I'm a farmer with 240 acres. My own fully operational farm, where I raise corn, soybeans, oats. Also have some cattle and hogs. Have done chickens off and on over the years.
I've been prepping rather intensively over the last 10 years. Now have about a years-worth of long term storage food in reserve. Have invested in a solar power system and a small windmill generator. Started a fairly extensive orchard about 6 years ago that is coming along fine.
Also have an adequate "home arsenal", and even got my ham radio license and radio.
Ok---so that all sounds great. But here's the problem:
I'm 64 and single. I guess because of that I don't have a large "social network" of friends, also because I'm a rather stick-to-myself sort of guy. So where does that leave me in a SHTF? Sitting out here on my farm all by myself? Trying to defend my spread?
I live in an area that isn't too close to any really large metro areas (the nearest is about 90 miles away). Although it's definitely "farm country" most of the farming around here is large mega farms. With a few yuppie McMansions sprinkled in.
I've sorta thought that the only option for someone like me, would be to hookup and invite-in a couple of reliable people. Maybe a decent family, to help with the enormously increased workload of running a farm in a WROL situation, as well as helping to defend the place. Because I won't be able to do it myself.
So---how does one go about this? Do I wait until a SHTF, and a nice-looking family knocks on my door, asking for help, and I invite them in for a trade?
Do I put an ad in the paper: "Farmer looking for potential live-in help for a potential SHTF/WROL/TEOTWAWKI situation. Please submit applications to...."?
Maybe there's no way to do this pre-SHTF, and still maintain OPSEC. So do I just hope and pray that by some luck I get some decent people to help me out in a SHTF?
Advice? Opinions?
I've been prepping rather intensively over the last 10 years. Now have about a years-worth of long term storage food in reserve. Have invested in a solar power system and a small windmill generator. Started a fairly extensive orchard about 6 years ago that is coming along fine.
Also have an adequate "home arsenal", and even got my ham radio license and radio.
Ok---so that all sounds great. But here's the problem:
I'm 64 and single. I guess because of that I don't have a large "social network" of friends, also because I'm a rather stick-to-myself sort of guy. So where does that leave me in a SHTF? Sitting out here on my farm all by myself? Trying to defend my spread?
I live in an area that isn't too close to any really large metro areas (the nearest is about 90 miles away). Although it's definitely "farm country" most of the farming around here is large mega farms. With a few yuppie McMansions sprinkled in.
I've sorta thought that the only option for someone like me, would be to hookup and invite-in a couple of reliable people. Maybe a decent family, to help with the enormously increased workload of running a farm in a WROL situation, as well as helping to defend the place. Because I won't be able to do it myself.
So---how does one go about this? Do I wait until a SHTF, and a nice-looking family knocks on my door, asking for help, and I invite them in for a trade?
Do I put an ad in the paper: "Farmer looking for potential live-in help for a potential SHTF/WROL/TEOTWAWKI situation. Please submit applications to...."?
Maybe there's no way to do this pre-SHTF, and still maintain OPSEC. So do I just hope and pray that by some luck I get some decent people to help me out in a SHTF?
Advice? Opinions?