Hey!
Have you visited the ward preparedness internet pages? If not, you are missing out on some really good work by Rhonda Johnson. She is so good to do this and makes it sound like it is nothing. Thanks to her again! Here is how to get to it if you haven’t seen this access already: http://rupreparedgv3.blogspot.com there are things in the ‘Blog” that we don’t have room for in the insert.
Thanks to John, Marsha and son Tom Crofts for getting the garden ready and letting us use it. I think John shows more tan from the garden work than the trip to the Bahamas - Anyway, thanks to them.
Big thanks also to Blain Gubler for the powdered ‘sunshine’ that he spread liberally on the ground and then tilled it in the ward garden. All of these individuals have ‘built the house as if they were going to live in it themselves.’ In other words, gone the extra mile.
So, since the ward garden is ready, If you want to have a plot and you have not been contacted, call me today or? and we will go over and get you set up.
I would like to take a little more time on drying food in this insert. Today, just for illustration sake, I took celery weighing 17 ounces –just over a pound, and dried it. . What weighed 17 ounces now weighs 1 ounce and loosly piled, a little over a half cup of space! Twenty five pounds of apples dry to four pounds. Think of the advantages, low storage space, no fancy equipment (I save plastic screw top jars like containers for nuts, mayo and other foods) You can use zip lock but need to use the heavy duty freezer kind. Vacuum bagging is even better but I don’t have a bagger and even though good, not necessary. It might be good to add one of those little oxygen pouches that they sell at the Dry Pack Cannery especially if storing a large quantity in one container.
The point is, you don’t need elaborate equipment, there is not a big set up to do, there appears to be little loss in food quality or nutrition. In small gardens, you don’t usually get a lot of any one thing ripening at once, so this is great for that reason; if you have a comercial dryer, you can put in as many or few trays as you want then let it go. Drying is especially good for us here in the west as the air is dry, and warm and the food dries quickly. Meat (jerky) is even relatively easy and safe to dry. There is a great publication available from the Washington County Extension Internet site that describes how to do the whole drying thing.
http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/publication/FN-330.pdf
Interestingly enough, the practice ‘pizza warmer’ solar oven we discussed a few weeks ago would make an almost perfect food dryer with a few modifications to cover the food with cheese cloth to keep critters off.
Not to kick a dead horse so to say, I am trying find ways for you to do what we all have been commanded to do without it being out of financial reach for anyone. Not being silly this time, I purchased a ‘grape’ tomato that has small grape sized fruit that are quite sweet. In addition to eating them fresh, I am going to dry some for ‘Tomsins’ to store next to my Craisins. Really! Again, they can be a great snack.
If you look in the ward blog, there is an email that Bishop Langston sent that shows what a year’s supply of ‘basic’ food will cost and the space it will take. It also shows what you get for the effort: a loaf of bread and some beans. You will be well fed and crazy for variety. The things that will make the difference and add the foods that will make variety and a more rounded diet, are things that you can do with what you have to work with. In American cooking, onions are just about as important as salt and pepper. If you buy onions when they are in season for .39 a pound and dry 25 pounds of them, you can have one very important ingredient for cooking and it will store in a couple of 1 gallon zip lock bags and weigh 3 pounds! Squash – various kinds, spinach, kale, chard, tomatoes, chilies, potatoes all can be easily dried. Materials don’t always have to come from your garden – Just get them however – whenever you can. Don’t pass up an opportunity to put stuff away. Almost all fruits can be dried and many make great snacks for the winter or….. You can make fruit or vegitable purees and pour them onto trays for drying and are sometimes called leathers. I can imagine making a pizza leather; why the potential is limitless! Maybe I should settle for corned beef and cabbage leather instead of cookies! Just think how good stewed tomato, okra and zuccini leather could be. Then, maybe not.
Since all dried food does better in the house where it can be cool and dark, and because it takes very little space, it is perfect for our limited space dwellings and can fit well in small spaces like under beds, etc.
gv3grant@gmail.com 435 628-2739 http://rupreparedgv3.blogspot.com
Friday, March 27, 2009
A note from our Bishop:Have You Seen What the Basic 1 Year Supply for 1 Person Looks Like?
Exactly What Does a Basic 1 Year Food Storage for 1 Person Look Like?
These are the MINIMUM Basic Amounts of Food Needed for Survival for ONE PERSON for ONE YEAR:
DO YOU REALLY THINK YOUR READY TO LIVE ON THESE SURVIVAL RATIONS?
BARE-MINIMUM LDS Church Food storage requirements for
1 adult male for 1 year Appx. 2,300 calories per day. (only 695lbs total)
This will keep you fed, but leave you hungry.
TOTAL FOOD PER DAY = 24.65 Ounces
It seems like we beg, plead, and even offer to help anyone that will listen in an attempt to get others to get their food storage. We try to explain why they need it, and it feels like we are beating a dead horse. Some people try to rationalize that we "really" don't need to store everything that we have been asked to store. As I'm sure most of you have experienced, we hear every excuse for reasons why we can't store. The regular excuses of no money, no room, no time, don't know how to use wheat, or don't eat wheat, etc. But lately, I've heard "that is so much to store", that "our family would never use 400 pounds of grains per person in an entire year". Also, "we don't use that much salt or oil", therefore they don't feel they need to store it.
As what felt like my last feeble attempt to try to help, the thought came to actually create a display to show:
1) what does that one year basic survival food for one person look like (the amounts the First Presidency has recommended)
2) how much does that really work out to be per day?>>
This display has been amazingly successful in our Stake.
We purposely bought food that they could get at a grocery store, rather than overwhelming them with seeing tons of dry-pack cans or buckets. We broke out each item and gave them the prices of what this would cost locally. We even gave them the price of a shelve to store it on.
When I measured out the amounts to show what you would get per day, per person it was impressive. We took all those ingredients and by adding yeast (which we know is not on the basic list – but hopefully we have stored), we were able to make one loaf of bread and 1/3 cup of beans. That would be your food for the entire day. Not much. You would survive, but it won't be pretty.
Grains (400lbs)
Unless your family already eats 100% whole wheat homemade bread, white flour should be used in the transition process to whole wheat.
Adding rye flour (10%) helps make wheat bread a more
complete protein. Dent corn is used to make tortillas.
Beans & Legumes (90lbs)
{minimum reduced to only 60lbs in 2002}
Black beans cook quickly, make a good salad complement with a vinaigrette dressing over them.
Soybeans can be used to make soy milk and tofu, a protein food you should be prepared to make.
Familiarize yourself with sprouting techniques.
Learn how to make wheat grass juice - the best vitamin supplement you can use.
Milk-Dairy products (75lbs)
{minimum reduced to only 16lbs in 2002}
Milk powder can be used to make cottage cheese, cream cheese and hard cheeses.
Ideally your milk should be fortified with Vitamins A & D.
When reconstituting aerate to improve flavor (special mixing pitchers can accomplish this). Whole eggs are the best all-purpose egg product.
Powdered sour cream has a limited shelf life unless frozen.
Meats / Meat substitute (20lbs)
{minimum reduced to only 0lbs in 2002}
Use meat in soups, stews and beans for flavor. Freeze dried is the best option for real meat. Textured Vegetable protein is the main alternative to freeze dried meats.
Fats / Oils (20lbs)
This group can boost the calories one is getting from food storage products, and supply essential fatty acids.
Sugars (60lbs)
Store your honey in 5 gallon pails.
Candy and other sweets can help with appetite fatigue.
Fruits / Vegetables (90lbs)
{minimum reduced to only zero lbs in 2002}
Some fruits and vegetables are best dehydrated, others freeze dried (strawberries & blueberries).
Fruits are a nice addition to hot cereal, muffins, pancakes and breads.
Auxiliary foods (weight varies)
Vanilla extract improves the flavor of powdered milk. T
he production of tofu requires a precipitator such as nigari, epsom salt, calcium chloride or calcium sulfide (good calcium source).
Learn how to make and use wheat gluten (liquid smoke adds good flavor).
Chocolate syrup and powdered drink mixes help with appetite fatigue.
Vitamins and protein powders will boost the nutrition levels of foods that may have suffered losses during processing.
Note:
For an average adult Female - multiply the weight by 0.75
For children ages 1-3 multiply by 0.3, 4-6 multiply by 0.5, 7-9 multiply by 0.75
For adults engaged in manual labor multiply by 1.25-1.50
These are the MINIMUM Basic Amounts of Food Needed for Survival for ONE PERSON for ONE YEAR:
DO YOU REALLY THINK YOUR READY TO LIVE ON THESE SURVIVAL RATIONS?
BARE-MINIMUM LDS Church Food storage requirements for
1 adult male for 1 year Appx. 2,300 calories per day. (only 695lbs total)
This will keep you fed, but leave you hungry.
TOTAL FOOD PER DAY = 24.65 Ounces
It seems like we beg, plead, and even offer to help anyone that will listen in an attempt to get others to get their food storage. We try to explain why they need it, and it feels like we are beating a dead horse. Some people try to rationalize that we "really" don't need to store everything that we have been asked to store. As I'm sure most of you have experienced, we hear every excuse for reasons why we can't store. The regular excuses of no money, no room, no time, don't know how to use wheat, or don't eat wheat, etc. But lately, I've heard "that is so much to store", that "our family would never use 400 pounds of grains per person in an entire year". Also, "we don't use that much salt or oil", therefore they don't feel they need to store it.
As what felt like my last feeble attempt to try to help, the thought came to actually create a display to show:
1) what does that one year basic survival food for one person look like (the amounts the First Presidency has recommended)
2) how much does that really work out to be per day?>>
This display has been amazingly successful in our Stake.
We purposely bought food that they could get at a grocery store, rather than overwhelming them with seeing tons of dry-pack cans or buckets. We broke out each item and gave them the prices of what this would cost locally. We even gave them the price of a shelve to store it on.
