Ideas for a Three Month's Supply

Provident Principles and Practices

© David Edwards, 2008

..+
PRINCIPLE: President Gordon B. Hinckley, in this talk, “To Men of the Priesthood”, encourages Church members to begin our food storage programs by getting first a week's supply, and then building that gradually until we obtain a three months supply (Ensign, Nov 2002, p. 58).

PRACTICES: Here are some ideas about possible foods. Modify to meet your family's wants and needs.

THREE MONTH'S SUPPLY

BAKING
Baking powder
Baking soda
Cornmeal
Corn starch
Muffin mix
Pancake mix
Vanilla
Vinegar
Wheat flour
Yeast

BEANS
Canned beans (black, pinto, chili, etc.)
Dry beans
Refried beans

CONDIMENTS
Ketchup, mayo, mustard, pickles, salad dressing, sauces, etc.

DESSERTS
Cake mix, jello, puddings, etc.

FRUITS
Canned fruit
Dried fruit (raisins, dates, apples, etc.)
Frozen fruit
Fruit juice

GRAINS
Cold/hot cereals
Pastas
Rice
Wheat (cracked, sprouted, crackers, etc.)

SEASONINGS
Cinnamon, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, pepper, salt, etc.

VEGETABLES
Canned veggies
Frozen veggies
Potatoes
MEAT
Canned meat and fish
Frozen meat and fish

DAIRY
Evaporated milk
Powdered milk
Waxed hard cheese

OILS/FATS
Butter
Nuts and seeds
Oil (extra virgin olive, canola, etc.)
Peanut butter

SOUPS AND STEWS
Various

SWEETENERS
Brown sugar, corn syrup, honey, molasses, sugar, etc.

OTHER

Graphics are from http://fitness.ksc.nasa.gov/images/fitness/health/recipes/dutchapplepancakes.jpg,
www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/month/images/dryfruit_h.jpg,
www.nps.gov/petr/historyculture/images/Ristras.jpg, http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/OCEAN_PLANET/IMAGES/I-70f.gif, www.ers.usda.gov/AmberWaves/February05/Findings/images/finding_cheese.jpg and
www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/images/oliveoil.jpg.

A Three Months’ Supply of Everyday Foods

Provident Principles and Practices
© David Edwards, 2008

..+

..+
PRINCIPLE: The providentliving.org Web site reiterates counsel from recent prophets asking us to gather a small supply of foods that we normally eat on a daily basis. One possible approach to doing this is to buy some extra food items every week. We can build our collection little by little until we have a full three months' supply. We need to make sure that we keep rotating that supply, using up old items before using new ones. – See www.providentliving.org/content/list/0,11664,7445-1,00.html

PRACTICES: For over 150 years, Church leaders have asked us to store food as part of a program of living providently. Where possible, they currently suggest that we begin our program by building and maintaining a three-month supply of foods that we normally eat and routinely replenish.

Under appropriate storage conditions, conventional long-term storage foods, e.g., grains, legumes, powdered milk, sugar or honey, and salt, can be stored for decades. However, many of us currently do not know how to effectively prepare and use them. Using long-term storage foods may involve learning how to use grinders, rollers, sprouters, mixers, solar ovens or camp stoves and other tools; finding, developing and sharing recipes; experimenting with soaking and sprouting; trying out different cooking methods, etc. In the aftermath of a large-scale emergency or disaster, having a three-month supply of everyday foods will give us a window of time to learn how to use our long-term storage foods while still subsisting on familiar foods that we already know how to prepare.

Also, many people are not used to eating much grain or legumes. An attempt to suddenly switch from a normal diet to a diet rich in grains and legumes, intended primarily for basic survival, could be difficult physically for many people (e.g., digestion or food-sensitivity issues). It may take time to transition to long-term storage foods, and having a three-month supply of ordinary foods on hand may make a transition to a diet rich in grains and legumes much more comfortable.

