November 8, 2024

Sharing Preparedness

Sharing Preparedness

For those of you who share preparedness, here are some things I’ve discovered. If you have others, please add a comment and share with everyone. As far as sharing preparedness goes, I understand that some of you want to maintain Op-Sec and stay gray. For those who want to let your freak flag fly, here are some tips.
 
 
Start Small

When you talk to someone who isn’t a prepper about preparedness, start small, with examples of why you prepare. Make it about you to keep them from feeling attacked. If you bring up the possibility of an EMP attack from Iran, many people don’t know what to do with that, so they dismiss it. If you bring up something they understand, that they have dealt with, or at least are familiar with, such as a power outage, they can process it and understand why and how they could prepare.
 
 
Avoid the Tinfoil

Avoid giving examples that are far out, like FEMA camps, impending nuclear fallout from Fukushima or the government using Contrails. There are some things that are a little out there that I think might be true, but sharing this stuff with someone who doesn’t even see the reason to have more than a weeks-worth of food at home, is going to make them think you’re a kook.
 
 
Social Media

This might seem like I am being a little self-serving. Whether it’s this site, or another preparedness site you like, if you read an article you like, please share it. Most sites have the buttons for Facebook, Twitter and others at the bottom of the article. Feel free to “Like it”, “tweet it”, etc.

If you have a site “liked” on Facebook and a comment is made, click on “share” and add your two cents so that your friends can see it. If you make a comment on a post, only those who are fans of the page will see it, not the friends in your list.

Social media is a great way to bring attention to a site or an article you enjoy. It’s where the term “going viral” comes from. Personally, I would say that much of my traffic has come from links that are shared by visitors. I appreciate it when people share the site with their circle; it is a high compliment in my book.

 
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What Can We Do When People Won’t Listen?

This week I want to talk to you about sharing preparedness; how to share and how not to, what to do when people won’t listen and some of the reasons why they don’t listen. I’ll even share some ideas about what you can do when you hear the dreaded “If it ever hits the fan, I’ll just come to your house”.
 
 
What Can We Do When People Won’t Listen?

It is human nature to want to share something we believe in with people that we care about. When there is something that we know is important, that we know is good, whether it’s our faith, preparedness or anything else. Why they don’t see things as clearly as we do can be confusing, frustrating or even heartbreaking.

I have had a couple of e-mail conversations with people asking different versions of the same question; “Why does God ask some people to prepare and not others?” and “My family thinks I’m crazy because I want to prepare. How can I get them on board?”

First let me ask; who can truly know the mind of God? I don’t claim to. I have been thinking about this and going over scripture to see if there are any examples I could draw from, trying to glean His wisdom from other areas to see if they fit this topic as well. Some of the things you’ll read in this article you might not like, while others you might find peace in. Please know that I say them all out of love.
 
 
Different Parts of the Body 1 Corinthians 12:12

“The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.”

Paul tells us that we are all different parts of the body, each with different gifts. We all know God gives us different kinds of gifts (besides spiritual gifts). Some people are athletic and some are intellectual. I think God asks some of us to live each day waiting for manna to eat, yet others He asks to prepare. The plan that He has for your life could be drastically different than a loved ones, but in the end it might all be for His glory.
 
 
Pearls Before Swine Mathew 7:6

“Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.”

Jesus told the disciples not to throw the pearls (of wisdom) before the swine because they wouldn’t understand. Did you ever read the Bible before you were a believer? I did and it didn’t make sense, not until I took that step of faith and gave my life to Him.

Along the same line, some of the people you share preparedness with just won’t see the reason until something happens to open their eyes. If someone resists, you might save yourself some grief and just let it go, which brings me to my next point.
 
 
Shake the Dust From Your Feet Mathew 10-14-15

“If any household or town refuses to welcome you or listen to your message, shake its dust from your feet as you leave. 15 I tell you the truth, the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah will be better off than such a town on the judgment day.”

These two verses are important and something I am trying to live by more often. Jesus said that the people in the homes or towns would be worse off than Sodom and Gomorrah for not welcoming them, let alone not listening or refusing the good news. Jesus loved the people that were in the towns that might dismiss the disciples, but they were not more important than the mission He had sent the disciples on.

