100 Items to Disappear First in A Panic By Joseph Almond

100 Items to Disappear First in a Panic

October 12, 2008 by arksoaper

This list was originally prepared for Y2K, but it is still relevant, especially considering our current economic situation. (And let me interject here that I did nothing for Y2K except fill the bathtub with water, and sit around on the internet watching to see what happened in Australia when 12:00am rolled over. When it appeared they were ok, I went to bed and slept soundly! Our current situation, however, has alarmed me beyond anything I’ve experienced thus far. I urge you to prepare for a spike in inflation at the very least – whatever you can stock for your family now will help you down the road later.)

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100 Items to Disappear First in A Panic

By Joseph Almond

#1. Generators (Good ones cost dearly. Gas storage, risky. Noisy..target of thieves; maintenance, etc.)

#2. Water Filters/Purifiers (Shipping delays increasing.)

#3. Portable Toilets (Increasing in price every two months.)

#4. Seasoned Firewood (About $100 per cord; wood takes 6 – 12 mos. to become dried, for home uses.)

#5. Lamp Oil, Wicks, Lamps (First choice: Buy CLEAR oil. If scarce, stockpile ANY!)

#6. Coleman Fuel (URGENT $2.69-$3.99/gal. Impossible to stockpile too much.)

#7. Guns, Ammunition, Pepper Spray, Knives, Clubs, Bats & Slingshots

#8. Hand-Can openers & hand egg beaters, whisks (Life savers!)

#9. Honey/Syrups/white, brown sugars

#10. Rice – Beans – Wheat (White rice is now $12.95 – 50# bag. Sam’s Club, stock depleted often.)

#11. Vegetable oil (for cooking) (Without it food burns/must be boiled, etc.)

#12. Charcoal & Lighter fluid (Will become scarce suddenly.)

#13. Water containers (Urgent Item to obtain. Any size. Small: HARD CLEAR PLASTIC ONLY)

#14. Mini Heater head (Propane) (Without this item, propane won’t heat a room.)

#15. Grain Grinder (Non-electric)

#16. Propane Cylinders

#17. Michael Hyatt’s Y2K Survival Guide (BEST single y2k handbook for sound advice/tips.)

#18. Mantles: Aladdin, Coleman, etc. (Without this item, longer-term lighting is difficult.)

#19. Baby Supplies: Diapers/formula/ointments/aspirin, etc

#20. Washboards, Mop Bucket w/wringer (for Laundry)

#21. Cookstoves (Propane, Coleman & Kerosene)

#22. Vitamins (Critical, due 10 Y2K-forced daily canned food diets.)

#23. Propane Cylinder Handle-Holder (Urgent: Small canister use is dangerous without this item.)

#24. Feminine Hygiene/Haircare/Skin products

#25. Thermal underwear (Tops and bottoms)

#26. Bow saws, axes and hatchets & Wedges (also, honing oil)

#27. Aluminum foil Reg. & Heavy Duty (Great Cooking & Barter item)

#28. Gasoline containers (Plastic or Metal)

#29. Garbage bags (Impossible to have too many.)

#30. Toilet Paper, Kleenex, paper towels

#31. Milk – Powdered & Condensed (Shake liquid every 3 to 4 months.)

#32. Garden seeds (Non-hybrid) (A MUST)

#33. Clothes pins/line/hangers (A MUST)

#34. Coleman’s Pump Repair Kit: 1(800) 835-3278

#35. Tuna Fish (in oil)

#36. Fire extinguishers (or.. large box of Baking soda in every room…)

#37. First aid kits

#38. Batteries (all sizes…buy furthest-out for Expiration Dates)

#39. Garlic, spices & vinegar, baking supplies

#40. BIG DOGS (and plenty of dog food)

#41. Flour, yeast & salt

#42. Matches (3 box/$1 .44 at WalMart: & Strike Anywhere & preferred. Boxed, wooden matches will go first.)

