preparedness

The One Tree That Every Survivalist Should Plant

Many trees provide nutritional value, medicinal qualities, and a good source of firewood. But which tree is the best?

It’s a tough question. Many trees provide value on many levels, and the importance of those qualities can be subjective. For example, a tree might bear a fruit you enjoy, but is it a fruit with lots of calories to help sustain you in a survival scenario?

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Here are some questions to consider.

Are you knowledgeable enough to maximize the nutritional value of a tree?
Do you have the skills to distill the medicinal qualities of a tree?
Do you depend on firewood to heat your home?

Let’s assume you want all three of those things–nutrition, medicine, and heat–and assign grades to various trees to see if one emerges above the others. We’ll then explore in detail the value of that “one” tree.

The grades will be from 1 to 5 with 5 being the top grade based on the following primary values.

Three Primary Values

1. Nutritional Value

Are there parts of the tree–from the fruits to the nuts, or even the bark and leaves–that can be consumed in any way to provide nutritional value?

2. Medicinal Value

Are there parts of the tree, including the bark, roots, leaves, fruits, or nuts that can be used to treat various medical conditions based on clinical studies or established folklore?

3. Firewood Quality

Does the tree have qualities that make its wood preferable for wood-burning to provide home heat? Hardwoods usually outscore the softwoods for this reason. And to be clear, you’re going to need to plant more than just one if your goal is to eventually burn it.

There are other secondary considerations that affect the selection, particularly if we’re going to isolate a recommendation to one tree variety. The grading will be simpler: 1 means fair, 2 means good, and 3 means excellent.

Two Secondary Values

1. Long-Term Tree Health

Does the tree maintain its general health, or is it susceptible to disease or partial die-off over time?

2. Construction Material Value

Are any parts of the tree particularly suitable for building construction or furniture construction? This will be very important years down the road if you’re living off the grid and need to be able to build things.

What we’ll do is choose a tree, give it grades for the five values mentioned above, then we’ll add them up and give the tree a total score. But first, we have to decide which trees to consider.

Which Trees Are Contenders?

Common Trees

An unfortunate fact of nature is that many trees don’t grow in most parts of North America or the rest of the world for that matter. These trees provide excellent characteristics in terms of nutrition, medicinal value, and firewood, but how many of us have an Orange tree growing in our backyard? The same is true for Redwoods, Cypress, Mesquite, and even Tamaracks which prefer a wet, swampy location.

The trees we’ve considered are common to most parts of the world and typically occur in a classic, deciduous forest.

Here’s the Short List of Trees to Consider:

Apple
Black Walnut
Maple
Mulberry
Oak
White Pine
White Willow

You may disagree with this list. That’s fine. It all depends on your needs. The grades are based on studies done by the U.S. Forest Service, clinical studies, University studies, and the long experience of folklore. Here are the grades for each.

Apple

(Lifespan: 20 to 30 years)

Nutritional Value: 5 – Apple trees score high on nutrition on every scale. Apples also offer significant flexibility across food options from the raw fruit to pies, sauces, butters, juice, alcohol and apple cider vinegar.

Medicinal Value: 5 – Apple cider vinegar takes the brass ring for medicinal value as well as the raw fruit itself.

Firewood Rating: 3 – Apple-wood is a hardwood, but the relative size of the trees does not provide the volume to sustain long-term firewood needs. However, apple-wood is a desired source for smoking food.

Long-term Tree Health: 2 – Apple trees die off as they mature, giving up one branch at a time. The leaves are sometimes susceptible to mold.

Construction Material Value: 1 – Apple is not prized as a construction material.

Apple Tree Total Score: 16

Black Walnut

(Lifespan: 150 to 400 years)

Nutritional Value: 4 – High nutritional value and a good source of protein with numerous vitamins and minerals.

Medicinal Value: 5 – Walnuts present significant medicinal value and have even been called a superfood for the prevention of heart disease.

Firewood Rating: 2 – Black Walnut is a hardwood but rarely used for firewood due to its significant value as a furniture construction material.

Long-Term Tree Health: 3 – Resilient and long-lasting with resistance to disease and die-off.

Construction Material Value: 3 – Highly prized across a range of designs in furniture construction.

Black Walnut Tree Total Score: 17

Maple

(Lifespan: 100 to 300 years)

Nutritional Value: 4 – The sap of the maple when converted to syrup is the most notable nutritional benefit. The green seeds can also be eaten and taste like peas.

Medicinal Value: 2 – The primary medicinal value of the maple is in maple syrup. Sugar Maples provide the sweetest sap. The sap itself can be consumed as is. Maple water also has medicinal value.

Firewood Rating: 4 – Maple is a hardwood and burns long and hot. It’s also used for smoking foods.

