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Farm Kitchen:  Stocking up on food items  |
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earthmamaT
True Blue Farmgirl
96 Posts
Tammy
portola
California
96 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 22 2010 : 4:04:39 PM
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I am curious if anyone here at MJF is doing any stocking of items in case of a natural or man made disaster or even job loss. We recently started looking into trying to put together a 3-6 month supply of food and personal care item.
Like I said we are just starting. My grandparents always had pantry's full of food and personal items. DH and I believe with the way food cost are going ( as well as the economy)this is a smart thing we can be doing. With that said, is anyone here at MJF experienced in this? If so what would you suggest we start with or do you have any tips to share? THANKS
Tammy ~
"Be the change you want to see in the world" GANDHI |
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1badmamawolf
True Blue Farmgirl
2199 Posts
Teresa
"Bent Fence Farms"
Ca
USA
2199 Posts |
Posted - Jul 22 2010 : 4:55:17 PM
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I have had an emergency supply of food and other importent things for many years. I rotate those supplies monthly, so nothing gets too old. I also raise and grow most of what we eat, so that helps alot. Most of my farm/ranch is solar and wind powered, which is great for the times, the local grid goes down. We also have a propane generator, no gasoline to store that way. As far as personal items go, remember shampoos/conditioners, lotions/creams all will go bad over time, so rotate, also remember to store your supplies in a dark, dry cool place, that you will be able to get to in a natural disaster, like an earthquake.
I think it is a very smart idea to be prepared, I think everyone should do so. Don't forget firstaid kits, water purifiers, extra bedding and blankets, pet food, female products, and I can go on and on...
Any questions, feel free to e-mail me
"Treat the earth well, it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children" |
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earthmamaT
True Blue Farmgirl
96 Posts
Tammy
portola
California
96 Posts |
Posted - Jul 22 2010 : 5:07:28 PM
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Thanks Teresa ~ really good tips. We garden too so that helps. I have tons of herbs that I grow and then dry for later use.
Part of my hesitation is that there is SOOOO much to stock and do. If you had to stock just 10 food items what 10 would you start with? I am impressed with what you are doing. We are just starting.We hope to have a solar water heater completed in the next month. And thank you for the email invite 
Tammy ~
"Be the change you want to see in the world" GANDHI |
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1badmamawolf
True Blue Farmgirl
2199 Posts
Teresa
"Bent Fence Farms"
Ca
USA
2199 Posts |
Posted - Jul 22 2010 : 5:23:05 PM
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just 10 food items, let me see...peanut or almond butter (great source of protein), flour, rice (brown, long grain), canned fish, oats/wheat berries, dehydrated fruit, meat jerkys, salt, no really a food item, but you gotta have it...water, lots and lots of water
remember, try to keep a 6 month supply in stock, figure for everyone in your household, plus a possible friend/neighbor/stranger. Protect your stock, under lock and key, and don't advertise that you have it.
remember the fable, "The Grasshopper and the Ants"
"Treat the earth well, it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children" |
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earthmamaT
True Blue Farmgirl
96 Posts
Tammy
portola
California
96 Posts |
Posted - Jul 22 2010 : 6:08:19 PM
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Well I feel better... I was pretty close in regards to the list you replied with. I did not think of jerky! Do you have any suggestions for mail order companies to get the flour, rice ( other grains ) from? I am trying to find somewhere with decent pricing and shipping.
Yea my DH and discussed the fact that we are not letting anyone know about our storage. Like he said " what would you do for food if our kids were hungry?" my answer ~ Just about anything.
Thanks again!
Tammy ~
"Be the change you want to see in the world" GANDHI |
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1badmamawolf
True Blue Farmgirl
2199 Posts
Teresa
"Bent Fence Farms"
Ca
USA
2199 Posts |
Posted - Jul 22 2010 : 7:30:44 PM
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I will post a list here in a day or so. Oh, and yes, hungry kids will make the good do bad things.
