Emergency & Long-Term Preparedness

[Clary]

Thank you Clary. Most instructive.

Most welcome...
I've been involved in food storage and emergency preparedness since late 69-70. Such a pleasure to see information so readily available now, compared to how it used to be.

[HollyJo]

Clary,
Thank you. That was very enlightening. I hear lots of folks talk about having extra supplies on hand, but not as many seem to think about the need to protect what you have...

Home invasions, for me, was enough to make me think about that, but you have shed a lot of light on things I would not have thought about.

For example, we have a generator, and even though I realize we may or may not be able to use it, depending on fuel availability, I didn't think about it attracting looters.

Much to think about....Thank you again...

God Bless,

[Clary]

You are certainly welcome, HollyJo. The generator being able to draw attention to a "prepared" home was a new idea for me to think about, too.

[ncyg46]

during Hurricane Charlie....our generator kept everyones food going...about 4 houses. The one guy that was an a**hole to me came over and asked to borrow it. We were almost out of gas and told him 15.00 per half hour and he walked out in a huff. hey you couldn't buy gas since there was no power at the gas stations if you could find a can so all the neighbors were bringing over whatever gas they had that didn't have oil mixed in it for lawnmowers This was the 5th day with no power!



we took out the blender, blew up the kiddie pool and had a margarita!
I always say what goes around, comes around...specially with that guy

as soon as we got comfortable in the pool the power went on!!! lol!

[HollyJo]

Ncyg,
It appears you have a good idea of what actually happens, that has to be a huge plus for you..

[ncyg46]

well...we have an rv, (not the one in the photo) solar panels and if we really get bad we can unplug and use them...but we have two trees over them right now. We have our own water in the rv, can run everything except my appliances, can cook with a solar oven. We have a generator for the bigger stuff. The only thing that doesn't run on that is the airconditioner...but we have two pools here! I am not worried right now. We live in a very private gated rv park which i won't do into but I really don't think too many people will come in here... .

[Clary]

Article:
"Twelve Ways to Sabotage your Family Preparedness Plan"
In a real emergency, no one is going to ride in and rescue us if the calamity involves the whole community. In this time of downsizing and economic disappointment, it is more urgent than ever before in our lifetime that we commit to self-reliance and stay on top of our family emergency plan...

http://ldsmag.com/emergency/100720plan.html

[HollyJo]

Clary,
Once again, Thank you for the great information! Also, do you know of any "healthy food" type of classes in TN?
I don't have a Whole Foods near me, and some of the other classes I have looked at are VERY expensive, and they are usually out of state.
I am about 20 minutes from Gatlinburg.

[Clary]

Clary,
Once again, Thank you for the great information! Also, do you know of any "healthy food" type of classes in TN?
I don't have a Whole Foods near me, and some of the other classes I have looked at are VERY expensive, and they are usually out of state.
I am about 20 minutes from Gatlinburg.

Cooking classes?
Educational classes?

Also, have you considered DVDs for what you are looking for?

[HollyJo]

Clary,
Cooking classes would be Great! I know it should be simple...but not when your used to eating so differently..

I love to learn, so Educational is great too! I did just receive a few DVD's, but they don't demonstrate cooking.
They are educational... When it comes to cooking, I'm a "Hands on" learner.. I suppose I could learn with a DVD, step by step tutorial..

[Clary]

Anyone working on their food storage and Emergency Preparedness??
We often start thinking more about both at this time of the year.

I used up what rice I had here at my apt., so on Thanksgiving Day, I retrieved one of my stored buckets of 25# of Lundberg Short Grain Organic Brown Rice from my daughter's basement. I am enjoying a huge bowl full as I type--just the delicious warm sweet brown rice sprinkled with nutmeg.

While transferring some of the rice to a smaller container at home, I remembered when we had an intense discussion here on the board about the benefit (or not--mostly pro, one strong dissenter! ) of buying and storing rice, because of rising prices and possible shortages--around the Spring of 2008, when the prices of most types of rice were soaring. We discussed among other things, whether the buying of rice and storing it for long-term use was a wise "financial investment".

I packed this rice up in June, 2008. This particular bag, I left in the strong paper sack in which it arrived. I placed the entire sack into a large mylar bag, which I rolled and sealed tightly and secured with duct tape. I placed all of that inside a 5 gal. storage bucket capped with a Gamma Seal lid. Inside the mylar bag, I added two moisture absorbers and two bay leaves, before I sealed the mylar bag. Then I dropped an additonal two absorbers inside the bucket, along with three more bay leaves. When I opened the inside bag today, the rice looked, smelled, and felt like freshly bagged rice right off the grocery shelf.

Back in mid 2008, a group of us went together and ordered 100's of lbs. for a good price and further discount, and we didn't have to pay shipping. This morning, out of curiosity, I checked the on-line price of the same rice in 25# bags, and the best price I can find on line so far is around $46.59, plus between $18-$25 shipping, bringing the cost of the rice up to from $2.58 to $2.86 per pound --which to the best of my memory is about FIVE to SIX TIMES as much per pound as we paid back in June 2008, even after some already sharp rises in rice prices had taken place.

[HollyJo]

Clary,
I would like to start, but am not sure where to start... I am a firm believer, that we need to be prepared.

When you say "gamma seal lid"....? Are the containers themselves expensive?

Is it normal to get with a group and purchase things by the bulk? Sorry for all the questions, but I would like to at least get started..

Thanks,

[somnolent]

Clary, what are the bay leaves for?

[Ege Bamyasi]

.

[Clary]

Clary, what are the bay leaves for?

They are traditionally used to deter weevils, beetles, flour beetles, moths, etc. in stored wheat, flours, rice, grains, beans, legumes, etc.--also used in the pantry for similar foods being used and rotated.

I've not had an infestation in my stored beans or grains since I began using the bay leaf treatment many years ago. Prior to that I had battles with the moths.

Lots of good information available from a Google Search. For example a search for "bay leaf panrty pests" or "repel pests bay leaves" or similar entries.

EDIT: the above phrase s/b "bay leaf PANTRY pests"