'Prepare Every Needful Thing' Handouts from Fall Meeting
September 24, 2011
Who can find a virtuous woman?...She seeketh wool and flax and worketh willingly with her hands. She is like the merchants' ships she bringeth her food from afar. She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens. She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard. She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms. She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth for her hands to the needy. She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet... She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eatheth not the bread of idleness.
Proverbs 31: 10-21,27
Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing
Doctrine and Covenants 88: 119
Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing
Doctrine and Covenants 88: 119
"Organize yourself" by getting a binder with tabs to put your preparedness ideas and plans in ! Click on the following links and print any of the information you desire to help organize yourself.
3-Month Food Supply
To get your copy of the Four-Step Approach to Home Storagedvd presentation shown during the opening of the Stake RS Home Storage Meeting: http://preparedldsfamily.blogspot.com/ scroll down on the lower right –cost $15
3 month food supply worksheet links and blogs
Use this link for additional worksheets for planning your menus http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/fsme/docs/3monthfoodsupply.pdf
If you are into using spreadsheets use this link…pretty nifty and has a tutorial if you’d like to learn!!! http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/babysteps/step-3-three-months-of-normal-food/
The supply list for your three month pantry. http://www.everydayfoodstorage.net/handouts/pantry.pdf
Works similar to a checkbook for keeping inventory http://dealstomeals.com/docs/Food_Storage_Inventory_Sheet.pdf
From the authors of “Not Your Mother’s Food Storage” -menu planning worksheets http://www.notyourmothersfoodstorage.com/worksheets/
Menu/recipes/all sorts of preparedness information http://preparednessmatters.blogspot.com/search/label/3%20Month%20Supply
Our new best friend with the ‘Strictly Pantry’ menu/recipes, and a month worth of menus for each season, amazing recipes, yet for real people http://theprudenthomemaker.com/default.aspx click at the left on menu/recipes and then again on the left for the desired category of menus…love the photography!
http://safelygatheredin.blogspot.com/ great recipes to get the creative juices flowing as well as other preparedness info
Water Storage
Store a 2 week’s supply of water (1 gallon per person per day). Buy 55 gallon barrels, get several 5-6 gallon jugs, or fill up empty soda/juice bottles. Make sure it is food grade plastic, but not milk jugs as they deteriorate too quickly!
Most sources recommend 1 gallon of water per person, PER day, for 14 days. Make sure to consider storing enough for pets as well.
Store water in “FOOD GRADE” or PETE plastic containers (stay away from milk jugs, but soda bottles are suitable)..
Store water away from too much light or heat.
Clean, sanitize, and rinse all containers prior to use.
Do not use containers previously used to store non-food products.
Store water in multiple sizes of containers to suit different emergency needs
Do not store water containers directly on concrete. Place on cardboard, wood pallets, or other materials.
Non-chlorinated water (most municipal water is chlorinated) should be treated with unscented liquid household chlorine bleach (5 to 6% sodium hypochlorite). See the chart above for appropriate amount to add to water.
Boiling is the safest way to clean water, however you can also use household liquid bleach to kill microorganisms.
What You Need to Know Before Purchasing a Grain Mill or Flour Mill
There are many things to consider before making your final selection when purchasing a grain mill. A list of questions I would consider are as follows:
1. Do I want a manual or electric grain mill?
• If I want a manual grain mill, do I really have time to hand grind all the time?
• If I want an electric flour mill, do I want to have the option to hand grind when needed?
2. What will I be using the flour from my flour mill for? (It is important to know this, as the grind consistency produced by many grain mills is not fine enough or coarse enough for some applications.)
3. Is a noisy flour mill going to bother me? (Some flour mills are very loud, particularly impact chamber mills such as the Wonder Mill, Nutrimill, and Blendtec Grain Mill.)
