Has Time for Preparation Passed?

FUTURE CANNERY DATES TO CALENDAR WITH YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS

Thursday July 28th 6:30 PM

Saturday August 27th 9:30 AM

I was asked by our Relief Society President, Sister Carlson, to post some information about how natural disasters are affecting the price and  availability foods grown in the areas hit by the most recent tornados and hurricanes in our own country and throughout the world.   I came across an article today published in Meridian Magazine that I feel helps to answer her question.

Here are some headlines from the past several days:

 “2011 Tornado Season has seen increase in Storms, Record Death Toll”

• “Missouri River Flood of 2011 one for the History Books”
• “The recent floods and tornado outbreaks mark the most costly disaster in American history”
• “Food price shock ahead”.

All of these are headlines seen in the past few days in June. Is the time for preparing past? No, but it will now be much more expensive than it would have been just a few months ago.

The National Weather Service has announced the forecast for the coming hurricane season. Although the prediction is for more named storms this year, that alone is not the most interesting part of the story. What we should really be taking note of is the fact that we are returning to the weather patterns of the 1950s and 1960s. During those years there were serious weather conditions which hit the northeast coast of North America, the jet stream lowered its path, and temperatures were confused – it was much colder in normally warm areas, and much warmer in normally cool areas.

We have seen the results this spring with tornadoes not only in the Midwest “Tornado Alley”, but also in diverse places such as California and Massachusetts.  All of this news means we can expect to have weather only our parents and grandparents remember well. The time for preparing has not passed, but the urgency has increased.

The winter of 2010-2011 has seen record snowfall in all the mountain ranges west of the Mississippi. Spring in these areas has been colder than normal, setting up a disastrous scenario for the remaining weeks of spring and summer. Rivers and reservoirs in some places are overwhelmed, and heat waves may follow the cool spring weather in many areas. Hot weather will eventually come to the West, and when it does there may be severe flooding. Four states not part of the Mississippi River system, where horrific flooding and loss of life and property have already occurred, - Montana, Idaho, Wyoming and South Dakota - have already declared a state of emergency due to flooding.

Are you prepared to remain out of your home for a month or more? Are you prepared to be without grocery and pharmacy supplies for weeks? This is already the case in some areas. Do you really still believe natural disasters can't happen to you?

We have heard so much about flooding and tornadoes this year that it should come as no surprise that some North American crops have been destroyed or not planted at all. The logical conclusion: prices will go up.

On the other hand - are you aware that in some regions there is still a drought?

Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Florida, Oklahoma, Colorado, Kansas, Georgia, Louisiana, South Carolina and Alabama all have areas of extreme drought or worse “exceptional drought.”

This is also the case on other continents:

“Several submerged sections of an imperial tomb of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) have resurfaced in east China's Jiangsu Province as a result of a severe drought that is still affecting the region. The tomb was built for the ancestors of Zhu Yuanzhang, founder and the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty, in AD 1386, on the west bank of the Hongze Lake in Xuyi County of Jiangsu.

“The mausoleum was flooded in 1680, when the Yellow River broke its banks, changed course and converged with the nearby Huaihe River. Now local residents have got to take their first look at the tomb, which hadn't seen the light of day in more than 300 years.

“Stone arches and other parts of the tomb emerged on Thursday as the lake's water level continued to recede because of the recent drought. Local residents also got a look at a paved path leading to the tomb.”¹

In China, 725,000 acres of land are drying out causing not only enormous crop loss but leaving 820,000 people in the region without sufficient food and water. Where will the food come from to feed these people? Will China purchase crops normally sold to industrialized nations such as the United States, Canada and  Australia, leaving them short?

Food riots have already occurred around the world. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization is warning the drought conditions in China, Europe and Great Britain  may lead to the worst food inflation we have seen to date.  Combine this with the loss of crops in Japan due to the earthquake and tsunami and flooding, plus drought and tornadoes in the United States and the outlook is not good for food supplies and food prices. The fear is food shortages

will increase the frequency and intensity of food riots in many more countries.

The price of oil has already gone up making the cost of petroleum based items rise. The price of cotton has soared making the cost of everything from clothing to camp tents rise.

Has the time for preparing passed? No, but maybe the time to ask what we are preparing for has. It is here. Now is the time to gather your family and to discuss your priorities for the coming year. Summer is almost here and it is not too late to plant a garden. It is not too late to plan a stay-at-home vacation to save money for self reliance goals. Summer vacations from school are the perfect time to clean out used items and sell them at a garage sale or online.