When I measured out the amounts to show what you would get per day, per person it was impressive. We took all those ingredients and by adding yeast (which we know is not on the basic list – but hopefully we have stored), we were able to make one loaf of bread and 1/3 cup of beans. That would be your food for the entire day. Not much. You would survive, but it won't be pretty.
Grains (400lbs)
Unless your family already eats 100% whole wheat homemade bread, white flour should be used in the transition process to whole wheat.
Adding rye flour (10%) helps make wheat bread a more
complete protein. Dent corn is used to make tortillas.
Beans & Legumes (90lbs)
{minimum reduced to only 60lbs in 2002}
Black beans cook quickly, make a good salad complement with a vinaigrette dressing over them.
Soybeans can be used to make soy milk and tofu, a protein food you should be prepared to make.
Familiarize yourself with sprouting techniques.
Learn how to make wheat grass juice - the best vitamin supplement you can use.
Milk-Dairy products (75lbs)
{minimum reduced to only 16lbs in 2002}
Milk powder can be used to make cottage cheese, cream cheese and hard cheeses.
Ideally your milk should be fortified with Vitamins A & D.
When reconstituting aerate to improve flavor (special mixing pitchers can accomplish this). Whole eggs are the best all-purpose egg product.
Powdered sour cream has a limited shelf life unless frozen.
Meats / Meat substitute (20lbs)
{minimum reduced to only 0lbs in 2002}
Use meat in soups, stews and beans for flavor. Freeze dried is the best option for real meat. Textured Vegetable protein is the main alternative to freeze dried meats.
Fats / Oils (20lbs)
This group can boost the calories one is getting from food storage products, and supply essential fatty acids.
Sugars (60lbs)
Store your honey in 5 gallon pails.
Candy and other sweets can help with appetite fatigue.
Fruits / Vegetables (90lbs)
{minimum reduced to only zero lbs in 2002}
Some fruits and vegetables are best dehydrated, others freeze dried (strawberries & blueberries).
Fruits are a nice addition to hot cereal, muffins, pancakes and breads.
Auxiliary foods (weight varies)
Vanilla extract improves the flavor of powdered milk. T
he production of tofu requires a precipitator such as nigari, epsom salt, calcium chloride or calcium sulfide (good calcium source).
Learn how to make and use wheat gluten (liquid smoke adds good flavor).
Chocolate syrup and powdered drink mixes help with appetite fatigue.
Vitamins and protein powders will boost the nutrition levels of foods that may have suffered losses during processing.
Note:
For an average adult Female - multiply the weight by 0.75
For children ages 1-3 multiply by 0.3, 4-6 multiply by 0.5, 7-9 multiply by 0.75
For adults engaged in manual labor multiply by 1.25-1.50
Saturday, March 21, 2009
#15
Preparedness #14 -03/22/09
Last week we summarized some of the preparations that we have discussed over the past months. All week I kept reminding myself not to forget cooking facilities. When the time came to print, I forgot to put it in anyway. But, maybe it is better since we did not talk about it enough in the first place. Just like the importance of water, if you don’t have a way to cook your food, it won’t be of much use to you. I mean, how appetizing will sprouted, uncooked rice, beans and wheat be everyday of the week. True, you could put honey on it for a treat. Imagine a treat after F.H.E. of sprouted lentils in their own soakwater with a little honey! Yum.
Anyway, we have been advised to keep a few months of fuel to heat our homes and provide for cooking. In our communities, it is against the rules to store flammable or ‘dangerous’ chemicals or fuel. I think we are able to keep some propane which would be an excellent idea, especially to have a fair amount of it. Please remember to have more than just your BBQ to cook on. A hot plate would be good as well as an oven. These items are a bit pricy and you will have to save for them, but again, don’t go into debt for them. You would be surprised how often things like that show up at Deseret Industries or garage sales.
In the mean time, it may be time for us to learn how to make and use a solar oven. Doing this could be great fun for a family or even a ‘senior’ couple. (Who would that be anyway?) It is not that hard and if you want to hear a preposterous claim, solar ovens can be coolers too! Just imagine that; pointed away from the sun, the heat of anything in the ‘oven’ is reflected into space which is very cold and absorbs the heat from the material in the ‘cooker.’ Yea, I know I will have to prove that one; which I fully intend to do-(for myself as well as you!)
Sister Shannon Condie put me on to a solar cooker that can be made from a cardboard box, aluminum foil, some glue and a wide mouth canning jar. Oh, and a 2” piece of a 2X4 and a couple of plastic bags and black spray paint. These cookers were developed at BYU in the Physics Department by Dr. Steven E. Jones. Either Sister Condie or I will have one of these to display hopefully in the foyer or in an approved place. Maybe we could put it outside with a whistling t_a kettle in it to demonstrate its effectiveness.
Anyway, these cookers are especially good here in St. George because of the relative intensity of the sun and the few cloudy days we have. They work optimally at a U.V. (Ultraviolet) index of 7 or greater and today it is 6 – even in the early spring. If you use the canning jar with the lid tightened down, you will build pressure in the jar almost like a pressure cooker, which will cook the food faster. Most things can be cooked in 1-2 hours. Maybe this would be a good project for some of the members of the ward to make some of these for those who cannot make them. More importantly, we need to learn how to cook with them and then help everyone, including the kids, learn to cook with them. No, it, like the microwave, would probably not be a good place to dry off the kitty. But, you can cook all grains, meats, and even bake bread in it. It is somewhat like a crock pot cooker in that it is slower than a conventional oven, but it will probably not burn the food. It depends on how big you build it. I tend to want some drama so I will probably want to build a big one, so you may see me looking a little crisp after I get it going. For those on the Internet, below is the link to the BYU web site where the instructions are available to print. Have fun and let me know how it goes. This unit can be folded up and stored in a relatively small space and it might be a good idea to have a couple of them – one in the car and the other in the house.
Do make them now and use them for some meals so you are comfortable with the whole idea. In order of importance, I think this is high on the list of preparedness items. Here it is: http://solarcooking.org/plans/funnel.htm
The garden will probably be ready this week. I will be calliing to set up an appointment to select a plot at the garden.
gv3grant@gmail.com 435 628-2739 http://rupreparedgv3.blogspot.com
Last week we summarized some of the preparations that we have discussed over the past months. All week I kept reminding myself not to forget cooking facilities. When the time came to print, I forgot to put it in anyway. But, maybe it is better since we did not talk about it enough in the first place. Just like the importance of water, if you don’t have a way to cook your food, it won’t be of much use to you. I mean, how appetizing will sprouted, uncooked rice, beans and wheat be everyday of the week. True, you could put honey on it for a treat. Imagine a treat after F.H.E. of sprouted lentils in their own soakwater with a little honey! Yum.
Anyway, we have been advised to keep a few months of fuel to heat our homes and provide for cooking. In our communities, it is against the rules to store flammable or ‘dangerous’ chemicals or fuel. I think we are able to keep some propane which would be an excellent idea, especially to have a fair amount of it. Please remember to have more than just your BBQ to cook on. A hot plate would be good as well as an oven. These items are a bit pricy and you will have to save for them, but again, don’t go into debt for them. You would be surprised how often things like that show up at Deseret Industries or garage sales.
In the mean time, it may be time for us to learn how to make and use a solar oven. Doing this could be great fun for a family or even a ‘senior’ couple. (Who would that be anyway?) It is not that hard and if you want to hear a preposterous claim, solar ovens can be coolers too! Just imagine that; pointed away from the sun, the heat of anything in the ‘oven’ is reflected into space which is very cold and absorbs the heat from the material in the ‘cooker.’ Yea, I know I will have to prove that one; which I fully intend to do-(for myself as well as you!)
Sister Shannon Condie put me on to a solar cooker that can be made from a cardboard box, aluminum foil, some glue and a wide mouth canning jar. Oh, and a 2” piece of a 2X4 and a couple of plastic bags and black spray paint. These cookers were developed at BYU in the Physics Department by Dr. Steven E. Jones. Either Sister Condie or I will have one of these to display hopefully in the foyer or in an approved place. Maybe we could put it outside with a whistling t_a kettle in it to demonstrate its effectiveness.
Anyway, these cookers are especially good here in St. George because of the relative intensity of the sun and the few cloudy days we have. They work optimally at a U.V. (Ultraviolet) index of 7 or greater and today it is 6 – even in the early spring. If you use the canning jar with the lid tightened down, you will build pressure in the jar almost like a pressure cooker, which will cook the food faster. Most things can be cooked in 1-2 hours. Maybe this would be a good project for some of the members of the ward to make some of these for those who cannot make them. More importantly, we need to learn how to cook with them and then help everyone, including the kids, learn to cook with them. No, it, like the microwave, would probably not be a good place to dry off the kitty. But, you can cook all grains, meats, and even bake bread in it. It is somewhat like a crock pot cooker in that it is slower than a conventional oven, but it will probably not burn the food. It depends on how big you build it. I tend to want some drama so I will probably want to build a big one, so you may see me looking a little crisp after I get it going. For those on the Internet, below is the link to the BYU web site where the instructions are available to print. Have fun and let me know how it goes. This unit can be folded up and stored in a relatively small space and it might be a good idea to have a couple of them – one in the car and the other in the house.
Do make them now and use them for some meals so you are comfortable with the whole idea. In order of importance, I think this is high on the list of preparedness items. Here it is: http://solarcooking.org/plans/funnel.htm
The garden will probably be ready this week. I will be calliing to set up an appointment to select a plot at the garden.
gv3grant@gmail.com 435 628-2739 http://rupreparedgv3.blogspot.com
#14
Preparedness #14 -03/15/09
‘Be Prepared... the meaning of the motto is that a scout must prepare himself by previous thinking out and practicing how to act on any accident or emergency so that he is never taken by surprise.’
Robert Baden-Powell – who is this guy? He is the founder of Scouting.
President Faust said: ‘Obedience leads to true freedom. The more we obey revealed truth, the more we become liberated.’