4. Will flour dust from my grain mill be an issue?
5. What is my price range?
Some of the most popular electric grain mills are the Wonder Mill (formerly the Whisper Mill Grain Mill), Nutrimill, and Blendtec Flour Mill. For manual flour mills, the Country Living and Family Grain Mill are two of the most popular. I will list each one with it's high points, and low points to help you select which flour mill will work best for your application.
Electric Grain Mills
The Blendtec Grain Mill is one of the best buys for your money. Priced at a modest 179.00, this grain mill has an adjustable grind and can grind coarse to very fine flour - plenty fine enough for bread. Grinds very quickly with a 24 cup flour pan. Drawbacks? Very loud, and will not grind very course grinds, if you are wanting to make cereals, cornmeal, and other grinds of a coarse consistency, and has no manual option. Will grind pretty much all non-oily grains.
This Grain Mill has stainless steel grinding blades - a health advantage over stone grinding burrs, as stone grinding burrs usually are bound with aluminum oxide. If you want fine flour for breads, and want it for a decent price, and need to grind a lot of flour without emptying the pan, this is likely the flour mill for you.
The Wonder Mill Grain Mill was formerly the Whisper Mill. The company who made the Whisper Mill went out of business, and their design was bought out by another company who is making it under the name "Wonder Mill". The Wonder Mill has been very popular. Priced at 239.95, this wheat mill is a little more expensive than the Blendtec Wheat Grinder. However, the Wonder Mill Grain Mill has a nice advantage in noise level over the Blendtec Grain Mill - still very loud, as it is an "impact chamber type mill" but not nearly as noisy as the Blendtec. The grinding consistency is an adjustable fine to coarse flour, but will not do very coarse grinds such as corn grits and bulgar wheat. No manual option. Can grind 12 cups at a time. Will grind pretty much all non-oily grains. This grain mill has stainless steel grinding blades, and a self cleaning milling chamber. This mill has a pretty clean operation, leaving less flour dust in the air than most electric mills. If you like all the features of the Blendtec Wheat Mill, but are willing to pay a little more to save your ears, the Wonder Mill could be an excellent selection.
The Nutrimill Wheat Grinder is the premium of the electric grain mills. Priced at 269.99, this flour mill can grind very fine flour and also has a little more adjustability than the Wondermill Grain Mill or the Blendtec Wheat Grinder on the coarse side, as the Nutrimill can grind as coarse as a corn meal consistency. Quieter than the Blendtec Flour Grinder and about the same as the Wonder Mill on noise level. This flour mill will grind pretty much all non-oily grains, and has no manual option, though the manufacturer has considered making one. It is just not available yet. This Grain mill has a 22 cup capacity, stainless steel grinding blades and a self cleaning milling chamber. An excellent selection if you like all the features of the Wonder Mill, but are willing to pay a little more to get a little more versatility on the coarse grinding side of the spectrum.
See Family Grain Mill Below. The Family Grain Mill is manual or electric.
Manual Grain Mills
The Country Living Grain Mill is one of the highest quality grain mills ever made. You could drop it on the floor, and it would likely hurt the floor more than the grain mill. The Country Living Grain Mill is one of those high quality items that could be passed on to the next generation. This flour mill uses stainless steel grinding burrs and has a lot of adjustability. With this grain mill you can grind a flour fine enough for bread (though not quite as fine as the electric mills listed above) and as coarse as desired. This flour mill can be motorized, though the motor, if bought from the manufacturer, is very expensive (right around the price of the mill itself). This grain mill can be motorized using a washer or dryer motor, and comes with instructions for doing this. If you motorize this grain mill, you are able to have the ease of use of an electric mill, but still have the ability to use it if the lights go out. Excellent for the Survivalist. Drawbacks? Most people don't like to grind grain by hand. They think they will, then they try it, and they don't. It takes about 2-3 minutes per cup of flour even if you are grinding as fast as you can go. This is normal for a manual grain mill and actually fast compared to some, but is not necessarily right for everyone, unless you plan on motorizing the unit. This wheat mill is excellent for the person who wants a manual mill, and wants high quality.