"Treat the earth well, it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children" |
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natesgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1735 Posts
angela
martinsville
indiana
USA
1735 Posts |
Posted - Jul 22 2010 : 9:01:06 PM
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We are plannin a root cellar and dry room. I suggested an artificial wall in the back of each to store the things we don't particularly want to share with others. With my MIL livin with us everyone in the world will know everything we do, so I think I will just make a point to keep her out of the buildin process. I will ask that this be a special project for just us to work on, that will keep everyone out of it. He will understand if I explain that it is to protect our personal stash of things. The families who think I am nuts will still pilfer through on the grounds of just wantin to see what goodies I've been makin, then they manage to walk out with my goodies. I made 6 jars or rose jelly for me personally and now only have 2 jars in the cabinet. I am not happy and neither is my DH about our dwindlin larder and supply of jars. I think I can actually convince him that we need this for the sake of family peace, and if it serves my purpose of protectin my family, then all the better. We will have a private stock of all our favorite things! I might need my dad's help, but he would be one of the one's I'd be stockin up for and he would understand either explanation.
Farmgirl Sister #1438
God - Gardening - Family - Is anything else important? |
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emsmommy5
True Blue Farmgirl
1547 Posts
Angie
Buckley
WA
USA
1547 Posts |
Posted - Jul 22 2010 : 9:46:42 PM
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We were laughing the other day about our food storage... looked at DH and said... well the garden is dismal this year, but if we need to we can survive off fresh bread and jam.
Yes. We try to put in a good food and supply storage. I try to focus on one area at the time. The first 4 months of this year it was medicinal herbs. Summer time... it's all about the canning. We do lots of dry bulk things like rice, flour, sugar, wheat, pasta, etc.
My biggest advice... store what you use and use what you store. Rotate!!!
Do what you love, love what you do. |
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Calicogirl
True Blue Farmgirl
5216 Posts
Sharon
Bruce Crossing
Michigan
USA
5216 Posts |
Posted - Jul 23 2010 : 04:48:11 AM
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I always try to stock up. Since my honey's work is seasonal I am stocking up on canned and dried goods for the winter months along with toiletries, etc. I have been marking items with the date opened ie: dental floss, contact solution with the date it is opened so I can get an idea of how long it lasts and how much I need to stock up for.
We always have water, beans, rice, flour on hand as well as canned goods. We don't have alot of storage space so my husband told me he is going to re-organize the shed so we can stock up on Tp too :) Under the beds is filled with canned goods as well as our little pantry.
Angie, I had to laugh because our garden didn't fare well last year and we had tons of jams, jellies and butters. Our first thought was the same as yours ;)
~Sharon
By His Grace, For His Glory
http://merryheartjournal.blogspot.com/ |
Edited by - Calicogirl on Aug 23 2010 05:11:25 AM |
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MagnoliaWhisper
True Blue Farmgirl
2817 Posts
Heather
Haysville
Kansas
USA
2817 Posts |
Posted - Jul 23 2010 : 06:21:47 AM
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I'm of the little red hen way of thought.
I have a lot of inlaws that don't want to help do anything, but want to reap all the benefits when it's all done! I put my foot down and say absolutely not! and then I go on with my little red hen list of reasons why! You didn't help me plant the wheat, sow the wheat, grind the wheat, bake the bread etc! And then I just smile and put what ever it is away from them!
Yup, one of my aunt in laws, hates me because of it. But, I refuse to be a victim. I give some people gifts of my labor/love, but those are people I love and who actually appreciate my hard work that went into it. Ungrateful Little Red Hen friends don't count and will never get a taste of my "bread"-bread in place of what ever it is I am making/made that people want, but never want to help, or do anything in any way to help us in any shape or form, nor even appreciate the labor that went into making such.
