As the recession lingers, some Phoenix-area residents are shifting attention from their financial troubles, including falling home values and shrinking retirement savings, to stockpiling food and ammo.

They worry the economic turmoil could lead to skyrocketing inflation, food scarcity, even violence. To prepare, they are forming social-networking groups to discuss how to store grains, purify water, plant gardens and, if needed, shoot guns.

"Most of us feel that if things do get better, it will be a long way out," said Jeff Rodriguez, a 26-year-old software engineer from Glendale. "I want to have some preparations in place."

The economy has him thinking a lot more about things like where his food comes from, how much cheap oil is left in the world and how people in the blazing-hot Valley would survive a major economic failure.

He has carefully prepared a 12-row, 384-square-foot garden, stores a ton and a half of grain in his home, and is considering buying pygmy goats or chickens.

He also has researched solar electricity and a rainwater-collection system.

He is far from alone. Rodriguez belongs to a local network of like-minded people who include retirees, young mothers and successful professionals.

These people are joining thousands nationwide who are studying survival tactics far from the backwoods bunkers associated with "survivalists."

At least two survival-related groups have formed in Phoenix since December, and groups with varying outlooks and politics have sprouted nationally from Kentucky to New York.

Of course, it's not unheard of for mainstream groups to prepare for emergencies. The Mormon Church, which reports 13.5 million members worldwide, has long counseled self-sufficiency and encourages families to keep a prudent supply of food on hand.

Disasters such as hurricanes and 9/11, and even perceived troubles like the Y2K bug, always increase interest in survivalism. The men behind the counters at U.S. Surplus Corp. in Phoenix see a crush of new customers every time tragedy strikes.

The newbies stand out from the military personnel and outdoor enthusiasts who stop in for rugged clothing, rations or canteens.

"They are the ones trying to fix up a cave to live in," store manager Gary Pickering said. "They are asking a lot of questions and buying things they normally wouldn't, like water-purification tablets."

Sales at the store haven't slid with the rest of the economy, officials said. Preparing for a disaster makes sense only if people actually know how to use the equipment they are buying, said Cody Lundin, who runs a survival-skills school in Prescott and authored two books on the subject.

He says people should learn to care for themselves in case of emergency whether a disaster is pending or the economy is tanking.

Last year was among the best ever for his school, although it's not always clear what motivates people to sign up.

"I'm seeing an influx of people simply calling to inquire what I think about stuff," Lundin said. "They are probing the waters because they are getting freaked out."

Professional counselor Rita Archambault said her East Valley clinic is treating more people with anxiety over the economy.

"I have not seen so much concern about the economy in my entire life," she said.

If planting a garden, raising poultry or stockpiling ammunition makes people feel better about their situation, good for them, she said.

"If you are not hurting anybody and you are reducing your anxiety, what harm is there?" Archambault said.

The only danger is if people get so obsessed that they neglect their job or family, she said.

It's not surprising that many of the people preparing for tough times are educated professionals, said Heidi Wayment, a social-psychology professor at Northern Arizona University who has researched disasters and anxiety.

"To understand the huge potential crisis that could come from economic collapse, you have to be educated," Wayment said. "I wouldn't say these people are crazy - far from it."

The people who are newly interested in survival skills recognize their eccentricity.

"I'm cognizant that what I'm doing is not normal," said Rodriguez, adding that his roommate thinks the food stockpile and garden are cool.

On a recent Friday evening, he and a few of the nearly 100 survivalism group members gathered at a Scottsdale bar. Amid the pumping dance music, they discussed the jobless rate, harvesting rainwater and protecting their property from looters.

"It would be fair to say most have at least some interest in firearms," Rodriguez said.

That's not to say the members glorify violence.

"I wouldn't even know what to do with a gun!" exclaimed MaryLou Benigno, 68.

Benigno, a retired teacher, has been gardening for years, but the economy has brought more urgency to her hobby.

She lectures the group on how to keep a worm-bed of compost under the kitchen sink from stinking up the house and the best places to buy seeds.

Benigno has been shopping for a cheap foreclosure home with land for a garden, which she hopes to share with friends.

"I don't want to be corny and say something like, 'Getting back to nature,' but if you develop a site properly, you could grow on every inch of the place," she said.

Lynn Smith, a Scottsdale commodities trader, spoke of his plans to head to Iowa for the summer, where his family owns a sprawling piece of land.

"It would be kind of hard to get by in the desert," he said.

Smith, 53, sold his home shortly after the real-estate peak in 2006 when he feared a market collapse and, despite a substantial income, now lives in an RV.

He can work remotely, so he'll spend the summer in the Midwest exploring how to grow food and may come back to Scottsdale next year, "depending what happens."

Smith pulled out aerial photographs of the Iowa property. "It's all flat, and I could see someone coming from any direction except this one patch of trees," he said.

The group nodded in agreement.