The Messerschmidt is not as high quality as the Country Living Grain Mill, but has definite advantages. Don't get me wrong - the Messerschmidt is German made and of high quality, it just does not compare to the all-metal construction of the Country Living Grain Mill. This manual grain mill's advantages lie in it's ease of use. The Messerschmidt is the easiest to turn grain mill we have ever tried. Some manual grain mills are so hard to turn that you feel like you need to be a body builder to use them. The Family Grain Mill is so easy to use that even a 7 or 8 year old child could do it. The output is about the same as the Country Living Grain Mill - 1 cup per 2-3 minutes of fast grinding, but is done with a lot less effort. The Family Grain mill also has a huge advantage in price, starting at just 94.95 for the manual version. Another advantage to this grain mill is that it is modular, so VERY easy to motorize. You have the option of buying a hand crank base, a motor base, grain mill attachment, flaker mill attachment, plus an array of other food processing attachments, and they all twist on with a snap to either the manual or electric grain mill base.
All the attachments will fit onto the Bosch Bread Mixer with an adaptor, which will save you a ton of money if you already have a Bosch Mixer. Very versatile, as you can see. The Messerschmidt does not grind as finely most of our electric mills or quite as finely as the Country Living Mill, but on the finest setting, the flour is still acceptable for bread making. Not recommended for pastry flour. Perfect for the person who wants to grind flour easily by hand, but wants an easy way to motorize the unit, or the flexibility to add other attachments.
Healthy, Quick and Inexpensive Cooking with Home Storage
Cooking and eating food storage is a win-win. Huge health benefits as well as more economical. Cooking/growing whole foods costs less freeing up more $$ to buy more food storage. Eating healthier, lower doctor bills, healthier, longer life! Cooking with food storage is easy and quick as loading and pushing a button! Need to have a few tools to help unlock their packed nutrition in quick, timesaving ways –wheat grinder, crock pot. rice cookeretc.
Don’t wait until the moment of crisis to eat these nutritious foods! Need good health, healthy eating habits every day. Need to know ahead of time what you can tolerate. Work it in slowly. If allergic to something-don’t store it!
Health Benefits Associated with Whole Grains
In April 2010, the American Society for Nutrition brought together researchers to review the evidence regarding the health benefits associated with whole grains. Current scientific evidence indicates that whole grains play an important role in lowering the risk of chronic diseases, such as coronary heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, and also contribute to body weight management and gastrointestinal health. The findings were published as a supplement to The Journal of Nutrition in May 2011
Antioxidants, Vitamins and Minerals
Consumers are increasingly aware that fruits and vegetables contain disease-fighting phytochemicals and antioxidants, but they do not realize whole grains are often an even better source of these key nutrients. Moreover, whole grains have some valuable antioxidants not found in fruits and vegetables, as well as B vitamins, vitamin E, magnesium, iron and fiber. Grind all types of whole grains to make mixed grain flours. Popcorn makes delicious cornbread!
Wheat
Q: What is whole white wheat?
A: White wheat is a different type of wheat that has no major genes for bran color The bran of white wheat is not only lighter in color but it’s also milder in flavor, making whole white wheat more appealing, to many people accustomed to the taste of refined flour. White wheat does not contain the strongly-flavored phenolic compounds that are in red wheat. This gives white wheat a milder flavor, and also means that products made with white wheat require less added sweetener to attain the same level of perceived sweetness.
Q: Is there any difference nutritionally between whole white wheat and "regular" whole wheat?
A: Experts consider these two kinds of whole wheat to be the same, nutritionally. Makes delicious breads, pancakes, muffins, waffles etc.
Methods for Cooking Wheat Berries
Rice Cooker: Place 1 cup wheat berries, 3 cups water, ½ tsp. salt. Turn on brown rice setting. Leave overnight.Crock Pot: Mix together in pot 1 cup cereal, 4 parts water, ½ tsp. salt. Cook overnight or 8-10 hrs. on low setting.
