http://selfreliancesurvivalsystems.com/uncategorized/preparing-for-food-shortage-disasters.php - Preparing for Food Shortage Disasters
| January 10, 2008
I notice a lot of people are coming here in search of information about food supplies in disasters, whether economic or natural. As far as I am concerned that is extremely smart planning. Between droughts, floods, and solar agitation, food supplies are getting hammered. Lets add a bit of economic and political turmoil to the supplies that are left and we might have to face one huge starvation crisis in the near future. I thought it was time to discuss food supplies.
Exactly what are the smart moves you can make to stock up and how do you feed yourself and your family through lean times?
The first thing you need to do is look at stocking up on supplies that might not be so easy to come by in the future, and that are easily stocked. It’s not going to do you much good to have a freezer full of perishable food if something happens to the electric supply. You can hold one or two quick neighborhood parties to use those supplies before they spoil, but face it - that is only a couple of days of food at the best if the hammer falls during summer months. In winter you might have an easier time as snowbanks will keep food just as finely as the best of refrigerators. Take that as a hint that you can stock more perishable supplies in winter than in summer if you live in areas that have cold winters.
Canned supplies can be stocked fairly easily. Stock what you are able. As time goes by, use the older supplies and replace them with new ones on a regular basis to keep your supplies edible. If you have a root cellar or some such storage area, you can get away with stocking more fresh foods such as yams and potatoes. Try to choose foods that will be both nutritious and filling. Stock only perishables that you can use and replace before they go bad.
Dried foods such as beans, brown rice, pastas, corn meals, spices, yeast, baking soda, etc. should be included in your supply cabinets. Cooking oils such as olive oil should be stored as well. Packaged military C rations will last a long time and are inexpensive yet vital supplies to have. Your main focus is nutrition, but try to stock foods that will not make you miserable to eat for long periods if possible. Don’t be afraid to pack a few foods just for a treat now and again, but don’t short yourself of good foods to store them. In a crisis a bit of comfort food might be pretty welcome now and again. Remember that chocolate is actually good for you and being able to give your kids a cup of cocoa once in awhile when times are bad can really be an emotional pick-me-up for the whole family. The same is true of popcorn, which actually contains some good minerals and carbohydrates. Being as creative as you can in food storage can help keep the family’s spirits up while feeding them throughout a crisis.
When planning how to feed your family in a crisis, never assume that a crisis is going to be temporary. You might not be able to store enough to last through bad times. In the coming years being able to supply your own food may be vital to your survival. If you have property you can cultivate, learn how. Remember though that in many crisis situations, your ground might be rendered unusable. You will be much more likely to guarantee a supply of food if you learn to grow food using hydroponics. On the site you will find an excellent and inexpensive book on hydroponic gardening. It is here because I truly believe that hydroponics is the best means of growing your own food. It will teach you what you need to know to grow food by this means. Using hydroponics gives you much more control of your crop than land gardening, which leaves you at the mercy of weather and other elements which can be hostile to your farming attempts. Feel free to sign up for the Self-Reliance free reports if you would like to learn more about hydroponics before you spend money on the “how to” book I have provided here.
Getting organic seeds is vitally important as you will want to be able to save seeds for another crop later on. Many seeds are now genetically altered and plants which are grown from these seeds are sterile and will not produce seeds that will be usable again. Make sure you know what you are getting. If the vendor which you buy seeds from can’t guarantee the seeds are organic, don’t bother with them.
When planning what to grow, make sure to vary your plants. You will want to include vegetables, tubers such as onions, carrots, and potatoes which can be stored for longer periods, and grain seeds such as corn, oat, and flax which can be used to make flours and cereals. Make sure to get seeds which produce edible sprouts such as alfalfa and wheat grass, too. These seeds can quickly produce food of high quality nutrition and won’t take up a full garden of space. One thing you need to be aware of, though, is that once you eat the sprouts, the food is gone and you will not have more seeds, so make sure to let some of the plants grow full term so you can have a renewable harvest.
If you have space for them, consider raising chickens or other fowl. These animals produce eggs and can be a continual source of food for your family and are not expensive to feed. You can grow food for them yourself, too. In dire straights you can eat the animals themselves unless you are morally opposed. When starving, you might have to compromise your emotional predispositions if you are to stay alive. We will not be the first people to have had to do so.
Another way to use space on property is to build and stock a pond. You can stock it with edible seaweeds, fish, clams, and crayfish. Some disasters may destroy these supplies as well, but many won’t. You will have a good source of renewable food supply if you use wise planning when you build your pond and harvest it.
Learn what plants in your area are edible. Chances are you have some terrific food sources growing near you that can be harvested in emergencies. I sometimes eat wild plants for no other reason than some of them are pretty good and many are extremely nutritious. Dandelions, for example, are excellent food sources with superior food value. Leaves can be used as salad and roots used in teas can clean the system. The flowers can be used either as food or to make some mighty heady wines. Cat-tails are another often overlooked nutritional food source which can be used in many different ways to provide foods. In many areas, chamomile grows wild and is even eradicated from gardens as weeds. This plant can be used to make teas that have medicinal properties as well as great taste. Please note that you need to learn what you are doing before just picking and eating plants. There are some plants which are deadly poisonous yet have very edible look-alike plants. Wild carrots are one edible plant with extremely poisonous doubles. Make sure you learn the difference. Being confused about plant identity can be deadly!
Learn to can and process the foods you grow. Plant foods that can be used to make flours and that make good canning foods. Remember that you can make whole meals to can as well as just canning plain vegetables. A good canned spaghetti sauce might just be a blessing in disguise at some later date. Make sure you rotate your canned foods as possible also. It would be a shame to keep it until it is no longer safe to eat. Check information about how long you can keep your canned foods safely when you process it.
Planting trees has become an important issue in recent years. Nothing would serve the planet better while providing you nutrition as planting fruit and nut trees in your yard. The bark of a willow tree can be used for pain relief in the event that the disaster becomes great enough that aspirin is no longer available. Bamboo is not only edible, it can be grown inside! Study options of which trees will grow in your area before bringing home a plant that won’t grow in your climate.
Even if you are an apartment dweller, you can store some, and grow some of your own foods. Be creative and study your options. There is no reason to go without when you can provide for yourself.
------------- PrepGirl
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