There will never be a less expensive time to purchase preparedness items or to learn skills that will save you the money you are now spending on them. Now is the time. Don't make the mistake of thinking this won't affect you. It will. Don't make the mistake of thinking it can wait and looking back months from now and wishing you had taken action when prices were lower. 

SUMMER BERRIES ORDER NOW!

BERRY SEASON IS HERE

Amy Starke has offered to take berry orders through the West Salem Rotary club once again this season.  All berries are washed and unsweetened.  Make your selection from the following options.

·      18-lb case of sliced strawberries (packaged in six individual 3-lb. containers)

        $35.00 per case       

·      30-lb container of sliced strawberries

        $40.00 per can

·      15-lb container of raspberries

        $40.00 per can

·      15-lb container of marionberries

        $30.00 per can

·      14-lb container of blueberries

        $35.00 per can

Delivery & pick-up information:

·      Strawberries:  Wednesday June 8^th

·      Raspberries:  Thursday June 30^th

·      Marionberries:  Thursday July 14^th

·     Blueberries:  Thursday July 21^st

            

      We will send out an email for exact pickup time and location as we approach these dates.

If you are interested in ordering any of these berries please email Amy Starke at

amystarke@gmail.com     

Orders and payments must be received by this Sunday May 22^nd.  Checks are to be written to West Salem Rotary.  We apologize for the short notice, but are happy to offer this quick and easy way to get berries for your jams, jellies, and winter smoothies.

Living Through the Tornado

I mentioned that I would post this letter about the man who shared his personal experience while living through the Alabama tornado.

We are also planning a prepare  your 72 hour kit family home evening in the near future.  If this is something your family might enjoy doing with the Youd, Steele, and Suschanski families, we would love to have you join us.  If you are interested just email me and we will choose an evening that works for all families involved. 

Enjoy the article below,

Diane

This is a letter a lady was sent, by her brother,  this past week. In it are his thoughts surrounding prepardness and the recent Tornado disasters in Alabama for which he was involved. He lives in Northern Alabama......


"Wednesday, April 27th, Alabama got hit hard by mother nature via a ton
of tornadoes. Our county took a massive hit. Over 300 families lost
their homes. Ever transmission line that the Tennessee Valley Authority
- TVA (produces electricity for North Alabama) had into our area was
severed. All power lost to about 500,000 people. In addition,
Huntsville Utilities, who distributes the power to us, took massive
damage. They both worked miracles and have restored power to about 80%
of customers by the end of day 6. We got power back almost 5 days after
the storm.

During the storm (that lasted about 8 hours) and for the 8 hours after
the storm, I spent in the disaster area doing rescue work, including
swift-water rescues due to the large amount of rain we had. Many people
not hit by tornadoes still suffered due to flooding and since no power,
they had no idea water was rising so fast and so high. I got home at
3am for a few hours sleep.

Okay, what we did right preparing for not having power for 5 days and
some lessons learned from our experience. We had our 72 hour kits but
didn't need them (this time) but many families hit by the tornado sure
could have used them. Many families as we helped them out of their
rubble piles that used to be homes, tried to grab a few things to take -
several said they wished they had listened when told to prepare the kits
(and/or taken them to shelter with them so they could find them
afterwards). We had our 1 year supply of food and over 500 gallons of
drinking water - again, we were lucky and did not need them.

You will be surprised on how much your life depends on electricity! Do
not panic. So many folks just could not handle the situation. Many of
our neighbors left town (at great expense). We stayed and had a decent
time. Keep calm, stay relaxed. Enjoy life without distractions such as
TV, Internet, cellphones, etc. Bring out the board games, go for a walk
or riding bikes, read some books. Our family had a bunch of fun during
this time.

Keep your cars fueled. A few months ago, Xina and I decided to keep
cars at least half full of fuel. This paid off hugh as gas stations
were closed due to power failure. So, try not to let fuel tank get too
low. If you have to evacuate, loose power, etc, try to at least have
half a tank of fuel.

Have car chargers and inverters so you can charge cellphones and other
important electrical items. We were able to charge cellphones and
Xina's Coclear Implant batteries in the car. I was also able to charge
my laptop and paging 2-way radios (for fire and rescue squad purposes)
in car. Many did not have a car charger!

When we switched to a cordless phone system in our house years ago, I
kept some of the corded type phones around in case of a power failure.
Paid off, I was able to plug three into different parts of the house.
Note, phones worked for a couple days but did go out totally for about
18 hours before coming back up.

