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Food Shortages & Prices

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T O P I C R E V I E W
herbquilter	Posted - Feb 18 2011 : 1:57:01 PM See my blog for a article on further information regarding this. Better to be informed Yesterday I purchased butter for $2.78, but 4 weeks ago I bought it for $1.98. Price increasing that much. Today I am cooking a turkey for Tortilla Soup, canning 7 quarts black beans. Tomorrow I'll be canning 14 quarts of Tortilla Soup Blessings, Kristine ~ Mother of Many, Herbalist, Master Energy Intuitive http://herbalmommasda.blogspot.com/
25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First)
earthmamaT	Posted - Mar 19 2011 : 12:21:29 PM Kristen THANK YOU for the link to Wendy's site. I really feel that between world conditions and food prices this is becoming a very timely subject!! Tammy ~ "Be the change you want to see in the world" Gandhi
Oggie	Posted - Mar 15 2011 : 7:46:03 PM My pleasure ladies, we really need to thank Wendy though! Ginny Farmgirl #2343 www.thedewhopinn.com "I always have a wonderful time, wherever I am, whomever I'm with." "Well, I've wrestled with reality for 35 years, Doctor, and I'm happy to state I finally won out over it." Both by Elwood P. Dowd (Jimmy Stewart) in the Movie Harvey
Okie Farm Girl	Posted - Mar 15 2011 : 7:38:00 PM Ginny, thanks so much for this. I've needed an outline in order to organize and this fits the bill! Great! :-) Mary Beth www.OklahomaPastryCloth.com www.Oklahomapastrycloth.com/blog The Sovereign Lord is my strength - Habakkuk 3:19
herbquilter	Posted - Mar 15 2011 : 6:06:11 PM Ginny, Thanks for sharing so much information. I agree that every family has to have a plan. I love Wendy DeWitt's information. Here's a link to one of her seminars http://letusprepare.blogspot.com/2009/01/wendy-dewitt-food-storage-seminar.html Here's her blog - http://everythingunderthesunblog.blogspot.com/ Blessings, Kristine ~ Mother of Many, Herbalist, Master Energy Intuitive http://herbalmommasda.blogspot.com/
Oggie	Posted - Mar 15 2011 : 4:44:05 PM One more thing I was told but haven't tried it yet. This is a good time though. I was told if you put mineral oil on your hands and roll an egg in it and the put the egg in a styrofoam egg container that the egg will stay good for one year. It has to be styrofoam so it doesn't soak up the mineral oil. I just can't wrap my head around that but I thought I'd put it out there. Instead, we have real chickens. Ginny Farmgirl #2343 www.thedewhopinn.com "I always have a wonderful time, wherever I am, whomever I'm with." "Well, I've wrestled with reality for 35 years, Doctor, and I'm happy to state I finally won out over it." Both by Elwood P. Dowd (Jimmy Stewart) in the Movie Harvey
Oggie	Posted - Mar 15 2011 : 4:10:30 PM WOW that was strange. I'll continue B. Tools/Appliances/Equivalencys/Conversions/Length of Storage for Foods C. My Menu Plan D. My Inventory of Food and Supplies E. Other Recipes F. Other Information Start with your menu plan. So you aren't wasting money and time, sit down and come up with 7 or 14 days of meals your family likes to eat. Write down each day and each meal and what is eaten at each meal. Now decide if you want to store food for 1 month, 1 year, whatever, and multiply each item by that amount. I choose 14 days and 1 year so I have 14 breakfasts, 14 lunches, 14 suppers. Because I am doing 2 weeks I need to divide 2 into 52 weeks in a year and I get 26. So everything I want for this menu I must purchase 26 of. Include your spices, your salt and pepper & oil. If you need 1/4 teaspoon of salt say, then multiply that by your 26 weeks for that meal. By doing it this way you won't waste money or food because you will buy food you normally eat and will be able to rotate the food so what's in storage is always fresh. You want to be able to rotate your food or you will end up with stale food sooner or later. And why store food no one likes? Then in the Inventory section I made 26 pages (one page for each letter of the alphabet) and on each page I have columns - Item Name - Need - Have - Date Bought - Buy When I fill this in I will know exactly what I need to still buy. The date bought will help you in rotation. You can bring this binder with you to the store so if you find something on sale you can easily