Emergency Food Storage
Did you know that before the pandemic hit America that The USDA, FEMA, CDC, Home Land Security, and the American Red Cross all recommended an emergency food storage of at least three days to start? They recommend that once you have the three days of food and water in place to have a two-week supply. In your three days supply, they recommend you have food that can be consumed without heat as an option. here are few websites to look over as you begin your journey of preparedness.
https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/foodwater/prepare.html
https://www.fema.gov/pdf/library/f&web.pdf
Well, we are way past three days, two weeks, and even three months. We are now into the six-month mark and we are still in a partial shutdown, major jobs losses, and for some catastrophic illness and death of loved ones. Imagine if you had food security that would ride you through this uncertainty. We have all had the struggle in 2020 at times finding food or have been limited on what and how much you can buy at a time. Even now, six months in the shutdown, flour, and yeast to make bread can still be hard to find. Most food chains have had their deli and bakeries shut down. The whole world knows about the absolute zeal Americans had for toilet paper at the beginning of the 2020 pandemic. Toilet paper won't feed you, but you should have some of that stored also
Starting Your Food Storage
I think every American will now consider at least having some food supply on hand. Before this, the average American home barely had a three-day supply of food. The rest on hand would most likely be a bunch of fragments that you may or may not be able to force into a semblance of a meal. The American supply line chain for food and supplies is about three days because of the Just In Time Delivery System model that almost all stores and businesses follow. One big impact for the American supply chain is there are no real contingencies for its breakdown. It is still broken in August of 2020 because of restaurant shutdowns. Food suppliers are having to find a place for that supply of food that normally would be for restaurants and schools that now no longer need the food.
Americans eat out a lot and now that we are not eating out it is causing problems for supply lines. Not only are Americans not eating out as much, but many restaurants are just gone. They went out of business because of the mandatory government shutdowns. Many food suppliers are dumping and destroying food because they have nowhere to go. Some are giving what they can away and then finding disposal places for the rest. Americans do not think about where and how food comes to them, they just go buy it. Cooking from scratch is hard if you have never done it. Once Americans realize that once you learn it cooking from scratch is not that hard. Not to mention it tastes way better than Frankenstein Foods and even restaurant food. Then perhaps those foods being destroyed can feed into American homes instead. 
There are many households that have had a tragedy before the pandemic, be it illness, major home or car repair, job loss, or caring for a sick or elderly family member. They have learned about food security the hard way and adjusted their lifestyles to have food security. Most households do not have food security or have a clue on how to create it to have peace of mind. The fear and worry on how to feed their families during monetary hardship, illness, or job loss are fearful and stressful. Just the act of having food put by can relieve both the mental pressure and worry and take food from the financial struggle.
Our supply chain line is long. Items are in short supply as they come from so far. Then the whole world is shut down in some form or fashion due to the pandemic. Americans are clueless to the extent of how our trade deals and other government programs have harmed American companies and pushed them out of business and overseas. The news does not show cities where the manufacturing is gone and the cities have become partial ghost towns. People who live in those cities know about the factory closings and job losses, empty and abandoned buildings, and factories. A perfect example would be any town like Detroit that used to be a manufacturing city of cars and staple items Americans use every day. Items that were once made in the USA.
We go to the store and buy things like lightbulbs, and other items for our homes. and are totally clueless they are only made overseas and no longer manufactured in the United States. When the pandemic hit, Americans learned that almost all the ingredients to make medicine comes from overseas. Many items are made in America, but the ingredients to make them are not. Over the last thirty years, through our trade deals with other countries, American has been dismantled and sold out. Research American ghost towns and farmlands. It is something very important about our country that needs to be addressed. I have spent my life saying buy American.
Some items are getting harder to find. This is causing producers to have problems getting the items they need to produce food for sale. You should research what you use in your home like light bulbs, and items made from metal, steel, and aluminum, as well as electronic and digital items as these items, are coming from overseas. Batteries, lightbulbs, plastic items, electronics.
President Trump began to address these things when he took office. We don't have manufacturing in the US anymore. One of President Trump's main campaign promises was to bring manufacturing home to the United States. In conjunction with bringing manufacturing home, he is also getting rid of destructive regulations that destroy and close businesses because they serve no purpose but to line someone's pocket with money. For every new regulation made two must now be removed. Brilliant! These are things he started to put back into place before the pandemic even hit.
