Weekly Assignment and Food Storage Ideas (Week of August 27th)

Hi Carson Ward Family, Family and Friends,

Quote:

"We encourage you to follow this counsel with the assurance that a people prepared through obedience to the commandments of God need not fear." (First Presidency letter, June 24, 1988)

There may come a time in the future when food prices will be so high, you will not be able to purchase food for your family. Why not store some food for those hard times? Food continually rises and will continue to rise due to extreme weather conditions over the past year or so. Some items may become unavailable. Frank Davis, owner of Food for Health International in Utah, said he cannot get potatoes right now, there are none available for the dehydrated foods he makes, and prices have increase significantly over the past year and continue to rise. We need to be prepared for whatever might come our way!

Follow ups:

1) Water Filtration Pumps and Filters--I am doing one more order this Sunday, last day to order. The Water Pumps are $18.40 with tax and shipping. The Filters are $8.00 with tax and shipping. The water pump comes with one filter. The filters filter out 99.9999% of bacteria, viruses and contamination. Each filter filters 100 gallons of water. Please see the sign-up sheet this Sunday or email me by Sunday night how many water pumps and filters you want. Or you can call me at 310-835-0902. If all goes well, I should have them by next Sunday.

Note: If you use muddy or dirty water, it is best to pour the water through a t-shirt first to filter out as much mud or debris you can, that way the filter will last longer.

2) Water Barrels--When was the last time you replaced the water in your barrels or rotated any stored water. If you have bleach (1/4 cup per 55 gallons) in the water, you need to replace the water every year, if the water barrel is sitting in the sun, probably more often. If you do not have bleach in the water, then you need to replace the water every 6 months, more often if in the sun. If you have the Activated Stabilized Oxygen, 10% Strength in the water, it will last for 5 years, less if the barrels are in the sun a lot, maybe 3-4 years. I purchased it from Majors Survival Warehouse Store in Garden for $12.95. One small bottle will take care of 2 55 gallon barrels, half (1/8 cup) in each barrel. Never store your water in the garage, much to hot. Best place is where the barrel gets the least amount of sun during the day. If you want to purchase the barrels, see the Water Storage posting on the right side of the blog under Postings where you can buy them. 55 gallon barrel--$20-$25 each. Tell him Miss Nancy from the church in Carson on 228th and Main referred you, he may give them to you for $20 if you ask him. One will fit in the back seat of a Honda Civic.

Note: Electric Water Pump--we just purchased a 12 volt electric water pump at Harbor Freight for about $30-$40. First we purchased a more expensive one, $80, thinking it would work better, it did not pump out the water, must have been a bad design, we tried 2 of them. Then we purchased the 12 volt one and it worked great! Pumps out the 55 gallon water barrel in about 15-20 minutes. Requires a battery charger to hook it up to. The regular syphon worked as good, but we had to put the water a bucket and carry the water to another place and dump it out, to much work for me. The pump allows you to hook up the hose and direct the water to your lawn or flower beds. Great if you have several water barrels to empty.

3) Vegetable garden--For those who planted a vegetable garden or in containers, how is it doing? So far we have harvested lots of zucchini, yellow squash, lettuce, carrots, green onions, brown onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, green beans, beans, and cucumbers. We are excited to see pumpkins growing this year. It is not a huge garden, 6 feet by 10 feet. In September we will plant the cool vegetables, broccoli, celery, lettuce and peas. A great thing about living in California is that you can plant and grow vegetables almost all year long. It is such a great feeling to be able to go out to our garden and get fresh vegetables as we need them. I have made green salads and vegetable soup entirely from our garden. Our freezer is getting full from all the vegetables I have blanched and frozen, they will keep for a year. I am just about done using up the vegetables I froze last year. I will also can some this year.

4) 72 Hour Emergency Food Kits--If you completed your 72 hour food kits last August when we did them, please check them and replace any items that are about ready to expire and replace the water too. You can put the almost expired items in your children's school lunches.

