Keep in mind that a food forest garden is not all-or-nothing and doesn’t have to be huge to have a huge impact—it can be grown anywhere there is lawn on urban and suburban lots, though of course the more land, the more food that can be produced.

Other Food Survival Strategies

Barter food. One of the other benefits to growing an abundant source of food is that the excess can be bartered for other needed items or services. Excess pecans or cranberries, for example, can be exchanged for cooking fuel or use of a neighbor’s tool.

Save seeds. Even though it’s possible to eat almost entirely from a perennial forest garden, most people will still want to keep a plot of old standards like carrots and tomatoes. Gardeners who choose this route should select heirloom seeds from companies like Seed Savers Exchange instead of hybridized seed, and take the time to learn the proper techniques for saving seeds. Some crops like cabbage and beets don’t produce seeds until the second year, for example, and others require a period of cold to be fertile.

Raise poultry. For protein, try raising chickens. Even major metropolitan areas have ordinances allowing chickens, although there are usually restrictions on having roosters. Chickens are not that difficult to raise and provide excellent fertilizer for the garden.

Create mutual support networks. Survival is about more than food and it doesn’t happen in a vacuum. The romantic notion that people ought to be able to survive on their own without help doesn’t hold up in the real world—in times of collapse everyone will need to depend to one degree or another on friends and neighbors for mutual help and support.

Beyond Canned Goods

When the worst happens, by all means take advantage of the canned goods and dried foods in the pantry. But in the meantime, begin planting that forest garden for true food security.

For information on forest gardening see any of the permaculture web sites, or dive in whole-heartedly and read EdibleForest Gardens by Dave Jacke.