PREPARE Magazine: September 2014

Encouraging, Empowering and Enriching Your Journey

Vegan and Vegetarian Food Storage

Night & Stealth Training: 34 Tips for Survival

Special Diets in Survival Situations

Prepping with Celiac Disease September 2014

Letter from the Editor In this, the September 2014 Digital Issue of PREPARE Magazine we wanted to take some time to focus on food storage with special dietary needs. So along with other topics to round out the variety we hope what you find are tools to help encourage you or that you can use to encourage others that food storage is still a possibility regardless of dietary restrictions.

Whether you are trying to build Vegan and Vegetarian Food Storage, or have been diagnosed and are Prepping with Celiac Disease or food allergies there are Considerations for Special Diets in Survival Situations. There is help here to begin building your food storage. Edible Landscaping is another way to add food and medicine to your dietary needs. And you might think it’s just a pretty weed, but Red Clover has so many health benefits you’re sure to enjoy the article about it.

Since food storage is not the only thing on your mind when you prepare we like to round out each issue with other great tid-bits of information. Just because summer camping and school break may be over, it doesn’t mean laundry stops. But how about stopping some of the dependency upon one convenience and Let’s All Hang Out; Fire your Dryer. Did you know the cooler weather of fall actually brings out snakes since they are cold blooded? Just because summer is over, don’t think you’re completely safe from a SNAKE BITE! Also as things cool off it can be a great time of getting outdoors and trying your hand at these Night & Stealth Training – 34 Tips for Survival. You may need them some day since all emergencies don’t happen during day light hours.

We would be remiss not to point out the parts of preparedness that you can’t train for, buy in a store or stock pile and that is fellowshipping with a community and your belief system that guides you as you prepare.

That is why we always try to include a section where you can find Community Connections and a Devotional article. This month – I had the honor of writing one entitled: Scripturally Sustained.

With each new issue and each new reader’s input we find where preparedness reaches into all areas of life.

We also find areas where it is needed. We value your input so we can best serve you and hope to continue to encourage you on a path of positive preparedness and self-sufficiency for your journey. Please keep your input coming and connect with us on our Facebook Page for the most instant updates and communication.

EnJOY the Journey,

Donna L. Miller Managing Editor of PREPARE Magazine http://www.PREPAREMag.com

Table of Contents 1 - Letter from the Editor 2 - Edible Landscaping PREPARE Magazine www.preparemag.com Publishing Mainline Marketing Group, LLC Advertising 828-484-4777 advertising@preparemag.com Subscriptions www.preparemag.com/subscribe subscription@preparemag.com Support Services www.preparemag.com/support support@preparemag.com Community Connections contributors@preparemag.com

3 - Special Diets in Survival Situations 4 - Night & Stealth Training - 34 Tips for Survival 5 - Prepping with Celiac Disease 6 - Red Clover Red Clover 7 - Vegan and Vegetarian Food Storage 8 - Stories from the Transition US Movement 9 - SNAKEBITE! 10 - Scripturally Sustained

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Edible Landscaping

By Ken Youngquist, Survivaltek Most of my primitive and survival skills center around the prospect of becoming stranded or lost either in wilderness or urban environments but it is possible to be stranded "at home" if utilities and food supply lines get cut off. It's wise to store up provisions but a potential resource that is often overlooked outside of a vegetable garden is edible landscaping. I realize that some vegetables like colorful cabbages can be decorative but there are conventional decorative plants that are edible as well, and don't forget that some "weeds" that inhabit your yard are also edible and can be a source of food (with some having medicinal benefits as well).

I've started to collect plants for the purpose of a contingent food supply. So far I have collected fortnight lilies, canna lilies, yucca, and prickly pear cactus.

"Volunteer" plants include chickweed, dandelion, broad and narrow varieties of plantain, garlic mustard, pokeweed, purslane, and wild strawberry. It's worth noting that flower petals can also be an edible source from plants such as roses, snap dragons, violets, yucca, and hibiscus, to name a few.

Chickweed

Dandelion

Canna Lillie

Pokeweed

Prickly Pear

Purslane

Of course, what landscaping would be complete without trees? Depending on your particular climate there are a variety of fruit trees whose fruit can be enjoyed in its season or canned for the future. You might be surprised to know that even a pine tree can provide nourishment through its pollen, needles, cambium layer, and pine nuts.

Edible violet

Edible Parts Of A Pine Tree You can visit my "Edible" webpage or click on the edible tag link for more information. So, consider adding "edible landscaping" to your prep list of contingent food supply. You may discover that harvesting from this source may become a delightful supplement to your regular diet.

Considerations for special diets in survival situations

By Tammy Trayer, Trayer Wildnerness

Let me share a little history with you. Our family has been on a gluten free (wheat free) and casein free (dairy free) diet for over 10 years to help aid our son’s health. He is high functioning autistic and the diet is not just to adjust behavioral issues, but also health and physical issues too.

We have learned a lot along the way with this diet and initially being the overwhelmed parent with a new diet, we purchased the packaged foods that were extremely expensive. This did not last long and we learned how to make everything our son likes from scratch and learned how to alter recipes to accommodate his needs with successful results.

In addition to our specific diet, we now have also eliminated 99% of all processed foods from our diet.

In doing so we realized how toxic today's food really is with all the additives and preservatives. We can

say this because our health and well-being has changed by 100%. We rarely get sick, we actually have energy and are no longer always tired, our joints do not hurt, our stomachs no longer bother us and if we have something processed we now are guaranteed to be sick for at least 3 days just because our bodies are no longer used to the poisons. In addition, we learned that purchasing all our raw ingredients in bulk is saving us so much money a year and it is easier to plan ahead for the long term.

We live in a location that we may not always be able to get out on a daily or weekly basis during the winter months so stocking up is part of our lifestyle and living prepared with full canning shelves, a full freezer and planning months in advance was engrained in us as something normal growing up (thank you Mom) but now we also need to plan

ahead in having those special items for our son’s diet.

We currently mill our own wheat flours and grains, but for the gluten free side of things I have fallen in love with Better Batter Gluten Free Flour. This flour can be used cup for cup like regular wheat flour, is a non-gmo product and can be purchased in bulk. So we keep several hundred pounds on hand when we head into the winter months.

While purchasing all our grains, legumes, spices, minerals, etc., I have to take into consideration as well that something could pop up that would eliminate me from purchasing my favorite flour moving forward. Being this is a requirement for my son, it requires me to think outside of the box. I purchase extra gluten free old fashioned rolled oats, rice, and almonds which will enable me to mill our own flours should we run out of his flour. When I purchase these extra ingredients they are purchased in very large quantities also.

Because feeding my family is something I take very seriously and personally want to be prepared for anything, I also consider what would happen if our raw ingredients became depleted and I did not have other options? There are varying things in the wild that could be used as replacements such as cat tail roots, burdock root and the inner bark of a pine tree. All of these could be dried and ground up to use as a flour alternative. My suggestion would be when your flour supply is getting low to supplement your alternative flours with your remaining flour to help stretch it.

Knowing what is around you in the wild, properly knowing how to identify these things and also knowing how to use these things could also save you in a survival situation.

