Top Three Survival Staples: Preparing for the Republican-Induced Economic Collapse

February 27, 2025 | by Renegade

In 2023, 13.5% of U.S. households—roughly 18 million Americans—faced food insecurity, a significant increase from 12.8% (17 million) in 2022. (Source: USDA) Now, thanks to Trump’s incompetence, the country is barreling toward a recession. With Congress voting on February 25, 2025, to make massive cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, combined with tariffs that will cost Americans an extra $1,100 to $7,000 per year, even more families will struggle to afford basic necessities in the coming years.

On top of that, Trump and Elon Musk’s reckless mismanagement—enabled by Republican cowardice—has led to the shutdown of USAID. This program purchased $2 billion worth of crops from U.S. farmers each year, helping to stabilize the agricultural economy. Without it, food prices in the U.S. could skyrocket. So now might be the time to start prepping.

Let’s be clear—I am not a prepper. I have zero interest in surviving the apocalypse. What I am suggesting is growing your own food staples to weather the economic collapse caused by Republican greed and incompetence. FDR put safeguards in place to prevent another Great Depression, and Republicans have spent the last two decades systematically dismantling them. A Great Depression 2.0 is no longer out of the question. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and that might include growing your own food.

With that in mind, here are three essential food staples that are easy to grow and packed with the vital nutrients needed to sustain you in difficult times.

Potatoes: A Survival Staple

Potatoes have long been a cornerstone of diets worldwide, and for good reason. They are easy to grow, highly nutritious, and capable of sustaining human life with minimal supplementation. Whether you’re preparing for uncertain times, trying to feed a family on a budget, or looking to become more self-sufficient, potatoes are a survival food worth considering.

Nutritional Benefits of Potatoes
Potatoes are often overlooked as a complete food source, but they provide a surprising range of essential nutrients. Here’s a snapshot of why they are so valuable:

Essential Amino Acids: Potatoes provide all the essential amino acids your body needs to build proteins, repair cells, and fight disease. Eating just five potatoes a day supplies enough amino acids for survival.
Vitamin B6: A medium potato provides about 20% of your daily value of Vitamin B6, important for energy metabolism and the conversion of food into energy.
Vitamin C: With approximately 30 mg per medium potato, they supply around one-third of the daily recommended intake for adults.
Potassium: A medium potato contains 620 mg of potassium, roughly 13% of the daily value. Potassium helps regulate blood pressure and fluid balance.
Iron: One medium potato provides 8% of the daily value for iron, supporting red blood cell production and oxygen transport.

While potatoes lack a few nutrients (such as Vitamin A and calcium) and contain low levels of protein –an adult would have to eat 87 white potatoes in a day to get their required amount of protein – they can be supplemented with other foods to form a more complete diet. Additionally, potatoes are high in carbohydrates, which can cause blood sugar spikes. However, pairing them with protein or fiber-rich foods can mitigate these effects.

A Historical Perspective on Potatoes

Historically, potatoes have nearly sustained populations on their own. Many people are familiar with the Irish Potato Famine, but fewer know that, due to the oppressive nature of their wealthy British landlords, Irish farmers were only allowed to grow potatoes. As a result, potatoes became one of their only available food staples. When supplemented with milk, butter, and a small amount of greens, however, potatoes were enough to sustain the Irish without causing deficiency-related diseases. For example, pellagra, a disease caused by a deficiency in Vitamin B3, is common in poor societies that rely heavily on wheat as their main food source. Before the famine struck, Irish farmers were in relatively good health despite their poverty. According to Professor K.H. Connell, a historian and scholar who wrote extensively on the Irish famine, Irish farmers consumed an estimated 10 pounds of potatoes per day.

In the late 1800s, Marie Antoinette wore a potato flower as a fashion statement in an attempt to make potatoes popular. Her husband, King Louis XVI, wanted the French to grow potatoes, believing it would help alleviate food scarcity. However, the French—like most of Europe at that time—considered potatoes to be a low-class food and refused to grow them. Ultimately, their campaign to popularize potatoes failed, and both King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were executed during the French Revolution.

