Here are some thoughts about possible food shortages coming up. Every time I go on YouTube, I see someone talking about it, and City Prepper, who is well-researched, seems to believe that terrible food shortages and supply chain issues are coming.

Normally, I don't listen to all the fear-based talk.....however, what we've seen recently right in our little corner of Idaho has me a bit concerned. Two things, specifically--three actually.

1) The drought conditions this year, from fall 2020 through now, have created a situation where crops are disrupted. These crops include commodities, like the wheat and rapeseed (canola) that's grown here in our region, as well as hay for livestock. This is going to have a serious ripple effect we may not see for a few months, but it's going to have an impact. Farmers have harvested as low as 20% of their normal yields. Other commodity crops in other areas have been similarly affected. But....I've seen the fields with my own eyeballs....it's disturbing.

2) The lack of hay this past summer has created a situation right here in ID where small beef farmers can't feed their livestock. I know of two small farmers who've had to sell their cattle at auction at extremely discounted prices because of the lack of feed. I feel that eventually, the lack of beef (after the resulting initial glut) may cause some issues.

3) We've already seen some store shelves depleted here, and I've heard the same from friends in other rural areas. But I have no idea how widespread that is. I feel like the city people are more protected, at least at first.

Anyway....all food for thought, and here's a quick video on how we're thinking about all this and what we do, just on a normal basis, too

Everyone needs to be responsible for giving their own preparedness a look-over, especially if you have children. I'll link to some other articles just below, too. In the meantime, here are some tips so you can be ready in case we really do end up with a bit less food for the people.

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1) Have Enough Food on Hand for Your Family to Last Several Months

It’s a good idea to keep enough food on hand to last your family members for several months. Buying bulk items, foods in number 10 cans, freeze dried foods, and canned foods just to be sure that you’re ready just in case.

Here’s an article about how to get your food supply going.

2) Learn to Cook from Scratch and Don’t Rely on Processed Foods

First of all, cooking real whole foods from scratch is just plain healthier for your family. It also saves you TONS of money. And, it really doesn’t take that much time. I don’t have too many recipes here, and I know I should add more. But here are some EASY and fast from scratch recipes you can start off with:

Easy One Pot Immune Boosting Soup

Easy Pumpkin-Beef Soup

Summer Quinoa Salad

Best Buttermilk Biscuits

Two Delicious Pickled Egg Recipes

Traditional White Bread (Recipe from the 1600’s)

And there are more for you too!

3) Plant a Garden

I realize that not everyone gardens, and it can seem very overwhelming at first. But truly, just start! You can grow in pots on a balcony or patio, you can grow within the landscape you already have, and if you have a bit of room, you can try raised beds or in-ground gardening.

There are many methods, such as Square-Foot gardening or Back to Eden gardening, and many have opinions about which is best. What I’ve found is that different methods work better in different areas. So do some research and think about different methods that might work for you. I even know a lady who grows every single thing right inside her home!

Right now, we’re using raised beds because of the tremendous amount of weeds we have here in Idaho, as well as the deer that like to munch on our foods.

Here are some articles you might want to read:

Herbs to Grow Indoors All Year

The Ultimate Companion Planting Guide

How to Amend the Worst Soil in the World

4) Buy and Plant High Calorie Foods

When there’s a food deficit, having enough calories to survive becomes vital. Even if you’re eating low carb, be sure to have those high-carb foods stored in your pantry or basement. These, along with healthy fats and enough protein will help you stay healthy.

High calorie foods will make your food needs go farther. And don’t forget: it’s glucose from carbohydrates that feed your brain!

5) Buy Heirloom Seeds for the Garden

We’re getting into more advanced preparedness here, so don’t get stressed out if you’re just starting out. But as you begin your journey to food security, you’ll want to grow using heirloom seeds because you can save them to grow from season to season.

Here’s an article about seeds: the differences and why you should consider heirlooms.

6) Consider Your Protein Needs

Protein is important for maintaining muscle mass and is an excellent source of filling nutrition. Be sure to think about what you can store and how. I know not everyone hunts for their meat, but this is a good option if this is something you feel you can do.

Another option is to get to know small farmers in your area who raise beef and other meat, like chickens. If you can keep your own chickens for eggs, then you’ll have a constant supply of protein. Otherwise, knowing who can help supply your needs is useful.

Finally, there are always canned options from the store. Canned tuna and chicken are excellent choices to stock up on now.

Confessions from My First Hunt

Don’t Eat THAT Meat: Where to Find Healthy Meat Sources

7) Preserve Foods Yourself

Even if you don’t garden, which will provide you with a good source of foods to preserve, you can take advantage of seasonal quantities of foods. When berries are in season, for example, that’s a great time to buy inexpensive quantities and make jams and syrups.

