Wow! What an interesting and spirited debate! The question was, “What on earth does self-reliance have to do with whole food?” The answer is easy, but not necessarily obvious. People who practice self-reliance seem more aware of their responsibility to care for themselves, as well as the planet we live on. That said, self-reliance can mean many different things from being almost totally self-sufficient (like survival mode) to keeping three days worth of food and water just in case there’s a hurricane or something,

With regard to whole food, I would describe self-reliance as the desire to take measures to make sure one’s home and family are secure with life sustaining food and water in the event of an emergency. Many keep at least one year’s supply of food on hand, and I am one of them. That list doesn’t include cocoa puffs and junk either. It does include canned foods, beans, pasta and many other items. At a later date we’ll outline a healthy food storage system guide you can personalize to your own needs. Some people preserve their garden’s bounty by canning, pickling, drying, freezing and a host of other methods. They eat very well all winter long. Read the rest of this entry »