Engage Smug Mode

We didn't get where we are today without planning ahead. 

When we started planning for self-sufficiency last spring, we reasoned that it would be important to preserve our crop.

Canning would be important.

We also read headlines that record numbers of people were planting gardens.

We started collecting jars, a package or two with every order we placed to online stores back in May, reasoning that these things might be in short supply when we needed them.

Imagine our complete lack of surprise when we read of the inevitable and predictable canning supply shortage in the Washington Post.

Apparently, "Plenty of products, including those made by Ball, the country’s largest consumer manufacturer of canning jars and lids, are on back-order. In some cases...they have what would ordinarily be a 10-year supply on order."

Given the many disasters that befell our first attempt at the garden, until these past few days we've wondered whether we'll actually need them this year. But it looks like we will have to can some tomatoes after all. 

It's not that I don't sympathize with folks who are only now realizing that they need cans and finding the shelves empty. I do. But it is immensely satisfying to have foreseen something and find yourself ready when it comes to pass.

On a related note, and on the less smug side - and there always seems to be this side - we are noticing that quite a few places are out of garlic seed bulbs that we're hoping to plant in the next few weeks.

To avoid difficulties in the spring with finding seeds, we're assessing what we have stored and what we were able to take from our current crop. I just collected a bunch of nicely dried giant sunflower seeds yesterday and socked them away for spring.

Seeds keep. This is probably a good time to start planning for spring. COVID is not going anywhere. Indeed, after a dark winter empty shelves and failing food supply chains will probably be even more common next summer.