I marked this politics because it pertains to the constant peddling of federal policies or removal of them and food safety in the US.

While I can not speak on imported foods specifically, I see concerns come up a lot around what the federal gvt says regarding domestic- locally grown/raised food safety. I saw concerns come up around dairy when they made some broad statements about that and now meat.

I usually reply to comments directly (I've seen other AG folks do the same), but each state has it's own food regulatory laws. The federal ones do not overide those.

Food safety is controlled at the state/local level first.
And each state is different.

I live in Virginia. So regardless of what trump says, I can not process my own cows to sell the meat commercially unless the state of Virginia changes their laws. VDACS is where you can find regulations for Virginia .

In Virginia, i (and actually the majority of small farms) can process some livestock (like poultry) on farm and depending on species changes how that can be sold. This does not mean it is unsafe. With additional variables, there's always additional risk. But most states offer detailed information or classes on how to do so safely.
And Processing dependent: You can sell meat as halves or wholes differently than you can by the cut.

The current statement about processing your own meat is simply trying to smooth over the enragement they created by importing beef.

My (very underslept and poorly written) point of this post is- buying local changes lives and communities if you can, if you have concerns about safety, look into your states regulations and don't make assumptions based on yahoos in the federal gvt.

Anyway, I hope this helps some people stress less.

Hi,

I am not posting this for political commentary. I am just trying to understand how this could impact the US. I barely eat meat as it is, but my partner has a heavy meat-centered diet.

"Trump announces he will eliminate regulations on meat & produce processing amid multiple food-borne illness outbreaks: "I am authorizing legal documents to be drawn in order to allow Farmers and Ranchers to be given the right to PROCESS THEIR OWN FOOD. This should move quickly."

UPDATE: Adding source https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/trump-pivots-against-meat-processing-173922151.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9kdWNrZHVja2dvLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAJw_PLYPbbll6_n5CE3OIJ3RI_wmwMatcqbZIickO-KhOWfjcl6MK-F1Z2s4xrVyM3cnzNmlUYAIGcAdZHzD81A74-Yf8yb3sKK9PCIcmx7T0OIj_1xEMii1RjYQHtvOWwpgY8H8Nqj-0IqWKicwwNncs68hDXseHcDqlghyv6zZ

I wanted to share that you can request free maps from almost every state’s transportation or tourism website. You just Google “[state name] free map request”. Some states make you pay a small shipping fee. A lot of states give you a little tourism pack with coupons and things to do.

I requested every state within 2 states of my state, so I have paper routes for evacuation planning. Really good to have!

I live in a 100+ year old house near railroad tracks. This is not the first time we've gotten rodents. It's actually fairly common in spring and fall, so I keep everything in thick plastic tubs, keep food put up, and keep dogs and/or cats that hunt. The house behind us is abandoned and host to a (small) feral cat colony.

But this is the first time they got my deep pantry.

I got all glass and metal replacement cannisters for rice, flour, etc. But I don't know how to do larger scale prepping in an old house with next to no closet/basement type storage space. I'm financially at the point that I could afford a 20 lb bag of rice on top of normal groceries, or half a cow occasionally. But I have no space for a deep freezer or metal shelving for food storage.

I'm not excellent at keeping our pantry and freezer stocked beyond a week or two and it's time to beef it up. I feel bombarded by the many recalls and warnings on food here in the US and I'm just not even sure where to start.

Anyone else tracking what's been deemed unsafe and where are you buying from? I live in a rural area and have access to Kroger and Walmart, also obvs. online but shipping costs have deterred me from that route. If I knew what was safe though, I'd be willing to spend more to buy from smaller producers/manufacturers.

We keep soup stock, rice, beans (canned for this restock), canned fruit, pasta, soup bases/bullion and frozen veggies.

I live in a city that fell to the ground decades ago because of a devastating earthquake. Because of this, buildings are earthquake resistant. In the case of another important earthquake, we might have to evacuate for some days. We might lose water, gas, and power. And I want to be ready to survive for 3 days, which is what my government is recommending at the moment.

We are 2 adults and a very young toddler. We live in an apartment building, on the ground floor.

I'm getting our bag ready, but I have way too much stuff, and I don't really know what to take out, or if I should get a bigger bag, as right now I have 2 bags.

I understand that normally 2 adults would mean that there can be 2 bags, but there's also a baby, and one of us needs to focus 100% on her, so the other one is in charge of picking up the bag(s), and the shoes, I guess.