Oatmeal
Over 40 studies show that eating oatmeal may help lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease. According to Quaker, all it takes is 3/4 cup of oatmeal each day to help lower cholesterol. The soluble fiber in oats helps remove LDL or "bad" cholesterol, while maintaining the good cholesterol that your body needs. In January 1997, the Food and Drug Administration announced that oatmeal could carry a label claiming it may reduce the risk of heart disease when combined with a low-fat diet.The soluble fiber in oatmeal absorbs a considerable amount of water which significantly slows down your digestive process. This result is that you'll feel full longer, i.e. oatmeal can help you control your weight. New research suggests that eating oatmeal may reduce the risk for type 2 diabetes. In fact, the American Diabetes Association already recommends that people with diabetes eat grains like oats. The soluble fiber in these foods helpto control blood glucose levels. According to recent studies, a diet that includes oatmeal may help reduce high blood pressure. The reduction is linked to the increase in soluble fiber provided by oatmeal. Oats contain more soluble fiber than whole wheat, rice or corn.Oatmeal contains a wide array of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and is a good source of protein, complex carbohydrates and iron.The fiber and other nutrients found in oatmeal may actually reduce the risk for certain cancers.Oatmeal made Right:Boil 2 parts water with scant amount of salt. Add 1 part oatmeal, stir. Turn the stove off and leave lid onthepan. Let sit for 10-15 minutes.Spice it up: cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, cloves, maple flavoring Fruit Toppings: unsweetened applesauce, shredded apple, berries, bananas, raisins, peaches, dried fruits.Other Ideas: Ground flaxseed, wheat germ, orange peel, low-fat milk, soy milk, almond milk, low-fat yogurt, nuts. Leftovers could be used in the Healthy Oatmeal Cake
Oatmeal makes delicious easy granola, healthy bars, cookies and snacks ready to grab and go to sports games, healthy after school snack to hold them over until dinner. They are great to pack along in school lunches. They cost less and are more nutritious than prepackaged snacks. Double or triple your favorite recipes and freeze them in individual portions.. Search/ experiment with your own recipes. You will soon find your family favorites. Keep nutrition in mind. 1)made with whole grains 2)small amount of healthy sugars-honey, sucanat or agave. 3) moderate amounts of healthy fats -nut butters, olive or coconut oil.
Beans have the highest antioxidant content, period. Plus they're delicious, low cal, and they fill you up fast The key nutrients in each bean vary by type. Give your body a broader range and reap the anti-aging and disease-fighting benefits by mixing it up.Beans not only taste good, but they also fill you up for hours.One cup ofbeans provides a whopping 13 g of fiber--which is half of what we need daily--with no saturated fat. Beans are loaded with protein (about 15 g per cup) and dozens of key nutrients, including a few most women fall short on--calcium, potassium, and magnesium. Studies also tie beans to a reduced risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and breast and colon cancers. And surprisingly, red, pinto, and kidney beans are the highest antioxidant food, beating out both blueberries and cranberries.
Canned beans can be pricy. Use this quick easy method to cook dried beans and keep a variety in freezer ready to use:
Wash dry beans in colander. Put in crock pot. Fill water to cover 3” above dry beans . Add salt (1 Tblsp per quart of dried beans). Turn on low for 8 hrs. Pour through colander to drain any extra liquid. Fill freezer bags. Freeze. Thaw when ready to use.Use for: Breakfast, Mexican food, Soups, Salads, Salsas,Chilis, Burritos, Chip Dip, Hummus, Gravy
Instant cream of chicken soup/gravy: (Use white bean flour for milder taste) In saucepan put ½ cup milk, ½ cup water, 1 chicken bouillon cube, 3 Tblsp. White Bean flour for med-thick and 4-5 Tblsp for thick soups/gravies. Whisk into boiling water. Cook 3-5 min on med. Add canned chicken.
Can add cooked rice and season with Thai/Curry spice to taste to make a delicious bean and rice based casserole!
