requires work, room, money, and time. So what then!!?

I was just introduced to a blog called preparedness pro. I share many beliefs with the person who puts that blog together. On that blog there is an article called "Cheese Wax Will Save Us All". The article outlines how you can take most any cheese...and put wax on it to store it for years...or even decades!!!! I am sooo excited to try this!! Preparedness minded real cheese lovers can sleep easy tonight.

Know that if your supply of stored cheese runs out...you can also make cheese from powdered milk.

5 Methods of Heat Loss...

When I say my prayers at night...I often say "I am thankful for this warm...dry bed". It is never a vain repetition because I say it with complete sincerity every time. All it takes to get my mind to that place of gratitude is a moment of thinking back to a snow campout I went on as a Boy Scout in my youth.

The short story is...I went on a snow campout with the only camping gear I had...which was rated for the summer. We played in the snow until we were cold and wet and then made our snow shelter when it got dark. I slept in a summer sleeping bag directly on the snow...in the entrance to the shelter where the cold air spilled in. I didn't sleep all night...I just shook...and prayed for the morning. Now...if half conscious delirium counts for sleep...I did do that.

When morning finally came...my hands were so frozen that I couldn't grab the tab on a cup-a-soup to open it. I'm sure that I was on the cusp of hypothermia. When we left...I found some relief in the comfort of the cab of a van with the heater on.

Then when I arrived at my home...I had never been so grateful for a warm shower (that was painful)...and then a warm...dry bed.

Looking back at that experience...knowing what I know now...I didn't have to be that miserable. I was losing body heat through all 5 methods that one can!! By limiting the ways that I was losing the heat...I could have had a much more bearable night.

Ron Hood is a survival educator that I follow. I have watched many of his videos and have learned much. In this video he educates on the 5 methods of heat loss. One might say..."But I don't really go camping much so it doesn't apply to me"...but this isn't just for camping...it's for staying warm anytime. This is a great thing to know if you are driven from your home because of a disaster. People in crisis situations often think that the first thing to do is to look for food....but you can die a whole lot faster from exposure (hot or cold) than going without food.

I sometimes quiz my children on these 5 methods while they eat their breakfast in the morning! That may sound nuts...but hey...maybe it will one day save their lives...or lessen their suffering...or the suffering of someone they teach it to. Heck...I sure would have appreciated this info from a Scout leader...or someone!! Take the time to learn the 5 heat loss methods...it may save your life. (The next step is to learn how to make an emergency shelter)

The 5000 Year Leap

Recently I saw where political talk show host Glenn Beck had been recommending the book "The 5,000 Year Leap" by Cleon Skousen. I can't begin to tell you how pleased I am to hear that at least in part...his recommendation has made that book a bestseller on Amazon.

I consider that book a must read for every American. It is a book that in very easy to understand language...paints a picture of what constitutional government is supposed to look like. It takes volumes of constitutional law...and the often easily misunderstood language of our founders and breaks it down to the understanding of the common man. One really comes to catch a glimpse of the greatness of those founders as you read their words and see how timeless their wisdom can be.

The 5,000 Year Leap is a book that if studied, understood, and remembered will serve as a tool to help the possessor of that knowledge to see through the sophistry of the scheming leaders of our day. When a sharp dressed and well spoken politician stands at a podium and delivers a deceitful speech that tears at every ones heart strings...and they cheer in excitement....you will stand like an alien in their midst...mourning that Americans are destroying America...because you know something that most don't...what the principles of government are that are required to retain the freedoms we still enjoy and to reclaim the many we have lost...and that they with enthusiasm...are applauding the the ruin of our country.

As Marion G. Romney said in General Conference, October 1960...

"It is not enough for us to be sincere in what we support. We must be right"

In the book you will come to understand to some degree why the founders supported a non-interventionist foreign policy, why a new world order is a really bad idea, how the US is supposed to be a Republic and not a Democracy...and so on. All topics of education that are sorely needed by our public.

If you really want an in depth education...above and beyond just reading the book...you may want to do as I did years back. I purchased part one and two of a constitutional study course from the from the National Center for Constitutional Studies years ago...and I think it was like $400 for the course!!! It is now $150 for the two courses!! (DVD's don't cost as much now?!) Those courses are superb. It covers "the 5,000 Year Leap" and "The Making of America; The Substance and Meaning of the Constitution". The latter title breaks down just as the title suggests...the "subtance and meaning of the constitution"...and is a great next step after studying the 5,000 year leap.

Now...let me tell you...it is a lecture in a classroom...with a workbook. If you require lots of singing and dancing to keep you awake...this is not for you. Let me tell you though...he BRINGS IT TO LIFE!...and gives a lot of ancillary information that fleshes out more of the history surrounding the topics covered in the books. Actually I take that back. Even if you require singing and dancing...understand that the DVD's are broken up into a series of classes that cover sections at a time. You can watch what you can handle in a sitting and then come back later for more...after you watch your singing show.

That great and wise American, Thomas Jefferson, warned us of the danger of conferring unwarranted power upon our government administrators in these sobering words:

". . . Our Constitution has accordingly fixed the limits to which, and no further, our confidence may go. . . . In questions of power, then, let not more be heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution." ("A Race Against Time" 5; also in TL 65)

Let's be wise and be PREPARED to do bind our political officers down by "the chains of the constitution".