Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Welcome!



Hello Carson Ward Family,

Welcome to the new Carson Ward Emergency Preparedness Blog. We are in the process of setting up this blog to help the ward family members with Emergency Preparedness. We will be continually add ideas and helpful items on becoming Self-Reliant.

I am compiling 30 years of gathering Emergency Preparedness information and experience, and putting into this Ward website so everything is easily accessed by our Ward members.

"The best storehouse is the family storeroom".. "Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing." ...President Gordan B. Hinckley (1910-2008) (Doctrince and Covenants 109:29)

Weekly posting and Giveaway

Each week we will give you Emergency Preparedness ideas, give you a weekly and monthly challenge and have a Giveaway drawing monthly for all those who check out our blog during the month by posting a comment at the end of our weekly post starting with this Welcome posting. Each time you post a comment for that week (just something simple and your name anonymously at the end of each post) your name will go into a drawing for the month, if you post a comment 4 times a month, you will have 4 chances to win the monthly prize. The Giveway prize will be something to help you with your family emergency preparedness items. If you have ideas and successes to share please email Sister Nancy Cuppett at thearkcarsonward@gmail.com.

We hope this blog will help you and your family "prepare every needful thing" so your family will feel safe, secure and at peace.

Our goals for each Ward family are: (some items below are still a work in progress)

1. Water Storage and Water Barrels

2. 72 Hours Kits (one for each family member)

3. Car Emergency Kits

4. 3 Month Food Storage

5. Year Supply Food Storage

6. Non-food Items 3 Months and Yearly Storage

7. How to set up and store your food storage

8. Sanitation Emergency Preparedness

9. Shelter Emergerncy Preparedness

10. First-Aid Kits and First-aid and CPR classes

11. How to plant a vegetable garden (also container gardens)

12. Workshops on Emergency Preparedness

13. A Ward Emergency Preparedness Response Team and Committee

14. What if there is an earthquake, what to do before, during and afterwards

15. How to cook during an emergency situation and different types of cooking units/techniques

16. Self-Reliance: Spiritual, Personal, Financial, Educational, Physcial, and Emergency Preparedness

And much, much more to come!

***This posting and those below are still in progress and will change as information is added****

Sister Nancy Cuppett
Ward Emergency Preparedness Leader

Monday, July 12, 2010

72 Hour Indivivudal Emergency Preparedness Backpack/KIt (Bug-Out-Bag)

Do you have a 72 Hour Individual Emergency Preparedness Backpack/Kit for each person in your household? 

You should have one for each person in your home, at work, in your car and at your children's schools.

The following tips and menus will help you accomplish this task.

Tips for 72 Hour Backpack (food kits, emergency needs, sanitation kit and stress factors):

1. Who lives in your household
--are you single, is there only a husband and wife, do you have children, are their extended family members? Do any have special needs? Do you have pets?

2. Family and individual needs--do any family members have special diets or need special medications? Do not forget the baby (they need special foods, diapers and items).

3. Transportation--will each family member be able to transport their 72 Hour Backpack? What type of container will you use? I find backpacks are great and easy to transport for most family members. Small suitcases on wheels also work well. They can hold the 72 Hour Food Kit, a 2 Liter water bottle, Hygiene Kit, Stressor Kit, extra clothing, a flashlight, poncho, emergency space blanket, and other small items. Plus you will need a family 72 Hour Family Emergency Bag that will hold all the other items that might be needed, a duffel bag works great for this (This is discussed in a different blog posting.). Remember to keep the children's backpack light enough or them to carry.



4. Once your kit is prepared, store each family kit (backpack) where everyone knows it is and it will be easy to access if you need to leave in a hurry or easy to get after an earthquake or other disaster.

5. Rotate food and clothing as needed. The food should be rotated every years. If you keep our 72 Hour Backpack in your car the food needs to be rotated every 6 months due to the heat. Clothing and shoes need to be checked regularly, especially for children.

6. Shop around to get the best prices for the food items. If a single person, get together with a couple of friends to save money on items that have several items in a box, like granola bars, etc.(It is amazing how prices are different at each grocery store. Costco and Sam's Club usually have great prices when you have several family members, but sometimes regular grocery stores can be lower with sales prices.)

7. Use a 72 Hour Food Kit Shopping List chart once you have determined the items in your kit. You can set up a chart in Microsoft Word or Excel. In your chart put these columns: Food item, # per kit, # of kits, and total #. This will help you when shopping.

8. On each 72 Hour Food Kit tape or place in the container a list of the 3 menus.

9. Containers for the 72 Hour Food Kit (make sure they are water proof): I like doubling 2 large plastic zip lock bags, or an ex-large plastic zip lock bag or any items that will safely hold the food items.

10. Only put in your 72 Hour Food Kit what your family will eat, especially for children. Choose foods that will hit your family members dietary needs. Example: Someone who is diabetic will need food low in sugar.

11. Set up a schedule once you have your food list to buy a couple of items each week. This will help with your budget. It may take time but at least you are working towards a goal.

12. Once a month skip a family movie night out or family dinner night out and use the money to
purchase the items for your 72 Hour Food Kits.
Also, to save money, you can use the same menu for each day, this way you can purchase the items in groups, like 6-8 granola bars in a box, etc. I will give you an example in the Menu example below. If you want a variety of meals each day it may cost more money because you will need to purchase extra to fill your menu.

13. Keep all liquid items and mint candy in separate plastic zip-lock bags. If stored with other food items will become moist and taste like mint.

Items that should be in your 72 Hour Backpack Kits:

1. 72 Hours Food Kit (This will fit into a large zip lock plastic bag if you work at it.)

2. Water (2 Liter bottle or 3 regular 16.9 ounce bottles)

3. Personal Hygiene 72 Hour Kit (think about each person in your household and what they will need--small bar of hand soap, small hand sanitizer soap, wash cloth, small package of baby wipes, deodorant, feminine hygiene items, medications, small tube of sun screen, brush/comb, small bottles of shampoo/rinse [or a shampoo and rinse in one], etc.) (All these items will fit into a large zip lock plastic bag.)

