There's been so much written about food storage that this topic is a little intimidating, but it's something that needs to be discussed. In fact, I think the matter is urgent. There are storm clouds on the horizon, and as with all preparations for the future, you can't wait until the disaster occurs to start doing something about it.

Why store food?

Food is an absolute necessity to sustain life, maintain health, and provide a sense of well being. In just one day without food we begin to become lethargic, and very hungry. Food quickly becomes a major issue.

Any disaster is such because we don't see it coming. If we knew the future in advance we could easily plan to be somewhere else, get what we need at the last minute, etc. We must exercise a degree of foresight and prepare for the unexpected.

As we consider the risks we live with daily remember that in addition to natural disasters, there are global threats that are very real. Statistically it is only a matter of time before we are confronted with a life threatening situation that is beyond anything in our experience. Lack of imagination has no protective affect against the difficulties of the future.

We see on the TV occasional video of people starving, are we immune? The sun is radiating more heat, and the warm current that makes europe suitable for growing food is slowing. For whatever reason, weather patterns are changing and food production could easily be seriously impacted. We live in an age of intense ideological and political struggles, drought, global intrigue, off the shelf nuclear technology and missile systems. Are we so safe?

Ok, so your a real Pollyanna and believe that people can and will peacefully work out their differences. If that's what you think, let me remind you that we have Super Volcanoes around the world due to explode at any time. We know that asteroids and comets have and will collide with the earth. Major earthquakes commonly reshape our planet. Researchers have discovered that dramatic swings in world climate are common to earth's history. These major catastrophes have occurred many times. In fact, the more we learn about this dynamic world on which we live, the more we can see that we're vulnerable. We must use our brains and understanding of these risks as a motivator to becoming better prepared. We don't know the future, but we know it's coming our way and it could get ugly.

I was in the state of New York when there was a trucking strike. On my way home I stopped in to the local market to pick up some food supplies. The store was empty! I asked the manager if he was closing the store. He said no, and filled me in on the strike. People had come in and bought everything in sight! The store was cleaned out in minutes. People panic when they are caught unprepared.

Food is delivered to stores 'just in time' for purchase. There are no warehouses or local food stored for later purchase. What you see is what get. Enough for a day or two of normal purchases. Trucks usually deliver daily to distribute the amount of food normally purchased. Panic buying is just not built in to the food delivery system. Next time you go to the store take a closer look.

Potential Victims of Success

A big reason we're so short sighted in planning for the future is that the wealth and tranquility of this nation has lulled us into complacency. It's easy to feel isolated from cause and effect. We don't save money because we have credit. We don't provide for the future because based on our past experience there's no reason to worry. Stores are open 24 hours a day, ready to provide for our every need. Life is so convenient. The majority of us only experience hunger when we choose not to eat. Someone is always there to help, aren't they?

The reality is that upheaval and change are everywhere, and while the surface of our superficial world is tranquil. the water is very shallow, and it doesn't take much a disaster to bring things to a sudden stop. As long as it's only a few who need help we're okay, but if very many people need help we will find ourselves in serious difficulty. There are a great many reasons to believe that sudden change is imminent. Are you ready?

The past as you remember it, is no guarantee of the future. While a sense of optimism is a good thing and makes life easier, if taken too far we can easily fall into the pit of the unexpected. Bad things happen to good people. An analysis of the past, as we go back further in history, has proven that in spite of the relative tranquility we see today, the earth is a volatile and dangerous place. We must prepare.

Besides Calamity

There are situations that we find ourselves in the normal course of life that might not make the evening news, but which can be just as devastating as a natural, or physical disaster.

Unemployment can strike without warning, and it can take a while before you can find a new position. Often the pay will be lower than what it used to be, and in this case you need time to adjust. Food storage can give you the ability to weather the economic hit until you can get reestablished.

Personal injury, or health issues can be just as serious or more so. The average person will be unable to work and support themselves for an extended period more than once in their adult lives. Whether you are able to work or not, you need to eat to survive and improve your situation in life.

Food is a large expense, and giving yourself extra latitude can help you make life transitions more smoothly and with less stress.

Where to start?

The first place to start I think is to consider the process of food storage as a life style. It's important that this not just a calamity driven idea but a normal way of life. It's obvious that food is a critical need required for survival, but it is also an essential daily need for personal well being and health. Food storage is a better investment than gold, because you will need it so long as you live, and gold requires a buyer and infrastructure to exchange it for currency to purchase goods and services. With food you can just eat it when you need to.

As you consider how much food it takes to live for a year, you can see that it takes quite a bit. This means that you're going to be buying food in larger volumes and you can purchase the food you are going to need for a lower price. This is especially true for bulk items. After you are organized and have your storage, you will rotate it to keep it fresh and you'll really start saving money. In the long run all of society benefits when individuals can meet their own emergency needs, and be in a position to help others.

It's good to save money, but watch out for sales where the expiration date of the food is near.

Buy unprocessed food items when possible, and get cookbooks and recipe ideas so that you can turn your food into meals easily. Get a good wheat grinder, and any accessories you need. Buy something that will last. You'll save a fortune and be healthier to boot. If you are using storage food items as a normal pattern of living this is not a big issue. You just don't want to wait and end up not sure how to use powdered eggs to cook with, etc.

Where to store it.

Almost anywhere! The most common place store food is in dry basements, since the rooms are cooler and this helps food store longer. However, I've seen very clever storage ideas that utilize other rooms, closets, out buildings, root cellars, or multiple places in the home. Let your creativity and special circumstances guide your food storage program.

Depending on the containers you store food in there are clever storage systems you can build or buy to organize your food. It's essential that you can get to your food and easily rotate it. Be sure you date your storage items! Time flies and some foods have a limited shelf life.

We are going to include more articles on this subject as we move forward. Specifics on what to store, etc. There's so much great information on this subject that we want to provide. Check back often and you'll find the information here.