So I would probably still have 5 jars of jam. lol Yeah I know you started with 6. But my little sister and I are best friends. We help each other with EVERY thing in life, she is appreciative of even the small things I do for her/with her. And we ALWAYS share jams and fruit/vegetable butters as we both have a weakness for them! hahaha
http://www.heathersprairie.blogspot.com |
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Ms.Lilly
True Blue Farmgirl
826 Posts
Lillian
Scotts Mills
OR
USA
826 Posts |
Posted - Jul 23 2010 : 06:57:44 AM
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Yes, we are "stockers" too. DH and I decided about 3 years ago to have an extended supply of food in the pantry and freezer. We started out working toward a 3 month supply and are currently working to a 1 year supply. Yes, people think we are crazy and that is fine but if someting should happen WE ARE PREPARED! Rotation is very important and if for some reason we havent used someting in our pantry and it is getting close to experation (canned milk) it goes to the local food bank. I can or put up most of our fruits and veggies, what we don't grow I try and find for the lowest cost or sometimes free. We raise our own chickens for meat/eggs and hope to have goats in the near future for milk/meat. Rarely do I share my canned goods with other people, it is alot of work and usually isn't appreciated. I will however offer my time to show family/friends how to can or make the goodies and belive it or not have been taken up on the offer a few times.
Teresa- Try Bob's Red Mill for your flour/grain supplies. They are located here in Oregon so shipping might not be that bad. I grind my own flour and buy all of my grains from them. They are great quality.
It's nice to know I am not the only "stocker" out there.
Lillian
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Mama Jewel
True Blue Farmgirl
435 Posts
Jewel
Sweet Peas Farmette,
Bend, OR
USA
435 Posts |
Posted - Jul 23 2010 : 08:12:34 AM
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How do you all track the expiration dates to rotate the items? Lillian, I didn't know Bob's sells *whole* grains. I'll have to check into it. How long do whole grains (unground) stay fresh? What's the best way to store them?
Farm Girl Sister #1683 Living Simply & Naturally on our lil Sweet Peas Farmette
"Do Everything in Love." 1 Cor 14
http://www.piecemama.etsy.com |
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Fiddlehead Farm
True Blue Farmgirl
4562 Posts
Diane
Waupaca
WI
USA
4562 Posts |
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Montrose Girl
Farmgirl Legend/Schoolmarm
1360 Posts
Laurie
Montrose
CO
1360 Posts |
Posted - Jul 23 2010 : 09:28:14 AM
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Beans, rice and quinoa!! Yes, I stock lots of other things too, but beans are good protein if you have no refrigerator for meat. I do can extra meat as I cook and that help. I think we all think of the food supplies, but as someone else posted remember all the little details. Batteries for flashlights or a hand crank one. A deck of cards! silly, but easy entertainment. Al the personnal items. I too keep an extra bag of cat food that lasts a month. As I put that in the container to dish from I buy another bag for back stock.
And do not forget water!!! I keep gallon jugs around that will last a few days. If you loose power and it looks like a long one start filling buckets and tubs.
This year's garden is doing well and we have cut two very large heads of broccoli so far and more on the way. Some I'll freeze. I love stocking up.
Best Growing |
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Mama Jewel
True Blue Farmgirl
435 Posts
Jewel
Sweet Peas Farmette,
Bend, OR
USA
435 Posts |
Posted - Jul 23 2010 : 10:39:38 AM
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Diane, those are some great resources, esp. DrPrepper's
Farm Girl Sister #1683 Living Simply & Naturally on our lil Sweet Peas Farmette
"Do Everything in Love." 1 Cor 14
http://www.piecemama.etsy.com |
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emsmommy5
True Blue Farmgirl
1547 Posts
Angie
Buckley
WA
USA
1547 Posts |
Posted - Jul 23 2010 : 10:41:21 AM
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For you Oregon girls... don't forget Azure. We order from them every couple of weeks. I also hit up the local restaurant supply (Cash n Carry) as they sell bulk to the public. And if you have an LDS friend, you are able to use the dry pack canner and buy bulk from the storehouse.
My young adult kids are in the in-and-out stage right now. Hubby and I know that if things get bad for them or in the world in general, we will likely end up with them at home with extras. So we have tried to keep going at our food storage from the everyone's living at home view point.
Just a scarey note.... really good friend got robbed recently. They took most all of her food storage. She's a single gal who lives on a farm close to us. SHe works so hard to have in her storage and preparation things. THey took camping stuff and other things. But the big hit was the food. She suggested to me the other day that we not keep all our food storage in one place.
