Long Term Food Storage

**chadbag** · 03-04-09, 09:08

www.mredepot.com

these are the guys who actually import the Australian Cheese and the NZ Butter that everyone else sells and usually have the best prices. They also are active supporters on other gun forums and offer a nice discount to forum members some of the time. Someone here (official M4C rep) might want to invite them on board here...

They also sell Yoders etc.

**Blake** · 03-04-09, 21:05

Being completely realistic, what length of time should one be prepared to feel them self and family? I realize this is a very subjective question. I don't have the money to go out and buy food for a year. I do realize I can accumulate a little at a time. I guess I would be asking, how much food do some of you all have for disaster usage.

**MarshallDodge** · 03-04-09, 21:20

I would start out with enough for a 72 hour kit then add to it.
We have about six months of dry and canned goods, and quite a bit in the freezer. We buy our beef by the 1/4 cow which would have to be kept cold or even jerky if I had to.

Watch your sale papers from the grocery stores and buy a little here and there as your budget allows. My wife just bought 10 boxes of Life cereal for $10, that stuff is a staple in our house.

**techo** · 03-04-09, 22:15

I set my first goal at 3 months worth of LTS food and cash savings.
I have about 3 months of food now but I need to get the cash savings set aside before I add any more.
Next I'll go for 6,9,12 months or so in case I loose my job, get injured or the SHTF.

**chadbag** · 03-05-09, 02:18

We have a years worth of basics like rice, wheat, beans, and other grains (barley, oats and oat groats, etc). We also have a bunch of canned food that we use somewhat and replenish somewhat regularly to go along with it, and a few cases of that last forever canned cheese and butter and a small amount of the long term storage canned meat. I would like to get more cheese and butter, more noodles, more meat, etc to go along with the basics. And things like honey, sugar, oil, etc we have some of but need to do better.

I was raised eating wheat and my wife eating rice and we do use it regularly in our normal diet so our systems won't be shocked if we have to switch over to our stored food.

I need to do better on water as well.

A years worth of wheat, beans, rice, etc is not that expensive. Adding in all the extra canned stuff is what makes it expensive.

Try for a years worth of beans, rice, wheat, and other grains (this is not that expensive) and then add in a month at a time of canned stuff, long term stuff, etc. When you are at the store, buy on the case lot sales, and buy a few extra cans or whatever each time you go shopping. It adds up and you also end up with stuff you normally eat and so can easily rotate through.

(doing this in my head, a years worth of wheat is about $100 plus or minus, per person, plus some rice and beans so a family of 4 is less than $1000 easily on the basic grains and beans etc)

Most of the time when we go to Costco, we buy a "case" (6/8/10 pack of whatever) for the food storage too, of a soup, chili, veggies, or whatever. Do it slowly and eventually you have a years worth

Chad

**calebgriffin31** · 03-05-09, 13:20

Does anyone keep agricultural seed in their stock of food as well? A handful of vegetable seeds can go a long way to feeding your family. Just a thought.

**MarshallDodge** · 03-05-09, 13:41

Originally Posted by calebgriffin31

Does anyone keep agricultural seed in their stock of food as well? A handful of vegetable seeds can go a long way to feeding your family. Just a thought.

I probably have enough seeds to last me for two seasons of gardening. Most of them I picked up at the dollar store, 8 packets for a dollar.

We grow alfalfa and bean sprouts in small trays on the kitchen counter and eat them regularly. They are supposed to be good for you and have enzymes to help you fully digest your food. It is very easy to grow your own and you can eat them year round because you grow them indoors. I like the "spicy" blend which has a hint of radish in the taste.
http://www.ehow.com/how_2150725_grow-own-sprouts.html

http://www.ultimate-weight-products....34&QTS=froogle

**MarshallDodge** · 03-05-09, 13:46

One other thing I forgot to mention is "heirloom" seeds. My understanding is that a lot of the seeds that you purchase produce seeds that are sterile. Heirloom seeds produce plants that when harvested, the seed that can be used for growing plants the next season.

**shadowalker** · 03-05-09, 15:47

Katrina proved that 72 hours is too little except in the case where you are leaving the scene and will have access to food and water by an area unaffected by the event.

I'd shoot for an absolute minimum of 5 days. Water is more important than food in the short term.

My "emergency" grab and go is 5 days, short term 2-3 weeks and am working on completing a 1 year supply.

Don't use MRE's for more than 12-14 days of food, they are great for emergencies but our digestive systems don't like it longer term.