Original: https://www.dropbox.com/s/s95hdhevspf943u/Manward%20Letter%20Vol%201%20Dec%202017.pdf?dl=0

Secure Your Family’s Health in an Emergency With This Ultra-Cheap, Easy-to-Build Food System

What we’re about to share is essential Know-How for every man. It’s a way to grow a sustainable crop of food – anywhere – at virtually any scale.

Whether you live on a 2-acre microfarm or at the end of a suburban cul-de-sac, this simple trick can ensure you have a steady supply of vitamin-rich fruits and veggies at your disposal… no matter what’s happening outside your door.

What we’re talking about is hydroponic farming.

In case you’re unfamiliar with the concept, it’s a method of growing plants without soil.

As the “hydro” in the name suggests, this is most often done in water.

The advantages of hydroponic farming over traditional farming are numerous. For one thing, you can grow anywhere: indoors, outdoors… even vertically. Because of this, hydroponic gardens yield more crops in less space.

Even better, those crops require only 10% of the water soaked up by field-grown plants.

Consider the system we lay out here as a jumping-off point. It can be scaled up (or down) to produce as much food as you need.

With tools and materials in hand, you should be up and running in less than an hour’s time.

And if you’re thrifty, the materials, minus the lighting rig (see note on Page 5), should cost you less than 10 bucks.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Aquarium bubbler/air pump

• Aquarium tubing (should come with bubbler)

• Net cups

• Rockwool cubes (aka “starter plugs”)

• A 1-gallon (or larger) plastic pail with lid.

You’ll also need a drill and an appropriately sized bit to make holes in the pail lid. The exact size will depend on the width of the net cups you’ll be using (and what you’re growing). For our purposes, we’re assuming 2-inch net cups and, thus, a 2-inch hole saw bit.

The Build

To get started, make evenly spaced 2-inch holes in the pail lid, along with one smaller hole for the aquarium tubing to feed through (see diagram below).

With holes made – and debris cleared – set your bubbler in the pail. Run the tubing up the side of the pail and out the small hole you made. This will allow for aeration, which is vital to healthy nutrient circulation. (As an added bonus, aeration in a hydroponic system helps your seedlings grow much faster than they would if they were planted in soil.)

Next, fill the pail with water. The water should be practically touching the lid.

[Illustration of build process]

With that all done, it’s time to focus on your actual plants…

Planting the Seeds of Your Survival

This is where the Rockwool cubes come in. Also known in the hydroponic growers’ world as “starter plugs,” they’re great for sucking up water, air and important nutrients, which are then pulled into your plants’ roots.

You’ll want to soak your Rockwool cubes in water for at least an hour before using.

Then, once the Rockwool is saturated, push a couple seeds into the center of each cube. Set a cube into each net cup.

Place the net cups into the 2-inch holes you drilled in the pail lid, as the third piece of our diagram shows.

Now plug in your bubbler and set the entire system beneath your lighting rig. You’ve just built your own miniature hydro-farm.

Depending on the types of plants you start with, seedlings should emerge within a matter of days. You’ll be harvesting your first crop of organic, healthy food in just a few weeks’ time.

It’s the perfect setup for anyone who wants to be prepared for the worst… yet lacks the outdoor space to grow their own fruits and vegetables. Heck, even if you have room on your property for an ample-sized garden, growing food indoors can provide added peace of mind.

In an emergency, you can’t count on the local grocer – or the government – to feed your family. Having access to a vitamin- and nutrient-rich food source could be key to your survival.

A few important points: 1. Certain plants are more finicky than others. In some cases, you may need to closely monitor the temperature and pH levels of the water you use. 2. Make sure you clean the pail, bubbler, tubing and net cups before you get started. 3. Keep the area surrounding your hydro-farm clean as well. Unwatched crops can attract pests, just as they would at a regular farm. (We recently created a full video tutorial of this process. To view it, go to facebook.com/ManwardPress/videos.)