Long-Term Tree Health: 3 – The Maple is a sturdy tree that is not susceptible to widespread disease or branch die-off.

Construction Material Value: 3 – Maple is highly prized as a construction material for flooring, shelves, cabinets, and other furniture.

Maple Tree Total Score: 16

Mulberry

(Lifespan: 25 to 50 years)

Nutritional Value: 5 – The fruit of the Mulberry tree is its primary strength and is used to make juice, jams, and jellies, and and it can be eaten on or in foods from cereals to pies. The fruit has excellent nutritional value in terms of vitamin and mineral diversity and calories from fructose. It also bears fruit for a long duration.

Medicinal Value: 3 – Both the Mulberries and the leaves, when infused in a Mulberry leaf tea, present many medicinal benefits.

Firewood Rating: 3 – Mulberry is a hardwood, but it is rarely a first-choice for home heat. The wood is very dense and doesn’t burn well on its own, even when seasoned.

Long-term Tree Health: 2 – Mulberry trees are generally healthy and occasionally present branches that die off.

Construction Material Value: 1 – Mulberry is not used in construction.

Mulberry Tree Total Score: 14

Oak

(Lifespan: 60 to 1,000 years)

Nutritional Value: 5 – Oak scores very high on nutrition mostly due to its acorns. The acorns are used for everything from nuts in hand to acorn butter and flour. They are high in calories from fat and a good source of protein.

Medicinal Value: 4 – The medicinal value of Oak is derived from its acorns and bark which can treat and prevent a variety of maladies.

Firewood Rating: 5 – Oak is the king-of-the-hill when it comes to firewood. It is a hardwood that burns long and hot.

Long-Term Tree Health: 3 – Oaks are a resilient species and are naturally resistant to many diseases and do not present die-offs.

Construction Material Value: 3 – Oak is a common construction material for flooring, trim, cabinets and other furniture.

Oak Tree Total Score: 20

White Pine

(Lifespan: 20 to 1,000+ years)

Nutritional Value: 5 – Nutritional value derived from needles, pine nuts, and bark that can be ground into flour.

Medicinal Value: 3 – The medicinal value of the white pine presents benefits including antioxidants and bioflavonoids.

Firewood Rating: 3 – Pine is often touted for fire-starting but is rarely a firewood of choice due to the fact that its softwood nature makes it burn fast.

Long-term Tree Health: 3 – Pines are very resilient although they are subject to local blights. Lower branches also die-off.

Construction Material Value: 3 – To a large degree, White Pine is the foundation of the construction industry both in terms of frame construction of buildings to furniture making.

White Pine Tree Total Score: 17

White Willow

(20 to 30 years)

Nutritional Value: 2 – There’s very little about the nutritional value of a Willow tree mostly due to the simple fact that it produces neither edible fruit nor nuts.

Medicinal Value: 5 – Willow bark may be the champion of medicinal value based on the bark which is infused as a tea for most treatments.

Firewood Rating: 2 – Willow is a softwood and is not a great choice for firewood.

Long-Term Tree Health: 2 – Willow branches die off as they mature, and the trunk sometimes grows hollow.

Construction Material Value: 2 – Willow is specifically used for furniture making due to the pliable, bendiness of its branches. This allows it to be woven into chairs and other furniture.

White Willow Tree Total Score: 13

Overall Ratings

Tree	Primary Value	Secondary Value	Total Score
Oak	14	6	20
White Pine	11	6	17
Black Walnut	11	3	16
Apple	13	3	16
Maple	10	6	16
Mulberry	11	3	14
White Willow	9	4	13

And the winner is…

The oak tree, with a top box score of 14 out of 15 and a bottom box score of 6 out of 6, has a total score of 20.

Various varieties of oak thrive across the planet and offer a range of benefits. Red Oak is at the top as a source for furniture and flooring. White Oak is often the wood of choice for firewood.

Oak Nutritional Details

Burr Oak presents the best acorns for food possibilities. Most oaks like Red Oak, and to a lesser degree White Oak, produce acorns that have tannins or tannic acid and need to be soaked to remove the tannins. Burr Oak has fewer tannins and at times can be eaten raw off the tree.

As a food source, acorns can be roasted and salted or sugared and eaten out of hand as a snack or trail treat. Roasted acorns can also be processed in a food processor to make acorn butter.

Acorn butter has all of the texture and taste of peanut butter with a more pronounced, nut-like taste. Acorns can also be ground into a flour.

Acorn flour can be used for breads, muffins, pancakes, and biscuits. Acorn flour is also gluten-free.

Acorns are often fed to livestock particularly pigs. They should have the tannins removed first through repeated water soaking, but they don’t need to be roasted if used as livestock feed.

