The Ants and the Grasshopper

Those of us who are of a certain age are acquainted with the Aesop’s Fables story of The Ants and the Grasshopper. I don’t know if it is currently being taught in the public schools but the story has been used for years to teach the virtues of hard work and planning for the future.

Sticking with the ant, the hazards of improvidence are also addressed in Proverbs 6 which teaches “Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! … it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.”

IMPROVIDENT (dictionary.com)

It is wise and prudent that we provide for ourselves in times of plenty, to sustain us through times of need.

Having Food Storage in your home was an understood concept when we lived in the agricultural era. People back then understood that if they did not preserve and store the harvest in the summer, they would starve in the winter.

By contrast, in today’s society (in the United States anyway), the majority of people have become used to getting what they need from the grocery store – and expecting it to be there when they want it.

Hopefully, after experiencing shortages in the grocery store during the Covid-19 pandemic, more people understand how easily that business model can fail at any time and that to truly watch over our families we all need to have Food Storage in our homes.

Putting the dramatic demonstration of how quickly store shelves empty from last year and this year aside, here are just a few reasons why we should normalize having Food Storage in our homes. 

1)  SECURITY – There are so many scenarios that can result in your family doing without necessities if you are not prepared with an adequate food supply in your home.  Have you ever noticed that any time there is a weather event predicted, such as a hurricane or blizzard, a large majority of the population hits the store seeking bread, milk, baby formula, diapers, and water to sustain their families?  After a disaster, like an ice storm or widespread power outage, the grocery stores are just as crippled as everyone else and not available to take care of your needs.  A truckers’ strike or shortage of drivers can prevent the transport of goods to the grocery store.  The economic and emotional upheaval of job loss or income reduction is another, more personal, disaster that is not uncommon.  The possibilities are endless.  The likelihood of something dramatic, if not traumatic, happening in your lifetime is certain.  A good meal in your belly goes a long way to making these events bearable.

2)  SELF-SUFFICIENCY –  Being self-sufficient (self-reliant) means you can take care of yourself.  While no one can have all the skills to fully take care of themselves and their families in our modern world, everything you can do toward that end will bless your family.  Having Food Storage in your home is the best first step to becoming self-reliant.  Doing so will take care of your family’s most basic needs and it’s something everyone can do. Knowing that you will be able to feed your family despite the hardships life throws your way is empowering.

3)  CONVENIENCE – Few things are more satisfying than being able to go to your cupboard and find whatever you need, to make whatever you want, whenever you want.  With a well planned Food Storage, you rarely run out of things. When you unexpectedly have extra mouths to feed, it is not a burden because you are prepared and have what you need.  When you maintain your household’s Food Storage, you don’t have to go to the grocery store as often.  You don’t have to figure out over and over (and over and over!) what to make for dinner as you have already figured out what your family likes to eat and used that meal plan to build your storage. (I’ll post how to accomplish that later.)

4)  ECONOMICS – Food Storage makes meal prep easier. When it’s easy to get a meal on the table, you can hit the drive-through less regularly.  Eating out is expensive and that expense adds up fast. Eating food prepared at home is significantly less expensive than eating out..  Additionally, because you are not Out of anything, you are able to buy the food items you use and store only when they are on sale so your overall cost of groceries will decrease.

5)  INSURANCE – Having Food Storage is like having insurance.  We spend lots of money on insurance with the hope that we will never need it.  We buy car insurance Just In Case something happens to our car; we buy health insurance Just in Case something happens with our health.  Why wouldn’t you want to spend money on food insurance (Food Storage) knowing that you Will use it?

If you think about it, you can come up with even more reasons to have food stored beyond what you need for the next few days.  Don’t spend too much time thinking, though:  those are some very good reasons to establish a Food Storage plan in your home. If you haven’t yet started, now is the time!

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Over the next weeks and months, I will post information about how to accomplish what may seem unattainable to someone who is just begininng (or re-beginning) to establish a Food Storage plan in their home. (Really, if you’re already buying food for your family, creating a Food Storage plan is very simple.)

Check the “Food Storage” tab above frequently to see each bit of information as I add it.

It’s Time to Get Started!