Stockpiling food against economic uncertainty

Los Angeles Times via (Tacoma) The News Tribune ^ | 4/15/11 | FAYE FIORE

[Kartographer]

The laundry room of Tamara Huffman’s split-level here in the Shenandoah Valley is filling up with cheese powder and freeze-dried ham, at the ready should her husband, Brian, lose his job anytime in the next 25 years. She carves a little bit out of their already tight budget every month to buy some more.

This sort of stockpiling was once the purview of survivalists preparing for Armageddon. But Huffman’s fear isn’t the end of the world so much as the $5 basket of grape tomatoes she bypassed the other day at her local supermarket.

[Kartographer]

Tami Huffman is larding her Tom Brooks, Va., basement with freeze-dried, dehydrated and canned foods. She’s preparing not for a natural disaster, but an economic one as food prices rise and recession fears endure.

I have to wonder what these people are going to do now that they have throw OPSEC aside and let every 'grasshopper' for miles around know that they have stores?

[Mr. Silverback]

Bump.

[Atlas Sneezed]

Pretty dumb to let the world know whose house to loot when food runs short.

[JAKraig]

I’m sure if they were smart enough to store some food they are also smart enough to stockpile some precious metals, like brass and lead.

[Kartographer]

PING!!!!

[Kartographer]

PING!!!!

[RC2]

Brass, lead and a large garden. You can’t grow everything but you can sure put stuff up to help.

[personalaccts]

Dear la times: why did the light bulb factory close?

[tgusa]

Don’t forget yer blued steel and copper .....

;-)

[rpierce]

Not unlike the generation that survived the Great Depression and spent the rest of their lives pinching pennies, some middle-class Americans have developed a sense of thrift that is lasting even as the economic crisis loosens its grip. The so-called Great Recession was declared officially over last fall, yet consumer confidence – or lack of it – remains consistent with an economy in deep trouble.

I guess I missed the memo about all being hunky dory again. Sounds like whistling past the graveyard to me. A little hunger will change the subtly snarky attitude of the 'journalist.'

[Psalm 73]

Agree -
Rule No. 1: "Don't advertise"

[bgill]

Today’s To-Do List already had:

check transplants - done
prune tomatoes
water garden
re-arrange pantry

[JDoutrider]

Not much of a stash from what it shows in that jpg... She better get hoppin on her dooms day shoppin!

[Buckeye McFrog]

more Mormon-bashing from the LA Times?

[Kartographer]

No not really, but it funny how more and more of these stories are be printed in the ‘lamestream’ media and with a far less ‘tin foil hat’ smirk than I can remember ever seeing in the past.

[Kakaze]

A solar dehydrator, lots of canned good,great neighbors and miles away from the city and plenty of lead...........just saying:)

[MrB]

Brass, lead and a large garden...

to bury the bodies in?

How good a fertilizer is the human body, anyway?

[mbynack]

I've been thinking of canning dried rice and beans. My idea is to put it in canning jars and put it in the oven for a half hour at about 170 degrees to kill any bugs and eggs and then put the lids on it before it cools. That would create a vacuum inside to keep it from getting contaminated.

We tried keeping rice in the original plastic bags, but it had weevils in it within a couple of months.

Anyone ever tried this or have any advice?

[FrogMom]

Not supposed to put meat products into the compost pile.

;)

[RC2]

Nope....leave em where they lie.