Money makes the world go 'round...

Reinforcing my thoughts over the past decade and a half, I've read a few things recently that say that Yes, Money Is An Illusion. It's hard to carry change for a goat.

Money just is a way of keeping the tempo, it's not the tune.

That and, economically speaking, things are diving hard, fast, and it won't be long before we hit the metaphorical ground. I really should read up about barter economics.

Environmental collapse, global war... I think these things I can deal with. Economic collapse might be a problem. I'm not worried about the money side of things, but the human - if things got as bad as 1920s Germany, would I be able to protect the food crops I'm growing, the chickens, the cows, and so on from people wandering about looking for a meal? When a mob doesn't care that it's a milk cow, how do you stop them ripping it apart with their bare hands for meat? What good are chickens laying eggs, when all people can see is the meal from the chicken?

Can you refuse people food, just so that you have enough to eat for yourself? I will have to investigate a few other potential crops, things that don't look obvious. I will also have to get things like bags of flour, honey, salt... Growing your own sounds easy, but I'm learning that it isn't. Fortunately, I have some time to establish food trees. I don't know for how long, though...

Springing into action...

I have been busy... Particularly seeing as spring has, as they say, sprung.
Time to put in new trees, remove any that haven't survived - although the only
thing that has needed removal is a grape vine that didn't like where it had been
put. Apparently, grapes like poor quality but well drained soils, so I've put it in
one of the worse spots in the garden...

There's obviously a limit to space, and a limit to habitat, but I'm trying as many
different trees as I can - particularly things that like having poorer and dryer
soils, so many Australian native trees, a tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) hedge,
olive trees. I've a few more fruit trees coming in, and am slowly getting everything
established.

I'm also trying some Red Aztec maize - looks different to regular, shop-bought
corn. The main thing being that seeds will not store indefinitely - the best way to
store them long-term is to germinate them. I also have some cotton on the way,
although I'm yet to put the seedlings into the ground, ideally near the outlet for
the sewage treatment system - I'm not going to eat the cotton, they are annuals,
and they like plenty of water. Although, this may mean building a cotton gin at
some stage... and I already have to work on the solar food dryer. On the plus
side, I may be able to get a couple of stills made up for me, including a still for
steam distillation - important for extraction essential oils, particularly tea tree oil.
I want some Salix alba (as I'm sure I've already said) - it's the source of what
we know as aspirin. What can I saw - I have a degrees in Chemistry and
Engineering, so am looking at industrial uses of my plants, not just for food.

I really need a spare pair of hands around here, one that doesn't mind spending
time out in the garden. It takes time and energy to grow vegetables and grains,
and I need to do more to establish some growing beds.