Great Recipe Ideas -Cooking with Food Storage Links – there are hundreds out there, these are only a few:
http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/recipes/, http://graincrazy.blogspot.com/http://www.safelygatheredin2.blogspot.com/
http://everydayfoodstorage.net/food-storage-recipes,http://foodstoragemafia.blogspot.com/,
Rotating Shelf for Cans
Rolling Can - Food Storage Shelf | ||||||||||||
Pricing | ||||||||||||
List of Parts | ||||||||||||
4 ea | 4' x 8' x 3/16" | Peg Board - shelf sides | 4 | ea | $10.41 | $41.64 | ||||||
10 ea | 5-3/8" x 8' x 1/2" | Plywood - Shelves | 2 | sheets | $21.44 | $42.88 | ||||||
70 ea | 1/4-20 x 6 | Hex head Cap Screws, Plated | 70 | ea | $0.41 | $28.70 | ||||||
60 ea | 1/4 -20 | Hex nuts, plated | 60 | ea | $0.04 | $2.40 | ||||||
16 ea | 1/4 x 2" | Lag screws, plated | 16 | ea | $0.18 | $2.88 | ||||||
1 ea | 1 x 2 x 8' | pine or fir | 1 | ea | $2.50 | $2.50 | ||||||
1 bag | Tool hangers | 1 | bag | $3.00 | $3.00 | |||||||
4 ea | #8 x 1-1/4" wood screw | 4 | ea | $0.04 | $0.16 | |||||||
$124.16 | ||||||||||||
Assembly | ||||||
1 | Select a 8' x8' wall area to locate the shelf. Provide space on both ends for loading | |||||
and unloading cans. Mark the location of the shelf on the wall. | ||||||
2 | Mark several vertical lines on the front of the peg board # 1&2 to show the center line of the | |||||
studs (to bolt the back of the shelves to the wall). | ||||||
3 | Mark the location of the shelf support bolts on back side of Peg Board #1 & 2 | |||||
a | Count down 12 holes on the left and 6 holes on the right. Draw a line | |||||
connecting the marks | ||||||
Assembly - continued | ||||||
3 | ||||||
b. | Count down 6 holes on both sides and draw a connecting line | |||||
c. | Repeat Step "b" eight more times - marking 10 shelves | |||||
d. | Mark 3 additional holes on each line (see "X" on figure 2) | |||||
4 | Mark the location for the shelf support bolts on the front side of Peg board #3 & 4 | |||||
5 | Slide the 1/4-20 x 6" Hex Head bolts through the holes marked from the back side | |||||
6 | Put and additional 1/4-20 x 6" hex head bolt through the exit end of Peg Board #1 | |||||
to act as a stop for the rolling cans. | ||||||
7 | Stand Peg Board #1 up with the bolts coming out from the wall. Line the | |||||
peg board up with the marks on he wall (see step #1). Blot the peg board into | ||||||
place using the 1/4 x 2 lag bolts. (note- put the lab bolts at the top of the | ||||||
shelf space so that the cans do not get stopped on the head of the lag bolt) | ||||||
8 | Stand Peg board 3 & 4 up with markings on the outside. Slip the shelf support bolts | ||||
through the marked holes and just start the 1/4-20 nuts on the bolts (put the on one | |||||
turn only). | |||||
9 | Take one shelf and nail and glue the 1 x 2 x 8' pine board in the center of the shelf - with | ||||
10 | Slide the shelf with the 1 x 2 glued to it in the bottom position. Slide all other shelves into | ||
place. Make sure that Peg board #3 & 4 are level with Peg board #1 & 2. Just snug the | |||
nuts. They don't need to be very tight. Make signs showing what is on each shelf. | |||
Load cans in and install tool hangers and enjoy! | |||
Making Room in your Home and Budget
Winter Gardening and Seed Storage
Winter Gardening 101
Gardening Books:
- Four Season Harvest by Eliot Coleman
- Winter Harvest Handbook by Eliot Coleman
- Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades by Steve Solomon
- The 12-Month Gardener by Jeff Ashton
- Salad Leaves for All Seasons by Charles Dowding
I purchase cold hardy plant seeds from:
- territorialseed.com (Territorial Seed Company)
- groworganic.com (Peacefully Valley Farm and Garden)
Fantastic, local, winter gardening website:
- http://www.westsidegardener.com/ (click on “quick looks” then click on “Vegetable Garden Timetable” for a monthly garden guide of what to plant in the garden)
Summer tasks:
- Make a raised bed to plant garden seeds. You can either build a raised bed frame using wood/ cinderblock/ etc., or instead of framing your garden bed, you can rake the soil to make an elevated bed about 1-2 inches higher than the surrounding soil. This will help keep the plant roots above the wet, soggy winter soil.
