Tracking the next pandemic: Avian Flu Talk |
March Prepping |
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Penham
Chief Moderator Moderator Joined: February 09 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 14913 |
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Posted: March 02 2015 at 10:54am |
It's March and I am not a happy camper, lol. We are supposed to be having the beginnings of spring, but we have had 3 days of snow and cold weather. It's supposed to snow again Wednesday too. I do not like cold weather, I do not like winter, lol.
One of my goals for the new year was to get rid of things that I do not need. So I have been cleaning out closets and sorting through things and selling things on our local Facebook online garage sale board. In January I made over $500, in February I made $200. I think it is awesome I have been getting rid of things I don't need, making room for things I do need AND making money. I really do not have any prepping plans except to continue to do what I am doing. When it gets a bit warmer I will be buying and planting my fruit trees. Will continue to pick up any items that are on sale/bargains that type thing. |
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Satori
Valued Member Joined: June 03 2013 Status: Offline Points: 28655 |
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don't forget Fluffy and Fido in your preps (also covers farm type animals as well) Where There is No Animal Doctor |
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Penham, I am with you about the cleaning out! In the past 2 years I have cleaned out my family room level, my kitchen, living/dining room level. I did remodeling and that helps. I need to do my bedroom level and basement levels this summer. It feels great to get rid of unnecessary stuff.
I am getting my landscaping in my front and back yards done this summer and making stable areas for my wood holders. I will be able to hold 5 full cords of wood on my suburban small lot. I believe we may be getting colder and going into a mini ice age due to volcanoes and the sun being calmer. I am going to get extra bricks for my fireplace insert just in case I need them. Inventory is another thing I need to do. |
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KiwiMum
Chief Moderator Joined: May 29 2013 Status: Offline Points: 29680 |
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Flumom, my husband gave me a great book for Christmas a couple of years ago about edible landscaping. The concept is great. You end up with a decorative, attractive garden that can also feed you.
He visited an elderly Chinese couple who lived in central Christchurch on the banks of the Avon before the earthquakes, and they had the most beautiful garden full of trees, bushes and ground cover. It was really decorative and well laid out, and every thing in it was edible except the roses, which were there because they loved them. Even the paths were lined on both sides by strawberry plants. My husband is a horticulturalist and it took him a few minutes to realise what they had done. He said that certainly most people wouldn't recognise that garden as being entirely edible. Very clever. I'm about to put in a decorative low hedge around part of our new garden and I'm using Myrtus ugni, also known as the Chilean guava or NZ cranberry. It's a 3ft high small leaved evergreen with nice shiny leaves that grows delicious red berries on it in late summer. No one would even suspect the berries are edible.
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Good idea but birds here eat strawberries off the plants...I know I had some plants and they were picked clean even when I covered them with netting. The squirrels got under the net and ate all of them. Now I have rabbits because we now have no foxes because of the coyotes!!!
I am trying to eliminate bushes and trees that drop fruit. I want to stay in my house as long as I can and not have tons of yard work. You guys are starting out in life with your kids and husband. My husband is gone and my son will be on his own soon. I will have to maintain my house and yard on my own and I am in my mid 60's and I have lost much of my love of growing since my husband died. Things are just not the same. I have let my garden go fallow last year and this year. It is covered with newsprint paper (no ink on it) and weed netting. I am trying to kill all the weeds especially bind weed...nasty stuff. I am reducing my garden for the same reasons above, plus I don't use much of what I grow anymore. I have tons of dried tomatoes in my freezer along with lots of herbs. I love the idea but have lost the will to do all the work necessary to have fruit dropping trees and bushes. I have two crabapple trees that have been frozen out the past two years. If the buds don't get frozen this spring I will make lots of crabapple jelly. Thanks for the suggestion it is a good one. |
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KiwiMum
Chief Moderator Joined: May 29 2013 Status: Offline Points: 29680 |
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Pity you're not closer to me as I have a crab apple tree fit for busting with fruit and I'm not going to make any jelly this year as I made tons last year and we've still got loads left. I'm just about to look up crab apple wine, if there is such a thing.