This is a checklist of most of the suggestions that have been made in the past few months. Now may be a good time to sit down with your family and see how you have done as a family, towards being prepared. Consult www.providentliving.com often.
1. Collect and fill 2 & 3 Litre pop & Juice bottles and fill them with water
2. 6 cans of beans
3. Disaster plan for families and seniors
Determine out of area contacts. Know phone number of neighbors of elderly relatives if you are in different locations. Give contact numbers to family in distant locations. ie. Home/Visiting teachers and neighbors. Give them a copy of your emergency plan as well. Keep it and copies updated. Get to know someone with a short wave radio in case of a communications breakdown. Have meeting places arranged with everyone in case the phones get cut off. Also, have a old type phone that doesn’t require electricity. I got mine at Deseret Industries.
4. Have the things you will need if power or services are cut off
5. Disaster kit- including documents, 72 hour kit and a tools to turn off utilites. Also, have a car kit with esential items.
6. Make sure you have a radio with good batteries and know where to tune to get emergency info. Check batteries often and rotate.
7. Learn to garden if even in pots, and grow things you will use. Learn to preserve by canning or drying the things you use. Become familiar with the Extension Internet site www.dixiegardener.com and other good sources to learn when and how to grow fruit, vegatables & herbs here.
8. Remember Nephi: “I will go and do…for he giveth no commandment save he will prepare a way…” As Pres. Hinkley advised, each time you go shopping, get a few extra of the things you purchase, and put them away…except celery. Potatos can get raunchy too if left too long in the garage but my deter roberies; think about it. You get the idea. Remember the saints in Mexico that put a handfull of rice or beans a week…it adds up. Just do it. What kept the 5 virgins from the feast was a few pennies worth of oil. It’s the little things we do.
9. Include the Kids in the planning. It is vital to their physical and mental health.
10.Home/Visiting Teachers, know the special needs of your families or individuals and have a plan for those in need – Medical or?
11.Figure out a way with your doctor to have a supply of the essential medications you take.
12.Consult with the Internet web site ‘Ready America’ from the Dept. of Homeland Security. It & the church site have information on national threats including pandemic flue information and a kids site for becoming a ‘Certified Preparedness Kid.’ www.ready.gov FEMA has one too: http://www.fema.gov/kids/dizkid1.htm
13.Save and prepare for Dry Pack Canning days last of May, Aug.
14.Know the wild plants weeds that are edible or good for medicine. You’d be surprised how many there are!
15.“Love the Lord thy God with all thy might mind and strength and thy neighbor as thyself.” This puts everything into perspective.
Here is a little more from Wendy Dewitt’s Blog of top ten reasons people do not do their storage:
#6. The boat and the 4 wheelers are taking up all my storage space! (priorities!)
#5. 3 letters....Y2K. Ok, that's 2 letters and a number....but they're always making way too much out of everything! This is never going to happen!” (Every prophecy that has ever been given WILL happen.)
#4. If anything DOES happen, the government will be here within hours! (insert laughter) Did you know the government has been telling us that we need to have food storage? They're actually CALLING it food storage! We now have the government telling us to store food, water, medicines...whatever we will need to be able to stay in our homes for several months.
#3. I can't afford scrap booking AND food storage. The average food storage can cost as little as a dollar a day. We live in the richest society in the history of the world, and while there are cases where money may be a problem, most of the time it is a matter of priorities. We have chosen bigger homes, nicer cars, more tv's, computers, vacations ...everything is more important than our food storage. If I asked, "Who has a cell phone?" most of you would say yes. You pay at least $30 a month to have a cell phone....that's about a dollar a day...the cost of one year's supply of food for your child. Is your cell phone really more important than your child's temporal salvation? You have to make food storage a priority.
The garden is dunged and tilled and soon will have water! Hooray!
gv3grant@gmail.com 435 628-2739
‘Be Prepared... the meaning of the motto is that a scout must prepare himself by previous thinking out and practicing how to act on any accident or emergency so that he is never taken by surprise.’
Robert Baden-Powell – who is this guy? He is the founder of Scouting.
President Faust said: ‘Obedience leads to true freedom. The more we obey revealed truth, the more we become liberated.’
This is a checklist of most of the suggestions that have been made in the past few months. Now may be a good time to sit down with your family and see how you have done as a family, towards being prepared. Consult www.providentliving.com often.
1. Collect and fill 2 & 3 Litre pop & Juice bottles and fill them with water
2. 6 cans of beans
3. Disaster plan for families and seniors
Determine out of area contacts. Know phone number of neighbors of elderly relatives if you are in different locations. Give contact numbers to family in distant locations. ie. Home/Visiting teachers and neighbors. Give them a copy of your emergency plan as well. Keep it and copies updated. Get to know someone with a short wave radio in case of a communications breakdown. Have meeting places arranged with everyone in case the phones get cut off. Also, have a old type phone that doesn’t require electricity. I got mine at Deseret Industries.
4. Have the things you will need if power or services are cut off
5. Disaster kit- including documents, 72 hour kit and a tools to turn off utilites. Also, have a car kit with esential items.
6. Make sure you have a radio with good batteries and know where to tune to get emergency info. Check batteries often and rotate.
7. Learn to garden if even in pots, and grow things you will use. Learn to preserve by canning or drying the things you use. Become familiar with the Extension Internet site www.dixiegardener.com and other good sources to learn when and how to grow fruit, vegatables & herbs here.
8. Remember Nephi: “I will go and do…for he giveth no commandment save he will prepare a way…” As Pres. Hinkley advised, each time you go shopping, get a few extra of the things you purchase, and put them away…except celery. Potatos can get raunchy too if left too long in the garage but my deter roberies; think about it. You get the idea. Remember the saints in Mexico that put a handfull of rice or beans a week…it adds up. Just do it. What kept the 5 virgins from the feast was a few pennies worth of oil. It’s the little things we do.
9. Include the Kids in the planning. It is vital to their physical and mental health.
10.Home/Visiting Teachers, know the special needs of your families or individuals and have a plan for those in need – Medical or?
11.Figure out a way with your doctor to have a supply of the essential medications you take.
12.Consult with the Internet web site ‘Ready America’ from the Dept. of Homeland Security. It & the church site have information on national threats including pandemic flue information and a kids site for becoming a ‘Certified Preparedness Kid.’ www.ready.gov FEMA has one too: http://www.fema.gov/kids/dizkid1.htm
13.Save and prepare for Dry Pack Canning days last of May, Aug.
14.Know the wild plants weeds that are edible or good for medicine. You’d be surprised how many there are!
15.“Love the Lord thy God with all thy might mind and strength and thy neighbor as thyself.” This puts everything into perspective.
Here is a little more from Wendy Dewitt’s Blog of top ten reasons people do not do their storage:
#6. The boat and the 4 wheelers are taking up all my storage space! (priorities!)
#5. 3 letters....Y2K. Ok, that's 2 letters and a number....but they're always making way too much out of everything! This is never going to happen!” (Every prophecy that has ever been given WILL happen.)
#4. If anything DOES happen, the government will be here within hours! (insert laughter) Did you know the government has been telling us that we need to have food storage? They're actually CALLING it food storage! We now have the government telling us to store food, water, medicines...whatever we will need to be able to stay in our homes for several months.
#3. I can't afford scrap booking AND food storage. The average food storage can cost as little as a dollar a day. We live in the richest society in the history of the world, and while there are cases where money may be a problem, most of the time it is a matter of priorities. We have chosen bigger homes, nicer cars, more tv's, computers, vacations ...everything is more important than our food storage. If I asked, "Who has a cell phone?" most of you would say yes. You pay at least $30 a month to have a cell phone....that's about a dollar a day...the cost of one year's supply of food for your child. Is your cell phone really more important than your child's temporal salvation? You have to make food storage a priority.
The garden is dunged and tilled and soon will have water! Hooray!
gv3grant@gmail.com 435 628-2739
Get a kit!
Get A KIT
http://www.ready.gov/america/getakit/index.html
(Go to this Internet site for links (underlined) to see info on each subject. Also check out Be Ready Utah at bottom of page.)
When preparing for a possible emergency situation, it's best to think first about the basics of survival: fresh water, food, clean air and warmth.
Recommended Items to Include in a Basic Emergency Supply Kit:
*
Water, one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation
*
Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food
*
Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both
*
Flashlight and extra batteries
*
First aid kit
*
Whistle to signal for help
*
Dust mask, to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place
*
Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
*
Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
*
Can opener for food (if kit contains canned food)
*
Local maps
Additional Items to Consider Adding to an Emergency Supply Kit:
*
Prescription medications and glasses
*
Infant formula and diapers
*
Pet food and extra water for your pet
*
Important family documents such as copies of insurance policies, identification and bank account records in a waterproof, portable container
*
Cash or traveler's checks and change
*
Emergency reference material such as a first aid book or information from www.ready.gov
*
Sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person. Consider additional bedding if you live in a cold-weather climate.
*
Complete change of clothing including a long sleeved shirt, long pants and sturdy shoes. Consider additional clothing if you live in a cold-weather climate.
*
Household chlorine bleach and medicine dropper – When diluted nine parts water to one part bleach, bleach can be used as a disinfectant. Or in an emergency, you can use it to treat water by using 16 drops of regular household liquid bleach per gallon of water. Do not use scented, color safe or bleaches with added cleaners.
*
Fire Extinguisher
*
Matches in a waterproof container
*
Feminine supplies and personal hygiene items
*
Mess kits, paper cups, plates and plastic utensils, paper towels
*
Paper and pencil
*
Books, games, puzzles or other activities for children
Here's Something To Think About...
You should have at least one traditionally wired landline phone, as cordless or cellular phones may not work in an emergency.