- plant cold hardy seeds according to the timeline on back
- water seeds, maybe daily, since seeds are usually sprouting in the heat of summer (corn salad and miner’s lettuce/claytonia may take 2-3 weeks to germinate)
- Bait for slugs
Fall tasks:
- purchase/find items to make row covers for your bed(s): 6 mil plastic and either 9-gauge berry wire or PVC pipes
- cover beds as the rain returns or around the time of the first light frost. Pull plastic tightly and anchor the ends with stakes
- mulch root vegetables with several inches of compost or 1 foot of straw also around the same time as covering beds.
- bait for slugs and water as needed
Winter tasks:
- bait outside the tunnel for slugs, at least monthly, or they WILL eat your salad greens
- enjoy your harvest
- come to Susan Butterfield’s home on Saturday, Jan 14th at to see what a winter garden may look like. Bring mud boots and your umbrella. My email is susieqbutter2@yahoo.com if you have any questions!!! Please, please ask questions!
Suggestions: Your first year just plant salad greens like spinach, corn salad, and miner’s lettuce (claytonia). Your second year plant salad greens and root vegetables. Your third year add
over wintering broccoli.
Susan's full presentation
My name is Susan Butterfield and I am a winter gardener. I have learned how to grow a garden without an expensive greenhouse, so that I can harvest salad greens, carrots, beets, parsnips, and rutabagas during the cold months of Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, and March.
7-8 years ago I purchased this gardening book (Four Seasons Harvest by Eliot Coleman) while looking for a general purpose garden book, and much to my surprise, it mostly talked about winter gardening. The author lived in Maine
About 3 years ago, in 2008, I decided to try growing a winter garden, so I bought a seed packet with cold hardy salad greens (cold hardy just means that the salad greens are more tolerant of cold weather). I planted them at the beginning of Sept. Then my dogs dug up my seed bed. So I planted them again. Then my dogs dug up my seed bed again. So I planted again! By then it was later in the month, the weather was cold, and very little even came up. I harvested nothing my first winter. My first winter garden was a failure- but as we know in gardening- we don’t use the word failure. Instead, we call them learning experiences.
So I did more research and learned that winter gardening, or winter harvesting, means summer planting.
I found another fantastic, more specific resource on the internet. It’s 7 pages long so I couldn’t make copies for everyone. This timeline comes from http://www.westsidegardener.com/. You can print this out at home or you can print it from the library. This gentleman gardens down in Sumner , Washington
If we open up the timeline to July- it tells us to plant our winter carrots and beets during the first two weeks of July.
Now when it comes to seeds- you want a more cold hardy variety of carrots, beets, and salad greens. Two good sources for cold hardy seeds that I have personally used are Peaceful Valley Farms and Garden out of California Oregon
Going back to the timeline- it also tells us to plant parsnips by mid July. Also plant rutabagas. Then in August it says to plant winter lettuces, spinach, and corn salad seeds. You harvest the entire plant when it’s about the size of your palm, and you just cut it off right at the base. On the handout I have listed several gardening books that have some great pictures of what all of these plants look like, so you know what to expect! These books are all available through the Sno-Isle Libraries.