4. Stressor 72 Hour Kit (items like a Book of Mormon/small scriptures, picture of family, important phone numbers, paper and pen/pencil with sharpener, card games, small car board games, activity book for small children, small or paper back book of children's and adults favorite reading book, crossword puzzle book, etc.) (These will all fit into a large zip lock plastic bag)

5. Clothes (One change of clothes [preferable long pants and long sleeve shirt], underwear and socks [2 pair], comfortable sturdy shoes, and a light weight jacket or sweater, a hat)

6. Emergency Items (Whistle, pair of work gloves, 2 masks, Mylar space blanket, flashlight with extra batteries, pocket knife if old enough, etc.)

7. Parents/Adult Backpack should carry a copy of all important documents and ID information, medical history for each family member including any medication each family member takes, money in small bills ($1 and $5) and change.

8. Other Family Emergency Duffel Bag or Backpack. See the blog posting on the right under "Postings" for the list of items to include in this bag.

Example of 72 Hour Food Individual Kit Menu:

It is the same menu for each day, breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.

Day 1, 2, and 3

Breakfast: Oatmeal (instant), Raisins (small box), Hot cocoa (instant)

Lunch: Peanut Butter Crackers, Fruit Cup, Trail Mix

Dinner: Soup (and instant kind like Chicken Noodle), Granola Bar, Fruit Drink Mix

Snacks: Fruit Snacks, Gum, Hard Candy, Beef Jerky

Water: 2 Liter bottle or 3 smaller ones (not the really small ones) (Remember: Use this water sparingly, it is used for drinking as well as for the soup, hot chocolate and fruit drink mix, not for bathing.)

Note: This is a high calorie menu. When someone is in a stressful situation they burn more calories. Adjust to family member with allergies and medical conditions like diabetes.

Miscellaneous Items:

Zip lock bag to store above food items (all food fits in the bag),water proof matches, wet wipes, candles, 3 spoons, 3 cups, bowl.

Note: Cans should be flip top type if possible, if not you will need a can opener. Ready to eat food needs to be in unbreakable containers

Emergency Needs:
Instruction manual on emergency preparedness
Battery-powered radio (solar powered is even better)
First-aid Kit and manual
Sleeping bags and blankets (wool and thermal)
Can opener
Waterproof/windproof matches
Non-perishable food
Flashlight with extra batteries , whistle (in case family member gets lost)
Water storage (1 gallon per person per day)
Water purification tablets
Utility knife
Emergency candle
Extra eyeglasses
Essential medications
Extra clothing
Pipe wrench and adjustable wrench for turning off gas and water mains
Work gloves and heavy shoes to assist with rescue work

Sanitation Kit:
Plastic bucket with tightly fitted lid or portable toilet bucket with seat
Plastic bags and ties
Disinfectant (Ex: bleach or Lysol)
Improvised toilet seat (if not portable toilet bucket with seat)
Paper cups and plates
Plastic utensils
Personal toiletries
Toilet paper
Tin Foil
Personal hygienic needs
Soap

Other emergency needs:
Paper and pen
Copies of insurance policies and other personal identification (social security card, birth certificate, driver's license, etc) all on one page. I will show you how to do this in another posting.
Money ($100+ in small bills, $1 and $5, and change)
Address and phone number list
Tools as desired
Hatchet
Class ABC fire extinguishers at home and in the car

Stress Factors:

For children: scriptures, puzzles, crayons, coloring books, stories books, etc...
For adults: scriptures, books, magazines, games needle work, etc....

Water Storage and Water Barrels

Water is the most important Emergency Preparedness item to store.

You can live without food for several days but you cannot live without water!

After the Honduras, Katrina, Sandy Hurricanes and the Hattie and Chilean earthquakes water was a very precious item. The water was contaminated and it took weeks before fresh safe drinking water could be delivered to the people in those areas hit.

The United States Government and our local community Emergency Preparedness units advise us we should have enough drink water on hand for two weeks. I strongly feel two weeks is not enough, look what happened after Katrina. I think we should have drinking water stored for at least a month, or more if possible.

55 Gallon Food Grade Water Barrels:

I found a great source for the 55 Blue/Green (food grade plastic)Water Barrels for $25 each. (If you buy several he may give them to you for $20, ask him.) In the survival surplus stores they run about $80+ a barrel. The barrels I found for $25 were used for apple juice or Hawaiian Punch concentrate. The fellow gets them from the juice companies and cleans them out.




He is located at:

M&M Containers
1472 Cota Ave.
Long Beach, CA 90813
8am-5pm, Monday-Friday

Ask for Mario Salgado (nice fellow)

Cell: 310-489-4485

Waterbricks

I love these. The small ones holds 1.6 gallons of water and the large one holds 3/5 gallons of water. They interlock and stack well, up to 4 feet high. You can even create end tables with them by placing a board on top and covering with a table cloth. Click here to see their website and read more about waterbricks. There phone number is 888-810-3212. If you live in Southern California USA there is a Honeyville in Rancho Cucamonga. Honeyville sells the small ones for $15.00 and the large ones for $19.99.


How to store water:

1. 55 Gallon Water Barrel--If you purchased the water barrels with fruit concentrate in them, and they have not been cleaned out properly, this is how you prepare them to store the water:

a. The fellow above I purchased them from rinses them out. If they have not been rinsed out then rinse them out with a garden hose. It is best when you take them home to put in one-two gallons of bleach (make sure to use an ample amount in the barrel to ensure that the entire interior is cleaned) in them without water, place on the cap, roll them around and stand them on each end to get the top and bottom. Take your time doing this to help remove the taste left from the concentrate. The bleach can be recycled from barrel to barrel. Rinse thoroughly with a garden hose and dump out the water.

b. Put the barrels in a place for storage, preferably in a cool shaded place (a side of your house or garage that gets little sun) that will help prevent bacteria from growing. Your garage is to hot. If possible, set the barrels on top of 2x4's or bricks so the air can circulate under them.

c. Add 1/2 teaspoon of bleach in the barrel for each 5 gallons of water (5-6 teaspoons of bleach for a 55 gallon barrel) after filling with water. Fill the barrels to the brim to avoid mold on the top (lid). Water stored this way will keep one year. Without bleach, 6 months. It will store for a shorter period of time if the barrels are in the direct sunlight.

