SNAFU......

by Spook45
(TN hills)

One of the biggest mistakes I see preppers make is in this arena. Food carries with it a prospective of what is good and what is not. By some opinions, people would argue what IS food and what ISNT. I meet people everyday who want to try to run out and buy a TRUCKLOAD of MREs or other "sustainable"foods. Once again, this is where the situation takes a twist. THREAT ASSESSMENT means everything here. One must prepare by threat. You will encounter three basic types of threat. situational which can be anytime anywhere, but is usually dictated by situational factors beyond your control. Natural disaster. The third fits with the first, and it is "man made" which can be anything from war to accidental spills. some threats will require that you leave the area and others will require sheltering in place. The latter is the most prepared for. While aquiring food for sheltering in place(in the home) one should buy NORMAL EVERYDAY FOOD with some minor adjustments. The first adjustment here is that you my have to be able to store food for a long period of time. for this of coarse everyone knows canned food is the best, safest, easiest and mostly the cheapest to store up. Next, I would look at legumes and beans and rice and grains of that nature. These can be purchased in bulk at low prices and are easily protected for long term storage with a simple vacuum sealer and some canning jars. This breaks down the bulk size so that when it is opened, you are opening an individual jar instead of a large bag or container. This allows you to use small amounts at a time and protect the rest for later use. Next, I would look at long term sustainability. This requires a knowledge of basic agriculture or a willingness to study and learn it. For this I would seek out(readymaderesources) and buy some heirloom seeds that will reproduce every year. The last is the hardest to store and in some locations, may not be a viable idea. The last is meat. For those of us who live in the country or grew up in the country, most of us know how to hunt, trap and cure(at least at some level)meat. Most meat will spoil after a short time if it is not frozen. some meats can be dried or cured and will last for little longer period of time. For sustainability purposes on this front, goats are very good. They mostly maintain themselves and free range. They will eat nearly anything that grows in the ground. The meat is pretty good, they produce milk(which also means butter and cheese) and they replace your lawn mower which you may NOT be able to feed. Chickens are also like this, they can be free ranged(live off the land)They produce eggs and meat and they provide a specialized pest control(they eat grasshoppers, bugs, ticks and worms). It is a historical FACT that as early as the 1600s, settlers that had chickens survived harsh conditions and grew settlements and towns. Those who did not would perish in hard times and disappear. MREs are fine to take camping or throw in a backpack or even bury in a stash to use later, but as a mainstay, they will not suffice. REAL FOOD that you buy everyday, with a few adjustments is the best thing to store and stockpile.