Question
Gramps,
Do you think I need to prepare my one year supply of food storage in such a way that can be easily moved? Or is it more for the purpose of eating in your own home if food runs out do to earthquakes and truckers not being able to restock the stores? I also hear about the Saints eventually moving to seek shelter in various places and I was wondering if I need to buy camping items as well?
Julie
Answer
Julie,
Thank you for taking food storage seriously. I’m sure a lot more people are doing so in light of food shortages due to the quarantine.
To answer your question about “mobile food storage”… there is no such thing. No matter what, a year’s supply of food for even one person will take a lot of time, energy, and effort to move any appreciable distance. But that’s not your real question, is it? Your real question is the second part of your post. What “event” are we supposed to store food for? The answer is “Anything.”
I know many people are thinking about the end of the world these days. And there are plenty of reasons to think so. But every generation has “signs” that their generation is the end. I tend to think that this is the Lord’s way of keeping us on our toes. For all we know, it may very well be this generation that sees the end of the world. But in case it isn’t, what good is food storage?
The Church took a different tack a few years ago. The new website Provident Living was launched. The guiding philosophy is basically:
The prophetic promises and blessings of Church welfare, of providing in the Lord’s way, are some of the most magnificent and sublime the Lord has pronounced upon His children. …Whether we are rich or poor, regardless where we live on this globe, we all need each other, for it is in sacrificing our time, talents, and resources that our spirits mature and become refined. This work of providing in the Lord’s way … cannot be neglected or set aside. It is central to our doctrine; it is the essence of our religion. (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Providing in the Lord’s Way,” Oct. 2011 General Conference)
The philosophy about preparedness is now three-fold.
- Emergency Preparedness
- Financial Preparedness
- Spiritual Preparedness
Food storage tends to fit into the first two categories. It should be obvious now why it fits into emergency preparedness. But it’s not so obvious why it fits into financial preparedness.
While employed, we’re hopefully saving what money we can. But as that savings account grows, it is easy to justify that extra expense that we didn’t really need. Then we try to make up for it later. But if you bought food storage with some percentage of your discretionary funds, you won’t be able to “spend” it. It will be available.
Famed financial guru Dave Ramsey advises that everyone save up 3 to 6 months worth of expenses in a savings account to handle bouts of unemployment or other period of low to no income. If you save food, then the “expenses” during a jobless period becomes less. So, the amount you need to save in the bank is less.
Some of that food storage can be a vegetable garden and fruit trees. Notice that you can’t really pack away trees. And vegetables take at least a couple months to ripen. So, this is only useful if you’re doing this on a regular basis. Does your bug out land have fruit trees? Who takes care of them? Do you store your food there? Does it have water?
You will find that if you properly prepare for various emergencies and disasters such as:
- Unemployment (which many are experiencing now)
- Wars (which is stirring in different parts of the world)
- Power outages (which can occur due to common construction — and it will leave you without power for several hours)
- Natural disasters (like we’ve been seeing a lot of recently)
- Economic downturn (like today)
- Food shortages (which is just a “minor famine”)
- Pandemics (like today)
- Civil unrest (like today)
You’ll find that you’re also prepared for various cataclysms as well. So, whatever plans you make, consider the different types of events that you wish to be prepared for. Consider for yourself which would be best for your household based on local conditions and family mindset and abilities. Then plan your “shelter in place plan” or “bug out plan” as would be appropriate for you and your household.
Once you’re prepared for those, you still need to work on your financial preparedness and spiritual preparedness. And I’d always say that spiritual preparedness is the most important. Though the heavens and the earth pass away, you’ll still have to stand before your Maker some day.
Gramps
