I am watching the droughts, heat waves, and wildfires around the globe right now. It was 48.9 celsius in Sicily yesterday. With the humidex, it was 41 here this week. Absolutely crazy. It looks like half of California is on fire. I was reading the recent world report on climate change, and even in the best-case scenario, things are going to continue to worsen well into this century. Looking at human history, I'm not betting on the best-case scenario playing out, though.
All of this wild weather is going to impact crops, I would imagine. Food prices will rise, and there may be scarcity. My husband and I were talking about it last night, and thinking that the garden is going to become a necessity more than just a hobby. I want to raise hens for eggs for protein (Wyandottes and Rhode Island Reds, probably). I've looked up the more nutrient-dense vegetables that I should be planting and thinking about the best ways to provide carbs/bulk to our diet with what I can grow. I'm brainstorming ideas for providing partial shade cover for the plants so they don't burn in the intense sun, without blocking the welcome rain. I'm toying with ideas for a climate-controlled greenhouse. I'm wondering how to convince all my kids to come live with me on a small farm.
Some of the best things I can plant would be: kale, broccoli, spinach, bok choy, swiss chard, collards and other greens, brussels sprouts (if I can convince people to eat them!), tomatoes, onions, carrots, sweet potatoes, bell peppers, zucchini, green beans (for my cholesterol), garlic, cabbage, beets, chia (high in calcium), raspberries, blueberries, potatoes, squashes, oats, dry beans, and quinoa. And cover crops like clover for the hens to eat, though they'll eat vegetable remnants as well. I've grown kamut (Polish wheat) before, but it's a pain to thresh, whereas oats are easy, and apparently good for cholesterol too.
Now...I just need to figure out how to do that with the resources and space I have. And hope that seeds are available, because I don't have all of those right now.
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