Ours is kind of spread out because of necessity. But I would devastated if I went out in the garage to find all my hard canning work gone.
Just something to think about.
Do what you love, love what you do. |
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earthmamaT
True Blue Farmgirl
96 Posts
Tammy
portola
California
96 Posts |
Posted - Jul 23 2010 : 11:47:23 AM
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WOW I am so happy so many of the MJFG's are stocking up. I feel better knowing I am on the right track with what I am planningon storing ~ flour,cornmeal,rice,wheatberries,beans,tuna,TVP,pasta,tomatoes,dried veggies,peanut butter, jelly, canned soups, oatmeal, chicken boullion (powder), salt, pepper, chili powder, cooking oil and herbs from our garden is where I am starting. We have water and we keep rotating it out.
I too have been told to keep my food storage in at least 2 places. One hidden and one closer at hand. I think this is a good idea too.
Tammy ~
"Be the change you want to see in the world" Gandhi |
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Montrose Girl
Farmgirl Legend/Schoolmarm
1360 Posts
Laurie
Montrose
CO
1360 Posts |
Posted - Jul 23 2010 : 12:20:07 PM
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Oh that is horrible about your friend. The sad part is that as more people loose their jobs this may become more common. What they took was very practical and when stealing turns to practical and not just tvs and other electronics, you know times are turning.
Best to your friend,
Laurie
Best Growing |
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vintage saver
True Blue Farmgirl
323 Posts
oleta
wheelersburg
ohio
USA
323 Posts |
Posted - Jul 23 2010 : 12:47:24 PM
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| Well, one of my renters of my old house took one of the bedrooms and made it a food and storage pantry. Mind you, it was just the two of them. He was disabled. The job they chose for their caregiver to do was to go to all the food pantries for them. One day they had me come look at their storage. It was astonishing! Shelves from floor to ceiling around 3 walls and one wall with pegboard for all other kinds of things. It was downright hoggy looking! I said you will never use all this food. They said it won't go bad. They listened to some Christian station. I'm not against Christianity, but this station was telling them to stock up on flour, etc. because it was going to go sky high. This was last fall(2008) and it has only gotten cheaper. They moved right after this and we had rats,rats,rats and rat holes in the floor of this room and left a big mess to clean up. I store some food and keep household supplies ahead and can, too, but this was excessive. People also never save my jars for me when I give them relishes and jams,etc. even when I ask them too. I spent $54 on jars yesterday and I'm tired of it. I hate to be that way but that's how it is going to be. |
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1badmamawolf
True Blue Farmgirl
2199 Posts
Teresa
"Bent Fence Farms"
Ca
USA
2199 Posts |
Posted - Jul 23 2010 : 1:18:20 PM
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cooking oil will go rancid, so please remember to rotate every 2-3 months, especialy in the summer months. dryed herbs (vacuum sealed), all of your spices should be vacuum sealed for long shelf life. % gallon bucket with a way to vacuum seal them are a great way to store flour, sugar, dryed beans, cornmeal, rice pastas, etc. Home can as much meat as possible each season, can it without spice, so it can be used in alot of differant ways, this goes for beef, pork, chicken, rabbit, lamb and goat.
Also remember girls , if you have pets , you will need to have feed for them also. And you girls that "free range" your livestock, remember that hungry people will steal them.
Firstaid kits are very importent, and stock-up on way more than you think you might need, when a natural disaster hits, there will be injuries. I have stitched many an animal, and I can stitch a human if need be, so my animal suture kits are also in my human firstaid kits.