To be clear, I am not saying that the people who won’t listen to your reasons for prepping are doomed to hell. What I am saying is that if they won’t listen, maybe you should just move on and shake the dust from your feet.

God is calling many of His people to prepare; I see them find this site every day. Seek Him, if He is calling you to prepare, prepare with these people in mind if you must, but keep your actions to yourself. Bringing your actions to light could compound the negativity. Do not let their negativity or scoffing stop you. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. If you are obedient, any guilt or shame you feel is from the pits of hell.

God gave us the ability to tell Him no and walk into danger. We may want to choose differently for our loved ones, but maybe we should follow Gods example and let them find it on their own, even if it means some pain in the process.

(By trying to live more like this, I mean that I stand up for what I believe in, but if someone is antagonistic, a scoffer or pig-headedly resistant, I just shake the dust and go back to what I was doing.)
 
 
Easier Said Than Done

I realize this is easier said than done if it is a member of your immediate family or someone you love. When I first brought the idea of preparing to my wife, she was a little reluctant. We had a few conversations about it. I began searching scripture and we eventually got on the same page.

If she would have stood her ground and said “no”, I would have taken that to the Lord. If He continued to press preparedness, I would have prayed that she be open to me moving forward. I would have told her that I believed the Lord wanted me to do this, and that I have to be obedient.

My wife supports me, even if she doesn’t feel called to do something. If I feel called, she’s behind me. If she wasn’t behind me, I would still ask that some money go toward preparedness every week and assure her that I would not be over-buying. I would continue to prepare but always remain respectful of her feelings.

The best thing we can do is go to the King and ask for guidance and for His will to be done.

 
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Prepared Christian Gear Review: Motorola T5320 FRS Radio



The Motorola TalkAbout T5320
are one of the models of Motorola’s FRS (Family Service Radio) radios.

The technical details are:

  • 14-channel FRS 2-way radio
  • up to 2-mile range
  • 5 audible call tones; talk confirmation tone
  • Battery meter indicator with audible low battery alert; backlit LCD
  •  Removable faceplate; removable swivel belt clip; single-pin audio accessory connector
  • Rechargeable capable with optional accessory upgrade kit

Most FRS radios claim far more range than they actually get. In my experience, these are no different. If the land was flat, with not so much as a gnat in between, they might have the two mile range.

We used them when the kids were younger and went out to play. This way we could keep in contact if needed and they could radio to let us know if they were going somewhere other than where they had originally told us.

When the kids were a little older we let them go about a mile away with friends to McDonalds. We asked them to radio when they got there and again before they left. Our radio keyed up when they got there, but we couldn’t understand a word they said, and they said they radioed before they left, but we didn’t hear a chirp.

Because they worked for the main reason we purchased them, I am giving them three stars. If you need something with longer range than a few blocks, I would suggest looking at another radio.

 
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What is a MAG?

You may have come across the term MAG (Mutual Aid Group); some may just call it their group.   A MAG is essentially a group of likeminded people that form a community and under certain circumstances come together to share resources and workload. 

There are a couple ways that I am familiar with to set up a MAG; one is a designated BOL (Bug Out Location) that all members fall back to. Another way that can be done on a smaller scale is to have an agreement between one or two other people to store resources at one another homes and bug out to one another’s homes if conditions there are safer than they are at your home.

I have heard Jack Spirko from The Survival Podcast mention that sometimes a group will pool their money together to purchase a BOL. But often people do not agree what should be done on the property and this can cause a rift. Jack suggests in this instance, have the seller subdivide the property and the buyers each by a smaller plot; they can then do whatever they like on their parcel.

I have another unique option that will only work for Christian’s. We would follow the example of the first church as written about in the book of Act’s. In Act’s, everyone shared, for the greater good of the group. The twelve disciples were “in charge” and they submitted to Christ. The disciples created a subgroup to manage the care and feeding of everyone, so they could concentrate on spreading the word.

I say unique to Christians because in order for this type of MAG to work, everyone involved would need to go vertical to Christ instead of horizontal to each other, when frustrations or problems came up. I believe that when the church is forced underground into house churches, MAG’s will naturally form out of necessity.

There will be conflict, but we have been given ways to handle this; Mathew 18:15-17

“”If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.

But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.

If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.”

