Farmington West Provident Living

 Whether you have already started, just beginning or on your way to Pro, there are always things to change-up, improve, re-new or rotate.   We all have something, even if only a wish and an idea.  This month we want to focus on the beginning.  BEGINNING to collect food storage items, BEGINNING to gather emergency supplies, BEGINNING to rotate and replace items previously stored. BEGIN to set goals toward living providently.  HERE  is some helpful information to help you understand more of what living providently means. On this Stake Provident Living Blog there is a "shopping list" over there on the right side... see it?  Each month we will update the suggestions there in an effort to help you build your supplies a little bit at a time. Each week, try and add the suggested item to your shopping list.  If you already have that item in your storage, check the expiration date and rotate the newer one in, moving the older to your regular pantry fo...

The temperatures are dropping as fast as the leaves, it's time to take an inventory, rotate a little, update a few... get prepared for the cold months!  And, there is always the WIND in our area.  Check your supplies that you may need to be prepared for any damaging winds that come our way this season. This blog has a LOT of great information for what you might need in different scenarios.  It is up to you to adapt to our area and your own family needs.  Just do as much as you are able to do.  We are counseled to "not incure debt" in order to be prepared.  So, add an item or two to your weekly shopping and as you are able, add an "emergency preparedness item" such as a stove, tent, potty, updated food items or clothing (reasonable sizes for growing children, and/or adults😉) in your "grab and go" bags. Have a wonderful season of giving Thanks... we are all SO blessed, look for the blessings, even with the hardships we all have as well... there are alwa...

 

It's time... in fact, we are in full swing over here!  How did your garden do for you this year?  Those of you without a garden space, did you try some herbs in a flower pot?  Maybe a sole tomato plant on the terrace?    See the BLOG for many tips and tricks for preserving your harvest.  Also, I found this article from Intermountain Farmers Association (IFA) that has some GREAT information on preserving foods.  Happy Fall & Happy Harvest!

  This month, we're suggesting a review of your existing KITS, and if you don't have any - it's a great time to start putting some together! Here is a link to the KITS page on this blog.  Happy KIT building/updating!

 Our Prophets have told us that if we are prepared we need not fear.  How do we do that exactly?  Well, every family and situation is unique unto itself, so you will need to decide what and how to prepare for your family and individual needs. Whether you are single, married, have children at home or seniors livin’ the empty nest life, you will still need to be prepared and well practiced for the future.  It is not just about keeping a few cans of food in your pantry. It is about knowing what to do with your stored items, food AND gear.  Gather your family members and have a preparation party!  If you live alone, share your plans with a friend or neighbor. We plan ahead for vacations, business meetings, reunions, church activities and lessons, etc.  We should also plan ahead for the untimely upset that may surprise us at any time.  Could be a natural disaster, a loss of employment or an extended illness. “We are responsible for our own lives. The d...

 Well, as promised, we tested our original wheat grinder.  This thing had no instruction manual and is so old that finding a manual on-line was fruitless.  We did our best and the first batch of flour had a very interesting color and flakes of brown in it.  Since we had learned from the first wheat grinder (more modern), one should throw away the first batch of ground wheat as it is used to "clean out" the grinding mechanism parts of any unwanted machining debris. We threw it out, but still had no idea why it was flaky with chunks of wheat berries mixed in... Turns out there was a piece of cushioning cardboard between the grinding stones from shipping. (face palm,  I told you it was un-used, un-opened even!) After a thorough going through, we re-assembled the unit and proceeded to grind a real throw-away batch. It was smaller, so we could get right on the real deal.   Who knew that the Bosch that made a gazillion batches of cookie dough for me in my ea...

