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Why Store Food?
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Why Store Food? |
Why should I store food? Today's average supermarket turns over its inventory every 72 hours.
The supermarket's many supply chains are dependent on accurate communication, reliable transportation and split-second timing.
This supply system can be overwhelmed by surges in demand; any emergency can quickly empty supermarket shelves. Good planning
and preparation alleviates worry. It protects from fluctuations in food prices due to shortages, earthquakes, famine, world
economy, political manipulation, or natural disasters. Stock your homes, weekend retreats, fishing and hunting camps, RV's,
and summer homes while prices are low and supplies are readily available.
Store at 68 degrees F. or cooler! The cooler the storage, the longer the shelf life. Store in a cool, dry, dark place out of
direct sunlight. 60 degrees is optimal, 65 degrees is good and 70 degrees is starting to get warm.
The number 1 destroyer of foods is oxygen, by the process of oxidation. Next is heat, then light and humidity. Oily foods
(such as soybeans, flax, sesame seeds, coffee and nuts) also face rapid rancidity issues. Store cool, dry and dark for the longest
possible shelf life.
How long can I store non-hybrid seeds? Non-hybrid seeds can be stored safely for 3 years at 65
degrees temperature and much longer at lower temperatures. Viability remains at about 75-85% after 3 years at room temperature.
The critical factors for storing seeds are temperature and moisture content. Storage temperature should be a cool area of your home,
these seeds may even be stored in your refrigerator. Each 5.6 degree C (10.08 degree F) drop in storage temperature may double
the storage life of non-hybrid seeds. People sometimes ask if freezing will hurt these seeds, the answer is no (if humidity is kept
low). The National Seed Laboratory freezes their long-term storage seeds. Nature freezes seeds during their dormant winter period
with no adverse effects.
How do I harvest the seeds to reuse next season? Seed to Seed, by Susan Ashworth
supplies good information about seed harvesting for the novice or experienced Seed Saver. She does however, implement hybrid seeds
and non-organic methods of cultivation. So.. better yet.. for down-home expertise and organic heirloom seeds, go to
sierraseeds.webs.com (sierraseeds@gmail.com)
Barack Obama, October 23, 2008
Campaigning for the Presidency, during an interview with Joe Klei in TIME:
"I was just reading an article in the New York Times by Michael Pollan about food and the fact that our entire agricultural system
is built on cheap oil. As a consequence, our agriculture sector actually is contributing more greenhouse gases than our transportation
sector. And in the mean time, it's creating monocultures that are vulnerable to national security threats, are now vulnerable to sky-high
food prices or crashes in food prices, huge swings in commodity prices, and are partly responsible for the explosion in our healthcare
costs because they're contributing to type 2 diabetes, stroke and heart disease, obesity, all the things that are driving our huge
explosion in healthcare costs."
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