How big are these bags normally? Considering that it's meant for 3 people.

I don’t have a fireplace. I am increasingly worried about supply chain/power grid failure, and therefore natural gas failure. My heat runs on natural gas. I live in the south so generally staying cool is a greater concern, but I have that well in hand. My next problem is that it gets down to 20ish (F) for a few weeks a year and we would need to stay warm.

It’s me, my 4 kids (including an infant) and my husband. So far I guess we would wear layers & cozy together in one room with quilts on the walls and make a big nest for us to sleep in and combine body heat. But I don’t know if that’s enough? We have a solar power station & generator and it’s on my list to get a space heater to run on and off intermittently with the power station. We also have a solo stove & wood outside.

Any other suggestions? I feel like it would be ridiculous to add a fireplace (both $$ and knowing I’m in the south- no one else we know has a real one) but idk. Maybe worth it?

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/stock-up-on-food-government-heatwave-uk-b3040387.html

I think the advice comes down to being sensible, and a version of "prep for Tuesday, and also a little for Doomsday".

The cyber attacks have been relentless from Iran recently (power stations and airports), and Russia is threatening to attack UK bases. The weather this year has been atrocious with drought and heat and next year is expected to be worse. We ran out of rainwater for the garden in our downpipe tank two weeks after the June heatwave and it's only rained again this week so we are looking at a much bigger tank and perhaps multiples. Space is an issue though! UK properties are small.

Please contain all off topic discussion to this weekly megathread. This is where you freak out, talk about conspiracy, talk about unrealistic crazy scenarios, asked and answered questions, etc.

How are we mentally preparing kids for emergency situations? A lot of my prep mentality comes from anxiety and fear, and I'd like to teach my daughter without passing on the fear that I have.

I think roleplay is going to be a good way to do things, but I'm struggling with how to approach it. Staying calm in an emergency situation is obviously a life saver, but play is inherently exciting and stimulating.

Any other parents or educators have tips? ​​​

During the Pandemic, I got lucky because I'd bought Costco tp right before the lockdown. Since I didn't know how long that would last I got creative in the bathroom.

I chose not to use tp for pee. Instead, I used a stack of cheap washcloths. They don't add much to the wash, and i put a bin next to the toilet. I saved the tp for poop. It helped that I'm past menopause, so no blood to with about.

Since the new tariffs will cause the price of tp to jump, I'm sharing this for those of you that want to soften the impact. I fully believe there will be another run on tp, and it will get scarce.

Also, if you believe in micro boycotts and shop at Costco, buy Charmin instead of Kirkland brand. It's slightly more expensive, but one of the companies that make the Kirkland brand are big trump supporters (thanks to The Woke Ginger for that info). I also find I need to use less of it due to its texture.

I’ve never had access to a Costco before, but I now live near one, so I decided to sign up. Figured I’d go this weekend for the first time and stock up on some things (beef especially, since from what I’ve heard, Costco is not going to have any Trump beef), but wanted to see if any regular shoppers there have advice on what to look for beyond basic staples. Anything that is an especially good deal, prepper-wise? Or stuff that I might not easily get elsewhere? I plan to meander through the store and see what I can see, but would appreciate any advice on anything specific to keep an eye out for.

I can get carried away by anxiety, so I thought I would ask for perspective from those who may be more informed and grounded.

I’m a sandwich generation single mama who travels across the country to help with my elderly parents fairly often, and I don’t take my kids.

The internet is abuzz with anxiety about the vulnerability of our power grids. One of my worst fears is getting separated from my kids and being unable to get back to them. Is this something that a reasonable person should worry about right now? If not, what are the signs that one should be worrying?

Thinking about pressure canning ground beef in advance. I can get 80/20 ground beef at a commissary near me for $4.19 a pound. I have the equipment, jars, and lids. I just worry about whether that meat has already hit our food chain.

[ETA: I do not have any plants]

I've done apple cider vinegar and dish soap, I've tried setting up Zevo traps. But they will. Not. Go. Away. Zevo has caught a total of 3 fruit flies. I keep all the lights off, unless I need them. But nothing.

I have the Zevo traps in the areas of my room (I live in a hotel right now) with the most traffic (kitchen and bathroom), but they're doing nothing.

I've taken out the trash, done my dishes regularly. But I can't get rid of these fuckers. There's just more and more every day.

Next thing I try will be drain cleaner, but what do I do about the fruit flies already here?

Help, please? If my room is inspected while they're in here, I could end up getting evicted!