Being prepared, thinking way ahead and practicing such things is a wise choice.

Now dairy is another thing that we consider. Honestly for us, dairy is a treat because we can get calcium from so many other sources. We utilize almond, coconut

and rice milk, all of which we can make ourselves.

When baking and cooking everything from scratch you often need dairy as an ingredient for the tasty dishes so I keep dried coconut milk on hand and a bulk supply of almonds and rice.

We have also found that the casein in the cow’s milk is different than that of goat’s milk casein. Because of the difference our son is able to have goat’s milk with success so we purchased ourselves two young kids last year and this year we are breeding them so that we will be able to continue to produce our own milk moving forward and have a backup of making our own from the raw ingredients we keep on hand.

If we were ever in a survival situation that took us away from our home, the dairy and wheat would no longer be a necessity or a concern and because of

our location we would be eating meats, roots and greens from the wild.

I take my family’s diet so much into consideration that I keep heirloom seeds in all my survival packs because if we were ever in a long term survival situation I could grow fresh vegetables for my family and continue to save the seeds for a continuing harvest every year.

The purpose of this article is to share with you what we have found for dairy and wheat allergies or diet necessities, but this can be done for so many other diet needs. Do your research, be prepared, keep well stocked on the things you need and know what else is available to you as a backup in the event that your modern day conveniences are no longer available. For additional recipes and tips visit my website.

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NIGHT & STEALTH TRAINING 34 Tips for Survival

“Nothing works all of the time. Everything works some of the time!”

By Snake Blocker, Blocker Academy of Martial Arts 1.

Have the right mindset. Block out any phobias you may have had since childhood (or adulthood) about the dark.

2.

Have the right gear and equipment for the environment, as well as for the elements that you may encounter. Warm and hot weather gear is needed as temperatures drop during the night and rise during the day. Use multiple layers of clothing; wear thick gloves for moving up and down rough terrain; have rope for climbing and descending quietly; bandana for multi-use; compass for navigation; and of course, appropriate survival items are all helpful.

3.

Stay in the shadows and have correct color clothing, such as camouflage specific to area; dark blue or olive theme colors are recommended. If clothing is too dark, such as dark brown or black, your body patterns can be seen more visibly.

4.

Avoid carrying too much gear or wearing baggy clothing. Too much gear can weigh you down, dehydrate you quicker and slow you down. Baggy clothing can snag and cause un-do noise, which can bring attention to yourself.

5.

Avoid carrying anything that makes too much noise, and avoid wearing noisy clothing. Avoid carrying things like clanging keys, or anything that is set to make noise like watches, alarms, GPS, or cell phones.

6.

Avoid wearing clothing that has buttons or large open pockets, which can snag and make noise; avoid exposed metal zippers or material that can reflect moonlight or other light sources.

7.

Avoid using things that illuminate or draw attention; any sort of lighting that may attract attention.

8.

When it’s muddy or snowy, have shoes and socks appropriate to keeping moisture out and heat in.

Water in shoes can also cause noise. High top boots are best in damp weather and offer protection from ticks and other bugs and insects that may crawl up your feet and ankle area. Do not wear running shoes or any shoes with reflection material. Soft boot with light rubber soles on the bottoms work well. You may want some deep traction on the bottom of the shoes, as long it doesn’t increase noise when walking. At times, you may want to take the shoes or boots off to help with noise reduction, and to air out the feet.

Practice walking barefoot to toughen up and build up the bottom of the feet. Walk barefoot on various LINKS surfaces to adapt to the sensation it gives your feet.

9.

Prepare well for your route. Learn major landmarks such as roads, rivers, large rocks, large trees, houses, buildings, etc. Know if there are precipices or dead ends that are impossible to cross, climb or descend from. Know where common routes are and have multiple alternative routes to avoid being spotted.

10. Know where good high ground spots are and always look for available high ground that can give you a 360 degree view without being spotted yourself.

11. If you are able to conceal by rivers or waterfalls, these can be good spots to avoid detection by sound. The

water sound will drown out your sound of movements. Concealing in water, when possible, will also hide your scent if being tracked by animals.

Do not stay in water too long, as hypothermia can set in. If in water, remove your clothes and shoes to keep them dry until you come out of water.

12. If in buildings, stay close to wall, low to floor, and walk softly and quietly.

13. When walking, stay low to ground and use tall grass, trees, and heavy terrain to conceal movement when possible. Look ahead and know where each stop will be at before proceeding. If no cover is available, you may need to crawl on stomach to avoid detection. The Apaches used a soft toe to heel walk to minimize noise when crouching into steps. During mid speed movements, they would change to heel to toe walks and during runs it would be more flat foot running. On noisy surfaces, most weight should be placed on back foot as the front foot finds a good placement and slowly transfers weight onto the front foot. Use the knees and ankles to absorb as much of the movement and weight as possible. On slippery surfaces, take very small steps with flat foot placement. Always listen to ambient noises around you at each pause of your steps. Understand each sound before moving again.

17. If a search party is nearing your location, throw pebbles in another alternative far direction to redirect their search, as you look for escape routes to gain more distance.

18. Place bandanna over mouth and nose to minimize breathing sounds and scent.

Avoid sneezing, coughing, or burping. If you cannot control such noises, put your face low to the ground and cover mouth, close your eyes, and minimize the noise, as best you can. Repeat, without making a sound, a word to distract and release some irritability in the throat.

An example would be saying “Good morning” silently several times. If in areas of allergies, take non-drowsy counter-allergy medication, if available.

19. Stay out of areas that are not sheltered from longrange visibility. If you can see from afar, chances are, others can see you too. Use night optics, if available, during darkness and good quality binoculars, if available, during the day. Minimize your use of these optics, as their glare and reflection from the lenses may be detected.

14. Always know where you are at and how to get back to previous spots.

Draw maps, use visual landmarks, and leave pathfinder markers that only you can identify.

15. Use of a walking stick can come in handy, as you can check for quicksand, mud holes, water levels, unstable surfaces, and moving snakes and other creatures away from your path. Walking sticks come in handy in survival situations as well.

16. If you observe outside noises, stay in sync with those noises. If someone is sleeping nearby, step as they exhale. If you hear a clock or watch, step with each ‘tic/tock’ sound. If you hear a refrigerator, heater, or central air unit kick on, then move at that time. If someone starts to talk, or you hear music, TV, or radio, then use that opportunity to move. If the wind begins to pick up, move at that moment, etc.

20. If someone has a campfire, hide in the darkness behind it. Those around the campfire will have their eyes fixed and adjusted to the light from the fire, but not to the darkness around the light source.

21. When looking around in the dark, do not fix on one spot for too long. Slowly move your head and eyes and listen as you turn. Always locate sound first then fix eyes on area of location of the sound. Sound can echo and travel, so do not assume you have

located a sound source correctly. If you see nothing, then move the head and eyes to other areas. Indoors or outdoors: always listen for sounds, but do not get startled at the sounds, nor make noises at the surprise of hearing new sounds. Rain and wind can drown out sounds. Stay upwind when possible. On cloudy days, all sounds are more distinct, clearer and louder.