I personally don't think we have even begun to see the impact of the worldwide pandemic effects of our supply chain yet. Steel mills had just started going back into production when the pandemic hit. President Trump had mandated that any government contractor could no longer buy foreign steel but must buy steel made in America. If we move into a cold war with our main supplier, China, things will be even harder to find. I don't think many realize that our basic lumber is also imported because of the crushing regulations on the lumber industry. The almost non-management of forest lands is what causes the devastating fires across the nation. There were far fewer fires when America managed its forest land. It also kept the price of lumber down with the constant influx of trees from properly managing forest lands.
This too. is changing, with the lessening of crushing regulations and trade deals that have decimated our industries and made a lot of people rich. This has dismantled the United States' ability to maintain its own manufacturing and supply chain. It takes time for the infrastructure of American companies to build back up to return to production. Do some research as to what you use and need in your home. What comes from China or overseas and add that to what you store. Almost anything that has electronics, like refrigerators and freezers
CONTAINER SHIPS This is manufactured products from China and other overseas nations being brought into the United States. This is only one port, every coastal city that has a major port is bringing in just as much in imports to the United States.
What does this mean for you the consumer? It means you need to decide what kind of storage you want to put into place. Everyone should have three-day emergency storage from storms, water issues, and loss of electricity. You should consider also two weeks food supply, three-month supply, and long-term storage. This usually means for 6 months to a year. This supply is of food and items that you need, eat and use regularly. It needs to follow your type of lifestyle. You don't have to do it all at once, but you should have already started. It is estimated that everyone is stocking back a little food right now while we are in the middle of the pandemic. Most will stop when everything is back to normal. Some are estimating that about 30-40 percent will keep a storage plan and stash in place even when life as we once knew it returns. One thing that you might consider thinking about is if you should learn to be a producer as well as a consumer. Start learning what you may need to do and have to put in small gardens. Perhaps, you can get a few chickens. You may also consider learning new skills that help you prepare long-term food storage like home canning, or dehydrating. Check your state extension services and your state legislature for any post-pandemic changes that will help you store and produce food at your home.
Three Day Supply
One of the most important things about any food storage or supply is that it be the type of food you eat on a regular basis. Do not buy and store food that you won't eat. If you do not like the taste or texture nor is it a food you would normally eat, you are not going to eat it. The old adage is rice and beans store for 25-30 years. If you don't like rice and beans you are not going to eat them or rotate them back into your regular food supply. The reason rice and beans is recommended is that together they are are a complete protein. Rice and beans broken down by your body can be converted into every amino acid your body needs to function. If you don't like rice and beans find alternatives that will make another complete protein for your body.
Your three-day supply of food and water is more than likely going to be for an emergency like a power outage from earthquakes, storms, hurricanes, snow, and ice. Most people who live in those areas have emergency items stored from experience. It is a safety measure put in place to alleviate stress, worry, and inconvenience. How much you store in your three days supply depends on your immediate family size or family that may be staying you with as part of your family emergency plan. You do have an Emergency plan right?
You should regularly convert your 3 days supply back into your pantry and replenish it with newer food. This should only have to occur once or twice a year as shelf-life is rather long on these types of foods. The foods you want to have in this supply are high-energy foods and foods that can be eaten cold. Take into consideration if you have to move out of your home and have supplies like silverware, napkins, hand sanitizer, and hand and bottom wipes. Have as much of it as possible be disposable. Have everything stored near or together in the event you do have to relocate. Don't forget storage options for leftovers like closable plastic containers and ziplock bags. Remember this is just your emergency 3 days supply. Here as some ideas of items, you should have.
- canned Fruits
- canned vegetables
- canned soups
- canned meats like tuna, chicken, spam, and ham
- crackers
- snack bars
- trail mixes
- dried fruits, seeds, and nuts
- peanut butter
- spices like salt pepper
- canned or dry milk
- cereals
- foods and special supplies for infants like diapers, formula, ointments, and medicines
- food for special diets for elderly and diabetics and vegetarians
- comfort foods for fear and stress like candy, cookies, potato chips and snacks
- flashlights, matches and lighters and a can opener
- one gallon of water, per person, per day. A family of four should have at a minimum 12 gallons of water for a three-day emergency. You should have more if your foods require water to eat or prepare. Several things people do not consider when storing daily water rations is that this is for drinking. You need to consider you need to stock also for hygiene. Personal washing, tooth care, hand washing, and cooking clean up. Do not forget your pets. They too need a gallon a day.
