Community Preparedness ​and Resilience

Emergency Food Storage

Do a little Google searching, and you will find that there is whole industry built up around emergency food and supplies.  While these solutions can be a quick fix to making you feel more prepared; they are not necessarily the best solution for you and your family.  

Ironically, the information that you are seeking was probably common knowledge to your grandparents or great grandparents.  For much of rural America at least, food preservation and storage was simply part of daily life.

What did they know that we need to recapture?
A word of caution:  When following links below, you will be exposed to the "Prepper" world.  There is very good information to be found here; but following related links can quickly lead you down the rabbit hole (i.e., militant prepping and "us against them mentality"). 
Deepen Your Pantry:   Store more of the foods that you normally eat.
When you grocery shop, buy extra of items that you normally eat.  If you don't have room in your pantry, store items behind books in the bookcase, under furniture or the back of a closet. Be sure to store the newest items to the back and observe expiration dates and temperature ranges.
Trust Your Food:  Preserve the food you grow or buy in bulk.
​Whether you grow your own or buy in bulk, learn to dehydrate, de-oxygenate, and can.  It will save you money, and you will know the food that's in the containers.  You could turn it into a fun family activity.
Store for the Short Term:  Have some "no cook/low cook" foods that are easy to prepare.
In emergencies that result in power loss, conventional cooking may not be an option.  If you've done backpacking in the past, you will be familiar with many of the products that are useful here.
Store for the Long Term:  Have some staples that can be stored for many years.
Since the amount of food that you will ultimately need is an unknown, you can deepen your pantry even further by storing prepacked bulk foods that have a shelf life of up to 30 years.
Where can I find Emergency Supplies & Equipment?