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If you have not made a food storage plan, you're not following the news.
Are you paying attention to what policy-makers and economic analysts are saying? If you are, you'll realize that having a food storage plan is the most important thing you can do for both short-term survival and long-term prosperity.
Dispensing with all of the officially sanction talk of an economic recovery, World Bank President Robert Zoellick recently admitted that "We are one shock away from a full-grown crisis" regarding world food supplies.
Food price shocks are already driving tens of millions of people into intractable poverty. This is one of the major forces propelling political upheaval in the Middle East and Northern Africa: People simply can not afford to buy food. Tremors of similar unrest are visible even in Europe. There's no reason to assume that America will be immune. Anybody who has a clue as to what's happening in this world will either have a food storage plan already, or will make it an immediate priority to organize one.
A crisis-focused family food storage plan will provide an emergency two-week supply of storable, easily prepared foods, as well as at least 14 gallons of fresh water for each person. If you choose dehydrated foods for storage, you'll need to increase the freshwater allotment, or have access to a secure proprietary fresh water source. Freeze-dried foods may be better for a crisis food storage plan, because they do not require as much fresh water.
Ideally, a family food storage plan should provide for a year's supply of essential foods: grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables, milk and dairy, sugars, fats and oils, and other cooking essentials.
For the proverbial family of four, a year-long food storage plan should include a little more than a half-ton of grains, pasta, and flour; about three hundred pounds of milk and dairy products, 240 pounds of legumes (including soup mixes), 240 pounds of sugars (including honey, jams, corn syrup), and 740 pounds each of fruits and vegetables. While not predictable, about 100 pounds of fats and oils (including cooking oil and shortening, as well as salad dressing and similar condiments) should be included, with other cooking aids (baking powder and soda, yeast, and vinegar) being associated in smaller quantities.
Do not forget to store an adequate supply (roughly 20 pounds) of salt, as well, preferably sea salt or kosher salt, both of which retain the nutritional benefits of this often overlooked mineral. And take care to find secure, airtight food storage buckets to preserve perishables such as grain.
Obviously, all of this can not be acquired at once. A good approach would be to start immediately with a two-week plan (simply dividing those quantities by 26), and then build up as opportunities and resources permit. Another very good approach is to buy dry goods in bulk, and then grow, harvest, and can a variety of fresh vegetables (such as corn, peas, beans, tomatoes) and fruits, if possible.
Few things are as rewarding as the peace of mind that comes from preparation, particularly in times like the present. If you have not taken an opportunity to start on a food storage plan, please do so right away.