Everyday I find more information to back up what I already know. Things are going to get tough if we don't get on top of it.
This footage from Sky news is just one from Australia about the global food shortage we are facing.
Sky News
This article from The Wall Street Journal tells the same story in America.
Wall Street Journal
These are recent articles however this is not an issue that has just begun.This is a talk given to Church members in 1976 a year before I was born.
Why has it taken us so long to listen.
Food Storage
The time was then to start storing, now 31 years later the time is virtually upon us. So whether you believe the papers, church leaders or your own heart we have run out of lead rope it is now up to us to take the reins.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Thursday, June 5, 2008
A good day.
Today has turned out to be a great storage day.
This morning the youngest man and I headed to the shops to grab some storage items I had spied in the catalogues. As well as my bulk storage of things like rice, flour, potato flakes, oats and sugar I buy extra each shop of food that we eat everyday. The idea is that if we needed to live off our food storage we would have a balanced diet and some variety to make the rice and flour go further.
What I bought
By the end of my shop today I had bought for the storage cupboard:
10 packets of pasta
10 one litre cartons of long life juice
4 one kilo tubs of honey
2 boxes of cereal
10 can spagetti
10 cans baked beans
5 cans soup
4 cartons long life cream
This cost me just over $70 with the honey being the most expensive item.
Now I normally don't buy this much storage at once but since I really feel the time is coming to have it I have stepped up my efforts.
When I look in my storage cupboard now I feel like we could probably survive for 3 months on a healthy varied diet and a lot longer on a survival diet.
I can't tell you how great it felt to put it away in the cupboard and finally see that the small purchases were now adding up.
On a scary note I saw Black and Gold rice for $23.95 for a 10kg bag. Most other rice was sold out and I have the feeling will be that price when it returns. I breathed a sigh of relief that the empty shelf did not panic me as I knew I had enough rice in storage to give us a buffer.
On the bulk storage front I have just purchased 4 very large plastic barrels with the intention of filling them with wheat. I have also started researching manual wheat grinders so that I can turn the wheat into a useful product. When I make my decision I will let you know.
Although I have no idea if any one is reading this it is so helpful to write it down for my own motivation and hopefully one day it will help someone out.
This morning the youngest man and I headed to the shops to grab some storage items I had spied in the catalogues. As well as my bulk storage of things like rice, flour, potato flakes, oats and sugar I buy extra each shop of food that we eat everyday. The idea is that if we needed to live off our food storage we would have a balanced diet and some variety to make the rice and flour go further.
What I bought
By the end of my shop today I had bought for the storage cupboard:
10 packets of pasta
10 one litre cartons of long life juice
4 one kilo tubs of honey
2 boxes of cereal
10 can spagetti
10 cans baked beans
5 cans soup
4 cartons long life cream
This cost me just over $70 with the honey being the most expensive item.
Now I normally don't buy this much storage at once but since I really feel the time is coming to have it I have stepped up my efforts.
When I look in my storage cupboard now I feel like we could probably survive for 3 months on a healthy varied diet and a lot longer on a survival diet.
I can't tell you how great it felt to put it away in the cupboard and finally see that the small purchases were now adding up.
On a scary note I saw Black and Gold rice for $23.95 for a 10kg bag. Most other rice was sold out and I have the feeling will be that price when it returns. I breathed a sigh of relief that the empty shelf did not panic me as I knew I had enough rice in storage to give us a buffer.
On the bulk storage front I have just purchased 4 very large plastic barrels with the intention of filling them with wheat. I have also started researching manual wheat grinders so that I can turn the wheat into a useful product. When I make my decision I will let you know.
Although I have no idea if any one is reading this it is so helpful to write it down for my own motivation and hopefully one day it will help someone out.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Why should we store?
As I mentioned before Latter Day Saint (LDS) leaders have been teaching us for many many years that we should have food storage. In fact the teachings to store food comes from as far back as Bible times. However the reasons for storing food have changed depending on the circumstances of the population at the time.
These days we are told to store food for two distinct reasons.
Times of disaster
I don't know about you but I have noticed an alarming increase in natural disasters in the last 5 or so years.Now whether you believe it is because we are causing too much strain on our world, bible prophesy or the fact that a disaster now impacts so many more people because of our population size, the outcome will be the same. What I do know is that I want to be able to take care of my family if at all possible.
