Food Storage Guideline Change

Okay, so most of the comments on Jessica's blog post about the article on food storage made fun of her enthusiasm.   But I thought it was a worthwhile subject, so here goes (I started to post this as a comment on her blog, but then I realized it was worthy of its own post - I hope you think so, too).

The new guidelines make starting our food storage less ominous, as well as let us off the hook for some of the food rotation. I can't say 54 jars of applesauce isn't a worthy goal still (for my family, that's just over a 3-month supply), but we are asked to take baby steps and not go into debt to do it. The highlights are:

• Start gradually, if necessary, with storing three months of food you regularly eat
• Then add some water storage
• Then set aside a financial reserve
• Then store a one-year supply of life-sustaining foods (many of which have recently been found to last for 20-30 years, so no regular rotation is necessary on these items - wheat, white rice, corn, pinto beans, dried apple slices, macaroni, rolled oats, potato flakes, and powdered milk, to name a few)

Hurray! I don't have to rotate my beans. The old guidelines were the reverse of this. We were told to take care of those life-sustaining items first, then store additional foods that we normally eat. I think the new way is much more reasonable. That way, if you are temporarily unemployed, you eat the way you normally do, and still have your life-sustaining foods that you spent so much time planning out and canning and paying for in your reserve, and you don't have to go through that process again.

Let me emphesize here that the reason we store food is to help our families and neighbors in times of hardship, such as unemployment or natural disaster. Here is a quote from www.providentliving.org that says it best:

"Our Heavenly Father created this beautiful earth, with all its abundance, for our benefit and use. His purpose is to provide for our needs as we walk in faith and obedience. He has lovingly commanded us to “prepare every needful thing” (see D&C 109:8) so that, should adversity come, we can care for ourselves and our neighbors and support bishops as they care for others.

"We encourage members world-wide to prepare for adversity in life by having a basic supply of food and water and some money in savings.

"We ask that you be wise as you store food and water and build your savings. Do not go to extremes; it is not prudent, for example, to go into debt to establish your food storage all at once. With careful planning, you can, over time, establish a home storage supply and a financial reserve."
—The First Presidency, All Is Safely Gathered In: Family Home Storage, Feb. 2007, 1