22. It is easy to give away your position, when you make sounds. Do not be afraid of animal sounds or small crawlers, such as spiders, scorpions, snakes, ants, ticks, etc. You will most likely not be injured by such crawlers if they are spotted around you. If in danger from other people, it is not worth the risk of making sounds and being found.

If a large animal approaches you, wait until it is very close and shout out a loud animal growl or howl, to frighten it and avoid human sounds. When at rest, place nonreflective sunglasses on both sides of the head to confuse large animals that may be approaching.

23. Conceal body heat as much as possible. In our high tech world, heat signature devices are more common. If you suspect those looking for you have such devices, conceal yourself in mud, underground holes, caves, tunnels, or in water.

24. Be in great physical condition and have great cardiovascular conditioning. You don’t want to be huffing and puffing climbing up a hill, having to crawl on your belly, or doing hundreds of lunges or squats. You don’t want to have to stop every couple minutes to catch your breath either.

25. Always be in condition ‘yellow’ or ‘orange’— meaning be alert and aware of your surroundings at all times. A great way to practice this is being a defensive driver; or when hiking you should always look, listen, and feel what’s around you before advancing forward.

26. If you are in good foliage areas, lay down if spotted, rather than run into the open. It can be very hard to find someone that is 10 feet in front of them, if they are lying down in heavy foliage areas, especially in the dark. Darkness is your friend when you are hiding. Many times you can just stand behind a tree or lay down in the shadows. If you can move without making sound, curl up in the fetal position.

If someone steps on you, do not make a sound, as

they may think it was the terrain. If it’s pitch black and they step on you, bite their ankle, make an animal sound, and run away on all fours, so they think it was a wild dog. Use animal sound specific to the area. Most people will run away in fear, if they thought an animal bit them.

27. Have weapons on you, if possible, for worse case scenarios…enough said.

28. Do not eat foods that give you gas and leave scents.

Do not drink too much water, as your urine leaves a scent and makes sounds. Minimize bowl moments and urination.

29. Rest, if possible, in trees, boulder areas, or protective areas that are hard to be spotted in. You can pile foliage and branches over you, if need be, for concealment.

30. If coming upon people sleeping, carefully observe their state of sleep. If a person shows signs of regular breathing, they may still be awake or faking the sleep, or they may be in a very light sleep pattern. Shallow breathing is indicative of a light sleeper too. You are safe around a snorer, as long as they are not faking the snoring. Snoring is indicative of a heavy sleeper.

31. Change your pace of footwork. Minimize foot patterns and strides; walk on outside of feet when you can. If possible, cover up all tracks as you move.

Long stride foot patterns represent a running pace.

Dragging stride foot patterns represent a tired walker and/or someone carrying a heavy load.

32. Climbing large trees can be a great way to avoid detection. Many trackers will not be looking up, if they are focused on searching for tracks on the ground. Make sure anytime you climb up, that you are able to climb down.

Make sure you are conditioned to climb and check all branches before placing your full body weight on a branch.

time to readjust so you may have to constantly switch eyes and eye patches.

34. Never let anxiety or fear overcome you. Always stay calm, cool, and collective. Most often, it is harder to search and track than to it is to hide and evade.

35.

33. Have an eye patch (or bandana) to cover an eye, to pre-adapt to nightfall/darkness. Wear an eye patch on one eye for 30-45 minutes before sunset to adapt one eye to night vision; switch to the other eye afterwards. Once exposed to light, the eye will need

Prepping with Celiac Disease

By Bill and Janet Liebsch, FedHealth We have been in the preparedness industry since 1996.

Both of us were raised with the philosophy of always having plenty of supplies on-hand in case of an emergency or life disruption.

Up until 2000 we always stocked up and rotated out longterm storage supplies like canned, dehydrated and packaged foods, spices, sauces, snacks, candy and other items. We also kept snacks and supplies in our disaster kits at home and in our truck.

But around mid-2000, after a few years of strange health issues, the doctor said Bill had leukemia and T-cell disease and his spleen, gall bladder and half his liver should be removed.

Needless to say we were determined to find alternative options and worked with some experts and labs directly for more analysis. For example, tests from a toxicology lab showed Bill had a massive infestation of liver flukes (worms) and severe heavy metals in his system.

After 7 years of major cleansing and detoxing to kill and move out all those nasty worms and metals, Bill started getting a little better but something was still wrong. The healthier he ate (e.g. oatmeal, pastas, vegetables, etc.) the sicker he got.

He was constantly nauseous, his belly would bloat up after meals, he had severe joint pain, extreme fatigue, migraines, itchy little red sores or rashes would pop up and other ailments. Plus his heart rate and blood pressure started climbing up and he was getting the beginning stages of diabetes.

In 2007 we visited a naturopath who said Bill had classic symptoms of celiac disease.

Basically his body cannot handle gluten (i.e. wheat, oats, barley and rye). Bill did a food allergy test and reacted to almost every food listed -- except wheat but that’s typical.

Celiac disease is not a food allergy - it is an autoimmune disease and there are other ways to diagnose it.

Since his numbers were so high on most fruits and vegetables -- including nightshades like potatoes, tomatoes and peppers -- the doctor suggested a very short list of “okay” things to eat. Then, once we got Bill’s gluten issue under control, he would probably be able to slowly add back in most fruits and vegetables, but never gluten.

For anyone not familiar with Celiac Disease (CD), it is a genetic issue people are born with and it’s not contagious.

Villi on the lining of the small intestine help absorb nutrients.

Credit: NDDIC When a person with CD ingests gluten, the immune system creates antibodies that attack and damage or destroy the tiny hairs (villi) lining the small intestine so their body cannot properly absorb nutrients.

Even tiny amounts of gluten in foods can affect those with CD and cause health problems. And damage can occur to the small bowel even when there are no symptoms present.

Did you know…

•

Celiac Disease is NOT a food allergy - it is an autoimmune disease. Food allergies, including wheat allergy or gluten intolerance, are conditions that people can sometimes grow out of. This is not the case with Celiac Disease.

•

According to the Celiac Disease Foundation, 1 out of 133 people in the U.S. are affected with celiac disease.

•

The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness says about 83% of Americans who have celiac disease are either undiagnosed or misdiagnosed.

•

CD is a hereditary disease and occurs in 5% to 22% of the offspring and siblings of a person with the disease.

LINKS

In hindsight, Bill’s father, uncle and 2 sisters all died between the ages of 47 and 54 and we feel sure that they all had CD too.

Bill has had chronic health issues his entire life and now we realize CD hindered his ability to digest nutrients properly, thus weakening his immune system. His weakened system allowed the parasites to spread throughout his body, and the constant inflammation from ingesting gluten caused many other issues he’s still repairing. But the good news is … a few years ago his

tests came back negative on both leukemia and T-cell disease!

There are some certified gluten-free products you can use in disaster kits and to complement long-term stores, but again … just because they say it is GF doesn’t necessarily mean it’s pure so always do your homework and call or write manufacturers to be safe.