Or, peppers!

One time, I was in our local grocery in Las Vegas many years ago, and the workers were carting in huge boxes of hatch chili peppers to sell in bulk by the box. I couldn’t pass them up! the price was unbelievable. So I took home two of these, and preserved them in various ways.

We’re still enjoying those hatch chili peppers over five years later!

How to Preserve Hatch Chili Peppers

How to Preserve Herbs in Salt

How to Preserve Eggs When You Have Too Many

How to Dehydrate Apples: Plain and Cinnamon Flavor

And there are tons more on my website!

Learning different ways to preserve foods can save you money and provide a great source of food storage, even if you don’t have a garden.

8) Learn to Forage for Foods and Medicine

Did you know that many edible and medicinal foods are probably growing all around you?

Being prepared for your food needs is a big deal, and so is being medically prepared. What people in our modern times have lost sight of (and the knowledge of) is how to locate, harvest, and prepare wild plants for both food sources and medicines.

My website and YouTube channel are filled with information about this, so please go explore. In the meantime, here are some articles and videos you may enjoy:

Foraging and Harvesting Black Walnuts

Video: Foraging and Harvesting Black Walnuts

Video: Foraging Hawthorn for Food and Medicine

15 Tips for Safe Food and Medicine Foraging

Lambsquarters: Survival Food for Everyone

Homebrewed Beer from Wild Herbs

And, again, there are many others on my site.

9) Consider a Dairy Source for Food

This isn’t necessary for all families, but if your family relies on milk products, you’ll need to take this into consideration.

In the homestead world, having a dairy cow is something that many consider, however, we’ve gotten by just fine without one. Also, if you’re living in the suburbs, well, having a dairy cow is NOT an option, I’m guessing.

Here’s how we deal with any dairy needs and desires for us:

We freeze cheese and butters when we find them on sale and also those items (like feta cheese) we use a lot.
But powdered milk in number 10 cans for long-term storage. Powdered milk is not the best tasting, but it can be a great way to pack in your dairy needs for cereal and cooking.
Consider storing evaporated milk. Just keep in mind, you’ll need to rotate it to use it in a relatively timely manner, while powdered milk when stored properly can keep for decades.

10) Community: Develop Trust and Friendships With Your Neighbors

Being self-reliant and thinking about your food security doesn’t make you selfish. In fact, it makes you smart. Especially when you’re in touch with like-minded community members, you can consider ways you can help and support each other.

You do have to choose your community carefully, however. Mr. V. reads many “prepper” books, and one of the themes is always the difficulties that those who have prepared in advance have with those who haven’t and the send of entitlement that occurs.

I know that when we lived in Cold Creek, off-grid in the mountains of Southern Nevada, when we’d mention food security to some of the city people in Vegas, their response was often a scoff and a comment that “they’d just steal from others or head to the mountains.”

Well, I’ll just say that as you begin your food security measures for your own family, be sure to consider the pros and cons of community. And also, be prepared to barter and to share.

8 Things to Consider for Your Preparedness Needs

Self-Reliance: Is it Selfish? Find Out the Truth About Self-Reliance

Can You Be a Minimalist Prepper?

Are You a Homesteader? Take the Quiz! You Might Be Surprised!

Click here to get your FREE Herbal Remedy Guide and be ready to make your own home remedies today. This beautiful 12 page guide is perfect for your kitchen or home apothecary!

Final Thoughts on Practical (Not Fear-Based) Food Security

Our world has always been in a state of change and flux….but in the past several decades, even the past 150 years, changes are happening faster and faster. Looking around at world events in other countries and learning lessons from these can inform us that we need to at least have a modicum of preparedness thinking happening…just in case.

This isn’t fear-mongering. Instead, it’s a commonsense, thoughtful, practical, and useful way to live in our current society.

We’re all responsible for ourselves, and nobody is likely to step in and “save” us if some kind of disaster or other issue happens. I’m reminded of how the people suffered after Hurricane Katrina, and the expectation was that the government would handle things. Well, we saw how that went.

My advice is to think about where you live. Think about your community. Think about the fact that we’re experiencing different kinds of weather patterns and this, along with other factors out of our control, are likely to affect various food sources, and make good decisions for your own family. Now.

You can watch the YouTube video here, if you like, as well.

Hugs, Health, and Self-Reliance,

Heidi

P.S. If you’d like my FREE Emergency Checklist with over 140 items to consider and start checking off, you can find that by filling out the form. It’s in my private subscriber only Resource Library, along with many other handy printables for you.

Food Shortages in 2021 and 2022: Practical Tips for Being Prepared with Food Security