Letter Re: The Least Expensive Way to Stock Up on Storage Food?

Sir,
In regards to TJD, “Somewhere in Kansas” lamenting that he is in the middle of nowhere and can’t easily stock up on food, I must say I find his worries a bit hard to understand.

In the Bible, Joseph stored up seven years of harvests to prepare for seven years of famine. Those stores were made up of grain crops. That is how Egypt made it through a great famine and gained great wealth by selling their grain at high rates to nations that did not prepare.

Being from North Dakota, I know that the title for greatest wheat producer in the USA bounces back and forth between Kansas and North Dakota. He is in one of the most bountiful food producing regions in the world. He could probably travel to any small town grain elevator within 5-15 miles and fill up all his white 5 gallon pails with various grains (wheat, oats, corn, etc). Between bread and sprouting seeds, there’s plenty of energy and nutritional content in wheat and other grain crops. It doesn’t seem like he should have a hard time finding food. It is the crops grown in his state, perhaps not far from his location, that currently keeps America fed.

I think it is a testament to our modern society and the dependent and helpless nature of the people, that most people think food comes processed and prepared from the grocery store, and have no idea where it comes from. If a starving family in a big city was given a few bushels of grain, they’d probably look incredulously at their benefactor, leave the grain to spoil in the elements and continue their search for whatever scraps of prepared/processed food they could find. A pretty ridiculous situation but I don’t think it’s too far from the truth.

I think it was old time survival writer Mel Tappan who said if you want to store food cheaply and quickly, you can buy salt, grains and beans, and various vitamin tablets. You may miss some of the variety that you are accustomed to at the grocery store, but you won’t starve or develop nutritional deficiency diseases such as scurvy, goiter, etc.

TJD might want to look into storing bulk grain at elevator prices, and add desired variety with some of the bulk foods he can obtain at Sam’s Club such as rice, bulk condiments (ketchup, mustard, salsa, mayo), canned foods and some frozen foods. I think frozen foods have a place in preps as they can be eaten in the first weeks or months of an emergency situation, while families get their bearings and figure out how they are going to ration their long term food and prepare for the next growing season. – M. “Somewhere in ND”

Letter Re: Market Observations From The Trader Blog

Mr. Rawles –
Thank you for your recent mention of my site, TheTraderBlog.com. I am a former Lehman Brothers employee, I worked in New York City on the FX trading desk, but left in 2002, so I am glad to have missed all the recent excitement. I publish my blog in an effort to help me reason through my personal trading strategies, and also like to share my opinion about the markets and related events in general. I have not yet figured out how to make any money off of the site, so for now it is just a great hobby for me. I currently work in an unrelated field, so I have left my information anonymous on the site so as to not risk anything with my current employer.

I have become a regular visitor to your site since August, and coincidentally I have just finished your novel “Patriots” – and frankly I am scared to death about recent developments. In addition to the scenario you laid out, I have also just finished The Fourth Turning by William Strauss and Neil Howe, which describes the potential for an upcoming crisis – right about now – through 2025. Written in 1997, it is also very chilling. So, in addition to my own work and analysis of the markets (I see the DJIA going to the 6000 level over the coming two quarters), the confluence of all these sources really makes me ramp up my preparedness. It is like connecting the dots, and I have just come to a very clear picture. I feel as if I found your site a bit late, and am behind the curve. But better late than never. And thanks to the suggestions in your CD [that is included with your “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course,] I now have my wife on board! Thank you! Great stuff.

What just happened in Iceland is a microcosm of what can (will?) happen here in the U.S., if in fact the U.S. Treasury bubble does implode. I think a government debt default, USD devaluation and hyperinflation are very probable events into 2009 – 2010. Just how is the [US] Treasury going to finance an additional $2-to-3 trillion in 2009? As always I appreciate the information you publish. Best Regards, – Editor, The Trader Blog

Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader Mark A. wrote us to mention that he had found this web site that houses “more information then in one spot then I have seen anywhere else. The site is maintained to provide Third World countries information on farming and sustainability. All their information is free to download. Note, however that their ZIP files are very, very large. There are 4,000 titles, totaling 13 gigabytes.”