Also, be aware there are non-food products that may contain gluten that could be ingested or absorbed through the skin like…

• Toothpaste and mouthwash • Lipstick, lip gloss or balm • Soaps, bath salts • Lotions and creams • Vitamins and prescription drugs • Hair products hairsprays, etc.)

(some

shampoos,

conditioners,

• Sunscreen

Be vigilant and be aware

•

Cleaning products

When a loved one is diagnosed with Celiac Disease you begin reading ingredient lists on everything. We were shocked how many canned, bottled, processed, packaged, frozen, dried and ready-made foods, dressings and sauces have gluten in them.

•

Latex or rubber gloves

•

Chewing gum and many types of candy

•

Pet food or bird seed

•

Art supplies (e.g. paints, glue, clay) or play-dough

•

Beer and grain alcohols

Not only do you need to watch for things with wheat, barley, malt or rye … but things like flavorings, dextrin, caramel coloring, HVP, etc. may be questionable depending on what countries they were made in or what ingredients are used. And oats are an issue since they may have been cross-contaminated with wheat during growing, harvesting and processing.

Also realize just because something says it is “Gluten Free” doesn’t mean it is. The product could have been processed or packaged on shared equipment or in a facility that also processes wheat or other gluten products.

Even though manufacturers clean machines, gluten can get down into little crevices and it is airborne.

There are products that are packaged and processed in dedicated gluten-free facilities or adhere to the Celiac Sprue Association (or GFCO or QAI and NFCA) standards to obtain a certified GF seal or label. But even those products can have minute traces of 5 to 10 parts per million when tested for wheat.

The best alternative is to avoid processed foods altogether and make your own meals at home so you know exactly what is in them. And consider dehydrating and canning foods yourself so you feel comfortable it is safe for your loved ones.

One final note regarding celiac disease or other food allergies, please store “special” foods in Grab & go kits and pantries to accommodate loved ones with dietary issues.

Learn more about celiac disease and associated health LINKS risks at the Celiac Disease Foundation, the Celiac Sprue Association, Celiac.com or Mayo Clinic’s Celiac disease section.

Red Clover, Red Clover Send All Your Dietary Benefits Right Over!

By Survivor Jane, www.SurvivorJane.com When, or if, the poo ever hits the fan for any of us, taking care of our bodies will be critical to our survival. As I mentioned, our eating habits will change drastically for a lot of us. What will happen to those with indigestion problems or high cholesterol issues or even heart disease?

Most, if not all, of these conditions stem from our diet.

I was walking with a friend of mine around my yard and garden one sunny afternoon when all of a sudden my friend excitedly raced to a patch of clover, picked a beautiful purplely-pink blossom out of its cradle of three light green with white variegated center leaves and began devouring it. “What are you eeeating?” I asked. “Red clover.” was her response, as she munched away. “It is sooooo good for …” and she began her list.

I have had red clover growing in my yard forever; purposely mind you, planted to hold the ground in place, for its great ground cover, and because it is a nitrogen fixer, but not to …eat. Honestly, my friend looked at me like I came from Mars when I asked her what she was eating. Who knew?

Well, some time later I was thinking about storage and survival food. If the poo ever hit the fan (whatever that may be to you) I wondered what effects eating foods we have stored would have on our digestive systems, when we no longer have access to the creature comfort foods we are used to eating now. Some of us will begin to eat more food off the hoof (chickens, duck, turkey, pig, or small game animals, etc.), some will be eating from food storage cans and containers, and others from a garden of fruits and veggies, and still others some of all three of these. Just think of what this may do to our systems!

Then I remembered the red clover blossoms and the extensive list of benefits my friend touted and decided to do a little research on this little ruby nugget.

Without getting all science-y or medically on you because I am definitely not an expert on this subject or any medical subject for that matter, and no, I am not an herbalist either. I am just going to share some great information I have discovered about red clover blossoms as they pertain to our diet and possibly to our subsequent health. Once armed with the information, you can take it from there and do your own research on benefits for you personally – remembering to consult your physician first if you are taking any medications.

First of all, let me share what kind of plant red clover is.

We now know about the ground cover, nitrogen part, but did you know it is part of the legume plant family? You know, like peas and beans? And, like soy (as if you already knew this), red clover contains "phytoestrogens" which are plant-based chemicals that are similar to estrogen and may act like estrogen in the body. Now, hold your horses, ladies (and gentlemen you may want to take notes on this for future reference), we’ll discuss estrogen a little further down the road.

Let’s talk about indigestion first. Indigestion is the LINKS inability to properly digest and adjust to food that has been ingested in the stomach. A lot of people will more likely than not experience indigestion at some point after the poo-hits-the-fan for them, from eating foods they are not used to eating; in other words, survival foods.

Changing our diet abruptly will upset the apple cart of our system for a while. The good news is red clover blossoms, eaten or made into a tea or tincture, can help with digestive ailments by neutralizing the acid in our stomachs and reducing pain caused from ulcers.

Now think about this. Consuming a lot more food on the hoof such as duck and goose (which by the way have more cholesterol than chicken or turkey) along with food with high amounts of sodium, saturated and trans fats, sugar, and high-glycemic carbs can result in clogged arteries. Eating red clover blossoms, or ingesting a tea or tincture, could help lower the levels of ‘bad’ low-density

lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) and raise the levels of ‘good’ high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol in the body. Also, red clover contains small amounts of coumarins, a blood thinner, which may help keep the blood from becoming thick and gummy. This, in turn, can reduce the possibility of blood clots forming or arterial plaque (the accumulations of blood cells, fats, and other substances building up in blood vessels) that could reduce or block blood flow. As a bonus, red clover blossoms also help the arteries remain strong and flexible, which may help to prevent some of the plaque deposits that may lead to a heart attack or a stroke. Not bad for a little flower just sitting out there in your yard looking pretty!

Now, here’s the part every women wants to hear about and every man should hear about. Red clover blossoms are considered to be one of the richest sources of “isoflavones”; water-soluble chemicals that act like estrogens. When ingested our body changes these chemicals into “phytoestrogens” (daidzein and genistein) that are similar to the female hormone estrogen. Yep. You heard it right. You may have a natural hormone replacement right in your own back yard.

Guys, this is the part where you might wanna listen up on. Red clover can also be used to significantly reduce hot flashes and for premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms - you know that time of the month when out-of-the-blue your little lady becomes Broom-Hilda for no good reason? Let this be your warning, or a huge gift from me, when you see your sweetie’s head slightly begin to spin, that is your signal to get out there in the yard and start picking red clover blossoms like there is no tomorrow.

Now for the body as a whole. The compounds biochaninA, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, coumarin, formononetin, genistein and isorhamnetin found in red clover blossoms, all demonstrate some anti-cancer properties. Isn’t this flower amazing??? It is also a source of many valuable nutrients including calcium, chromium, magnesium, niacin, phosphorus, potassium, thiamine, and vitamin C. My suggestion to you, before your personal poo-hits-thefan, is to take a look around your yard or perhaps in fields and pastures nearby and make a family day of picking red clover blossoms. (Of note: do not pick red clover blossoms close to any highways, roads, telephone poles or municipal signs or equipment as these may have been sprayed with insecticides or pesticides, or where animals do their business - as these would not suitable for consumption.) Focus on the purpley-pink flowers, the ones that are brown have gone by the wayside and no longer have any benefits. And, don’t worry about picking every last blossoms because red clovers are perennials which mean they grow back every year. Yay!

