How to strike it rich...

Something that has always struck me is that the person who gets rich (the example that I find often repeated, and myself use is during a gold-rush) is not the person who spends the day breaking their back digging for that small nugget - it's the person who is able to stock them with the food, the necessities, the tools, the person who gives them entertainment, who provides something and somewhere to drink, who gives them somewhere to bathe - the one who can provide things, other than raw labour, who is the one who gets rich quickest and easiest.

Apply this to PSHTF situations - if you're scrabbling in the ruins for bits and pieces, you'll have a hard time of it... If you can provide something for rest and relaxation, all the ancillary services that we normally take for granted, you'll do a lot better than most. Of course, the trick is to find those things that people want or need, and to be able to provide them.

Which also brings me to the topic of value-adding in commerce. Value-adding is not a new idea - instead of providing someone with raw materials, you process something to make them want to pay more, or you process it so that it will last longer. You ensure that barmaids/etc. are wearing tops with a low cut... although you would probably make sure you keep a couple of good bouncers on staff.

Examples would be something like selling charcoal for fuel, rather than wood. Instead of just selling the whole game from a hunt, you dress and smoke the game, skin and prepare the leather. Instead of dragging junk back with you, you learn what is valuable and useful to strip, and sell people the smaller, more precious parts.

The other value in taking such step is a bit more obscure... If, for example, you grow food that you sell or trade, anyone can raid your orchard/garden. If they have to do a lot (and require equipment to do so) to get it into a usable condition, they are less likely to steal it...

That's part of my thought about going with ethnopharmacology and industrial botany, rather than just growing food - although my trees are coming along nicely. I've planted a heap of Melaleuca seedlings - Tea Tree as in the Oil - marvellous anti-bacterial and anti-fungal, but requires steam distillation for best results. And transporting cut plant material takes a lot more than transporting a few vials for the same amount of Oil.

I do need a greenhouse... and one that is going to last... Plus I still need water tanks, so much more...

You're never quite prepared enough, but hopefully you're in a position that makes it easy to trade for things that you suddenly find you need.

Life finds a way, and humans another...

I will admit to not having enough time to do much gardening; my reasoning for planting food trees was based on this. It does mean that I am subject to the vagaries of the weather - if things are too dry for too long right after planting trees, it's easy to lose them.

Case in point, I had planted four willow trees right before a dry spell - they survived some time, but then died off. I tried to find replacements - having a source of aspirin PSHTF is reasonably important; however, it is an invasive group of plants, spreading very easily. After thinking for several weeks that I should remove the remnants, I looked closely and found that at least one is not just growing, but thriving. A single tree is all that's needed; four was a useful number, but willow will readily grow from cuttings, so one will give many, many more.

On a similar note, I found that a native plum seedling, that I had regarded as dead many months ago, has send out new leaves.

Life will find a way....

On another note, the drums of war sound yet again, banged on by those who see merit only in destruction...