I guess I should start by saying that I am not offering any certified advice from this blog, so be forewarned. Margo and I went to breakfast to spend some quality time with EA's Garden Manager, and the three of us fell into conversation with a man in the restaurant. He is, among other things, a fiduciary something, and is getting into the realm of gardening. Now anyone familiar with Willits, or possibly even coastal CA north of the Bay Area, will know there are commonly held beliefs here that 1) the government is incompetent, 2) the government can't be trusted, or 3) the government is actively out to get our _______ (fill in the blank). I'm not passing judgment, just observing.
So I wasn't surprised when this person began telling us that he was getting into gardening, growing greens and things, because of the the economy. The economy? "Well you know," he said, "the government just gave out almost $1 trillion to the banks last year, and a little less than $1 trillion just now. They say it was for a a lot of other stuff, but it was really for the banks. And they don't tell you that the Treasury Department has given or is currently in the process of giving out around $10 trillion for..." (then he listed a bunch of banking things that I don't remember). The point was that you can't just go creating a lot of money without some repercussions. So he was telling us that when people ask for his financial advice he tells them "Hug everyone you care about as often as you can and tell them you love them. And tear up your lawn to start growing food."
What's funny about that? Well, folks in local agriculture have been telling people to do that for upwards of 35 years. Maybe when financial experts start saying it people will listen...
He went on to say that awhile ago he went into the grocery and saw that bread was $5 a loaf, which freaked him out. He went home, learned how to bake bread, and within a day had his own freshly made. Similarly, he recently found swiss chard in the grocery for 4$ a bundle, and decided it was time to get seriously into gardening. My first thought was "$4 a bundle? We must have about $250 worth of chard in the greenhouse right now! Sell! Sell!" My second thought, the one I acted on, was that I should suggest that he grow grains, too, so that when wheat goes up to $10 a pound he'll be a step ahead.
So there you go! Don't wait for some economic meltdown: tear up your lawn and tell your loved ones you care. Everyone involved will be happier :)