Once you have your bountiful harvest, wash and let the blossoms drain. Then, you can either use them right away or dry the blossoms in a dehydrator at a really low temperature - like between 85 and 95 degrees - or sundry them (not in direct sunlight.) The key is to not “cook” the blossoms and turn them brown. When dried at a low temperature the blossoms will remain their pretty purplely-pink in color. You want the blossoms dry but not dried-out because they will then lose their nutritional and medicinal value. When the blossoms are dried, place them in an airtight container, then label and date them just as you would any preserved food.

For you tincture lovers, pack fresh blossoms into a glass jar and pour vodka (80% 100%) over the blossoms to cover them (of note: I have learned that vodka is vodka so buy the cheapest/highest percentage you can find) or if you aren’t comfortable with purchasing vodka, you can cover the blossoms with glycerin. Once covered with your liquid of choice, place the jar in a cool dark place and shake the bottle once a day for approximate two weeks. Then, strain the blossoms out and place an airtight lid on the bottle, again remember to label and date.

If it’s tea you are interested in, steep the fresh or dried blossoms in hot water for about 10 minutes then strain (don’t boil the blossoms.)

So there you have it, the dietary benefits, plus more, of the red clover blossom. Now, the next time you are out walking and see those pretty little purpley-pink flowers, you can pluck a couple and nibble on them; smiling all the while, knowing you have your own secret dietary pharmacy in your own back yard. Just sayin’.

Vegan and Vegetarian Options for Storing Emergency Food

By Lee Flynn

While vegetables and vegan products can be very delicious and nutritious, it's difficult to ensure that they stay fresh for extended periods of time. This poses a serious problem for vegetarians and vegans who wish to store for extended periods of times for emergencies.

Things to Consider Beforehand When it comes to emergency supplies, it's not about what tastes the best or what your favorites are. It's about finding and preserving foods that will be most beneficial to you during emergencies. Calories and the necessary vitamins and minerals should be the focus of your emergency supplies. In addition, ensure that you have a very dark, dry and cool place to store your emergency food. Light, moisture and heat quickly causes many foods to spoil no matter how well you have packed them.

powdered forms of drinks such as fruit juices, milk and energy or health drinks

Food Bars Food bars such as energy bars, protein bars, granola bars, honey nut bars and more are all really good for both storage and emergencies as they stay fresh for long periods of time and provide plenty of vitamins and essential nutrients as well as being very compact and good for snacks. Many food bars are also fairly high in calories to provide plenty of quick energy in a tasty bar.

Honey

Dried Foods Dried foods are a survivalist's best friend. Lack of moisture allows foods to stay fresh and edible for additional months, years and even decades depending on the food. In terms of dried foods, your shopping list should include dried beans, uncooked pasta, oatmeal, white rice, un-popped popcorn and plenty of cereal.

You'll also want dried yeast to help bake breads. Various fruits and vegetables such as strawberries, apples, broccoli, corn, celery, pineapple, oranges, bananas, blueberries, carrots, and potatoes can also be dried and stored for emergency use. You can also get dried or

Honey is one of the best foods that anyone can put in their food storage. Honey's tasty, a great ingredient in foods such as baked goods, boosts the immune system, relieves sore throats and nausea, provides you with energy and is a topical antibiotic. However, the best aspect of honey is that it lasts forever. The flavor may change after being saved for years, but it will still be edible.

Canned Fruits and Vegetables Canned foods are also a very popular choice for storage as most canned items last for at least a few years.

While canned vegetables are important for valuable vitamins and nutrients, choosing the right vegetables to store is important. Canned sweet potatoes, carrots, peas,

asparagus, cabbage and beats are great choices for storage. These choices are not only delicious and nutritious on their own, but they can also be added to pasta, stews and casseroles. While canned vegetables are very useful food items to have in storage, canned fruits can be even more beneficial. Not only are canned fruits such as pineapples, apples and oranges high in sugars and calories, but they also double as a beverage since you can easily drink the juice within the can.

Salt Salt is a must for your food supply as sodium is vital for the human body to live, and your stored food items may not contain a sufficient amount of sodium.

Not only that, but salt is a tried and true preservative. It will help keep your foods fresh for as long as possible even without refrigeration. Like honey, salt also lasts forever, but it typically doesn't lose much in terms of taste over the years.

Chocolate It may be hard to believe, but chocolate is a great food item to have in storage for emergencies. Chocolate is delicious, can be added to many food items to make them tastier, is an antioxidant, provides plenty of energy boost heart health and can even boost morale in disheartening situations. Ensure that its high-quality dark chocolate and not milk chocolate, white chocolate or low-quality chocolate as these can contain ingredients that are unhealthy and may cause the chocolate to spoil faster.

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Stories from the Transition US Movement Compilation of Article Submitted by Larry Goldberg

Let’s All Hang Out. Fire your Dryer!

Transi'on Charlo-esville Ablemarle "let it all hang out" at their Earth Day Week Pop-­‐up Clothesline Party to promote "Firing Your Dryer." Juggling unicyclists, the Green Granny Choir, laundry-­‐soap makers and Be-er World Be-y were on hand to help Transi'on C'ville demonstrate why using a clothesline reduces carbon footprints, cuts energy bills, and provides 'me outside to socialize with neighbors.

Day to May Day orchestrated by Mid-­‐Atlan'c Transi'on Hub (MATH) Council members in CT, NY, NJ, PA, DE, MD, and VA. MATH Council fes'vi'es ranged from a happy-­‐dance flashmob in Pennsylvania to Resilient Response storytelling & improvisa'onal theater, foraging & feas'ng on woodland edibles in New York; honoring the symbiosis between Transi'on and Timebanking in New Jersey; to a "fire your dryer" campaign and a Transi'on Ecovillage debut in Virginia, underscoring that superb quality rela'onship rather than growth is THE pivotal determinant of progress.

MATH Council member ac'vi'es demonstrated that there is a be-er way to measure progress than the limited GDP metric that measures the way money is spent rather than what the value of what we spend it on. The Happiness Index, Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI) and the Social Progress Index are among tools that rigorously and comprehensively measure the environmental and social costs and benefits of economic ac'vity.

Mid-­‐Atlan*c Hub Celebrates "Genuine Progress" Genuine progress is the measure of what really counts.

Happiness, wellbeing, and measures of progress that factor in the true cost of maintaining a healthy and just quality of life drove 10 days of celebra'ons from Earth

The MATH Council, comprised of 24 representa'ves from the seven Mid-­‐Atlan'c States, is partnering with the Maryland Field Office of the Ins'tute for Policy Studies (IPS), Washington DC to serve as a regional "focus group/ network." MATH Council members will tap into Transi'on networks in their respec've states to facilitate local accessibility of the IPS, New Economy: Alterna've Economic Indicators Project work on ways to "measure what we treasure."

Serving Community Enterprise with the ProAc'on Café.