Note on Water Rotation: If you use bleach, you should rotate your water every year. Without bleach you will need to rotate the water every 6 months. If in a hot place, every 1-3 months. When you open the barrel to drink the water and the water taste like bleach, aerate the water by pouring it back and forth. If you use Activated Stabilized Oxygen mentioned below you will not need to do this. The water will keep up to 5 years if stored properly.

Activate Stabilized Oxygen (ASO, 10% strength formula). I purchased a 2 fluid oz bottle at Major Surplus and Survival Discount Warehouse on 435 W. Alondra Blvd in Gardena for $12.95. This bottle will protect two 55 gallon water barrels of water for up to 5 years. The 2oz bottle will take care of two 55 gallon water barrels. Personal I think this is a great deal, not having to rotate the water every year. I found it on Amazon.com for $20 (4 oz.). Click here for information and  to order Activate Stablized Oxygen.

Note: Major Surplus in Gardena, California and EmergencyEssentials.com has many great items to help with your Emergency Preparedness for great prices. I also purchased a Water Barrel Wrench that opens and closes the 2 small ports or bunyons on top of the water barrel. Duck tape it as close as you can at the bottom behind one of the barrels to conceal it. I also purchased a Water Siphon there for about $15-$16. You will only will need one, put in a secure safe place, not in the direct sunlight. Another great water pump is found at Sychelle.com and the jimbakkershow.com. The Water Filtration Pump filters 100 gallons. See the links below regarding these two websites.







Seychelle Water Filtration Pump: This pump comes in section and can be put together for the size of water barrel you have. All together it will fit the 55 gallon water barrel. It filters out 99.9999% of bacteria and contaminants. It filters 100 gallons of water. The filter can be replaced as needed. I suggest you have several extra filters on hand. See the Seychelle and Jim Bakker Show links below.



d. If you use bleach, check the water in your barrels twice a year (a good time is at General Conference). If you detect a slight smell or taste of bleach you should be ok. When checking your water twice a year, if no bleach is detected, you may want to add a few drops of bleach until it is detected.

e. If you need to rotate your water it would be a good idea to clean out the barrels with 1-2 gallons of bleach as before.

f. At the time of use, to freshen up the water and help take out the slight taste of bleach, you can pour the water back and forth into pitchers to aerate.

g. Water Siphon Pump--To siphon out the water there are two small ports or bunyons on top of the barrel. Use your water barrel wrench to open the barrel. These siphon pumps should drain the water at 5 gallons per 2 1/2 minutes and are very easy to use. The siphon pump stays running without additional effort until you stop it or it runs out of water. Follow the siphon pump instructions on how to make the pump siphon the water. This type of pump is so simple a child can learn how to use it.

h. Hand Pump--This type of pump is hard to use and will drain you before the water is drained. Parts can also easily break down.

Note: Some online websites that sell the 55 Gallon Water Barrels say to not use the ones that have concentrate or syrup in them, but this is just to get you to buy their expensive $80 water barrels. If you follow the instructions above you will be alright.

Great News! Seychelle Water Filtration Systems (Great to have in your home and 72 Hour Kits):

A few months ago I discovered a great water filtration system for family drinking pitchers and flip top bottles. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has bought thousands of these for their missionaries throughout the world so they will have fresh safe water to drink in case of an emergency, or there is bad water in the area they are serving. These are great to have on hand, especially the individual bottle in your 72 Hour Kits (or at least one per family in your family 72 Hour Kit due to expense). They are expensive but well worth the money to have fresh safe drinking water in case of an emergency and polluted water. They filter out 99.999% of anything bacteria and condiments in the water. The family pitchers will filter 150 gallons, or 6 months of water supply per filter. The Flip Top Water Filtration Bottles filter 100 gallons of water per filter. Your can purchase extra filters.

Below are three links where you can purchase the Seychelle Water Filtration Bottles:

1) The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints offers the same Flip Top Water Filtration Bottles as on the Seychelle website for a lot less in price. See the prices below and the LDS Store link here to order the Flip Top Water Filtration Bottles.  

Seychelle Water Filtration Bottles (individual):             
With one filter $16.50
With two filters $22.00
Extra filters $9.00 each

2) Seychelle: You can also go to Seychelle.com to check out their website and information about the different types and prices. They have different types of models and filters. You will find the price for the Flip Top Water Filtration Bottle is higher than the LDS Store link above. Clink on the link here to directly to their website.

3) The Jim Bakker Show: Another website that offers them is the Jim Bakker Show. The Flip Top Water Filtration Bottles are $30 each. Click on the link here to go to their website andscroll through the pages of the different offers. Note: When you purchase from them it is a donate (Love Gift) to their ministry.

There are also Seychelle Water Filtration Pitchers available. See the links above for more information.



Rain Barrels

It does not rain as much here as it does in other parts of the county, but when it does it is a great opportunity to store water. If you have rain gutters on your house, purchase the items in the video to construct a rain barrel. This is an extra good source of "free"water. You can circulate the water by placing a water spout and attach your hose to water your vegetable garden. It is also a great source of water for bathing and cleaning up. Go to YouTube for more video ideas.




Updated 04/2015


Car Emergency Kit

You should have one for each car. Remember to rotate the food items every 2 years and maintain the other items in the kit. Keep the items in a plastic storage container.

Why is this important? Let me share a personal story about what happened to our daughter while on the freeway.

She was on her way home on the 605 Freeway when the traffic started to slow down and then came to a complete halt due to an incident on the freeway, there was no way off. She spent the next 6-8 hours stuck on the freeway with all her 4 small children in the car. She only had a little water, one diaper and a few fishy crackers for the baby in the car. After this horrible experience she realized the importance of keeping a Car Emergency Kit in each of her cars. Because she had done this she has been able to take care of her family's emergency needs and help many people.

It is also important to keep a 72 Hour Kit in your car for each person. You never know when you might have to abandon your car and walk to a safe place or home.

