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Are You Ready for a Food Shortage?

No signs here. But been gradually adding to my long-term/easy-to-store supplies.

Based on my state's experience last year the state has devoted funds to in-state meat processors to increase their capacities so that the state would be less vulnerable to disruptions in the large corporate processing facilities in other states.

So, since my state raises alot of cattle we should weather any future processing shortages better than last year.

We also weathered the first shortages fairly well, with the staples still available but with some stuff occasionally in shrt supply.

I hope that in the last 1.5 yrs we've learned some lessons. With the availability of the various vaccines that should help, but with the current regime importing new Covid across the southern border, I think they will force people back into a fear/panic mode.

My .02
 
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Every week the number of items that aren't available at the local Kroger seems to grow. There are always things on my shopping list that they are out of.
It is the same here . There were five things I wanted to get this past Friday that they didn't have. I try to stay stocked up and have a bunch of canned meat. Tuna , chicken and spam are to be found on the shelves of my place at all times with regular rotation as the dates determine.

I also keep a good stock of canned vegies also.
 
The supply chain is still messed-up from COVID.

Regional shortages seem still ongoing, and it's not necessarily things that one would ever think we'd ever run short of.

I'm simply hoping that more folks take-notice, and that even a portion of those do start to prepare for emergencies. It doesn't have to be the End-of-Days, but even if more folks need less of the emergency supplies that municipal agencies distribute in times of natural disaster such as weather events, it would help take some load off of the system.

For a while back there, I think a significant prortion of the nation lost sight of the "self sufficiency" aspect of being American.

I still remember coming to the US as an immigrant when I was a child, and my parents marveling at how self-sufficient everyone here happened to be. Neighbors and co-workers who grew their own food (even if it's just garden herbs and common table vegetables), fixed their own homes/vehicles, canned/preserved, etc. And this was even in the inner-city.....

Somewhere in the 30 years since, I feel like our prosperity and the easy-come nature of mega-supermarkets and on-call delivery (not just modern Amazon shopping, but even dozens of years ago, should you happen to live in a city like New York, where you could call someone to get things delivered to your door, only if you were willing to pay a premium) have made us lose sight of being able to self-sustain.
 
The supply chain is still messed-up from COVID.

Regional shortages seem still ongoing, and it's not necessarily things that one would ever think we'd ever run short of.

I'm simply hoping that more folks take-notice, and that even a portion of those do start to prepare for emergencies. It doesn't have to be the End-of-Days, but even if more folks need less of the emergency supplies that municipal agencies distribute in times of natural disaster such as weather events, it would help take some load off of the system.

For a while back there, I think a significant prortion of the nation lost sight of the "self sufficiency" aspect of being American.

I still remember coming to the US as an immigrant when I was a child, and my parents marveling at how self-sufficient everyone here happened to be. Neighbors and co-workers who grew their own food (even if it's just garden herbs and common table vegetables), fixed their own homes/vehicles, canned/preserved, etc. And this was even in the inner-city.....

Somewhere in the 30 years since, I feel like our prosperity and the easy-come nature of mega-supermarkets and on-call delivery (not just modern Amazon shopping, but even dozens of years ago, should you happen to live in a city like New York, where you could call someone to get things delivered to your door, only if you were willing to pay a premium) have made us lose sight of being able to self-sustain.


It is my opinion a full 75% of the people in this country would die if they didn't have other people providing for them. When our fathers were young men this wasn't the case.
 
If you ask me this is all going to blow up in their faces.
Lot's of people are planting gardens again. I always did, but I have went from just fun and let it grow, to planning and maximizing space. We have all the stuff to can, both pressure and water bath. We have about 8-10 cases of jars and lids to last several years. That is over 80 (half of them are pints and half are quarts) jars we fill with food.
Next year, we will be growing everything (except the meat) to make and can soups as well as canning veggies. We freeze our corn, asparagus and strawberries, because I like it that way better.
Now we enjoy it and it is more healthy, but lots of people are just starting to do it as well for prepping reasons.
Most people that get into this do not spend all that time and money, just to stop doing it next year.
There are several things I have been watching that are going to have long term economic effects. no matter if they change back in a month or not. The next president is going to have to move fast and it is still going to take him awhile to pull us out of this.
 
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No signs here. But been gradually adding to my long-term/easy-to-store supplies.

Based on my state's experience last year the state has devoted funds to in-state meat processors to increase their capacities so that the state would be less vulnerable to disruptions in the large corporate processing facilities in other states.

