I have rethought my earlier post about stocking up on alcohol to
sell to alcoholics. I don't think my conscience could allow me to do that.

So I’m assuming all y’all with food in the freezer have back ups. Correct? Generators?

How do you manager fuel supply for more than a few days?

Freezers are just fine for "traditional" food shortages, like we saw with the early stages of COVID. Or the intermittent chicken shortages, which appear headed towards getting worse. You buy stuff when it's available and freeze it, so you still have it at later times when it's not, or when it's significantly more expensive.

If you're worried about "apocalyptic" food shortages, then stuff like canned chicken and tuna are better options. But I don't think most folks here are necessarily planning for a "societal collapse/failed power grid/postapocalyptic wasteland" type of scenario.

Think food instability, not food apocalypse.

Besides, even with generators, you're limited on how long you can keep a freezer running. That's fine for stuff like storm-related power outages, but not for "the end of the world" with no power available again.

Pressure canning of chicken, beef, vegetable stew, and more can be appealing because it doesn't need refrigeration. The canning process is a bit of work, but it's very convenient to grab a jar of something, heat it up, and it's ready. It's also good for people that don't plan meals a day ahead and pull things from the freezer to thaw.

Pressure canning can also be good for dealing with larger harvests of garden items, or when you find a great deal on chicken or some vegetable but need a way to store it beyond the freezer.

I guess I’m not worried about food “shortages”. That’s covered.

But I am thinking about buying food differently. I.e. grocery stores suck.

Recent experience with buying from wholesale vendors online seems far much better (both quality and price) if you’re prepared for storage.

I appreciate all the thoughts… Good fodder for the grok-hopper.

quote:

Originally posted by SIGnified:
So I’m assuming all y’all with food in the freezer have back ups. Correct? Generators?

How do you manager fuel supply for more than a few days?

A dual fuel generator and a Honda 2K. 100 gallons X2 of propane and about 30 gallons of gas will keep stuff frozen for quite awhile.

I had the solar folks out last week and they quoted me 23K for a system with a 10KWH battery (after the rebate). It sounded good until I did the math. 2 freezers and a fridge will eat that up in a few days. That'd be fine, but we get inversions around these parts in the winter that can last weeks. Still tossing around whether or not to go for it. In the meantime, I freeze dry and can...a lot.

Freezers will also statistically fail on you when you’re on vacation, and it’s stuffed to the brim.

You don't need to run a gen set constantly if it's just for fridge/freezer. Your freezer will hold for around three days if you don't open it.
If you run a gen for a hour or two a day your freezer will be good unless your going in and out of it constantly.

And if you live where I do and it's between October and April you don't need a freezer!

Even if we have food shortages here in the U.S. We the United States,
being the most generous nation on the planet, will still send tons of
food to third world countries whoes corrupt governments will still let
their population starve to death.

quote:

Originally posted by SIGnified:

But I am thinking about buying food differently. I.e. grocery stores suck.

Recent experience with buying from wholesale vendors online seems far much better (both quality and price) if you’re prepared for storage.
.

Check the Food Wholesalers in your area, some have public allowed pickup will call desks.

US Foods, Sysco, etc are huuuuuuge wholesalers to all the places we eat out, schools, hospitals and the list goes on.

It’s probably not common, but here in OKC US Foods opened a big free standing store.
, anyone can walk in and buy. General Public, local small eating establishments, etc are seen there all the time. I k ow some churches shop there for weekly or monthly dinners etc

The big quantity size containers are most common, Case lots, etc, but they’ve broken down a lot of items, like a case of 10 packs, and you can buy just one and go.

Dust off your Google Fu, make some calls, ask around. Find out about all the wholesalers in your area.

I know of one wholesaler who has 2 huge public welcome locations, one in Denver and one in Phoenix, can’t recall their name right this second. EDIT TO ADD: just google “Shamrock Food Service Warehouses” , they’ve added more locations. This is good. Add: shamrockfsw dot com You really have to walk through one to understand and appreciate what they can do for you.

OKC had the 1st or 2nd concept store Link

Before I retired, work would have monthly potlucks. I’d keep my mouth shut and buy a #10 can of ham n beans, beef stew, etc and bring it. I also booth the #10 cans of chocolate pudding, butterscotch, or vanilla pudding. I’d put the can in the fridge overnight to cool it. In the morning I’d cut it open, put in big dish, add chopped banana and vanilla wafers, everybody loved it and ask for the recipe. I’d just and tell them it was secret. At the time the #10 can was about $4.59, 60 cents of bananas and whatever vanilla wafers cost.

Sams, Costco, BJ’s, etc are good for case lots and #10 cans. WINCO and Sprouts and other grocers have Bulk where but just as much as you want.

quote:

Originally posted by Voshterkoff:
Chicken is currently in short supply.

The hatchery I work at is moving roughly three million birds a week, but one case of avian influenza would shut us right down. There was a confirmed case of AI two counties north of me fairly recently.

My family is hedged against that for now, by having 70 laying hens at my dad's. Several roosters ensure that we can replace the ones we eat.

Also, I went shopping for canning jar lids today. I have plenty of rings, just want more flats. Loads of regular in stock. Wide mouth are only available with rings. Seems odd, but I just bought what was in stock.

Zerohedge has a tweet that price controls will be announced by the admin tomorrow.

quote:

Originally posted by Plugugly:

quote:

Originally posted by Voshterkoff:
Chicken is currently in short supply.

The hatchery I work at is moving roughly three million birds a week, but one case of avian influenza would shut us right down. There was a confirmed case of AI two counties north of me fairly recently.

That's a lot of birds Plugugly. Let's hope and pray that doesn't happen.

The MSM has been really pushing the Bird Flu narrative.


Former CDC Director Redfield says "The Great Pandemic" of Bird Flu is coming

https://brandnewtube.com/v/jSPKjx

The very same CDC says you can’t touch your chickens.

You gonna get a flock of mother cluckers?


Go ahead, click and order a paper catalog. Very interesting. LINK to Murray McMurray

Get some chickens that are beautiful and lay Easter Egg colors (auracanas) or dark chocolate brown eggs (Bielfelders) and more.
.

Already have ‘em in the coop for … going on year 2. Garbage into breakfast!

quote:

Originally posted by SIGnified:
The very same CDC says you can’t touch your chickens.

But their new spokesperson Jeffrey Toobin advises you may choke them as necessary.

Bird flu? What the hell is next, Sunshine flu? What a crock.

quote:

Originally posted by SIGnified:
Already have ‘em in the coop for … going on year 2. Garbage into breakfast!

We got 18 hens and a couple of roosters last year. We average 12 or so eggs per day. We have eggs out the wazoo.

It is pure comic gold watching the roosters chase family members.

quote:

Originally posted by bigdeal:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by SIGnified:
The very same CDC says you can’t touch your chickens.

But their new spokesperson Jeffrey Toobin advises you may choke them as necessary.

I see what you did there

quote:

Originally posted by Jupiter:

That's a lot of birds Plugugly. Let's hope and pray that doesn't happen.

Our biggest customer is Chick-fil-A, second is Chipotle.

Eggs hatch in 21 days, chicks go to farms for a couple of months, depending on breed, then to the processing plant.

All by products get turned into pet food, so AI will affect that, as well.