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In a recent e-mail, The Chartist Gnome mentioned two things about the precious metals market that confirm my observations: 1.) The COMEX spot prices now have no correlation with “real world” prices of bullion coins and small, serialized bars. “The ‘real world’ price for silver is more than twice the COMEX price, that is IF you can find any coins for sale, James.”. 2.) The recent slump in precious metals prices looks worse from your American perspective. “Your viewpoint is askew because the US Dollar is gaining so rapidly against so many other currencies, which are becoming Toilettenpapier. (The US dollar has no inherent strength–just perceived relative strength, in a time of crisis. It will eventually be toilet paper, too.) Take a look at the charts at BullionVault.com. The one year Gold in USD chart looks gloomy, but the Gold in Pounds Sterling chart doesn’t look bad at all. Hang in there with your metals holdings, and even acquire more, on dips. When the Dollar charges into double digit inflation, you’ll be joyous that you did.” OBTW, as further confirmation that inflation is indeed ahead, see this piece by Steve Saville: Inflation Watch.

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David V. flagged this Bloomberg article: Greenspan Slept as Off-Balance-Sheet Toxic Debt Evaded Scrutiny

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Another batch of cheer from our Economic Editor: “Harsh Storm” Threatens Global Economy As US GDP Shrinks — Will Gold And Silver Futures Default? — Goldman Sachs Ready To Hand Out 7 Billion Pound Salary and Bonus Package After Its 6 Billion Pound Bailout — Russian Stock Market Up 18% On The Day — AMEX To Chop 7,000 Jobs — The Quoted Spot Price of Gold is ‘A Lie’ — Loans? Did We Say We’d Do Loans? — Trade Suffers As Banks Curtail Loans — Gold Coins Now Getting a 50% Premium — Fed Interest Rate Cut May End Up Making Matters Worse — House of Credit Cards About to Crash — Next Bailout Battle Rages In DC

Letter Re: The Least Expensive Way to Stock Up on Storage Food?

Mr Editor,
I’m a newcomer to your site. Last week, I followed a link from a news story that mentioned SurvivalBlog, and instantly found my favorite blog. I’ve been burning the midnight oil for the last few nights, going back through your archives. What amazing stuff! Thank you for sharing so much wisdom on preparedness and for so unselfishly putting out there free for the taking. (Oh, yeah, I should also say that you can count me in on a [voluntary] 10 Cent Challenge [subscription].Three bucks a month is a total bargain, in relation to what I’ve already gotten out of it, and will get out the blog in the future.) At the rate that I’m printing things out for my “Survival” binder, I’m gonna have to get a new inkjet cartridge! I can’t thank you enough for SurvivalBlog!

So now that I’ve come to recognize that I’m so pitifully under-prepared, where do I start? I want to buy some [storage] food, but I don’t live anywhere near any of the [storage food] companies. I tried your advertisers first, and then did web searches. None within 700 miles! (That is what I get for living in middle-of-nowhere Kansas. The only good news is that your “Golden Horde” won’t be anywhere near my house.) I’m afraid [that if I order from a distant vendor] the freight charges will make stocking up very expensive. So my question is: What is the least expensive way to stock up on food, by myself? There is a Sam’s Club only 80 miles away. (Which is considered “close” by people around here. LOL!) Will food that I buy in a warehouse store work for long term storage? Can I re-pack the pasta and other things that aren’t in cans? Speaking of that, I followed your advice and started gathering up five gallon [food grade] buckets from the local bakeries. You were right. They do just throw them away! But a few that I got are missing their lids, though.

Is there a good book that you can recommend on food storage for someone like me that is on a budget and wants to “do it myself”, but not go so far as “grow it myself.”?

Thanks in advance for your advice! – TJD, “Somewhere in Kansas”

JWR Replies: I may be biased, but I recommend the “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course as a good reference on food storage.

For any buckets that you acquire that are missing lids, I recommend that you buy Gamma Seal Lids. These have threaded lid tops, making them very convenient for accessing the storage foods that you use the most frequently. Gamma Seal lids fit standard 5 or 6 gallon buckets, and they seem to last forever. (We’ve been using some of our lids on a daily basis for 20+ years.) In addition to our storage food, we also use them on buckets used for poultry feed, wild bird seed, and dog food. They are available from Safecastle, Ready Made Resources, Nitro-Pak and several other vendors. BTW, many of these same vendors sell a “lid lifter” tool, which is very helpful in prying open sealed buckets that are not equipped with Gamma Seals.