 Although the "suggested focus" each month is a way to guide us through creating, adding to, rotating our food storage, kits and emergency supplies, it is only a suggestion.  Sometimes, we just need to work in a little here and there, the point is to DO SOMETHING each month to be prepared for future needs. Our household has owned a wheat grinder/flour mill for more than 40 years.  Never been used.  A few years ago, we purchased a "hand crank" mill for our preparedness supplies.  I grew up watching my mother grind wheat and bake bread each week.  Mostly as a way to rotate our HUGE store of wheat.  I came from a large family and my folks believed in food storage!  Many a FHE was spent price comparing between grocery stores and then calculating a plan of action.  We each had our assignment and pad of paper to "research" our products and write down the prices.  It was a blast at the time, as an adult, now, it is a chore.  Thank goodness...

There has been a great deal of focus on Emergency Evacuation preparedness in light of the recent fires in California.  Emergency supplies and Food Storage should be reviewed regularly, at least yearly. Now is as good a time as any to review, create and/or update your "Get-Out-and-GO" kit.    Here  is a list of items most common for a quick evacuation kit.  If you cannot store an entire kit together, keep a list nearby of the items to be gathered at the last minute, including where they are located in the house so that another can help gather if needed.  Here is a LINK to our Emergency Kit resource page.  There are several types of kits listed, with tips of what to include.  Adapt the list to fit your households needs. Review with your family / household your evacuation plan. Designate a meeting spot if the emergency (as in a fire) requires everyone to get themselves out.  Have a plan where to go and what to take with you if you are given a w...

  Still a very good article resource, so let's start the new year with a review! What am I supposed to have in my food storage? There are three main components of food storage: Food supply (three-month and long-term) Water supply Financial reserve Store foods that are a part of your normal diet in your three-month supply. As you develop a longer-term storage, focus on food staples such as wheat, rice, pasta, oats, beans, and potatoes that can last 30 years or more. Click  HERE  to read the entire article, complete with MORE links and great information! 

 From simple to extreme, the gift of preparedness is multi-fold.  Giving physical items to family members and/or friends not only helps them on their journey to provident living, but also gives them the feeling of being loved and cared about.   Grown children come to realize the importance of being prepared as they move out and start their own households.  Young children always love a flashlight or a small battery powered lantern.  Having the knowledge you have even a small collection of preparedness items tucked away can bring great peace to ones self being.   Consider giving such items to those you love (including YOURSELF!)  Have a great Holiday Season!   We are excited for renewed goals and plans to help you in your endeavors of living providently.  Watch for your monthly newsletters and let's make 2025 a fabulously PROVIDENT year!

  Wow what a month.  While life goes on here, anticipating the big wind, earthquake, evacuation... Most of us thinking, it will never happen... It will.  The question is when. Will we be ready? I personally have several family members in Florida and North Carolina, where multiple Hurricanes and storms have caused havoc.  All of my family and friends are alive, however they have lost much.  Their local friends and their families, some have lost everything.  Except the clothes on their backs and the evacuation supplies they were able to have ready to go.  BIG testament to having a 72 hour kit, ready to travel.  Many people from those areas, didn't have anything left to come home to and are starting from scratch with the little they took with them. In North Carolina, in the mountains above Bat Cave and Asheville, there is a little community of 10 households.  When the floods from Hurricane Helene came through, many of their homes were severely d...

  As a matter of fact, Canning Season is coming to a close in my household and I presume most of you that "Can" your garden produce are either right in the thick of it, or also winding down.  The cooler temps have been nice to slow things down just a little bit so we can catch up! If you don't already preserve foods by canning but would like to learn, check with your ward and inquire if you have a "Food Storage and Canning Specialist".  Many wards do. If your ward does not have a specific person to assist with this, I would bet there is someone in your neighborhood that does their own and most likely would be glad to give tips and share some tricks of the process.  I would be happy to help if you need me.  Just send me an e-mail! (you can find it on the Stake Blog.) T here are two different types of canning, water-bath canning and pressure canning.  Water-bath canning is used to preserve foods that have a higher acidity such as jams, jellies, and most fruit...