This is the main link to the Gov. web site for the ‘Ready’ Preparedness site: http://www.ready.gov/america/index.html
This is the link to the “Ready’ web site for Homeland Security Publications:
http://www.ready.gov/america/publications/allpubs.html
Utah’s ‘Ready’ web site: http://bereadyutah.gov/
Utah
Because of its varying climate and terrain, Utah can experience a variety of disasters. Wildfires can strike during the hot, dry summer months and severe storms during the winter season can blanket parts of the state, causing power outages and increasing avalanche danger. We are also at risk from flooding, tornadoes, drought, landslides, earthquakes, terrorist attacks, and now the possibility of a Pandemic Influenza.
Despite these risks, there are steps each citizen can and should take to ensure they are prepared for a variety of disasters. We know that disaster preparedness works. We can take action now that will help protect our families, reduce the impact an emergency has on our lives, and deal with the chaos if an incident occurs near us.
Contact Information
Utah Department of Public Safety
Division of Homeland Security
1110 State Office Building
Salt Lake City, UT 84114
(801) 538-3400
(800) 753-2858
Be Ready Utah
Utah Department of Public Safety's Division of Homeland Security
Citizen Corps
We know that disaster can strike at any time. We all have a personal responsibility to be ready. Get involved in preparing your family and your community. Citizen Corps, Homeland Security's grassroots effort, educates citizens about emergency preparedness, provides opportunities for citizens to get emergency response training; participate in community exercises; and volunteer to support local first responders. To learn more and to get involved, contact your nearest Citizen Corps Council by visiting www.citizencorps.gov.
Utah Citizen Corps Council
324 South State Street, Suite 500
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
(801) 538-8606
http://www.citizencorps.utah.gov
http://www.volunteers.utah.gov
http://www.ready.gov/america/getakit/index.html
(Go to this Internet site for links (underlined) to see info on each subject. Also check out Be Ready Utah at bottom of page.)
When preparing for a possible emergency situation, it's best to think first about the basics of survival: fresh water, food, clean air and warmth.
Recommended Items to Include in a Basic Emergency Supply Kit:
*
Water, one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation
*
Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food
*
Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both
*
Flashlight and extra batteries
*
First aid kit
*
Whistle to signal for help
*
Dust mask, to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place
*
Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
*
Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
*
Can opener for food (if kit contains canned food)
*
Local maps
Additional Items to Consider Adding to an Emergency Supply Kit:
*
Prescription medications and glasses
*
Infant formula and diapers
*
Pet food and extra water for your pet
*
Important family documents such as copies of insurance policies, identification and bank account records in a waterproof, portable container
*
Cash or traveler's checks and change
*
Emergency reference material such as a first aid book or information from www.ready.gov
*
Sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person. Consider additional bedding if you live in a cold-weather climate.
*
Complete change of clothing including a long sleeved shirt, long pants and sturdy shoes. Consider additional clothing if you live in a cold-weather climate.
*
Household chlorine bleach and medicine dropper – When diluted nine parts water to one part bleach, bleach can be used as a disinfectant. Or in an emergency, you can use it to treat water by using 16 drops of regular household liquid bleach per gallon of water. Do not use scented, color safe or bleaches with added cleaners.
*
Fire Extinguisher
*
Matches in a waterproof container
*
Feminine supplies and personal hygiene items
*
Mess kits, paper cups, plates and plastic utensils, paper towels
*
Paper and pencil
*
Books, games, puzzles or other activities for children
Here's Something To Think About...
You should have at least one traditionally wired landline phone, as cordless or cellular phones may not work in an emergency.
This is the main link to the Gov. web site for the ‘Ready’ Preparedness site: http://www.ready.gov/america/index.html
This is the link to the “Ready’ web site for Homeland Security Publications:
http://www.ready.gov/america/publications/allpubs.html
Utah’s ‘Ready’ web site: http://bereadyutah.gov/
Utah
Because of its varying climate and terrain, Utah can experience a variety of disasters. Wildfires can strike during the hot, dry summer months and severe storms during the winter season can blanket parts of the state, causing power outages and increasing avalanche danger. We are also at risk from flooding, tornadoes, drought, landslides, earthquakes, terrorist attacks, and now the possibility of a Pandemic Influenza.
Despite these risks, there are steps each citizen can and should take to ensure they are prepared for a variety of disasters. We know that disaster preparedness works. We can take action now that will help protect our families, reduce the impact an emergency has on our lives, and deal with the chaos if an incident occurs near us.
Contact Information
Utah Department of Public Safety
Division of Homeland Security
1110 State Office Building
Salt Lake City, UT 84114
(801) 538-3400
(800) 753-2858
Be Ready Utah
Utah Department of Public Safety's Division of Homeland Security
Citizen Corps
We know that disaster can strike at any time. We all have a personal responsibility to be ready. Get involved in preparing your family and your community. Citizen Corps, Homeland Security's grassroots effort, educates citizens about emergency preparedness, provides opportunities for citizens to get emergency response training; participate in community exercises; and volunteer to support local first responders. To learn more and to get involved, contact your nearest Citizen Corps Council by visiting www.citizencorps.gov.
Utah Citizen Corps Council
324 South State Street, Suite 500
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
(801) 538-8606
http://www.citizencorps.utah.gov
http://www.volunteers.utah.gov
Preparedness
Preparedness
The following is a quote from the Dept of Homeland Security Internet site from the December 2008 and January 2009 time frame which explains their interest:
Resolve to be Ready 2009
As the New Year approaches, the Department of Homeland Security’s Ready Campaign is once again reminding people that Now’s the Time. Resolve to be Ready in 2009. While nearly 50 percent of Americans make New Year's Eve resolutions, very few manage to keep them. The Ready Campaign would like to make an emergency preparedness resolution easy to keep by providing the tools and resources needed to take the three important steps: get a kit, make a plan and be informed. We hope you will join the Ready Campaign this Holiday Season in promoting Resolve to be Ready. http://www.ready.gov/
Be Ready Utah and the Lt. Governor Remind You to "Be Prepared"
Utah sees natural disasters like lightning, fire, flood and earthquake and want's to remind all of our citizens to be prepared! As our political sponsor, Lt. Governor Gary Herbert and his son Brad have taken to the airwaves to spread the message. You can catch their exciting spot here on BeReadyUtah.gov or by watching FOX13.
Remember, always have a 72-hour Emergency Supply Kit ready for each member of your household and have it in a place that is easy to grab in case of an emergency.
For more information on building your kit and other Family, Community, School and Business preparedness, spend some time right here with Be Ready Utah.
http://bereadyutah.gov/
This is another great program for kids so that they can feel involved and not just hear scary words without knowing what is going on. They actually participate in the planning and evolution of the plan. They can even become ‘Certified Preparedness Kids.’ http://www.ready.gov/kids/home.html
The following is a quote from the Dept of Homeland Security Internet site from the December 2008 and January 2009 time frame which explains their interest:
Resolve to be Ready 2009
As the New Year approaches, the Department of Homeland Security’s Ready Campaign is once again reminding people that Now’s the Time. Resolve to be Ready in 2009. While nearly 50 percent of Americans make New Year's Eve resolutions, very few manage to keep them. The Ready Campaign would like to make an emergency preparedness resolution easy to keep by providing the tools and resources needed to take the three important steps: get a kit, make a plan and be informed. We hope you will join the Ready Campaign this Holiday Season in promoting Resolve to be Ready. http://www.ready.gov/
Be Ready Utah and the Lt. Governor Remind You to "Be Prepared"
Utah sees natural disasters like lightning, fire, flood and earthquake and want's to remind all of our citizens to be prepared! As our political sponsor, Lt. Governor Gary Herbert and his son Brad have taken to the airwaves to spread the message. You can catch their exciting spot here on BeReadyUtah.gov or by watching FOX13.
Remember, always have a 72-hour Emergency Supply Kit ready for each member of your household and have it in a place that is easy to grab in case of an emergency.
For more information on building your kit and other Family, Community, School and Business preparedness, spend some time right here with Be Ready Utah.
http://bereadyutah.gov/
This is another great program for kids so that they can feel involved and not just hear scary words without knowing what is going on. They actually participate in the planning and evolution of the plan. They can even become ‘Certified Preparedness Kids.’ http://www.ready.gov/kids/home.html
Friday, March 6, 2009
Preparedness # 13
Aunt Clara didn’t come to see us very often but when she did, we were, as children, not all that excited to see her. She had a certain aura about her. Kids today would call her weird. I remember one day we were working in the garden and she walked out into the rows to see what we were doing. I was weeding the carrots, I think, and she bent down and picked up one of the fleshier leafed weeds with reddish stems that I had just pulled and said, you shouldn’t kill this weed, it is good to eat and ‘good for you.’ I could just see in her the wicked witch trying to feed me a poison apple since I had already made my associations with this being a weed and weeds were bad. But, she persisted and pulled a couple of leaves off of it an offered it to me as I retreated with a wrinkled nose and tight lips. She was too old to chase me and probably thought better of it anyway.
Well, it turns out that Aunt Clara was right, Purslane, even though a ‘weed,’ is one of the most nutritious plants alive. Popeye, too bad you didn’t know about it…. In some nutrients, it is ten times better than spinach. Dr. Artemis P. Simopoulos wrote in The New England Journal of Medicine in 1986 that it has remarkably high levels of alpha-linolenic acid (an omega-3 essential fatty acid) for something that's not a fish. Since then, purslane has been found to have high amounts of melatonin and other beneficial nutrients.
If we get in trouble, and even if we didn’t, it might be wise to know Purslane as well as Dandelion, Wild Mustard, Nasturtium and, add to that, some forms of Agave, Yucca, Prickly Pear and even the dreaded Stinging Nettle (which was considered a delicacy by the higher class English households). There are many more ‘wild’ plants that we may discuss in further articles, but knowledge of these could add very important elements to our diet if we were unable to get fresh produce from the store. And,even now,might be useful and maybe more nutritious.
If one of you are interested in edible plants growing ‘wild’ in this area, and would like to do some research and share the information with everyone, let me know and I will pass along what I have found.