Now obviously there will be some disasters that will not allow us to stay in our homes and use our storage and in those cases we should have 3 day packs (mobile emergency storage) I will fill you in on these at a later date. But if we are able to stay in our homes we may need to sustain ourselves for a length of time before either help arrives or we are again able to access supplies. Some information about the Bird Flu shows us that if it was to strike we would be isolated in our homes for a number of weeks maybe even months with no access to work,money or supplies. I know I wouldn't want to put my family at risk of infection because I was not prepared.
Many times when disasters strike elsewhere we are inevitably effected. Transport trucks may be unable to get through or water and electricity may be compromised.The price of a certain food or availability of a product may be effected if the disaster happened in the country or place it is manufactured. This all has an impact on us.With the ever increasing cost of food buying extra and storing means you have a choice when to buy food and may be able to ride out a price increase using your own supplies and only purchase again when (if) things return to normal. These are the times that our storage will be an asset.
Times of hardship
There have been a number of times when my family and families close to me have had to use their food storage because of times of hardship. Whether because of a loss of a job, unexpected bills or medical circumstances food storage can mean the difference between succeeding and failing.When you remove the fear of going without food your efforts can be put into more lucrative endevours such as job hunting or recuperation.
In times such as those described above it is also very important to have a storage of money. How you keep it is your business but having that little bit saved away for a rainy day can be a real blessing. As with food storage start small and watch it grow.
People store food for their own personal reasons, mine are because a) I have been counseled to do so and b) because I have a responsibility to my family to keep food in their stomachs. I do not want to rely on others or the government in times of need. We all saw what happened in New Orleans. Now imagine what a difference it would have made it families were able to take some supplies with them or for those who were still able to live in their homes, stay put and safe until help came.
It just makes sense to me to be prepared...what about you?
These days we are told to store food for two distinct reasons.
Times of disaster
I don't know about you but I have noticed an alarming increase in natural disasters in the last 5 or so years.Now whether you believe it is because we are causing too much strain on our world, bible prophesy or the fact that a disaster now impacts so many more people because of our population size, the outcome will be the same. What I do know is that I want to be able to take care of my family if at all possible.
Now obviously there will be some disasters that will not allow us to stay in our homes and use our storage and in those cases we should have 3 day packs (mobile emergency storage) I will fill you in on these at a later date. But if we are able to stay in our homes we may need to sustain ourselves for a length of time before either help arrives or we are again able to access supplies. Some information about the Bird Flu shows us that if it was to strike we would be isolated in our homes for a number of weeks maybe even months with no access to work,money or supplies. I know I wouldn't want to put my family at risk of infection because I was not prepared.
Many times when disasters strike elsewhere we are inevitably effected. Transport trucks may be unable to get through or water and electricity may be compromised.The price of a certain food or availability of a product may be effected if the disaster happened in the country or place it is manufactured. This all has an impact on us.With the ever increasing cost of food buying extra and storing means you have a choice when to buy food and may be able to ride out a price increase using your own supplies and only purchase again when (if) things return to normal. These are the times that our storage will be an asset.
Times of hardship
There have been a number of times when my family and families close to me have had to use their food storage because of times of hardship. Whether because of a loss of a job, unexpected bills or medical circumstances food storage can mean the difference between succeeding and failing.When you remove the fear of going without food your efforts can be put into more lucrative endevours such as job hunting or recuperation.
In times such as those described above it is also very important to have a storage of money. How you keep it is your business but having that little bit saved away for a rainy day can be a real blessing. As with food storage start small and watch it grow.
People store food for their own personal reasons, mine are because a) I have been counseled to do so and b) because I have a responsibility to my family to keep food in their stomachs. I do not want to rely on others or the government in times of need. We all saw what happened in New Orleans. Now imagine what a difference it would have made it families were able to take some supplies with them or for those who were still able to live in their homes, stay put and safe until help came.
It just makes sense to me to be prepared...what about you?
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Our first item: June is Rice month
Rice is receiving a lot of attention in the media at the moment.
Adelaide Now
Regardless of whether rice truly is in short supply or not it is an easy and vital food to start in your home storage.
Now there are many rice options. You can go white or brown and within the white there a number of varieties depending on taste. Nutritionally brown rice has much greater value to the body but it stores for a much shorter time.