look it up and buy it on sale. I keep a grocery list on my refridge and when ever I use an item from my "food storage" I write it on the list so when I go shopping that week I remember to buy it and keep my storage updated. My husband built me shelves in our basement that are 2 feet deep so I can easily store canned items (mine or store bought) and when I buy an item, this is the hard part, I put it at the back of the "line" making me have to move everything forward. Gee, if I could figure out how to do that easier I'd sure like to! You will of course need to store other items as well, like wheat or flour to make your own bread, but much of what you store should be items you use daily anyway. I started buying beans dried and canned and a lot of what I may have purchased frozen in the past I buy in cans now. Like veggies. I do this because worse case scenario means you probably won't have electricity and therefore everything in the freezer will go quickly. Which is why canning meat is a great idea! You don't have to do all your meat that way, but you don't want to scramble to can whatever is in the freezer when you are in the middle of a blizzard because you have no electricity and have to can it on your grill or woodstove. Don't forget to store things like toilet paper, paper towels if you use them, tin foil, etc... I just went around my house and wrote down what I use regularly and how much of it I use to give me an idea of what I need to store. I'll be honest, I am not so good at non-food items but I'm getting there. Also remember to store water. Don't use plastic milk bottles as the seams will weaken and you will have water every where. You can use soda bottles though. I made my husband drink a ton of ginger ale to get us bottles! I also started buying juice in plastic bottles instead of the frozen kind. I can store it for juice and I can use the empty ones to store water in. I recommend buying drinking water too while a lot of the storage water is good for dishes, flushing the toilet, bathing, brushing teeth, etc... Another thing I do now since I don't make my own laundry soap is to buy it as liquid form. When I've used the bottle up instead of rinsing it and recycling it, I fill it with water and store it. That way I have soapy water already stored and won't waste my other water for that. And if you want to get crazy about it all the section called Emergency Preparedness Plan tells me things I learned at work and also is a place to keep other information I need. If you are in a hurricane for example, grab this binder and you probably won't need anything else unless you didn't fill it in. I have contact info for people both out of state and in state in case I am seperated from my family. I have emergency numbers of police, fire, ambulance, etc... I have Dr. phone numbers and info. I even made a list for internet passwords & user ID's. That form is simply Website -User ID - password - Other. I have a page where I list things to grab in an evacuation so I don't have to wonder around my house trying to decide in 5 minutes because there is a forest fire in my back yard. Plan ahead with things like where your family will meet, not only outside but somewhere else in town or out of state. What will you do with your pets. And this one I bet many people won't think of and that is lock your house if it's still there on your way out and if you have time shut off the gas, water, & electricity. Another chart I have is a list of any perscriptions: Person - Drug - Strength - Ailment A list of bank acounts and account #, insurance policies and your number, credit card info front and back. Immunization records, social security card # and drivers license numbers, birth certificate copies, passports or at least copies, and make a CD now of family pictures you don't want to lose by scanning them if you have a scanner. In the tools/appliance/cookware section I listed all the tools I need to can and do food storage; all ways and tools to use in an emergency (solar oven, coleman stove and fuel, gas grill and gas, and even things like a popcorn maker I can use over a fire because we love popcorn; other tools like an air horn, chaps, gas for generator/bushwacker/mower, etc... When storing your flour, sugar, wheat etc... you mentioned the plastic pails. I get mine for free from our local grocery store. In