Latter Day Saints Food Storage

Is There Any Chance Lds Home Storage Centers Will Have Non

There are currently some foods that are non-GMO! Here is a list:

• Apple slices
• Hard red wheat
• Hard white wheat

In addition, our apple, potato, and rice suppliers currently do not supply us with GMO products, to their knowledge, but there may be an opportunity through cross-pollination or common use of harvesting equipment to introduce some GMOs in these agricultural products. But to our knowledge, these products are also non-GMO.

Most of our sugar does come from GMO sugar beets, but because sugar is a highly refined product, the structure of sucrose is the same whether it comes from GMO sugar beet or some other source.

However, you should know that we have no policy on avoiding GMOs, and we do not place a claim on our labels because the definitions change, and switching labels costs money. This means that the best way to know what contains GMOs, or not, at any specific time is to call the phone number provided on our products for such questions .

Tips For Using The Lds Food Storage Calculator

Here are a few tips that I have found helpful.

Now, the secret of food storage pros is to have recipes that utilize these ingredients and begin incorporating them into your familys meals.

The Food Storage Calculator is just a starting point. With some planning, experimenting, and a few sneaky strategies so your family becomes accustomed to something new on the menu, you really can put all that wheat, rice, and all those beans to good use!

Using The Food Purchase Calendar

The calendar breaks down, month by month, week by week, what provisions you should buy. The stated goal was to keep the costs between $35-45 per week. However, I have no idea how old this list is. I found an earlier edition from 2001 with the same list, so expect some inflation.

The list is basic and often repetitive. It revolves around the so-called Mormon Four:

• Whole wheat berries
• Sugar or honey
• Salt

If you follow the list to a T, in a year your house will be full of several hundred pounds of wheat, dry milk, sugar, and salt. Other articles from the book recommend between 300-400 pounds of wheat per person, per year .

As it happens, the Mormons have a thing for wheat. Its not a bad choice for a preparedness staple. Wheat berries are versatile, calorie-dense, store well, and can even be planted to grow more wheat.

Salt, sugar, and honey are solid things to have at hand. Theyre used in many, many dishes, are also useful for preserving food, and last pretty much forever.

The dry milk Im a bit more skeptical about. It doesnt last forever. Most off-the-shelf dry milk products expire in a little over a year, though they might be safe to eat for years after that, and some preparedness outfitters sell sealed dry milk that is advertised to last more than 25 years .

My skepticism aside, this is a time-tested food storage plan. Stories abound about Mormons who faced financial hardships but made it through thanks to their food storage.

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Mormons Are Religious About Preparedness

We are not endorsing the Mormon religion, but the fact is that Mormons are quite literally religious about preparedness. And as such, they have a wealth of information and baked-in preparedness wisdom, including what foods to store, how to store them, and clever ways to prepare them.

The LDS Preparedness Manual, despite its name, has not been endorsed by the LDS church. In fact, it even at some points recommends stocking up on coffee, tea, and beer, three beverages the LDS church frowns upon. The term SHTF appears several times. The editor of the manual makes it clear up front that its for everyone:

At some point while reading this manual you ARE going to have questions, and I am happy to offer my assistance to you, your family, your church or your preparedness group REGARDLESS of your religious affiliation! While I am LDS, preparedness doesnt care what your religious affiliation is!

Other than some easily skippable front matter, youre not going to be inundated with blatant religious messaging. Now lets discuss the book itself.

Learn To Use Your Stockpile

Next, you need to be able to cook from scratch. And I mean scratch because almost everything in this list is a raw ingredient. If you dont already know how to cook, consider taking it up as an essential prep skill. Pinto beans and wheat berries store much better than frozen pizzas and potato chips.

Even if youre an experienced cook, you may be asking yourself, What am I to do with all these wheat berries and milk powder?

One thing you will need that I did not include in the kit is a grain mill that will turn your wheat berries into flour. I do not have enough experience to recommend a specific grain mill. You can buy either an electric or a manual mill, and if you can swing it, I recommend both: the electric for convenience and the manual in case of a grid-down scenario. Ive considered the Country Living Grain Mill, since it can be paired with an optional motorization kit, but that pair would cost nearly $1,000. Ive also heard good things about the NutriMill electric mill, and its much cheaper .

