Survivalism Grows Popular in Phoenix-area
residents are growing food, obtaining guns, sharing ideas
June 23, 2009
by Ryan Randazzo
The Arizona Republic
As the recession lingers, some Phoenix-area residents are shifting
attention from their financial troubles, including falling home values
and shrinking retirement savings, to stockpiling food and ammo.
Photo:
Jeff Rodriguez, 26, a software engineer from Glendale, has stockpiled
bags of grain in his garage. Rodriguez belongs to a local network of
like-minded people who are studying survival tactics in the face of the
economic downturn. (Tom Tingle / The Arizona Republic)
HOLLY NOTE: While Jeff's intentions are good, storing food in the garage isn't. Too high temperature is the #1 enemy of
food storage. Temperatures easily top 100ºF for most of summer in this
area and food stored under these conditions will deteriorate rapidly.
Stored food needs constant temperatures not above 70ºF.
The second mistake is leaving food unprotected. This grain needs to be
put in proper food-grade storage containers to seal out light and
pests, and treated to remove oxygen and moisture. At this rate, unless
Jeff plans to eat this food immediately, it's money wasted and a lot
will be going in the trash bucket.
They worry the economic turmoil could lead to skyrocketing inflation,
food scarcity, even violence. To prepare, they are forming
social-networking groups to discuss how to store grains, purify water,
plant gardens and, if needed, shoot guns.
"Most of us feel that if things do get better, it will be a long way
out," said Jeff Rodriguez, a 26-year-old software engineer from
Glendale. "I want to have some preparations in place."
The economy has him thinking a lot more about things like where his
food comes from, how much cheap oil is left in the world and how people
in the blazing-hot Valley would survive a major economic failure.
He has carefully prepared a 12-row, 384-square-foot garden, stores a
ton and a half of grain in his home, and is considering buying pygmy
goats or chickens.
He also has researched solar electricity and a rainwater-collection system.
He is far from alone. Rodriguez belongs to a local network of
like-minded people who include retirees, young mothers and successful
professionals.
These people are joining thousands nationwide who are studying survival
tactics far from the backwoods bunkers associated with "survivalists."
At least two survival-related groups have formed in Phoenix since
December, and groups with varying outlooks and politics have sprouted
nationally from Kentucky to New York.
Of course, it's not unheard of for mainstream groups to prepare for
emergencies. The Mormon Church, which reports 13.5 million members
worldwide, has long counseled self-sufficiency and encourages families
to keep a prudent supply of food on hand.
Disasters such as hurricanes and 9/11, and even perceived troubles like
the Y2K bug, always increase interest in survivalism. The men behind
the counters at U.S. Surplus Corp. in Phoenix see a crush of new
customers every time tragedy strikes.
The newbies stand out from the military personnel and outdoor
enthusiasts who stop in for rugged clothing, rations or canteens.
"They are the ones trying to fix up a cave to live in," store manager
Gary Pickering said. "They are asking a lot of questions and buying
things they normally wouldn't, like water-purification tablets."
Sales at the store haven't slid with the rest of the economy, officials
said. Preparing for a disaster makes sense only if people actually know
how to use the equipment they are buying, said Cody Lundin, who runs a
survival-skills school in Prescott and authored two books on the
subject.
He says people should learn to care for themselves in case of emergency
whether a disaster is pending or the economy is tanking.
Last year was among the best ever for his school, although it's not
always clear what motivates people to sign up.
"I'm seeing an influx of people simply calling to inquire what I think
about stuff," Lundin said. "They are probing the waters because they
are getting freaked out."
Professional counselor Rita Archambault said her East Valley clinic is
treating more people with anxiety over the economy.
"I have not seen so much concern about the economy in my entire life," she said.
If planting a garden, raising poultry or stockpiling ammunition makes
people feel better about their situation, good for them, she said.
"If you are not hurting anybody and you are reducing your anxiety, what
harm is there?" Archambault said.
The only danger is if people get so obsessed that they neglect their job or family, she said.
It's not surprising that many of the people preparing for tough times
are educated professionals, said Heidi Wayment, a social-psychology
professor at Northern Arizona University who has researched disasters
and anxiety.
"To understand the huge potential crisis that could come from economic
collapse, you have to be educated," Wayment said. "I wouldn't say these
people are crazy - far from it."
The people who are newly interested in survival skills recognize their eccentricity.
"I'm cognizant that what I'm doing is not normal," said Rodriguez,
adding that his roommate thinks the food stockpile and garden are cool.
On a recent Friday evening, he and a few of the nearly 100 survivalism
group members gathered at a Scottsdale bar. Amid the pumping dance
music, they discussed the jobless rate, harvesting rainwater and
protecting their property from looters.
"It would be fair to say most have at least some interest in firearms," Rodriguez said.
That's not to say the members glorify violence.
"I wouldn't even know what to do with a gun!" exclaimed MaryLou Benigno, 68.
Benigno, a retired teacher, has been gardening for years, but the
economy has brought more urgency to her hobby.
She lectures the group on how to keep a worm-bed of compost under the
kitchen sink from stinking up the house and the best places to buy
seeds.
Benigno has been shopping for a cheap foreclosure home with land for a
garden, which she hopes to share with friends.
"I don't want to be corny and say something like, 'Getting back to
nature,' but if you develop a site properly, you could grow on every
inch of the place," she said.
Lynn Smith, a Scottsdale commodities trader, spoke of his plans to head
to Iowa for the summer, where his family owns a sprawling piece of land.
"It would be kind of hard to get by in the desert," he said.
Smith, 53, sold his home shortly after the real-estate peak in 2006
when he feared a market collapse and, despite a substantial income, now
lives in an RV.
He can work remotely, so he'll spend the summer in the Midwest
exploring how to grow food and may come back to Scottsdale next year,
"depending what happens."
Smith pulled out aerial photographs of the Iowa property. "It's all
flat, and I could see someone coming from any direction except this one
patch of trees," he said.
The group nodded in agreement.
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2009/06/23/20090623biz-survivalists0623.html
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