shovels, axes,hand saws, nails and hammers, tarps/tents
firearms and ammo for hunting and protection, and practice
firestarters (dryerlint and wax)
board games, cards
storage tubs in differant sizes for clothes, jackets coats blankets
clean metal trashcans with tight fitting lids for storeing
lanterns, flashlights (handcrank style)
firewood
camping style cookstove
perscription medicines
As I think of more things, I will post
"Treat the earth well, it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children" |
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Ms.Lilly
True Blue Farmgirl
826 Posts
Lillian
Scotts Mills
OR
USA
826 Posts |
Posted - Jul 23 2010 : 1:46:50 PM
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Jewel- I usually check experation dates in my pantry once a month or sometimes every 2 months. It gives me a chance to tidy up in there and I also check the seals on my canned goods too. Everytime I pull something from the pantry I go to the fridge and write it on my grocery list, that way it will automaticly be replenished. Yes, Bob's has 25 and 50 pound bags of pretty much everything you could want. I just love going there and shopping. I have a couple bags of wheat berries that are a year old and just fine. You need to however keep them in a cool dry place. Go to their website and order a catalog, so many good things in it!
Lillian |
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MerryHeartSister
True Blue Farmgirl
158 Posts
Christy
Tuscaloosa
Alabama
USA
158 Posts |
Posted - Jul 25 2010 : 04:46:09 AM
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| We do try to keep our pantry and freezer well-stocked. Another thing that I have been doing is experimenting with a lot of different recipes using just what's coming in from the garden and what's in the cabinet. Practice for if things get bad. We've eaten squash in all sorts of different ways lately. Recipezaar.com is a great site for coming up with new recipes for the bountiful crop at the moment. |
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woolgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
901 Posts
Elizabeth
Great Lakes
IL
USA
901 Posts |
Posted - Jul 25 2010 : 08:21:31 AM
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| With my husband being in the military we have lots of MRE's (meals ready to eat) that they get for deployments and field operations. They are pretty digusting, but you they do the job. I am also trying to start a seed bank. We have a disaster box with a storm radio, water, extra diapers, some canned goods, and some hygeine gear. My father works for homeland security and with mine and my husband's military experience we are alsways prepared! |
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Montrose Girl
Farmgirl Legend/Schoolmarm
1360 Posts
Laurie
Montrose
CO
1360 Posts |
Posted - Jul 25 2010 : 10:50:22 AM
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Since I work disasters I too keep a well stock everything. It's crazy those of us in the field are a bit more "paranoid" but after seeing power outages for days on end and relocation of people for weeks at a time it is worth it to me.
As for canning jars, yeah they can get expensive. I hit the Habitat for humanity restock store, good will, and garage sales. that might be an option for storage containers too.
Best Growing |
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earthmamaT
True Blue Farmgirl
96 Posts
Tammy
portola
California
96 Posts |
Posted - Jul 25 2010 : 11:38:49 AM
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Laurie I agree that if you work disasters you are a bit more paranoid. I worked with a company that was involved on Katrina (trying to get water to people). I spent weeks dealing with red tape and trying to get our trucks into people needing water. Scary.
What a lot of people do not think about is that even if they are not in an area where they deal with hurricanes or earthquakes, those disasters can effect food and supplies reaching their area.
Tammy ~
"Be the change you want to see in the world" Gandhi |
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lovingewe
True Blue Farmgirl
212 Posts
marlyn-neleh
norwood
Ontario
Canada
212 Posts |
Posted - Jul 25 2010 : 11:41:30 AM
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I believe most governments have agencies now that give you a good list of what you should have on hand ( in the house and in your car) in case of a long term emergency.
Water is of greatest importance.
Staple foods are next.
But do not forget cash in small bills ( bank machines and credit cards do not work when power is out.)
Extra tank of gasoline ( gas stations do not have gas without electricity).
A light source and a heat source.
We have a huge cold cellar, but live far from stores, so it is a must.
I stock up on a lot of things only when it is a great sale. I put the date purchased and the price on a label on the item before storing away. All flours are flash frozen, then stored in containers ( used pail, free from the grocery stores) in the cold cellar. Usually by each fall there is enough food in the cellar to last us through winter if need be.
I would not use those emergency prepareness sites as you will get better items at your local stores. These sites give you a good idea on what to stock though. But stock only what you will use.
My thoughts anyway.
Marlyn
http://sweetlocuslane.blogspot.com |
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Farm Kitchen: Stocking up on food items |
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Stocking up on food items