Always maintain at least 1/2 tank of gas (when the electricity goes out the pumps do not work)

Car Emergency Kit:

First-aid Kit and manual
Class ABC fire extinguisher
Portable radio with extra batteries
Flashlight with extra batteries
Non-perishable food items (canned, dehydrated, snacks)
Bottled water
Special needs (medications, diapers, infant formula, etc.)
Tools (screwdriver, pliers, wire, crowbar, rope, etc)
Paper & pen, maps of area and your most traveled routes
Personal needs (tissues, toilet paper, baby wipes, toothbrush & tooth paste, soap or hand santilizer, etc.)
Blankets (or space blanket for each person in family)
Reflectors and flares
Jumper cables
Waterproof/windproof matches
Candles
Utility/pocket knife
Work gloves
Short rubber hose for siphoning
Sweater or jacket, spare clothing (should be in your 72 Hour Kit)
Comfortable walking shoes (in case you wear heels to work and have to walk)
Money ($20+ in small bills and change)
Scriptures, favorite book, crossword puzzles or small car board games.
If you travel with your pet (water and food)

Sunday, July 11, 2010

3 Month Supply of Food

Counsel of our First Presidency

In 2002 at General Conference President Gordon B. Hinckley made this statement... "...so many (people) feel that a long-term food supply is so far beyond their reach that they make no effort at all." He counseled us to concentrate our efforts on building up a one-week supply of food. From there increase our food storage to two weeks, then a month. You will be surprised at how quickly and inexpensively you can build up a three-month's supply of food and water. President Hinckley went on to say..."Begin in a small way, ... and gradually build toward a reasonable objective."

In the "Family Home Storage" pamphlet by "The Church of Jesus Christ of Later-day Saints" it states..."We ask that you be wise as you store food and water and build your savings. Do not go to extremes; it is not prudent, for example, to go into debt to establish your food storage all at once. With careful planning, you can, over time, establish a home storage supply and a financial reserve." (The First Presidency, "All is Safely Gathered in: Family Home Storage", Feb. 1, 2007)

Building and Organizing Your Three-Month Reserve

"Start by adding a few storable items that you typically eat, storing some water that is safe to drink, and saving some money, if only a few coins each week. Then over time, expand these initial efforts—as individual circumstances allow and where permitted—by storing a longer-term supply of basics such as grains, beans, and other staples." (Frequently Ask Questions, ProvidentLiving.org)


Watch the great video attached to the link below about having a 3-Month Supply of food help one family...

 https://www.lds.org/topics/food-storage?lang=eng
Note: A 3-Month Food Storage supply usually consist of every day foods you and your family eat. Long term food storage usually consist of dehydrated and freeze dried foods, including commercially canned and packaged food, and the basic food storage items (wheat, sugar, honey, salt, beans and rice).

Every time you go shopping, buy extra of the most commonly used items on your list. Set a monthly budget of $20+, you will be surprised how far $20 will go when you watch for sales items. Watch for the sales "buy one, get one free". Use money saving coupons. Shop around, it is amazing how each store can be different in their prices. Watch the weekly sales papers we get in the mail. Only buy what your family will eat.

How much will you need for you and your family for 3 months?

Make up a chart and put it on your refrigerator or cabinet. Make 4 columns, breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.  Every time you make a meal for that day (breakfast, lunch, dinner and include snacks) write it on the chart. Then make a list of the ingredients for each dish. Figure out how much you will need for 3 months. Make sure you include everything, even the spices you use. Each family's food supply will be different since we eat different things. Focus on just what your family will eat.

You don't need to worry about dry-pack, long term storage for now. Just get started on your three-month food supply first, and make sure you rotate what your store. Most canned foods last only two years, watch the labels. Most items have an expiration date on them now. Once you have your 3 months food supply add paper supplies (paper plates, cups, silverware, napkins, paper towels), toiletries, medical supplies, cleaning supplies, etc.

Another great blog website that will give you great 3-Month Food Storage ideas is PreparedLDSFamily.blogspot.com. I have attached a link for that website.  If you scroll down you will find a PDF link for a great printable 3-Month Food Storage Plan chart for one adult. Click on the link "3-Month Food Storage Plan for one adult.pdf". Of course, adjust for your family and what they like to eat.

http://preparedldsfamily.blogspot.com/2011/03/3-month-food-storage-calculator-and.html

Storage of 3 Month Supply of Food

Devote some shelf space to your three-month supply and make sure that new items go to the back of the shelf. The oldest items should be toward the front of the shelf and should be used first in the day-to-day meal preparation.

Clear unneeded items (old pots and pans and electrically appliances you no longer use) to make room for your supply storage, donate the unneeded items to DI. Use unused space under beds by purchasing under the bed plastic storage containers. Organize closets and get rid of unused/unwanted items. Be clever in finding ways to store your three-month supply of food.

Be careful storing food and water in the garage, it is much to hot and the shelf life will be less.

There are several labeling systems and/or charts you can use to keep tract of the expiration dates. I will discuss this later on in another posting.

Water Storage

Do not forget the importance of having drinking water along with your three-month supply of food. In the case of a true emergency, water will be even more important to your survival than food. Church and community leaders suggest we have at least a two-week supply. Most articles I have read advise 14 gallons per person (or more if possible). Half is for drinking and food preparation and the other half is for brushing teeth, washing dishes, and so on. You will also have the water in your water heater, but only use for other things other than drinking and food preparation.


Water barrels are a great way to store a lot of water.


       
Important

Focus on your immediate goals and gather first a one-week supply of food and then a three-month supply of food and a two-week supply of water. With that completed, you can progress toward a full one-year food storage for emergency preparedness. The important thing is to just start!

Great source of food and water storage, emergency preparednessand becoming self-reliant...

http://providentliving.org/self-reliance?lang=eng

Updated 02/2013

Year's Supply of Food and Other Items

Latter-day Saints have been counseled to prepare to care for themselves and their families in time of need. Provident living involves being wise, frugal, prudent, and making provision for the future while attending to immediate needs.

This blog will discuss what to store, how much to store, how and where to store, where to buy it, and other important information.

WHAT TO STORE:

Remember: Store only what you and your family will eat and rotate what you store!!! In times of stress, it may be difficult to eat unfamiliar or disliked foods, especially for children.

After you have acquired your 3 Months Supply of Food for your family, as counseled by our First Presidency, then move onto your Year's Supply of Food. The Year's Supply consist of three categories of home storage: Basic storage, emergency storage, and expanded storage.

To know the amount you will need for your family go to TheFoodGuys.com and calculate how much you will need. This is a great chart!