Temporal Assignment--Family Emergency Medical Supplies:

This week we are finishing up the supplies. If you have not started or completed these supplies go back to the blog posting starting May 29th until you get to this posting August 27th, it took us 3 months to complete the list by adding a few items each week. Please add the following this week:

1) sunscreen
2) Potassium Iodine Tablets--only take if instructed to due to radiation fallout, do not take unless advised. I found them on EmergencyEssentials.com, 14 tables for $9.99. You may also be able to find them a Majors Survival Warehouse Store in garden or other survival stores or on line.
3) Burn Kit--I found this at EmergencyEssentials.com for about $15, or you may be able to purchase it at Walgreen, CVS, WalMart, or Target.
Optional: You may want to add the following if you wear contact lens--Extra pair of lens and solution.

Important: Once a year check expiration dates. Rotate all medications, prescriptions, ointments, liquids, pain relievers, solutions, etc.

Spiritual Assignment:

Read the article "Valiant in the Testimony of Jesus Christ" in this month's Ensign, September 2011, page 35, and share the importance of being prepared with a friend, a neighbor, and/or a co-worker. Discuss this article as a family or with a friend.

Food Storage Ideas:

Canned Foods: Due to various temperatures where canned food may be stored, it is difficult to determine the definite period of time at which all canned foods will hold. The short shelf life products are highly acid and pigmented foods such as grapefruit and orange juice, black and red cherries, all colored berries, prunes, and plums usually have an average shelf life of 1-2 years. Other fruits such as peaches, pears, apricots and applesauce average from 2-3 years. Vegetables such as beets, carrots, green beans, spinach, greens, tomatoes and tomato juice average 3-4 years. Vegetables and meats such as peas, corn, Lima beans and roast beef should average 4-5 years. Canned milk should be agitated every 30 days. This prevents the fats from separating, and should be used within one year. Most canned foods now have expiration dates. Keep track of them by setting up a chart and check if often to avoid having to through away expired food.

Canned foods should be stored in a cool, dry place, the cooler and dryer the longer they will last. Place the oldest canned foods on the shelves in the front so they will be used first. Rotation is the key to good food storage. Fruits, vegetables and meats properly processed in glass jars and stored in the home will keep in a cool, dry, dark place should last as long as those in cans.

Do not use canned foods when the can is bulged or leaking, bacteria has sat in. Same thing goes for bulged lids on glass jars. DO NOT USE THEM!

This information was issued by The General Church Welfare Committee.

Remember: Post your name and comment by this Sunday, August 27th, by 10am for the Monthly FREE Giveaway Drawing to be help this Sunday, August 27th.

Weekly Assignment and Food Storage Ideas (Week of August 21st)

Hi Carson Ward Family, Family and Friends,

Quote:

"Prepare ye, prepare ye for that which is to come,...." (Doctrine and Covenants 1:12)

A couple of years I woke up early in the morning and sat up in bed, with a very strong feeling from the Spirit of the Holy Ghost, telling me I needed to prepare for the things to come and get my food storage in order as soon as possible, and that I needed to warn others. I knew the spirit was talking about spiritual and temporal (Food Storage and Emergency Supplies) preparation. This warning continued to stay on my mind and I told others of the warning and my concern. A year later I was called as the Ward Emergency Preparedness Leader and given a charge and responsibility to help the Carson Ward Family, my family, my neighbors and friends to become prepared for whatever might come our way.

Heavenly Father inspired me to set up this Blog to help and reach others. "The Ark", the Carson Ward Emergency Preparedness Blog, is to help you become better prepared and get you started if you have not done so. I have tried to fill this blog with as much knowledge and information I can about Emergency Preparedness and give you assignments and challenges weekly to help you become more prepared and closer to your goal of a years supply of food and emergency supplies. Please use this information to help you and your family and your friends!

There is a saying, "Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, teach a man how to fish and he will eat for a life time." I am trying to teach you how to fish so you can take care of yourself and your family when needed.

The Bishopric and my goal is the make sure everyone family has a 72 Hour Emergency Kit and Family Bag, to make sure every family has water stored, to make sure every family has food storage (preferably a year's supply), to make sure every family has emergency supplies and is trained in first-aid and CPR, to make sure every family has an "Out of State Contact Person" and card in their wallet, purse or backpack, to make sure every family has shelter and a way to cook if they could not use their home, to make sure every family has been assigned an Emergency Response Team person that will go out in the case of a disaster and assess each family assigned and report their needs and, if any, they injures to the Priesthood leaders, and to make sure our Ward as an Emergency Plan in place.

