Never know what is on horizon as far as weather goes!
If you are coming to my blog because of my networking with people who are not a part of my homesteading community, welcome. I am glad to have you here. My focus though on this blog is self-reliance, self-sufficiency and being independent in a very dependent world. Most people are dependent on others. And even homesteaders are in some aspects. Though we all strive to stand on our own two feet.
Why be prepared? Even our own government tells us to prepare. The Latter Day Saints have always been taught to prepare. That is why many people use their guides on preparing. In the old days it was just what people did. They didn't discuss it so much with each other because it was nothing unusual or new. My grandmother lived in the city with her children, grew a huge garden and canned just about everything she could get her hands on. She raised chickens in the city. Worked at the local shoe factory, made all her children's clothes and was self-sufficient. She never learned to drive but she was an independent woman before the feminist movement ever took place. I say to that question, why not?
Water for all your animals as well!
What will happen to you if you cannot leave your home for days? Your water pump will not operate due to no power. Your refrigerator is not working and your food in the freezer is defrosting. Your car is low on gas and the local gas stations' pumps all need electric to operate. You go to the ATM machine to pick up some cash and find out that the ATM machine also need electric to operate. So now you also have no water. Just enough food for a couple of days. No power to cook it. Now here's a biggie for some people. They have no heat and it is cold. Or they have a wood furnace or heater but it needs electric to work. You need alternatives for all of these issues. And not electric alternatives. Remember a generator is only good as long as you have gas for it!
Pitcher Pumps use manpower not electric!
Are You Ready? That link is to the FEMA website that will explain to the people who think they don't need to be prepared why they should be. You really never know what could happen. If you all of a sudden are hit with a really big bill of some sort and an unforeseen expense, and could not buy groceries for a few months, could you survive it? If you were prepared you could. They recommend having three days worth of supplies but I recommend much more than that. Though if you at least start preparing, no matter where or how you live it will help.
I don't mean to scare you into doing this, but wouldn't you rather be the one to help others than to have to find someone to help you? Don't forget in preparing about your grown children who are on their own, as well as other family members and neighbors. So always store extra if you possibly can. Do not forget your pets and livestock too. I have written on this many times before as it is utmost in my mind every day. Here is a link to a post I wrote in 2006 called Being Self-Reliant.
Copyright © 2010 Kathleen G. Lupole
All Photographs Copyright © 2010 Kathleen G. Lupole
6 comments:
;-))) Thanks, Katlupe.
I agree 100% with what you have said. But I have to admit I am not prepared. I do not can foods but if I had I guess I could learn. Of course, learning how to can after a catastrophe would be just a little too late.
Sunny, you can always buy food already canned from the store. Nothing is set in stone. You can buy foods that you would eat in an emergencies but foods that you can rotate into your normal meals. Like tuna, stews, canned chicken, turkey and ham. Stuff like that. Powdered milk, baking mix like Bisquick, instant pudding mixes, canned soups, etc. Foods that are easy to prepare.
What do you store the water in and where do you get the containers?
I have my drinking water stored in some 1/2 gallon canning jars. Some quarts. And I also have it stored in.........as much as I HATE plastic, I have used some 2 liter soda bottles, gallon vinegar bottles and those big Hawaiian Punch (my son loved that, so I saved a few) plastic bottles. Any food safe types. I have always used green soda bottles for showers because when you heat water in the sun algae develops pretty quick, but not so fast with the green soda bottles. You can also purchase water containers from preparedness sites. But I like to recycle what I can and not spend the extra money on that.
Great post Kat! And thanks for the FEMA link. My husband and I have been talking a lot about this kind of thing. We have a wood burning fireplace for heat (which we still need to buy wood for...been researching around for that) and I have a few weeks worth of canned goods/quick meals stored but that's about it. I recently read about making a tomato can stove made out of basic items you can find at any local hardware store too.
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