#43. Writing paper/pads/pencils/solar calculators

#44. Insulated ice chests (good for keeping items from freezing in Wintertime)

#45. Workboots, belts, Levis & durable shirts

#46. Flashlights/LIGHTSTICKS & torches, & No.76 Dietz Lanterns

#47. Journals, Diaries & Scrapbooks (Jot down ideas, feelings, experiences: Historic times!)

#48. Garbage cans Plastic (great for storage, water, transporting – if with wheels)

#49. Men’s Hygiene: Shampoo, Toothbrush/paste, Mouthwash/floss, nail clippers,etc

#50. Cast iron cookware (sturdy, efficient)

#51. Fishing supplies/tools

#52. Mosquito coils/repellent sprays/creams

#53. Duct tape

#54. Tarps/stakes/twine/nails/rope/spikes

#55. Candles

#56. Laundry detergent (Liquid)

#57. Backpacks & Duffle bags

#58. Garden tools & supplies

#59. Scissors, fabrics & sewing supplies

#60. Canned Fruits, Veggies, Soups, stews, etc.

#61. Bleach (plain, NOT scented: 4 to 6% sodium hypochlorite)

#62. Canning supplies (Jars/lids/wax)

#63. Knives & Sharpening tools: files, stones, steel

#64. Bicycles…Tires/tubes/pumps/chains, etc.

#65. Sleeping bags & blankets/pillows/mats

#66. Carbon Monoxide Alarm (battery powered)

#67. Board Games Cards, Dice

#68. d-Con Rat poison, MOUSE PRUFE II, Roach Killer

#69. Mousetraps, Ant traps & cockroach magnets

#70. Paper plates/cups/utensils (stock up, folks…)

#71. Baby Wipes, oils, waterless & Anti-bacterial soap (saves a lot of water)

#72. Rain gear, rubberized boots, etc.

#73. Shaving supplies (razors & creams, talc, after shave)

#74. Hand pumps & siphons (for water and for fuels)

#75. Soysauce, vinegar, boullions/gravy/soup base

#76. Reading glasses

#77. Chocolate/Cocoa/Tang/Punch (water enhancers)

#78. “Survival-in-a-Can”

#79. Woolen clothing, scarves/ear-muffs/mittens

#80. BSA – New 1998 – Boy Scout Handbook (also, Leader’s Catalog)

#81. Roll-on Window Insulation Kit (MANCO)

#82. Graham crackers, saltines, pretzels, Trail mix/Jerky

#83. Popcorn, Peanut Butter, Nuts

#84. Socks, Underwear, T-shirts, etc. (extras)

#85. Lumber (all types)

#86. Wagons & carts (for transport to & from open Flea markets)

#87. Cots & Inflatable mattresses (for extra guests)

#88. Gloves: Work/warming/gardening, etc.

#89. Lantern Hangers

#90. Screen Patches, glue, nails, screws, nuts & bolts

#91. Teas

#92. Coffee

#93. Cigarettes

#94. Wine/Liquors (for bribes, medicinal, etc.)

#95. Paraffin wax

#96. Glue, nails, nuts, bolts, screws, etc.

#97. Chewing gum/candies

#98. Atomizers (for cooling/bathing)

#99. Hats & cotton neckerchiefs

#100. Goats/chickens

Dave Ramsey Quote

I really like this quote from Dave Ramsey that he posted on his Face Book page. What is thoughtful is we are coming to the Christmas Season and we can either pay cash or charge everything on our credit card. What would you do?

"Money is like a beautiful thoroughbred horse--very powerful & always in action, but unless this horse is trained when very young, it will be an out-of-control & dangerous animal when it grows to maturity." - Dave Ramsey

5 Mistakes We Make Teaching Kids About Money

Top 5 Mistakes We Make Teaching Kids About Money


By Laura Rowley


We all make stupid money mistakes. Find out if you're making bad money decisions with this advice from Kodak spokesperson and money expert Laura Rowley.

