Hyssop is a perennial herb that has been beloved around the globe since antiquity. Versatile, used in many recipes, as an aromatic, in religious ceremonies and also in folk remedies, the fresh fragrance of hyssop is unmistakable… It’s also a remarkably adaptable plant, easy to grow with just a little bit of care up front. ... Read more
Step by Step How to Grow Hyssop Plants can be read in full at New Life On A Homestead- Be sure to check it out!
Today, I want to address emergency preparedness and food storage. You should be stocking up on food and fuel right now. The window for easy, affordable preparedness is open, but it may not stay that way for long. Stocking food and fuel used to be something your grandparents did. Today, it’s something every household should be doing, and sooner rather than later.
Grocery store shelves that look full today can empty in hours during a regional emergency. Gas stations go dry within 24 to 48 hours of a major storm or supply disruption. For most American families, a one-week food shortage would mean real hardship. A two-week shortage could be a crisis.
This post explains why building a home food and fuel reserve is one of the most practical, financially sensible things you can do right now, and how to start doing it today.
Yesterday, I checked out my pantry for holes or vacancies, you could say. I used my last two cans of diced tomatoes in a soup yesterday. Thankfully, Harry (in our forum) told me about Sam’s Club Plus program. Yes, it costs money once a year. The amount may depend on where you live. Here’s the deal: I just renewed mine. Why, you may ask. I can order online at store prices, not have to drive there since they deliver, and the prices would be the same if I had gotten dressed, shopped, and dragged those cases out to my car.
Today, I ordered two cases of refried beans, two cases of black beans, and two cases of diced tomatoes. They’ll be delivered to my door within a few hours. No tip, no delivery charge. The total was just over $50.00. Sold, no leaving my house and burning my gas.
Modern grocery distribution runs on a system called just-in-time inventory. Stores receive frequent, small deliveries rather than keeping large stockpiles on hand. This keeps costs low under normal conditions, but it means the buffer between “fully stocked” and “empty shelves” is razor-thin.
A single disruption, a trucking labor shortage, a port bottleneck, a severe winter storm, or a regional power outage can cascade through the supply chain faster than stores can respond. We have seen this play out repeatedly in recent years with everything from baby formula to cooking oil to bottled water.
When you build a home food reserve, you’re essentially creating your own personal buffer against a system that was never designed to absorb sudden shocks.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security recommends that every household maintain at a minimum a 72-hour emergency supply of food and water. Most preparedness experts and organizations, such as FEMA, now suggest that two to four weeks is a more realistic and resilient target.
The difference between 72 hours and two weeks is not paranoia. It’s the difference between surviving a common power outage and being prepared for something more serious.
Floods, hurricanes, wildfires, earthquakes, ice storms, and extended power outages affect hundreds of thousands of Americans every year. In the immediate aftermath of a disaster, roads close, delivery trucks stop moving, and stores are cleaned out within hours. The families who fare best are those who were already prepared before anything happened. Within the past two weeks, there have been frequent news reports of millions of families without power, streets closed due to heavy snows, and main highways flooded or covered with black ice. All those issues have caused frustration and heartache for families needing food and water.
Food inflation has been persistent and unpredictable. Buying shelf-stable staples today — rice, dried beans, canned goods, pasta, oats, at current prices is a practical hedge against future price increases. A $200 investment in pantry staples today may be worth $280 or more in groceries two years from now.
An emergency food supply is not only about external disasters. If your household loses income unexpectedly, a well-stocked pantry significantly reduces your most immediate financial pressure. Many families who have experienced job loss credit their food storage for giving them the critical breathing room they needed during a difficult period.
The United States imports a significant portion of its food supply, including key ingredients, cooking oils, fertilizers, and agricultural chemicals. Global trade disruptions, tariff escalations, or supply shocks in exporting countries can quickly translate into domestic shortages and price spikes. Building a reserve insulates your household from these pressures.
Extended power outages lasting multiple days or weeks are becoming more common due to extreme weather events and aging infrastructure. Without power, refrigerated and frozen food quickly becomes unsafe. A well-planned home food storage system relies primarily on shelf-stable items that don’t require refrigeration, keeping your household fed regardless of what the grid is doing. Power grids are experiencing more pressure due to the rapid growth of high-power-demand AI computer-based facilities all over the country. Things are bound to get trickier until the needed infrastructure is improved and updated.
During a regional emergency, gas stations are among the first businesses to face supply problems. Long lines, station closures, and local shortages typically begin within 24 to 48 hours of a significant event. Having a modest fuel reserve, properly stored with a fuel stabilizer, can mean the difference between evacuating safely and being stranded.
You don’t need to overhaul your lifestyle or spend thousands of dollars to build meaningful food security. The goal is steady, affordable progress over time.
Start with foods your household already eats and that have a long shelf life. The best food storage is food you will actually use.
Storing fuel safely at home is straightforward when done correctly. Gasoline for generators and vehicles, propane for camp stoves, and firewood for fireplace-based heating are the most common residential fuel reserves.
