Survival Seed Stock: What to Have on Hand in the Event of an Emergency

There was a time not too many years ago when “survivalist” were thought of as eccentric, esoteric, conspiracy theorists and/or religious fanatics who were convinced that the Rapture was near. However, we have had numerous years since then to observe the workings of the world and seen just how easily the government of a huge country like Russia can collapse overnight and even how easily our own economy here in the U.S. can stumble after the housing bubble burst and thus, the idea of preparing for a national emergency has become almost mainstream these days.

Of course, in the event of a national emergency, most, if not all, municipal services will be lost in addition to long range transportation which will force people to rely on their own ability to produce food for themselves and their families. Therefore, many survival preppers are now choosing to either create or purchase survival “seed vaults” or “seed safes” so that, in the event of an emergency, they can turn their backyards or building roofs into food production gardens.

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For those of you who choose to assemble your own survival seed kit, one of the problems with doing so that you should be aware of is that even dried seeds contain a certain amount of moisture which can cause them to dry rot over time. But, placing them in a dehydrator for a few hours prior to sealing will significantly reduce their moisture level and prolong their shelf life. Also, although simply storing them zip lock plastic bags or even glass jars does work, the best method is to vacuum seal them immediately after dehydration. Then, they should be placed in an additional sealed container such as a plastic bucket of opaque color with a tightly fitting lid for long term storage.

Then, of course, there is the question of what seeds should you include in your seed vault? Well, the human body requires a certain amount of protein, fats, starches, carbohydrates, and vitamins and minerals in order to maintain its daily functions and thus, you will need to choose plants that provide these requirements. Also, it is wise to choose plants that are easy to grow and that produce a high yield as well as plants from which it is easy to collect the seeds. Thus, some of the plants that you should consider including are:

 

Proteins –

• Beans
• Peas

Fats & Essential Oils-

• Peanuts

Starches –

• Potatoes
• Turnips

Carbohydrates –

• Corn (can be eat raw, cooked, or dried and ground to make meal or flour)
• Millet (can be cooked or dried and ground to make meal or flour)
• Sugar Beets
• Melons

Vitamins & Minerals –

• Carrots
• Radishes
• Onions
• Garlic
• Kale
• Spinach
• Mustard
• Lettuce
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Eggplant
• Squash
• Tomatoes
• Okra

 

On the other hand, for those of you who are not inclined to spend the necessary time and effort required to assemble your own seed vault, there are numerous vendors on the Web these days that sell pre-packaged seed vaults. However, please note that not all commercial seed vaults are created equal since some are more complete than others while some have better long-term packaging than others. Therefore, it is important that you choose vaults with the widest variety of seeds as well as high quality long-term storage in order to ensure that if you ever do need it, your vault will have every plant that your body needs to stay healthy and that the seeds will still be viable when you do need them.

However, regardless of whether you choose to assemble your own seed vault or purchase a pre-packed vault from a commercial vendor, be sure to include, or purchase a vault that includes, all of the plants your body needs to maintain healthy bodily functions. Also, keep in mind that although grain plants such as wheat, barley, and rye have long been staple grains in many countries, they have a very low yield per plant and thus, a large number of plants per square foot is required to produce a viable harvest and then, it is a relatively labor intensive process to harvest the grain and then separate it from the chaff manually. Thus, plants such as corn or millet are much better choices for grain products because they have a significantly higher yield per plant and they are easier to harvest manually. Last, you might also want to consider including some medicinal herb seeds such as Echinacea, Wild Garlic, Wild Ginger, and Wild Licorice just to name a few in your seed vault unless you have the knowledge and experience necessary to locate them in the wild.

 

Written by,

Bill Bernhardt

Outdoor Professional

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