This post is by Bernie Carr, apartmentprepper.com
As a preparedness writer, I occasionally find it necessary to tell everyone around me when it’s time to stock up. You may remember the peanut butter shortage a few years ago – I told my parents, cousins, in-laws and of course my readers to stock up on peanut butter. Everyone was grateful I told them to buy ahead, as they weathered the price spike.
California got a little bit of a respite from the recent El Nino rains, but the drought is not over yet. The long drought has caused crops to fail, animal herds to be thinned out, resulting in increased prices at the grocery stores. A couple of years ago, the Texas caused an increase in beef prices. The avian flu is another big factor in in high food prices – egg prices have skyrocketed.
Prices for fresh produce, canned fruit and vegetables, meats have continued to increase and show no signs for letting up. Increase your food storage now since prices are poised to get even higher. Here are some tips to cope:
- Buy canned fruits and vegetables, canned meats, etc.
- Buy locally grown food.
- If you do any canning or dehydrating, buy fresh produce that your family likes and process them now.
- Buy some heirloom seeds now, and start planning your spring garden. Even if you have never grown anything, try it this year – grow a few herbs in your balcony.
- Buy in season.
- Learn to make snacks from dehydrated fruit
- Compare prices using the weekly grocery fliers and stock up on loss leaders.
- Learn to stretch your ingredients
- Take advantage of sales for dehydrated or freeze dried food. Ready Made Resources is having a Mountain House Sale
- Learn to repackage food for long term storage.
- If you keep wine for storage or barter it wouldn’t hurt to stock up on a few extra bottles.
- Buy in bulk and split the cost and items with friends or family.
- Learn which foods have a very long shelf life and can last indefinitely.
I don’t believe in alarming people, nor do I talk doom and gloom but I do believe in being prepared for various scenarios. Being prepared means anticipating events, and it doesn’t take a huge stretch of the imagination to know that bad weather, drought, or shortages in any of the country’s food producers spells trouble for everyone.
© Apartment Prepper 2016
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Garden, garden and garden some more. I know I am a little biased when it comes to gardening, but the best locally grown food is the food from your own backyard. There are plenty of fruits and veggies that you can grow in containers on a balcony.