Finally, a sensible approach to food storage that's not so over-the-top and wasteful. This actually makes sense and seems very do-able. Much better advice than storing bulk items that your family never actually eats.

Good luck eating your two year supply of chlorinated water and canned beats.

As for me, I will continue to purchase and grow fresh fruits and vegetables for my family.

I sent this article to myself, in our ward we are the emergency preparedness people and we weekly have something in the program. I for one feel that the most important thing to have in storage is water, whatever sources and water treatment, cause you can't live without it. Also, some people are not able to garden, due to the area, or health, so what works for one doesn't for the other. Variety is so important, that means comfort food also.

We live between the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers and if bridges went down, we would be in a bind, food storage is a must here or anywhere. But the key thing is, START!!!

You don't have to do one or the other, they can be combined. We are counseled to store garden seeds and grow a garden when possible. You can freeze or dry your excess. Both would be helpful in a crisis.

To Laura...tut tut! Assuming you are an adult, you should know better than to express sarcasm toward an idea/program meant to help individuals, couples and families become more self sufficient in these difficult economic times. The key is to store what you normally eat and rotate the food storage items regularly. Growing fresh vegies and fruits in your garden is good but some people either don't have a garden or may live in a flood zone area and relying alone on this method of food storage would not be practicable for them.

Laura, you better rethink your attitude. Food storage is not just for Disasters. It is for when everyday real problems arise.

I felt sick and had to go to the emergency room and was in the ICU for three weeks and in the hospital for almost five weeks. Four months later I'm still recovering and have not been able to work so my family is living from food storage and savings. If we did not have an adequate supply of both I would hate to see where my family might be today.

Maybee losing our home in fourclosure and eating at the homeless shelter.

So as for mwe and my family we will continue to have an adequate food storgae program and savings plan.

I hope if something happens to you and your family you can still afford to buy your food and make your bill payments when your not working, otr you could just go on welfare and let the rest of us who are prerpared pay for you.

Laura - While it is wonderful that you are able to grow your own garden, what are you going to do if the crops are ravaged by insects, or there is not enough water available to water your garden so it will grow? There are a miriad of things that could happen to prevent you from growing your own food. Perhaps you'd better come up with a plan "B" just in case.

to hear about possible reasons why she might need to store some food. She just wants to stick her nose in the air and brag that she will ALWAYS have the money to buy fresh food (even if her bank fails and she loses all her money, or there is no food to be had because of shortages, or crop failures, or a disaster of some sort) and that she can ALWAYS grow her own (even if we are plagued with drought, freezing temperatures, swarms of insects, an earthquake that breaks all the city's waterlines, etc.) For some reason she thinks she is SPECIAL and none of those things will ever happen to her. She just wants to tell us all how stupid we are for preparing for a possible emergency even if one never comes. I will tell you one thing though. She will be the first one in line on your doorstep, begging for a drink of water or something to eat if disaster ever strikes. You can be sure of that!!!

Before moving here we used our food storage to save money to help with the expenses. I had a lot more food then I thought because the day before we left I gave away another month or two worth of food to a family in my ward that needed it.

Because of that blessing we have been richly blessed here and have been able to have a food storage despite how low our income is. When New England had major flooding about 2 years ago we had several families in our ward who could not get to church - but each one had their food storage to see them through.

I love blessings that I receive when I listen and heed the advise of our church leaders.