# How Is Your Food Storage?



## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

Here are a couple articles to help motivate us.

Market Skeptics: *****2010 Food Crisis for Dummies*****

2010 Food Crisis Means Financial Armageddon


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## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

My food-preps just got another boost ... a nice sized white-tail-buck has new residence in my freezer (for now) ... soon he will be warmed up in a smoker or in a dehydrator and turned into some jerky or possibly stew'd up and canned. 

The poor guy had a real hard life - some shattered antlers, looked like a few hunters took some pot-shots at him - found lots of bruises, one hip was half-gone and found 3 holes in his ribs ... there was no way that my single bullet could have done that much damage. I harvested everything possible and have the hide to tan when the weather turns nice enough ... will be my first attempt at tanning.


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## dewey (Dec 24, 2009)

Hey Fella's,

I am new here. I farm in nw Ohio. We had a near record corn harvest here and an avg. soybean harvest. Wheat was super. As near as I can guage it, we were on the low side for the state. Ohio (not a big producer) had phenominal crops. Indiana had super yields. Parts of Illinois and Iowa had some disasterous yields, but some were as good as ever. Right now, farmers around here are hard pressed to find a commercial elevator that will take grain. They are plumb full. 
I think the market skeptic guy is wrong. I think usda manipulates statistics for their own reasons and frankly lies when it comes to farm production, but in this case, my eyes and gut tell me that we had a huge corn crop nationally. 
Weather wise, it was a nail biter for most of the U.S. Wet spring, dry summer, wet fall, but the stars must have aligned and we did well. Most farmers were expecting a crop that was less than great, but we get fooled sometimes. Right now corn is worth about $3.60 a bushel. Not good. If we really had a short crop it would not be so cheap. 
That being said, Like a lot of you, I have a basement full of stored food. Dont let news alter your plans. 
Great site.


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## pdx210 (Jan 8, 2010)

this has been going on for a few years now who know when the shit will hit the fan those hardest hit will be 3rd world countries

older articles

Surplus U.S. food supplies dry up - USATODAY.com

:The Daily Star: Internet Edition


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## Lake Windsong (Nov 27, 2009)

*Thanks for the links!*

Appreciate all the links! Being able to grow/raise some of your own food helps in times like these. Even in the cities, container gardening is a great way to have homegrown tomatoes or fresh herbs. In rural areas, bigger and bigger gardens are sprouting up these last couple of years. We are hunting and fishing more, raising more goats, rabbits, and chickens; bartering more often with neighbors, etc. Food prices have increased so much, and I'm sure they will only go higher this year!


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## Vertigo (Aug 6, 2009)

Hi,

Food storage is not really a problem for us. Although in a sense we are not storing food at all, in another sense, that is what we do.

Let me explain: My parents own a wholesale company, with mostly foodstuffs for pets, but also with lots of corn, wheat, rice and some other grains. We probably have about 30 to 60 tons of grain on any single day!  There is not really a point for us to have a dedicated, separate stash, since the warehouse gets replenished every week!

Apart from that, we also keep some animals, mostly birds to supply us with some extra meat and eggs. Not enough for our current usage, but if things get though, we can make do. We are looking into getting ourselves a pig as well, which might be a nice supplement. Biggest problems would be fruit and vegetables, but that is taken care of by my grand parents (who live only 5km away) who have a garden almost round the year and who can as well. 

We do have a couple of very big water tanks, a couple with rainwater and a couple with ground water (not a spring, the water-table is very high where I live). In a pinch, we could drink that, but I would rather get us a good filtration device as well. And for heating, we are all set, with at least a 5 year supply of wood (although not everything is at our house, some is stored in the warehouse. We do have two 18ton trucks to move it around though) and a rather small tank for "heating-diesel" which should last for about 6 months. 

Another big issue however is security. Which is non-existing because of where I live. 

greetz,

V.


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## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

Vertigo said:


> my grand parents (who live only 5km away) who have a garden almost round the year and who can as well.