I'm sorry you've lost the will to grow stuff. It's certainly alot of work and if there's no one around to share it with it would be a bit demoralizing. There's an old lady near me (in her 80's) who is a retired farmer. She has four amazing huge blackcurrant bushes and she has the time and inclination to pick and clean the fruit. We've come to an arrangement that she gives me 4 large ice cream tubs full of blackcurrants and I give her 3 nice pork roasting joints each large enough for a roast meal for her and her husband, plus a cold meal the next day. It suits us both very well.
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KiwiMum, wine sounds good I will google it and I bet there is a way! I work at a school from August - May and at 65 I am pooped keeping up with the kids and all the stuff I run at the school. I may plant some bushes when I quit working but at this time no go.
I want to work until I can't...being home alone all day 365 is not my idea of fun. When I quit I will get into the garden more! |
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Here are places for Crabapple Wine!
http://www.countryfarm-lifestyles.com/how-to-make-wine.html#.VPuuuWdTHIU http://foragedfoods.co.uk/crab-apple-wine-recipe/ http://www.wine-making-guides.com/crab_apple_wine.html If you make wine tell me how it turns out. I wonder if you can reuse wine bottles? |
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Yep start saving those used wine bottles...just have to clean them really well and sanitize. I will now clean them really well and save them. I am going to get some wine boxes from the liquor store to put them into and save.
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KiwiMum
Chief Moderator Joined: May 29 2013 Status: Offline Points: 29680 |
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I always reuse wine bottles. I have loads that I have removed the label from and I keep stored in the shed ready to go. You can also reuse the screw tops but just keep the right top with the right bottle or else they don't fit well and if making sparkling wine like Elderflower Champagne, the end product just isn't sparkling.
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Those who got it wrong, for whatever reason, may feel defensive and retrench into a position that doesn’t accord with the facts.
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arirish
Admin Group Joined: June 19 2013 Location: Arkansas Status: Offline Points: 39215 |
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FluMom- Our local home brew store carries wine supplies as well as beer brewing supplies. We recently purchased 100 corks (you can get real cork or plastic) and a bottle corker for under $50.00. You can also buy Hydrometers, bottle cleaning equipment and chemicals, filters and racking equipment. My wife makes a very pleasant pear wine and when we have enough strawberries she makes an excellent strawberry wine!
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Buy more ammo!
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Satori
Valued Member Joined: June 03 2013 Status: Offline Points: 28655 |
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First Trades after Collapse |
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arirish
Admin Group Joined: June 19 2013 Location: Arkansas Status: Offline Points: 39215 |
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I've never added a JPG before so forgive me if this is messed up!
I finished my can rotation rack this weekend and hung it in my pantry. It loads from the top and feeds from the bottom. It holds close to 100 cans. I'll have to modify it a little because I had not realized that soup cans had gone from 14.5 ozs. to 10.5 ozs. |
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Buy more ammo!
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Johnray1
Valued Member Joined: April 23 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 8159 |
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Where do I buy one of these dispensers.?Johnray1
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Satori
Valued Member Joined: June 03 2013 Status: Offline Points: 28655 |
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a few ideas http://www.thrivelife.com/food-rotation-systems I've got a couple of the Harvest models go big or don't go at all |
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arirish
Admin Group Joined: June 19 2013 Location: Arkansas Status: Offline Points: 39215 |
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Johnray1- I built mine, mostly out of scrap lumber. There's a very good video on how to build them on youtube! I bought the trim at Lowes for about $15, the rest was just lumber I had left over after building our house.
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Buy more ammo!
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Jen147
Moderator Joined: March 23 2013 Status: Offline Points: 17144 |
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I've seen that video on youtube, it is very thorough.