Stocking up on bulk foods at a warehouse-type store (such as Sam’s Club or Costco) is indeed a good idea. I describe exactly what you can and should buy at your local “big box” store, in the “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course. In fact, the main narrative of the course was transcribed from a digital audio recording that publisher Jake Stafford made, as we spent the better part of a day at a Costco store. So you’ll find the course is a great match for your plan to stock up at a Sam’s Club. (The inventories at stores from both chains are quite similar.)

Letter Re: Prisons and Other Institutions Amidst a Societal Collapse?

James:
I live in a rural area in Wyoming. My husband, our children and I are lucky to have been raised in the area. We have access to thousands of family owned acreage to hunt, fish and garden on. Because we live in a rural area (at lease ninety miles in any direction from any large community) we are among the few that still have skills handed down to us that will allow us to be self sufficient. I have only recently found your blog and have enjoyed all of what I have read here. I agree wholeheartedly that our society is not even remotely close to the one that existed in 1930. Many people are naive to believe that if we faced even a long term recession let alone a true depression or societal collapse that things would be similar to what is found in historical texts.

I understand all too well that protection is important as I work with criminals on a daily basis, at a minimum security prison. Although it is a minimum security prison it houses inmates who have committed crimes that run the gamut. There are murders, rapists, burglars, you name it; housed behind only an industrial chain link fence. My question is in a time of societal collapse or WTSHTF what would happen (most likely scenario) with institutions run by the government. My biggest concern at this point is protecting my family from those that would take whatever they wish without thought. Thank you in advance for your response. – CL

JWR Replies: In circumstances where the power grids remain functional, prisons will probably not be much of a local threat. In fact, it will be relatives that are visiting the prisons that will be more of a threat than the inmates themselves. But if the grids go down for more than a week, then all bets are off. My prediction for prisons in the event of a worst case grid-down collapse are summed up in my novel “Patriots: Surviving the Coming Collapse”. Here is brief quote:

Electricity also proved to be the undoing of prisons all over America. For a while, officials maintained order in the prisons. Then the fuel for the back-up generators ran out. Prison officials had never anticipated a power outage that would last more than two weeks. Without power, security cameras did not function, lights did not operate, and electrically operated doors jammed. As the power went out, prison riots soon followed.

Prison officials hastened to secure their institutions. Under “lock down” conditions, most inmates were confined to their cells, with only a few let out to cook and deliver meals in the cell blocks. At many prisons the guard forces could not gain control of the prison population, and there were mass escapes. At several others, guards realized that the overall situation was not going to improve, and they took the initiative to do something about it. They walked from cell to cell, shooting convicts. Scores of other prisoners died at the hands of fellow convicts. Many more died in their cells due to other causes; mainly dehydration, starvation, and smoke inhalation.

Despite the best efforts of prison officials, 80 percent of the country’s more than 1,500,000 state and federal prisoners escaped. A small fraction of the escaped prisoners were shot on sight by civilians. Those that survived quickly shed their prison garb and found their way into the vicious wolf packs that soon roamed the countryside.

But keep in mind that there is only a slim chance of a grid-down societal collapse. In a less severe recession or depression, having a large prison or mental hospital in your county might be a good thing. We may find that in an era of mass corporate layoffs, having a large and stable government-funded payroll might give some communities an advantage.

Letter Re: Anti-Hoarding Law of World War I as a Precedent for Future Laws?

Hello,
Thanks for all the helpful information in SurvivalBlog.

Regarding the reader who wrote in about the prospect of food hoarding laws; there have indeed been times where private U.S. citizens were forced to give up “unreasonable” stores of provisions, thus setting a possible precedent. For example: In 1918, Herbert Hoover (who would later be a US president), then working as head of the Food Administration, saw to it that a retired Navy doctor and his wife were charged for having about a year’s worth of foodstuffs in their home. (The law stated that more than thirty day supply was illegal.) Sadly, the couple’s goods were only found out when they read about the hoarding law and tried to comply, by giving their excess flour to a grocer to dispense to local charities.
Here is a link to the archived New York Times article reporting the incident. Best, – Mrs. Young

Odds ‘n Sods:

Larry in Cincinnati spotted a link over at the excellent Urban Survival blog to a classic book in the public domain: Handy Farm Devices & How To Make Them. (BTW, there are lots of other free references available at the Journey to Forever site.)