My personal preference is white rice because of its long storage time but I will include some brown rice to increase my nutrient intake.
Storing rice
Like most storage rice should be stored in a dark,dry place that has a fairly constant temperature. If on concrete floors place on some cardboard or carpet so that the floor temperature stays even. You can store your rice open tipped into barrels with a few bay leaves to keep away bugs or in its original packaging in a box type container(again add some bay leaves for protection). I have rice stored in two places in my house.First is in barrels in the laundry cupboard and second is in its packet in the linen press. I am lucky enough to have two storage areas but that will soon change when I move to my new smaller house which will then have the barrels stored in a bedroom and the bags of rice stored in plastic roller boxes under beds. The idea is to open what bags I need to fill the barrel and then use that to eat from so I am not opening all the bags and spilling rice everywhere. I then continue to buy bags of rice so that is always in rotation.
Rotation
Rotation is vital to food storage. It is no good having something stored if it is off by the time you get to it. We eat our food storage as part of the pantry food but we just have a greater quantity and replace what we use plus some to ensure the food is always fresh. The other advantage to this is that you are used to eating it so that in an emergency you are not all of a sudden eating food you are unaccustomed to.
How much to store
This is very personal depending on a number of factors including the number of people you are storing for, your personal use of the item . By observing how much you consume on a monthly basis you can get an idea of how much you will need for 6 months/1 year/2 years. Of course you should increase that number as your consumption will probably go up if there is little else to eat.
Other points
Rice requires water to cook so you will need to think about water storage to go with it. Now don't get daunted this is just as simple as food storage and as easy as filling a clean plastic fruit juice(not milk) bottle with water from the tap adding a drop of bleach and storing with your rice.
Challenge
So your first storage challenge is to buy an extra bag of rice with each shop this month. The size you buy is entirely up to your family size and budget but even a kilo bag put away each time you shop will start your storage. You may also need to invest in a storage container eg a box on wheels or plastic barrel but if that is to much then just pick a place and start to store.
Good luck
I'll check in later with more info and to see how you are going
Adelaide Now
Regardless of whether rice truly is in short supply or not it is an easy and vital food to start in your home storage.
Now there are many rice options. You can go white or brown and within the white there a number of varieties depending on taste. Nutritionally brown rice has much greater value to the body but it stores for a much shorter time.
My personal preference is white rice because of its long storage time but I will include some brown rice to increase my nutrient intake.
Storing rice
Like most storage rice should be stored in a dark,dry place that has a fairly constant temperature. If on concrete floors place on some cardboard or carpet so that the floor temperature stays even. You can store your rice open tipped into barrels with a few bay leaves to keep away bugs or in its original packaging in a box type container(again add some bay leaves for protection). I have rice stored in two places in my house.First is in barrels in the laundry cupboard and second is in its packet in the linen press. I am lucky enough to have two storage areas but that will soon change when I move to my new smaller house which will then have the barrels stored in a bedroom and the bags of rice stored in plastic roller boxes under beds. The idea is to open what bags I need to fill the barrel and then use that to eat from so I am not opening all the bags and spilling rice everywhere. I then continue to buy bags of rice so that is always in rotation.
Rotation
Rotation is vital to food storage. It is no good having something stored if it is off by the time you get to it. We eat our food storage as part of the pantry food but we just have a greater quantity and replace what we use plus some to ensure the food is always fresh. The other advantage to this is that you are used to eating it so that in an emergency you are not all of a sudden eating food you are unaccustomed to.
How much to store
This is very personal depending on a number of factors including the number of people you are storing for, your personal use of the item . By observing how much you consume on a monthly basis you can get an idea of how much you will need for 6 months/1 year/2 years. Of course you should increase that number as your consumption will probably go up if there is little else to eat.
Other points
Rice requires water to cook so you will need to think about water storage to go with it. Now don't get daunted this is just as simple as food storage and as easy as filling a clean plastic fruit juice(not milk) bottle with water from the tap adding a drop of bleach and storing with your rice.
Challenge
So your first storage challenge is to buy an extra bag of rice with each shop this month. The size you buy is entirely up to your family size and budget but even a kilo bag put away each time you shop will start your storage. You may also need to invest in a storage container eg a box on wheels or plastic barrel but if that is to much then just pick a place and start to store.