You may be tempted to skip the berries and buy pre-ground whole wheat flour. Dont. Whole wheat flour does not store well, nor do many other brown dry goods like brown sugar and brown rice. White flour is in the list and you can bulk up on your stockpile there if you must.

The guide also recommends garden seeds. To that end, I recommend the Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. Baker Creek heirloom seeds are highly regarded and Ive had excellent results with them.

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How To Pay For Food Storage

When planning food storage, you may want to know how you’ll afford all of the necessary supplies and storage space. The publication “All Is Safely Gathered In: Family Home Storage” says it is not prudent to go to extremes and incur debt to set up your store. Instead, it is better to build it steadily over time. You should store only as much as your circumstances allow.

The pamphlet suggests buying a few extra items each week. You will quickly build a one-week supply of food this way. By steadily continuing to purchase a little extra, you can build up to a three-month supply of non-perishable food without putting unnecessary stress on your budget. And as you build your supply, be sure to rotate it, consuming the oldest items before they are outdated so that nothing goes to waste.

Similarly, you should build your financial reserve by saving a little money each week. If that is difficult, look for ways to save money by cutting expenses and luxuries until you have saved your reserve.

Food Storage List For 1 Year Food Supply Calories

As indicated above, the LDS are now suggesting the following absolute bare minimums for each adult. I did the math to portion these quantities per day, just to get an idea of what were talking about

These basic ingredients amount to approximately 2,600 calories per day. Or, nearly 950,000 calories for one year.

For me personally, I would make adjustments to this list. Meat. I would reduce the carbohydrates and increase the meat/protein. But again, this is basic. It will help get you started on all this.

Grains 400 lbs.

Milk-Dairy 16 lbs.0.70oz / day

5-gallon buckets will hold about 33 pounds of wheat berries, rice or other grains. Theyre all similar in that way. This means you would need about 12 buckets of these grains for each adult in your family. This will give you an idea of the space you would need for this.

60 pounds of beans will fit in two 5-gallon buckets. Or, if you buy 1-lb bags, these will fit in a couple of plastic storage bins of sufficient size .

Daily Food

Dividing 400lbs by 365days, equals out to 1.1 lbs, or just over 1 lb of grain, per person, per day. That is approximately 2 cups of unground grain to cover your breakfast lunch and dinner. Some might be rice. Some might go towards making bread. You will be using this to make bread, pancakes, biscuits, rice & beans, or whatever

Dividing 60lbs by 365, this works out to 0.16 lbs of beans per day, or 2.6oz approximately 3/4 cup .

Its a process. Diversify!

Or, you could start building your own. .

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Does The Lds Church Grow All The Family Home Storage Food Or Is It Sourced From Other Farmers

The following items are usually all grown directly by the LDS Church on our many welfare farms: Black Beans, Pinto Beans, Great Northern Beans, Hard Red Wheat, and Hard White Wheat.

The LDS Church also makes the following formulated products:

• Hot cocoa mix
• White flour
• Berry drink mix
• Macaroni
• Nonfat dry milk
• Pancake mix
• Spaghetti bites

In addition, some food is sourced from others that we have approved as suppliers. Part of that approval process is to assess their commitment to food safety. These other home storage foods are purchased by us, and we repackage them in Church processing facilities.

However, if we were to have a higher demand than the availability of our products, we may purchase items from other approved suppliers.

Why Are The Costs So Low

Most of those who work in the Home Storage Centers and the farms are unpaid volunteers. They also have few middleman-type costs because they grow and process their products.

It does not operate for profit. Instead, it merely works to cover the costs so that the long-term food storage will be available to as many people as possible.

The LDS Home Storage Center is part of the welfare program of the LDS. They aim to help each American, especially those who cannot afford to buy their food products. In todays generation, where every commodity is costly, you will save a lot if you buy at the LDS Home Storage Centers.

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How Do You Keep Costs So Low At The Lds Home Storage Centers

First of all, most of those who work on the LDS churchs welfare farms and the LDS home storage centers are unpaid volunteers. So, the salaries are not such a problem for us.

From Misty: You can find out more about these volunteers only by reading this article. Believe me, there are a lot of interesting things there!

In addition, we have fewer middle-man type costs because we grow much of our own food and make many of our own formulated products.

Last, we are only looking to cover costs and not make a profit, so we are able to pass those savings on to those who shop the home storage centers.