Two Week And Three Month Supply
Now that you have a three-day supply of food in place for a disaster or emergency you can begin your short and long-term storage of two weeks and longer. We have learned in the 2020 pandemic that illness combined with job loss is a big portion of a food emergency. Most Americans have never had to even bother considering this until something like it has happened to them. These were the folks who were actually a little bit prepared. Something in life knocked them back a bit at some point and they had to change their mindset. Now everyone has had to consider it. Your two week supply can also just move right into a three month supply and just skip the two week part. I have a small pantry and a small long term pantry that I use together. Consider making these supplies permanent, The fear and stress of future illness, major household or car repair, and job loss. Having three, six months, or even a year's worth of food stored could seriously alleviate fear and stress levels and remove food as part of the financial burden. The biggest secret to a successful rotational pantry is that you shop from your pantry supplies, then you shop at the store. this constantly rotates your food.
You are going to need a plan to keep track of what you are doing, as well as what do you want or should store. You have to learn and plan so that your long term food and emergency storage items don't perish. You need to work these items back into your pantry on a regular basis. You need to teach yourself to rotate your long term pantry into your kitchen or working pantry on a regular basis. The best way to do this is to build your long term pantry in a way that you shop first from your long term pantry for the items that you can, in conjunction with your regular grocery shopping. Then just replenish these items back into your long term pantry. This is where storing and buying food you normally eat come into play to make a long term and short term food storage economical and useful. This is will also allow you to seriously take advantage of sales and bulk purchasing.
When you begin, just buy more of what you eat. Few can just go to the store and buy a three month supply of food. Just buy more of what you eat. buy a few extra at a time. If you normally buy one box of crackers periodically buy two. Just start buying one or two extra of everything that is shelf-stable every time you go to the store. Something you may not have paid attention to in the past is expiration dates on food. Always look at what it is and try to find the one with the longest shelf life. Just rotate what you buy until your pantry starts to have more of the food you eat on a regular basis. When storing your food always put the newest food at the back of the cabinet so that you are always using the oldest food first. In stores, restaurants, and warehousing this called FIFO, first in first out. If you normally buy one of something switch your mindset to buy two or three. Below are multiple links on different ideas to start food storage and build a three month supply or longer supply of food. Each video author gives different ideas on how you can begin, rotate, and continue to have food security for your family.
You are also going to need to store items like cleaning supplies, laundry, and dishwasher soaps. You should also consider stocking items like toothpaste, mouth wash, and sanitary items for both men and women like shaving cream, razors tampons, and sanitary napkins. If your crazy 2020 stockpile of toilet paper is getting low...by all means stock it back up. A great source for doing this cheaply comes from two women who call themselves Krazy Coupon Lady. Their website shows you how to use coupons, phone apps, and in-store deals at major box stores and pharmacies. It is seriously worth your time to study a few of their videos teaching you how to take advantage of in-store deals, coupons, and deep discounts most people are totally clueless about. Sometimes as much as 50-60 percent off and with a combination of apps, coupons, and in-store deals sometimes for free or just pennies. It does not take as much time or is as hard as you think. Most people also don't realize that Walgreens and CVS are a great place to replenish staples like paper and cleaning products with coupons. These stores are more friendly to the couponer and bargain shopper than a traditional grocery store.
Storage
As you build your food storage you may notice you need places to store it. You are going to need to look around your house and find places to put shelves and cabinets to store items. That is unless you are blessed with an actual big pantry. I am not so I have been creative. You are now going to have a working pantry and a short and long term working panty. Many kitchens only have a small closet size pantry or a cabinet. Food items really can not be stored anywhere that there is a heat fluctuation, but non-perishable items like cleaning supplies, detergents, and paper and personal items can be stored in the garage or outside sheds and storage buildings. The best solution if you can afford it is overtime to get bookshelves, and industrial, or chef racks to store your new and growing pantry on. and stuff them in rooms and corners of your house.
When storing food for the long term look for ways that keep your food storage safe. Consider adding infrastructure items like a vacuum sealer to extend the shelf life of perishable items. There are also mason jar attachments that you can use on the wide mouth and regular mouth canning jars that will tightly seal items like crackers, pasta, and snacks longer in an airtight environment. Here is a good video example.
Do you have anything stored under your bed? Find storage containers that fit under your bed to store extra food. To start, cut delivery boxes to fit under your bed. Find your creative self! Consider closets and other corners of your home that you can stick a shelf to store items. If you do not like it visible consider putting fabric skirts or curtains over them so that it is hidden from view. There are a ton of youtube videos out there teaching you these simple skills.
We as Americans have never really in my life had this type of long term crisis happen. Learning to prepare in this volatile time in American history is crucial in my opinion. Food storage and food safety is a good first step into being prepared for any contingency in our crazy upside-down world right now. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being prepared. Those Crazy preppers and doomsday preppers might not seem so crazy to you now.
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