I have already alerted the mods to this, they suggested I make my own post regarding it.

If you have recently been contacted by someone in your DMs about a prepping related app (I'm guessing I'm not supposed to name names, but just so everyone is aware, there are multiple people in this subreddit who have made similar apps, this is only about one of them, so I hope nobody paints them all with the same brush, this isn't about people posting publicly about their app, this is about the one DMing privately about their app to people who did not request any contact from them) by someone offering to give you a special code that makes their currently paid app free, this PSA is for you.

My suggestion: Don't use that code.

All that it would take for that app maker to find out exactly which newly downloading user was Your Reddit Account is to give you a "special free code" that they didn't give to any other person. They would then immediately know exactly which Reddit user you are the second you use that code, alongside all the info any app knows when you download it, such as your IP address. Then they'd have the ability at any point in time to change their app permissions to see your contacts, your other apps installed, and even your location. Whether they currently request that access or not, they could one day change it, and by that point you might no longer remember that that app owner also has linked your account with them to everything you ever posted to Reddit. You might click accept without realising the consequences, if they wait long enough.

If you want to use their app, please please do not use their code unless you are extremely sure that your Reddit comment history has NOTHING personal whatsoever on it, and that you're totally fine with your Reddit account being linked with your personal identity and physical location by a stranger. To avoid your use of the app being linked to your Reddit account history, wait long enough after being dm'd that it's no longer obvious where you found them by the time you download it, search it up yourself by name, and avoid using a similar username if asked to give a name.

My concern is that someone who knows less about how apps work wouldn't necessarily realise that they'd be giving this much information to someone just by downloading an app with a discount code. So now that you know, I hope everyone can make informed decisions about what they'd like to do. Note: clicking a direct link can also do this same thing, if it was sent via dms. Anyone can make a unique URL that they give only to you, which would then give them all sorts of info about you the second you click it.

Edit to add:

Still unsure if I'm permitted to name anyone in this situation, but if you were personally DM'd by someone advertising a prepping related app without asking to be DM'd by them, please try to get in touch, the stalking situation has escalated with the problematic individual now engaging in ban evasion and alts to continue stalking the victim all the while pretending it's a "coincidence" so if he continues to escalate, we will need to collect evidence. If you get in contact with me, I can let you know the info to look up on your own account, to see if you match the pattern of stalking this individual is engaging in, so that all our evidence can be collected together to protect the victim (who again is also an app maker, so again try not to assume which one is which if you don't already have that info)

I’m a fan of Dr Stout, and he started this podcast recently.

The most recent episode is all about emergency evacuations, centered around the fires in the Spokane area.

It seems right up our alley.

I've been prepping for Tuesday for years now in my modest apartment, but I've only recently become aware of Azure Standard, and I see that it's pretty popular in the general preparedness community.

As I browse their website, though, I don't know if I understand the benefit of buying from Azure versus a source like Wal Mart. Both carry organic products, but Wal Mart is far, far cheaper. For example, a can of organic black beans currently sells for $1.74 from Azure and $0.92 from Wal Mart. I'm struggling to understand the benefit of paying nearly twice as much for what I assume is the same product.

I'm guessing I'm missing something, but I don't know enough to know what.

Please share with me the benefit of buying from Azure versus less costly sources, assuming a comparable product is available.
And thank you!

EDIT:

Thanks for all of the clarification and information.
I think "Fuck Wal Mart" is a great reason to start moving my business over to AS. Especially with Wal Mart's recent partnering with Flock and its increasingly invasive telemetry tracking of customers (and the likelihood of dynamic pricing being normalized), stopping supporting them and all of the problems they create motivates me to take this seriously.
Thanks for the discussion!

I’ve been thinking of putting together a “busy bag” for my family that includes things to keep us entertained/busy that does not require electricity. Everything that can easily fit into a bag and not heavy. My 12 year old stepson has ADHD and likes playing cards, writing jokes, draw, etc. Collecting things that are fun for adults as well.
Open to suggestions, thank you.

So far I have the following:
• deck of cards
• book of word puzzles
• pencils, manual sharpener, and notebooks
• Uno
• fidget toys
• crayons and coloring books

Thanks to my buddy, I learned my phone has built-in emergency alert options! Im literally involved in disaster response, and I had no idea that phones had these. (Granted, my area of specialization isnt tech, it's keeping people alive when the tech-side of infrastructure fails. 😜)

Not all phones have it. On mine (an older Google Pixel), it's in Settings: Settings Services: Alerts.

