The New Gold in a Crisis Economy

Dear Money & Crisis Reader,

Last week, we were discussing an upcoming event that could potentially devastate our entire economy…

This event could go down in just a handful of months.

And the resulting catastrophe will knock the entire U.S. back down to a cashless, barter-and-trade society.

I’m talking about a world with no electricity… no computers… no banks or digital wealth…

The entire economy wiped out in an instant.

Now, we’ve already touched on one big way to make yourself invaluable in this cashless world.

But today, I’m going to tell you about the No. 1 way to thrive in this post-collapse society.

The New Gold

Don’t get me wrong, your cash will be totally worthless after a collapse of this kind…

But it’s definitely worth holding on to your actual silver and gold.

After all, it’s highly likely that folks will start trading with precious metals again.

They will probably fall out of fashion for a while as folks struggle to get back on their feet. But I haven’t a doubt in my mind that precious metals will retain their value in some way or another.

That said, right after the collapse, people’s top priority is going to be finding a steady supply of food and water.

I recommend that you maintain a store of dried and canned foods so you and your family won’t go hungry during these times.

I’d be slow to trade any of your nonperishables. They will be vital for survival during the winter or if there’s a bad crop year.

But if you can get a steady production of fresh fruit and vegetables up and running, you’ll control the most valuable, in-demand resource in the new world.

Indeed, food will become the new gold in a cashless society. So you should try to get a small produce garden up and running before the disaster.

The good news is, it’s easier than you might think…

Start Planting Today

Growing your own food typically comes with some growing pains. So it’s better that you iron out any problems now, when you have the luxury to make some mistakes.

Plus, after the collapse, you’ll need to expand production beyond the boundaries of your garden to make more food to satisfy demand.

Which means you’re going to need lots of seeds.

Of course, getting your hands on seeds post collapse is going to be extremely difficult… so you’re going to want to stock up now.

Seeds aren’t hard to store. But if you do it wrong you could accidentally wipe out your whole stock.

Seeds should be stored in a cool, dry space with no air.

The best place to keep your stock is a cool basement or, ideally, a refrigerator or freezer. And you can use a cheap vacuum sealer to suck the air out of your seed parcels.

Growing your own food can be a challenge if you’ve never farmed before. So here are the easiest crops to grow to get you started…

Radishes — Not everyone enjoys the spiciness of these crunchy root vegetables. But they’re easy to grow, thrive in even poor soil and take just 20–24 days to reach full size. They’re also a great source of vitamin C — perfect for keeping away scurvy when you can no longer get your hands on oranges or lemons.

Turnips and Carrots — These root vegetables grow well in similar conditions and even alongside each other. Plant these for hearty stews and nutritious salads. They can be planted in the spring for a summer harvest or in late summer for a fall crop. Turnips can be harvested 45–50 days after planting, while carrots reach maturity in 50–80 days.

Lettuce — Some folks will tell you that lettuce has no nutritional value, but that’s simply not true. A couple of leaves aren’t going to fill you up, but there’s a nice mix of vitamins, fiber and water content packed inside. And it’s easy to grow. Lettuce prefers cool temperatures, so you’ll want to plant it in the spring and the fall.

Trees — If fruit trees will grow happily in your climate, they’ll be a wise investment. Apples, pears, peaches and plums will be in high demand after the food production and distribution chains break down.

Corn — Grains are tough to grow in a small space. They are high maintenance and low yield. But corn is more versatile and happy to share its space with other vegetables. You can increase your yield by planting your corn with some squash and pole beans. This is a technique developed by the Native Americans. All three crops grow together symbiotically and protect each other from their natural predators.

These are just some of the easiest crops to get you started.

You’d do well to keep a lot more seed types on hand to meet demand for variety.

As always, we welcome feedback from our readers. If you agree, disagree or have any topics you’d like us to investigate, you can email me right here.

All the best,

Owen Sullivan
Editor, Money & Crisis

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