Going back to the timeline, at the beginning of September it’s time to plant miner’s lettuce, also called claytonia. This is my second favorite salad green. It too has a very mild, pleasant taste. You cut off both the leaves and the stem to eat.
Write down the dates you plant your seeds- whether on your calendar, day planner, garden journal, whatever so you know next year if that was a good planting date, or if you need to plant earlier or later. Everyone’s garden may be slightly different. Sometimes I make 2 different plantings of salad greens, about 2 weeks apart trying to see what works best for my garden.
Now you have your seeds planted: about the end of October, or around the first light frost, you will place a tunnel, or row cover over your bed. Cold hardy plants are sometimes more likely to die from the incessant, wet rain and drying winds, then they are to die from the cold temperatures, so we need to provide a nice little microclimate. I use wire hoops and 6 mil plastic to make a tunnel. About this time I also mulch my carrots and root vegetables. You can put several inches of compost over them, or you can place about a foot of straw over them to help keep the ground and the roots from freezing hard and rotting the roots. Then place a tunnel over your mulched bed.
To make a tunnel, you can buy wire hoops pre-cut through a mail-order catalog, or you can do as I did and purchase a roll of 9-gauge berry wire from the local co-op store. The roll was about $15, and then I used my husband’s wire cutters to cut my own hoops. 5-6 feet is a good length. You have to find out what works for you in your garden space. You place these about 18-24 inches apart down your row- no further than 2 feet apart. If you do it too far apart- the rain or snow will sag the plastic down between your wire hoops and collapse your structures. Personal experience speaking here- more than once.
Now you can also use PVC pipe instead of berry wire- I’ve personally never used it, yet.
I bought a bag of 6 mil plastic from the painting department at Walmart for $20. It measures 10ft wide by 25 ft long, so you’ll probably want to trim the length. You want the stronger, thicker 6mil plastic, not 2 mil or 3 mil or 4 mil.
In order to keep the plastic tight across your structure, you’ll want to place a stake at each end of your garden bed. On the first end, you’ll gather the plastic and tie it to the stake with some rope. Then you’ll go to the other end, pull the plastic tight, and tie it to that stake. This keeps the plastic tight so that rain and snow do not sag the plastic down between the hoops and collapse the structure. Personal experience speaking here, again.
Then I place rocks, or boards along the sides to keep the plastic from blowing off. Use whatever you have at home- cinderblocks, sandbags, milk jugs filled with water. You want to keep the plastic tight and block the wind from getting in.
During the end of October, beginning of November, you may need to uncover your beds and water them, depending on the weather. By the end of November, however, and during December and January, you probably won’t have to water low raised beds because the rain water will seep through the soil into the area under your tunnel. Since we get such continuous, incessant rain during those months, your garden is watered for you. During February and March, you may have to start watering occasionally if we happen to have any prolonged, dry or warm spells.
The fun part is when you get to harvest your vegetables. Our bodies crave vegetables during the winter- and it’s the neatest thing to go out into the garden in the dead of winter, pull up the cover a little, and harvest some green salad leaves, or fresh carrots, or rutabagas. Granted, it’s probably going to rain on you while you are harvesting, so you’ll want to pick enough vegetables and salad greens for the next several days so you don’t have to go out and sit in the rain again anytime soon. For me, being able to harvest in the winter is worth any effort I put into it. And I hope you’ll find that to be true in your case, too.