For gasoline, use only approved containers designed specifically for fuel storage. Add a quality fuel stabilizer to extend shelf life from the typical 30 days to 12 to 24 months. Store fuel away from living spaces, heat sources, and any open flame. Check local regulations, as many areas limit the amount of fuel that can be stored on a residential property.
Propane can be stored indefinitely in sealed tanks and is one of the safest and most practical home fuel options. A 20-pound propane tank will run a camp stove for many hours of cooking, enough to last a household several weeks.
For years, we took our girls on weekend family camping trips to gather firewood. We had a vehicle that could pull a small trailer, and we’d fill it up with dry wood. We had chainsaws at the ready so the wood could be effectively cut and stored along the side of our house and in the backyard.
The most common mistake people make when thinking about food storage is treating it as an all-or-nothing project. It’s not. A gradual, consistent approach works better for most households.
Within three to six months of consistent effort, most households can build a meaningful reserve without financial strain.
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Emergency preparedness has a strange psychological quality: it feels most urgent right after a disaster, when it’s too late to prepare, and least urgent when life is calm, which is exactly when preparation is easiest and least expensive.
Stocking food and fuel is not about fear. It’s about responsibility to yourself, to your family, and to the peace of mind that comes from knowing you’re ready for what you can’t control. The shelves are stocked today. Prices are predictable today. Your schedule has room today.
These are the conditions that make preparation straightforward. Don’t wait until they change. “The best time to prepare for an emergency is before one begins.” Start with one week. Then two. Then a month. Every step forward is a step your future self will be grateful for. May God bless this world, Linda
The post Emergency Preparedness and Food Storage appeared first on Food Storage Moms.
Estimated reading time: 15 minutes
Nature has provided everything we need to survive, including medicinal plants that relieve migraines, clear up rashes, ease aches and pains, reduce swelling and bruising, and treat various illnesses.
At one time, natural remedies were used in homes every day. Carefully cultivated herb gardens supplied medicine for the family and were often shared with the local physician.
The rise of the pharmaceutical industry in the early 1900s made it easier to turn to manufactured substances than rely on medicines that are cultivated or foraged. Physicians were paid to prescribe these pharmaceutical products rather than suggest local plants that would supply the same relief at little to no cost and with fewer side effects.
With so many people struggling to pay their bills nowadays, it is no surprise that we are returning to the wisdom of generations past and looking to the fields and forests surrounding our homes for natural remedies. Below are a few common and not-so-common plants, flowers, and herbs used in natural medicine.
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There's some debate over whether aloe vera should be considered an herb, but I say it is an herb if you're using it for pain relief. The gel inside aloe vera plants is remarkably good at relieving pain from cuts, scrapes, and burns (especially sunburns).
In addition to soothing pain, the gel will also help your skin heal faster. Several studies have backed this up. For example, in a 2009 study, scientists tested aloe cream against traditional burn cream and found that people who used aloe had their wounds finish healing several days sooner.
If you're growing an aloe vera plant, extracting the gel is easy. Break off a leaf, cut off both ends and the spiny edges, then hold the leaf up and use a knife to cut between the skin and the gel. Repeat with the other side.
How to use for pain relief (step-by-step):
The daisy-like flowers of the chamomile plant are best known for creating sleep-inducing teas, but they are useful for several different ailments. Chamomile is a perennial that can be started successfully from seed.
Teas that include chamomile do help fight insomnia but also act as a muscle relaxant, relieving intestinal distress and nausea. A chamomile tea can also be used to bathe wounds, burns and rashes, providing relief from pain and encouraging healing by acting as an antibacterial agent. Using chamomile in bath water will relieve skin irritations caused by eczema and give relief to those suffering with sunburn.
How to use for pain relief (step-by-step):
Cloves, the flower buds of the clove tree, have analgesic properties which them a great numbing agent for tooth pain. If you have some clove oil, all you have to do is dip a cotton swab into the oil, then apply it to your toothache, and you will feel instant relief.
Cloves are also antibacterial, which is very useful for someone with dental problems. Some people say they can also reduce fevers and repel mosquitoes, although studies on these effects have produced mixed results.
How to use for pain relief (step-by-step):
A noninvasive perennial, the comfrey plant produces large hairy leaves that are best harvested before the plant flowers. Comfrey can be grown from cuttings or ordered from a nursery as bare roots. Leaves can be used fresh or dried.
Comfrey leaves contain compounds that stimulate cell formation, making it a valuable plant for healing wounds. Poultices, made of steeped leaves, can be used for reducing swelling and inflammation. It can also be made into a tea, allowing the affected part to soak when applying a poultice would be difficult. Skin abrasions and rashes can be treated with comfrey, unless the skin has been broken open.
A special note of warning: Comfrey plants do contain toxins that can be fatal to humans and livestock if taken internally. Never use comfrey poultices on open wounds or broken skin to reduce the risk of accidental poisoning.
How to use for pain relief (step-by-step):
Feverfew is a perennial herb with daisy-like flowers, known primarily for its ability to prevent and treat migraines. It can be easily grown in your garden. Chewing feverfew leaves can alleviate headache pain, though its bitter taste might require it to be taken in capsule or tea form. This herb can also relieve arthritis pain and reduce inflammation.
