Slow Collapse Skills: Growing & Preserving Food | Episode 493

Author: Survival Punk
Published: Wed 03 Sep 2025
Episode Link: https://www.survivalpunk.com/slow-collapse-skills-growing-preserving-food-episode-493/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=slow-collapse-skills-growing-preserving-food-episode-493

Slow Collapse Skills: Growing & Preserving Food | Episode 493

When people think collapse, they picture mushroom clouds, zombies, or Mad Max chaos. But the more likely scenario isn’t overnight anarchy — it’s a slow collapse. Prices keep creeping up, jobs get shaky, and shelves don’t always look as full as they used to. That’s Depression 2.0. And in that kind of world, the skill that matters most is putting food on your own table.

In this episode of the Survival Punk Podcast, I kick off a new multi-part series on the skills that will keep you alive in a slow grind collapse. We’re starting with the foundation: growing and preserving food.

Growing Your Own Food

When grocery prices rise year after year, a tomato plant is more than a hobby — it’s inflation protection. A small garden can stretch your food budget, give you healthier meals, and build independence. Even a few containers on an apartment balcony can yield herbs, peppers, or greens that cut your grocery trips down.

Gardening isn’t just about calories, either. It’s about control. You decide what goes in the soil, what chemicals stay out, and how fresh your food is when it hits your plate.

Preservation Is the Power Move

Growing food is only half the equation — preserving it is where the real magic happens. Canning, dehydrating, and fermenting turn a summer harvest into year-round security. A jar of home-canned beans isn’t just food — it’s insurance.

Our grandparents knew this well. In the Great Depression, “Victory Gardens” and pantries full of jars kept families alive. Today, learning those same methods gives you both resilience and peace of mind.

The Takeaway

In a slow collapse, stockpiles run down. But if you know how to grow food and preserve it, you’ve got a renewable food supply. That’s the kind of skill that doesn’t just help you survive — it helps you thrive.

This is only Part 1 of the Slow Collapse Skills series. Next time, we’ll dig into more skills that will carry you through Depression 2.0 and beyond.