Basic Storage:

This type of storage includes basic food items such as grains (storing a variety of wheat and regular flour, rice, corn, or other cereal grains), nonfat dried milk, legumes (store variety of dried beans such as soy, pinto, navy, red, split peas and lentils), sugar, salt, fat and water. A year's supply of these items should be stored first after acquring your 3 Months Supply of Food, then you can add other items. You can survive on basic storage items with supplement vitamins and herbs.

Follow the chart on TheFoodGuys.com website to see how much you will need to store for you and your family.

Emergency Storage:

Each person in your family should have a portable container with emergency supplies that will sustain life for 72 hours. It should be kept where it can be picked up at a moment's notice.

See the 72 Hour Kit posted blog for the list of items to include in the kit and our weekly challenge and assignment to help you set them up.

Expanded Storage:

This type of storage includes foods and other daily essential to supply total nutritional needs and allow for variety and personal preferences in diet and living:

Items that could be included:

Baking powder, baking soda, Vanilla extra, spices, yeast, etc
Canned milk
Soups (canned and dried)
Jello
Jams/jellies, peanut butter
Freeze-dried/dehydrated foods
Smoked, canned or freeze-dried meat, poultry and fish
Canned vegetables, sauces
Items that members of your family will eat, for age groups and are listed on your 3 Month Food Supply list
Soaps and cleaning supplies and an old fashioned washboard (ACE hardware has them)
Personal supplies (toothbrush, toothpaste, shaving supplies, shampoo/rinse, deodorant, comb/brush, feminine hygiene needs, Depends, diapers, etc)
Medications, prescription medications, supplemental vitamins and herbs
First-aid items (See posted blog First-aid)
Clothing of various kinds and sizes for all seasons
Sleeping bags, blankets, pillows, tent (see posted blog "Shelter")
A variety of fuel and light (see posted blog pertaining to these types of items, "Cooking, Heating, Lighting")
Equipment such as wheat grinder (may want to also consider a hand one in case on electricity), battery-powered radio with extra batteries, coal stove, sewing items and machine
Aluminum foil, plastic wrap, wax paper, plastic zip lock bags, large trash bags
Paper supplies--paper plates, cups, napkins, paper towels. utensils, toilet paper, facial tissue
Flashlights with extra batteries
Portable toilet
Generator and gas in fuel safe type container
Different types of cooking equipment (see posted blog "Cooking, Heating and Lighting")

(You might want to store unflavored gelatin so you can make an egg substitute that can be used in baking. To make a mixture that will substitute for 1 egg in a recipe combine 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin with 3 tablespoons cold water and 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon of boiling water.)

Water Storage:

See posted blog on Water Storage

You will need approximately 14 gallons per person for two weeks (seven for drinking and seven for other uses). For longer storage of water you should have one 55 gallon water barrel for each family member for drinking and other uses. Remember: In an emergency situation use water sparingly, do not waist water.

Suggestions for storage:

Home storage should consist of a year's supply of basic food, clothing, and where possible fuel. After this goal has been reached, emergency and expanded storage should be added.

If your job requires you to move often or you live in a small house with limited storage area, you should prepare as best you can for emergencies. It is wiser to have some food and emergency storage, a few weeks or months is better than none at all.

HOW MUCH TO STORE FOR EACH PERSON:

Go to TheFoodGuys.com, put in the number of family members by age and calculate how much you will need for a year's supply of food. The chart mentioned in the 3 Month Food Supply will also help you determine the needs of your family for everyday food and emergency items. See the 3 Month Food Supply posted blog.

HOW AND WHERE TO STORE:

1. The choice of foods for storage depends on availability, nutritive value, cost, storage qualities, and other considerations.

2. Store a variety of foods since no single food has all the essential nutrients in the correct proportions.

3. Store the highest quality or grade of food obtainable. Wheat should be cereal grade, double cleaned, at least 11% protein, and no more than 10 % moisture.

4. Foods should be stored in sturdy metal, plastic, or glass containers with tightly fitting lids. Sturdy wooden, straw, or earthenware containers may also be used., but a plastic bag liner should be used to protect the food from possible contamination. Do not use garbage bags.

5. Food should be stored in dry, well-ventilated cool room. Store near the floor on slats. Best place is under the bed or on closet floors. Rate of loss doubles for every 20 degrees the temperature rises.

6. Non-food items can be stored in attics, closet space near the ceilings, storage sheds or garages.
7. Foods should be stored in areas that permit easy access and allow control of temperature and humidity. In general, cool temperatures prolong storage life and quality. Not all storage items should be located in one area of the house. Not all should be stored in one type of container. The garage is not a good storage place for food, it gets to hot and lessons the shelf life.

8. To destroy insects that may infest grains, nuts, dried fruits or other foods, place the food in a home freezer and keep it at zero degrees Fahrenheit (or below) for four days. As an alternative, the food may be sterilized by being heated in an oven at a low temperature (setting of warm or 200 degrees Fahrenheit) for about one hour, depending on the nature of the food.

Spread the food on shallow pans so that the heat can penetrate easily. Stir the food occasionally to keep it from scorching. Dry ice kills most adult insects and larvae, but it probably will not destroy the eggs or pupae. Pour two inches of wheat into the bottom of the container. Add dry ice, then fill with wheat. Eight ounces of dry ice is recommended for one hundred pounds of grain, or one pound for each thirty gallons of stored grain. Seal the containers loosely for five to six hours, then seal them tightly.

9. Storage should be acquired according to an orderly and systematic plan consistent with the family's needs. Never go into debt to buy food storage!

10. Stored foods should be used and replaced on a regular basis to maintain quality and minimize waste.

11. Maintain a food inventory and replace items as they are used. (see posted blog about ways to rotate food storage).

12. Food costs can be minimized by budgeting and shopping wisely.

Important: Develop recipes using foods in your storage. It is important to use your powdered dry milk regularly and your other basic foods. If you haven't eaten wheat, then find yourself living on wheat, you may develop health problems. You must be able to eat your storage items.

WHERE TO BUY FOOD FOR YOUR FOOD STORAGE:

1. The LDS Dry Pack Cannery is the best place to buy the Basic Food Supply items. You can purchase Pinto beans, rice, wheat, and oats already canned by the case. Sometimes they have extras left over from previous people who came to can for sale. You can also buy Started Kits which include these items (these make great Christmas and Wedding presents). These items keep for 30+ years.