For more information, check out our other article, Acorns: The Ultimate Survival Food.

Acorn Nutrition Facts

Oak Medicinal Benefits

Oak trees deliver medicinal value through their acorns and their bark. Acorns are the primary source and they present the following benefits:

Weight loss
Reduction of blood sugar levels
Relief for skin rashes
Helps heal small cuts
Reduces swollen veins
Reduces itching sensations
Low in cholesterol as a mono-unsaturated fat
High in Vitamin B6 in addition to vitamin E
Reduces oxidative stress
Improves brain health
High fiber and aids digestion

Firewood and Furniture

Oaks grow large and their branches can be trimmed periodically for use as an excellent firewood. When a single mature Oak dies, it can provide enough firewood for winter. It may take a hundred years or more to mature, but it’ll leave behind plenty of firewood.

You would be hard put to not find a piece of furniture in your house or cabin made of oak. That goes for the floors and shelves as well. Most furniture that any of us would make out of oak would fall in the rustic furniture category, but some folks are master woodworkers and know the value of Oak as a furniture source.

The Only Downside to Oaks

They don’t grow fast. Most trees that live to 100 years grow very slowly. To complicate things further, it can take up to two decades for the acorns to show up. According to the University of Tennessee:

“Most species of oaks begin producing acorns at about 20 years old. Peak production occurs from about 50 to 80 years, and then acorn production tapers off after 80 years.”

It’s all a matter of your time-frame. If you’re planning for the future and future generations, oaks are the way to go. If your time is tight, it may be wiser to think about apple trees to at least satisfy your nutritional and medicinal needs in the short-term, and just burn the die-off for firewood as you go.

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This article first appeared on urbansurvivalsite.com See it here

preparedness

4 No Cook Meals For Surviving The Pandemic And Food Supply Shortages

When it comes to your food supply, you just can’t risk not having enough. These no cook meals will be a great addition to your food supply planning. Check out the recipes below!

No Cook Meals to Help You Through the Pandemic

As of the writing of this article, there are 20 meat processing plants that have been shut down due to COVID-19 infections. We have been worrying about these types of effects on our food supply for months now, and this is the first real sign of how infections can affect the food supply.

When you walk into a supermarket, you might not see all the choices you had in the past. An empty meat case is a humbling thing for your eyes to fall upon. It’s the shocking realization that the seemingly infinite supply of chickens, pigs, and cows that are butchered for us has begun to run dry!

To deal with this issue, we are going to present four no cook meals that will help you create dinners at home that will feed your family without worrying so much about what’s available, or unavailable, in the meat case.

1. Smashed White Bean, Avocado and Salted Pork Sandwiches

Smashed White Bean, Avocado and Salted Pork Sandwiches | No Cook Meals for Surviving the Pandemic and Food Supply Shortages

As preppers we get beans. There are a bunch of ways to use beans and this a great example of how you can pack a sandwich with great nutrition and protein.

Serving: Makes 4 sandwiches

Ingredients:

Can of White Beans
Olive Oil
1 Avocado
8 Slices of Whole Grain Bread
8 Slices of Salted Pork (Prosciutto, Ham, Virginia Ham)

Instructions:

Begin by draining your beans in a colander then smashing them up in a bowl add a few glugs of olive oil, salt, pepper. This little mix is delicious. If you add some minced rosemary, you can even turn this into a delicious dip.
Pit your avocado and cut it in half and then quarters lengthwise. Leave the skin on.
Lay the bread out on a clean work surface for assembling the sandwiches.
Spread your mashed bean mix onto one side of the bread.
Peel your avocados and slice 1 quarter for each sandwich. Spread slices over the bean spread.
Add a few slices of your pork to over the top of the avocado.
You can finish this sandwich with some lettuces, fresh sprouts, or just eat it as is.

2. Delicious Crab Salad

Canned crab is a protein option that will likely be around through much of this meat crisis. It does have to be kept in refrigeration, but it’s delicious and this chipotle mayo salad is great in the spring and summer.

Ingredients:

1 Can of Crab Meat
1 Bunch of Asparagus
Chipotle Mayo
1 Bunch of Green Onions
1 Bunch of Cilantro

Instructions:

Drain your crab in a colander and set it in the sink.
Slice your asparagus into 1-inch pieces. Throw them into a bowl.
Thinly slice your onions and your cilantro and throw that into the bowl, as well.
Gently toss in the crab meat.
Squirt on enough Chipotle mayo to coat everything and toss gently not to break up the crab meat.
Chill in the fridge and serve.

3. Simple Greek Salad

Simple Greek Salad | No Cook Meals for Surviving the Pandemic and Food Supply Shortages

The combination of simple summer ingredients makes for an incredible quick salad that you could add other proteins, too, if you wanted. These could be canned meats.

