Living Life in Rural Iowa

Food storage is one of the most fundamental facets of prepping, homesteading, and self-sufficiency. You want to make sure you have your needs for water, food, and shelter covered before all else. That is basic prepping, but in this day and age, you might want to take your food storage to the next level.  To increase food storage (and take it to the next level), a lot of people (including me) really push growing your own food to help supply your food storage. You have better, more nutritious food on hand and you get back far more food than what you pay for seeds and plants. You are relying a little less on the food supply chain which also helps your budget. Growing most if not all these foods listed below is fairly easy. You want to have good soil or use raised beds, but these vegetables do not need a lot of tender loving care to grow. You will want to keep the plants from being eaten by deer, rabbits, and other creatures until they are big enough to survive.  With cold frames

For many preppers, bartering is part of their plans. Bartering is the exchange of goods and services without the exchange of money. Say you needed eggs from your neighbor, but didn't have any money to pay for them. You might offer some produce from your garden as payment for the eggs. Your neighbor and you are bartering goods with the outcome that it will be beneficial to both of you. Bartering works if you are practical about what you have and the value of the items you have to barter with. Most people will be looking to barter things they can eat or use. They will be more willing to help you roof your home in exchange for you helping roof their home. Ideally, bartering should be equal value and equal service. Most people will be very happy to trade on these terms and be conscientious about fulfilling their end of the bargain. Having watched many people (including my father) barter successfully time and time again, bartering does work. You need to be conscious of the valu