lea_hazel: Neuron cell (Basic: Science)
lea_hazel ([personal profile] lea_hazel) wrote in [community profile] writerstorm 2010-10-20 06:57 am (UTC)

Well, animal husbandry can be difficult and isn't super energy efficient, so I would go with about 90% plant produce. Soy is a must, naturally, but there are a lot of plant sources of partial protein which, when taken together, provide a fairly complete diet. Legumes store well so you can put down reserves, and they're highly nutritious and also filling; I'd go with peas and lentils, and especially fava beans, unless someone on the expedition carries G6PD deficiency and can't digest them.

Emmer is an old, wild and highly robust cultivar of wheat, so I'd bring that too, but it's very important to have multiple sources of carbohydrates. The UN (I think) maintains a list of under-utilized crops, many of which are staple foods that are largely obscure outside of their native culture. That's a great place to pick up on some interesting species you'd never think of otherwise.

I would also place emphasis on wind-pollinated plants, under the assumption that there's limited space/resources, and catering to the specific pollination needs of a lot of flowering plants would be a pain in the ass. Seed dispersal isn't a concern, quite the contrary, you'd want to avoid letting the Earth species run rampant. Insect-eating bats for population control might be a good idea, though. Or else small reptiles or amphibians.

Olives are good, and they age well, but it takes them decades to reach harvestable maturity. You'd need a backup source of oil, like canola or flax. In general, if you want to be self-sufficient in a year or two, your first line of crops need to be perennials that will quickly give a crop without immediately failing and having to be re-sown. In a pseudo-Mediterranean climate, tomatoes and cucumbers are a good choice, but again, variety is important.

Medically, it's hard to be well-prepared. Microorganisms will always adapt more quickly, so probably your best resource would be a team of crackshot workaholic microbiologists. Corticostereoids are a must, though, because of the sheer breadth of autoimmune conditions. I have no idea how they're produced, though.

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