Finally, a three-month supply of ordinary foods may help people get through a pandemic wave. The Church recently published eight fact sheets on preparing for pandemic influenza. During a pandemic, the Church recommends social distancing, e.g., staying at least six feet apart from others outside of family, and washing hands carefully, as viruses can be picked up from contaminated environmental surfaces. Of people who get influenza from H5N1 virus, about 60% die. Currently, H5N1 is not easily transmitted from person to person in a sustained manner. However, most experts believe that this virus, or some other virus, will ultimately mutate, allowing easy transmission, and causing illness worldwide. In an H5N1 pandemic, the fatality rate from the virus will likely decrease, but it may still be high. Many people will get sick or die; many will be quarantined. Experts say profound social disruption and food shortages are likely. If feasible, staying at home is advised. Having a three month supply of food may help your family survive. It is said that Dr. Robert G. Webster, a renowned H5N1-influenza expert, is prepared with a three-month supply of food and water at home.

Credits: Picture of cereal and label retrieved 22 Aug 2008 from http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2005/050512.ironcereal.gif; picture of cans is Microsoft clip art; drawing of someone not feeling well retrieved 22 Aug 2008 from http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/hepb_ez/images/sick.gif; photo of people afflicted by a wave of the 1918 pandemic influenza retrieved 22 Aug 2008 from http://www.lanl.gov/science/1663/images/flu_hospital_lg.jpg.
.

To learn more about the relationship between pandemics and food, see www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/individual/index.html#social, http://providentliving.org/content/display/0,11666,8041-1-4414-1,00.html (Church Web pages), and http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/AvianFlu/story?id=1724801&page=1 (Interview with Dr. Webster).

LDS Home Storage Center in Mesa, Arizona

Provident Principles and Practices
© David Edwards, 2008

..+

..+
PRINCIPLE: “Come, ye thankful people, come; Raise the song of harvest home. All is safely gathered in, ere the winter storms begin. God, our Maker, doth provide for our wants to be supplied.” – Hymn 94.

Full words and music to this hymn can be found at http://www.lds.org/churchmusic/detailmusicPlayer/index.html?searchlanguage=1&searchcollection=1&searchseqstart=94&searchsubseqstart=%20&searchseqend=94&searchsubseqend=ZZZ

PRACTICES: Thankfully, God, our Maker, does provide a way for us to obtain supplies to fulfill our wants and needs before the winter storms begin. We can safely gather harvested food and other edibles for our homes, either in bulk form (in commercial bags or boxes) or in dry-pack (canned) form, at an LDS Cannery or Home Storage Center (HSC). In Mesa, Arizona, the HSC is in the back part of the complex located at 235 S. El Dorado, off Broadway Road, near Loop 101.

.

At the HSC, you can gather and dry pack food as part of your three-month supply of foods that you routinely eat or as part of your long-term storage. Products are rotated on a three-month cycle.

In January, April, July, and October you can dry pack Dry Milk, Regular Oats, Macaroni, Carrots, Apples, and Pinto Beans.

In February, May, August, and November you can dry pack Potato Flakes, Fruit Drink Mix, Sugar, Black Beans, and Rice.

In March, June, September, and December you can dry pack White Beans, Refried Beans, Hot Cocoa Mix, Flour, Onions, and Red Wheat.

Members of the Queen Creek North Stake have an opportunity to order food and then go to the HSC and dry pack it at 1 p.m. on Stake Home Storage Day, the second Tuesday of every month.

To order, phone your ward cannery specialist five to six weeks before Stake Home Storage Day. Let this person know what you’ll need. This person will submit your order to the Stake, which will then submit it to the HSC, and the HSC will prepare the right amount of food.


Each family that orders must send at least one family member to the HSC on Stake Home Storage Day to can food, clean up, pay for the food (checks or money orders only), and take the food home. ...

.

