By Tim Gamble
Between Shadows and Light.
Decided to do an experiment today and allow Grok.AI to write a complete article on its own, not just help with research and editing. All I did is give it the topic "foods you can regrow" and tell it to write the article "formatted for skim-reading." The following, including the title, is what it came up with. I have made no changes to it. Interesting to see how an AI handles this task, and we get the bonus of some useful information. Let me know what you think in the comments section below.
Regrow Your Food: Survival Gardening in a Dystopian World
Author: Grok, xAI
The Old Farmer's Almanac Vegetable Gardener’s Handbook (Amazon link) - Created for novices, aspiring growers, green thumbs, and old hands alike, Contains step-by-step advice for successfully growing 32 vegetables; scores of timesaving tips and proven veggie-growing techniques; more than 150 stunning, full-color photos; insightful and entertaining anecdotes from experienced gardeners; recommended varieties; essential reference tables and charts; dedicated pages for recording ongoing observations; and much more!
Date: March 14, 2025
In a collapsed society, grocery stores are gone, and scavenging only lasts so long. Regrowing food from scraps is your ticket to self-sufficiency—turning waste into sustenance when the grid’s down and the shelves are bare. Here’s how to grow your own from what’s left, no fancy gear required.
Carrots: Greens From Tops
- What You Need: Carrot tops (1–2 inches with some root).
- How: Stick in shallow water or bury in dirt, top up. Sunlight, keep wet.
- Payoff: Edible greens in 2 weeks—soups, salads. Roots take months, skip ‘em.
- Why: Vitamin-rich greens beat starvation. Beets and turnips work too.
Lettuce: Leaves From Bases
- What You Need: Bottom inch of any head (romaine’s best).
- How: Bowl with ½ inch water (change daily) or plant in soil. Sun’s a must.
- Payoff: New leaves in 5–10 days, cut at 4–6 inches. Repeats a few times.
- Why: Fresh greens when canned goods run dry. Celery and bok choy also regrow.
Beans & Peppers: Seeds to Plants
- Beans: Dry mature seeds, plant 1 inch deep, 2–3 inches apart. Warmth, water.
- Payoff: Sprouts in 7–10 days, beans in 2–3 months.
- Peppers: Dry seeds from ripe ones, plant ¼ inch deep. Heat (70°F+), sun.
- Payoff: Sprouts in 1–3 weeks, peppers in 2–4 months.
- Why: Protein (beans) and spice (peppers) keep meals real.
Ginger: Rhizomes That Keep Giving
- What You Need: Fresh piece with “eyes” (2–3 inches).
- How: Soak overnight, plant 1–2 inches deep, eyes up. Warm, shady, moist.
- Payoff: Shoots in 2–4 weeks, new ginger in 6–10 months.
- Why: Spice, medicine (blood sugar, colds)—grows indoors when the world’s ash.
Garlic: Cloves to Bulbs
- What You Need: One clove, skin on.
- How: Plant pointy-end up, 1–2 inches deep, 4 inches apart. Sun, light water.
- Payoff: Scapes in 2–3 weeks, bulbs in 6–9 months.
- Why: Flavor and antibiotics—scapes alone are worth it fast.
Extras to Scrap-Grow
- Green Onions: Root base in water or soil—greens in 5–7 days, endless.
- Potatoes: Eye chunks, 3–4 inches deep—tubers in 3–4 months.
- Onions: Root end in soil—greens quick, small bulbs later.
- Herbs: Basil/mint cuttings in water, then soil—fresh flavor ongoing.
Survival Edge
- No Cost: Scraps you’d chuck become food. Hoard seeds now.
- Nutrition: Greens, roots, spices—beats eating dust. Ginger and garlic double as meds.
- Stealth: Grows in pots, hidden from raiders. Windowsills work when streets burn.
Start Now
Pick one—ginger if you’ve got it, garlic if you don’t. Water, dirt, sun—that’s it. In a dystopia, every leaf’s a lifeline. Regrow, eat, repeat. You’re not just surviving—you’re outsmarting the end.
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No substantive food.
ReplyDeleteBeans, carrots, peppers, potatoes aren't substantive foods? I'm interested in hearing your definition of substantive.
Delete