How to use for pain relief (step-by-step):
Ginger, a root commonly found in kitchens, is also a powerful medicinal herb. You can grow ginger in a pot or garden bed from a piece of fresh ginger root. Its anti-inflammatory properties make it excellent for reducing joint and muscle pain.
Ginger tea can alleviate stomach aches and nausea, and applying a paste of ginger on the forehead can help relieve headaches (here's how to make it). Moreover, ginger is known for its warming properties, which can be soothing for cold-induced aches.
How to use for pain relief (step-by-step):
More than a gentle fragrance or soft color, lavender is a hardy perennial that has powerful medicinal properties. Lavender can be grown from cuttings or purchased in a small container.
Lavender flowers can be dried to make calming teas that ease anxiety or treat insomnia, and they can be added to bath water to increase circulation, lower high blood pressure, and reduce inflammation. Lavender tea or lavender oil can be used to treat burns and abrasions. It can also be used as a facial rinse for controlling acne as it has antiseptic properties.
How to use for pain relief (step-by-step):
There are several varieties of mint and many of them can be used for medicinal purposes. Mint can be cultivated in a garden or in a container, but be aware, it is incredibly invasive. Plant mint from seed or ask around for a start. The leaves can be used fresh, dried, or distilled in oil or alcohol.
Mint is traditionally used to soothe digestive issues including general stomach upsets and indigestion, but it can also be used to treat more serious conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome. Peppermint infused oil can help relieve headaches and ease muscle cramps when used as part of a cooling compress.
How to use for pain relief (step-by-step):
Plantain is not commonly thought of as a medicinal plant, but as a weed to eradicate from the lawn or garden. The fact is, plantain is very valuable for treating a wide variety of ailments.
Reduce swelling and bruising by crushing a few leaves and placing them on the affected area. This method is also useful to slow the bleeding of minor wounds. It soothes burns and scrapes, in addition to clearing rashes, including poison ivy. Take the sting out of insect and spider bites with a poultice made of plantain.
Plantain can also be used as a drawing agent. Place a small amount of crushed or steeped leaves over the entry wound caused by a splinter or other foreign object. The compounds in plantain will draw the material out, while combating infection due to its antibacterial properties. Prepared as a tea, plantain acts as a diuretic, relieves digestive issues and soothes sore throats.
How to use for pain relief (step-by-step):
A common herb used in savory dishes, rosemary infused oil is useful for treating many skin conditions. Rosemary can be started from seed or from a cutting, but may be best grown in a container as it is not very tolerant of harsh winter weather.
Rosemary infused oil can be massaged into bruised areas to speed up recovery. It also reduces inflammation due to eczema and other skin rashes. Reduce dandruff by rinsing the scalp with rosemary tea. A mild tea made from rosemary can provide a boost to the immune system as well.
How to use for pain relief (step-by-step):
Ordinarily found in the spice cabinet, sage, a shrub-like perennial, is also useful in the medicine cabinet. Started from seed or as a transplant, sage leaves can be harvested throughout the growing season.
Teas made from the leaves relieve sore throats and other sores in the mouth. Sage tea was historically used to shorten colds and reduce fevers. As it is antibacterial and has astringent properties, it can also be used in bath water as a cleaning agent. In addition to being a cleanser, it can also be used as a deodorizer.
How to use for pain relief (step-by-step):
Commonly known for its antidepressant qualities, St. John’s Wort is also effective in managing nerve pain. It can be grown in a sunny part of the garden. The flowers and leaves, used in teas or as a topical oil, can help soothe sciatica, arthritis, and neuralgia. Caution is advised, however, as St. John's Wort can interact with several medications.
How to use for pain relief (step-by-step):
Turmeric, with its active compound curcumin, is renowned for its anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects. You can grow turmeric in a similar way to ginger. Consuming turmeric in food, tea, or as a supplement can help reduce chronic pain, especially in conditions like arthritis.
Applying a turmeric paste to bruises and aches can also provide relief. Its antioxidant properties additionally contribute to overall health and wellbeing.
How to use for pain relief (step-by-step):
Valerian is a flowering plant whose roots are used for their sedative and calming effects. It’s particularly beneficial for muscle and joint pain. Growing valerian in your garden not only provides access to a natural pain reliever but also attracts beautiful wildlife.
Valerian root can be used in teas or as a tincture to help with muscle spasms, tension headaches, and stress-related body aches.
How to use for pain relief (step-by-step):
Generally used as a border plant for flower beds, wooly lamb’s ear is nature’s version of the band-aid. Grown from seed or from a cutting, wooly lamb’s ear produces soft hairy leaves that can be harvested and placed on minor cuts and open wounds to reduce bleeding and increase blood clotting.
It is naturally antibacterial, antiseptic and antimicrobial, keeping open skin free from infection. It will reduce the pain and swelling caused by insect and spider bites. A tea made with the leaves can be used as an effective eyewash for treating pinkeye. Moreover, a tea made with young fresh leaves will soothe an upset stomach and stop diarrhea.
How to use for pain relief (step-by-step):
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The post 15 Best Herbs and Flowers for Pain Relief appeared first on Homestead Survival Site.
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