As a response to the increasingly urgent need to create thriving local enterprises and jobs, and inspired by a training in the Art of Hos'ng, sponsored by Transi'on US, Transi'on Mar Vista/ Venice held its first Pro Ac'on Café on May 3rd The following 4 projects of Transi'on members were selected for support, based on their relevance to our fundamental goal of crea'ng a healthy, sustainable and resilient community in West Los Angeles: -­‐-­‐Home Grown Gardens is Ma- Van Diepen’s young business, focused on transforming the urban landscape to include produc've agricultural land and suppor'ng all those who want to grow food in their homes.

-­‐-­‐Anandi Bliss is founder and co-­‐owner of Refyll,a company that produces high quality non-­‐toxic personal care and cleaning products in re-­‐usable containers to be “refilled” at Farmer’s markets and at a retail space to be opened.

-­‐-­‐Naomi Curland, founder of the Westside Produce exchange, a monthly gathering of urban gardeners to exchange home grown produce, is star'ng a non-­‐profit, No Meal Lek Behind, to reduce food waste in the public schools.

-­‐-­‐Stephon Litwinczuk, an accomplished filmmaker, is in the process of growing his young produc'on company Oneness Media into a full 'me social enterprise to support the work of transforma've eco and social jus'ce organiza'ons.

an eye on skills such as marke'ng, PR, non-­‐profit work and business planning. We were able to use the beau'ful home of Transi'on ally Andy Lipkis, president of TreePeople.

The day began with everyone mee'ng for coffee and snacks. Old friends reconnected and new rela'onships started. Aker the café officially commenced with a circle and introduc'ons answering the ques'on of what we are in service to, the rules of the game were laid out. These underscored the importance of mutual respect, listening and speaking from the heart.

The event was divided into four rounds, where a specific ques'on would be the focus of the table conversa'ons.

The project managers were asked in consecu've rounds: What is your vision; what is missing; what are your needs; what are next steps, with the end goal of realizing prac'cal ac'ons to take in order to grow their enterprise.

It didn’t take long for the group to begin to unleash the full power of their exper'se and crea'vity. Realizing that their years of knowledge and experience had a willing vessel in the project managers, ideas began to flow and the four tables were crackling with inspira'on. Everyone was having so much fun that it took a bit of coaxing to get people to change tables between the rounds. The value of each individual contributor was amplified by the power of collec've intelligence.

By the end of the fourth round every project manager had mul'ple sheets of ideas, drawings, a wealth of new informa'on to apply, and new contacts to further the LINKS goals of their work.

During a closing circle, the par'cipants expressed gra'tude. Receiving so much from the community so quickly can be an overwhelming experience and project managers were encouraged to relax and sit with all the informa'on before rushing into ac'on. Akerwards we feasted on freshly made quiche, salad from the community’s gardens and bread and pastries from local restaurants, con'nuing the conversa'on and networking.

Organizers of the Pro Ac'on café will follow up to determine impacts over a one, six, and twelve month period.

Invita'ons were sent to our Transi'on members first and then to our networks of friends and acquaintances with

10 Days of Sharing Transi*on Skills Transi'on Rosendale, New York organized 10 days of food-­‐related wellbeing ac'vi'es from Earth Day to May

Day that involved farms, food pantries, local schools and the public in wildcraking, plant iden'fica'on, yogurt making, foraging & feas'ng, bread making, sprou'ng, and more…

LINKS

SNAKEBITE!

By Joe Alton, M.D. (aka: Dr. Bones the Disaster

of snakebites will show no ill effects. This probably has to do with the duration of time the snake has its fangs in its victim.

An ounce of prevention, they say, is worth a pound of cure. Be sure to wear good solid high-top boots and long pants when hiking in the wilderness. Treading heavily creates ground vibrations and noise, which will often cause snakes to hit the road. Snakes have no outer ear, so they “hear” ground vibrations better than those in the air caused by, for instance, shouting.

Coral Snake Wilderness manuals all have one thing in common: A chapter on snakebites. In the woods or in a collapse, you will find yourself outdoors a lot more often. Gathering firewood, hunting, and foraging for edible wild plants are just some of the activities of daily survival necessary to keep it together, even if everything else falls apart. It stands to reason that you will likely encounter a snake or two. Most snakes aren’t poisonous, but even nonvenomous snake bites have potential for infection.

Many snakes are active at night, especially in warm weather. Some activities of daily survival, such as gathering firewood after dark, are inadvisable without a good light source. In the wilderness, it’s important to look where you’re putting your hands and feet. Be especially careful around areas where snakes might like to hide, such as hollow logs, under rocks, or in old shelters. Wearing heavy gloves would be a reasonable precaution.

A snake doesn’t always slither away after it bites you. It’s likely that it still has more venom that it can inject, so move out of its territory or abolish the threat in any way you can. Killing the snake, however, may not render it harmless: it can reflexively bite for a period of time, even if its head has been severed from its body.

Venom VS. Poison Poison is, perhaps, the wrong word to use here; venoms and poisons are not the same thing. Poisons are absorbed by the skin or digestive system, but venoms must enter the tissues or blood directly. Therefore, it is usually not dangerous to drink snake venom unless you have, say, a cut in your mouth (don’t try it, though).

SNAKES TO WATCH OUT FOR North America has two kinds of venomous snakes: The pit vipers (rattlesnakes, water moccasins) and the Elapids (coral snakes). One or more of these snakes can be found almost everywhere in the continental U.S. A member of another viper family, the common adder, is the only venomous snake in Britain, but it and other adders are common throughout Europe (except for Ireland, thanks to St. Patrick).

These snakes generally have hollow fangs through which they deliver venom. Snakes are most active during the warmer months and, therefore, most bite injuries are seen then. Not every bite from a venomous snake transfers its poison to the victim; some are "dry". As a result, 25-30%

Snake bites that cause a burning pain immediately are likely to have venom in them. Swelling at the site may begin as soon as five minutes afterwards, and may travel up the affected area. Pit viper bites tend to cause bruising LINKS and blisters at the site of the wound. Numbness may be noted in the area bitten, or perhaps on the lips or face.

Some victims describe a metallic or other strange taste in their mouths.

With pit vipers, bruising is not uncommon and a serious bite might start to cause spontaneous bleeding from the nose or gums. Coral snake bites, however, will cause mental and nerve issues such as twitching, confusion and slurred speech.

Later, nerve damage may cause difficulty with swallowing and breathing, followed by total paralysis.

Coral snakes appear very similar to their look-alike, the non-venomous king snake. They both have red, yellow and black bands and are commonly confused with each other. The old saying goes: “Red touches yellow, kill a fellow; red touches black, venom it lacks”. This adage only applies to coral snakes in North America, however.

Coral snakes are not as aggressive as pit vipers and will prefer fleeing to attacking. Once they bite you,

“Red touches yellow, Kill a fellow”

“Red touches black, venom it lacks” however, they tend to hold on; Pit vipers prefer to bite and let go quickly. Unlike coral snakes, pit

vipers may not relinquish their territory to you, so prepare to possibly be bitten again.