the deli section they get these huge pails of frosting. When they are empty the store recycles them but many stores may just throw them out. So I ask if they have any empty ones. I bring them home and wash them VERY WELL. Then I make sure they are dried VERY WELL before I put anything in them. I also put them up off the floor, even if it's just a couple of inches. I have a list of alternatives for electrical appliances and tools so if I have an electric can opener I normally use (I don't but some may) I make sure I have a manual one. Or instead of a blender use an old fashion food chopper or handcrank blender. I found conversions which will help too, I think at allaboutfoodstorage.com It tells you that one egg is the same as 1 TBsp. of powdered egg and you need 3 TBsp. of water to go with it. Kristine was mentioning the cost of food rising. It will continue to rise, I think we are in for a shock soon. The same Land o Lakes butter I paid $1.99 for at Thanksgiving is now $4.49. Politics aside, I am in a survey at asamom.org where we have been tracking the prices of food since November and I believe from Nov. 7 to Feb. 2 it's gone up 3.8% and gas has gone up 10%. You can go there and see, I think it's on the front page. I could offer to make you one of these binders but you would have to pay for the supplies and the ink so really you are better off doing your own. I don't have time to do it for too many ladies. just make sure, if you make it, fill it, and use it, DON'T LOSE IT BECAUSE ALL OF YOUR INFORMATION IS IN IT AND COULD BE STOLEN! But if you keep it at home in a safe place, you should be ok. Maybe take your inventory section to the store in a smaller folder. Ok, my hands are tired, hope this helps you all. Ginny Farmgirl #2343 www.thedewhopinn.com "I always have a wonderful time, wherever I am, whomever I'm with." "Well, I've wrestled with reality for 35 years, Doctor, and I'm happy to state I finally won out over it." Both by Elwood P. Dowd (Jimmy Stewart) in the Movie Harvey
Oggie	Posted - Mar 15 2011 : 3:28:15 PM Hi Ladies! I am so glad you made this thread Kristin! I have been food storing for a long long time but have done so seriously for the last two years. I don't want to sound like a know it all, because I certainly am not, but I will tell you what I've done for myself and six of my closest family and friends. But before I do let me just tell you I work for our County Emergency Management Agency so I have a lot of pamphlets and information at my disposal which really helped in area's other than food. Each County in the USA has one of these agencies which is federally mandated through Homeland Security and our "head" national agency is FEMA. So each one of you could go to your County EMA office and request information to prepare for emergencies. You can prepare for 3 days or 3 years! Ok this is what I found to be the easiest and most organized way for me. I learned it from a woman by the name of Wendy DeWitt who is a member of the LDS Church in Southwestern USA. 1. Get yourself a three ring binder. In it I have made the following "chapters". A. any Emergency Preparedeness Plan Ginny Farmgirl #2343 www.thedewhopinn.com "I always have a wonderful time, wherever I am, whomever I'm with." "Well, I've wrestled with reality for 35 years, Doctor, and I'm happy to state I finally won out over it." Both by Elwood P. Dowd (Jimmy Stewart) in the Movie Harvey
Old Spirit	Posted - Mar 15 2011 : 07:43:55 AM This is a great forum!! I also make bit batches of chili and soup and can mine as well. Really nice on those days one doesn't feel like cooking or just doesn't have time!! Rae Farm Girl #647 ...those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles:... Isaiah 40:31
Okie Farm Girl	Posted - Mar 14 2011 : 6:34:52 PM Deborah, good for you! You'll love having a pressure canner. When I make soup for dinner, even though it is just the two of us, I make a BIG stew pot of soup and then put the leftovers in pint jars and pressure can them while I wash dishes after supper. That way, I'll have soup for a bunch more meals later on! Mary Beth www.OklahomaPastryCloth.com www.Oklahomapastrycloth.com/blog The Sovereign Lord is my strength - Habakkuk 3:19
nubidane	Posted - Mar 14 2011 : 6:34:34 PM Thanks Mary Beth, & Deborah, buy the canner... It is well worth the investment. I love mine.