Options For Purchasing Items:

Each cannery has different policies, so make sure to call before going.

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Is Any Of The Food From China

The carrots and onions in the LDS Home Storage Center may sometimes be sourced from China.

They are currently washed, trimmed, cut, dried, and packed in bulk in an FDA-inspected plant in Illinois, but they may be grown in China. Pesticide and herbicide residues are tested to make sure they are within US EPA limits and are non-GMO.

Why Does The Lds Church Have Home Storage Centers If They Are Run By Lds Volunteers Why Do They Allow Non

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has Home Storage Centers to help support families in building a basic supply of food in their own homes for times of need.

Food storage provides an opportunity for families to be self-reliant when hardships come their way. It could come in the form of a natural disaster, economic downturn, loss of employment, sickness, and even the loss of a family member. You can find more information HERE on why the LDS church recommends having food storage.

This is true for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as for members of other churches or those of no religion. We believe the food in our home storage centers is for all people that need it and encourage all others to be willing to share with their neighbors in times of need.

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How Long Does Shipping Take If I Order From The Lds Home Storage Center Online

Orders typically leave the distribution center within a day or two after they are placed, but when you get your order depends on how quickly Fed Ex can get it to you based on where you live. Orders are shipped from Utah via Fed Ex ground. Larger orders may be shipped by Fed-Ex Freight. An email confirmation with shipping information is sent with tracking information once the product is shipped.

From Misty: You can use this map to estimate how long it will take to get from Utah to you via Fed Ex Ground. Also, remember to factor in the 1-2 days it will take to leave the distribution center in Utah.

Food Source Of Lds Cannery

Some of the food items like onions and carrots are sourced from China. The volunteers wash, trim, cut, dry, and pack the fruits and vegetables in bulk. The Food and Drug Administration inspects their plant in Illinois regularly.

Also, the herbicides and pesticides used to grow the products are tested to make sure that they are within the standards of US EPA limits and they are non-GMO.

Meanwhile, some of their products are grown directly by the LDS church partner farmers like the black beans, hard red wheat, pinto beans, and hard white wheat.

The volunteers process the following products on the site:

• Fruit drink mix
• Hot cocoa mix
• Macaroni
• Nonfat dry milk
• Pancake mix
• Spaghetti bites
• White flour

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What Should I Store

Have sufficient food, clothing, and fuel on hand to last at least one year.

The counsel to have a years supply of basic food, clothing, and commodities was given fifty years ago and has been repeated many times since. Every father and mother are the familys storekeepers. They should store whatever their own family would like to have in the case of an emergency God will sustain us through our trials.

Most of us cannot afford to store a years supply of luxury items, but find it more practical to store staples that might keep us from starving in case of emergency.

Store a provision of food which will last for at least a year wherever it is legally permissible to do so. The Church has not told you what foods should be stored. This decision is left up to individual members. . .From the standpoint of food production, storage, handling, and the Lords counsel, wheat should have high priority. There is more salvation and security in wheat, said Orson Hyde years ago, than in all the political schemes of the world . Water, of course, is essential. Other basics could include honey or sugar, legumes, milk products or substitutes, and salt or its equivalent.

Home storage should consist of a years supply of basic food, clothing, and, where possible, fuel. After this goal is reached, emergency and expanded storage is desirable.

Any Suggestions Of Where To Buy Empty #10 Cans

No, the LDS Church does not/cannot endorse any specific company.

From Misty: You may be able to get cans, lids, and oxygen absorbers from local food processing plants in your area. So, if you want to purchase cans online, you can do so by only accessing the previous link. I get my . You can learn more about using oxygen absorbers in my article about How to Use Oxygen Absorbers the Right Way.

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Other Foods To Supplement Your Bulk Staples

You can supplement bulk staples which offer a limited menu with commercially packed air-dried or freeze-dried foods, packaged mixes and other supermarket goods. Canned meats are a good selection. Rice and varieties of beans are nutritious and long-lasting. Ready-to-eat cereals, pasta mixes, rice mixes, dried fruits, etc. can also be included to add variety to your menus. Packaged convenience mixes that only need water and require short cooking times are good options because they are easy to prepare. The more of these products you include, the more expensive your stockpile will be.

The following is an easy approach to long-term food storage:

Consider stocking some of the items listed as examples below. Amounts are suggested quantities for an adult for one year.