EMERGENCY RISK REDUCTION

As mentioned in an earlier blog, we had a blessed growing season on our little mixed farm in 2019. We did have some sub-par production, i.e. orchard fruit, potatoes, tomatoes, kale.  But the advantage of mixed farming is that other produce makes up the difference. No one starves, for sure!  Many 21^st Century households can’t fathom this, because of today’s available “food basket”.  Look at the array of choices year around in the grocery store. Some from far-flung countries. Sometimes the prices reflect ‘off season’ produce, but seldom does a scarcity exist. This is yet another separation from local farm grown.

You may recall that in late summer 2018, I ‘lived off the farm’ for a week.  This means that everything that I ate was grown on our five acres. Frankly, I felt starved most of the week. I lived almost entirely from snap beans, spinach, and berries. But I learned a lot, especially added respect for our settler ancestors. As well as the blessing present within our grocery aisle and our available choices.

In late summer 2019, I took a different approach. With the bounty of the farm, I made vegetable soup. Everything I could find went into it. Admittedly, I added seasonings, some corn bought from a neighboring farm, and threw in most anything else in the kitchen.  I did this because of a love of soup, but also because I wanted to preserve this freshness from the farm.

I also thought about food preservation and this “dying art” – mostly because there is simply no need today. Maybe some of you recall growing up with canning food for preservation, at least jellies and jams, or maybe tomatoes and beans. For many homes, it was a necessity decades ago, but now it’s become more of a hobby.  Unlike in the last century, when prevention of food spoilage was literally a life or death matter.

Today’s choice of preservation seems to be freezing, perhaps because it’s easy and convenient. This is what I did with that vegetable soup! This is why most stores have extensive “frozen food” sections.  However, freezing assumes electricity or another power supply, which, as you know, may not be available in an severe emergency.

Canning is also common, as seen by the ‘canned food’ section in the grocery store. However these rows are factory-canned, and, as mentioned, home canning is increasingly rare. FYI, canned foods should be the core of a food supply buffer in case a major disaster hits.

Other common preservation methods, depending on the food, include pickling, salting, smoking, or drying. The salting of meat was very common. I grew up on a farm that had a small, old shed known as a ‘smoke house’ where bacon was salted and cured, thereby preserving it.  Pioneer families also were experts at minimal processing, or in essence, slowing down the spoilage by natural means, such as using root cellars or cold storage. This was all before a revolutionary new household appliance called a refrigerator.

This all may seem totally foreign for some or a distant memory for others, but food preservation was immeasurably important to our forefathers.  It was time-consuming and labor intensive. It was another chore that made for a hard life, but arguably a fulfilling life. Recalling it should make us grateful for the conveniences of today, with a 21^st century abundance that should be used, rather than abused. As the adage goes, we should eat to live, not live to eat!  We might all be healthier for it.

Thanks for reading.