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Adrian mentioned an article over at The Trader Blog with some observation on Iceland’s economic turmoil and potential for hyperinflation: What Happens After A Country Implodes? Also, don’t miss this very recent piece by the same blog author: “We are approaching the apogee of the Treasury bubble”

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Ready Made Resources just added Three Tray Stackable Sprout Garden sets to their catalog. Every prepared family should practice sprouting. Sprouts are an important part of your survival food supply, providing crucial vitamins and minerals, even after your stored vitamin tablets have run out. Sprouting is also a healthy way to eat, in the present day.

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Cheryl’s latest gleanings: Stocks End Mixed In Late Slide After Fed Rate Cut — US Motor Industry: The Great Breakdown — Ukraine On Brink Of Financial Collapse — Bailouts Continue; China Takes Aggressive Action On Economy — Mints Struggle To Meet Metals Demand — Top Theorists Examine Rippling Economic Turbulence — Hungarian Currency Collapses — US Consumers Stop Spending — Banking Misery Engulfs Japan — China Cuts Interest Rates Again — Credit Losses Far Exceed Bailout Injections — Putin Suggests Russia, China Ditch Dollar — IMF ‘Has Six Days To Save Pakistan’

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Fed cuts key interest rate half-point to 1 percent. Artificially lower interest rates didn’t work for Japan, and it won’t work any better for the US. Ben Bernanke and Company have now painted themselves into a corner.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

A clown is funny in the circus ring, but what would be the normal reaction to opening a door at midnight and finding the same clown standing there in the moonlight?" – Lon Chaney, Sr.

Note from JWR:

Michael Panzner, the editor of the widely-read Financial Armageddon blog (and the the author of the book of the same name) recently quoted SurvivalBlog in this piece: Worse This Time. Take a look through Panzner’s archives. You’ll see that he has his head on straight.

Three Letters Re: Family Food Security for a Recession or Depression

Sir,

I have been checking a few other sites this morning that I frequent, and while at the Viking Preparedness Forum, I was checking the food and water storage board and came across these canned food shelves. It is a good set of shelves, making the best use of space, and allowing them automatic stock rotation.

We live in a house with a monolithic slab foundation, and the footprint, does not give us a great deal of room to work with, but I think that we can do something similar ourselves.
I liked the way that they were set against the wall, and took up very little space. I also liked the fact that they had extra space above for expanding the shelves a bit more.

Just thought that it was an all around good idea, and one that some of your readers might be able to make good use of also.

BTW, I also found these related web pages. Hope that they help.

How to Make a Self-Rotating Food Storage for Canned Goods

Food Storage Shelves, Food Storage Racks & Food storage shelving Accessories

CanRacks.com

FIFO Storage Can Rack – Canned Food Rack – Improvements Catalog

As always, may God bless you and yours in everything you do. – Dim Tim

 

Dear Mr. Rawles:
I read your blog frequently and enjoy the information you publish. It helps keep me informed and challenged.

However, lately I’ve been wondering about some of the provisions of Martial Law and Executive Orders that have been signed by past presidents.

In the event of a declaration of Martial Law, can the Federal Government go-door-to-door and confiscate food that citizens have stored for their own use? It is my understanding that farms, equipment and food can be confiscated so that it can then be controlled/distributed to the people who do not have any food.

There are anti-hoarding laws on the books in some states, but I don’t know all the details. FEMA guidelines advise people to have a short-term supply of food on hand for emergencies. But in the event of martial law, how much food is one family allowed to store? If a family has made the effort to store a year or more of food, will they be allowed to keep it or will it be confiscated?

Bottom line: Why bother purchasing dehydrated or freeze-dried food for long-term storage if it will end up being confiscated by the Government to give to someone else? Is it futile to do so or should one be prudent and go forward with plans for long-term food storage? – Joan X.

JWR Replies: There is indeed a slim but nonetheless real threat of storage food confiscation in the U.S. It is one of the many reasons why I emphasize OPSEC in my blog. If you are concerned about the prospect of martial law, then I recommend that you buy the majority of your storage food with cash, without generating a paper trail. You should go pick it up in person. OBTW, there are food storage vendors that advertise in my blog that are located in several regions around the country (within reasonable driving distance for perhaps 80% of he SurvivalBlog readership in the US), and many of these are “Mom and Pop” operations that will make cash sales. With these small vendors, you don’t even need to mention your name.