Do not rely on cellphones. While most of the cellphone system was
untouched by storm, the power for the towers switched to batteries and
they went down after a couple days. In addition, an even bigger issue,
so MANY folks started using them, that it was VERY hard to get a call
out (was much easier to receive them as Janet found out). Have backup
plans in place. Try to keep off the cellphones during the immediate
aftermath of a disaster as public safety folks might need whatever
capability is left as radio systems are effected as well (the city's
main system even shut down due to overload, for about an hour).

Fridge and freezers will keep stuff cool for about 24 hours after power
goes out if you do not keep opening them up. Once they start warming
up, have a cookout for everyone (yes, you can cook hot pockets on a BBQ
grill).

Have food that does not spoil. Have a simple camp stove you can cook on
for food that you want to eat warm. Canned food can be cooked on a BBQ
grill as well (open first and remove label). Keep extra on hand. We
did not have to dig into any of our food storage. Many folks could not
figure out how to survive a couple days without fridges/freezers... I
was shocked on how many reacted.

Water may or may not be available during a power failure. Luckily our
city water system had back up power for water treatment plants but we
were prepared and had 500 gallons of drinking water stored plus quickly
filled up another 125 gallons of bathtubs and jugs to have bathing, dish
washing, etc water.

Electric hot water heaters will be missed. Have a solar water heater if
you want to take warm showers. I rigged one up and it was very nice.
Beats VERY cold showers!

Have a stash of cash, small bills. ATMs are going to be down, banks
closed, credit card machines not working. We worked over the past two
years to have several stashes of cash hidden so we could use in
emergencies. We did use this item of preparedness.
Keep plenty of batteries on hand. Make sure each family member has
their own flashlight (our family members each have a head light and hand
held flashlight).

Have candles as backups to flashlights, with candle holders to carry
them by. Shorter candles so they do not fall over. We found we had no
good holders, but plan on purchasing some VERY soon.

Battery operated radio with a list taped to it of news stations. We did
not have this and would have been hard pressed to know what was going on
if we didn't have back up internet access. Another purchase that will
be done VERY soon!

Again, keeping your cool and staying calm are the biggest ways to handle
the situation. Being prepared helps to you in the regards."

It is TIME to Plant your Garden

It may just be the one tomato plant or it could be an entire produce display that you choose to grow this season, but whatever the case may be the time is now.

After attending the Stake Garden Fair a few short weeks ago I learned in one class that any day after Mother's Day is the time to plant your garden to avoid any frost problems.  The suggested fertilizer for growing a garden is either 18 18 18 or 20 20 20.  I suggest that there are important steps in planting a garden.  First do it.  Second water it.  Third weed it.  and Fourth feed it.  Sounds easy doesn't it.

Keep it simple if you are a beginner.  Go big if you are an expert.  If you are new to this, just try it.

The sister who taught our garden class was a wealth a knowledge.  She assured me that if anyone had more gardening questions that we would contact her for help.  Her name is Ginny Cotter (541) 401-9236 and her email is cotterginny@gmail.com.  Just let her know you are from the stake and as Ginny says, "I will give you an earful!"

Happy Planting!

Visit the Cannery

We have scheduled 2 times to visit the cannery.   May 19th at 6:30, this is a Thursday evening.  We also have Saturday May 21st at 10:30AM scheduled if you are unable to make the Thursday evening time slot.   The Longs will be waiting to greet you and help you with any questions you may have.

As you plan your families monthly budget, set aside a percentage of that budget for your visits to the cannery.  Think of your purchases from the cannery as you would a regular trip to the grocery store.  Make it part of your monthly or quarterly routine.  You will find yourself making less trips to the grocery store because on your shelf will be the flour, sugar, beans, onions, macaroni, spaghetti, oats, etc. that you are using on a regular basis.

Don't be afraid to open your cans.  Amazing family meals await your delicious recipes!

Cannery Prices are Soaring!

I came across this report about pricing changes at the cannery.  I hope this doesn't discourage you from coming to the cannery, but will encourage you and your families to realize the importance of preparing and storing.  Don't wait for a later day, but respond today.  We cannot predict how pricing will change in the future.  There is the chance that pricing will continue to rise. 

Look for a cannery date to be posted soon!

Price increases on April 4th at the LDS canneries show inflation up between 11 and 49% for many basic food staples.  These rise in prices are a strong barometer for the overall economy since the LDS facilities are usually the last to raise prices for their communities, which provides food in bulk that they can collect through their vast networking operations.

According to the new price list from April 4th, many food staples have increased by more than 20% since the last price list came out just 3 months ago on January 3rd.