☼
I realize it may be early to discuss fall gardening but what I am going to say may influence what you plant now. Root crops like carrots, beats, onions, turnips, potatoes and some other root crops can be planted in the late summer (as directed for fall gardens,) then left in the ground until needed. They may need a covering of mulch to prevent freezing but otherwise do very well this way. When you need some carrots for Christmas dinner, just go out and dig them!
☼
I purchased a tomato called ‘Heat Wave’ that is supposed to be able to set fruit until 100 degrees instead of 87 like other tomatoes. Has anyone had experience with it?
☼
Well, it turns out that Aunt Clara was right, Purslane, even though a ‘weed,’ is one of the most nutritious plants alive. Popeye, too bad you didn’t know about it…. In some nutrients, it is ten times better than spinach. Dr. Artemis P. Simopoulos wrote in The New England Journal of Medicine in 1986 that it has remarkably high levels of alpha-linolenic acid (an omega-3 essential fatty acid) for something that's not a fish. Since then, purslane has been found to have high amounts of melatonin and other beneficial nutrients.
If we get in trouble, and even if we didn’t, it might be wise to know Purslane as well as Dandelion, Wild Mustard, Nasturtium and, add to that, some forms of Agave, Yucca, Prickly Pear and even the dreaded Stinging Nettle (which was considered a delicacy by the higher class English households). There are many more ‘wild’ plants that we may discuss in further articles, but knowledge of these could add very important elements to our diet if we were unable to get fresh produce from the store. And,even now,might be useful and maybe more nutritious.
If one of you are interested in edible plants growing ‘wild’ in this area, and would like to do some research and share the information with everyone, let me know and I will pass along what I have found.
☼
I realize it may be early to discuss fall gardening but what I am going to say may influence what you plant now. Root crops like carrots, beats, onions, turnips, potatoes and some other root crops can be planted in the late summer (as directed for fall gardens,) then left in the ground until needed. They may need a covering of mulch to prevent freezing but otherwise do very well this way. When you need some carrots for Christmas dinner, just go out and dig them!
☼
I purchased a tomato called ‘Heat Wave’ that is supposed to be able to set fruit until 100 degrees instead of 87 like other tomatoes. Has anyone had experience with it?
☼
Preparedness # 12
Mark Twain said that “Human pride is not worth while, there is always something lying in wait to take the wind out of it!”
In the gardening meeting on Thursday night, I was going on as if I knew everything and dear sister Horton finally said “but brother Collier, have you gardened here?” I apologize to all that were there for acting like I knew what I was talking about.
Case in point was my suggestion to lay a long tomato plant on it’s side just under the soil surface with the roots on the South side of the tomato, since tomato plant roots like to be WARM. As I was mentally going through the evening’s meeting in retrospect, I realized that we planted that way in Cache Valley because it takes a long time for the deep soil to get warm. I wonder if the poor tomato planted that way in St. George will like BLAZING HOT soil! So, until I get smart, do it the way you have been doing it or ask one of the wiser members. And, thanks to Sister Horton for saying what others were probably thinking and helping me remember the embarrassing “P” word.
Even though the Crofts have made a great effort in time and means to provide a garden spot for the ward, some unfortunate legal and pump issues have delayed our being able to plant. Brother Crofts has gone way beyond what most would do but continues to hit a block wall. Thanks to the Crofts for all they have, and continue to do for us. The Lord knows what He wants us to do and will make it happen. But, it would be a good thing for us to remember them and the garden in our prayers. We have been asked to do this, I know with the Lord’s help it will happen.
In the mean time, almost all of us have places we can garden in containers. You’d be surprised how effective and productive it can be. Here are some locations with ideas for planting in tight spaces. http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/garden/mg/vegetable/container.html
http://journeytoforever.org/garden_con.html#contgard
Planting Times for St. George Area
By Rick Heflebower, Washington County Horticulture Agent
FEBRUARY 15 – MARCH 15 *
Radish Beets
Cabbage (plants) Carrots
Kohlrabi (plants) Cauliflower (plants)
Onions Endive
Peas Lettuce
Spinach Parsnips
Turnip Potato
Swiss Chard
MARCH 15 – 1 APRIL *
Bush Bean Lima Beans
Corn Cantaloupe and melons
Cucumber Eggplant (plants)
Spinach Winter Squash
Summer Squash Tomato (plants)
Pepper (plants)
FALL HARVEST/JULY 15 – AUGUST 1
Beets, Cabbage, Carrots, Corn, Cucumbers, Lettuce, Onions, Pole Beans
Spinach, Turnips,
ST. GEORGE HAS A GROWING SEASON OF ABOUT 210 DAYS
Last frost in Spring – April 1st
First frost in Fall – October 1st
Thanks to all for everything you do. We had 36 at the dry pack canning day and did many cans for ourselves and even helped another brother from another stake. As usual, the sisters in the RS pulled it off by keeping it all organized. Thanks,This is being a spectacular experience!
Our next dry pack date will be May 28th – June 1. We will have the canner in the ward to do whatever we want.
gv3grant@gmail.com 628-2739
In the gardening meeting on Thursday night, I was going on as if I knew everything and dear sister Horton finally said “but brother Collier, have you gardened here?” I apologize to all that were there for acting like I knew what I was talking about.
Case in point was my suggestion to lay a long tomato plant on it’s side just under the soil surface with the roots on the South side of the tomato, since tomato plant roots like to be WARM. As I was mentally going through the evening’s meeting in retrospect, I realized that we planted that way in Cache Valley because it takes a long time for the deep soil to get warm. I wonder if the poor tomato planted that way in St. George will like BLAZING HOT soil! So, until I get smart, do it the way you have been doing it or ask one of the wiser members. And, thanks to Sister Horton for saying what others were probably thinking and helping me remember the embarrassing “P” word.
Even though the Crofts have made a great effort in time and means to provide a garden spot for the ward, some unfortunate legal and pump issues have delayed our being able to plant. Brother Crofts has gone way beyond what most would do but continues to hit a block wall. Thanks to the Crofts for all they have, and continue to do for us. The Lord knows what He wants us to do and will make it happen. But, it would be a good thing for us to remember them and the garden in our prayers. We have been asked to do this, I know with the Lord’s help it will happen.
In the mean time, almost all of us have places we can garden in containers. You’d be surprised how effective and productive it can be. Here are some locations with ideas for planting in tight spaces. http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/garden/mg/vegetable/container.html
http://journeytoforever.org/garden_con.html#contgard
Planting Times for St. George Area
By Rick Heflebower, Washington County Horticulture Agent
FEBRUARY 15 – MARCH 15 *
Radish Beets
Cabbage (plants) Carrots
Kohlrabi (plants) Cauliflower (plants)
Onions Endive
Peas Lettuce
Spinach Parsnips
Turnip Potato
Swiss Chard
MARCH 15 – 1 APRIL *
Bush Bean Lima Beans
Corn Cantaloupe and melons
Cucumber Eggplant (plants)
Spinach Winter Squash
Summer Squash Tomato (plants)
Pepper (plants)
FALL HARVEST/JULY 15 – AUGUST 1
Beets, Cabbage, Carrots, Corn, Cucumbers, Lettuce, Onions, Pole Beans
Spinach, Turnips,
ST. GEORGE HAS A GROWING SEASON OF ABOUT 210 DAYS
Last frost in Spring – April 1st
First frost in Fall – October 1st
Thanks to all for everything you do. We had 36 at the dry pack canning day and did many cans for ourselves and even helped another brother from another stake. As usual, the sisters in the RS pulled it off by keeping it all organized. Thanks,This is being a spectacular experience!
Our next dry pack date will be May 28th – June 1. We will have the canner in the ward to do whatever we want.
gv3grant@gmail.com 628-2739
Preparedness # 10
OK, I have been saying some fairly preposterous things about food lately to see if any of you were actually reading this insert and I guess it may have backfired since a few of you have thought that maybe we were eating weenie and sauekraut cookies! Well, just for that I just may try it. Seriously, it is important that we store what we are going to eat. In this regard, it is important if you have children living at home, that kids participate in this preparedness project. It is important on many levels not the least of which is emotional readiness. As these little ones hear us talking about ‘disaster’ planning, they can get a real sense of uneasiness unless they are carefully included in the planning and process of preparation. I have given you an Internet site for ‘kids’ that is sponsored by FEMA which gives kids a form to fill out and actually become certified as a ‘Disaster Action Kid.’ FEMA even sends out regular emails to the kids. Just in case you didn’t see it before, here it is the link again: http://www.fema.gov/kids/dizkid1.htm
Some announcements:
There are some emails going around that talk about Dr. Susan Puls and the Church Pandemic preparedness. I cannot verify the validity of the email but this link will take you to the official statement of the church on family preparedness having to do with a pandemic. A pandemic is a world wide epidemic. One of the diseases being watched now is the ‘Asian Bird Flu.’ It is all discussed in the church internet site which is listed here: http://www.providentliving.org/pfw/multimedia/files/pfw/pdf/112086_PPHomeFamilyPrepardness_pdf.pdf The link also has links to the World Health Organization and other sites.
We intend to start the garden next Saturday Feb 28th. Listen to the announcements today for a meeting to lay out the plots and answer questions.
DON’T FORGET – TOMORROW MORNING 8 AM DRY PACK CANNING!
By the way, to tag onto last weeks information on drying fruit and vegetables, there are a lot of internet sites that give additional and informative techniques that you might find profitable. One thing that I suggest is that you keep plastic food container like the ones that have Mayo or salted nuts or even large jars with cookies and have a sturdy structure with a lid that fits tightly, save them for storage of dried stuff. It is even good to have them for storage of smaller items in zip loc bags as double protection.
Lin’s Grocery Store is having a case lot sale including a good price on 55 gallon storage tanks. It runs from March 4th to 17th.
