We’re presenting a video from a somewhat different source than is usually considered for the prepping community. Autumn is a time of abundance, followed by winter, the hardest time of the year. Back in the 18th century, people had to make sure they had stocked up on provisions for a time when they couldn’t rely on a neighbor or local business. They had to store away food because that was simply the way things were.
Back then, it was normal to have 3 or 4 months of food stored away as a matter of course. The people back then were setting aside some of the harvests, drying some of the fruits and vegetables they had grown in their garden. They stored away grains and protecting them for the hard winter months. We think of this as ‘prepping’ for emergencies and stressful times. However, for them, this was routine because they knew that there would be times when food would be scarce.
These days it’s an entirely different story. We’re used to being able to run down to the grocery store at a moment’s notice or place an order for a food delivery that will be at your doorstep in a half hour. We all suffer from normalcy bias, the mindset that things will continue as they always have. There aren’t a lot of people around that lived through the great depression or the scarcity and rationing of W.W.II. So it’s hard for most folks to fathom a time when food could be running out. We all had a slight preview of this at the beginning of the COVID Crisis, but many failed to learn the lesson.
At politics’ most basic level there are just the two political philosophies of individualism and collectivism, with most of the freedom community falling on the individualism side of the coin. That would point to most that frequent this site also being of the prepper mindset. Those of us who work on being ready for emergencies tend to keep quiet about operational security reasons.
Authoritarians tend to look down on being ready for emergencies and being self-sufficient. That alone should speak volumes. Collectivists would rather have as many people dependent on them and the government as possible, which makes them much easier to manipulate. Food is always a control mechanism for the authoritarians, so if you aren’t getting ready, you are playing right into their hands.
Having been in several emergencies, blizzards, etc; we’ve noted that far too many never get ready until it’s far too late. Then they join everyone else in a panic buying frenzy in every local store. If you think a Black Friday sale is a brawl, wait until it becomes evident that we’ve become something worse than Venezuela and people have to fight over food for their children, not just a good deal on a flat-screen television. The time to get ready was two years ago, so those of you who haven’t better get started because the golden horde is going to be just behind you soon enough.
We can’t possibly give you all the ins and outs of food storage for emergencies. But we can stress the vital life-saving importance of at least starting the process now before it’s far too late. There are plenty of websites, books, and videos to gather further information. Begin by storing a week’s worth of food, then gradually add to that. That will at least lower your stress levels when the panic buying breaks out.
It’s also important that you assess how you are going to store your supplies for the long term. For those just beginning it’s just a matter of your ABCs:
- Assess your family’s food usage and choices
- Buy what you eat and eat what you store
- Cycle through your stock of food regularly
- Store as much as you can
Storage technologies have come a long way since the 18th century. Unfortunately, many began this process long ago and the lead times to obtain some of these items may place them out of reach. However, it is well worth considering them if they are available. Take note that one of the largest emergency food companies is having shipping delays because of the unprecedented demand. Keep in mind these are just a few rudimentary notations on the subject to get you started.
Since we don’t know if power outages will be part of the mix, frozen foods may only be considered a stopgap measure. Other methodologies are far more involved but don’t require power to keep food safe to consume. Food dehydrators and freeze dryers are two good examples, but again there will be a long lead-time in building up a stock of food for your family. The important point is to get ahead of the curve and the crowd and before we see widespread panic buying and food rationing.
As to the question of why we are trying to cajole you late starters into prepping, there are several answers. One is our concern for our fellow man. Two, a political motivation in that if there are more than are prepared, there will be fewer under the authoritarian control. Finally, this will hopefully reduce the ‘golden horde’ of the unprepared that prepping and freedom community will have to deal with in the future. Pro-freedom conservatives should be preppers as a matter of course. Independence is the goal. The alternative is a dependency on Brandon and his gang couldn’t organize a one-car caravan, much less feed your family. Remember that and get going with food storage, it’s not just for preppers anymore.