1. Becoming a Human ATM Machine
Give children an allowance and let them know what they have to pay for out of their own stash—whether it's the ice cream truck, the goodies in the $1 aisle at the discount store or that Scholastic book order form that comes home from school. This reduces nagging, allows them to develop math skills and learn from their mistakes. It's amazing to see how much more they value the things they paid for themselves.

2. Overlooking Every Day Lessons
Don't miss opportunities to discuss simple economics in every day settings. While grocery shopping, explain why it's smarter to choose the package that costs less per pound, or the more affordable generic brand; and why it makes sense to stock up when an item is on sale. Explain why savvy savings habits make sense: "By saving just $15 a week using the grocery store's loyalty cards and coupons, we'll have almost $800 at the end of the year to spend on something fun."

3. Not Involving Kids in Longer-Term Goals
Solid money management comes down to two things, planning ahead and making choices. If you're planning a vacation, talk to the kids about the budget: airfare, lodging and entertainment. Take a coffee can and label it the "Vacation Fund" and throw in your loose change at the end of the day. Take the coins to the bank and show the kids how the money is adding up; and how the bank will pay you interest for storing the cash in a savings account. Give them a specific budget for souvenirs—say $15—and suggest they increase it by earning cash for the trip through lemonade stands, dog sitting or lawn mowing.

4. Missing the Opportunity to Motivate Their Savings Habits
If your kids put money in the bank, match their contributions. I took my kids to our local bank branch when they were 8, 6 and 4 and opened savings accounts for all of them. I matched the money they deposited, using the opportunity to discuss how a 401(k) plan works and why someone should contribute up to the amount of the company match (free money!).

5. Not Explaining How Plastic Works
According to a study by Nellie Mae, the student loan firm, the average college freshman has $1,500 in credit card debt, and that figure doubles by the time they graduate. Some 56 percent of college seniors carry four or more credit cards. That's when the real trouble starts, because if teens lose the battle to understand and manage credit cards at 18, the damage can haunt them for years. An estimated 70 percent of employers check credit scores before they hire. Over time, a low credit score will suck tens of thousands of dollars out of your child's pocket when they seek financing for an auto or a home. Consider allowing a teen to practice with a pre-paid, reloadable debit card such as Visa Buxx. It has fewer fees than competing cards and features parental controls—such as setting a weekly cash limit. Parents can also get email alerts showing when and where a teen used the card, setting the stage for discussions about wise spending.


Do you have any fail-proof methods for talking money with your children? Chime in here and share your techniques!

The Biggest Losers (of Debt): How a Family Shed $106,000 in Debt

This is an awesome article about this family.





Photo: Jeff Holmquist
Russell and Kathy Hildebrandt of New Richmond, Wis., won an award for successfully tackling $106,000 in credit card and personal debt through thrifty spending, a second job and bit-by-bit payments on their credit card balances. They're shown outside their home surrounded by their three children, 14-year-old twins Heidi (left) and Holly, and 3-year-old Joey.