72-Hour Kits
ADULT 72-HOUR KIT
Clothing: Socks, Underwear, pants, t-shirt, sweatshirt, stocking cap, coat, rain poncho
First Aid Kit: Band-Aids, Neosporin, Tylenol/Advil, triangular bandage, antiseptic wipes, medications
Hand Sanitizer
Toilet Paper
Shampoo and deodorant
Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss
Notepad, pencil, permanent marker, book, activity book
Important papers, Identification, phone numbers, keys, cash
Cell phone - charged and with power cords
Flashlight with extra batteries
Emergency blanket
Sleeping bag and pad
Pocket knife or multi-tool
Plastic cup/bowl/utensils
Large plastic garbage bag
Matches and lighter in waterproof container
Candle
Firestarter
Water bottle
Water filter or purification tablets
Mess kit / cooking kit
Tent
Backpacking stove and fuel or Sterno stove and fuel
Battery-powered radio with extra batteries
OPTIONAL ITEMS:
Hand warmers
Lotion / conditioner / hair brush / ties
Insect repellant
Suntan lotion
Towel / washcloth
Sewing kit
Blanket
Baby stuff if needed - diapers, pacifiers, bottles, formula, wipes, ointment, baby food, spoon, sippy cup, toys
Feminine hygiene supplies
Headlamp with extra batteries
Tarp
Compass / maps
Hatchet / saw
Extra food and water
3 - Ramen Noodles 6 - Drink packets (Crystal Light, Kool-Aid, etc.)
3 - Tuna pouches 1 - Freeze-dried dinner
6 - Mayo packets 2 - Easy Mac packets
6 - Granola bars Crackers
3 - Oatmeal packets Fruit Snacks
1 - Cereal box Hard Candy
6 - Cocoa packets 2 - Water bottles
CHILD 72-HOUR KIT
Clothing: Socks, Underwear, pants, t-shirt, sweatshirt, stocking cap, coat, rain poncho
First Aid Kit: Band-Aids, Neosporin, medications
Hand Sanitizer
Toilet Paper
Shampoo and deodorant if needed
Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss
Notepad, pencil, book, activity book or coloring book
Flashlight with extra batteries
Emergency blanket
Sleeping bag and pad
Pocket knife or multi-tool if old enough
Plastic cup/bowl/utensils
Large plastic garbage bag
Matches and lighter in waterproof container if old enough
Candle
Firestarter if old enough
Water bottle
Mess kit / cooking kit
OPTIONAL ITEMS:
Glow Sticks
Lotion / Conditioner / hair brush/ ties
Blanket
Ipod / mp3 player
Games
Suntan lotion
Insect repellant
Extra food and water
3 - Ramen Noodles 6 - Drink packets (Crystal Light, Kool-Aid, etc.)
3 - Tuna pouches 1 - Freeze-dried dinner
6 - Mayo packets 2 - Easy Mac packets
6 - Granola bars Crackers
3 - Oatmeal packets Fruit Snacks
1 - Cereal box Hard Candy
6 - Cocoa packets 2 - Water bottles
Ÿ Accessibility is important. Keep all 72-hour kits and important papers in a common location. Make it a place that is easy to access and make sure all family members know the location.
Ÿ Keep 72-hour kits up to date and rotate the food. Make sure 8-year old “Jimmy” doesn’t still have size 5 diapers and a sippy cup in his kit. Some of the food and snacks have a relatively short shelf life, rotate annually.
Ÿ Practice. Have drills and make them fun. Time the family to see how fast everything can be gathered and ready to roll. Do a quick inspection to make sure everything is actually in the kit.
Ÿ Have the ultimate drill, a 72-hour kit campout. Gather the family on a Friday afternoon. Give them an allotted time to grab whatever they can. Pile in and head out. If you are a real die-hard, camp in a remote area, not an established campground. Just one overnight will teach you what you did right or wrong and what foods worked well. This is a good way to update the kits and rotate the food.
The hours for the Home Storage Center have been extended to:
Wednesdays 1 - 7 pm
Thursdays 10 - 4pm
3rd Saturdays 9 -3 pm
Go to www.providentliving.org for the order form. The Home Storage Center has most items but call ahead to be sure. Their number is: 360.424.0335.
Wednesdays 1 - 7 pm
Thursdays 10 - 4pm
3rd Saturdays 9 -3 pm
Go to www.providentliving.org for the order form. The Home Storage Center has most items but call ahead to be sure. Their number is: 360.424.0335.
All is Safely Gathered In pamphlet
Ideas on gathering in a three month supply will be coming to this page of the blog soon:).