In the book of Revelation, it tells that believers will be persecuted and put to death. This is just me speculating, but I believe that because of this the church will go underground and house churches will form, which essentially are MAG’s.

 
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What Would You Do? Civil Unrest Near Your Neighborhood

Due to high unemployment, a rising inflation rate and resentment of governmental officials, there are outbreaks of social unrest and riots that looks similar to the “Arab Spring” of 2011.

So, what would you do?

(Check the comments section to see my thoughts and anyone else’s thoughts as well as to add your own.)

 
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What is CERT

What is CERT

My wife and I participated in CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) training as a way to be official aides in our community in an emergency. Our city doesn’t have CERT but the county our church is in, sponsors one, so we signed up and trained there.

Here is brief synopsis taken from the CERT homepage:

“The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program educates people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. Using the training learned in the classroom and during exercises, CERT members can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help. CERT members also are encouraged to support emergency response agencies by taking a more active role in emergency preparedness projects in their community.”

The CERT concept was started by the Los Angeles Fire Department in 1985 as a way for civilians to aid local first responders. You can read more about CERT history on the About Page

What Do You Learn In CERT?

Introduction

Unit 1: Disaster Preparedness
Unit 2: Fire Safety
Unit 3: Disaster Medical Operations—Part 1
Unit 4: Disaster Medical Operations—Part 2
Unit 5: Light Search and Rescue Operations
Unit 6: CERT Organization
Unit 7: Disaster Psychology
Unit 8: Terrorism and CERT
Unit 9: Course Review and Disaster Simulation

I’ll cover the things that I remember; this is NOT all inclusive of the material taught.

Unit 1 covered some basic emergency preparedness, including having enough food and water for your entire family (including pets) for a minimum of three days. They also assert that every family member should have a kit with their essential supplies. It was explained that there are 300 civilians for every 1 first responder. We were trained that if there was an emergency and the CERT team was activated, we are to take care of our families first, then report to where we were asked to go. The county Emergency Manager explained that the reason we make a kit and have food and water stored is because they and FEMA would set up a FEMA shelter, but that we did not want to be there.

Unit 2 covered basic firefighting. We went to a fire station and were shown how to use a fire extinguisher and a fire hose. The different types of fire were explained and we were shown how to extinguish them. We were also taught how to develop an emergency plan, and how to turn off water, gas and electricity.

Unit 3 and Unit 4 taught us how to triage and how to treat the most frequent types of injuries that are found in emergency situations; some of which are airway obstructions, bleeding and shock; how to apply splints, treat wounds and burns.

Unit 5 covered how to size up a situation to see if entering a building is safe, look for fallen wires, smell for gas leaks, look for smoke etc. We learned the difference between light, moderate and heavy damage and how to mark an exterior door with symbols indicating that the area has been entered, assessed, exited and whether there are victims inside along with any other pertinent information. We were shown how to build a “crib”, which uses a lever and incrementing blocks to take the weight off of a victim, as well as safe ways to pull a victim out and carry or drag them properly.

Unit 6 explained the organization of response teams; who a CERT member may report to and their jobs in the different teams.

Unit 7 Covered dealing with emotions that survivors may have and keeping responding teams emotional wellbeing intact.

Unit 8 explained the different types of terrorist weapons; nuclear, chemical, conventional explosive and biological. There were explanations on what to do if there is an event and what the CERT role will be.

Chapter 9 reviewed all information. The exercise might be different for each group but we went to a law enforcement training center that has a couple of mock buildings set up. We used everything we learned while going through the process of sizing up the scene and entering the building to look for hazards and victims. We also set up a triage and trauma area that the victims from the building were brought to for treatment.

As I have stated, different CERT groups may handle things differently. Your experience may be different. The county we were trained in obtained a grant from FEMA and supplied us all with a CERT bag full of supplies. They also have monthly training on various items. When there is an emergency, a call is sent to all CERT members, detailing what they need to do. CERT was activated when the 35W bridge collapsed. CERT was also activated to walk the caution tape when a Police Officer was murdered, keeping the general public behind the tape. The county also uses the CERT team for non-emergency events, such as standing watch at flood zones or at various posts during fundraising events.

I highly recommend CERT for multiple reasons. You will learn how to be a resource to your community in an emergency. It will teach you how to respond in many types of emergencies, such as weather, fire, trauma or terrorism.

