Spend a little time on Youtube and you’ll see many video’s warning people of a coming food shortage. Extensive crop loss is blamed on excessive rainfall and corresponding flooding within the United States. Proponents of the food shortage also blame “climate change” and state the next several years will see rising food prices, declining supply levels, and increasing economic impact on populations as a larger percentage of income is spent on groceries.
While many of us are not believers in man-induced climate change there is little doubt that climate changes all the time. No matter which side of the argument you’re on – a food shortage is a food shortage.
As preparedness-minded folks, stocking up on food is nothing new. As for myself, I’ve felt a tremendous need to stock up on food lately. Not as glamorous or exciting as the latest “tacticool” pistols and accessories there is little more important than food.
Recommended: Stock Up Now
Store more of what you eat. Common sense, right? With each visit to the grocery store buy a bit more than you normally would with an emphasis on things that have a longer shelf life. Canned foods are the most obvious as they will last years past their marked expiration date.
Bulk foods such as rice, beans, dried corn, and pasta can be mylar packed and stored for years. These are some of the least expensive food storage options to consider.
Freeze dried food is on the expensive side but is lightweight and stores for upwards of 25 years. One of these best deals I’ve found is a 30-day bucket for one person for $99.99 and free shipping. On a budget? Grab one of these each month and in a short time a decent supply will be put back.
Regardless if there is some impending food shortage around the corner stocking up on food just makes sense.
I bought and stored some buckets of food years ago but since realized that I would have to be really hungry to eat that crap. I’m a lifelong gardener and grow nearly all my veggies and would grow my meat too if I was on a larger plot. Until then I rely on Costco for my “hunting” and keep two large freezers full which are backed by a fairly large (10.12kW) solar power system. I sleep OK.
CaptTurbo
Good deal. I’ve eaten quite a few MRE’s and a lot of freeze dried. So far the MRE’s have been very good and the Mountain House freeze dried excellent. I’ve had some other freeze dried that didn’t fare so well(Backpackers Pantry).
Some people eat to live while I live to eat so I prefer fresh home grown stuff and even with the meats it’s all cooked low and slow in any of my four smokers. Yeah … I might have a meat smoking addiction. lol
LOL CaptTurbo – that comment cracked me up.
re:
three squares
Our discussions on BisonPrepper with James M Dakin cover ‘food first’. Some grain-consumers recommend 50# bulk bags of grains from feedstores.
The often-hilarious and always-relevant John Wilder at WilderWealthyWise devoted today’s article to the non-viability of fUSA coastal cities during a potential civil war; food won’t be distributed to them. A graphic showed 20% of humans live in the Boston-Charlotte arc, including District Of Corruption. Frisco, south California, Portland Oregon to Vancouver BC. Everybody agreed we are sure going to miss them… and everybody agreed on the advice from Remus at WoodpileReport == avoid crowds.
A semi-autobiography from the 1970s, SAILING THE FARM by Ken Neumayer(sp?), details efficient greenhouses on-board a forty-foot sailboat while touring remote islands along the east coast of the Pacific ocean.
The fishermen will thrive.
I use to follow Dakin for a long time, he had a interesting blog with ideas. I even bought into his just need a little piece of junk property, a Mosin and ammo mentality for a while. Just jumped over to his site, boy is that guy full of hate and bitterness towards many people.
LargeMarge – interesting thought on the greenhouses aboard a sailboat. Never heard of that. Thx
I typically store grains and freeze dried fruit more than the meals. Beans, rice, wheat, grits, sugar, spices, pasta, are all the mainstays of my system. Then the canned goods. I also plant a garden with enough to can or freeze each year. I don’t worry too much about meat although I think I’m going to start canning meat again. I had gotten away from it. Nothing like a good beef stew ready made, just heat and eat.
John,
This is off the topic, but I thought I’d comment anyway.
I’m sure glad you’re back. I went into your list of projects, which always are helpful. I’ve been building my GHB. I travel to Asheville, NC at least 4-6 times a month. That’s the longest I travel since retiring. And of course there are shorter trips such as into the mountains for fly fishing, A number of items one the list for your GHB are already in my pile to placed into the bag. But you had quite a few I did not remember. Great list!
You have definitely been missed. As I commented once before. Your site is for the adults of the prepping community. I have never been disappointed and I don’t have to sort thru a bunch of doom and gloom articles as some sites have.
Thank you for your hard work and coming back on line.
Appreciate the positive comments Oren! Thank you!!
At first the signs were showing up at the Del Monte vegetable areas of the stores, now smaller signs are showing up at many brands near me – but it’s only been with vegetables. No shortage of easy fix side dishes, flour, or other items. My garden this year has been abysmal, but I’ve not been able to put in the daily work to keep it up with everything going on. The basics of storing wheat, rice, beans and corn are the fillers to what you currently store to expand ones food storage or used as handouts to those who have nothing you’ve chosen to assist. However, when storing dent/field/deer corn you need to be reminded of storing slake lime (calcium hydroxide) to soak the corn in before turning it into favorite masa or gruel. Process is called nixtamalization, a good grinder for the wheat berries and corn – that old $25 cast iron Victoria mill from ebay won’t keep up with daily use. Friend was brewing his own beer and went through 3 in one year before buying a Good one.
Good stuff jh!! Thanks for the comment.
Something to consider if you want ln term storage food.. the LDS sell to anyone and is much cheaper and higher quality in general.. Freeze dried veggies for vitamins.. milk.. etc.. Red Wheat keeps for a really long time and can be used as seed.. or ground… check out ( Country Living Hand Grain Mill ), I do agree fresh is necessary.. Put in a hot house and you can extend the season for greens.. then garden of course.. I’ll be trying something new for gardening this next spring .. to remove maintenance as much as possible from weeding and more efficient watering.. the freeze dried can backstop bad seasons and mistakes.. It occured to me that this year, As critters broke into our coop and killed 90% of our chickens, how catastrophic this woudl be if it wasn’t easily replaced).. so I’ll diversify a bit and changing my idea of security ..
As an aside my favorite on-line ammo retailers have gone up %6-10 in a week.. and dropped free shipping .. if you need something, consider how much and maybe make that a goal as well.
Prepare deliberately.. it will be a big deal publically withing 6 months .. as much or as bad as 2016 was IMO
GG58
Thanks GG58. Good points all around. I’ve been seeing the same on ammo as well.
John,
I meant to ask you this earlier.
“Ruger SR22 .22LR pistol w/ 3 magazines and 100 rounds CCI Mini Mags”
What was you logic of selecting your .22 pistol instead of something with a little more power?
Oren – I put together that bag a few years ago and it has changed some. I’ll have to write an update in the coming months.
The thought process behind having the SR22 was weight. I want a short-range GHB to be light so I can move as fast as possible and expend energy in travel – not carrying. Something also to keep in mind I almost always have a 9mm pistol on my person so in addition to the .22 I would likely have the larger caliber.
OK. That makes sense. I typically have a S&W M&P .40 with me. I’m building my bag now. Almost finished. I typically have a long trip about once a month from the Clemson area to Asheville, NC. I’m also thinking about refurbishing one of my 3 bicycles to put in the back of the truck. Of course, I need to start riding again. Biggest problem will be for a long ride to come up and the survival of the impact on your rear end.
thanks for the info John.
I was at the feed and seed yesterday and noticed a poster at the cash register. Seed corn has gone up per bag already due to lack of a corn crop. Doesn’t sound like much, but it establishes a trend. Just wait and take a survey of the goods in the grocery stores.