Beans. Black 13.69%

Beans, Pinto 12.13%

Beans, White 11.88%

Milk, Non Fat Dry 25.00%

Rice 38.99%

Sugar 33.81%

Wheat, Red/White 44.54%

Apple Slices 24.53%

Carrots 21.31%

Macaroni 40.25%

Oats, Quick 48.90%

Oats, Regular 49.19%

Onions 21.60%

Potato Flakes 33.33%

Spaghetti 38.99%

Beans, Refried 27.72%

Cocoa Mix 40.69%

Flour 29.70%

Fruit Drink Mix 26.20%

LDS churches and organizations have long been at the forefront in preparedness for families and communities.  As one of the wealthiest corporations in the world, their network of companies and church affiliations allow them access to cheaper food sources, and the capacity to store them for long periods of time through their canning facilities.

As the government and Federal Reserve continues to tell the American people that inflation is low, and contained by their monetary policies, the real barometer of inflation in the economy comes from the grocers, markets, and institutions that deal with food sales and production, and must monitor prices daily as commodities continue to climb.

The LDS's raising food prices at their canneries by 11 to 49% in just three months should be a serious wake-up call to all Americans on the true inflationary conditions that exist in our economy, and that we need to constantly look outside government reports for the true data affecting our spending and finances.

Relief Society Event!

If you haven't reviewed the Relief Society Event post please click on the post archive titled

Just 13 days away!

GAS SAVING TIPS

Here are a few ideas to help save $ at the gas pump.  Did  you know you should buy gas in the morning?  READ ON...
(I was sent this article from a provident living group I belong to.)

 I don't know what you guys are paying for gasoline.... but here in California we are paying up to $3.75 to $4.10 per gallon. My line of work is in petroleum for about 31 years now, so here are some tricks to get more of your money's worth for every gallon:

Here at the Kinder Morgan Pipeline where I work in San Jose, CA we deliver about 4 million gallons in a 24-hour period thru the pipeline.. One day is diesel the next day is jet fuel, and gasoline, regular and premium grades. We have 34-storage tanks here with a total capacity of 16,800,000 gallons.

Only buy or fill up your car or truck in the early morning when the ground temperature is still cold. Remember that all service stations have their storage tanks buried below ground. The colder the ground the more dense the gasoline, when it gets warmer gasoline expands, so buying in the afternoon or in the evening....your gallon is not exactly a gallon. In the petroleum business, the specific gravity and the temperature of the gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, ethanol and other petroleum products plays an important role.

A 1-degree rise in temperature is a big deal for this business. But the service stations do not have temperature compensation at the pumps.

When you're filling up do not squeeze the trigger of the nozzle to a fast mode If you look you will see that the trigger has three (3) stages: low, middle, and high. You should be pumping on low mode, thereby minimizing the vapors that are created while you are pumping. All hoses at the pump have a vapor return. If you are pumping on the fast rate, some of the liquid that goes to your tank becomes vapor. Those vapors are being sucked up and back into the underground storage tank so you're getting less worth for your money.

One of the most important tips is to fill up when your gas tank is HALF FULL. The reason for this is the more gas you have in your tank the less air occupying its empty space. Gasoline evaporates faster than you can imagine. Gasoline storage tanks have an internal floating roof. This roof serves as zero clearance between the gas and the atmosphere, so it minimizes the evaporation. Unlike service stations, here where I work, every truck that we load is temperature compensated so that every gallon is actually the exact amount.

Another reminder, if there is a gasoline truck pumping into the storage tanks when you stop to buy gas, DO NOT fill up; most likely the gasoline is being stirred up as the gas is being delivered, and you might pick up some of the dirt that normally settles on the bottom.

JUST 13 DAYS AWAY

At the upcoming Relief Society event on Tuesday April 12th you will be reminded that living providently doesn't just include 72 hour kits and food storage.  It is a complete package!

It is a collection of learned skills,  ideas, and tools that will prepare you and your family to create a prefect preparedness package.  The church titles this package as Family Well-Being with 8 categories;  employment, home storage, gardening, finances, education and literacy, health, social and emotional strength, and emergency planning.  

Look forward to adding to your package these ideas, tools, and skills...

HOW TO CUT YOUR FAMILIES HAIR

by Niki Allen

 PRESSURE COOKER CLASS

Safe, Quick, and they keep the Nutrition in!

by Dottie Farnsworth

We will have a variety of booths to observe, taste, touch, see, and glean new ideas from that will be available for you to explore here is just a sample of what will be offered.

