Emergency Food/Medicine Supplies

[Jean]

Hi All,

Here are some canned goods we can eat:

Tuna--many companies now make tuna in olive oil, it's safe.

Sardines, smoked clams and Oysters--many are packaged in cottonseed oil.

Corned Beef--I've used a number of brands, it's not bad fried with shredded potatoes. Just like corned beef hash in the can. We won't be worrying about calories/fat, LOL.

Fruit--many canned fruits are safe as long as they aren't sweetened with corn syrup. I find a huge variety at my local oriental store. They should contain fruit, sugar and maybe juice (concentrated juice is always a safe ingredient).

I don't think that there will be much of a problem with the water supply. If there is an interruption, I think that there will be enough people working to keep it flowing. My reasoning is that there is probably very little person to person contact in that job so workers will be more likely to continue working. Boiling contaminated water will eliminate the virus. I think electrical power will be the same way. Individual houses may lose power because of down power lines, but in general I expect it to continue.

You can always get water from a stream or lake, collect rain water or melt snow. Boiling should make it safe. There are also tablets you can get from camping stores that purify water.

Don't forget your gas or charcoal grill! If we lose electric or gas service, it will be an excellent way to cook and decontaminate things. It probably wouldn't be a bad idea to get an extra propane tank or two or extra bags of charcoal.

Wood fires, either inside or out, will also work for cooking, decontaminating and heat. Stocking up on fire starters (matches, lighters, propane torches) would be a good idea. Stockpiling an extra cord or two of wood might also be good and make sure you have fuel for your chain saw.

I'm putting in a vegetable garden this year with an eye on the possible pandemic. I might even figure out how to can stuff this year... There are also many edible plants that one can eat. Dandelions are high in many vitamins and rose hips are good for vitamin C. Get a book on edible plants in your region?

There's always hunting and fishing to get meat. I know many of you are opposed to this, but it may become a necessity. It would be easy here in Michigan, but I worry about people in big cities.

When my power has gone out in the past, I've put all my frozen goods in a big cooler and put it outside in cold weather.

OK, so I sound like a survivalist! Not really, but I like to know how to fend for myself. I spend a lot of time in the woods and always have the possiblity of getting lost. Oh yeah, I've done that! LOL

Wayne,

The prediction is that infected birds will be migrating from Alaska to the lower 48 this fall. Fly ways cross there from Europe/Asia and the US.


Love, Jean

[tex]

Morning, Jean,

Thanks for all the information. I hope we don't have to use it, but there's certainly a possibility that some of us, maybe even all of us, might need it at some point in the future.

You're right, of course, about the bird migrations. I wasn't thinking when I mentioned the spring migrations. I believe those come primarily from South America, and other locations around and south of the equator.

Love,
Wayne

[harvest_table]

Alaska has a fairly aggressive bird testing program in place now and so far this season 4,000 wild bird samples have been collected and just under 1/2 have been tested at the National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wisconsin. The good news is so far, none have shown any trace of the virus. An article in yesterdays paper stated this.

I get a sense based on reading our papers and media coverage that they expect to find the virus in Alaska bird samples this migratory season. I hope not. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

Love,
Joanna

[Jean]

Joanna,

I think it's almost inevitable that the bird flu virus will reach you this year. Of course, that doesn't mean that humans will be able to get it. I think the only thing that can stop it is it's high fatality rate. Birds that have it may not be able to make the migration before they succumb.

If not this year, or through Alaska, it will reach this country soon.

Love, Jean

[harvest_table]

Science meets tradition in bird flu testing
As a subsistence feast is prepared, a biologist checks for infected birds

http://www.adn.com/life/health/birdflu/ ... 4052c.html

Interesting article in todays paper for anyone intersted.

Love,
Joanna