Not Gold, Stupid, Buy Food!

By James Donahue

With world stock markets going into a loop-de-loop in the wake of the U. S. Congress’s unwillingness to fix the nation’s financial dilemma the time may have come to consider food as the next big bartering tool.

If there is no money circulating, people must find an alternate method of exchanging things of value for services and materials needed at home. Gold is in short supply, it is very costly just now, and speculators are buying all that the market will bear at the highest prices ever known.

As the old saying goes; ya’ can’t eat gold.

If you haven’t noticed . . . and many American’s have been so preoccupied by the silly goings on in Washington to have looked . . . the nation’s cropland has been under attack this season. Texas and the Southwest are sizzling in the worst drought anyone can remember. The Midwest has been hit this year with extreme floods, storms and rains. The Northeast has been suffering from colder than normal weather so crops that are in the field are slow in developing and poor in quality.

Similar problems are occurring all around the world

That means food could be in short supply and very expensive this fall. We have heard it said that the day may come when a can of beans may buy it’s holder a new Cadillac.

If you are looking for a real hedge against hard times, we suggest buying a reserve of food. If we don’t get a handle on global warming and weather change, you will need enough of it stockpiled to keep you and yours going for a few years, so be selective.

Don’t just run down to the local co-op and buy a few bags of beans and soybeans. And don’t run to the grocery stores and buy canned foods by the case. That might hold you for a few months, but you need food and water stored for a long time. That means buying large clean barrels for water storage, and acquire water purification tablets. Buy foods that are vacuum sealed for extended storage. Go on line to find businesses that sell these foods.

There are certain foods that last indefinitely when stored correctly. As a public service we offer the following list:

--Wheat. This is a main staple everywhere in the world.  With stored wheat and a hand grinder a homemaker can use it to make bread, biscuits and cakes. It also can be used in distilling alcoholic beverages. It is a high carbohydrate food that also contains protein, minerals and vitamins.

--White Rice. This is another main staple for people around the world. It is cheap, has a long shelf life and a source for calories. It can be boiled, used as a breakfast meal, a side dish, and an alternative to wheat flour in making bread.

--Dried Corn. When cooked, dried corn can be served like fresh corn. It can be used in soups, cornmeal, hominy and grits, livestock feed, and even burned as fuel.

--Powdered Milk. When dried and stored in nitrogen packed cans, powdered milk will last indefinitely. Storing it in the freezer, if you have electricity, will assure its shelf life. You know what to do with milk.

--Sugar, Salt and Baking Soda. These are essential among homemakers for turning the above stock foods into things that people can enjoy eating. They all store well for very long times.

--Honey. If you can get it, honey is another keeper and a natural sweetener.

--Dried fruit and nuts.

--Freeze dried coffee and other drinks.