Thoughts & Tips on how to Prepare for Tough Times Ahead

When the New York Times and the New York Sun start publishing articles encouraging us to think about filling our pantries my ears perk up. When Warren Buffett the richest man in the country and in my opinion a reasonable, level headed person, talks about the recession and expects it to last longer and cut deeper than most of us can conceive of right now, I start to seriously think about what I might do to prepare.

Food riots, that is the stuff bad science fiction movies are made of. They are happening right now in our world, no, not the US, but like it or not, globalization is here and we are feeling the ripple effects in the food chain. We have become interdependent and we are no longer self sufficient as a nation. The food prices have sky rocketed and many of us are feeling the pinch, resorting to coupons, cutting back on non-essential groceries and taking advantage of specials to stock our cupboards.

The New York Times article basically talked about about the fact that if we stock pile we save, simply because prices are sure to go up and keep going up. The New York Sun article talked about how the supply systems of companies like Walmart are geared to carry enough for about four days worth of demand. Referring to sites like the Hillbilly Housewife and other survival sites for information on how to become more self sufficient.

We already know that our salaries are not keeping pace, but the more the prices go up, the less income we have to spend on bills and our recurring household expenses, which seem to go up as we speak.

The gasoline prices are out of control. We helplessly watch the price of a barrel of oil go up, knowing there is not a thing we as consumers can do about it. Transportation costs to move our goods are going through the roof. Corn is used for making fuel resulting in higher prices. It is a cycle, when the feed corn costs more, then the animals that eat the feed cost more too.

I read somewhere that it is a state secret as to how much holdings China already has in the good ole USA. Maybe it is time for us to care when a sack of rice falls over in China. Just a few days ago, I heard another talk on public radio about the Saudis owning more than their fair share here in the US and how heavily involved in banking and brokerage house loans they are.

This uncertainty makes me feel like a leaf in the water rapidly being carried downstream to the waterfall, at the mercy of a raging river. Talk doesn't pay the bills and talk doesn't put food on the table and while we have a mortgage crisis and a credit crisis of epic proportions, we all still need to go on somehow.

I would like to chime in with those who prefer to still compare our current occasional food rationing (because - gee whiz, if all I am allowed is one sack of rice - then yes, that is rationing) with the Y2K scare, but honestly, that would be foolish.

When I started searching on the web for ideas the one thing that hit me the most is that I have no idea how to really prepare a pantry for times of need. Living in Florida, sure I have an emergency cabinet which includes extra food to get us through a few days of no electricity.

I come from a family of foodies so to me a cupboard full of beans and rice is an absurd idea to say the least.

If you are starting to prepare for tough times ahead you need to consider that it really isn't as simple as freezing food which may not last as long as you think - or - stockpiling only cans of food without consideration of a real meal plan that is nutritious and is enjoyed by your entire family.

Proper long term storage and a nice variety of foods that your family really likes is a smart way to go and now in spring time, is a great time to learn to grow your own tomatoes and basil and oregano and thyme and garlic and parsley and onions and peppers to make your own great tomato sauce or pesto.

Pasta isn't hard to make and it would be a fun project to make with the kids and takes only flour, water and maybe eggs ... I'm about to find out and try a few different recipes.

I will try growing corn for flour if need be and of course the cobs, because we love those.

I learned that a good cook who can run a household on nothing is worth their weight in gold in times of need. So, if and whenever the next depression does hit I want to be ready with the skills and knowledge to do just fine.

Here is a list of what I am doing - feel free to share your own ideas:

1. I plan to have a variety of foods on hand. Home made dry mixes for everything from bread to soup, dried veggies and herbs and bouillons to cook with. Staples like oil and grains and legumes.
2. Veggie seed packages for a garden. We have friends with gardens we can exchange seeds and veggies and fruit with.
3. We are adding two new fruit trees to our garden and I just purchased raspberry, blackberry and a blueberry plant suitable to grow in our region.
4. Two good bicycles, extra tires and repair and patch kits. I wonder, if we could bury a barrel of gasoline in our backyard before things get worse?  LOL
5. Canning, dehydration and freezing food are all methods to be employed. We have the sweetiest figs which may be a good candidate for dehydration and I know they have great nutritional value. Other fruits are just as desirable. I don't have any idea about how to can my own veggies, but prefer that method over freezing our food, because of our frequent hurricanes and power outages. It is easier to store too and keeps longer than frozen food. So I'll be looking at Ball products before there is a run on those.
6. In the same vain, I need to learn how to make my own pasta and find out about the correct way to store flour and other grains for a long time. If you have nut trees, you can use most nuts to make your own flour with a wonderful nutty flavor. Those of you that have gluten allergies, consider stocking up on some of your substitutes, the prices are getting steep. 
7. I have a place for the chicken coop and run already picked out. The next step is to obtain information on how to built a proper chicken coop, where to get chickens and that all important rooster, if we decide to. Researching the best laying hens now. Unless times really get tough, I will not go that route simply because we had a chicken farm for a few years when I was little. It's more work and stink than you think. However, our own fresh eggs and an occasional chicken might sound good one day, besides that would mean I could use that stink for fertilizing my garden.
8. Ditto on a goat for fresh milk and cheese, we have a place and a friend who raises goatsies, but I am not ready for that step yet.
9. Stocking up on supplies for making my own soap, rose and lavender water, candles and lotion. I have the books and the herbs and the flowers. Hey, you gotta be clean and lavender not only smells great, but has sanitary qualities too. It's just another step in making and using green household cleaners and soaps. 
10. Reading up on clever ways to live without going to the store. Investing in sturdy footwear and outer gear, looking into what supplies would make sense to have on hand, anything from a meat grinder, to tools, to more ways to be more self sufficient.
11. The last thing on my list, I cannot explain in rational terms. I will have a small cache of booze stored away. For trading, for preserving, for medical reasons, for our enjoyment, but most of all because in times of need, the value of booze always sky rockets, it becomes a luxury good. I don't know why and I don't care, but I will have some - if nothing else - once this blows over we can have a good laugh and give one great big party to celebrate.

I invite you to have a look at my friend Jo C's well researched article http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474977333249&nav=Namespace 

What have you learned from your grandparents that will be good to know or have during tough times ahead?

Image - Surinam cherry in my garden -  taken by Rose H. with an Olympus D-540 digital camera

Just ripening - they are bushes, 6 ft tall and 3-4 ft wide. Their taste is tart and refreshing and the only cherry I know of that does well in the heat of Florida.