Growing your own food is just the first step in becoming more secure and self-reliant. Sure, most preppers, homesteading families, and off-the-grid folks know how to can and dehydrate their garden produce. But turning what you grow into complete meals and using your livestock to sustain a family is a bit more involved than simply plucking crisp veggies out of the garden.
Pamela Gail Peters, or “Grannie Pam,” has turned showing others how to take charge of the family’s food security into a successful career. Peters is one of the many expert preppers who will be featured at the 3-day total immersion, hands-on Prepper Camp in Saluda, North Carolina this year.
Grannie Pam is highly regarded as an expert in cheese making, bread making, sourdough bread making, canning, food dehydration, food fermentation, beer and wine making, and cooking with food stores.
Peters has been canning and gardening since she was a little girl, likely due in no small part to having been raised by grandparents who recognized the value of being self-reliant.
Peters is the author of four books and also operates the Grannie Pam’s Prepping With Big Flavors blog. In addition to her preparedness skills and accomplishments, Grannie Pam is also an accomplished artist and potter.
Peters’ books include Grannie Pam’s Favorite Recipes, Grannie Pam’s Prepping With Big Flavors, More of Grannie Pam’s Favorite Recipes, and More of Grannie Pam’s Prepping With Big Flavors.
Grannie Pam recently sat down with Survival Based to discuss preparedness cooking and food security, as well as what she will be doing at Prepper Camp 2015.
There are approximately 5 million prepping families in America. Why do you think more and more people are interested in becoming more self-reliant?
Grannie Pam: I think that people no longer trust the government. I believe that they are also beginning to see that the government can’t be held responsible for everyone in disaster situations, that we have to be responsible for ourselves.
I also believe that people are going back to learning the things that our grandparents and great grandparents knew; it is an empowering experience to relearn things that have been forgotten by so many. I know that every time I learn something new I can’t wait to show someone, or teach someone what I have learned. I feel like this is the gift that I can give to anyone who is willing to learn. I am always surprised at how many want to learn and also by how many still don’t care to know anything.
Dispel any common misconceptions about preppers that you have heard or felt.
Grannie Pam: We are not preparing for the end of the world. I hear this every time someone picks up one of my books and asks me what “prepper” means. No, we are not preparing for the end of the world. We are preparing to take care of ourselves and become more self sufficient. My husband and I lived through Hurricane Andrew and lived without electricity for three weeks. It taught us then and there that we needed to be able take care of ourselves in times of crisis.
We were both also downsized from our jobs within four days of each other about nine years ago. “The end of the world as we knew it.” We have not found work but have found other ways of making a living and of getting by. We have not skipped a beat and have found that our lives are just as rewarding and fun as they were when we were working. We have more time for each other and more time to do the things that we enjoy, but we have had to make changes in the way that we live. We have learned to make everything last as long as possible. We went back to doing things the way that my grandparents did things and are enjoying our lives even more than we did before.
How will your Prepper Camp 2015 presentation help attendees become more self-reliant?
Grannie Pam: Lots of people are buying things like dried beans, grain, powdered milk and never using it. What I want to do is show people how to use these products in their everyday lives so that when, and if, it every becomes necessary for them to live off of their food stores that they know how to use them, have become used to using them, and can prepare meals that are healthy and satisfying for their families.
I also want to teach them how to bring “big flavors” into their food so that they don’t experience food fatigue, which could happen. Food fatigue can happen with children and older individuals. It means they will stop eating, and this could lead to death—we don’t want that. We want our families to enjoy the food that we prepare for them and eat so that they stay healthy.
What will you be presenting at Prepper Camp 2015?
Grannie Pam: Cheese making and anything else the Survivalist Gardener and Survivor Jane want me to present.
Why did you choose to become involved with Prepper Camp and did you present or attend last year?
Grannie Pam: My husband, Jerry, and I are sponsors of Prepper Camp. I was a presenter last year. We are very good friends with Survivor Jane and the Survivalist Gardener, Rick Austin.
Last year was very exciting. I filled in for an individual who did not make it to Prepper Camp and also did my own classes. I taught Making Nut Butters and Grinding Your Own Grain, Food Dehydration, Canning and Fermentation, Cheese Making using Powdered Milk, and Cooking with Food Stores.
Probably one of my fondest memories was of a little six year old who kept telling his mom that I was “awesome.” At the end of my cheese-making presentation I asked if there were any questions that I could answer for anyone and a little hand shot up in the back. I asked him what he would like to know and he said “Can I taste the cheese?” Of course I said yes, and he came running up to the stage with everyone else in the audience lining up behind him. Everyone got to taste the cheese; he was happy and so was I.
Is your presentation geared to newbies, veteran preppers, or will all walk away with new ideas and information?
Grannie Pam: My presentations are geared for everyone. I try to teach on a level where everyone can get something from the presentation, that they aren’t intimidated nor do they get bored. I want everyone to come away with ideas and information so that they can build on what I have shown them.
How is Prepper Camp different from other prepper expos?
Grannie Pam: This particular venue is a learning venue. We are not just throwing information out there and expecting people to learn just from the information they receive; we do a lot of hands-on stuff. We want the campers to come to our booths and ask us questions about anything that they did not understand or anything that perhaps we didn’t cover but they are interested in knowing.
Personally, I want to share all of the information that I have in my head. I want to give people anything that I can to help them on their journey towards self sufficiency. We want them to go away with the experience of learning and being with lots of like-minded people. We also want them to have fun and enjoy the learning experience.
Why should folks attend Prepper Camp?
Grannie Pam: If your are looking for the opportunity to spend time with like-minded people who are on the same journey that you are on, this is the place to be. If you’d like lots of hands-on learning experiences, great teachers, and people who want to share with you all of the knowledge they have to help you on your journey, then this is the Prepper Camp that you need to go to.
There are lots of activities during the day for everyone to learn from, and there are activities at night for everyone to relax and enjoy. All around this is the best Prepper Camp, and everyone who goes away from this event will be satisfied and glad that they attended.