How do they do that? Aren't you getting the snow and cold weather that I've been reading about in England?

Oh yea. I wish I had 30 tons of grain laying around.


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## Vertigo (Aug 6, 2009)

UncleJoe said:


> How do they do that? Aren't you getting the snow and cold weather that I've been reading about in England?


Yeah, partly its true, we are having a lot of snow and ice lately. But my grand parents have a pretty large greenhouse, which is perfect to plant. Off course the last few weeks, they haven't planted, because even a greenhouse wouldnt be able to stave of the freezing temps. But the rest of the year, there is always something growing, indoors or outdoors.



> Oh yea. I wish I had 30 tons of grain laying around.


And all of it is packed in 25kg heavy duty plastic (or sometimes paper) bags loaded on top of "palettes" (don't know if that is the right english word for rectangular wooden constructs used to load stuff on and haul around using a forklift)

V.


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## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

Vertigo said:


> Yeah, partly its true, we are having a lot of snow and ice lately. But my grand parents have a pretty large greenhouse, which is perfect to plant. Off course the last few weeks, they haven't planted, because even a greenhouse wouldnt be able to stave of the freezing temps. But the rest of the year, there is always something growing, indoors or outdoors.


I really need a LARGE greenhouse. 



Vertigo said:


> packed in heavy duty plastic (or sometimes paper) bags loaded on to of palettes (don't know if that is the right english word for rectangular wooden constructs used to load stuff on and haul around using a forklift)


Yes. That's the word. We also call them "skids"


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## TicoTiger (Jan 16, 2010)

*Food Storage*

My family currently has a one year supply of Mountain House, which as most people know, has a shelf life of at least 20-30 years.

For shorter term needs, we are experimenting with hydroponic gardening. I have a good supply of basic nutrients (not the pre-mixed store-bought variety) and recently have ordered some amazing LED grow lights which only consume 8 watts each (we will be living off-grid in another year or two). They can be used as a supplement to natural lighting and even in an underground location as a sole light source in an emergency. Here is a link to the website if anyone is interested:

LED Grow Lights for Growing Plants Indoors- Garden Efficiently

Since I live in Costa Rica, we are re-developing my abandoned farm by planting lots of tropical fruit trees and other local crops which can stand the altitude (2,000 meters or 6,000 feet). Recently we had excellent success with a small planting of potatoes without using any commercial fertilizers or pesticides.

A friend and I have also reclaimed some pasture land and bought a breed of cows called Semintal, which are good for both milk and meat, and are very hearty. I also made a small lake last year and stocked it with trout, and they are growing very fast.

Finally, if I know in advance that the world will end, I will rush down to the local supermarket and buy lots of candy bars and a million big Macs at McDonald's using my credit cards, which should keep my junk food requirements filled


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## pdx210 (Jan 8, 2010)

Belgium ..I love Belgium beers Westmalle, Rochefort, Dupont :melikey:
way too many good beers to list i'm single handedly keeping your country afloat with my beer purchases 


Anyway.....what happens is your government or others show up and confiscate/ take your grain. we have laws on the books that allow government to do this you should be prepared to hide some of the grain


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## Vertigo (Aug 6, 2009)

pdx210 said:


> Belgium ..I love Belgium beers Westmalle, Rochefort, Dupont :melikey:
> way too many good beers to list i'm single handedly keeping your country afloat with my beer purchases


Lol, always nice to hear people appreciating our brew :congrat:



> Anyway.....what happens is your government or others show up and confiscate/ take your grain. we have laws on the books that allow government to do this you should be prepared to hide some of the grain


Thats entirely true, but we do have a couple of advantages there. First of all, we can transport everything we would ever need and stash it safely at our house (which is not located at the company).

Secondly, these foodstuffs are under the category of animal feed. It is an unlikely first target, so to speak. So if we hear about anyone raiding the warehouses of supermarkets, granaries, industrial farms and the like, we should still have a day or two before they come to us.