Growing Potatoes: A Simple Guide

It’s easy to go to the supermarket and buy a bag of potatoes. However, while potato farming still remains a somewhat diverse industry in the U.S., just four corporations own 97% of the frozen potato market. Recently, those four companies were accused of colluding with one another to inflate prices for greater profit. Therefore, if it’s an option for you, growing your own potatoes might be a better alternative to relying on store-bought ones in a survival situation or economic recession. Luckily, potatoes are one of the easiest crops to cultivate, making them an ideal survival food—and they can even be grown indoors.

Here’s a quick guide on how to grow them successfully:

Choose Seed Potatoes: A seed potato is not an actual seed, but a potato that is meant to be sprouted for growing. You will need to choose a certified disease-resistant seed potato, not a grocery store variety potato, for the best results.
Chitting (Pre-Sprouting): Allow seed potatoes to sprout in a bright, frost-free area (like a windowsill) for about a month before planting.
Soil & Location: Choose a well-draining location with at least 6 hours of sunlight. Soil should be loose, fertile, and slightly acidic (pH 5.8-6.5). Enrich soil with compost before planting.
Planting Timing: Plant 2 to 4 weeks before the last frost when the soil temperature reaches at least 45°F.
Spacing & Depth: Dig holes about 6 inches deep. Space potatoes 16 inches apart.
Watering & Maintenance: Keep soil moist, especially after flowering. Potatoes require 1-2 inches of water per week.
Hilling: As potato plants grow, mound up soil around the stems every time they reach 6-8 inches (15-20 cm) tall. This prevents sunlight from reaching the tubers, which can cause them to turn green and develop toxic solanine.

For a more complete guide on how to grow potatoes, try this guide found at Almanac.

Jerusalem Artichokes: A Resilient Crop

Jerusalem artichokes, also known as sunchokes or wild sunflowers, are an underrated but highly resilient and nutritious food source that are making a comeback. Native to North America, they are actually more closely related to sunflowers than artichokes, and they have nothing to do with Jerusalem at all.

Nutritional Benefits
Jerusalem artichokes are packed with essential nutrients, making them a valuable addition to any survival diet. Here’s what they offer:

Calories: 73 per 100 grams
Carbohydrates: 17 grams per 100 grams
Protein: 2 grams per 100 grams, including all essential amino acids.
Fiber: 1.6 grams per 100 grams
Inulin: 10-12 grams per 100 grams, a prebiotic that aids digestion but may cause bloating in some individuals.

Vitamins & Minerals

Vitamin C: 4 mg per 100 grams
Potassium: 429 mg per 100 grams
Iron: 3.4 mg per 100 grams
Magnesium: 25.5 mg per 100 grams

No one can survive long-term eating only one food item, and the Jerusalem artichoke is no exception. They lack some crucial vitamins, such as vitamin A, E, and C, and they lack a substantial amount of protein. Therefore, like with the potato, some supplementation would be necessary for survival. But unlike potatoes, they don’t cause blood sugar spikes. One thing to note about Jerusalem artichokes before you add them to your diet, though, is that they are high in inulin. Inulin feeds the good bacteria in your gut, which can lead to gas and bloating. So those not used to eating the Jerusalem artichoke should add the tuber slowly to their diet to avoid any potential digestive issues.

A Historical Perspective on Jerusalem Artichokes
Historically, Jerusalem artichokes were cultivated by Indigenous tribes in North Americas long before European settlers arrived. These hardy plants became known as “Canadian Potatoes” and were once called a “war plant” due to their ability to thrive in difficult conditions. During World War II, they helped sustain populations during food shortages in occupied France.

Growing Jerusalem Artichokes

Jerusalem artichokes are ideal for long-term food security because they thrive in poor soil and require minimal care. Here’s how to grow them:

Planting: Plant tubers in early spring in well-drained soil.
Spacing: Space tubers 12-18 inches apart, burying them 2-4 inches deep.
Maintenance: Water consistently to keep the soil moist. They are deer-resistant and thrive in harsh climates, even with temperatures as low as -22°F.
Harvesting: Harvest after the first frost, but dig up only what you need. Jerusalem artichokes store well in the ground through winter and can be dug up any time you need more.
Controlling Spread: These plants can be invasive due to their rapid growth. Contain them by planting in designated areas or using barriers, but leave some tubers in the ground to ensure a new crop for the following year.

