Are You Stocked Up Yet? Time Is Running Out

To my knowledge, US the second largest crop producer and largest exporter.

Unlike Iceland, maybe you guys should see a price decline instead

[edit on 15-10-2008 by redchina]

reply to post by redchina

---

Inflation could be a problem in the USA. Besides which, the Mormons are right to always be prepared for a doomsday scenario. Who knows when the next space rock will hit.

Let me start to post things I've posted on other threads that relate to this.
Here's the first one:

I've had a garden as long as I can remember, and we saved a ton of money, and in addition, we knew that what we fed our children, and now our grandchildren, doesn't have any poison chemicals. If you can grow tomatoes in your area, cherry tomatoes are a must, in addition to larger varieties. Once you plant cherry tomatoes, you'll have them for life. Some will fall on the ground, and the next year, you'll have literally hundreds of cherry tomato plants. Children love them (and so do grandma and grandpa)!
The larger varieties we grow for sandwiches, etc. but mostly we, grow them to make tomato sauce and vegetable soup. Two dozen plants of the beefsteak variety will give you enough tomatoes to process about 40 gallons of vegetable soup and tomato sauce, enough for the average family for a year. Since pasta is still fairly reasonable, and has an extremely long shelf life, as a survival meal, vegetable soup and tomato sauce (both from your garden) and pasta will feed you family, and avoid starvation. Make sure that you grow beans in your garden (a VERY easy vegetable to grow), and add them to your vegetable soup, and you have protein. Onions are also easy to grow, especially if you use the onion sets (small onions that have been dried).
Here in the US you can get 200 onion sets for about $1 to $2 total, and 200 onions will usually last you about 6 months, using them in soup and tomato sauce.
If you have any questions, I'd be glad to answer them for you. I've been gardening for almost 50 years.

Actually, FOOD will be the universal currency. You can pretty much live without anything else. Trade some of your nearly worthless dollars for food with a long shelf life. Canned meats such as chicken, etc, are great. Tuna is ok, but make it light, not white, as white tuna has a higher mercury content. Avoid giving kids too much canned tuna, due to the mercury. Canned Clams are good sources of protein also. Also canned chili, canned beans, canned juices,canned tomatoes, jars of pickles, are all very reasonable now, and you can stockpile enough of it to live for years, if need be.

Also stockpile a lot of blankets, especially if you live in a zone that has cold winters

Stockpile insulation to put on your windows, as you may not have any energy for heat, unless you have a wood stove, or some equivalent. Stockpile a lot of cheap clothing that you can layer, and stockpile some boots and extra shoes.

Also stockpile a ton of matches, and candles.

Also place dry goods, such as grains and cereals in ziplock-type bags, to keep out bugs, etc.

Stockpile a few containers of propane to run a BBQ grill, and quite a few batteries with several battery-operated radios.

Rotate as necessary, using the oldest dates first, of course.

reply to post by ProfEmeritus

---

More Great advice Thanks ProfEmeritus!! Anyone else have something to add here? I'm sure there are more people that have good tips.

I know a few large farms and the owners say that in the last week corn and soybeans have dropped significantly, but the corn/beans they sold to the grain companies in July were a record prices.

The next bubble to pop will be the farmers, they got big money for their corn this summer and leveraged those prices for next years crops. When they don't get what they expected for the grains next year they will close (unless we have a food crisis??).

In the Midwest a ton of our corn/beans is exported, it is something like 25-30%.

If we stop burning food in our cars (ethanol) we could save food also.

reply to post by KaginD

---

Yes, maybe everyone knows this, but a great gas-saving and time-saving effort is to check the weekly specials on all of the grocery chains in your area. Virtually all of them have their weekly circulars on-line, and by checking each one, finding the lowest prices, AND the loss-leaders(those items that are sold below their cost to try to get you into their store), you can save gas, time and a lot of money. About 80% of all food sold goes on special at some time or another. Get to know what the special price is, and wait for it to be advertised. If you are willing to adjust what you buy and eat, you can literally buy ALL of your groceries on special.