Room To Grow	Posted - Mar 14 2011 : 6:28:28 PM Ok Mary Beth...I have read all the post and answered my question. And it sounds like a great idea. Now all I have to do it buy a pressure cooker Deborah we have moved to our farm...and love it
Okie Farm Girl	Posted - Mar 14 2011 : 6:24:33 PM Lisa, canning the chicken is a little different from pressure cooking them. The bones do get softer but they don't turn to mush. More like the bones of baked chicken. If you go to the blog post that Deborah is talking about, there is also a recipe for fried chicken made with the canned chicken. Go to the blog link below and scroll down to the second post. Hope that helps. Mary Beth www.OklahomaPastryCloth.com www.Oklahomapastrycloth.com/blog The Sovereign Lord is my strength - Habakkuk 3:19
Okie Farm Girl	Posted - Mar 14 2011 : 5:42:50 PM Deborah, in that particular blog post I am using the raw pack method because I wanted the chicken left on the bone and it cooks to totally tender while canning. Any meat product must be pressure canned and if you are interested in that process, I linked to a previous post in my canning chicken post that shows how to load the pressure canner. Thanks for asking! :-) Mary Beth www.OklahomaPastryCloth.com www.Oklahomapastrycloth.com/blog The Sovereign Lord is my strength - Habakkuk 3:19
nubidane	Posted - Mar 14 2011 : 5:40:45 PM Meat must be PRESSURE CANNED ABSOLUTELY! I am also curious if the bones turn to mush when they are pressure canned. I used to pressure can chicken for my dogs (not in jars, just n the canner with water) & the bones would turn to mush, which made it nice because then I mashed up the whole thing & fed to my Danes. Just curious.
Room To Grow	Posted - Mar 14 2011 : 5:29:26 PM Mary Beth, I was reading your blog and couldnt help notice that the next topic was you canning chicken. Can you tell me if it is raw or cooked when you can it...And do you need to use a pressure cooker or the water bath method?? Thanks Deborah we have moved to our farm...and love it
Okie Farm Girl	Posted - Mar 14 2011 : 07:45:13 AM Glad to help Deborah! I've been chewing on all that is going on in Japan regarding disaster and storage and all that jazz. I just wrote a post at the blog about it. Just felt that it was something, in love, that needed saying as a reminder to me and all of us. Mary Beth www.OklahomaPastryCloth.com www.Oklahomapastrycloth.com/blog The Sovereign Lord is my strength - Habakkuk 3:19
Room To Grow	Posted - Mar 13 2011 : 9:20:08 PM Mary Beth, I will be doing this you betcha!! Thanks Deborah we have moved to our farm...and love it
Okie Farm Girl	Posted - Mar 12 2011 : 7:27:11 PM Deborah, it's really easy. 1 stick of butter to 1/3 cup LIGHT olive oil or canola oil. When I say "light" I mean not heavy. Look for the olive oil with the lightest flavor. Anyway, put this all in your blender or food processor and beat it until it is pretty liquidy. Pour the mixture into whatever you want to store it and put it in the frig. It will harden back up. If you'd like pictures, you can go to my website blog at http://www.oklahomapastrycloth.com/blog/?p=2920 Mary Beth www.OklahomaPastryCloth.com www.Oklahomapastrycloth.com/blog The Sovereign Lord is my strength - Habakkuk 3:19
N@n	Posted - Mar 12 2011 : 06:03:39 AM Just read in the paper this morning that 40% of this nation's corn crop is mandated by the government to go to ethanol production. 40%!!! I knew a lot of the crop was going to ethanol production-did not know it was a federal government mandate to force 40% of it for e-gas. No wonder beef prices are going up at such a rate.If you can, please, please work on your food storage for your families.I live in a small house but the luxury of a walk in pantry. But I also have some nifty "tables" in my living room that are gracefully draped with table clothes to the floor. If you lift up their skirts, you discover buckets filled with sugar, beans, rice all sealed up in those great buckets. Buckets are stacked two high and just right for holding coffee cups or books next to our recliners. There is always room for storage. keep searchin'-it's out there somewhere.
