Better stock up on basics,,flour cornmeal ect since a large part of ours is grown in Russia and the Ukraine !
Norway is a lousy place for wheat and corn. The quality is poor due to climate. We can do rye, oats, barley, and potatoes. Only about 3% of the Norwegian landmass is arable, and only 1% is suited for growing food for people. The rest is either mountains, marshes or woods. We have lots of places for sheep and goats to graze, and also for the old cow breeds, and some pigs here and there. If push comes to shove we might have to eat fish, mutton, and potatoes, supplemented with greens from either garden or from foraging. I quite like foraging. Free food, exercise, and fresh air is a healthy Kinder-egg. (Not allowed in the US I understand. The Kinder-egg, not the rest.)
Droopy, please excuse my ignorance, but what is "Kinder-egg"? I don't do much foraging except for dew berries in the spring and scuppernong grapes in August. The grapes make a good jelly, and the berries are a nice snack. The berries grow wild in the pasture, and the grape vines are slowly taking over some of the hackberry trees on the fence line, bless their little grapey hearts!
No need to apologize, @marlingardener. You don't have them, so how can you know? I don't know your grapes and berries either, because they don't grow here. And now I'm beginning to wonder if we've got dewberries in the woods and not blackberries as I've always thought they were. Kindereggs are hollow chocolate eggs with a plastic capsule inside that contains a toy. Most toys you have to assemble, but sometimes there are nice, little figurines inside. Some are hand-painted and have become collectors' items. The commercial says something like: "Three wishes in one. A treat, a surprise, and a toy." The word "kinderegg" is used to describe something that gives you a lot out of little, or a three-for-one as I described further up.
Ahhh,, thanks,,I was wondering about that too ! Dewberries are about the size of your fingernail ! Small but good ! Very tart ! Good for jams and jelly !
Droopy, our kids had Kindereggs! My husband brought them home from business trips abroad & then we were able to find them here in the US. The ones sold here though are not nearly so neat.
@Netty I know. It's ridiculous. I think the deal was that the toy was INSIDE the chocolate egg rather than in a separate package. But what about CrackerJacks?... Were those toys in a package amidst the popcorn? I don't remember.
I think in an overabundance of caution it was decided a child might swallow the capsule and choke. Any kid that would swallow a plastic capsule probably won't make it anyway.
It's not just wheat alone @mart , that's only the tip of the iceberg. Russia also makes a huge percentage of the world's fertilizer supply too, (majority of which North America consumes). So come next growing season, (as right now there are enough reserves to last this year) - And North America will not be able to grow anything substantial. Similar story with pesticides also... I'm in the community of some borderline insane doomsday preppers, (on the dark web Tor network). However unlike you guys, they have no idea what my nationality or geographical location is, (it's better that way, as some of those crazy people can be extremely racist too, aside from being ultra paranoid to the core)... But there are some very knowledgeable and bright people over there also, who in reality work in some of the world's highly sensitive places. So that's how I know about all of this, (I had actually known about this since last June, way before even the possibility of war wasn't taken seriously by anyone). I also knew about the Covid-19 pandemic before it happened. Only I didn't know that it would be called Covid, nor did I have any clue that it would start from China, (but I did speak before about what I knew)... I also have a very good idea who in which part of the world is going to win or lose their next elections, (I haven't been wrong about anything in recent times) - And I also know who will get ousted out of office by force. Which will result in a civil war like situation. Plus I know which monarch is actually hiding a very serious ailment, (against which there is no cure)... Yes it's all just some educated guesswork for now. But if you keep talking to all the right people, (who too know their stuff and are very well connected) - Then your own senses also become very sharp, and foresight becomes unbelievably accurate... I have a lot more to say, regarding what else is likely to happen. But I don't desire to turn this into a political discussion. Because this is a wonderful community of gardeners who love nature. So this is where I come to relax. Therefore I'm not going to alter the theme of our lovely forum, (as I like the way things are over here). So if anyone wants to chat about this with me, please PM me directly. Otherwise, yes, all I will say here in the open is - Take all precautionary measures that you possibly can for yourself, and your loved ones, (and specially your pets). As the world is fast changing. This actually keeps on happening every 100 years. So be ready for extreme and sudden change - Yes suddenly, meaning not later, but soon. Around a hundred years ago, (give or take a few years), this is what happened: 1. Turn of the century flu, the Spanish flu global pandemic. 2. Breakup of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. 3. Breakup of the Turkish Ottoman Empire. 4. The great financial depression. 5. Rise of the Bolsheviks in Russia. 6. Establishment of the Nazi party in Germany. 7. New research for weapons of never before seen might, (nuclear weapons). 8. Regression of South America, (Argentina mainly), from an industrial superpower to just another mediocre region of the world. 9. Foundations laid for a new currency which will become the world dominant financial medium, (the US dollar) - The opposite of which is being planned now... So all of this, plus more, happened or got Kick-started around a hundred years back... Therefore as Karl Marx himself once said: "history repeats, first as a tragedy, but later as a farce". So let's not joke around about any of what I have hinted above. Just be ready for it. Because it's better to be safe then sorry. And yes, there are tested and proven ways of surviving this, (information is already available on the free web, we only need to look it up in the right place). So everything can still be saved - But only if we all act now. So don't put your faith in the authorities or the government to come for your rescue. As they will all get overwhelmed and soon won't be able to function as they did before. Not during or after when the crunch time will be upon everyone... No more am I going to talk about this in the open. Because now whatever I have to say next, can potentially get taken the wrong way by some ignorants. Therefore I will stop here. But everyone can feel free to PM me directly. We can exchange email addresses, or freely talk elsewhere, like on chatting apps for smartphones, (without compromising our GardenStew).
We try to grow what will give us the most return, or most enjoyable. For best use of garden space to produce food calories (starches), I read potatoes are the most productive. Fortunately because of my Northern European heritage, I seem to be genetically programmed to like spuds. I have at least one a day. This year we plan to grow more of the chicken food. They already get a lot of kitchen scraps. They also love eating dandelions, so I dig those and give to the hens. I don't know how they will do, but this year we will grow more field corn, millet, and sunflowers for chicken food. They also like potatoes but only if cooked. They and the ducks forage for bugs worms and slugs almost continuously. I don't know how much that will help. Depends on the shortages.
@Daniel W , it's a good and solid start. Which indeed will keep you going for a very long time. @mart , that's excellent too. No horsing around with you! Next what I have to suggest for everyone who is interested. Is to also build a solar food dryer, (it really helps a lot when it comes food storage). Also have some storage for ever a year's supply of drinking water, (this is extremely crucial). And finally have a setup of solar panels and windmills. Doesn't need to be big, just enough to help you enjoy a few creature comforts off the grid - Not joking around. Because the way I see thing are going. This is perhaps the last year to a year and a half, (of a good growing year), until the crunch time will be upon everyone. I am ready to assist whoever is interested - I myself am also about to start building my own solar dehydrator. So start saving as much food as you possibly can NOW!!!