2. The LDS Dry Pack Cannery also has many other items you can can yourself, plus the basics listed above. Go to http://www.providentliving.org/ and you can print out a list of the items you can dry pack can. You can also bring in your own products to dry pack can. I find the prices at the Dry Pack Cannery are very reasonable but you may be able to find items at Costco, Sam's Club or other wholesale stores at a lower price. The best thing to do it shop around.

Note: The Dry Pack Cannery is open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 9-2. You can schedule a time at the cannery by calling 323-265-8051. Buddy Fox is the director of the Dry Pack Cannery. Anyone from 16 on up can use the canning machines. Anyone from 12-15 years old can help out putting food items in the #10 cans, putting together boxes and putting the cans in the boxes. They have to accompanied by an adult. A family or group of people (16-20 people at one time) can schedule a time during regular operating hours of business or schedule a special evening time starting at 6PM. It is best to only work on 3-4 products at one scheduled time. Let the Cannery know ahead of time what you plan to can and how much so they can make sure the supplies are there.

3. Of course, the best place for regular canned food items is your local grocery store. Watch the local sales papers for great sales items, but watch the expiration dates on the cans and other food items. Do not store something that will expire in a few months unless you plan to rotate them. Most canned items last for two years depending on where and how you store them. Some items have a lessor shelf life.

4. Major Survival Surplus Discount Warehouse is located on Alondra Blvd in Gardena. They have some great #10 can Freeze-dried items and other emergency preparedness items.

5. Online Freeze-dried items. I have notice there are Emergency Preparedness buckets that say they will feed you for 275 meals. You can also purchase them at Costco. As I have reviewed these I have noticed from comments from others that purchased them, their main concern was the calorie count for them. Our daily calorie count should be 2000 calories. These bucket meals only supply about 400 calories a day. You could supplement with other meats and veggies. They seem expensive to me $80-$300 each bucket. You would need 4 buckets for one person's year's supply if you decided to go this way. The do take a minimum amount of space. It also may be possible that your children and family may not store what your family will eat. But it might be good to have a few on hand for emergency purposes and you could barter with the food packets for other things you might need. Personally, I would rather store food I know my family and myself will eat. Some people in their comments said they like the Mountain Home freeze-dried products better. There are many other types of these companies. The only way you will know if you like any of these types of products is to order one or two and try them. Also remember you will be paying for shipping too. This is just something you will need to look into yourself and decide for yourself if is right for you.

Remember: The best plan is to store what you and your family will eat, store the basics, rotate what you store, store it correctly to extend the shelf life, watch for sales and shop around and do not go into debt for your food storage (add a little at a time).

OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

Remember: In the event of an emergency when the power goes off:

FIRST: Use all edible foods in your refrigerator
NEXT: Use as many freezer foods as possible before spoilage sets in
THEN: Start on your supply of non-perishable foods

1. Dried fruits should be repacked loosely in clean glass jars and placed without lids in an oven, then heated for 20 minutes at 150 degrees, then sealed properly. This will protect them from insects and deterioration.

2. Some food items do not need a cool place, such as sugar, jello and some dehydrated foods. If space it a problem these may be stored in the warmer areas of the house--under beds, in closets, etc.

3. Use iodized salt to protect pasta products from weevils if not dry packed. Use 1 cup poured over each large box of macaroni or noodle products. Recover the salt after using the pasta. The salt won't hurt the pasta, since all pasta requires salty water in initial preparation.

4. Turn canned milk upside down every other month to prevent lumps from forming. Turning prevents the fats from separating. Use evaporated, condensed sweetened, and other canned milks within one year.

5. Turn honey upside down every 6 months. Replace honey in large plastic jars/bottles into smaller glass jars so you can heat the honey if it crystallized. It is not good to reheat honey to many times. The only requirement is to leave a little space at the top to allow for expansion when it crystallized. (If stored honey does not eventually crystallize, it is not pure honey.) It should not be stored in tin cans, cans may rust, discoloring the honey and affecting its flavor.

6. Food supplies and other needed articles should be stored in readily portable containers in case of an emergency.

7. As a further precaution for glass containers, hot paraffin wax may be poured over the contact point of friction-type lids to insure protection. With other types of lids, masking/duck tape may be used for sealing cracks where corrosion could begin.

8. Baking powder should be kept in original metal containers.

9. Discolored iodized salt is still good for seasoning food.

10. Large cans of yeast should be divided into smaller amounts in bottles and stored in the freezer or refrigerator.

11. Brown sugar should be placed in jars and tightly sealed. When brown sugar becomes hard, place a small pieces of apple in the jars for a day before using.

12. Let children help with the family preparedness program. Let them help make labels, itemize foods, bottle fruit and pickles in the summer, grind wheat, make bread, and package items that need repackaging.

Make Home Storage fun for the whole family, involve everyone!

This blog posting is complete.

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Food Storage Rotation

Why rotate your Food Storage?

An important part of your Food Storage system is to rotate and eat what you store! Keep an ongoing inventory to help you keep track of what you have, what you have used and when you replaced or added to it.

Here are some common-sense reasons for storing what you normally eat:

1. Eliminates food spoilage
2. Minimizes food deterioration
3. Stabilizes diet during stressful situations

ROTATION IS THE KEY!


There are different systems to use to help you rotate your food storage. Here a few of them:


1. Food Storage Rolling Shelving: The most expensive is to purchase the food storage rolling shelving that have slanted shelves allowing you to put the cans behind the front ones and when you remove the front ones, the back ones roll down. You can find these online and at Food Storage supply stores. They can run minimum $300 and up depending on the size you purchase. I have also seen Ward members you have built their own wooden ones along a wall on a slant allowing the cans of food to roll forward as you use the front ones.








2. The Column System: Place as many columns of cans or boxed items as you want right next to each other. Decide if the left or right side is the oldest food item. Once you use the oldest (left or right side) column you slide the other columns over and add a new column. You continue the process continually rotating your food items. I like this system best and find it easier to rotate what I store.






3. Wooden or Metal Shelves: You can build wooden shelves like below to store you items on. Keep an inventory of the items you have and review the inventory quarterly.