Hemp: A Nutritional Powerhouse

While hemp is illegal to grow in most states without a commercial license, it’s one of the most versatile plants for survival. Hemp seeds are rich in protein, healthy fats, and several important minerals:

Energy: 2310 kJ (553 kcal) per 100 grams
Protein: 31.6 g per 100 grams
Carbohydrates: 8.67 g per 100 grams
Fats: 48.8 g per 100 grams, including polyunsaturated fats
Magnesium: 700 mg per 100 grams
Iron: 7.95 mg per 100 grams

Unlike its two predecessors on this list, hemp is actually high in protein, for a plant. Eating roughly 200 grams of hemp seeds per day would theoretically meet the daily protein needs for the average adult. However, it might be challenging to eat enough to meet daily protein requirements without digestive distress, due to its high-fat content.

Growing Hemp (Legal Issues)

Unfortunately, I cannot legally recommend growing hemp. Due to outdated regulations and political corruption, it remains illegal to grow hemp in many areas, which aligns with the current state of affairs in America. Because of what was essentially a smear campaign run against hemp by corrupt politicians, hemp still has a bad rap today. I couldn’t even get an AI to generate a photo of hemp because it “violated their code of conduct,” which is beyond ridiculous.

Historically, even the U.S. government recognized hemp’s importance, encouraging farmers to grow it during World War II for military purposes. Going even further back, the Roman Empire regularly used hemp to make thread for rope and other materials. Notably, there is no evidence that the Romans used hemp recreationally, which completely collapses the Republican argument against it.

Today, growing hemp for personal use is illegal, largely due to outdated political decisions. First, corrupt corporations and politicians with monopolies on wood sought to eliminate hemp as competition. Then, Republicans suddenly decided that hemp was a recreational drug, despite the fact that it contains little to no THC. During the War on Drugs, they literally wasted millions of taxpayer dollars pulling hemp—an extremely common weed—out of ditches in an attempt to eradicate it from the U.S. landscape. All of this, despite the fact that you can’t even get high off of it.

That said, a handful of states, including California, allow individuals to grow hemp for personal use. If you’re interested, be sure to check your state’s laws to ensure it’s legal to grow hemp at home. Alternatively, I’d recommend purchasing hemp protein powder or hemp seeds from a commercial grower like Bob’s Red Mill, which is employee-owned—not corporate-owned.

Despite its numerous uses—such as making rope, clothing, paper, and biodegradable plastic—hemp is mostly grown for CBD, leaving its full potential largely underutilized.

Conclusion: Preparing for the Future

The good news is that you don’t need to grow or stock up on all three of these food staples, but having one or two could provide the nutritional foundation needed to survive an economic collapse. While these foods are nutrient-dense, they do have limitations, such as lacking enough Vitamin A, calcium, and protein. For a well-rounded survival diet, consider adding fish or beans as protein sources, as they also contain Vitamin A and calcium. These may be more available than cows and chickens in Trump’s post-apocalyptic vision for America. Canned seafood is also a good option to fill nutrient gaps, as many seafoods are canned with added calcium.

If no meat source is available, certain algae are rich in protein and calcium, but I wouldn’t recommend foraging algae from your local water source, as some types can be toxic. Other sources of Vitamin A to supplement your diet include animal products like liver, fish, dairy, and eggs, as well as plant sources such as carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, and red peppers.

In a future where access to food may become unpredictable, growing your own food staples or stocking up on them is an important step toward self-sufficiency. Whether you choose potatoes, Jerusalem artichokes, or hemp, these crops can provide you with the essential nutrients to sustain yourself and your family during difficult times.

Sources:

USDA Economic Research Service

U.S. Department of Agriculture: Seeds, hemp seed, hulled

Cleveland Clinic: Hemp Protein: What to Know

Well Wisp: What Vitamins and Minerals are in Potatoes

Oh My Facts: 25 Facts about Jerusalem Artichoke

Recipes Mason: Sunchoke: A Complete Guide to Benefits, Uses, and Recipes

Wikipedia: Jerusalem Artichoke

NutritionAndYou.com: Jerusalem Artichoke Nutrition Facts

Disclaimer: This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and does not substitute for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription, and/or dietary advice from a licensed health professional. The author does not claim that survival is possible on only one food item. Always consult with a qualified health professional before making significant dietary changes or preparing for emergencies.