It's a good time for everyone to take a look at just how prepared they are for any emergency that may arise.  Up to this point we have mostly talked about 3 day to 3-6 month supply and a few longer term solutions, i.e. dehydrated and freeze dried foods.   Most things we buy at case lot sales or grow in our gardens are short term solutions unless they are dehydrated or freeze dried and then packaged for longer term storage. In order to make the things we buy for our storage last as long as possible they all need to be packaged in a way that will ensure the longest shelf life.   For example, in order to make a bag of flour last for 20-25 years it would be best to put it in a 5 gallon bucket or mylar bags with the proper amount of oxygen absorbers in it.   Another great way to add long term storage to your food is buying it in #10 cans.  They have a long shelf life and the church offers great deals on these items.  These are a great solution for thos...

   Now is a good time to build or refresh your various preparedness kits. Check the Blog  HERE  to find several lists and types of kits, including what you may want to include in them. Since every household and family is different, their kits should be different too.  Adapt your kit(s) to fit your needs and each family member may have different items included.  Create an extra "Household Kit" to include shared items such as cooking supplies, shelter and fuel etc.  Don't forget your pets!

    Having a way to cook when the power goes out is important.    Here   is a list of different kinds of cooking apparatus'.  Decide which one(s) will work best for your family and then learn how to use them.  Figuring them out during an emergency is not the best idea.  Why add stress to an already uncomfortable situation. See the Resources Menu to find RECIPES to try.

  We have long been encouraged to build an emergency food and survival supply.  This has been taught to  not only members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, but has been suggested strongly to all residents by the city emergency planning teams throughout the nation.   This may seem like a daunting task to some, but if broken down to reasonable steps, it can be quite easily done.  Some things to consider are to not just stash a bunch of food in your basement or storage area, but to bulk up your pantry with foods you are use to eating.  Kids especially tend to have a hard time adjusting to change during an emergency and suddenly being forced to eat new and sometimes weird foods can just make problems worse.  So, consider having a 3 month supply that includes foods that your family regularly eats, then rotate those foods more often than the items in long term storage in your basement/food storage closet. Visit the  'Resources' ...

  Have you ever wanted to plant potatoes in your garden but A . didn't have enough room, B . figured your soil was too hard and compact to allow for proper growth of potatoes or C. just weren't sure how to even go about doing it.  Well if any of these or other reasons apply then this post is for you.     Potatoes are a great thing to know how to grow in your garden.  We can and probably do use them quite often in most of our everyday cooking whether it be in soups, breakfast casseroles or skillets, fries, or just good old baked potatoes. So, why not try your hand at growing your own!     This post will teach you how to grow potatoes in a bucket.  One of the great advantages to growing them in a bucket is that you can bring them in your garage or other cold storage space over the winter and keep them "fresh" for use during the winter months.  What types of potatoes can you grow in a bucket? Any kind you want including sweet potatoes...

 We all spend a lot of time in our cars, we need to make sure we are prepared for whatever may come our way or even someone else's way. It is a good idea to  have a car 72 hr. kit in your vehicle.  You will likely be surprised how often you end up using it, not just for yourself, but other motorists in need.  Some things most often used are gloves, shovel, axe and portable jump starter. It's amazing how many people get stuck in the winter or have dead batteries. If you choose to carry a portable jump starter, be sure to take it out occasionally and charge it up.  Just because you have it, it does no good if you don't maintain it and make sure it is good to go when you need it. You can find several pre-assembled car kits out there that will work in a pinch and are a great starting point, but putting your own together, so that you know for sure you have the things you will need. You can find checklists that can get you started  here ,  here ,  ...

  What am I supposed to have in my food storage? There are three main components of food storage: Food supply (three-month and long-term) Water supply Financial reserve Store foods that are a part of your normal diet in your three-month supply. As you develop a longer-term storage, focus on food staples such as wheat, rice, pasta, oats, beans, and potatoes that can last 30 years or more. Click HERE to read the entire article, complete with MORE links and great information!  (after clicking the link, scroll to the top of the page... I don't know why the link sends you to the bottom of the page.)