While keeping circumspect is important, don’t become so preoccupied with secrecy that you cease being charitable. The two goals need not be mutually exclusive. You can maintain OPSEC if you dispense charity through your local church . FerFAL (formerly SurvivalBlog’s volunteer correspondent in Argentina) had some interesting comments in a recent blog post at his personal blog “Surviving in Argentina”. He posited that dispensing charity face to face with desperate poor people can be both risky and troubling. While I don’t agree with all that FerFAL wrote, I can see the wisdom of keeping a low profile to avoid being “marked” by freeloaders. My advice: Give, and give generously (both now and in turbulent times), but be prepared give at arm’s length. I recommend that you make arrangements in advance with your church elders to act as intermediaries for post-WTSHTF charity. Be sure to get their promise to maintain your anonymity. My personal philosophy is to give until it hurts.

Good Morning,
I have been reading for a couple years and I’m a 10 Cent Challenge subscriber. I have just purchased a quantity of five gallon food grade buckets and wonder if there would be any benefit to storing in vacuum sealable one gallon size bags, as opposed to the five gal metal lined bag using the dry ice and O2 absorber method? Thanks for your ministry. I have learned so very much. Also I just the purchased the “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course taking advantage of the pre-election discount, thanks. Sincerely, – John V

JWR Replies: There is indeed some utility in vacuum packing, as you described. It is, however, much more labor intensive. With most bulk foods the shelf life that you would gain with vacuum packing (versus CO2 packing) is not that great. It can also be a mess, especially with flour and other powders. In essence, the marginally longer storage longevity does does not justify the extra time or material required. The only notable exception is for foods that have a high oil or butterfat content, such as brown rice. It would also be worth doing with powdered milk, if it were not such a mess. In that case, my advice is to store only nonfat powdered milk, to reduce the risk of rancidity. (Since it is the butterfat content of regular powdered milk that contributes the most to rancidity.)

I describe a simple “do-it-yourself” CO2 packing method in the “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course. With this method, a family can pack several hundred pounds of wheat, rice, or beans in just one evening.

Two Letters Re: Mr. Romeo’s Retreat Owner Profile

Dear Mr. Rawles,

I read Mr. Romeo’s retreat plans, and I would like to add a couple of things to his preparations list. The one glaring omission I see in his list is a lack of HF communications gear. VHF radios are line of sight communications, which is great if you’re planning on staying within range of the coast. If he plans on heading out to deeper waters though, HF gear becomes a lifeline to Pacific maritime nets, weather information, and other useful resources. Even if he doesn’t plan on transmitting, an HF receiver would allow him to listen to shortwave broadcasts. Radio Australia and Radio New Zealand broadcast to the Pacific almost around the clock, as well as other world services. I would think he could even tune into a lot of American medium wave AM stations at night as these radio waves carry well over water.

I think his case might be one of the few where an upgrade to a .50 caliber [BMG] rifle might be warranted as well. If the coasts of East Africa are any guide, the high seas could be an extremely dangerous place to be after a major disruption. The 50 caliber would make his a vessel that most pirates wouldn’t want to bother with.

Just my $.02 worth, adjusted for inflation. Keep up the great work! – Tim in Baltimore

 

Hello,
Thanks for all you do: I read your recent advice to a mariner to buy several parachute flares if they are within his budget. At ~$70 USD per flare that’s a bit steep when compared to buying a east-bloc (mine’s Polish,) 26.5mm flare gun as seen here for $30. These flare guns are not considered deadly weapons by the BATFE, so there is no restriction on their shipment by mail.
Furthermore, a box of 10 Czech army surplus white parachute flares will run $40. [Although they don’t reach the same altitude and are not as bright as the ones that JWR suggested,] this would allow anyone to have 10 flares for the price of one. Multiple colors are also available. For full disclosure, I have no connection to the “Ammo to Go” company other than being a regular customer of theirs who is quite happy with the service and their prices, and I recommend them to friends. BTW, I recently got 20 rounds of AP ammo for my 8x57mm Mauser–something that is nearly impossible to find elsewhere!) Keep on rocking in the free world! – Eminence Frontman

JWR Adds: I also own a 26.5mm flare pistol, and recommend them. Mine is a Bundeswehr surplus P2A1, manufactured by Heckler und Koch (HK). I should also mention that there are chamber adapters made by several companies that allow US-standard 12 gauge nautical flares to be fired in 26.5mm flare pistols. One manufacturer of these adapters that I recommend is Tactical Innovations. And, BTW, the same company makes excellent milled aluminum 25-round magazines for Ruger 10/22 rimfire rifles. My family has extensively tested one of these magazines here at the Rawles Ranch and found that they are very reliable and trouble-free. It might be wise to order a few of these magazines before the upcoming election. Any new ban on full capacity magazines will sure cause prices to triple overnight.