WHAT TO DO IF BITTEN The treatment for a venomous snake bite is "Antivenom”, an animal or human serum with antibodies capable of neutralizing a specific biological toxin.

This product will probably be unavailable in a longterm survival situation, so you'll have to figure out a strategy that will work off the grid.

Here's what to do: • Keep the victim calm. Stress increases blood flow, thereby endangering the patient by speeding the venom into the system.

• Stop all movement of the injured extremity.

Movement will move the venom into the circulation faster, so do your best to keep the limb still.

• Clean the wound thoroughly to remove any venom that isn’t deep in the wound.

• Remove rings and bracelets from an affected extremity. Swelling is likely to occur.

• Position the extremity below the level of the heart; this also slows the transport of venom.

• Wrap with compression bandages as you would an orthopedic injury, but continue it further up the limb than usual. Bandaging begins two to four inches above the bite (towards the heart), winding around and moving up, then back down over the bite and past it towards the hand or foot.

• Keep the wrapping about as tight as when dressing a sprained ankle.LINKS If it is too tight, the patient will reflexively move the limb, and move the venom around.

• Do not use tourniquets, which will do more harm than good.

• Draw a circle, if possible, around the affected area.

As time progresses, you will see improvement or worsening at the site more clearly. This is a useful strategy to follow any local reaction or infection.

The limb should then be rested, and perhaps immobilized with a splint or sling.

The less movement there is, the better. Keep the patient on bed rest, with the bite site lower than the heart for 24-48 hours. This strategy also works for bites from venomous lizards, like Gila monsters.

It is no longer recommended to make an incision and try to suck out the venom with your mouth. If done more than 3 minutes after the actual bite, it would remove perhaps 1/1000 of the venom and could cause damage or infection to the bitten area. A Sawyer Extractor (a syringe with a suction cup) is more modern, but is also fairly ineffective in eliminating more than a small amount of the venom.

These methods fail, mostly, due to the speed at which the venom is absorbed.

Following the wound’s progress

Interestingly, snake bites cause less infections than bites from, say, cats, dogs, or humans. As such, antibiotics are used less often in these cases.

Visual learner? See this subject as a youtube video.

LINKS

Scripturally Sustained Your Will. In the way or in His Way.

By Donna Miller, Millers Grain House It is the hope that the title of this or any devotional type article, is warning enough in and of itself; however, it would be assumptive of any author to think that just because the reader knows what the article is about he/she is in full agreement that the Scriptures are the inspired and infallible Word of God. But since you’ve read this far and you were aptly warned by the title – then it’s safe to say that you proceed into the body of this message with full knowledge of what is to come. You can’t complain to the publisher because they did not force you to read. Feel free to disagree, set this down and to read no further. Yet for those who agree and those who are now wildly curious as to why on earth a devotional article would begin this way – proceed at will.

It is, in fact, this self-will that is an underlying thread in Scripture. God woos and attempts to draw us to a relationship with Him and has done so through the thousands of years of time. Your will. You get to choose.

Many folks like to argue the predestination statements in Scripture; however, it is my belief that those are not there to disclose our inability to make choices which form our destiny, but rather to show the Omnipresence of The One who granted us that self-will in the first place. The topics of predestination and one’s own will do not conflict.

Throughout Scripture there are accounts of strong willed people whom God pursued for a relationship. The first man, commonly called Adam, had willfully chosen not to heed God’s instructions, yet “the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, ‘Where are you?’” (Gen 3:9). God knew where the man was. He wanted to see if Adam was willing to come forth after his earlier choice. The closing of Scripture also shows the returning Messiah King offering an invitation, rather than a decree: “The Spirit and the Bride say, 'Come!' Let anyone who hears say, 'Come!' And let anyone who is thirsty come - let anyone who wishes, take the Living Water of Life free of charge." (Rev. 22:17) We are gifted with self-will. A will we can impose upon others. A will we can wrestle with as its strength ebbs and flows throughout our lives. A will we can stubbornly hold on to even in the face of what is better for us. A will to stand firm in the face of adversity and bring about what is right. Yet to relinquish this self-will of ours, to God – both in small mundane segments of life upon occasion and the massive important one of the Salvation of one’s soul (the ultimate preparedness decision) – is both a struggle and a source of peace at the same time.

What does our self-will have to do with preparedness?

We are overwhelmed with suggestions of what to do, how

to prepare, should we even prepare, how to involve others, how to spend our time and money on this journey.

We can alienate others (often their will makes that happen). We can react rather than weigh out choices.

Under these pressures, which will should reign supreme?

We can be stubborn and prepare in fear because we’re not listening for how God leads us to prepare. He is the only One Who knows both a past and a future fully. We know only know each the past part and the future by supposition. Our self-will can be misguided if we don’t have a clear, ultimate goal/destination.

Even Messiah, had to lay down his own will as He prayed, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still, let not my will but yours be done." (Luke 22:42) But He had an ultimate goal. That goal was to shed His Blood for you, your will, and your soul. To pass through His own death in order to have a relationship with you if choose Him as your Atonement. To prepare a place for you after this temporal life came to a close. He gave up His will for you.

Your ultimate goal will define your self-will. If your goal is to hunker down alone and last out to the last days of your life on earth even while others suffer around you, your decisions (or the will to make them) until your last breath will be guided by that ultimate goal. If your ultimate goal is to follow the Risen Messiah, you know that the choices made of what to prep today will one day pass away. Not to say we should not prepare – but why we prepare is guided by a different goal.

In closing, I want to LINKS share a quote that I heard from one of my daughter’s friends that has helped bring focus to my ultimate goal for preparedness. A synopsis, if you will, of what my husband has felt as the ‘Preparation Call’ for the last 27 years. It has had a profound impact on my will.

Maybe it will help you too:

“After all, when everything is said and done, what can we take to Heaven but each other?”

“Stop collec*ng treasures for your own benefit on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.

(MaB 6:19-­‐20)

THANK YOU! The Launch of PREPARE Magazine has been a labor of love, sharing of helpful training and ideas, and a partnership with some wonderful people. We are so thankful for the support and kindness of so many people who have joined with us in the journey and contributed to the creation and growth of PREPARE Magazine. We want to share our sincere and humble gratitude for everyone who has shared their support and encouragement. We simply could not have launched PREPARE without you!

On behalf of our readers, subscribers, advertisers, and staff, we wish to extend our heart-felt appreciation to all of you. We believe there is a very special mission for PREPARE Magazine, and are so pleased to be yoked with wonderful people who wish to sow encouragement and help to others in the Preparedness Journey.

Again… To all of you who have contributed and shared financial resources, preparedness training, advertising, testimonials, and encouragement, please know that we greatly appreciate you – and look forward to serving on your behalf.

