The Great Depression of 2009 was as predictable as the hangover of a highly intoxicated person. Remember the Internet bubble? It had to burst, and it did. Just like the housing bubble. You can set your watch by the absolute predictability of economic instability.
Sick of the rollercoaster ride yet? Sick of getting jerked around? Sick of getting your intelligence insulted and your fate messed with? Want to hit back, economically speaking? I'll tell you how.
We start producing things again, tangible, real things, that do not enrich the global economy, but only enrich ourselves around here.
The most obvious thing to produce is food. Everyone needs it, and Connecticut actually has an excellent climate for growing fruits and vegetables with plenty of humidity and rainfall. You only have to water plants when they are first getting started and then Nature takes over. I do about 3/8 of an acre, and I get a wonderful harvest of fingerling potatoes, tomatoes, cukes, radishes, carrots beets, peppers, eggplant, corn, cabbages, strawberries, Asian pears, onions and garlic. I have several local sources of free animal manure, and I hoard the neighbors' leaves every fall to mix with it.
I can definitely help you get started doing a garden. I'm also looking for people who want to do home food processing as a barter business. I can provide the food in season and the mason jars and equipment, you spend the time in your kitchen mastering canning, pickling, dehydrating and you can keep some of the food in return. Between gardeners and processors, we already have a closed loop local business.
If you drink beer or wine, don't buy it! Make your own! I have no financial interest in promoting Zok's, I just want you to know he's a good guy and he'll teach you how to brew beer and wine right in his store. He's in Willimantic and here's his web page:
http://www.homemadebrew.net/
Have you been given the pink slip? Don't get depressed. This is your chance to escape the office, either temporarily or permanently. Go learn a craft, but before you do, make sure it's a useful one. Making tchotchkes or "art" isn't going to cut it. Here's a place to learn crafts here in Connecticut:
http://www.craftweb.com/org/brookfld/brookfld.shtml
Please give me your comments and suggestions, and get in touch if you want to get to work relocalizing our economy in Connecticut!