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hachiban08
Senior Moderator Joined: December 06 2007 Location: California, USA Status: Offline Points: 15627 |
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I just bought a Kindle book (which I plan to take notes on and put in a binder - it was 9$ cheaper as a Kindle book) for Medicinal Herbs. It'll be useful for when I start to build my herb garden on my balcony or patio when I move. I hope I live somewhere with a private balcony. That'd be the best. I say that considering where I live now is a shared balcony, and a woman in the other building has had people stealing things off of her herb garden. Other things I have got are high calorie cat supplements for my pet preps. A little bit goes a long way and it was bogo 50%. Also doing rotation.
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Be prepared! It may be time....^_^v
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KiwiMum
Chief Moderator Joined: May 29 2013 Status: Offline Points: 29680 |
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Airish, I love that dispenser. I'm going to look at putting one or two in my new pantry when we finish it. I struggle with rotation just by being lazy and grabbing the first tin I come to. This would definitely solve that issue.
I saw one of these in a book (an American book from the 70's) that showed a cupboard door in the garage, and you unloaded your shopping directly into long sloped rolling shelves (not vertical like your ones). I guess the unit was about 3 feet deep and carried hundreds of cans. We're not having an attached garage, but if we were and designing from new I would definitely consider something like that.
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Those who got it wrong, for whatever reason, may feel defensive and retrench into a position that doesn’t accord with the facts.
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There is something I have to say for many of us who do not have many can goods. I do not have more than maybe 15 can goods at my house now that I am basically alone and do not keep can goods.
I have a suggestion for those who are like me. I have put in individual packs of freeze dry Mountain House meals. I have done this in case there is a few days of electric out or water out. I keep plenty of bottle water around at least 25 gallons so that I can rehydrate in an emergency. Freeze dry packets like this keep for years unlike can goods. I just have to thrown out some can goods that were 2-3 years out of date. Better safe than sorry. I have eaten soup that is 2-3 years out of date did not get sick but the flavor was really not very good. So for us "single" people that do not use can goods freeze dry is a great alternative. |
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coyote
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Hi gang..Dont throw away your outdated can foods. I have read this many times that canned foods can last forever. There is a article somewhere on this website about this. .
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jacksdad
Executive Admin Joined: September 08 2007 Location: San Diego Status: Offline Points: 47251 |
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One thing I would add to that, coyote - I opened some cans of fruit that were past the expiration date and the plastic lining inside the can had started to degrade. Also had canned sauces containing tomatoes taste a little "off" after a couple of years. Acid foods, perhaps? Not seen issues with other foods though, so I agree - don't toss them out based solely on the expiration date.
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"Buy it cheap. Stack it deep"
"Any community that fails to prepare, with the expectation that the federal government will come to the rescue, will be tragically wrong." Michael Leavitt, HHS Secretary. |
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Johnray1
Valued Member Joined: April 23 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 8159 |
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jacksdad,I can add a little also. First of all of the fruits that I have had stored for very a long time have someway eaten or corroded through their cans and they were all empty from leaking out.But in another instance,I have some cans of treet that have been flooded several times in my basement. When my basement floods,it only floods 4" or 5",just enough to ruin everything setting on the floor. But I found a can of treet the other that had been through several floods and it was filthy and and I have no idea how old it was, I was going to throw it away,but I decided to open it first just to see how bad it stunk and what it looked like.I was very surprised.It was not rotten and it did not stink. My wife refused to eat it because she had seen the can,but me and my dog had treet sandwiches for supper that evening and the treet tasted as good as treet ever taste.Neither one of us got sick or died. So do not throw the treet away.Johnray1
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I think if TSHTF I would eat old can stuff except when the can squirts out contents. That is a very bad sign. I just think if you have a lot of out of date cans you are buying things you do not eat on a regular basis. That is not cost effective. If you rotate and it goes before the "expiration" date that is fine.