Room To Grow	Posted - Mar 11 2011 : 7:20:23 PM True Blue Farmgirl, I have a binder and also 2 milk crates that I am going to have to go through to get rid of some of the things that are not necssary to have now. But I love to collect things to help me and my family if things get any worse. How do yo make butter olive oil spread? Deborah we have moved to our farm...and love it
Annika	Posted - Mar 11 2011 : 09:39:23 AM I just read an interesting article, that stated that Americans waste 40% of their food! So with food prices going up and up and up, who can afford that???? So not only is it important to have a good pantry of staples but to eat what you produce and buy. I think that it is important especially for farm girls, to try and produce as much food as possible on our own. But also to start really kicking into high gear on canning, drying, etc! Barter in your community if possible, raise a few hens for eggs if possible and just develop good frugal, food wise habits.... our families did it in days long past during hard times, we can do it again. Annika Farmgirl & sister #13 Palouse Prairie Girls Chapter http://palouseprairiegirls.blogspot.com/ http://prairiegirlsjournal.blogspot.com/ Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. ~Leonardo DaVinci
highlandviewpantry	Posted - Mar 11 2011 : 09:20:45 AM Stocking up on supplies is important but stocking up on knowledge is just as important. I have a binder full of home remedies and recipes. On my blog, I feature a lot of recipes for homemade ingredients - for example: sourcream, butter, butter olive oil spread, alternative to cooking spray, homemade household cleaners, etc. I use these recipes now because they are more natural and cut back on chemicals but the know how will definitely come in handy in emergencies. www.thehighlandviewpantry.blogspot.com
sherrye	Posted - Mar 11 2011 : 07:12:50 AM well i posted this and then saw the news of the earthquake in japan so sad. so ca. and ore. are getting ready for the big waves.i hope our coastal girls stay safe. sending love out there in this sherrye the learn as we go silk purse farm farm girl #1014
sherrye	Posted - Mar 11 2011 : 06:31:44 AM i am enjoying all the info here for sure. i watched the backyard videos. i put my hope and future in God. it is a good thing too since man surely is not directing his steps well. even with a strong spiritual faith it is scary. Gods word tells us to not worry.he would not say that unless we needed to be reminded. still its hard. here we put up each year anyway. our faith teaches us to have an emergency pack ready. we try to be prepared here. winters are always hard to get through. the bible warns of food shortages earthquakes one after another. it is all heading toward a good thing. so we try to be prepared for coyotes. so to speak. many of us are able to grow and reap. what a blessing it is. the videos scare me. being older and getting tired and seeing the challenges ahead well not doing the happy dance for sure. Jesus and Jah promised the meek will inherit the earth. God said i did not create the earth for nothing. i want to live in the paradise promised. i love the earth. so i try to do the right thing. to share with you God loves you when you do not love yourself. He looks at our good not our failures. he also says in proverbs a capable wife who can find? well He does expect us to be planning working doing the farmgirl attitude. i love mjf for this reason. we are aware through the speakings of many like minded girls. learning everyday about eachother and the world and earth we live on. so we are in preparedness mode. not fun but real. so canning gardening doing the whole food thing bigger this year for sure. learned to can butter from belles cow milk on here a awhile back. thanks girls for letting me be a part of a fine group of folks. ok off the band wagon now. well thats my story and i am sticking to it. LOL happy days sherrye the learn as we go silk purse farm farm girl #1014
earthmamaT	Posted - Mar 10 2011 : 8:22:30 PM Here is a good link to a FOX News report on the food shortage and price increases....http://yourdaddy.net/2011/01/25/fox-reports-massive-food-shortages-this-year-2011/ Tammy ~ "Be the change you want to see in the world" Gandhi

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