How to approach the neighbors without showing your hand?

[barfife]

Our home on 10 acres is our BIL. We are in the country where most of the homes in our area are on 10+ acres. We have been here a few years. Since we are active in our church (15 miles away) and have no school age children, we really don't know our neighbors beyond that of a wave from the mailbox if someone is driving by. As with most homes in this area, we are only about 400 ft off the road and in plain view.

We are also located only 35 miles (wish it were 350 miles) out of Atlanta and centrally located about 14 miles from 3 small cities each about 30-40,000 people.

Our family of two "could grow" to 5 adults and 2 toddlers ( grown children and their familiy) should SHTF but it may not. We don't have the manpower to maintain, garden, guard our BIL with a staff of two! It would make sense to form an alliance with neighbors.

My question is how to approach the neighbors without showing your prepping hand and/or raising suspicion? Hard to trust folks you don't really know. Any advice?

[Metal]

I too would like some advice on how to broach the subject.
I'm not too sure about my neighbors (most are pot or meth heads Dawson county).
Some of my distant neighbors seem to be alright hard working poeple, but like me keep much to themselves.
How do you know who to trust?

[WiseOwl]

I live 60 miles south of Atlanta, nice to have some more Ga Boys on here...howdy fellas.
I live in a small town with no red lights or gas stations. Everyone here has been here forever. We keep to ourselves always (OPSEC) but in the past couple of months I have been meeting my neighbors. I know now the family on the corner with the farm are very nice. Their son lives next door and he is a history buff and thinks on the level of preparedness as well as I. The conversation started up by getting on the subject of guns and then the government and then the way of the world. I know if TS ever HTF, and we had to bug in, I believe our street would come together in unity. But, being 15 miles away from Griffin, I know we would be using our ammo a lot when the horde leaves the "other" side of the tracks. Luckily, we have 500 acres here behind us and the family on the corner owns most of it. Ponds, streams and plenty of game...they have the farm and the knowledge. I have the back and the arms and the young mind-state to help out with the labor. But as my job keeps expanding upward, we are eventually headed to the hills of NC....and its looking sooner than we thought..(hopefully lord)

[Triple-sod]

I think you answered your own question there, get to know them, and well. I’m mean, some of the friendliest people I’ve met have been complete a-holes when you scratch a bit deeper. I always found the old adage about judging people by their actions rather than their words holds very true in this regard. I think a good starting point is just being neighbourly, give them the time of day and if their doing anything offer to lend a hand ect. You can learn a lot about a person’s character that way.

[Cimarron]

On first couple of approaches I wouldn't even mention "prepping".

Do they have a different style house/landscaping?--"That is such a unique design of house who did it/how old is it?"

Do they have a different type/odd flowers/shrubs? --" I really like that snow ball bush and silver leaf how long did it take to grow?"

Do they have a garden?--- "We seen your garden and were wondering about the type of soil around here because we were wanting to plant xxx and were wondering if you thought it would grow?"

Is there a creek/pond/hill/old house nearby that could be considered odd?-- "Say, has Blackwood Creek ever run over? OR, "Why does everybody call the house on the corner the Bixby house when the Johnson's live there (previous owners or a long time residence)?

Are you going to garden, have a little extra? Even if you don't maybe think of taking them some garden veggies and just saying something like "I had some extra xxx and didn't want them to go to waste and thought maybe you could use some or maybe knew somebody who did".

You don't normally have kids around right? Say your family is coming to visit and are bringing kids and ask your neighbors about a nice kid friendly park/rec center.

How neat is their place (nice lawn, no clutter)?
What do they drive?
Is the house orderly?
Look for a point of possible interest that they would open up to you on.

Look for clues that could give you something to talk about. Keep your questions neutral at first, talk evenly (don't speak fast) get them use to you asking questions so when you get to a point of asking something a little personal there will be little or no alarm from them.
Really get to know them. Even if they don't turn out to be on your prepper list maybe you would still make a friend.

There are a hundred things that could spark a meeting and lead to a conversation.

Hope this was helpful.

[Cimarron]

After you feel they have loosened up some and might not be suspicious;

Hit on local things that could lead to a more pointed conversation.
"I sure will be glad when the Washington street bridge is finished, that tax hike is a real pain in the back pocket, and with this economy we all need every bit of our check we can get. Speaking of economy, did you hear about that new economic concern the congress critters are talking about now (just pick one, there's actually plenty of concerns out there. lol ). They say that it cold get a lot worse then it is now, what do you think"? --Their reply should be very telling, one way or the other.

"Hey Sally, I was doing some canning and ran out of lids, do you know of any on sale?--If they do right off the top of their head they are probably into canning. If they don't know what a seal/lid is for canning then it's a good chance they don't put up food. Not a definite that they aren't a prepper/prepping but it starts to give you a picture.

Do you hear gun shots at their house- them practicing (hopefully) does it look like they could be gun enthusiasts? Does it look like they are hunters? Maybe that could be a point of interest of theirs you could use to start a conversation. Where's a good place to hunt, do they know any land for lease, is there a local hunt club?..... or do they think guns are 'icky' and kill people? A picture will start forming.

Do they drive a prius and he wears cotton sweaters and/or polo shirts all the time?--walk away :p

Don't forget they could be prep/survivalists and practice OPSEC and will divulge just a little and be gauging your responses as well.

[barfife]

good points to ponder. thanks

[Proud Grandma]

we are going to have a cookout and invite the neighbors. talk alittle about whats going on in the world and say if it gets bad we ought to stick together, and plant a seed in their mind and let them think about it. then let them approuch us after that.

[BeckyinTX]

We take a kinda different approach. We know our neighbors but we're not big on discussing preps. However we know which neighbors garden, have livestock, their medical problems, & what skills each has that would be useful in a SHTF situation. We store extra seeds, food, meds, & items specific to their needs.

[trkarl]

We take a kinda different approach. We know our neighbors but we're not big on discussing preps. However we know which neighbors garden, have livestock, their medical problems, & what skills each has that would be useful in a SHTF situation. We store extra seeds, food, meds, & items specific to their needs.

That's a good idea IMO. Being able to help someone with a specific need that a bag of beans and rice won't fix would definitely garner a loyal friend if something ever happened.

[TyrannyUnleashed]

Be courteous to all, but intimate with few, and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence.
~George Washington



Sorry to answer your thread with a quote, but I feel it is so very important for all of us to see how intelligent our forefathers were. And this quote I hold true.

Mike

[Rmplstlskn]

Well quoted, Mike! There is indeed much wisdom to be learned from those old, dead, white guys... LOL..

Rmpl

[TyrannyUnleashed]

Well quoted, Mike! There is indeed much wisdom to be learned from those old, dead, white guys... LOL..

Rmpl

I think I say, thank's!

But many of our founding fathers were of other colors (races) also. It just so happens that the ones who got most of the press were white.
either way, Thank's again
Mike