What have we done so far. We have showed you how to set up a 72 Hour Emergency Kit and Family Bag, we have provided a way to get the 55 gallon water barrels and explained the importance of storing and how to store water, we have showed you how to store, how much to store, what and where to store food, we have explained why you need an "Emergency Out of State Contact" person and given you cards for your family to keep in their wallet, purse and backpack, and we are currently working on completing our Family Emergency Medical Supplies. We are also in the process of setting up our Emergency Response Teams and setting up classes in first-aid and CPR. I hope to have an Emergency Preparedness Fair in our building before this year is over, possibly with the other Wards in our building. We want our Ward members to be prepared, to be self-reliant! Step by step, we will become prepared and not fear!

Temporal Assignment:

Family Emergency Medical Supplies (please add the following):

1) antacids
2) Epi Pen (for family members with sever allergic reactions, requires a prescription)
3) presciption medications family members take (high blood pressure, insulin and extra needles, etc.) If you explain to your doctor why you want to keep extra some doctors will give you it you, some prescriptions you are only allowed that dosage at a time, talk with your doctor, you should keep a 3 months supply on hand.

Next week we will finish up the Family Emergency Medical Supplies and I will repeat the 72 Hour Emergency Individual Food Kits.

Spiritual Assignment:

Bear your testimony to others. The more you do, the more you strengthen your own testimony and faith in our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Food Storage Ideas:

Dry pack storage: You should not store the following items in mylar bags in 5 gallon buckets or the cans from the LDS dry pack cannery, these items have to much moisture in them:

Brown rice, cooking oil, roasted nuts, honey, baked goods, flour mixes containing leavening, dried meats, egg noodles, peanut butter, or coconut.

You can purchase the 5 gallon food grade buckets at WalMart or Home Depot, make sure they are the food grade ones, usually white. Do not use the Home Depot orange buckets, they are chemicals in them. The link below will show you how to prepare the food in the mylar bags for the buckets.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mR_vQcd3sb0&feature=relmfu

Remember: Post your name and comment to have your name entered into our Monthly FREE Giveway Drawing to be help next week, Sunday, August 28th.

Weekly Assignment and Food Storage Ideas (Week of August 14th)

Hi Carson Ward Family, Family, and Friends,

Quote:

"The Lord has warned us of famines, but the righteous will have listened to the Prophet and stored at least a year's supply of survival food." President Ezra Taft Benson

"Let us be in a position so we are able to not only feed ourselves through home production and storage, but others as well." President Ezra Taft Benson

Wise counsel from a Prophet of the Lord!

Seychelle Water Filtration Pump--Last Sunday (August 14th) to order! It filters out 99.9999% of bacteria and contamination. These fit into your 55 gallon water barrels, but also breaks down for small container. You can even use the nastiest water from a stream, lake or even your pool and it will filter out the bacteria and contamination. They are usually $40 each but I was able to get a special deal for $25 (includes taxes and shipping). Please give your money (cash or check made out to Nancy Cuppett) to Sister Nancy Cuppett this Sunday.

Temporal Assignment:

Family Emergency Medical Supplies (please add the following this week):

a) Pepto-Bismol (check with your doctor for children's dosage and write on the bottle)
b) Diphendyramine (Benadryl) (This is an antihistamine used for hives, allergic rhinitis, etc. Check with your doctor for children' dosage and write on the bottle)
c) Lighter or matches (to sterilize items like needles if you have no gas burner)

Spiritual Assignment:

When our children were young Robert took the family to the cemetery for Family Home Evening and we sat by my parents gravesides. The children could not figure out why we were there for Family Home Evening, even I was puzzled. He gave the most awesome lesson on The Plan of Salvation and Eternal Life. Even though we may become separated in this life, we will be together for eternity and see our family again. Afterwards we got ice cream.

My challenge this week, take a trip to the cemetery with your family or a friend, visit a loved one's graveside and have your Family Home Evening there just as we did. If you do not have a loved one there, then just sit under a tree by a graveside. Talk about no matter what happens in this life you will always be together for eternity. Read some scriptures about eternal life and eternal families. This is also a good time to explain the Out of State Contact Person emergency cards and how they work. Even when you are separated in a disaster situation, you have a contact person to call to let them know you are ok, where you are and find out where other family members are. Each family member will carry one in their wallet, purse or backpack.