Good luck
I'll check in later with more info and to see how you are going
A bit about me!
My name is Fay and I am a wife and mother to 4 beautiful children. As you can imagine food is a constant theme in our home and the lack of it does not help the family harmony.
I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints also known as Mormons.
For a very long time we have been taught by our church leaders to store food. These lessons have been about preparedness, not only in obtaining food but learning the skills necessary to help us help our families and those around us in times of emergency.
As my family has grown and the years have past it has become more and more evident that families need to have their own stockpile of food. The current crisis in food prices will only become worse as well as the inevitable increase in interest rates, fuel costs and general living.
In the past families grew and stored food for their families so in times of trouble they had a backup plan. After many years of "wealth" we have forgotten how to do this. People of my generation did not have parents that grew up in the depression so we were never taught lessons on savings, growing and making what we had from scratch. I feel that the world has given us enough warnings and it is time to take action for the sake of our families and especially our children.
I can hear you saying "but I rent or don't have enough room" or "i barely have enough money to buy food for the week let alone to put away". Well I am in both of those situations.My answer is if something happened would you kick yourself that you did not just find the room or just spared $5 to have something put away. I hope through this blog that we will learn to successfully store our food regardless of our home size or our budget.
The more I read the more I want to share. There is information out there that everyone should be aware of and given this information, and some action plans, a chance to take control of their family's food.
This first link it to the Family Home Storage section from the LDS website. It is a good starting point for those new to storing food and gives us a jumping off point.
I hope you can be open minded to the use of church information. It is not there to convert or preach but to educate and help.
Once you have read that my first challenge to you is to start!! There is no time like the present.
I'll be back with tips on our first storage food.
I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints also known as Mormons.
For a very long time we have been taught by our church leaders to store food. These lessons have been about preparedness, not only in obtaining food but learning the skills necessary to help us help our families and those around us in times of emergency.
As my family has grown and the years have past it has become more and more evident that families need to have their own stockpile of food. The current crisis in food prices will only become worse as well as the inevitable increase in interest rates, fuel costs and general living.
In the past families grew and stored food for their families so in times of trouble they had a backup plan. After many years of "wealth" we have forgotten how to do this. People of my generation did not have parents that grew up in the depression so we were never taught lessons on savings, growing and making what we had from scratch. I feel that the world has given us enough warnings and it is time to take action for the sake of our families and especially our children.
I can hear you saying "but I rent or don't have enough room" or "i barely have enough money to buy food for the week let alone to put away". Well I am in both of those situations.My answer is if something happened would you kick yourself that you did not just find the room or just spared $5 to have something put away. I hope through this blog that we will learn to successfully store our food regardless of our home size or our budget.
IT CAN BE DONE!
In the words of Yoda "Do or do not there is no try"The more I read the more I want to share. There is information out there that everyone should be aware of and given this information, and some action plans, a chance to take control of their family's food.
This first link it to the Family Home Storage section from the LDS website. It is a good starting point for those new to storing food and gives us a jumping off point.
I hope you can be open minded to the use of church information. It is not there to convert or preach but to educate and help.
Once you have read that my first challenge to you is to start!! There is no time like the present.
I'll be back with tips on our first storage food.
Welcome to ELFS
It is hard to miss the news these days. The price of food is rising as is the number of worldwide disasters. The world is becoming an uncertain place but there is someone who has the power to make it better.
This blog is not one designed to scare or panic but to empower and support so that you can have a greater sense of certainty over your own food supply.
My aim through this blog is to keep you informed about the developments within the world as well as give you a guide on what to store, how to store it and what you can do to use the food that you have stored. I will include articles not only from Church sources but government agencies that have finally decided that now it the time for action.
Together we will create some peace of mind in our homes so that if anything happens we will be prepared.
YOU!!!
By storing, growing and wisely using your own food not only will you be reducing your impact on the world but creating a stockpile for you and your family.This blog is not one designed to scare or panic but to empower and support so that you can have a greater sense of certainty over your own food supply.
My aim through this blog is to keep you informed about the developments within the world as well as give you a guide on what to store, how to store it and what you can do to use the food that you have stored. I will include articles not only from Church sources but government agencies that have finally decided that now it the time for action.
Together we will create some peace of mind in our homes so that if anything happens we will be prepared.
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