Metal shelving also works great. If the only place you have to store food is in your garage put the food storage shelves along an inside wall since it will be cooler than an outside wall.




Plastic Storage Bins and Shelving: These are great for dry food items like rice, pastas, beans, etc. Mark on the front of each bin the contents and dates so you can rotate as needed.



4. Kitchen Cupboard Food Storage: You may not have enough room to have one of the Food Storage Units above. A kitchen cupboard will work find. The example below is very unorganized. You can organize the shelves by items. Put all heavy items (canned foods, etc) on the bottom and organized like items together (corn, green beans, soup, etc). Put other items on the upper shelves in organized like item groups (cereals, mixes, seasonings, etc). A good idea is to put a chart taped to inside of the cupboard door to keep track of items in your cupboard, when you use an items make a list of the items that need replaced for your next trip to the grocery store.



Food Storage Rotation General Guidelines for Items Stored in Cans:

Note: Freeze-dried goods sealed in cans under nitrogen should be rotated within 3-5 years.


18-24 Month Shelf Life:

Wet -pack canned foods (If not acidic or "old" goods purchased on sale. Non-acidic canned goods include tomatoes and vegetables).
Boxed goods (pasta, mixes, puddings, gelatin, etc.) placed in sealed containers (to prevent loss form moisture or weevils)
Foods in foil-lined bags (such as onions and potatoes) if kept tightly closed


2 Year Shelf Life:

Foods containing butter fat, egg yolk, milk fat, peanut oil
Peanut oil
Brown Rice
Yeast
Bouillons and Soup Bases (in jar)

(These foods can last up to 5 years if packaged with "controlled atmosphere packing" which means that all oxygen has been removed from the can before sealing--dry-pack canning.)


5 Year Shelf Life:

Bouillon and Soup Bases (in a can)
Garlic granules or powder
Pasta Products
Onion granules or powder
Whole Wheat Flour
Freeze-dried Foods (3-7 year shelf like. After opening can, cover with tight lid and use within 6-8 weeks)
Dehydrated Foods (5-7 year shelf life. After opening can, cover with tight lid and use within 6-24 months)
Extracts


5-10 Year Shelf Life:

Dessert Mixes
Drink Mixes
Milk, Regular, Non-fat
Rolled Oats
Potatoes, granulated, without milk
Corn starch
Corn meal
Breakfast drinks
Banking soda
Banking powder


10+ Year Shelf Life:

Potatoes (diced, flaked, shredded, sliced)
Vegetables (salad blend, soup blend, vegetable mix)
Egg Whites
Fruits
Meat Substitutes
Onions
Peppers
White Rice
Spices
Cracked wheat
Tomato crystals
Shortening Powder


20+ Year Shelf Life:

Dry beans
Beef Jerky
Honey
Multi-purpose food
Dry peas
Salt
White sugar
Wheat (whole kernel, hand, dry-less than 12% moisture content)

Important: The above items will keep for the years mentioned if stored properly!


For easier ROTATION keep like year items above together. Mark on the shelf and cupboards how long they will last for easy remembering, but rotate as needed.

This blog posting is not complete!

Vegetable Gardening


One part of becoming Self-Reliant is having a vegetable garden when possible. If you live in a condo or apartment you can plant container gardens. If you have a house with a yard in only takes a small space to grow some vegetables.

When our children were growing up we always had a vegetable garden and taught them how to plant and maintain the garden. They loved watching the things we planted grow and eating what they grew. The three pictures below are our first attempts a growing a garden. The third picture of our children with the corn is the year Jonathan planted the corn by himself. The corm grew higher than our neighbors garage wall. He was so proud of his corn!

The last few years we got away from planting a vegetable garden. This year we planted a garden once again. Heidi's two boys Bradley and Calvin came over to help. What fun they had planting the plants and seeds. It has been such a joy to watch the fruits of our labors and whenever we need vegetables to go out to our garden, pick them, prepare them and then eat them. We are freezing and canning the excess for the year. Living in California gives us the great opportunity to have a vegetable garden almost all year long, planting the vegetables that grow at different times.

Here are some photos of our garden this year. This year we planted tomatoes (different kinds), pole beans, red and yellow onions, zucchini, yellow squash, carrots, bell peppers, cucumbers, broccoli and cantaloupe. We just planted pumpkins and will be planting peas, romaine lettuce, and carrots (again) in August.
 


Great gardening book:

I found a book years ago that I just love and is simple enough to follow when planting a garden. I have had much success with our vegetable garden following this book. You may be able to find it at the library or online. The name is "Garden Way's, Joy of "Gardening", by Dick Raymond (1982). It gives step by step instructions with great tips.

Preparing the garden area:

First decide what size garden you want and measure out the area. Dig up the area and remove all grass and weeds. Mix in a good vegetable fertilizer (I like Miracle Grow). Make sure your garden will get at least 6-8 hours of sunlight each day. Important tip: plant a few Marigolds around in your garden, the bugs do not like to smell of them.

Decide what you want to grow:

Make sure you leave enough room for each type of plant, some take more room than others to grow. Plant the tallest vegetables in the back if along a wall, like corn and tomatoes. Plant as instructed on the seed packets. Watering is important, keep the soil moist, do not let it dry out. If you soak your seeds over night they will sprout quicker. I find some vegetables are better to start as a plant that you can purchase at any home garden store. I use already grown plants for tomatoes, bell peppers, celery, white and red onions (buy bulbs) and cucumbers and this year I did cantaloupe. I planted seeds for the carrots, beans, peas, corn, zucchini, pumpkin, and green onions.

If you have a small garden you can grow a variety of different vegetables, but only a few plants of each kind.

Type of vegetable garden bed:

1. The best garden is a raised garden. I found Home Depot has a kit to build a raised garden, or you can go online and find instructions and the materials you will need. You can build it out of wood and I found one lady that built hers from cinder blocks.



2. Cinder Block Raised Garden--she first measured off the area, then dug up the grass. She laid down her first row of cinder blocks all around the outside area, then she hammered metal rods into the round through the cinder block wholes. You can have just one row or you can add a second row to make it higher. Make sure the metal rods are below the cinder blocks so someone does not get hurt. She added a second row, staggering them. When she was done putting on the second row she poured sand into each whole filling it to the top. Then she filled the area in with dirt almost to the top. She then added vegetable fertilizer and mixed it in. Her raised garden bed was ready to plant.