Check the Sunday newspapers for coupon circulars. Here's a tip on when they are best and what they are:
1st Sunday of the month- Proctor and Gamble coupon inserts
3rd Sunday of the month- Unilever coupon inserts
Early fall- soups, cheese

Supermarket sales:
Week prior to Labor Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July- huge ,meat sales- chopmeat, steaks, hotdogs
Week prior to New Years- pork loins
prior to Thanksgiving- Turkeys as low as 19cents a pound

Other shopping tips: Don't assume that stores like Wal Mart, Sam's Club or Costco "Always ahve low prices" like they claim.
In fact, Supermarket specials will almost ALWAYS beat their prices.
Furthermore, most supermarkets have a policy that if you are charged more than the shelf-label price, you either get that item for free, or get money, back. Wal Mart does NOT have that policy anymore.
If you insist on shopping at Wal Mart, be aware that MANY times the price that is rung up on the register is MORE than the shelf label.
In addition, Wal Mart will rarely carry all brands of a product, frequently going with one of the highest price brands, and then place their generic product next to it. Be aware that their generic product is usually more expensive than the cheaper brand names of that product.

Wal Mart supposedly has an automated reorder system, but it is in shambles in many locations. I don't have to tell you that. Take a list of items you go to tWal Mart to get, and I'll bet a good many of them are out of stock. What do you do? Buy the more expensive item that they have?

Anyway, I didn't mean for this to be a bash Wal Mart post, but it bothers me to see large families that have a tight budget shopping there and spending much more than if they had gone to other stores and bought the specials.

Anyway, hope this helps.

In a survival situation some of us will be changing our diets. This can bring about some very uncomfortable physical conditions.

I have added medications to treat diarrhea, constipation, gas, urinary tract irritation, yeast infections and water retention. These medicines can be bought at the local drug store.

I also have natural remedies for the same ailments.

These are not pleasant conditions to think about but even more unpleasant to endure without a bit of help.

There are many other medications to gather but that's for another post.

I just don't think food will run out. I won't be stocking up on food at all. If I go to the store and there's nothing there, then you can say you told me so. Until then, y'all are a bunch of loonies.

reply to post by dizziedame

---

Great point. Also, baking soda is a very cheap, but effective ant-acid . Put about 1/4 teaspoon in some water, stir and drink.

I have started planting a variety of veggies, nuts, and even some fruits and wheat indoors as well....every time I have an empty container, I think, "hmmmmmm I wonder what I could grow in here?" Even if it is just an onion in a mayo container, or radishes in individual yogurt containers, that variety to choose from later will be well worth it, and is is actually nice having all of these extra "plants" all around the house.

reply to post by ProfEmeritus

---

You mentioning baking soda reminded me that white distilled vinegar is also an excellent product for cleaning, and many medicinal uses such as insect stings, rashes, sunburn and skin infections.

Honey is also good for cuts and coughs.

I'm enjoying this thread.

Keep those good ideas coming.

reply to post by Res Ipsa

---

You make some good points mainly about community coming together unselfishly. However, I think you should take the issues of today regarding our economy and supply-chain disruptions a little more seriously. I can tell by your message that you think most of this news of shortages, supply disruptions, and economic crisis is manufactured.

It may have been engineered, but it is real i can assure you as i know many who have taken hair cuts in personal wealth and businesses busts.

The easiest and simplest food supply I found and most realistic to utilize by me was e-foods direct 1 year supply and a berkey water purifier. Not too easy for me or anyone else living in a downtown condo to plant a garden. Thats my suggestion for someone else downtown.

Awesome site, and I tried to order a while back, but they aren't aloud to deliver to us in canada.

How does salmon weigh up to tuna in the long run. Also, how do bagged salmon and tuna rival canned meats?

Also, in my personal opinion. Bagged/canned salmon taste much better than tuna

My food storage Is a rife and a 9 mil. I plan on finding the guy with the al gore, democratic bumber sticker on their car and take their stuff. I will give them a reason to hate guns

I think that's a great idea.

Has anyone used a plant light to grow food inside? I ordered an assorted non-hybrid and heirloom seed kit online. If food shortages are severe, I was thinking that I would grow food indoors to prevent my garden from being looted.

There will be some good sales on small individually wrapped chocolate bars in the near future. Buy some. Rice, bread and beans gets really old after awhile.

while being prepared sounds about right,
i doubt fears of food shortages will materialize.
the age of global economy has arrived, and
like it or not, current troubles will not destroy it.
we might have a recession - yes, but collapse
of global trade including agricultural products -
not likely...just my honest opinion...