Inventory: A beginning

Well, we have started our inventory by counting the number of buckets we have of certain staples, and then multiplying the number of buckets by the number of lbs. that said staples are supposed to weigh in the buckets. Many thanks to Davilyn over at Today While the Sun Shines, who has a list of food storage sizes about half-way down the page in the right hand column of her blog (ex. a 5-gallon bucket would hold 35 lbs. of wheat). If you have questions on amounts like I do, you might want to check it out.

This was the easy way to start for me, because the way that I think is that I won't touch those buckets until absolutely necessary, so they really are the long-term storage items. We have more staples to store properly, with the buckets that we need to use for said storage, so really it is just a matter of getting it done... I'm a little disappointed with the numbers that we have, but it's a nice start, and one of the things that we really need more of is rice. I've read somewhere lately (sorry that I don't remember exactly where to give credit) that rice is one of the things that practically no one is allergic to, and is easy to digest for just about everybody. This could be a factor if, say, someone you are responsible for or are trying to help has wheat allergies. Sometimes these allergies only become evident after a certain amount of exposure to the wheat, so if the allergies show themselves after you have tried to subsist on your food storage for awhile, at least with rice you are likely to have an alternative that will come in mighty handy...

Also, tonight my husband emptied and refilled one of our 55-gallon water drums. Apparently, they are easier to empty when the floor is dry---when he went to empty the second one, it was, shall we say, not as cooperative as the first one was when he tried to tip it. Hence, one down, and one to go in that category. Hopefully, the floor will be dry enough in the morning to make the task a little easier. You need a lot of water to cook those rice and beans...and let's face it, for a great deal of other things as well...

So the buckets are pretty much accounted for (and I'm very glad that they are present) and the next step will probably be the #10 cans for inventory purposes. Ah, organization. It's a lot easier to obtain and/or maintain when you start from the beginning, but hey, I'm just glad that we have something to count.... :)

Yeah, but warm fuzzies and knowledge is better...

Ok, you may have noticed that my poll this week is about New Year's resolutions. My answer is yes, I have resolutions pertaining to emergency preparation, and I will share one with you that was prompted by my internet friend, Carl in Wisconsin. (If you are not in the habit of reading comments on blogs, I would highly recommend doing so. They can be an absolute treasure trove of ideas and information.) I hope that he does not mind my reproducing part of his comment (found under my post about timing) here:

If I may suggest a topic for you, if you haven't covered this already,. Inventory Records, how does every one keep them if at all, what do they keep and where do they keep them. I start a physical inventory in December every year ( since there is little else to do here in the Winter). It takes me until February to do it. I do a lttle every day.

It's a great idea for a post, but... insert uncomfortable, awkward clearing of the throat here...I don't really keep inventory. One of my main goals has been to amass what I could when I could afford it, and to be honest, the basic thought process has been, "I think we need more...more...yeah, a little more...oh, what if family member/friend/neighbor/someone else needs something...better get a little more..." --I think that you get the idea. Soooo, I've been stacking food on shelves as we have obtained it to store in suitable amounts in the bargain-priced buckets we were able to purchase, and occasionally paying visits to the store room to make a withdrawal, and (true confessions) to get the warm fuzzy feeling that comes with seeing that yes, we have made progress. All well and good, until my husband was able to use some of those bargain-price buckets as part of his gift to me, (yeah, he's pretty great) and suddenly it doesn't look like we have that much in storage anymore. Bags piled on a shelf look a lot more impressive than a single white five or six gallon bucket.

I know that the same amount is still there, but I realize that I don't know how much is there, really, and what would be the best thing to put on the storage list next. So, one of my resolutions is to figure out the inventory that we have so that we can better maximize our efficiency when it comes to food storage supplies. So, to borrow phrasing from Chris over at Johnson Family Farm, I am going to make this declaration:

I declare that I am going to figure out how to do an efficient inventory and make an inventory of what I have so that we can better manage our food storage.

Thanks, Carl, for the idea, and thanks, Chris, for the idea of declarations. After all, warm fuzzies and information is much better than warm fuzzies alone.... Happy New Year, everyone!!