Week 2 - Food Storage: In the Beginning

There are several options available for food storage, and it is likely that you will incorporate more than one. Lets look at a few...

Canned foods:
This is of course the easiest methods, but it also tends to have the shortest shelf life. Another thing to consider about canned food, is BPA in the can liner. If you choose to keep canned foods as part of your storage plan, check to see which companies use non BPA cans. Eden Organics is one that is Non BPA.
The following is an article on this...
http://www.treehugger.com/green-food/7-companies-you-can-trust-to-use-bpa-free-cans.html
It's a good idea to use a black sharpie and put the expiration date on the front of each can so you can easily rotate your stock. Only buy what you like and will eat. If you don't like SPAM, then don't put it in your food storage!

Freeze Dried & Dehydrated Foods:
These items have a much longer shelf life, some up to 25 years. This makes them a desirable option for a prepared home. There are several methods and options to freeze dried foods, from MREs to #10 cans.
The following are companies that carry this type of food, please check out there sites and see the options.

Food Insurance:
http://www.foodinsurance.com/index.php?gclid=CPTL4JW6_K8CFWQKRQodNV8jFw
I like their Emergency backpack!

Emergency Essentials:
http://beprepared.com/default.asp?SID=GOOGLE&EID=GLB200801050&gclid=CIPEhOi6_K8CFSIHRQodoQGGHA
They have a good selection, and frequent sales.

Shelf  Reliance/THRIVE Foods:
This is the company I not only chose to get the bulk of our food storage, but I also signed up to be a consultant. They have one option that others did not, and that is the Pantry Can. I like the smaller size for certain items. Not to mention that if you are planning for only one or two people, the smaller sizes are nice to have. I also like that most of their items are NON GMO and although the can't label it as Organic because they are not currently certified, they purchase from organic growers. They do not support factory farmed animal producers either. If interested, you can email me at wytchwoodfarms@gmail.com for more information. They also have the option of setting up a Q, which auto ships food to you once each month and stays within a budget that you set. It is customizable and changeable each month.
http://www.shelfreliance.com/plantothrive
Many of the products have a video at the bottom of the page that shows ideas how to use it.

Seed Banking:
Yes... I said seed banking. Often this is over looked in our long term plans. Here is an interesting video about how the world has made plans...

We have an airtight container that we keep in the back of our fridge with seeds we wish to keep long term. Growing our own food keeps us in a constant supply of fresh seeds. The following are companies we trust for Non GMO, Heirloom Seeds;
Seed Savers Exchange  http://www.seedsavers.org/
High Mowing Seeds http://www.highmowingseeds.com/home.php?xid=4d912ba32299b9496c8fd7b7dd92928a
Baker Creek http://rareseeds.com/
We will discuss the importance of growing food at a later time.

When it comes to where and how to store your food, get creative. But... keep in mind that for long term storage, you want to keep your food in a cool, dry, dark location. The cooler the better! This will insure the maximum amount of shelf life possible. Always consider foods that you like. The more you can incorporate into your daily life the better.
Everyone will have different needs and different tastes. Feel free to email me if you need more help or suggestions getting started. Remember... you are just getting started. I will have more tips as we go along.

Understanding Peak Oil...

Week 1 - Water

For those that know me, know I tend to jump on my soap box from time to time. Especially when it comes to living a prepared life. It seems like such a simple common sense thing, but when I look at how most people live, I realize that it is a foreign concept to the average person. So... rather than bombard you with all the reasons why(as there are many) you should be prepping, or a long list of what you should have on hand, I have decided to have a "Prep of the Week" post. Every week I will give you one or 2 items or ideas that will make stocking up simple and stress free.

That being said...
This weeks(and for many weeks to come)prep is WATER!
I know... big surprise there. But we all know that w/o water, you don't survive. Some people are blessed to be in areas where there are natural springs, and rivers. Some even have a well on their own land. But unless you fall into one of these groups, then like me, you are stocking up on water.

My first choice(although not thrifty)for water storage is a glass carboy. This can be heavy when full and not easy to transport. But I prefer glass for storage items.
http://www.amazon.com/Gallon-Glass-Carboy-Home-Cider/dp/B005D88DEO/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1336435774&sr=8-11

If glass is not practical, then non BPA plastic will work.
http://www.amazon.com/Bluewave-Gallon-Reusable-Water-Bottle/dp/B000ZHMVM8/ref=pd_sim_sg_3

I also recommend a pump attachment such as this
http://www.amazon.com/Dolphin-Manual-Drinking-Water-Pump/dp/B000LXX8H8/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS?ie=UTF8&coliid=I1SOSE1CPSUL00&colid=2FB67PDVBSTPW

Try not to use tap water if at all possible. Some areas have water stores that sell reverse osmosis water pretty cheap, usually around .40cents a gal. Again, fresh spring water is best if you have a source.
It seems like like an investment at first. But if you use and rotate your water, it's cheaper in the long-run.

So that should start you off! If you have already accomplished this, then hang tight. More is on the way, and who knows, even if you are already prepping, we may have a new idea for ya down the road!

It has been a bit since I posted on here... seems like facebook has taken over. Here are a few new pics of our Spring 2012 garden...

Transformation

We are still working on the front yard transformation. I wanted to add pictures as we go so you get the idea of how a yard can go from sparse to abundant in one season. We are still in the building and planting stage, so sparse is a fitting term...

Our Journey ...

There are times in life when something is revealed and creates instant change in the way we live. The turning point for me started back in 1991, when my son who was 6 months old, came down with an upper respiratory infection. After several visits to the pediatrician, as well as several attempts with different antibiotics, I had enough. I knew that what they were doing to him could not be in his best immune interest, so I took it upon myself to learn methods of natural healing. Not only was his body able to cure the infection, but he has maintained optimal health to this day. He has never missed a day of school... including college.

As the years have gone by, the road seems to have turned from progressing forward, to progressing backwards. Having spent the majority of my adult life in healthcare, I was now taking control of my family's health by looking back to the remedies of old. I was rethinking the way we looked at medicine, and soon I would take a good look at the foundation of our healthcare... our food.

In 2001, I came across a book titled "Genetically Engineered Food: Changing the Nature of Nature. I was mortified! We had already switched to organic dairy, but I was now aware of what was happening to our food supply and how unnatural it was becoming.

The next step in this progression became organic fruits and veg, and finding all our local resources. Being in Southern California, we are blessed with an abundance of farmers markets, CSAs, and markets with organic options.

Then, one day I was at the market and the price of heirloom tomatoes was $4.99 per lb, which can mean $5 per tomato. Thus our journey into home gardening began. We had already been growing herbs for a few years, but now we added heirloom tomatoes to the garden. By 2009, we had added beans, peppers, lettuce, spinach, strawberries, blackberries, and various citrus.

Every year we learn new methods and add to our little home farm.

This year we are expanding from the back, into the front and side yards. Since we all work outside the home, the process has taken some time. But the rewards are plenty!

For those that know me, know that the instability of the world is a motivator for food independence. The piece of mind that comes with knowing that come what may, we can provide for our family, is invaluable. I fully believe in living a "prepared" life, a gift instilled by my grandmother and her abundantly filled pantry.

Our goal is to ignite the love of home farming in as many people & families as we can. If we all started taking responsibility for growing food, imagine how many people we could feed!

And if you think it is not possible in your space, I offer up this video...

http://youtu.be/7IbODJiEM5A

New Additions...

Goji Berry, brussle sprouts, celery, kale & lettuce. We also added beans and peas! At a time when the quality of food is on the decline, what are you waiting for?