Because I believe CERT is such a good idea, I have added a way for you to find CERT and other Citizen Corp groups in your area, to the right of the article. Just add your Zip Code and you’ll be shown a list of groups near you.

 
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Gardening Resources

Today I thought that I would list some of the gardening resources I have used. I’m sure some of you have others, please add them in the comments and I’ll add them to the list. All descriptions are taken from the site that I am linking to.

Sites to order seeds.

Seed Savers Exchange
“Seed Savers Exchange is a non-profit organization dedicated to saving and sharing heirloom seeds. Since 1975, our members have been passing on our garden heritage by collecting and distributing thousands of samples of rare garden seeds to other gardeners”

Seeds of Change
“In 1989, Seeds of Change began with a simple mission: to preserve biodiversity and promote sustainable, organic agriculture. By cultivating and sharing an extensive range of organically grown vegetable, flower, herb and cover crop seeds, we have honored that mission for almost 25 years.”

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
“Located in South Western Pennsylvania, we are a small, family run seed house that has been in the mail order business since 1988. When we started this business, our first priority was to offer old fashioned vegetables noted for their taste. All of the varieties we offer are open pollinated (non hybrid) and have been grown by generations of backyard gardeners. ”

 

Magazine


Organic Gardening Magazine
All descriptions are taken from the site that I am linking to.
 
Books
 book descriptions taken from Amazon

Organic Gardening (Botanica’s Pocket)
Ranging from A to Z, Botanica’s pocket series presents more than 2,000 plant descriptions, each accompanied by brilliant color photographs. Every description includes tips on care and location, information on origins, planting and blooming times, forms of growth, frost hardiness and suggestions for beautiful arrangements. A treasure chest for every gardener and nature lover: for browsing, learning, seeking and finding.

 


The Organic Gardener’s Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control: A Complete Problem-Solving Guide to Keeping Your Garden and Yard Healthy Without Chemicals
End your worries about garden problems with safe, effective solutions from The Organic Gardener’s Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control!
* Easy-to-use problem-solving encyclopedia covers more than 200 vegetables, fruits, herbs, flowers, trees, and shrubs
* Complete directions on how, when, and where to use preventive methods, insect traps and barriers, biocontrols, homemade remedies, botanical insecticides, and more
* More than 350 color photos for quick identification of insect pests, beneficial insects, and plant diseases.

 

Seed to Seed: Seed Saving and Growing Techniques for Vegetable Gardeners, 2nd Edition
Seed to Seed is a complete seed-saving guide that describes specific techniques for saving the seeds of 160 different vegetables. This book contains detailed information about each vegetable, including its botanical classification, flower structure and means of pollination, required population size, isolation distance, techniques for caging or hand-pollination, and also the proper methods for harvesting, drying, cleaning, and storing the seeds.

 


Rodale’s Ultimate Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening: The Indispensable Green Resource for Every Gardener
Rodale’s Ultimate Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening has been the go-to resource for gardeners for more than 50 years—and the best tool novices can buy to start applying organic methods to their fruit and vegetable crops, herbs, trees and shrubs, perennials, annuals, and lawns. This thoroughly revised and updated version highlights new organic pest controls, new fertilizer products, improved gardening techniques, the latest organic soil practices, and new trends in garden design.


Insect, Disease & Weed I.D. Guide: Find-It-Fast Organic Solutions for Your Garden (Rodale Organic Gardening Book)
What is it? Why is it in your garden? How can you make it go away? Or should you try to keep it there? Use this book to know what’s what in your garden, lawn, and landscape. Uncover the identity of each garden mystery you meet, them learn exactly what– if anything– to do about it. From banishing pests and diseases to wiping out weeds to creating a haven for garden good guys, you’ll find safe, sensible, all-organic recommendations to help you make the best choices for our garden.