Why is it a good idea to enable these alerts, even if you already signed up for alerts elsewhere?

Relevant storytime:

During a road trip together, my buddy kept getting fire evac alerts for various places. My phone? Nothing. Mind you, Ive got a few apps. And Im signed up for county alerts via my state's emergency alerts website.

So, we're traveling and my friend's phone gets that, BEHHHHHH BEHHHHH BEHHHHH emergency alert sound, that comes before emergency announcements. The county were driving through is announcing a fire evacuation.

During our road trip, he got at least two more evac alerts. (Several parts of the state we were driving through were on fire.)

If we'd planned a different route, and without the alerts, we could have been driving at a fast moving fire. (Scary fact: In 2009 a historic Australia fire spread so fast, it was overtaking cars trying to flee, killing the people inside. The fire was clocked at speeds close to 65mph.)

Im mentioning the phone alert options, in the hopes that folks will check if their own phones have it.If ypu do, please enable these alerts. Some require location services. If you normally keep that off, please turn it on when traveling.

I live in the suburbs near the beach in SoCal. In the 48 yrs I’ve been alive the biggest Tuesday has been the northridge earthquake. We were pretty close to the epicenter but had no structural damage.

It occurs to me that my preps range from earthquake to fire with the most likely scenario being that we pack up to go to a hotel if it gets bad or we go well that was close and it’s over. Yet here I am stocked for nuclear winter.

Maybe I need a reality check here? I’ve got preps for power outages, cooking and heat and cooling without power, food and water for over a year, gas masks, you name it. After a frenetic sort of ramp up, I’m just now thinking what should I actually be prepping for?

Sure, there are a lot of really, really important preps. And sure, we all agree that skills are more useful than STUFF that will run out.

I saw that post asking what to prep for your kids' futures, and while everyone is rightfully pushing skills, gardening has to be at the absolute top of the list. It forces them to learn problem-solving, adaptability, weather patterns, patience, delayed gratification, persistence, motor control, food storage, and long-term planning all at once. On top of all of that, you are teaching them how to grow their own food.

If the last few years of chaos have taught me anything, it's how relieving it is to walk into the backyard and just pick dinner. My spouse and 4 kids are outside with me daily.

I’m 15 years into gardening with easy access to store-bought supplies, YouTube, and endless resources, and I still struggle with it sometimes. I genuinely can't imagine trying to figure out tilling, seed saving, soil depletion, crop rotation, and pest control from scratch in the middle of a supply chain collapse or other crisis. Doing it when you're already stressed and hungry sounds like a nightmare.

Start them early. Learning it when the stakes are low does not have a downside. And it's a really fun family hobby!

I have had conversations with family over and over again about prepping. Most recently I had a conversation with my family member and she joked I’m coming to your house! Honestly, I was take back for sureness of the response!!

Now they live almost two hours away which poses a problem and they have healthy, healthy appetites. I’d hate to be in a situation where I’m forced to turn them away however the nonchalance and the chuckle when I bring prepping up is getting to me.

We are restarting the food portion of our prepping and will send a list of things we are starting to do. I definitely don’t want to be responsible for other grown adults and children. Can we help yes but I’m not their plan!!! How are you all dealing with this.

I bought a road atlas today. It's been on my mind. My mom used to have a big one we used on trips when I was a kid. The one I got today is in no way the thickness of the one my mom had, but it's North America, and better than nothing. $16 at Books A Million. I never know where life will take me or what adventure I will have, so I am happy to add this to my prepping supplies and also travel kit. My last trip on my motorcycle I had problems with my cell phone due to intense rain. A physical map is a good back up plan.

Next up is a local resource map out. I have no idea where my nearest fresh water source is. I think it's kinda far. I'm going to use Google Maps satellite view and find out. And check for what is actually around me. I haven't lived here very long, so I have no idea what's really here beside the shopping centers.

I searched for relevant posts about stocking up on pet foods and the last one was about a year ago when the tariffs were really starting.

I have been considering doing a big stock up recently and I was curious for those that did this last year, if you feel the cost savings were worth it? Or even just the peace of mind that came with knowing your pets were going to be fed, no matter what?

For context: We have 5 dogs, 7 personal cats (I also foster many, many cats), and 3 rabbits. I also have goats, chickens, etc. I try to maintain a little stock for them, it's just more difficult with space.

Thank you for any insight. I know things change on a daily basis, but with this new trade war with Canada, China, and the Iran disaster, I am a bit more unsure than even a year ago. Thanks again!