Joseph and Donna Miller

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Special Contributors

Dr. Bones and Nurse Amy Ronald G Wittig H Michael Rauscher Kirk Illian Joe and Amy Alton Tracy Singer Steve Mileusnich Karyn Rios Jonathan Violassi Donna Henken Rats Overton Shannon Dulawan Douglas Drury Kelly and Stanley Gaddy CoolBrees Designs

Raymond Freeman Heather Balentine Frank Gregg Joy walker Leslie Moore Peter Sedlak III Mark Firehammer S. Ryerson John Fairchild Bryan Van Hook Kathleen Roberts Bobbie Nelson Bill Liebsch Gail LaCroix Vaunell Temple Velda Solomon Jared Novotny Seth Johnson Vickilynn Haycraft Benjamin Geleynse Steven Jones Brandon Rains Rebecca Sanchez Teri Roberts Jeff Rowland Dr. Kaly Sellers Jim Kennard

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Trent Powers Ken Youngquist Jason A. Hunt Vickilynn Haycraft Rick Austin Evan Folds Bryan Miller Bill & Janet Liebsch Pierce Jacobson Vina8 Eric Waters Charles Belitz Lynette Frye Kelly Thomas Nigel Jones Dale W.Montgomery Kim Lippy Steve Mistretta Aaron Berwick Valarie Brown Scott Angell Caryn lee Wayne Spencer N. Campbell Judith Hooley Founding Subscribers

Our Contributors...

Joe Alton, M.D.

(aka: Dr. Bones) is a member of Mensa, collects 19th century medical books to gain insight on off-grid medical strategies. He is the co-author, along with Amy Alton, A.R.N.P. (aka Nurse Amy), of the #1 Amazon Bestseller in Survival Skills “the Survival Medicine Handbook". The opinions voiced by Dr. Bones and Nurse Amy are for post-apocalyptic settings only; in normal times, seek modern and standard medical care from qualified professionals..

Donna Miller

is a teacher, author, sought-after speaker and trainer. She has been both a guest and host on internet and broadcast radio talk-shows and in television interviews. She enjoys teaching online and local classes & ladies retreats. Donna is happily married and has three adult children, and a daughter in-law. She and her husband (Joseph) are the founders Millers Grain House and YourPreparation Station.

Snake Blocker is a member of the Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas, is an accomplished martial artists and Apache Historian. He has served in the U.S. Navy since June 2001 and did tours in Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan. He is the featured instructor in several videos and promotes his signature line of survival products and knives. Snake has been featured on Deadliest Warrior “Apaches versus Gladiators” and Doomsday Preppers “In the Hurt Locker”. He hosts “Snake Blocker Survival” on Preparedness Radio Network.

Larry Goldberg

has lived on the California Northcoast for 35 years. He works for Plan It Green, a non-profit environmental group focusing on building sustainable green communities and re-localizing economies. Larry is an energy expert (building performance analyst & renewable energy) and has been working on programs to build “resilient” communities through the “Transition Town” movement. He is active in promoting and developing Transition Initiatives across Northern California.

Lee Flynn

is from the Wasatch Mountains near Salt Lake City, UT. Through small local workshops and articles, Lee trains and teaches others on home preparation, food storage techniques, wilderness survival and self-reliance. After obtaining a bachelor’s degree from the University of Utah, Lee moved to the Salt Lake Valley where he now lives with his wife and daughter.

Survivor Jane

is a preparedness expert, homesteader and speaker. She is the editor of the women’s preparedness website www.SurvivorJane.com and the author of the newly released book “Where There is No Cosmetic Counter”. Jane is also the founder and creator of the hashtag #PrepperTalk on Twitter a 24 hour forum that brings people from all over the world together to discuss disaster survival and preparedness.

Ken Youngquist

is the creator of Survivaltek, a website dedicated to teaching the ways and means to survive. From his youth, Ken was captivated by primitive living skills, and in his adulthood was intrigued by the television Series MacGyver. The result has been the study and practice of survival skills and the desire to pass on the mantle of preparedness to others. You can visit and learn more at: http://survivaltek.com/

Tammy Trayer

is a freelance writer, soon to be author, radio show host on the Survival Mom Radio Network, web designer specializing in the outdoors, entrepreneur, pioneer, avid hunter, outdoorswoman, homesteader, homeschool mother and wife. She, her husband & Mountain Man of her dreams and family live traditionally off-grid and enjoy educating on autism, gluten free and dairy free cooking, self-reliance, wilderness survival, natural health, gardening and so much more. Find out more about Tammy and her journeys at:http://www.TrayerWilderness.com

Bill & Janet Liebsch

are the founders of FedHealth, a publishing and marketing company formed in 1999 to help the public focus on preparedness and health-related issues. We also are the authors, copyright owners and publishers of "IT'S A DISASTER! ...and what are YOU gonna do about it?" and are dedicated to developing programs that primarily benefit First Responders, schools and volunteers. Get a sample of the content with this free mini-ebook HERE

Community Connections These groups have meetings in Sept/Oct

PACIFIC Homesteaders Eugene, OR Dairy Making Basics Thursday, September 25, 2014 5:30 PM Sacramento Emergency Preparedness Group Citrus Heights, CA Milled Soap Making Saturday, September 20, 2014 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM

SOUTHWEST New Mexico Survival Meet-up Make Hard Cider and Apple Vinegar Saturday, September 20, 2014 9:00 AM West Houston Emergency/Disaster Prep Group Houston, TX Fire Starting & Shelter Building Saturday, September 20, 2014 8:00 AM

NORTHWEST Colorado Springs Preppers Colorado Springs, CO Canning Basics Friday, September 19, 2014 6:30 PM Wilderness Awareness And Survival Skills in Denver Denver, CO Bird Language and Tracking Saturday, September 20, 2014 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM

MIDWEST Great Lakes Preppers Birmingham, MI Food Preservation - Free Wednesday, September 24, 2014 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM

Des Moines Area Preppers Des Moines, IA Learn Canning Wednesday, September 24, 2014 6:30 PM North West Indiana Preppers Saint John, IN NW Indiana Prepares! FREE Event Saturday, September 20, 2014 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM

SOUTHEAST WNC Preparedness Group Asheville, NC Intro to Self-Defense Saturday, October 11, 2014 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM North Atlanta Preparedness Group Atlanta, GA Making MEAD!!! A prepper essential!

Sunday, September 21, 2014 4:00 PM

NORTHEAST Sustainable Skills Society Providence, RI Boston Fermentation Festival! It is FREE! Saturday, September 27, 2014 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM Long Island Tactical Preppers Commack, NY Tactical Flashlights & Faraday Cages Friday, September 26, 2014 7:30 PM

OUTSIDE USA The Toronto Survivalism Group Toronto, ON Harvest Gathering Traditional Skills Gathering & Camping Event Friday, September 26, 2014 4:00 PM to Sunday, September 28, 2014, 6:00 PM

Kitchen Gadgets, Lessons, Recipes, Grains and More

MILLERS Grain House

"Preparing you and your kitchen with tools, tips, skills and encouragement."

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Learn Preparation Skills

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WonderMill

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Preparation Food Storage

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WonderMill Jr. Deluxe

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Excalibur Dehydrator

FREE WHOLE GRAIN RECIPES

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RADIO SHOW

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PREPARATION BLOG (800) 824-4655 (828) 536-4988 www.millersgrainhouse.com/store

Mondays-Thursdays 9:00 to 5:00 Eastern Fridays 9:00 to 4:00 Eastern Closed Saturdays & Sundays