And since it is all pre-packaged, loaded on palettes, we have the equipment to load and we have the trucks to transport it ourselves (both my father, my younger brother and myself have truck driver's licences) we can easily do this in about 3hrs time 

so I do not foresee to have real problems there.

greetz,

V.


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## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

If you run out of space to hide it, I know a few people on this board that will open up some space to help you out.


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## greaseman (Jun 13, 2009)

Farm reports in one part of the country can be great, but as we all know, other parts of the country have had it hard. I guess it just depends on which end of the cow you have your head near. I suppose we wil all find out sooner or later how correct all the predictions are.


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## keepitlow (Oct 22, 2009)

Sometimes we jump the gun with survival mania and do it in an unbalanced way.The way I work my survival preparedness is to do the footwork, prepare, educate and hold it on the back burner unless needed. Until that need, I just live life the best I can.

Without that mindset one cannot be at peace with life, as we are always looking for doom and gloom every day...every hour...every minute. And some survivalists seem to be disappointed if the don't get disaster!

This gives you your base. If things seem to be heading to code orange, step it up a notch. If code red is about to hit, implement your plan to the fullest. 

So you switch gears from being a short term survivalist to a longer term one as things deteriorate. 

One example. 

I usually stock 50 jars of pasta sauce, When it gets down to 20 - 30 jars I restock. If code orange set in this would go to 100 jars. If code red showed up it may be 150 jars. (code colors are my own example). 

Of course, sometimes code red+++ comes without any notice, then store shelves are all empty by the time you arrive. So you will have to balance all these concerns to your own satisfaction. 

But, one important note. Hoarding food is not the same as being able to produce food. So I would suggest anyone interested in survival seriously learn to grow their own as well as be master foragers if your local is conducive for foraging.

If any of you have little space for gardening, you need to put more effort in your pantry and eating from there. 

Check out:

The can opener gourmet 
by Karr, Laura

Pantry Cooking : quick and easy food storage recipes 
by Robins, Laura

And you supplement your pantry with your garden the best you can. You can also forage for wild foods and animals if available. 

If you don't know how to cook and bake bread, make cheese, soap, etc., then better start NOW!

Start keeping a daily log of your usage and extrapolate what a years supply of that item would look like. Then go from there to lay in some proper supplies. 

I inventory my staples to find their average life. For instance. One bottle of 12 oz shampoo lasts me 64 showers One bar of ivory soap lasts for 6 showers before the bar breaks in half. One box of 55 yard floss lasts me 62 times. So it is easy to extrapolate a years supply of these products to see what it looks like. An in some cases I may have many, many years supple of certain products. 

And to take it a step further. Waxed floss can be rinsed reused 2 or 3 times. The soap scraps boiled down and recast into more soap. And if I shower every 3 days one bar can go for nearly a month. I can also substitute old fashioned handkerchiefs for Kleenex. 

I can dilute maple syrup 15% with water, dilute dish soap 50% or more with water, Make my jam, cost a few cents a jar if you got the jars and make high pectin jams that don't require store bought pectin. Pancake mix is loaded with sodium and has lots of extra leavening in it and can be diluted about 40% with plain whole wheat flour. So many areas can be extended if need be.

These staples that cannot be made easily at home are areas that I concentrate on to bulk up on as long as they do not deteriorate ins storage much. And whether they deteriorate or not I rotate stock. 

Even fishhooks, 22 LR ammo, sewing needles, nails...these cannot be made easily at home. So start taking inventory of what you need to lay in.

Here is a copy of my Master Survival Inventory List. It is tailored to what our family eats. I have edited out some proprietary items, but it is complete say to 98%. 

