Is Your Winter Stockpile Ready?

**forHISglory** · 10-28-2008, 10:46 AM

Is your stockpile ready for the winter? What have you prepared? What's left to do? Or is this a non-issue for you?

As a child growing up in rural Iowa, I knew that we needed to have our winter supplies ready by October. It was not unusual to have snows starting then. I remember some very hard winters where we would be snowed in on the farm. Drifts would be 4-5 foot high in places. Dad would take all day to shovel paths to the barn so that he could care for the animals.

Mom and us kids would can and freeze garden and orchard produce all summer and fall. She always aimed to have 100 quarts of each veggie preserved, and way more than that of tomatoes. We gathered hickory nuts and black walnuts and put them in the grainery to dry. Dad saw to it that the grain bins and barns were full of hay, straw, corn, and oats. He also saw to it that our woodpile was ready for the winter.

We butchered chickens and popped them into the freezer. During the winter, we would butcher a hog and cow, also.

I guess that all this influenced me to prepare my stockpile for winter. Although I no longer live in Iowa, we still experience a rural winter and have been snowed or iced in for a time. I don't can and freeze as much as my mother did, but I still make sure that the larder is stocked.

I just finished yesterday with food items. The pantry and basement storage have enough canned fruits and veggies to last us thru the winter. I've collected a variety of pastas, crackers, rice, grains, cereals, flour and sugar to last. I've got oil, butter, and canned milk. Yesterday I hit the sales for meat, and put away fish, chicken, turkey, sausage, beef and pork. We have enough health and beauty aids and cleaning materials. And we have enough wood cut to last the winter. We collected a lot of nuts this fall, too.

Still need to put away some more laundry detergent and toilet paper. Then I'll be done.

My goal is to only have to replenish fresh fruit and salad makings, along with eggs and milk. But if we were stranded like we were last winter, we could still do very well on what I have put away now.

**Cricketlegs** · 10-28-2008, 10:59 AM

There is no difference for us. I don't have a garden so I just usually can tomato products.

Also here in east Texas, there is no snow. We just turned the AC off this morning. It got cold lol!

You must have some wonderful memories.

**forHISglory** · 10-28-2008, 11:21 AM

Cricketlegs, I find it interesting to see how the concept of stockpiling and the necessity of stockpiling vary from geographical area to area.

Today we just got our first frost; it wasn't much of a frost, but so different from my childhood weather at this time of year.

**Gardengal18** · 10-28-2008, 11:38 AM

Up here in N.E. Pennsylvania we actually got SNOW this morning. A couple of school's closed.

OK here is how my pantry is looking:

Pasta √ Cheese (Frozen) √
Pasta Sauce √ Pierogies (Frozen) √
Bread (Frozen) √ Fish Fillets (Frozen) √
Meat (Frozen) √ Fish Sticks (Frozen) √
Chicken (Frozen) √ Bacon (Frozen) √
Sausage (Frozen) √ vegetables (Frozen) √
Dog Food √ Cat Food √
Dog Treats √ Cat Treats √
Bottled Water √ Cat Litter √
Canned Soups √ vegetables (canned) √
Raviolis √ Raisins √
Nuts √ Popcorn √
Crackers √ Various Cake mixes √
Kerro for space heaters √ Frozen Juices √
Sodas √ Cookies √
All complete Pancake Mix √ Muffin Mixes
Candles √ Canned fruit √

Have plenty of cleaning products, laundry detergent/softener etc. Emergency Lanterns (for light) are re-charged and ready to go!

Have to stock on on TP and YUCK....... Dry Milk.

Eggs and fresh milk and fresh bread when I'm able to get them if not

**suzysaver** · 10-28-2008, 12:16 PM

I was talking to my mother the other day and told her I feel like a squirrel getting ready for winter. I'm absolutely crazy running around and adding to my stockpile. I found out today that I made a mistake in my favor with the banking and have an extra $45 to spend, and yes I'm wondering what else I can add to the pile.

**Momof3girls** · 10-28-2008, 03:18 PM

I am not nearly as well stocked this year as I have been in years past.
We used a lot of the stockpile up during some tough times. I have been trying to slowly add to it, but it isn't going as quickly as I want.

**forHISglory** · 10-29-2008, 09:47 AM

OK. Yesterday I stocked up on TP, but doubt it will take us through the winter, and also got more laundry detergent. That will probably last us for 3 months or so. I was feeling pretty proud of thinking ahead and getting all this, and then remembered that I forgot to stock up on dog food. Oh well, for the most part, we are ready for winter! So dog food and light bulbs.....

**joyofsix** · 10-29-2008, 09:58 AM

I don't have enough to make it all winter but I've got plenty. It is so nice if it gets icy or snowy to just say, hmmm, I'll wait until the weather is better to go shopping.