I have been asked to provide a list for a 72 hour kit. I don’t know where these names and designations get started. But, 72 hours is a start. The kit needs to be available in a place near the door of the house or garage (if it can be kept from getting too hot). This does not substitute for the car kit given earlier because it will not be kept in the car. It can be a part of the year supply however, and just needs to be ready to travel if that is the instruction. The church does not publish such a list that I am aware of since they do not want that to be a ‘stopping’ place. Here is a list from a few sources though, that are very good. Not every person or family needs all of the items on each list and may need thing not on any list. Make your own and follow or modify it for yourselves.
http://www.fema.gov/pdf/areyouready/appendix_b.pdf
http://dola.colorado.gov/dem/public_information/emergency_kit.htm
http://www.avertdisasters.org/html/72_hour2.html
And now, some more reasons people don’t have their years supply:
I have a year's supply...and the bullets to go with it! I've heard time and again, "How dumb is that to go to all the time and expense of getting food...just to have some guy with a gun come and shoot my family to take it away?" Here's a better question. Are you afraid of the guy with the gun? Or are you more afraid of BECOMING the guy with the gun? What would you do if your children were starving to death? Would you lie? Cheat? Steal? Would you shoot your neighbor for his food? I guarantee....if you were watching your child starving to death, you would do anything you had to to keep them alive. If you don't have your year's supply, you are putting yourself in danger of losing not only your temporal salvation, but your spiritual salvation as well.
So far, all the reasons we don't have our food storage involve eating someone else's food. Please, don't put your family's temporal salvation in other people's hands. No one is storing food for you. Not your neighbors, not the government...not even the church.
gv3grant@gmail.com 628-2739
Some announcements:
There are some emails going around that talk about Dr. Susan Puls and the Church Pandemic preparedness. I cannot verify the validity of the email but this link will take you to the official statement of the church on family preparedness having to do with a pandemic. A pandemic is a world wide epidemic. One of the diseases being watched now is the ‘Asian Bird Flu.’ It is all discussed in the church internet site which is listed here: http://www.providentliving.org/pfw/multimedia/files/pfw/pdf/112086_PPHomeFamilyPrepardness_pdf.pdf The link also has links to the World Health Organization and other sites.
We intend to start the garden next Saturday Feb 28th. Listen to the announcements today for a meeting to lay out the plots and answer questions.
DON’T FORGET – TOMORROW MORNING 8 AM DRY PACK CANNING!
By the way, to tag onto last weeks information on drying fruit and vegetables, there are a lot of internet sites that give additional and informative techniques that you might find profitable. One thing that I suggest is that you keep plastic food container like the ones that have Mayo or salted nuts or even large jars with cookies and have a sturdy structure with a lid that fits tightly, save them for storage of dried stuff. It is even good to have them for storage of smaller items in zip loc bags as double protection.
Lin’s Grocery Store is having a case lot sale including a good price on 55 gallon storage tanks. It runs from March 4th to 17th.
I have been asked to provide a list for a 72 hour kit. I don’t know where these names and designations get started. But, 72 hours is a start. The kit needs to be available in a place near the door of the house or garage (if it can be kept from getting too hot). This does not substitute for the car kit given earlier because it will not be kept in the car. It can be a part of the year supply however, and just needs to be ready to travel if that is the instruction. The church does not publish such a list that I am aware of since they do not want that to be a ‘stopping’ place. Here is a list from a few sources though, that are very good. Not every person or family needs all of the items on each list and may need thing not on any list. Make your own and follow or modify it for yourselves.
http://www.fema.gov/pdf/areyouready/appendix_b.pdf
http://dola.colorado.gov/dem/public_information/emergency_kit.htm
http://www.avertdisasters.org/html/72_hour2.html
And now, some more reasons people don’t have their years supply:
I have a year's supply...and the bullets to go with it! I've heard time and again, "How dumb is that to go to all the time and expense of getting food...just to have some guy with a gun come and shoot my family to take it away?" Here's a better question. Are you afraid of the guy with the gun? Or are you more afraid of BECOMING the guy with the gun? What would you do if your children were starving to death? Would you lie? Cheat? Steal? Would you shoot your neighbor for his food? I guarantee....if you were watching your child starving to death, you would do anything you had to to keep them alive. If you don't have your year's supply, you are putting yourself in danger of losing not only your temporal salvation, but your spiritual salvation as well.
So far, all the reasons we don't have our food storage involve eating someone else's food. Please, don't put your family's temporal salvation in other people's hands. No one is storing food for you. Not your neighbors, not the government...not even the church.
gv3grant@gmail.com 628-2739
Let''s do this!! Helping Familes Get Ready for an Emergency
Now that we have our food supplies starting to accumulate, we are going to start preparing for physical situations. I will continue to pass along tips as they become available on whatever I find but there is much to do in other areas of preparedness. Materials this week come from the Division of Homeland Security and related agencies.
There may be a condition happen which the authorities could decide that evacuation would be more of a risk than staying put. In some ways this would be good as it gives us access to our food and materials without having to transport them.
Most of these things are available commercially but many can be made from things around the house.
One of the top items: you knew it would come sometime – Duct tape! This may be used with large sheets of plastic which you can also get from the hardware store as painters plastic. Don’t get the lighter one but don’t get the heaviest expensive one either. If there is a chemical or biological situation that makes breathing the air outside unhealthy, you may need to seal up your house so that you are breathing only the air inside. The faster you can seal up the doors, vents and windows, the cleaner and less harmful the air will be. “Ready America ” web site suggests precutting these plastic pieces and labeling them so that they can be put up quickly. Since the doors of attached garages are the hardest to seal, you may want to quickly move your materials in the garage inside and seal the door to the garage.
Schools, work places and public facilities need to have an emergency plan and so do you as a family. Even talking about this with children can be distressing to them. Carefully and lovingly explain why you are doing this and let them know that it is all to help protect your family from separation and risk. Your family plan needs to spell out how you will contact each member of the family and what they will do if they cannot contact you or each other. They need to know to respect authority of schools or other agencies and know that you as parents will work with them until you are home safe or in a shelter together. For the children, rehearse and practice the drill until you know they have it; then practice it at intervals to see that they remember.
If you have family or friends in far away places, send them a copy of your plan with phone numbers and email addresses of friends and contacts so that a network can be established. Even though communications can be disrupted sometimes they are localized or available by emergency shortwave radio by designated individuals. Have one person in another state or location away from here that everyone knows to contact in case they can’t get in touch with each other, Make sure the children know how to reach that person. Each stake is supposed to have a short wave radio operator so that the stake president can report to SLC Church headquarters. They will also be the designated contact to the State of Utah Emergency Coordinator. See if your ‘far away contact’ can find out who that individual is so that they can make contact through them. Also give them your local short wave radio operator.
If you know someone that has a short wave radio, contact them and practice a remote contact with the designated person. If you don’t know someone, see if you can find someone or become qualified yourself. We will have more on this later. If any of you are already involved, PLEASE let me know.
Home teacher and visiting teachers: know specialized needs of your families and as soon as your family is secure, make sure that they are in their home or taken to a place where they can be cared for. Make sure they can be ready to go quickly if need be. If they have medical needs like oxygen, make arrangements for this by knowing who have generators and can ‘host’ the individuals temporarily. The Red Cross and the local medical facilities are preparing for such emergencies but may be restricted from movement just as you may be. Just be ready for as many possibilities as you can. You will need a battery operated radio to keep in touch with the government services – so, have one.
If you are not prepared, the first thing you will be tempted to do is panic and try to call the Red Cross or 911 or... the Bishop. These agencies and individuals will not be able to handle the call load for people who are hysterical and cannot listen anyway. They need to be there for the things they do best. We need to be prepared. Do have though, a list of all emergency numbers just in case.
One last thing: know how to shut off your gas if you have it. Have a wrench handy so you can shut it off. Know where the water valve is for your home and how to shut it off too.
Today's web sites:
Homeland Security: http://ready.adcouncil.org/beprepared/
Ready America: http://ready.adcouncil.org/beprepared/
Ready Kids: http://www.ready.gov/kids/home.html This is good! FHE? There is a readiness planning worksheet here that the kids can do or help prepare so that they know what is in it and how to use it.
There may be a condition happen which the authorities could decide that evacuation would be more of a risk than staying put. In some ways this would be good as it gives us access to our food and materials without having to transport them.
Most of these things are available commercially but many can be made from things around the house.
One of the top items: you knew it would come sometime – Duct tape! This may be used with large sheets of plastic which you can also get from the hardware store as painters plastic. Don’t get the lighter one but don’t get the heaviest expensive one either. If there is a chemical or biological situation that makes breathing the air outside unhealthy, you may need to seal up your house so that you are breathing only the air inside. The faster you can seal up the doors, vents and windows, the cleaner and less harmful the air will be. “Ready America ” web site suggests precutting these plastic pieces and labeling them so that they can be put up quickly. Since the doors of attached garages are the hardest to seal, you may want to quickly move your materials in the garage inside and seal the door to the garage.
Schools, work places and public facilities need to have an emergency plan and so do you as a family. Even talking about this with children can be distressing to them. Carefully and lovingly explain why you are doing this and let them know that it is all to help protect your family from separation and risk. Your family plan needs to spell out how you will contact each member of the family and what they will do if they cannot contact you or each other. They need to know to respect authority of schools or other agencies and know that you as parents will work with them until you are home safe or in a shelter together. For the children, rehearse and practice the drill until you know they have it; then practice it at intervals to see that they remember.
If you have family or friends in far away places, send them a copy of your plan with phone numbers and email addresses of friends and contacts so that a network can be established. Even though communications can be disrupted sometimes they are localized or available by emergency shortwave radio by designated individuals. Have one person in another state or location away from here that everyone knows to contact in case they can’t get in touch with each other, Make sure the children know how to reach that person. Each stake is supposed to have a short wave radio operator so that the stake president can report to SLC Church headquarters. They will also be the designated contact to the State of Utah Emergency Coordinator. See if your ‘far away contact’ can find out who that individual is so that they can make contact through them. Also give them your local short wave radio operator.