Food Storage Ideas:

Sugar and Honey:

Sugars are high in calories and low in nutrients. Sugar will keep forever. It will become hard but can me broken up to its original consistency. I store several bags in a large plastic container with a lid.

Honey kept for many months may darken slowly and become stronger in flavor, but will still be usable. Honey keep indefinitely. Honey and corn syrup may crystallize as they get order, but may be melted over hot water for use. Try to only heat up what you need, it is not good to heat up honey to often. It is best to turn your honey over every 6 months. The Honey Association recommends that infants under one year old should not be given honey because it is a raw product and may contain naturally occurring bacteria their systems cannot handle.

Honey is sweeter, weighs more and is moisture than sugar. It takes less.

Equivalents of honey for sugar:

Use 3/4 cup of honey for every cup of sugar.
Use 1/2 cup less of liquid for every cup of honey you use, more moisture and will make moist receipts more runner and not cook as well.

I would also store good organic maple syrup, jams and preserves for sweetening.

How much to store per person for a year: 60 pounds of honey. I have a conbination of regular sugar and honey.

Please read Sister Holt's comment on last week's blog posting regarding why you need an "out of state contact person" and how the cell phones and the internet worked after the Japan disaster. Some very good advise from personal experience!

Remember: Post your name and comment for our August FREE Monthly Giveaway Drawing to be held Sunday, August 28th.

Weekly Assignment and Food Storage Ideas (Wee of August 7th)

Hi Carson Ward, Family and Friends,

Quote:

"While we consider when to begin, it becomes to late." Latin Proverb

Do not procrastinate anymore starting your emergency food storage and water! It will bring you peace of mind. Start with just a few extra cans of soup or something and then add to it gradually each week. Before you know it, you will have a weeks supply, then a months, then 3 months, then 6 months, then a year.

Temporal Assignment:

1) Family Emergency Medical Supplies (This week add the following):

a) scalpel with extra blades
b) cough and cold medicine for whatever age groups you have in your household

2) If you took the Emergency Out of State Phone Cards, one for each household family member, please make sure you have filled them out and put one in each family members wallet, purse or backpack so they will have them when there is an emergency. Teach your children how to use them and practice from time to time with the whole family by setting up a scenario and calling your emergency person and reporting to them. The more you do this the more comfortable everyone will be with it and will know what to do when it is needed. It's just like having a practice fire drill. If you did not get the cards last Sunday please see Sister Cuppett this Sunday.

Important reminder: Check for expiration dates on food items in your 72 Hour Emergency Individual Food Kits and replace any item that will expire shortly. Use up the almost expired items.

Spiritual Assignment:

Read the story of Noah and how he listened to Heavenly Father, how he was obedient and how he and his family were blessed. Discuss as a family or with a friend how being prepared both temporally and spiritually can help you. Emphasize listening to the Spirit for guidance. Heavenly Father will protect us if we stay close to and follow the spirit.

Food Storage Idea:

Water: You can live without food for 30+ days (unless you are diabetic), but you cannot live without water for more than a few days. If you have dehydrated and/or freeze-dried food stored, you will need extra water to cook them. If you have room, store 50/55 gallon water barrels. If you do not have room for the 50/55 gallon barrels, then store the largest size you can (cases of bottled water or the larger sizes). You need as least one 50/55 gallon water barrel per person in your family per month for cooking and drinking only. Hopefully, the city water will be running again and able to drink.

Go to the Water Storage information on the right side under Postings. Read all about how to store, where to store, and where to buy the water barrels, Activated Stabilized Oxygen (keeps stored water for 5 years), siphon pumps and water filtration pumps, and all you need to know about storing water.

Seychelle Water Filtration Pumps: They fit into your 50/55 gallon water barrels or you can reduce it down to fit other sizes. I will have a sign up sheet this Sunday for anyone that is interested. Right now they are $40 each ($34.98 with taxes and shipping), I am trying to get them for about $25-$30 each. They filer out 99.9999% of bacteria and contamination. You could scoop up the most horrible water, pump the water through it and then drink it.

Remember: Post your name and comment at the end of this blog to have your name entered into our FREE Monthly Giveaway Drawing to be held Sunday, August 28th.