“I would rather be on my farm than be emperor of the world.”
- George Washington
Preparedness isn’t new – it’s woven into America’s roots.
The Founding Fathers weren’t just political revolutionaries – they were also hardworking, land-tilling survivalists.
From George Washington’s crop rotation techniques to Thomas Jefferson’s obsession with seed-saving and food security, the early builders of this country knew how to live off the land, prepare for lean times, and adapt to uncertainty.
As Founding Father Benjamin Franklin said, “There seem to be but three ways for a nation to acquire wealth. The first is by war, as the Romans did, in plundering their conquered neighbors. This is robbery. The second by commerce, which is generally cheating. The third by agriculture, the only honest way, wherein man receives a real increase of the seed thrown into the ground, in a kind of continual miracle, wrought by the hand of God in his favor, as a reward for his innocent life and his virtuous industry.”
Our Founding Fathers knew that true independence comes from being able to survive on your own – and feeding yourself is key.
Read on to discover the many ways you can still follow the Founding Fathers’ survivalist methods today to ensure you and your family can eat – without relying on anyone else.
Grow Your Own Food
As historian Andrea Wulf explains, “All of [the Founding Fathers] letters mention trees, plows, forests, seeds and other planting references, all experimented with crop rotation, manure and other farming methods, and all used nature in one way or another in their fight for this country."
Our Founding Fathers understood that growing their own food was essential for independence and survival.
We should have the same mindset.
Start by stocking up on a variety of sprouting seeds.
As you begin to garden and grow your own food, you will enjoy food security, too.
Don’t just plant one thing – diversify your garden.
While tobacco was a major cash crop in Virginia, the Founding Fathers actively sought to diversify their plantings.
They cultivated wheat, corn, vegetables, fruits, and other crops to ensure a more stable food supply for their households and explore more sustainable agricultural systems.
Benjamin Franklin put it best when he said, “Plow deep while sluggards sleep, and you shall have corn to sell and keep.”
Save Seeds
Our Founding Fathers also recognized the importance of saving seeds.
If America did not learn how to grow its own food, the nation would be dependent on other countries.
Quartz explains, “Food production became a key determinant of American independence, with seeds serving as the organic capsules containing the roots of liberty and the means by which British goods could be successfully boycotted. Seeds represented autonomy. They were independent.”
The Founding Fathers, deeply invested in their plantations and self-sufficiency, understood the vital importance of saving seeds.
Their seed-saving practices were driven by necessity.
Seed-saving was necessary for self-sufficiency and long-term food security, a lesson that remains relevant for preppers today.
Invest in a survival seed vault.
Raise Livestock and Hunt
Our Founding Fathers also recognized the importance of hunting and raising livestock.
They had to rely on their trapping, hunting, and fishing skills to feed themselves and their families.
Livestock was an integral part of their farming operations, providing meat and dairy.
They also hunted to put food on the table.
Mount Vernon reports, “Keeping exact score one day as a young surveyor, George Washington scribbled in his diary that he shot at wild turkeys and ‘missed twice,’ adding the next day that he ‘killed two’ wild turkeys. Each man in his survey party cooked his take on spits, eating from wood chips for plates.”
If you know how to hunt, you’ll never run out of food.
Now is the time to start hobby farming or raising chickens like our Founding Fathers.
And, if you have not learned the art of hunting or fishing, it’s never too late to get started.
Preserve Food
Our founding fathers didn’t have refrigerators and freezers like we do today, but they still needed to store food to make it through different seasons.
As a result, they learned various methods for preserving and storing food, such as canning and dehydration.
Additionally, before refrigerators, people used root cellars to store food, specifically root vegetables.
Root cellars worked by using the natural cooling and insulating properties of the earth to keep food from freezing during the winter and spoiling during the summer.
In addition to providing storage for root vegetables, root cellars were used to store other types of produce.
All these items can still be stored in root cellars without refrigeration, which means they require no electricity.
In addition to learning food preservation techniques, stock up on long-term emergency food (already designed for long-term storage) while you are at it.
Collect Water
Water is necessary for drinking, cooking, and sanitation.
It is also necessary for farm animals, livestock, and gardens.
The Founding Fathers, living in a time before municipal water systems, relied on various methods to collect water for their households, agricultural needs, and livestock.
Our Founding Fathers knew how to find water, such as following the signs of vegetation and digging in those areas.
They also relied on rainwater harvesting. They would collect rainwater running off their roofs using gutters and channels, directing it into storage containers.
Digging wells to access groundwater was another crucial method for collecting water, especially for a more consistent supply for drinking and cooking.
Barter with Like-Minded Neighbors
Our Founding Fathers strove for independence as a nation, but that required working with each other.
They bartered seeds and food with their neighbors to ensure they had a diverse supply of food to make ends meet.
Know ahead of time people you can barter with.
Whether SHTF or you simply want to depend on commercial food stores less, creating your own bartering system is a wise choice.
Bartering works best when people are honest, fair, and ethical.
You don’t want to barter away fresh produce in exchange for a task only to have the person fail to complete the task.
You also want to look for like-minded people. It’s much easier to barter with others who support the idea and enjoy bartering themselves than those you push into it.
Strive to be self-reliant like our Founding Fathers, friends.
In liberty,
Elizabeth Anderson
Preparedness Advisor, My Patriot Supply
