From a recent email…

…a few more signs of the times: Could 2009 be the year of the ?survivalist?? Signs of this, from USA Today:

  • Stockpiling. When the stock market drops, orders surge for freeze-dried food, survival kits and emergency supplies, says Nitro-Pak president Harry Weyandt. One best-seller: a $3,375 food reserve that feeds four people for three months
  • Gardening. Sales of vegetable seeds and transplants are up 30% from 2008 at W. Atlee Burpee, the USA’s largest seed company. The National Gardening Association says 7 million more households will grow food this year than in 2008 — a 19% rise. A book on building root cellars is the top seller at Johnny’s Selected Seeds in Winslow, Maine, supervisor Joann Matuzas says
  • Canning. Jarden Corp. says sales of its Ball and Kerr canning and preserving products are up more than 30% from 2008. Sonya Staffan, owner of The Jam and Jelly Lady commercial cannery in Lebanon, Ohio, is offering twice as many classes this year
  • Sewing. More people are learning to sew so they can mend clothes and make home decor, says Rachel Cohen, spokeswoman for SVP Worldwide, owner of sewing products makers Singer and Husqvarna Viking
  • Relocating. Steve Saltman, general manager of LandAndFarm.com, a national real estate company, says more customers want to ?live simply in a less-expensive place.? Jonathan Rawles of SurvivalRealty.com says more people moving to rural areas ?are specifically worried about economic and social instability.?