April 5, 2024

Are you prepared?

This is off the normal subject of this blog, but it is something that is a growing concern as we watch the world growing more tense, and the cost of living growing more and more expensive. Did you know that in the last 2 years nearly 200 food production or processing plants have been destroyed in our country. Large chicken processors, turkey processors, meat packers, and warehouses for dry goods all torched. This decreases the food supply available, and replacing them is not a quick thing.

Are you preparing your home by stocking up a pantry of food should an emergency occur? Experts indicate that in an emergency the grocery stores are wiped out within a day. Those of us that lived through hurricane threats, or bad tornados that destroyed so much of normal life will attest that getting simple things like fresh food and water becomes impossible in the crisis.

By the way, this is not my pantry – it was a stock photo from the web. Prepared does not mean anything more than looking after your family, including your fur babies so that if , god forbid, something horrible occurs you are prepared. And if you ask the oldest generations, they will say that was a normal part of life. My mom grew up in the great depression, where food was scarce, and funds were even more scarce. Simple answer was to grow what you could, can up the harvest, and learn to eat more simply. I grew up with her always having a big pantry built under the basement stairs, stocked with everything you could need or want. We spent summers canning the garden harvest, and eating from the bounty all winter long.

I am no expert on giving you extensive lists of what to set aside but here are some recommendations:

Canned goods that you will eat (sounds funny, but some of us dont eat canned goods).
Dry goods, like rice and pasta
Cooking oil
vinegar
peanut butter
Jars of pasta sauce, apple sauce, soups,
Candles, lanterns, lighters, maybe a fire pit and wood
alternative ways to cook – grill, sun oven, open campfire
pans and skillets that can be used in alternative cooking methods.
pet food
first aid kit that is well stocked
thermal blanket, or thermal sleep bags (thin, but space age technology allows your body heat to be held in and refracted back to you.
alternative heating
alternative source of water
some different form of communication if the grid goes down
generator
solar charger
faraday bag for your cell phones, tablets, electronics
a few bibles
seeds and garden supplies