3. Flat garden bed (level with your yard)--I have always used this type but next year I hope to do a raised garden bed (the soil stays warmer allowing your vegetables to grow better, but it is important to keep the soil moist). I dig up the size of garden I want. Take out all the grass and weeds and add in a good vegetable fertilizer (I like Miracle Grow for Vegetable Gardens). Then I make my plan and plant the vegetable plants and seeds. For carrots, zucchini, cucumbers, cantaloupe and pumpkins seeds I make a raised row (carrots) and hills. I like pole beans because they take less space, you can grow a lot of beans this way. I take 5-6 dowels and tie them together at one end with twine, then I fan them out and hammer them into the ground (see photo of our garden above). Then I plant the pole bean seeds around each pole, about 4-5 seeds for each pole. They climb up the poles. Cantaloupe and pumpkins take a lot of room. Usually some of the other vegetables are done when it is time to plant the pumpkin seeds (plant late June to have by Halloween).



4. LOVE LOVE THIS IDEA...

This is great for those of you who have limited space, live in an apartment or condo with a small patio area or a balcony.  Just need to make sure it gets enough sunlight, about 6-8 hours a day.  Limited space, you can plant several different types of vegetables listed below in one bag. 



How to prepare the bags and soil: This is a weed free way to grow lettuce, spinach, radishes and even green onions! Take a 2 cubic bag of potting soil (Miracle Grow is the best), rumple it around quite a bit to loosen the soil, poke quite a few holes in the back side for drainage, then lay the bag, with the holes down, on a smooth surface that will allow drainage and not get too hot. In the picture they are using metal saw horses with a wire grate on top, or you could use 2x4's with just a little space between them so the water can drain through. The saw horses allow you to reach your vegetables without having to bend over so much, they should be waist level. Then cut out the top, leaving about a 4 or 5 inches border all around as seen in the photo above.

Planting the seeds: Lightly rake through the soil to even it out and loosen it even more, then carefully and evenly sprinkle the seeds around. You can put the seeds (they are small) in an old spice bottle with large shaker holes, add some cornmeal, shake it all up to mix well and sprinkle them out of the bottle holes. The cornmeal allows you to see that you covered the soil evenly. If doing radishes or spinach, just make the lines the depth mentioned on the seed package, plant the seeds and cover appropriately. Do not bury them to deep or they will not germinate. Sprinkle just enough soil over the seeds and cornmeal to cover the seeds. Then spray mist them to water them.

Watering: Spray mist the seeds and plantings at first when watering, until they are established, then you can water more vigorously as the plants mature. You will probably need to water more often, since the depth of the bags are not as deep as a regular in-ground garden. Keep them moist, not sopping yet.

Harvesting:  When harvesting the lettuce and spinach all you need to do is use scissors and cut what you need--magically they will grow back. You do not have to pull out the whole plant. The radishes and green onions you will pull out when mature.

5. Love this idea too...Here is another way to grow a salad garden or herbs without using yard space. These are rain gutters attached to the garage wall. Drill holes in the bottom of the rain gutters for drainage before attaching to the wall. Fill will potting soil, plant the seeds (lettuces, radishes, green onions, spinach, etc. and herbs). At first spray mist to keep damp but not sopping. Once they germinate you can water a little harder.


Tips on Drought Gardening...

For those of us living in drought areas with a vegetable gardens this may be very important information. I am  a little concerned about my vegetable garden this year and if the county calls "water rationing" again.  Would my vegetable garden receive enough water to flourish? California vegetable gardeners are being advised to start planting their vegetables gardens now and not wait until April due to the extreme hot dry weather we are having. Click here and  here to read articles about ideas on drought gardening.

Weeding and Fertilizing:

It is important to keep the weeds out of your garden. Fertilizing is also important. I use the Miracle Grow Vegetable spray fertilizer, I find it works great. Watch for insects--the Marigold flowers really help with this as mentioned above. If you do get insects contact a gardening store as how to handle them. Armstrong Gardening on Crenshaw in Torrance is great for help in this matter. Home Depot and Lowe's Gardening department can also be helpful.

Harvesting:

Each seed packet or gardening book will tell you how long it will take when the vegetables you planted will be ready for harvest. Zucchini goes all summer long and continues to grow new blooms. Tomatoes will ripen at different times, remove as they ripen to avoid birds and insects eating them.

Next years vegetable garden:

Make sure you rotate where you planted your vegetables this to a different place in the garden next year. That way they do not take all nutrients out of the soil

Freezing and Canning your vegetables:
 
Once you have harvested your vegetables it is best if you can eat them right away (when the freshest), freeze or can them. Freezing: If you freeze them you can either freeze them in two ways: 1) cut up into pieces (zucchini is best sliced) and freeze them in freezer plastic zip lock bags for up to 4 months (make sure you put the date on the bag) or you can blanch them and freeze them for up to 12 months. To blanch, cut into pieces, boil in water for 3-4 minutes, then put in icy cold water for 4 minutes to stop the cooking progress, let drain and cool, then freeze. Canning: If canning them following canning procedures for each kind of vegetable. You can find this online or in canning books.

Container Gardening:

If you have a small yard or live in an apartment or condo with little or no ground to garden in you can grow some vegetables in containers (large round or oblong pots or window boxes made of plastic, ceramic, wood). Spreading vegetables like zucchini, pumpkin, cucumbers and cantaloupe may not work well. You can try pumpkins, cantaloupe and cucumbers but they will need lots of room to spread out their vines. Tomatoes, onions, green onions, bell peppers, carrots and broccoli will work well. There are several great online sites showing you how to do this. Just put in Contain Gardening Vegetables in Google and check out the several sites there.



Involve your family and make it fun!

Our children loved planting a garden and watching the success of their efforts. It also important to teach them how to care for the garden (weeding and fertilizing). Also involve them in the freezing and canning progress. If you grow pumpkins and when the pumpkins are small, carve their names in them and as the pumpkins grew their name will get bigger, children love this.

I will be happy to help you plan and plant a vegetable garden. The best time to plant most vegetables is in March-April. Some can be planted in June-August.

Updated 03/2014