Urban Survival: Planning and Preparation Part 2

There is a military adage called the “7 p’s”: 

Proper Planning and Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance

Following on the WW2 / Samurai theme from the previous blog post (Part 1 click here) I am also applying the 7 p’s. Because if we mess up at the planning stage everything will unravel over the coming months.

So, we have planned out what vegetables are going to be grown, what is efficient to focus our energies on (beetroot is out and onions are in) in particular what we want to eat - broccoli, green beans, peas, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, courgettes, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, butternut squash, parsnips, spinach, cucumbers and for some reason kiwis.

And also where we will site the chickens when they arrive. We have decided on 7 from the following breeds: Wyandotte, Silkie and Cochin. The enclosure will be here on the turfed area, where the pond used to be...

So, broken pane of glass in green house fixed, soil dug over, weeds removed, raked, plant plugs and seeds arriving and turf laid for the chicken enclosure. But most of all the location of all these things have been planned out and visualised, and this is one of the main things of preparation and planning. A map: so we all know what we are doing and where we are heading.

Of course, this is a long-term strategy, a preparation for food shortages in the next months should the virus cause disruption to food production and supply. It is the most urban of survival strategies and one which takes into consideration self-isolation and quarantine. It also gives one a sense of control in a time when we have very little control of what is going on. Better than being in denial I think.