SHTF Scenario: What’s Your Food Supply Situation?

by Cherie

Many are concerned that the U.S. government will mandate curfews or home quarantines should an Ebola pandemic become widespread here in the States. Others believe that World War III is right around the corner as well as the potential for martial law and natural disasters.

Prepare Well In Advance

Commercial trucks deliver 10 billion tons of food and other commodities to stores annually, accounting for 70 percent of all transported freight in the U.S., according to the American Trucking Association. Food shortage at supermarkets would develop within 24 hours of any sort of restricted movement of trucks. Panicked people would exacerbate the situation by hoarding what is available.

The time is now to start building your emergency food supply. Most of it should consist of items that do not require a fuel source to prepare. Crackers, granola, nuts, pretzel, jerky and anything canned should be at the top of the list. Costco and Sam’s Club carry 50 and 100 pound bags of rice and pinto beans. Uncooked white rice has a shelf life upward of five years, while dried beans will last indefinitely. Pasta is also a great food item for long-term storage.

Depression Cooking

Clara Cannucciari coined the phrase “depression cooking,” which is the name of her YouTube channel that has garnered million of views. She died in 2013 at the age of 98, but not before sharing her knowledge of depression-era cuisine she perfected as a young woman in the 1930s. One of her most interesting creations is called Dandelion Salad. It’s made with the greens (not the yellow flowers) of dandelion plants, which have more nutritional value than broccoli.

Learn to make hearty meals from the most basic of ingredients. Stock up on onions, garlic, olive oil, salt, and a variety of spices to add flavor to otherwise bland food. Red beans and rice is both filling and tasty with the right spice combination. Your pre-packaged foods will ultimately run out, so its best to start practicing your depression cooking now.

Natural Supplementation

Meat will be one of the first food items to run out, unless you continuously re-stock the supply. Beef will likely be out of the question in a SHTF scenario. But rabbits are not only abundant throughout most of the country, but also tasty when prepared correctly. The trick is to soak the gutted, skinned carcass in a solution of olive oil and salt overnight to get rid of the gamey taste. Raccoons are also tasty, again, if you prepare it right.

Stock up on .22 caliber ammo to ensure you’re able to hunt. Some states, such as North Carolina, allow year-round varmint hunting without a license so you can start practicing immediately. Big game like deer will require a hunter’s education course endorsed by the state to get a license.

Fishing is another way to get meat. Buy several jars of salmon eggs so you always have good bait for trout, steelheads, and even bluegill on occasion.

Aquaponics System

Those with a lot of space in a basement or spare room can consider learning about aquaponics. This method of cultivating fruits, vegetables and even indoor fish farms is a simulation of a natural ecosystem that can produce a perpetual supply of food.

Aquaponics is not something you’ll be able to learn from a paragraph in an article. Several colleges and private companies offer online courses on the subject. There are also pre-built aquaponic systems you can buy.

The longer you wait to commence preparation for doomsday, the lower your chances of survival will be. Once supermarkets are out of supplies, its too late. Start now.


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4 thoughts on “SHTF Scenario: What’s Your Food Supply Situation?”

  1. High on the list of preps (no matter what the cause of SHTF), should be water storage, filtration and ongoing procurement. If you are like most of us, all those stored cans of dehydrated or freeze dried foodstuffs are going to need water to prepare them. Make sure all in your house know that the “flush every time you go to the loo”, goes out the window. Figure in the needs of pets when you calculate water stores. Never drain and throw away the juice, water, sauce, etc., that canned foods are stored in. It is liquid and is a precious commodity in a survival situation. Canned beverages such a tomato juice, carbonated drinks, etc. are good to have on hand. While alcoholic beverages might be tempting, their final effect on the body is dehydration and that is the opposite of what we are attempting to accomplish in a difficult situation. Moderation in all things is a good slogan. Balance those long-term, #10 cans with enough liquid to make them edible and also store foods in cans that contain juices to be used for re-hydration if necessary. I don’t think there is such a thing as having too much water available, but food that must be re-hydrated must be balanced by some form of liquid to do you and your family any good. Think of how long your family could last if the water line into your house went dry? Try to plan accordingly. As we saw with Hurricane Sandy, if you wait on help from others, you may be waiting for a long time. Try to learn from the difficulties encountered in past disasters. Just because there is water, like in Katrina and Sandy, doesn’t mean it is potable.

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  2. There is a national shortage of commercial truck driver nation wide of about 700,000. I agree, the tine is now regardless of costs. What ever the price today, tomorrow will be more. Remember to that when supplies are low an demand is high $ get ugly. Also cash is king, then there is silver, gold and food barter. Scripture says “a days wage for a loaf of bread, but don’t spoil the olive”, meaning hard times are coming for most, but the wealthy will ok, another view is that since olive oil was life, then it would mean don’t waist precious food. In bible olive highly prized, today we know has multiple properties (cooking, medicinal) uses and like raw honey an infinite storage life.

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  3. Badger, you are so correct about a driver shortage. Having a degree in logistics, this has been going on for some years. Go look at employment ads and see the incentives they are giving just to sign on. Yes, you will be driving a lot, but you can bank some serious cash. Hindsight though is do you want to be away from your family as SHTF is so unpredictable.

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