WHAT WHEAT DO I USE AND WHY?

There is always more to learn about WHEAT

by Sam Bonzer

WHAT IS CERT?

Community Emergency Response.

Becoming involved for the safety of our community.

by Kathy Lazott and Maria Prescott

BRAIN FOOD SMOOTHIES!

Drink up the nutrition

by Lisa Nelson

HOME DECORATING FOR THE FAMILY

With a little time, patience, paint, rags, nails, and brushes you can create your own decor!

by Wendy Scanlan and Heidi Johnson

How to conserve ELECTRICITY

by Lee Torian

KEEP LIVING AND LEARNING

Just 10 minutes and you will be Dancing

by Rosa Hernandez

Come at 6:30 for this and more...

Keizer Stake Garden Fair

Be sure to attend the first annual Keizer Stake Garden Fair.  It is Saturday March 12th at 10:AM.  This is a family activity and is sure to be a great opportunity to get you planning and preparing for the upcoming gardening season.

There are several classes for you to choose from.  Safe and friendly pest control is one of the highlights of the morning.

They will be serving a light refreshment.

Hope to see you there!

Wheat Grinder for your WHEAT!

Have you ever asked yourself, how will I grind all of this wheat?  Once you have the wheat you have to have a plan for using it.  I was forwarded this information about an  electric wheat grinder.  If you really plan to use your wheat, having an electric grinder is the most realistic approach.  Hand grinding is a great thought for survival, but not realistic for someone who truly will be using their wheat on a regular or somewhat regular basis.  I guess you could look at it as a way to get exercise and then using the hand grinder would be your best bet.   You can find those for around $50 to $75.   I personally own an electric grinder that sells for $279.00.  It appears this Blendtec grinder is a great machine for the money.

Blendtec- The Kitchen Mill by K-TEC, only $139.00

Regular price is $299.95

Amazon price is $179.95

Please let me know if you want one. Please let me know right away.

I need orders & payment by April 1st. That gives you a month. 

Make checks payable to Christy Going.

Drop off or mail your check to 1415 SE 52nd Ave, Hillsboro, OR 97123.

If you have any questions let me know.

Christy

503-702-2026

Here's some information I got off Amazon:

Product Features

• 1.75 Horse Power - 28,000 RPM
• 5 Texture Settings - Fine to Coarse
• 6 Year Manufacturers Warranty
• Mills 1 Lb of Grain per Minute - Pan holds 24 Cups of Flour

Product Description

We love this grain mill! It is a super durable and inexpensive option compared to other electric grain mills. Discover the great taste of freshly milled grains. We sell this mill, but we also use it! We use it to make delicious fresh baked multi-grain bread and ezekiel bread. The taste of freshly milled whole grain bread can't be replicated with any store-bought or processed flour.Mills all grains
whole wheat, rye, oats, rice, buckwheat, millet, corn, soybeans, barley, triticale, spelt, lentils, beans, chickpeas & more. You will be delighted with the results. The Kitchen Mill was not designed to grind spices, sugar, high oil content seeds (sunflower, sesame, flax, etc..) nuts, coffee, dried fruits and the like. Makes flour from fine to coarse. The coarsest setting makes flour about as coarse as cornmeal. It does not do cracked grains.
Healthier flour
Whole grain flour is healthier than processed store-bought four that is generally milled from the endosperm of the grain, which contains mostly starch and a little protein. Whole grains contain natural fiber. Diets containing adequate amounts of fiber help you stay slim and avoid many of the diseases caused by fiber deficiency.
A great additon to food storage
Having whole grains in your food storage doesn't make much sense without a reliable way to convert that grain into nutritious usable flour. The Kitchen Mill is the perfect compliment to stored grains.
A quality investment
The Kitchen MillTM is made of the highest quality materials. The heart of the mill is a patented, stainless steel, MicroneticTM milling chamber. The mill is the most advanced way to mill grain. It has all the advantages of the old stone mills but none of their problems. There's no gum¬ming, jamming or glazing. Your Kitchen MillTM will not overheat. Each mill uses a 1.8 peak horsepower, 120 volt motor. It is permanently lubricated and will provide years of trouble-free service.

5 minute Artisan Bread

With just a few essential ingredients you will have crispy on the outside chewy on the inside homemade bread!

Blueberry Order

To participate in the group order and split or shared order

please leave a comment on this blog or email me by 

Wednesday March 30th 

Checks delivered by Sunday April 3rd

A Fulfilling Way to Live