If you can’t go on Home Storage Day, the HSC also sets aside the 1st and 3rd Fridays of each month so that members, by appointment, can go and dry pack products available that month. To make an appointment, call Brother and Sister Carter at the HSC at (480) 214-9114. You can also arrange to borrow one of their canning machines and/or buy cans, lids, boxes, plastic covers, etc.

Nonoriginal graphics retrieved 10 August 2008 from

www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/month/images/beans_pinto.jpg
www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/month/images/carrots.jpg
www.ars.usda.gov/is/graphics/photos/aug01/k9566-1i.jpg www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/month/images/apple_3.jpg
www.nsf.gov/news/mmg/media/images/rice_watercolor_h23.jpg
www.nidcd.nih.gov/staticresources/health/inside/spr08/onions.jpg
http://wheat.pw.usda.gov/wEST/nsf/wheat.jpg www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2004/041223.bean.jpg
www.fec.gov/pages/brochures/check.gif.

The drawing of the rice is by Nicolle Rager Fuller, National Science Foundation.

To learn about food product costs, how much of a given product is found in a #10 can, or for how long you can store a given product, take a look at the home storage center order form, found at
http://providentliving.org/pfw/multimedia/files/pfw/pdf/113827_HSOrderForm_US_JUL_08_pdf.pdf

Wheat and Other Grains: Long-Term Storage

Provident Principles and Practices
© David Edwards, 2008

..+

..+
PRINCIPLES: “The time will come that gold will hold no comparison in value to a bushel of wheat.” (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, volume 1, p. 250) .

“Lay up stores of corn, wheat, oats, peas, beans, buck wheat, and every thing else that can be preserved: for you will see a day when you will want it; and it will be when we shall feel the effects of famine, and when the United States have not any food.” (Heber C. Kimball, Journal of Discourses, volume 4, p. 330)

LDS leaders have not specified everything that each family should store for long-term storage. They have provided us with some guidelines. They suggest that we focus on foods that will allow us to stay alive if no other food is available. Among these foods are wheat and other grains (First Presidency Letter, June 24, 1988; Elder Keith B. McMullin, General Conference, April 2007).

...
PRACTICES: Grain is a nutritious long-term food storage item for most people. Wheat, in particular, stores well. At the cannery, you may can wheat in #10 cans once every three months on Stake Canning Day. Order one month ahead. For example, if you request it from the ward canning specialist before Aug 10th, 2008, you may can wheat on the Stake Canning Day at 1:00 p.m. on Sept 9th, 2008 at the LDS cannery in Mesa. You can also purchase good wheat at a reasonable price from some local stores. Usually, each adult needs 300-400 lbs of grain per year for long-term storage.

Uses for Wheat. Wheat can be ground for flour used in many dishes; cracked or rolled for hot cereal; sprouted for snacks, casseroles, etc.; or, grown as wheat grass, blended to make drinks.

Types of Wheat Desirable for Storage. Hard, red or white, winter wheat; high protein content (more than 13%); low-moisture content (less than 10%); triple cleaned; and free from weevils or other bugs.

Storage Containers. Sealed #10 cans with oxygen-removing packets kept in a cool place preserve wheat’s nutrition for up to 30 years and keep out pests. Mylar bags with oxygen-removing packets placed in closed HDPE buckets also preserve wheat well. Wheat stored in containers without oxygen-removing packets may sprout better in the long run but runs the risk of weevil infestation. .

Graphics retrieved 7 August 2008 from (top to bottom) http://minerals.usgs.gov/west/images/gold.GIF; www.archives.gov/press/press-releases/images/am-i-proud-s.jpg (with title deleted using Paint); www.nia.nih.gov/NR/rdonlyres/776CF822-4FC2-4AD7-8783-EAFF0F808051/5791/eating4grains1.JPG; and www.ars.usda.gov/is/graphics/photos/sep07/d001-1i.jpg

More Info: http://providentliving.org/content/display/0,11666,7532-1-4063-1,00.html; http://providentliving.org/content/display/0,11666,7533-1-4064-1,00.html. Next: LDS Mesa Cannery.