Why Your Food Costs Will Double in 2011 and What You Can Do About It

I just finished watching an excellent You Tube video of Marjory Wildcraft giving a talk about the expected rise of food costs in 2011.  It is a four part series, and it is a must-see.  Here is the first part:

 

She gives examples of how our food reserves are depleted, how we as a country are importing more food than we are exporting, and how we are consuming more than we are producing.

She talks about how we are 12 meals away from anarchy, and that most US stores have only about 4 days worth of food reserves.  And of course we all know how fast those shelves clear off in an emergency, such as an expected severe storm.

Over 30 countries now have bans on exporting food, because of their own food crises.  Global food prices have risen 26% in the last six months, and extreme weather  around the world has dramatically impacted food supply.  Oil prices are projected to go as high as $5 a gallon, which will greatly affect food prices. You may have noticed that the prices at the pumps are already outrageous.

But Wildcraft doesn't just preach the perils of our precarious food supply situation--she gives solutions, with basic information on how to get started.  Naturally, the first solution is to grow your own food.

There are so many reasons to grow your own food.  Saving money, eating healthier, and knowing where your food comes from and what's in it are just the tip of the iceberg.  It also provides for much security.  If you know how to grow food, and you have the supplies needed and the seeds saved, you will be better off in precarious socio-economic situations than 99% of the country. 

I will be covering more and more topics in the near future as the growing season gets going, both in blog posts here and YouTube videos.  If you tune in to my Real Health Revolution podcast, I'll be covering it there as well.  Because one of the best things you can do for your health is to eat more organically grown fruits and vegetables, especially if they are raw.  And nothing tastes like homegrown.


(BTW, I've included some links for seeds below. Always get heirloom, non-GMO, untreated seeds and avoid big seed companies that usually get seeds from Monsanto or one of Monsanto's subsidiaries.  If you can afford it, get organic.  The can rotators below are nice for organization, but not necessary for storing food.  Better to spend more on food, than on buying gadgets.  The germination station is handy, and it's a good deal--my set-up cost a lot more.  That Gardman greenhouse is a cheap greenhouse solution, but isn't heavy duty, so use in a sheltered spot, out of the wind, and don't try to use it year-round.)

Links for Food Storage

 On tonight's episode of Real Health Revolution, I talked about food storage.  Here are a few links to videos and websites that will give you a great introduction to the subject.


Wendy Dewitt's Food Storage Seminar - They don't get better than this.  There are 9 parts.  This is the link to the first part.  This is a must-see.

Getting Your Food Storage - One woman shows you her stash, and gives tips.

Everyday Food Storage - Another woman's food storage.  Her other videos show you how to cook with food storage.  Not always the healthiest recipes, in my opinion, but not bad, and she gives good information.

Mrs. Survival - The be-all, end-all, best place to get started learning about food storage and other survival/preparedness/self-sufficiency topics.  These ladies know their stuff.  They have a forum, a "Best of" section, and more.

Captain Dave's Survival Center - A more man-oriented site. This was one of the first sites I turned to, fourteen years ago when I started looking into food storage, preparedness, etc.  Very comprehensive.  Their food storage info is right to the point.  You can't ask for more information.