Ingredients:

2 Large Tomatoes
1 Cucumber
1 Red Onion
¼ Cup of Feta Cheese
A Few Sprigs of Fresh Mint
½ Cup of Kalamata Olives
Balsamic Dressing

Instructions:

I like to cut the tomatoes in large chunks and have them kind of be the main course in this salad. Peel and slice your cucumber in half. Remove the seeds and either dice or slice in half-moons.
Peel and slice your red onion in half. Julienne your, or thinly slice, your half onion.
Add all these ingredients to a bowl. Finely slice your mint.
Add your olives, crumbled feta, and mint to the bowl and add enough dressing to coat everything.
Stir it up and allow this to chill for at least an hour for the flavors to really blend.

4. Mediterranean Tuna Lettuce Wraps

Mediterranean Tuna Lettuce Wraps | No Cook Meals for Surviving the Pandemic and Food Supply Shortages

Using some similar ingredients and adding a protein like tuna, you can create some delicious lettuce wraps. The key to a good lettuce wrap is to have most of the items around the same size. So, consider that when you are preparing this dish.

Ingredients:

Iceberg or Butter Lettuce
Canned Artichokes
Canned roasted Red peppers
Fresh Cucumber
Feta Cheese
Minced Olives ¼ Cup
2 Cans of Tuna
Green Onions
Basil

Instructions:

Start by peeling all the full leaves from your lettuce. Set them on a plate either cover them with a wet paper towel or put them back into the fridge.
Dice the peppers, artichokes, and cucumbers into cubes. Go no larger than ½ an inch.
Thinly slice your green onions and basil and add them to a bowl with your diced vegetables. Add your loves to this bowl and mix them thoroughly.
Crumble your feta cheese over the mixture.
Drain your tuna thoroughly and then add that to the bowl, as well.
Gently toss this mixture. Try not to break up the tuna and the cheese too much but incorporate it thoroughly.
If you want, you can add some olive oil to the mix or a few glugs of balsamic vinegar. It’s also delicious just how it is.
Scoop a few tablespoons into a lettuce leaf, wrap it up and eat up!

These no cook meals should help lessen the stress you feel when thinking of what to feed your family. If you don’t have the specific ingredients, use your creativity, and use what you have. You might discover a new recipe while you’re at it!

What’s your favorite no cook meal recipe? Please share it with us in the comments section!

Up Next:

This Article Was First Found at survivallife.com Read The Original Article Here

preparedness

Billionaire Whistle Blower: Wuhan Coronavirus Death Toll Is Over 50,000

Exiled Chinese businessman Guo Wengui recently revealed leaks from Wuhan crematoriums. He claims based on the number of bodies their furnaces are burning, the death toll could be as high as 50,000.

A Chinese billionaire and whistleblower who lives in U.S. exile says Wuhan crematoriums have burned 50,000 coronavirus victims. | Credit: Chinatopix via AP

The official coronavirus death toll in China is a little over 800. But an exiled Chinese businessman says crematoriums are leaking the real figure.
A billionaire whistleblower alleges Wuhan has crematoriums working 24/7. He claims they’ve cremated some 50,000 coronavirus victims.
Guo Wengui is a Chinese billionaire living in exile in the United States.

The official coronavirus death toll is some 800 people in China. The current official death toll worldwide, outside of China, is 774. But a Chinese billionaire with a history of blowing the whistle on his former government says the real figure is much higher.

Exiled Chinese businessman Guo Wengui recently revealed leaks from Wuhan crematoriums. He claims based on the number of bodies their furnaces are burning, the death toll could be as high as 50,000. Wengui made the bombshell allegations in an interview with former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon.

Whistleblower: 1.5 Million Coronavirus Cases In China, 50,000 Coronavirus Deaths In Wuhan

He also claims to have inside information that there are 1.5 million confirmed coronavirus cases in China. Wengui is emphatic that these are not merely quarantined or “under observation” but confirmed cases of coronavirus infection:

China has struggled to contain the coronavirus. But it has also struggled to contain public outcry against censorship and tight control of information. Dr. Li Wenliang, who sounded the alarm about the disease, succumbed to an infection and died this week. The Chinese government arrested him for blowing the whistle.

Then officials tried to suppress news of his death. Afterwards, millions of Chinese citizens saw the hashtag #IWantFreedomOfSpeech on Mandarin language social media. But the Chinese government censored that too.

Are Wengui’s Crematorium Claims Credible?

Watch VICE’s 2017 profile on Guo Wengui. At the time, he published bombshell documents alleging corruption in the Chinese government. He got the attention of the media and reportedly the U.S. State Department.

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