 


All New Square Foot Gardening, Second Edition: The Revolutionary Way to Grow More In Less Space
“Bartholomew, author of the popular Square Foot Gardening (1981), has refined his original square-foot gardening concept by adding ten improvements, including a new location for the garden that is closer to the house, a special soil mix, and six-inch deep, 4′ x 4′ above-ground boxes with grids. His techniques do not require heavy digging or fertilizers and feature advice on using vertical gardening to save space. He clearly explains the square-foot concept, from the rationale behind it (the square-foot garden takes up much less space than traditional row gardening and saves time, money, and aggravation) to how to plan the garden, build the boxes and vertical supports, and employ his planting and cultural techniques. There are also helpful charts for succession planting and spacing plants and a schedule for starting seeds indoors. Despite its somewhat annoying tendency to read like an infomercial, this attractive, easy-to-understand, and well-organized book for both novice and experienced gardeners is recommended for all libraries.” — Library Journal

 

The Vegetable Gardener’s Bible (10th Anniversary Edition)
The invaluable resource for home food gardeners! Ed Smith’s W-O-R-D system has helped countless gardeners grow an abundance of vegetables and herbs. And those tomatoes and zucchini and basil and cucumbers have nourished countless families, neighbors, and friends with delicious, fresh produce. The Vegetable Gardener’s Bible is essential reading for locavores in every corner of North America!

Everything you loved about the first edition of The Vegetable Gardener’s Bible is still here: friendly, accessible language; full-color photography; comprehensive vegetable specific information in the A-to-Z section; ahead-of-its-time commitment to organic methods; and much more.
 


The Heirloom Life Gardener: The Baker Creek Way of Growing Your Own Food Easily and Naturally
Tired of genetically modified food every day, Americans are moving more toward eating natural, locally grown food that is free of pesticides and preservatives—and there is no better way to ensure this than to grow it yourself. Anyone can start a garden, whether in a backyard or on a city rooftop; but what they need to truly succeed is The Heirloom Life Gardener, a comprehensive guide to cultivating heirloom vegetables.

In this invaluable resource, Jere and Emilee Gettle, cofounders of the Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company, offer a wealth of knowledge to every kind of gardener—experienced pros and novices alike. In his friendly voice, complemented by gorgeous photographs, Jere gives planting, growing, harvesting, and seed saving tips. In addition, an extensive A to Z Growing Guide includes amazing heirloom varieties that many people have never even seen. From seed collecting to the history of seed varieties and name origins, Jere takes you far beyond the heirloom tomato. This is the first book of its kind that is not only a guide to growing beautiful and delicious vegetables, but also a way to join the movement of people who long for real food and a truer way of living.
 

Earth User’s Guide to Permaculture, 2nd Edition
The principle for permaculture is simple: provide back to the earth what we take from it to create a sustainable environment. The three principle aims are: Care for people; Care for the earth; and Redistributing everything surplus to one’s needs.

This completely revised and updated edition of Rosemary Morrow’s highly successful Earth User’s Guide to Permaculture is a straight-forward manual of practical permaculture. Fundamentally, permaculture is design science and in this new edition design is emphasised. This book will be most beneficial if you apply it to the space where you live and work. The same principles apply for becoming more sustainable and living lightly whether you live in a small city apartment with a balcony, in a house with a garden in the suburbs, or on acreage in the country.

Included in this new edition are chapters on seed-saving, permaculture at work, integrated pest management, information about domestic as well as rural water usage, a non-destructive approach towards dealing with weeds and wildlife, and designing to withstand a disaster.
Earth User’s Guide to Permaculture is suitable for beginners as well as experienced permaculture practitioners looking for new ideas in moving towards greater self-reliance and sustainable living.

 
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Prepared Christian Book Review of: All New Square Foot Gardening

The book All New Square Foot Gardening, Second Edition by Mel Bartholomew, was recommended on many forums that I visit. When we decided to put in a garden, it was one of the first books we ordered. I helped my parents in the garden as a child but haven’t had a garden of my own. This book is an excellent resource for those with little to no gardening experience as well as those who are new to square foot or raised bed gardening. For those who don’t know, the biggest difference between raised bed and square foot gardening is that in square foot gardening, you section off the raised beds, using 1 foot by 1 foot sections.

As I mentioned, the book is an excellent resource and came with me every time I planted. It explains how to make the beds, trellises, mesh coverings and explains how to section the beds. It also gives information on vegetables, fruits and some popular plants and flowers, such as growing season, seed to harvest and whether seeds can be started indoors or not. Mel also gives tips on starting, growing, harvesting and preparing as well as some other hints and tips.

Since this type of gardening was new to me, I appreciated that there were charts for spacing of numerous vegetables. The back of the book is loaded with charts that give the planting schedule from last frost to the first frost for numerous vegetables.