Odds ‘n Sods:

KAF bookmarked this one for us: FuturePundit: Face Masks And Hand Sanitizers Slash Flu Risks

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From our Economic Editor comes another big batch of news and commentary: Gun Sales Thriving In Uncertain Times — Europe On Brink Of Currency Meltdown — Iceland: IMF Cash Not Enough — Current Volatility Hints At Next Crash — Financial Crisis: Latin America Hit Hard — Customer Panic And Bank Run In Kuwait — Dow Up Almost 900 Points, But No Sighs Of Relief — Iceland Raises Interest Rates To 18% — White House To Banks: Start Lending Now, Stop Hoarding — 80-Year History Of Brutal Gold Stock Corrections — Madness Rules! Insurers/Pensions Piling Into Derivatives — Wall Street Resumes Once-In-A-Lifetime Sucker Buying — IMF May ‘Print Money’ As Crisis Spreads — Pound In Free Fall, No Way To Stop It — First Banks, Then Firms, Now A Raft Of Countries Falter — Oz Dollar Drops 40% For No Reason — Bankruptcy Fears Rise As GM, Chrysler Seek Federal Aid — Russia Begins To Refuse Credit Cards In Worsening Global Crisis

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Reader Paul B. recommended this article: King Henry Paulson says: ‘Buy banks!’

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Writing in a recent issue of The Complete Investor, Dr. Stephen Leeb had this comment: “We know it sounds ridiculous to keep saying ‘Don’t worry, be happy,’ yet that really is your best course of action. Either the tidal wave of cash will find its way into the financial system, to the considerable benefit of our gold and energy holdings, or the mother of all depressions will result in the end of civilization as we know it, in which case the pessimists will suffer as much as the optimists. It’s that simple. So given those two stark choices, you may as well be an optimist. Stay positive now, and odds are you’ll be handsomely rewarded in the future. If we are right about inflation winning the battle, today’s $60 oil will seem like a joke 18 months from now — like a $10 suit or a $25 engagement ring. Prices of all commodities will soar, and the stocks in our Portfolio will give you returns higher than you can possibly imagine today. Gold especially will overshoot the moon. It’s the best investment you can make today.” (JWR Notes: I added the emphasis. Leeb publishes a paid newsletter, and it has been recommended to me by several SurvivalBlog readers.)

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SF in Hawaii suggested this reasonably-priced grinder: Northern Industrial Tools Meat Grinder With V-Belt Pulley. My only reluctance is: Are they made in mainland China? OBTW, whenever you order something from Northern Tool & Equipment, please use this link. As a SurvivalBlog Affiliate Advertiser, we’ll get a little piece of the action, but again only is you use this link.

Letter Re: Your Next Career in the New Economy

Dear SurvivalBloggers:

So, you’ve prepped and developed skills but what if you actually need to work through the depression? What if the depression lasts longer than your preps and the ‘new economy’ isn’t amenable to your current job which requires factories, computers and shipping etc?

You can either learn a useful trade like being:
A Veterinarian or Doctor, but there probably isn’t enough time to go to school for six years.
You can learn another useful skill like plumbing, welding, carpentry etc. But then you’re competing with other plumbers, welders, and carpenters.
Or, you can have some kind of cottage industry that uses locally-produced raw materials and creates needed products… Yes!
Is there a lot of grain growing where you are? Okay, how about being a miller.
Is there a lot of unpurified water where you are? Okay, how about a drinking water vendor?
Are there a lot of animals where you are? Okay, then become a tanner and or tailor.
If you can find something that has some skill set involved, good. Even better if there is some specific tool required to do the job that no one else has locally because the current economies of scale make it cheaper to have it done in bulk somewhere else. – SF in Hawaii