In the "Great Depression" of the 1930's, the unemployment rate was only 25% nationally, but in industrial areas like Detroit the unemployment rate was somewhere between 75% and 90%.

One of the reasons that the US did as well as it did during the 1930's was the fact that much of the population was rural and lived on farms where they had the capacity to produce their own food.

These conditions don't exist any longer in the US.

In times of economic crisis, it is imperative that you be capable of producing food and defending your home. Since this is basically impossible in suburban America, the solution is to move to a rural location where a large garden and some livestock is possible.

Since the long-term outlook on the US is decidedly negative, it would be extremely wise to make growing ginseng one of the objectives you take into account when buying your place in the country.

Given the energy problems on the horizon, it is critical that you find a place that offers good opportunities for renewable energy. Our idea of the perfect place would be a little 20 acre spread with about 15 acres in woods suitable for growing ginseng, the rest cleared and level enough to use for gardening and pasture, and a year-round stream running through it or bordering it that would be suitable for setting up a micro-hydro unit. Throw in a producing gas well and you've got it made.