12/21/2012

[lostleader]

Funny you say that. My neighbor and I have been kicking this subject around for 3 weeks now. At least since the Preppers show started airing on NatGeo. Unless you are in a big city or an extremely dangerous area, the best thing would be to stay put.

Also the best investment a person could make, if you were truly preparing for something like this would be a HAM radio. Of course out side of you basic needs and protection.

HAM radio in a Faraday cage. That way you can talk to the other preppers after the massive solar flare or EMP wipes out our unprotected electronics.

Did you see that fat man in his little cage. Reminded me of the dude off the remake of "Dukes of Hazzard". They guy who wore the armadillo helmet.

 

[redandguilty]

http://money.cnn.com/2009/12/29/news/economy/farming_detroit.fortune/

 

[TheVictors]

A friend of a friend has a company in NYC called "Urban Gardens" or something like that and what he does is renovate warehouses in Brooklyn, Manhattan, etc and turn them into Hydroponic farns. He then sells the "fresh, local produce" to area restaurants and markets. Apparently it is a newer but growing business.

Hydroponics is not new. There are a ton of farms out there that specialize in this. Maybe doing it in NYC, but they get fresh produce from all over. The company I was working for sold a ton of commodity stuff up that way.

I set up a small plant growing station when I was in high school. We used a small tray with dense foam to hold the seeds. You run the filter discharge into the pan and let the water drain out. We had a few bass and a bluegill in the tank. The lettuce grew great, until the weekend when a rock clogged the water pump. Tank ran low and the fish died, but for 2 weeks it worked.

I know hydroponics is nothing new ... hell, we knew a little something about it in the basement of our place on McKinley near Yost my Senior year.

The idea of "urban farming" where you can have "farms" in large city centers, as the cities around the world continue to grow in population as folks relocate from rural areas is somewhat new. That and having the ability to grow "local" produce for the stores and restaurants.

I thought the business idea sounded like a good one and apparently he's doing very well and others are doing similar in other cities.

 

[redandguilty]

HAM radio in a Faraday cage. That way you can talk to the other preppers after the massive solar flare or EMP wipes out our unprotected electronics.

Did you see that fat man in his little cage. Reminded me of the dude off the remake of "Dukes of Hazzard". They guy who wore the armadillo helmet.

I think that's the guy! I only saw a little of the show while I was fliiping channels too.

 

[Michchamp]

never mind the flowery utopia graphics in the article, that guy sounds downright evil! He reminds me of one of the guys who worked for the evil corporation in Robocop: <blockquote>one day about a year and a half ago, Hantz had a revelation. "We need scarcity," he thought to himself as he drove past block after unoccupied block. "We can't create opportunities, but we can create scarcity." And that, he says one afternoon in his living room between puffs on an expensive cigar, "is how I got onto this idea of the farm."</blockquote>yep:<blockquote>Then there's the fact that many of his fellow citizens are openly rooting against him. Since word leaked of his scheme last spring, he has been criticized by community activists, who call the plan a land grab. Opponents have also raised questions about the run-ins he's had with regulators at Hantz Financial.</blockquote>oh, this proves it...<blockquote>Twice divorced, Hantz, 48, lives alone in clubby, paneled splendor, surrounded by early-American landscapes on the walls, an autograph collection that veers from Detroit icons such as Ty Cobb and Henry Ford to Baron von Richthofen and Mussolini, and a set of Ayn Rand first editions. </blockquote>
Ty Cobb? von Richtofen? MUSSOLINI??!?!! AYN RAND?!?!?!

The guy is a sociopath.

 

[Michchamp]

Vic, this is now the 3rd time in the last week someone has accused you of being out of touch.

first you had no idea that there was wifi on planes.

then you had no idea the office was filming in Hollywood

now you think hydroponics is some new technology...

 

[redandguilty]

never mind the flowery utopia graphics in the article, that guy sounds downright evil! He reminds me of one of the guys who worked for the evil corporation in Robocop: <blockquote>one day about a year and a half ago, Hantz had a revelation. "We need scarcity," he thought to himself as he drove past block after unoccupied block. "We can't create opportunities, but we can create scarcity." And that, he says one afternoon in his living room between puffs on an expensive cigar, "is how I got onto this idea of the farm."</blockquote>yep:<blockquote>Then there's the fact that many of his fellow citizens are openly rooting against him. Since word leaked of his scheme last spring, he has been criticized by community activists, who call the plan a land grab. Opponents have also raised questions about the run-ins he's had with regulators at Hantz Financial.</blockquote>oh, this proves it...<blockquote>Twice divorced, Hantz, 48, lives alone in clubby, paneled splendor, surrounded by early-American landscapes on the walls, an autograph collection that veers from Detroit icons such as Ty Cobb and Henry Ford to Baron von Richthofen and Mussolini, and a set of Ayn Rand first editions. </blockquote>
Ty Cobb? von Richtofen? MUSSOLINI??!?!! AYN RAND?!?!?!

The guy is a sociopath.

Yeah. Taking advantage of scarcity is one thing. Trying to maintain scarcity is another. When you're talking about food, it goes from business to evil.

 

[michdad1]

I have a large baseball card collection that I will barter with. Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle will buy me some food. <sarcasm added>

Really, I like to keep a nice stock of food on hand for just such emergencies.

 

[TheVictors]

Vic, this is now the 3rd time in the last week someone has accused you of being out of touch.

first you had no idea that there was wifi on planes.

then you had no idea the office was filming in Hollywood

now you think hydroponics is some new technology...

Shut up, I'm busy connecting my mobile cellular phone to the bluetooth in my car. Dude, you can have your car stereo literally pick-up your phone calls so you're totally hands-free! Not only that, but you can take your CDs from your 5-Disc changer in the stereo cabinet and play them in the CD player in the car! It's sweet, no more dealing with cassette tapes for this renaissance man!

 

[redandguilty]

Vic, this is now the 3rd time in the last week someone has accused you of being out of touch.

first you had no idea that there was wifi on planes.

then you had no idea the office was filming in Hollywood

now you think hydroponics is some new technology...

Shut up, I'm busy connecting my mobile cellular phone to the bluetooth in my car. Dude, you can have your car stereo literally pick-up your phone calls so you're totally hands-free! Not only that, but you can take your CDs from your 5-Disc changer in the stereo cabinet and play them in the CD player in the car! It's sweet, no more dealing with cassette tapes for this renaissance man!

You better be a renaissance man. None of that stuff will work when the EMP hits.

 

[lostleader]

Vic, with all due respect I didn't think you were out of touch.

Turning useless land space in the inner city is a wonderful idea. However bacterial problems are a major concern with hydroponics. That is why the company I used to work for chose not to use hydroponic grown lettuce.

 

[TheVictors]

You know more than I do.


Like I said, my experience with hydroponics was not growing lettuce. well, not 'salad kind' of lettuce, anyways ...

 

[tinselwolverine]

Like Nancy Botwin hydroponics, I'll go out on a limb and guess...