The Biggest Losers (of Debt): How a Family Shed $106,000 in Debt
Karen Kroll
Friday, September 18, 2009
This article is part of a series related to being Financially Fit
Meet the Hildebrandts; their frugal ways lost debt, won an award
Five years ago, the Hildebrandt family of New Richmond, Wis., was juggling more than $100,000 in credit card and personal debt. Through frugality, determination and hard work, they are now -- other than a mortgage -- debt-free.
At the time, Russell and Kandy Hildebrandts' credit card balances totaled about $89,000, and they owed $17,000 to a family member. While they were current on all the payments, the card companies had begun raising their interest rates, adding hundreds to their minimum monthly payments. Kandy acknowledges that they presented a higher credit risk, given how their balances had ballooned. Even so, with the bump in the required payments, covering the monthly payments was a struggle. "We had to change," Kandy says.
Change they did. For their debt-fighting prowess, the Hildebrandts were on Tuesday night named the winners of the Professional Achievement and Counseling Excellence (PACE) 2009 Graduate Client of the Year Award. This national award, given by the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, recognizes the hard work and commitment they demonstrated in repaying their debts, and their willingness to become effective managers of their money and change their lifestyle. (Disclosure: CreditCards.com Senior Reporter Connie Prater served as a judge in the awards.)
Slow Decline Into Debt
Not that the Hildebrandts' lifestyle was lavish. The couple, along with their twin daughters, Heidi and Holly, lived in a rented 1,000 square foot townhome. Vacations consisted of visits to extended family members in the Midwest. Russell was a chemist with a Twin Cities-based environmental testing laboratory; Kandy was a stay-at-home mom and home-schooled their daughters.
While the Hildebrandts weren't living extravagantly, they also weren't frugal, Kandy notes. They purchased most items, such as clothes for the girls, new. In addition, they had medical expenses related to Russell's diabetes and several miscarriages that Kandy suffered. At the same time, they remained committed to tithing, or giving 10 percent of their income to their church. The accumulation of day-to-day expenses left the family going a bit more into debt each year.
Bankruptcy? No Thanks
Several family friends recommended that they file for bankruptcy. That was out of the question, Russell says. "We were committed to paying off our debts." They also resolved to continue to tithe and home-school their daughters.
To get started, Kandy met with Linda Humburg, a manager with FamilyMeans Consumer Credit Counseling Service (CCCS) in Stillwater, Minn. Linda reviewed their finances, and developed a five-year debt management plan. While the schedule was daunting, the Hildebrandts signed on. "If we didn't make it, we knew that we would go out trying," Russell says.
Several steps were key to making the plan work. Kandy and Russell eliminated discretionary spending. Kandy began buying generic food and frequenting thrift stores for clothing purchases. They stopped exchanging Christmas and birthday gifts with each other and their relatives.
Even with the drastic cutbacks, the Hildebrandts couldn't cover the $2,000 they were sending to CCCS each month to be distributed to their creditors. At that time, the sum amounted to about half of Russell's take-home pay. So Russell took on a second job cleaning a local grocery store several nights a week from midnight to 4:30 a.m. He would arrive home from his day job, eat dinner, catch a few hours of sleep and head to work. After his shift, he would go back home, sleep a few more hours and then get up for his day job.
Slow Progress
The first two years were particularly tough. Russell's work schedule was grueling, while Kandy managed just about everything at home on her own. Moreover, while their credit card balances were going down, the drop wasn't yet noticeable. For about a year, the Hildebrandts made do with one car, until they received a used van from Kandy's family.

Even so, "they didn't let anything deter them from progress," Humburg says. "If the money wasn't available, they simply did without." Equally, important the Hildebrandts kept their goal -- becoming debt-free -- in mind.

After the first few years, the Hildebrandts' efforts finally seemed to be bearing fruit. Their card balances were coming down, and some were getting paid off. As one card reached zero, CCCS would apply the money that had gone to it to the remaining balances. As a result, those cards would get paid off even more quickly.

About this time, Kandy became pregnant with Joey, who's now 3. While recognizing that a new child would mean additional expenses, the couple was thrilled. "The joy he brought to a negative, grinding situation was the light we needed," she says.
Dream Home Appears
By the fall of 2008, the Hildebrandts had one year to go on the payment plan. Russell even started daydreaming about a new home when he saw a three-bedroom rambler for sale in New Richmond. It had all that they were looking for, including a large yard and a separate bedroom for Joey. Russell let a real estate agent know that they liked the house, but added that the family would have to pay off their debts before taking on a mortgage.
Several months later the agent called and asked if the Hildebrandts would be interested in a rent-to-own agreement. The current owner of the house had some health concerns and was eager to move. The monthly rent would be $1,000, which included $200 to be escrowed for closing costs. They could manage it.
Earlier this year, the owner wanted to accelerate the sale process. In April, using the tax credit for first-time home buyers, the Hildebrandts were able to swing the purchase and pay off the remaining balances on their credit cards about six months ahead of schedule.
Now, the Hildebrandts are content in their new home and free of debt, other than their mortgage. Russell has been able to quit his second job and spend more time with his family -- and catch up on sleep.
Frugal Habits Stick
Several things haven't changed, however. Kandy remains a dedicated bargain hunter. Shopping online, she found eight bar stools for their kitchen island and basement family room for $24; at a yard sale, she bought a $2 desk for the girls. The Hildebrandts "had to completely rethink how they spent and what was a need versus a want," Humburg says.
Both Russell and Kandy say that while bankruptcy might have seemed like an easier option at the outset, it would not have been as satisfying. They wouldn't have learned to take control over their money and spending. What's more, with a bankruptcy on their credit record, they wouldn't have been able to purchase a house when they did.
Their advice to others? "Get out of debt," Kandy says. "It's a chokehold."