If you know someone that has a short wave radio, contact them and practice a remote contact with the designated person. If you don’t know someone, see if you can find someone or become qualified yourself. We will have more on this later. If any of you are already involved, PLEASE let me know.
Home teacher and visiting teachers: know specialized needs of your families and as soon as your family is secure, make sure that they are in their home or taken to a place where they can be cared for. Make sure they can be ready to go quickly if need be. If they have medical needs like oxygen, make arrangements for this by knowing who have generators and can ‘host’ the individuals temporarily. The Red Cross and the local medical facilities are preparing for such emergencies but may be restricted from movement just as you may be. Just be ready for as many possibilities as you can. You will need a battery operated radio to keep in touch with the government services – so, have one.
If you are not prepared, the first thing you will be tempted to do is panic and try to call the Red Cross or 911 or... the Bishop. These agencies and individuals will not be able to handle the call load for people who are hysterical and cannot listen anyway. They need to be there for the things they do best. We need to be prepared. Do have though, a list of all emergency numbers just in case.
One last thing: know how to shut off your gas if you have it. Have a wrench handy so you can shut it off. Know where the water valve is for your home and how to shut it off too.
Today's web sites:
Homeland Security: http://ready.adcouncil.org/beprepared/
Ready America: http://ready.adcouncil.org/beprepared/
Ready Kids: http://www.ready.gov/kids/home.html This is good! FHE? There is a readiness planning worksheet here that the kids can do or help prepare so that they know what is in it and how to use it.
The 10 Virgins did it! So can we!!
How did Enoch do it? The more I think about him and what he accomplished, the more I wonder at his accomplishments. All ten of the virgins in his story were at the door with lamps full of oil! They were all going to the temple regularly, serving faithfully, loving their neighbors by deed, not just smiling to them over the fence. They obviously loved their Father in Heaven because they were taken into his presence because their acts were so consistent with his presence that he could not deny them. Wow! And, Enoch was another of the ‘weak and simple folk’ of the world. As I recall, he even considered himself homely and not able to express himself well! He just wanted to be left alone on the back row. How did he do it?
Brothers and sisters, the Lord has not given us this assignment for us to fail. We can do it. I love what The Lord tells us through Samuel the Prophet “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice and to hearken than the fat of rams.” 1 Sam. 15:22. So, is it the day to day little things we do in obedience to what we are asked to do that fills our lamps? Is that why we can’t share our “oil” with the other five? Think about it; here is the Savior of the world who gave the law of Sacrifice to Adam who then was instructed to make this the center point of worship just as the Sacrament is today, saying that to obey is better than Sacrifice!
So, do you feel overwhelmed with everything you are asked to do? I do. If however, we do as Nephi did when he said, ““I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.” (1 Nephi 3:6).
Of what then do we have to fear? If we listen to Pres. Hinkley from a quote 10 years ago, it would be to delay our obedience. “The time has come to get our houses in order … There is a portent of stormy weather ahead to which we had better give heed” (Gordon B. Hinckley, Ensign, Nov. 1998, p. 53).
For everyone of you that has a legitimate reason for not being able to make weekly contributions to your storage, there is someone in the ward with help for you to do it. If your excuse is that you are just a lazy loser, don’t be proud, confide in your priesthood leader and I am sure the bishop will have some kind and appropriate advice.
How fortunate we are to have been warned. How lucky we are to still have time. But how much do we really have? Let’s give Bishop Langston a feel of what Enoch must have felt when all of his people obeyed.
And, it might not be a good idea if you Real-estate people start eyeing this property for development when the ward is taken up or you might find yourselves here to do the job.
Brothers and sisters, the Lord has not given us this assignment for us to fail. We can do it. I love what The Lord tells us through Samuel the Prophet “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice and to hearken than the fat of rams.” 1 Sam. 15:22. So, is it the day to day little things we do in obedience to what we are asked to do that fills our lamps? Is that why we can’t share our “oil” with the other five? Think about it; here is the Savior of the world who gave the law of Sacrifice to Adam who then was instructed to make this the center point of worship just as the Sacrament is today, saying that to obey is better than Sacrifice!
So, do you feel overwhelmed with everything you are asked to do? I do. If however, we do as Nephi did when he said, ““I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.” (1 Nephi 3:6).
Of what then do we have to fear? If we listen to Pres. Hinkley from a quote 10 years ago, it would be to delay our obedience. “The time has come to get our houses in order … There is a portent of stormy weather ahead to which we had better give heed” (Gordon B. Hinckley, Ensign, Nov. 1998, p. 53).
For everyone of you that has a legitimate reason for not being able to make weekly contributions to your storage, there is someone in the ward with help for you to do it. If your excuse is that you are just a lazy loser, don’t be proud, confide in your priesthood leader and I am sure the bishop will have some kind and appropriate advice.
How fortunate we are to have been warned. How lucky we are to still have time. But how much do we really have? Let’s give Bishop Langston a feel of what Enoch must have felt when all of his people obeyed.
And, it might not be a good idea if you Real-estate people start eyeing this property for development when the ward is taken up or you might find yourselves here to do the job.
Gardening Land offered
I am so excited with the number of you who have expressed support for this insert. I hope it is useful. It is so good to be in a ward where participation in everything good is so high. What a privilege to be here.
I think this will be the last week of suggesting what food to put away since everyone is in a different place with their storage and food preferences. Pres. Hinckley spoke recently and made the whole thing of storage very simple: “Store what you eat.” That means, purchase a little extra of non-perishables that you get when you go shopping and put them away until you have a weeks supply-then add another week and so on. Be sure and know what the storage limits are on each food and rotate it. That’s one of the benefits of using what you eat. Don’t go by the date on the label, go by the recommended storage time from the extension department guidelines. I’ll try and get some of them soon.
This week we should make sure we have a start on dry or canned beans. Purchase as many as you can of the ones you like and eat. If you don’t eat them, you might want to get some anyway. Sister Schmidt says that rice and beans together make a perfect protein which is good if you are not storing much beef or animal protein, including cheese.
We have been offered some ground for a ward vegetable garden. We need to know this week how many would be interested in participating (working) in such a garden. Please call or email me if you feel you want to do it. If there is enough interest, we will take the offer.
gv3grant@gmail.com or 628-2739
look on the back for some good resources on the internet.
This is the link to the Extension service and has many good things. Look at ‘Dixie gardener’ and ‘home matters’ for some great ideas. These guys also take calls if you have questions.
http://extension.usu.edu/washington/
This is an interesting site for storage – you decide if you like it but it may be helpful. Check out the section on getting a 3 month supply in 90 days to see what you think:
http://www.theideadoor.com/FoodStorage.html
A sister in my son’s ward in Highland, Utah has this one and it is very professional and I think very good. Try it out:
Http://www.safelygatheredin.com
Then, not last, and not least – the churches web site:
www.providentliving.org
look on the left for lots of good connections
If any of you have other resources or ideas, let me know and I will share them.
PS, if some of your vegetables are not going to be used before they turn into slime in your refrigerator, try drying them or freezing them. Green peppers or any others for that matter can be cut up and frozen without blanching (dipping in boiling water). Don’t waste!
You may want to watch for a food dryer especially if you see one in a garage sale or on sale in the store. It is a great and safe way to store many fruits and vegetables.
I think this will be the last week of suggesting what food to put away since everyone is in a different place with their storage and food preferences. Pres. Hinckley spoke recently and made the whole thing of storage very simple: “Store what you eat.” That means, purchase a little extra of non-perishables that you get when you go shopping and put them away until you have a weeks supply-then add another week and so on. Be sure and know what the storage limits are on each food and rotate it. That’s one of the benefits of using what you eat. Don’t go by the date on the label, go by the recommended storage time from the extension department guidelines. I’ll try and get some of them soon.
This week we should make sure we have a start on dry or canned beans. Purchase as many as you can of the ones you like and eat. If you don’t eat them, you might want to get some anyway. Sister Schmidt says that rice and beans together make a perfect protein which is good if you are not storing much beef or animal protein, including cheese.
We have been offered some ground for a ward vegetable garden. We need to know this week how many would be interested in participating (working) in such a garden. Please call or email me if you feel you want to do it. If there is enough interest, we will take the offer.
gv3grant@gmail.com or 628-2739
look on the back for some good resources on the internet.
This is the link to the Extension service and has many good things. Look at ‘Dixie gardener’ and ‘home matters’ for some great ideas. These guys also take calls if you have questions.
http://extension.usu.edu/washington/
This is an interesting site for storage – you decide if you like it but it may be helpful. Check out the section on getting a 3 month supply in 90 days to see what you think:
http://www.theideadoor.com/FoodStorage.html
A sister in my son’s ward in Highland, Utah has this one and it is very professional and I think very good. Try it out:
Http://www.safelygatheredin.com
Then, not last, and not least – the churches web site:
www.providentliving.org
look on the left for lots of good connections
If any of you have other resources or ideas, let me know and I will share them.
PS, if some of your vegetables are not going to be used before they turn into slime in your refrigerator, try drying them or freezing them. Green peppers or any others for that matter can be cut up and frozen without blanching (dipping in boiling water). Don’t waste!
You may want to watch for a food dryer especially if you see one in a garage sale or on sale in the store. It is a great and safe way to store many fruits and vegetables.
Preparedness wk 3
Preparedness
So, now we are working on water in two liter bottles, and seeds. This weeks assignment has to do with medications. Don’t forget the other projects because they are on-going. Just add this to them because this is an ongoing project too. For those of you who are lucky enough to not be on medications, purchase a few bottles of generic aspirin. Get a few adult strength and some child strength. For those on prescription medications, we have not been able to convince the doctors, pharmacies or insurance companies that we need to have an emergency supply yet, so, purchase a pill box like you already have; and, every time you forget to take your pills, put the whole lot in your ‘extra or emergency’ box and save them. I have talked to people that actually make or assemble the chemicals for medications and most are good for a very long time – much longer than printed on the container. We can find out if you are concerned about individual medications.