Pantry

Pumpkin
Low sodium canned Vegetable
Low sugar or juice packed canned fruits
Ramen noodles (Only use a fraction of the powder to cut down on sodium.)
Drinking Water
Concord Grape Juice
Apple Juice
Cornmeal
AP Flour
WW Flour
Rye Flour
Rye whole
Baking Soda
Baking Powder
Yeast
Pancake mix
Salt Iondized
Salt Sea
Salt Canning
Sugar White
Peanuts 
Peanut butter
Almonds
Sunflower seeds
Maple Syrup
Rice Basmati
Millet
Buckwheat
Oatmeal
Quick barley
Pearled or hulled barley
Quinoa
Teff
Polenta
Pasta
Sauce cans small metal
Pasta sauce
Parmesan cheese
Ketchup
Mustard
Spring Water 8 oz 16 oz 1 Gallon 5 Gallon
Powder Eggs
Dry Beans mix
Lentils
Dry Peas
Dry Corn
Powdered Milk 
Jam
Honey
Molasses 
Raisins
Dried figs
Dates
Dried Apples, Pears
Granola Bars
Pop tarts
Cocoa
Carob
Chocolate chips
Beer
Wine
Soda natural
Tea 
Tea Herb rose hips, chamomile
Canned Tuna
Sardines
Canned Chicken
Vinegar White gallons
Vinegar Cider
Vinegar Rice
Oil safflower, Corn, Flaxseed
Pam
Dry Cod
Planting seeds
Sprouting seeds
Couscous
Cereal
Tapioca
Kraut
Muffins
Popcorn
Cheesemaking supplies



Spices, Condiments

Arrowroot
Dill cut and sifted
Caraway
Cumin
Cayenne
Cinnamon
Pumpkin pie spice
Cumin
Turmeric
Ginger
Mint
Garlic



Household Staples

Canning Jars
Canning Lids
Canning Bands
Canning Supplies funnel, lift rack, magnet, lid separator
Eyeglasses 
Toothpaste
Toothbrushes
Q- Tips
Shaving cream
Razors
AA Batteries Alk, NIMH
AAA Batteries Alk NIMH
9V Batteries
Ant traps
Yellow writing pads 5 x7 and 8.5 x 11
Newspaper scrap
Plastic bags market
Plastic bags umbrella
Plastic bags zip lock sandwich, larger sizes
F & V produce bags
Tyvek envelopes
Pens blue, Black Red
Markers Sharpies and larger size
Chap stik
Hand cream
Sponge
Spray Cleaner / Windex
SW LW World Radio
Solar and household battery chargers
LED lights
Candles
Sandpaper 
Ammo
Reloading supplies, cases, bullets, primers, powder.
Trash bags black, white, small waste cans
H20 Filter
Bleach
Floss
Dental picks
Toothpicks
Nail files
Ivory soap
Shampoo
Baby Powder
Bug Spray
Soap Dishes - Hand and Machine
Laundry Detergent
Bleach 
Stain remover sticks
Toilet Paper 
Paper towels
Rubbing Alcohol
Iodine
Aspirin
Tylenol
Medicine
3 First Aid Kits Master, Med, Bug out.
Matches
Cig lighters butane, zippo
Vaseline
Staples
String
Laundry Line
Nails
Screws
Light Bulbs
Florescent Tubes
Florescent Light Screw In
Tape Masking - Electrical - Package Sealing
Gray Do All Tape 
Rope
Blow Dryer
Soapmaking supplies

Misc. and Health and Vitamins

Vit A & D
Vit D
Vit C
Iron 
Brewers Yeast
Potassium (no bananas)
Zinc
Vit E
Iron
Folic Acid
Copper
Kyo Dophilus
Enchinaciea
Golden Seal Root
Whey protein,
Green vibrance 
Kyo Green
Whey Protein
Egg and milk protein with vits


Clothes


Hardware and Supplies

Bulk Gas
Cooking Fuel Coleman
Stabil
Motor Oil winter / summer
Either
2 Stroke Oil
Propane Small Tanks 
Propane Large Tanks
Paint House and Spray
Tar
Mortar
Grain mill parts
Flaker Parts
Dehydrator parts


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