I've got
pasta
beans
salsa and spaghetti sauce
dry milk
shelf stable milk
canned and frozen veggies
rice
venison
plus 2 or 3 of all the usual stuff

**Patty A** · 10-29-2008, 10:32 AM

I have to add that we also stockpile winter supplies of hay, grain, and bird seed.
I know many people don't have to worry about that but it is something to think about. In the winter here, we have snow and real cold weather. Also add things to the car if you live in cold snowy areas so that if you get stranded along the road you won't freeze.
Try to always add to your car trunk:
First aid kit
Shovel
Basic tool kit
pocket knife
Sleeping bags or blankets
Extra winter clothing
Food supply and water
Flashlight
Bag of sand or cat litter
Cell phone and charger
Jumper cables

**itlw8** · 10-30-2008, 10:15 AM

my grandma was a farm girl from Northern I owa nd then lived during the depression so I am sure I got alot of it from her.

Here in Missouri the snows rarely last too long but in the last several years we have had some major ice storms. We lost power last Nov for 3 days.

Food was no problem but we found a few problems that I need to fix

matches or working lighters.... we have a gas stove but electronic start so I needed a match.

We have a gas grill but had only one full tank since we use a small space heater while working in the garage it would be smart to by a 3rd tank so 2 can always be full

batteries.... We had an old battery tv by no D batteries Plus I found neighbors were in need of batteries.

and the biggest is keep the freezer full our deep freeze stayed frozen because it was full and we kept it shut... but if it gets empty holes they should be filled with jugs of water

And while I have a hand can opener it was out in the camping stuff through the nasty ice..... it needs to be in the kitchen.

**forHISglory** · 10-30-2008, 10:48 AM

itlw8, I know what you mean. Here in our part of MO, we lost power last year for 3+ days due to the ice storms. Thankfully, we had the wood stove and could cook on it. Freezer did OK as it was full, but the fridge stuff started to go bad. We thought about putting it in coolers and placing them outside, but the temp rose above freezing. Even tho the temps rose, the ice had torn down the power lines, and the electric coops couldn't get them repaired fast enough.

**itlw8** · 10-30-2008, 11:22 AM

We put everything from the fridge freezer into the deep freeze and di use coolers on the porch. I went ahead and cooked the meat and invited the neighbors over to eat luckily I rarely have much thawed ahead 9of time so we did not lose much

I ended up having to take a full gallon if icecream to my sister on the 3rd day as it was getting a bit soft and she got power back. Her girls could make milk shakes and wouldn't you know on the way home I passed a line of power trucks like 20 of them crossing the bridge. We had power that evening and no icecream.

**Janbee** · 11-02-2008, 12:27 PM

Originally Posted by forHISglory

itlw8, I know what you mean. Here in our part of MO, we lost power last year for 3+ days due to the ice storms. Thankfully, we had the wood stove and could cook on it. Freezer did OK as it was full, but the fridge stuff started to go bad. We thought about putting it in coolers and placing them outside, but the temp rose above freezing. Even tho the temps rose, the ice had torn down the power lines, and the electric coops couldn't get them repaired fast enough.

I learned a lot last winter about preparing as the stores were out of so many things during the ice storms.
I am in Southwest MO and was without power for over a week as the meter was ripped off because of the trees falling.

**dcompton** · 11-02-2008, 10:06 PM

I'm in Cricketlegs general area, and also don't have the "winter stockpile" urgency that those of you up north have, though we can get ice storms now and then. I was excited when it turned colder - for about two days. Up to 80 again yesterday.

My stockpile, though, feels almost complete. I'm waiting on a few things that go on sale around Thanksgiving - canned broth, pineapple (why the sale then, I don't know, I just hope it's true again this year since I use a lot of it), ham, turkey, cream of chicken soup. I also need to pick up some more canned spaghetti sauce that I use for a lot of things. Oh, and cocoa mix. I don't have any, and I like it at night at work, the library stays so cold. Those are the only things I can think of that are noticeable missing.

**Jskell911** · 11-03-2008, 07:06 AM

After hubby's trip to the commisary later this week, we should be pretty well set.

I know these are some things I am asking him to get:

Chicken
Ground Beef
a couple of large roasts (we'll get 3 meals off each)
Cube Steak (we love this and it's so much cheaper)
Mac & Cheese (only about .50 regular price ea)
Coffee
Snacks/Drinks for DS lunch
Sugar

Other than that we are in fantastic shape here

Plenty of:

Cleaning stuff
TP
Pasta
Sauce
Flour
Rice
Cereal
Tea
Powdered Milk
Canned Soup
Veggies