However, if you don't use cans consider my method of using freeze dry package meals. The meals contain the vegies, noodles or rice, meat and a sauce. There are a lot of us single people, a lot of people in small apartments, and people who are like me and don't use can goods. Freeze dry meals are light and can be stored in the upper corners of closets and last for years. Always remember you must have water to rehydrate! But we all know we should have plenty of short term water and a way to make potable water over the long term. |
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KiwiMum
Chief Moderator Joined: May 29 2013 Status: Offline Points: 29680 |
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Have you guys seen those instant meals that you can make up for yourself in advance in jars? All you do is add water to rehydrate. I've looked at a couple of American books online (probably on Amazon) all about those meals in jars. I love the idea. I particularly like the idea because you know exactly what's going into them.
I haven't made any myself because I couldn't find the ingredients here in NZ. In particular you need cheese powder and all sorts of dehydrated meats and vegetables and other than corn, peas and carrots, I couldn't find what I needed. But if you are in America, I'd have thought it would be really worth looking into.
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Those who got it wrong, for whatever reason, may feel defensive and retrench into a position that doesn’t accord with the facts.
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Technophobe
Assistant Admin Joined: January 16 2014 Location: Scotland Status: Offline Points: 88450 |
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Tin cans literally last for decades! Back in childhood my hubby ate cans from a cache 50 years old. I am very glad to report, he is still here. (Military caches of chopped runner beans, anchovies, corned beef, and a few other items which were stored 3 foot underground in concrete structures like small square rooms. When opened they were found, dated by a military document, as having been buried in 1939. these were eaten in 1976. The person that ate them, I assure you, is perfectly well, as is his ex wife who also ate them. There was no sign of deterioration in the tins or contents at all. I would love to know how many other caches like this remain undiscovered in British farmland.)
There are rules however: Damaged tins, especially at the rim, can only be treated as fresh food from the moment of damage, any tin which has expanded should be disposed of without even opening and if there is a gush of "air" upon opening stop and throw that one away too (unless it is vaccum sealed). Food remains edible even in "spotty" tins but there is a risk here: It is obvious if the food inside has spoiled, whereupon the bin is the only benefactor again. If, however, the food passes this test then re cook it before eating - if it has been contaminated by botulinus bacteria, it will look fine, but be deadly. Re cooking destroys this toxin and you can still eat it safely. I have a friend who stores tinned food for a rainy day. He buries his in lidded buckets filled with cooking oil. This stops the tins rusting and gives both an additional calorie source and an emergency fuel too. It wrecks the labels though, so cooking becomes quite an adventurous affair.
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How do you tell if a politician is lying?
His lips or pen are moving. |
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Jen147
Moderator Joined: March 23 2013 Status: Offline Points: 17144 |
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What does "spotty" mean, lol. I'm taking notes people.
In the beginning when I first started prepping I put back any & everything... then after a year or two it dawned on me... why am I storing all this canned food that we don't eat on a regular basis (or ever) just for it to expire. So I try not to do that anymore... I try to buy only what we use regularly and rotate stock, of course there are a few exceptions.
I would like to add some freeze dried items as well, that's a good idea.
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Technophobe
Assistant Admin Joined: January 16 2014 Location: Scotland Status: Offline Points: 88450 |
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How do you tell if a politician is lying?
His lips or pen are moving. |
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Jen147
Moderator Joined: March 23 2013 Status: Offline Points: 17144 |
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Ok Thanks.
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hachiban08
Senior Moderator Joined: December 06 2007 Location: California, USA Status: Offline Points: 15627 |
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19 Fresh and Easy stores are closing in Southern CA. 50% off most things. It's a mad house in here and all the water is gone.
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Be prepared! It may be time....^_^v
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Satori
Valued Member Joined: June 03 2013 Status: Offline Points: 28655 |
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in any kind of SHTF situation it all boils down to the basics first food and water Survival in Venezuela: The constant struggle of finding Food http://ferfal.blogspot.com/2015/03/survival-in-venezuela-constant-struggle.html |
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