Best place to buy food for storage?

[Falls_Tech]

I wouldn't buy anything with a meat substitute. Don't believe anyone who says you can live on rice and beans. After 4 days you'll go looking for anything high fat. Some of your food should be lightweight and very portable....

[Deb Mc.]

Forest Beekeeper,

Hi there!

When you buy from the silo or farmers, do you need to specify what type of wheat (or grain) you want? i.e. Feed wheat vs. seed wheat (treated with pesticides).

It might be important for folks to know this, so they don't buy grain that's meant for growing, not eating. Iirc, back before the Iranian Revolution in 1979, the U.S. ran a humanitarian mission and had accidentally dropped *seed* corn (treated with Mercury to stop bugs from eating the seed), instead of feed corn to starving Iranians. Many died, some ended up with brain damage.

[Forest Beekeeper]

Originally Posted by Deb Mc.

Forest Beekeeper,

Hi there!

When you buy from the silo or farmers, do you need to specify what type of wheat (or grain) you want? i.e. Feed wheat vs. seed wheat (treated with pesticides).

This may vary depending on region; I have never seen any grain coming in from the field that had been treated with anything.

I am familiar with seeing seed that has been coated blue when you buy 'seed' from an Ag store. The Ag store did not spray the blue on, rather they bought it from a seed corporation already treated that way. To my understanding that is not a pesticide rather it is a fungicide.

[Deb Mc.]

Originally Posted by Forest Beekeeper

This may vary depending on region; I have never seen any grain coming in from the field that had been treated with anything.

I am familiar with seeing seed that has been coated blue when you buy 'seed' from an Ag store. The Ag store did not spray the blue on, rather they bought it from a seed corporation already treated that way. To my understanding that is not a pesticide rather it is a fungicide.

I had heard about seed corn, or another seed grain, that had a pink coating. That covering, to my understanding, was a pesticide. At one time, iirc, mercury was used.

Thank you!

[Forest Beekeeper]

Originally Posted by Deb Mc.

I had heard about seed corn, or another seed grain, that had a pink coating. That covering, to my understanding, was a pesticide. At one time, iirc, mercury was used.

Thank you!

Yes, I remember when I was a child we got some that was pink.

[PatDaly]

Originally Posted by Deb Mc.

I had heard about seed corn, or another seed grain, that had a pink coating. That covering, to my understanding, was a pesticide. At one time, iirc, mercury was used.

Thank you!

Back in the old days we used to take our stored grains to the elevator to have them "Inoculated", or treated at the local Elevator. This would have been late 60's/early 70's. Given the "Ag revolution" where hybrids are now quad crossed, this wouldn't work whatsoever. They now grow fields strictly for seed, and those go directly to the seed producer, not the local elevator.

Now I do not know if the Amish still run with Heirloom seeds, I suspect not, but you could possibly run into issues there.

No reputable local elevator would sell you inoculated seeds unless they knew you were planting them.

[peekaboo]

http://www.zayconfoods.com/

Holds sales events in different cities at different times of the year. Beef,pork, chicken, fish, seasonal fruit and honey. You order online then go to where ever they are setting up and pick up your order. They have very good products and the prices are reasonable.

We recently had a fish sales event here and we purchased sockeye salmon and cod by the case. We were very pleased with what we ordered and what we received.

[MinnesotaSmith]

Originally Posted by Deb Mc.

I had heard about seed corn, or another seed grain, that had a pink coating. That covering, to my understanding, was a pesticide. At one time, iirc, mercury was used.

Thank you!

There was a scandal of a bunch of Iranian people getting Mercury poisoning from gov't-purchased wheat seed diverted by black marketers to food. Pink loaves of bread were all the rage for a few months. This was around the late 1960s, I think.

[Faroe]

Forest Beekeeper, you are absolutely right. Buying direct from the farmer is exactly what we should be doing. ...It just feels hard to break into an unfamiliar social loop - almost like one is in sales and cold-calling.

I have found varied reactions to this, but if you buy something like untreated whole kernel corn form the local feed store for, say, your "goats," the corn should be safe for human consumption. And, if you have actual goats, chickens, bunnies, etc.... you all can enjoy. The quality of this type of corn can vary - lots of broken kernels, chaff, and some little stones, but there should be no mold or pesticides in livestock feed, and the price is about as low as you can get w/o going directly to the farmer.

If however, you would prefer excellent quality - go with Honeyville. We store both.

[bbkaren]

Originally Posted by peekaboo

http://www.zayconfoods.com/

Holds sales events in different cities at different times of the year. Beef,pork, chicken, fish, seasonal fruit and honey. You order online then go to where ever they are setting up and pick up your order. They have very good products and the prices are reasonable.

We recently had a fish sales event here and we purchased sockeye salmon and cod by the case. We were very pleased with what we ordered and what we received.

Peekaboo, I don't see where they sell freeze-dried, etc....am I missing something?