Food Supply

Our state preparedness standard is “2 Weeks Ready.” Build a two-week supply of nonperishable foods that includes canned, dried, freeze dried, dehydrated and shelf stable selections. Take into account your family's unique needs and tastes. Include foods that are nutrient dense and high in calories for the initial phase of an event. It’s also a good idea, during the initial phase to have foods that require no refrigeration, preparation or cooking and little or no water. You may be without power or water for several days, or even months, after an we ee so oye will need to consider how you will prepare your emergency foods.

• Eat at least one well-balanced meal per day.
• Drink plenty of water to enable your body to function properly.
• Take in enough calories to enable you to do any necessary work.
• Include plenty of protein.
• Take vitamin supplements to ensure adequate nutrition.

Suggested Food Items:

• Ready-to-eat canned meats, fruit and vegetables.
• Canned juices, milk and soup (if powdered, store extra water).
• Staples - sugar, salt, oil, spices, etc.
• High energy food - peanut butter, jam, crackers, granola bars, trail mix.
• Foods for anyone with special dietary needs (infant, elderly, diabetic).
• Comfort food - cookies, candy, cereal, instant coffee, tea, etc.

Food Storage Tips:

• Keep food in a cool, dry place.
• Keep food covered at all times.
• Open food boxes carefully and close tightly after each use.
• Don’t forget canned and non-perishable foods for your pets.
• Seal cookies and crackers in plastic bags and keep in tightly sealed containers to help preserve freshness.
• Empty opened packages of sugar, dried fruit or nuts into screw top and airtight containers to protect from unwanted pests.
• Foods in glass bottles and jars may break when a disaster occurs. Buy and store emergency food in non-breakable containers whenever possible.
• Use foods before they expire and replace them with fresh supplies by rotating your stock regularly. Date each item with a marker and place new items in the back of your storage while moving older items forward.
• Remember to store your food in such a way that it’s easy to rotate items into your pantry and replace older ones.

Gardening and Seed Storage

You can only store so much food. Consider learning how to garden as part of your skill building by taking classes in your community
or from a friend, family member or neighbor. You can order a large supply of vegetable and fruit seeds that can be stored for years. Buy
heirloom seeds so you can harvest the seeds from the crop. Hybrid seeds will not reproduce so you cannot collect seeds for the next
planting season.