Survivalist Gardening

This came from an e-mail from one of our members, so good info to know...

Here is a summary you can post about survival gardening crops.-Heirloom and Open Pollinated seeds are the way to go for growing food at home. Many new companies are selling large collections of seed in a can. Unfortunately, the varieties are not always chosen by people with knowledge or experience saving seeds. While it is true Open Pollinated seeds can produce an identical harvest, the plants must not cross pollinate with related varieties. These could be other crops in your garden, or wild plants quite a distance from you. You have to know what will cross pollinate in order to save seeds. You also need to know how and when to collect mature seeds from a plant you grew. Each kind is different.Choose crops which provide calories and protein. You want to be able to harvest food over a long period of time. Plan to have food ready to pick as much of the year as possible. You need crops which store easily for Winter use. Different kinds of vegetable seeds keep for various numbers of years. Storing all your seeds together in one big can doesn't make sense. Some vegetable seeds are only viable the following year. Others last seven years or more. Whether you collect your own seeds, or buy them, you need to know how long different kinds of seed keep.On our free website we cover many aspects of homesteading, with 37 Articles, 200 photographs, and hundreds of links for information and supplies.> http://www.seedforsecurity.com/article.php?articleid=55