Interesting National Food Data

[kato13]

I wouldn't worry about having too high food production: on a global scale, even after a nuclear war, the problem isn't growing enough food but actually getting that food to people. The breakdown of international trade and transportation infrastructure kills more people than absolute food shortages in the long term.

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This is where the Midwest rivers/great lakes becomes key to recovery. When rpghost died we also lost a great discussion of Chicago. I still feel it (or perhaps Milwaukee) should be either Civgov or Milgov's capital (given no direct nuclear hits).

[WallShadow]

people would have to pucker up and breed and eat bugs .

they are one of the most efficient food sources on the planet and some species yield huge harvests with moderate efforts -as long as climate is warm7favourable.

Why take the trouble Bugs yield versatile produce that are rich in calories and protein .

I am talking grinding the critters to a pulp or granula that are then added to other foodstuffs as a supplement ,not hideous barbecued exoskeletons simmering in a pulpy sauce of insectoid fluid.

Unless you like them au natural of course.

To quote the Klingons in a Star Trek:TNG episode, "Gahk (worms) are best eaten alive." ISTR work being done in the 70's involving breeding and harvesting earthworms to reclaim their protein as a food supplement. And earthworm composting is a great way of improving soil composition for intensive gardening agriculture. A 2-for-1 deal!

Actually, you seem to be missing an easy answer, at least in part--feed them to your poultry. Southern New Jersey counties have for several years instituted a program to release in rural and suburban areas free-range Guinea hens, which eat an enormous weight of ticks and other bugs each day. Free-range chickens, turkeys, geese, pigeons, etc. (or semi-cultivated ones receiving bug-protein supplements) can also benefit from the little exoskeletal critters by converting insect protein into avian protein. And free-range eggs from chickens whose diet includes bugs are far superior to the industrial farm product IMHO. Solutions to two problems (pest control and protein supply) with one effort once again (I love it when a plan comes together!).

[WallShadow]

biological concentration

My previous post involving in part egg production got me thinking back to my college environmental studies classes--poisons, including radioactives, tend to concentrate up the food chain, especially in things like eggs and milk. Again, I am half-remembering recent work being done with algaes to capture and concentrate radioisotopes in watersystems that have had radioactive contamination. Shellfish are also notorious collectors of poisonous substances by nature of their being filters.

Hmmm...the only problem is, you couldn't eat the clams or oysters grown, or feed the algae to your livestock. This could be a fun thing to throw at hungry, unsuspecting, or larcenous PC's., or use as a Deus-ex-machina booby trap to take out raiders to the PC's food supply. "Oh, sorry, we forgot to warn you about eating clams out of season"