Rather than watching the titanic sink, make sure you’re ready and prepared with your own life raft and navigational plan. Your future-self will thank you for it. Trust me!

Some practical readiness tips I’ve been sharing on my social media platforms and within my local tribe of awakened souls.

There is talk of the collapse of the system. This collapse is being conducted by our own governments in order to force people into their agenda of dependence and mayhem. You don’t have to buy into it. You can completely ignore it and do your own thing. You can actually be joyful in creating a sustainable community, even if it’s temporary, with like-minded people. You can collaborate in loving community with other awakened souls. The food that was produced on a mass scale was not sustainable. You don’t have to rely upon it. There are other ways. But it means you’ll most likely have to change the way you live. So what! Think of it as an adventure. Here’s a perspective to help you shift from food shortage to food security within your local community.

Many, many people have been working on their self-sufficiency plan for a number of months. It may be more common in the US with patriots. Here in Canada, we are getting our groove.

You don’t have to move outside of the city or live on a farm. You do have to take care of your needs regardless as to where you live. Some believe that the solution is to flee to another country. This is a possible course of action. However, for me, I am not feeling pulled or even ready financially at the moment to make the transition. So what can I do in an apartment in the city? This is what I came up with about 9 months ago.

I had already established friendships with local organic farmers. Every Sunday since 2018, I was going to the local farmers’ market and actually having serious chats with the farmers whom I felt would be open to conversations about sustainability, regenerative agriculture, spirituality, health, wholeness, etc.. topics of interest to me. It took a little bit of time and patience. But when you keep showing up on a regular basis, then remember your face and how you made them feel. In my case, I made them feel genuinely appreciated.

So, when the first lockdown occurred in 2020, I had already established relationships with some of the local farmers. And we became friends; the type of friends that would have my back during times of uncertainty. I didn’t need to know all of the farmers in the area because they all knew each other. If someone I knew didn’t have something I needed, they certainly knew someone that could provide. It works like that and it’s amazing.

You have to be genuinely interested in what goes into your body and not just the labels. Labels are deceiving. People think that if a product is labelled organic that there are no pesticides being used. Well, that’s just not true. You have to ask the questions. You have to ask the right questions. Even if you don’t know what the right questions are, start asking. It’s important to educate yourself. And most farmers are happy to educate about their products. They take great pride in what they produce. Talk to them.

Another aspect that occurred for me last fall was one of my friendly farmers dropped off 2 bushels of mixed tomatoes, a bushel of mixed peppers, onion, scapes, garlic, mustard greens… and I started to can and prep the food for the winter. I hadn’t done this since a child with my mother growing up.

Surprisingly, things came back to me quite easily. It’s like riding a bicycle. I canned the tomatoes for pasta sauce and for chilly, just the basics for cooking. I could always add later. I made enough for 8 large mason jars.

I canned everything and also decided to go to the local health store and purchase blueberries, spinach, beets, brussel sprouts, etc… and blanched them for freezing.

Without being too picky, I ate well throughout the winter months while I was off work. I shopped for some basics like coffee and bread, etc.. but the bulk of my meals were already prepared ahead of time.

While other people who follow mainstream media propaganda continued to shop at large chain and big box stores, totally oblivious as to what was coming, I had my first run through last Fall/winter. And I’m getting ready to do another round shortly.  

So with my friendly farmer who provided me with all the wonderful local vegetables, we talked about  this upcoming season. I knew, as do the farmers, that there was most likely a shortage of fertilizer coming. So, I asked Joe whether he’d be interested in my table scraps as compost for his fields. He was very interested as it turned out. He even bought me 2 – 10 gallon plastic buckets to make it easy on me. Nice guy!!

So, every 2 weeks he picks up a big bucket of my table scraps (no meat) and he brings me fresh seasonal veggies. It’s a win-win situation.

Another thing you can do is get a good slow cooker. Buying bones from the farmers is a good and  inexpensive way to make wholesome and nutritious soup/stew stock. Soups and stews last for a number of meals depending on your household. Also, using offal rather than muscle meat is easier on the digestion and the wallet and backed with nutrition and vitamins. I am one person in my home. A slow cooker of soup lasts me several days with leftover or frozen veggies.

You need to start getting creative if you haven’t already. Make it an adventure. If you have kids, you can make it a family experience by learning where our food actually comes from rather than a store.

Start growing food in your apartment or at home. It doesn’t have to be complicated. Microgreens are a hassle-free but nutritious way to be self-sufficient. I am growing peppers, ginger, garlic, herbs, some mushrooms, salad an leeks. Give it a try!

Another aspect I did last December is that I bought a few cast iron pots and skillets to go with a small Kamado Joe that I also purchased in the event of a power shortage. A hand-crank radio, dog spray, batteries, extra toiletries, cash on hand, and a back up of TP were other necessities.

Not bad for a single, vibrant mid-aged woman. I also found other individuals doing the same thing and others who felt they would leave it up to the Universe to provide. Some left the country for Mexico while others have absolutely no clue as to what is about to go down. It’s fascinating observing the dynamics of all these timelines and perspectives.

Many years ago I lived in a consciously aware co-operative with like-minded people from all walks of life; lawyers, academics, holistic practitioners, single moms, those on fixed income, etc… I served on the board for a number of years as President and Chair and then as an advisor. I loved gardening and would also volunteer in the upkeep of the landscape. Never could I have imagined that that experience would come in handy 20 years later. But here we are!

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to reach out at patricia@patricialever.com. If you found the information helpful, donations would be appreciated. If you’re wanting a deeper dive into some of the areas that may be holding you back, I’m available for consultations and facilitation.