Ever so slowly, I've been building our year supply of food storage. This has been tricky because, we have little "extra" money, and we have just about zero storage room in our house. But, I feel strongly about the counsel from our prophets to build up a reserve, so I do the best I can. This means that I have buckets of wheat in the corner of my family room, and against the back wall of my kitchen (behind Conor's play kitchen). I dream of a walk-in food storage pantry someday, but for now, it gives me such peace of mind to see those buckets. I know that I am working toward a one year supply. Twice a year I buy basic foodstuffs (wheat, beans, dried milk, honey, etc) from a semi-local food co-op for terrific prices, and throughout the year I will stock up on rock-bottom sale prices at grocery stores, or buy some #10 cans of freeze-dried fruits or vegetables when they go on sale at other places I watch. I wondered how I was doing toward my goal. I wanted to know what areas my storage is beefy in, and what areas I might be neglecting, and I wanted a way to track what I add to my food reserve. To help me, I found several free online food storage analyzers.
Here are some you can try and see which format you like best. The contents are all basically the same.
This website (in the top section) has several downloadable forms. This website is Debbie's, and she's the woman who runs our semi-local food co-op. She is amazing, with her dedication and emergency preparedness know-how. I ended up using this one, from Food Storage Made Easy, because it was easier on my eyes.
So, I spent yesterday tallying up what food storage I have on hand and entering it into my new analyzer (which I just saved to my desktop). It doesn't count lots of extra things I have, like canned goods, nonfood items, or all my fruits and vegetables, for example, but it does keep an accounting of basic food storage--life sustaining food storage. I found out I'm about halfway to my wheat goal, and my honey storage is sufficient, but I need more dry milk, oil, and rice, for example. This helps me to focus my future purchases where they're needed most to round out our storage.
I love knowing where I am in relation to where I'm going! It adds to the peace of feeling prepared.
Good job! Ironically, as kids grow up and move out you have more room to store it while needing less. We didn't have a walk in pantry so we turned our hall coat closet into one. It won't hold many buckets of wheat but it got every day food out of the garage so we could store more of the big stuff out there.
ReplyDeleteThank you! Great timing for me.
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate the links and info. I've been working on assessing our food storage this week and this totally helps.
I don't know how you find time to do everything you do. You are amazing.
Sandy Ross
Oh, I'm so proud of you! I remember when you had to start again from square one. You are so good at doing hard things.
ReplyDeleteOur food storage gives me *such* piece of mind, and I love rotating it. (I'm weird like that.)
Job well done! You are truly an inspiration! I need to follow your example...I feel at a loss due to food allergies and special diets. I have a 2 year supply of Sean's medical supplies and formula....I kid with my family we will all be drinking Neocate 1+ when there isn't any food. You should see the looks on their faces and hear the groans. We would need to throw in a year supply of clothes pins for the noses as the smell is blech.
ReplyDeleteHi Jenna, I love your name by the way. I've been thinking more about preparedness and food storage lately too. I went to a preparedness seminar last week that has really got me thinking that I need to figure out exactly what I have and what I still need to get. Thanks for the links.
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