There were a few things that I either modified or wish I would have. First is the trellis that I mentioned yesterday. The way I came up with just seems so much sturdier to me. Either way will work, but the trellis I came up with can be taken down at the end of harvest and used again the next year with no extra effort. Second is “Mel’s mix”, he recommends that 1/3 blended compost, 1/3 Peat Moss and 1/3 Coarse Vermiculite be mixed together and added to the beds. I had quite a few boxes and this mix was just too expensive. I ended up buying a yard of black dirt, a few big bags of Peat Moss and a bunch of compost, which worked just fine. When bringing in black dirt, there is a danger of bringing in weeds with it, but if your mulch is thick enough, you don’t have to worry about weeds.

The last thing is something I really wish he hadn’t recommended; lining the bottom of the boxes with garden fabric. I’m sure the thought was to keep weeds from coming through underneath, but as I mentioned, if you mulch thick enough, weeds aren’t a bother. Having the bottoms lined also stops beneficial bugs, worms and other organisms from coming up into the box from the bottom. Most importantly, it keeps your roots from going any deeper than the boxes’ depth. He recommends using 2×6 lumber, which simply isn’t deep enough for some plants.

I give the book 4 stars despite my three complaints. This book is a must have for any newbie to raised bed or square foot gardening. When I figure out what I am going to do with my yard, it’ll go back out with me to plant.

 
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What Would You DO? Skyrocketing Food Prices

Due to drought, wild fires and wheat blight throughout several parts of the country, as well as rapidly increasing inflation, the cost of groceries is now costing most families 30% of their income compared to the roughly 10% from the year before.

So, what would you do?

(Check the comments section to see my thoughts and anyone else’s thoughts as well as to add your own.)

 
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Building a Garden Trellis with PVC

In both raised bed and square foot gardening, trellises are used to grow vertical instead of horizontal. This provides for maximum growing space in the smallest footprint.

The All New Square Foot Gardening, Second Edition book lists rebar, electrical conduit and trellis netting, for the supplies to make a trellis. I looked at that option and didn’t care for the trellis netting so I came up with what I think is a better solution.

It includes green vinyl coated garden fence, ½ inch PVC, some PVC elbows, a few long threaded rods, zip ties and green spray paint. For tools you’ll need a hack saw to cut the threaded rods, a hack saw or PVC Pipe Cutter to cut the PVC, a hammer to pound the threaded rods and a wire snips to trim the zip ties.

I wish I could give you a video or step by step pictures, but the only ones I have are with the trellises completely done and in place. If this article doesn’t make sense I’ll make a video this spring.

  1. Measure the length of the box and cut a piece of PVC to that length as well as two vertical pieces the same length as each other, I made them around four feet.
  2.  Put the three pieces together with two PVC elbows.
  3. Unroll the green fencing and cut a length the same length and width as your PVC frame. You’ll want it off the soil, but only a couple of inches. Lay the PVC over the frame and attached it with some zip ties, every foot or so.
  4. Cut the threaded rod into two 4 foot sections and placed them in the ground, the width of the PVC frame apart from each other. Pound each piece two feet deep and slide the PVC over the threaded rods. Voila, trellis!

We left the PVC white the first year and it was UGLY. We took them to the garage and spray painted them with some green outdoor spray paint at the beginning of our second year.

(click the picture to get a better view)


 
After harvest, just pull the vegetation from the trellis and throw it in the composter. Put the trellis in the shed for next year.

We used the same green vinyl coated fencing with garden zone utility fencing to surround our garden. The young rabbits were still able to fit through, so we added chicken wire to the bottom two feet. This completely stopped them.

I made a PVC square the size of the entry for a “gate”. I used PVC elbows on the top and PVC “T’s” on the bottom. I used a 3’ section of threaded rod on one side and a 1’ section of threaded rod on the other. We used the longer side as the stationary side, lifting the smaller side off the threaded rod to pivot the “gate” open.

Here is a trellis I came up with for pole green beans, its six feet tall, but they would have kept going. I put the trellises this direction to make it easier to reach the beans, as it’s in the corner of the garden with fence on two sides. I also didn’t put them in very tight, this way I could slide them side to side a little to make more room.

 
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