There seems to be a lack of information regarding the preparedness options for people who are living in apartments or similar housing situations. I touched on this subject in my Prepping for College Students series but I would like to go into this further for those who could use the information. There are advantages to living in an apartment, and I will probably be in one myself sometime soon. They are cheaper, require little maintenance, and don’t come with a lot of the “headaches” of home ownership. (Mowing the yard, fixing leaky pipes, air conditioning…ect.)
Just because you live in an apartment doesn’t mean all hope is lost. You can store and prepare with the best of them with a little knowledge. The first obvious disadvantage of living in an apartment is your inability to grow a garden. Many see gardening as a focal point of their preparedness plan. I like to say, “no garden, no problem!” Let other people garden for you. You can purchase tons of fresh, natural, and organic produce at your local farmers market. Now the main goal of having your survival garden is to can your harvest to add to your food storage.
This way you don’t have to garden, you can buy the produce already picked, then take it home and can it yourself. Canning is something you CAN do in an apartment, and canning from your local farmers market is the best way to do this. Buying from the local farmers market is also supporting local farmers, and you’re contributing to the free market economy. Supply and demand will work in your favor. As more and more people shop and purchase at farmers markets, more vendors will open and sell their produce. This is the BEST way to can organic produce, and add it to your food storage if you live somewhere where you are unable to garden.
3 comments
erniesjourney
August 26, 2009 at 10:34 pm (UTC 0)
Great post Matt and very true – we will not have enough from our garden to can much this year and we will be hitting the farmer's market soon!:)
Marica
August 27, 2009 at 1:19 pm (UTC 0)
Nice post! One thing to keep in mind though is that you *can* grow a lot of stuff in an apartment. Sprouts come to mind first. Don't even need sunshine for these. microgreens for salads don't need very much sun and will grow all through the winter. Herbs do very well on a sunny window. Even dwarf citrus trees can be grown as house plants in pots if you have a patio or balcony to move them to during the summer.
Plus– growing anything inside filters the air (a true benefit come winter time).
matthiasj
August 27, 2009 at 1:23 pm (UTC 0)
Thanks Ernie. Too bad your garden didn't produce that much.
Marcia, great advice. It is possible to grow stuff indoors and with a couple grow lights in an extra room you can grow just about anything.