So, now we are working on water in two liter bottles, and seeds. This weeks assignment has to do with medications. Don’t forget the other projects because they are on-going. Just add this to them because this is an ongoing project too. For those of you who are lucky enough to not be on medications, purchase a few bottles of generic aspirin. Get a few adult strength and some child strength. For those on prescription medications, we have not been able to convince the doctors, pharmacies or insurance companies that we need to have an emergency supply yet, so, purchase a pill box like you already have; and, every time you forget to take your pills, put the whole lot in your ‘extra or emergency’ box and save them. I have talked to people that actually make or assemble the chemicals for medications and most are good for a very long time – much longer than printed on the container. We can find out if you are concerned about individual medications.
Spring Gardening in St George
Spring Gardening in St. George
By Rick Heflebower, Washington County Horticulture Agent
Vegetable gardening in Washington County can be rewarding and successful. The county has a wide range in elevation which has a significant influence on the climate and growing season. For example, St. George has an elevation of 2,624 feet and a frost-free growing season of more than six months. Cold-hardy vegetables such as cabbage, onion, peas, spinach, and turnips can be planted before the danger of frost is over. This is because they can tolerate cold temperatures and they do not fare well once temperatures get into the mid-eighties and above. Other plants such as beets, carrots, potatoes and Parsnips may be planted before the last frost date but could be tender if they are out of the ground on a night when the temperatures drop well below freezing. Keep in mind that the frost-free dates given here are only average dates and will vary from season to season. Even though the season starts early and ends fairly late in the St. George area, the middle of the season is too hot to grow most vegetables successfully. There is a period beginning in June which often goes until August when the temperatures exceed 95 degrees nearly every day. This extreme heat renders the pollen of most vegetables sterile and fertilization cannot take place. This is often seen on tomatoes and squash when the flowers wilt and die in midseason rather than forming young fruits. Another way to deal with the heat of summer is to think of it as two growing seasons. Begin early and plan to mature vegetables before it gets really hot. You can also plant late in the season and try to have plants come into bearing late enough to miss the worst of the heat. In theory, this works well on short-season crops like beans and squash but is more difficult on long-season crops such as tomatoes and melons. You may also beat the heat by purchasing young transplants and putting them in while it is cool. Transplants will take less time to mature than direct-seeded vegetables and therefore mature before it gets too hot. However, this does not work well with all vegetables. For example, corn, beans, and carrots should not be transplanted. Some gardeners have used shade cloth or other ways to shield plants from the harsh afternoon sun. The period from 2 pm until sundown is generally the hottest time of the day. Where possible, offer protection from the sun from the west in late afternoon.
By Rick Heflebower, Washington County Horticulture Agent
Vegetable gardening in Washington County can be rewarding and successful. The county has a wide range in elevation which has a significant influence on the climate and growing season. For example, St. George has an elevation of 2,624 feet and a frost-free growing season of more than six months. Cold-hardy vegetables such as cabbage, onion, peas, spinach, and turnips can be planted before the danger of frost is over. This is because they can tolerate cold temperatures and they do not fare well once temperatures get into the mid-eighties and above. Other plants such as beets, carrots, potatoes and Parsnips may be planted before the last frost date but could be tender if they are out of the ground on a night when the temperatures drop well below freezing. Keep in mind that the frost-free dates given here are only average dates and will vary from season to season. Even though the season starts early and ends fairly late in the St. George area, the middle of the season is too hot to grow most vegetables successfully. There is a period beginning in June which often goes until August when the temperatures exceed 95 degrees nearly every day. This extreme heat renders the pollen of most vegetables sterile and fertilization cannot take place. This is often seen on tomatoes and squash when the flowers wilt and die in midseason rather than forming young fruits. Another way to deal with the heat of summer is to think of it as two growing seasons. Begin early and plan to mature vegetables before it gets really hot. You can also plant late in the season and try to have plants come into bearing late enough to miss the worst of the heat. In theory, this works well on short-season crops like beans and squash but is more difficult on long-season crops such as tomatoes and melons. You may also beat the heat by purchasing young transplants and putting them in while it is cool. Transplants will take less time to mature than direct-seeded vegetables and therefore mature before it gets too hot. However, this does not work well with all vegetables. For example, corn, beans, and carrots should not be transplanted. Some gardeners have used shade cloth or other ways to shield plants from the harsh afternoon sun. The period from 2 pm until sundown is generally the hottest time of the day. Where possible, offer protection from the sun from the west in late afternoon.
Preparedness
Obedience leads to true freedom. The more we obey revealed truth, the more we become liberated. – Elder Faust
Brothers and sisters, this week your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to start your water collection for your food storage program. For this week, start saving all two and three liter or juice bottles. Milk bottles are not suggested to be used.
Wash the bottles thoroughly then fill them full leaving little or no air at the top. Screw the lid on tightly. The bottles can be stored laying down or standing up.
I would like to have a forum each week in this bulletin to help with problems associated with keeping food storage. If you have ideas or solutions that you or others have found, please contact me by phone or email (preferred).
Thanks,
Grant Collier grantdcollier@msn.com 628-3729
Brothers and sisters, this week your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to start your water collection for your food storage program. For this week, start saving all two and three liter or juice bottles. Milk bottles are not suggested to be used.
Wash the bottles thoroughly then fill them full leaving little or no air at the top. Screw the lid on tightly. The bottles can be stored laying down or standing up.
I would like to have a forum each week in this bulletin to help with problems associated with keeping food storage. If you have ideas or solutions that you or others have found, please contact me by phone or email (preferred).
Thanks,
Grant Collier grantdcollier@msn.com 628-3729
10 ways to prepare for disaster
Our last column discussed how, in the event of a disaster, a plan can help reunite families faster and help minimize the stress on seniors and other family members during an already stressful time. Following are 10 ways that seniors, their families and caregivers can prepare for a natural disaster.
1. Be informed. Contact the local emergency management office to learn about the most likely natural disasters to strike your area. Valuable information is available at www.gov.ns.ca/EMO.
2. Complete a personal assessment. Seniors should determine what they can or can't do before, during and after a disaster. Make a list of those needs and resources that can meet them.
3. Make a plan. Schedule a family meeting to assess your needs in an emergency and develop a plan of action. Include in your plan key people in your life - neighbors, friends, relatives and professional caregivers - who could help. Remember to include pets in your plan.
4. Assemble a disaster kit containing essential supplies, as well as photocopies of key identification, your health card, and legal documents. The easy-to-carry kit should have three days of non-perishable food and water, plus an additional four days of food and water readily accessible at home. Keep bottled water on hand since it's easy to store and carry. Refresh and replace your supplies at least twice a year. Medication and other personal supplies such as a cane, eyeglasses, or batteries for a hearing aid should also be part of your kit.
5. Label every piece of equipment or personal item in your kit, in case they are lost.
6. Discuss multiple escape routes. Seniors should develop at least two escape routes - one out of their home in case of fire when they must get out quickly, and one out of the area in case they must evacuate the local community. (The local emergency management office can provide escape routes out of the community). Designate a place to meet other relatives or key support network people outside the house, as well as a second location outside the neighborhood, such as a school or church. Practice the plan at least twice a year.
7. Know when to go or to stay, and how to make the decision. When deciding to evacuate, older adults should go sooner rather than later. By waiting too long, they may be unable to leave if they require assistance from others.
8. Know where to get information during an emergency, either through the local television, radio station, or weather radio. Have a battery-operated radio on hand. Different alarms are available for people with medical conditions, such as a strobe alarm for the hearing-impaired.
9. Make a list of contact telephone numbers. The list should include people on a seniors' support network, as well as doctors and other important health-care professionals.
10. Call a professional caregiver if you or your loved one needs help. If a senior needs assistance and you can't be there, contact your local office of Home Instead Senior Care.
For more information about local caregivers and how they can help in a crisis, call the Home Instead Senior Care office.
jburke@homeinstead.com
1. Be informed. Contact the local emergency management office to learn about the most likely natural disasters to strike your area. Valuable information is available at www.gov.ns.ca/EMO.
2. Complete a personal assessment. Seniors should determine what they can or can't do before, during and after a disaster. Make a list of those needs and resources that can meet them.
3. Make a plan. Schedule a family meeting to assess your needs in an emergency and develop a plan of action. Include in your plan key people in your life - neighbors, friends, relatives and professional caregivers - who could help. Remember to include pets in your plan.
4. Assemble a disaster kit containing essential supplies, as well as photocopies of key identification, your health card, and legal documents. The easy-to-carry kit should have three days of non-perishable food and water, plus an additional four days of food and water readily accessible at home. Keep bottled water on hand since it's easy to store and carry. Refresh and replace your supplies at least twice a year. Medication and other personal supplies such as a cane, eyeglasses, or batteries for a hearing aid should also be part of your kit.
5. Label every piece of equipment or personal item in your kit, in case they are lost.
6. Discuss multiple escape routes. Seniors should develop at least two escape routes - one out of their home in case of fire when they must get out quickly, and one out of the area in case they must evacuate the local community. (The local emergency management office can provide escape routes out of the community). Designate a place to meet other relatives or key support network people outside the house, as well as a second location outside the neighborhood, such as a school or church. Practice the plan at least twice a year.
7. Know when to go or to stay, and how to make the decision. When deciding to evacuate, older adults should go sooner rather than later. By waiting too long, they may be unable to leave if they require assistance from others.
8. Know where to get information during an emergency, either through the local television, radio station, or weather radio. Have a battery-operated radio on hand. Different alarms are available for people with medical conditions, such as a strobe alarm for the hearing-impaired.
9. Make a list of contact telephone numbers. The list should include people on a seniors' support network, as well as doctors and other important health-care professionals.
10. Call a professional caregiver if you or your loved one needs help. If a senior needs assistance and you can't be there, contact your local office of Home Instead Senior Care.
For more information about local caregivers and how they can help in a crisis, call the Home Instead Senior Care office.
jburke@homeinstead.com
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