So, since my state raises alot of cattle we should weather any future processing shortages better than last year.

We also weathered the first shortages fairly well, with the staples still available but with some stuff occasionally in shrt supply.

I hope that in the last 1.5 yrs we've learned some lessons. With the availability of the various vaccines that should help, but with the current regime importing new Covid across the southern border, I think they will force people back into a fear/panic mode.

My .02
"...with the current regime importing new Covid across the southern border, I think they will force people back into a fear/panic mode."

imo, that's their plan all along. Complete control, and rule through fear.
 
I have my food supplies divided into three categories....
  1. Regular day-to-day stuff either refrigerated or non-refrigerated.
  2. Long-term canned/dry goods in a cool & dark basement
  3. freeze-dried
Of course all can be used when the need arises - hunting season, camping, etc.
 
Every week the number of items that aren't available at the local Kroger seems to grow. There are always things on my shopping list that they are out of.

Boy, this is a great site. The quality and amount of articles and videos they offer for teaching is stupendous! I just got a Hellcat. Gave up on my Smith Titanium snubs. In our new world order 5 shots wont go far. And don't expect things to get any better. I love that Hellcat. I got plenty of Glocks and FN's for the house, but nothing comes close to the Hellcat for carry...it is a dream!

When we had the early stages of the covid emergency I would make the rounds to a number of stores to find things once or twice a week. I live in a Tri state area. Within half an hour each way I got 4 Walmart's, 4 Kroger's and Aldi's. Target also sells some food and there is Sam's Club. But even with all those stores, some items were nowhere to be found like gloves, wipes, TP, etc.

With food, yeast and flour was gone. Eggs were in short supply and same with pasta. But if you were flexible you could find things like bleached flour ad opposed to unbleached flour and, white whole wheat flour instead of traditional whole wheat flour. Certain types of pasta were sold out, but you could get the pasta cuts that were not very popular. Powdered milk was gone, but you could buy pricey powdered goat milk. But the biggest problem was finding yeast. Yeast in envelopes came around once in a while, but no jars. I had about 3 - 4 oz of yeast on hand, so rationed it by making sourdough bread and added 1/3 of the yeast I normally would use in bread. Worked pretty good, but am no master at sourdough...it takes dedication. Tired pure wild yeast and it was kinda dense. The mix I mentioned worked best.

But you get lazy with your preps and that is where I'm at right now. I got some stocks, but it has dwindled a lot as you get complacent. So need to get back at it. I have master sheet of staples and need to look over the food inventory to see where I'm at.
 
It is my opinion a full 75% of the people in this country would die if they didn't have other people providing for them. When our fathers were young men this wasn't the case.

Maybe more? It is pretty tough providing for yourself and a family. I'm surprised the old timers lived at all.

Sod house additions 1888.jpg
 
But you get lazy with your preps and that is where I'm at right now. I got some stocks, but it has dwindled a lot as you get complacent. So need to get back at it. I have master sheet of staples and need to look over the food inventory to see where I'm at.

Recognizing/being willing to admit your shortcomings is really the first step - and you've done that, as well as started to formulate a solution, which is a great start.

Complacency is indeed a big issue, especially when, like you, there are so many everyday resources that are so conveniently available, either 24/7 or nearly-so. So now that you recognize it, you can work specifically to combat it! There's always that inertia, and there's always the issue of added cost, too.

My recommendation would be to not try to go at it all at once. Start small, like with the "Basic" recommendations in this thread's originating article. To further help "eat that elephant" (by doing it one small bite at a time ;) ), I tell my friends to start preparing for the most likely, shortest-term/highest-impact event, first: for the vast majority of us CONUS, that would be that weather-related emergency. Whether it's a hurricane, tornado, or snowstorm (the need to evacuate due to fire threats is a much more specialized case), these events have the capability to really drastically affect our daily lives, even if-only for a very brief period of time.

Get the necessary items to sustain a three-day event as such, and then start building-out from there. :)
 
Maybe more? It is pretty tough providing for yourself and a family. I'm surprised the old timers lived at all.

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It's tough providing for them in the manner they are currently accustomed to. Keeping them alive is considerably easier than keeping them alive and supplied with all the accoutrements they currently enjoy. Personally my back up plan hinges on, among other things, abandoning most of the stuff I currently own. Through liquidation, bartering or last ditch, by setting it all on fire.
 
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