New frugality is the new normal, by necessity

New frugality is the new normal, by necessity
By ASHLEY M. HEHER, AP Retail Writer Ashley M. Heher, Ap Retail Writer Mon Sep 7, 1:23 pm ET
CHICAGO – A year after "shop 'til you drop" stopped, the nation fixates on this question: Will consumer spending ever return to pre-recession levels?
Increasingly, the answer appears to be no. Belt-tightening in bad times is normal. And after every other recession since World War II, penny-pinching quickly fell out of fashion and Americans resumed their demand for houses, cars and everything else.
This time it's different. Like the Great Depression in the 1930s, the Great Recession seems destined to turn many Americans into lasting coupon-cutters, scrimpers and savers. Consumers dug a debt hole over the past decade from which there's no easy climb out. The population segment that drives spending the most — baby boomers — faces special pressure: Boomers are running out of time.
A study by research firm AlixPartners concluded that once a new normal sets in after this recession ends, Americans will spend at about 86 percent of their pre-downturn level.
In an economy driven by consumption, the implications are far-reaching if that forecast proves correct:
• For every kitchen not remodeled, there will be lost sales of appliances and supplies, and fewer jobs for designers and contractors. As homeowners do work around the house themselves, there will be less work for gardeners, plumbers and handymen.
• For every shopper who trades down from luxury stores to discount stores, it will mean less profit for retailers and manufacturers. Retailers will continue to offer few product choices and leaner inventories, and they'll reassess store locations and advertising.
• If sales of cars and trucks average closer to the recession level of 10 million a year than the 16 million in boom times, more suppliers will fail and further consolidation among automakers could occur. Taxes not paid on lost vehicle sales will continue to stress budgets of state and local governments.
Frugality may be good for family budgets, but it's bad for the national economy. And that has the potential to reinforce and continue the miserly mood. A Gallup survey last month found seven in 10 Americans are cutting weekly expenses — a number that has been consistent through the summer.
A year after last fall's financial meltdown turned a garden-variety recession into the worst downturn since the Depression, thriftiness is still driven by the twin engines of necessity and fear. Unemployment, now at 9.7 percent, is still rising and expected to reach double digits before year's end for the first time since 1982. Many who still have jobs are getting paid less, and investments have a long way to go before they return to pre-meltdown levels.
Kathy Haney, 46, of Orland Park, Ill., has a job but is scaling back her shopping and packing her lunch.
"You put your priorities in different places because you never know if you're going to have a job tomorrow," the legal secretary says. "You think twice now. I have six TVs in the house. Do I really need a new flat screen?"
For her and many other Americans, the answer is no. The underlying causes of the meltdown and where it left millions financially suggests a fundamental change is under way. Personal spending has fallen in four of the last six quarters — the only time that's happened since quarterly records were first compiled in 1947.
In a normal recession, a vicious downward cycle of reduced spending by consumers and layoffs by employers finally eases and a virtuous cycle begins. Consumers start spending again. Factories ramp back up to meet the demand and hire workers. Incomes rise, fueling greater spending, more production and more jobs.
Until the Great Recession, the worst recession since World War II was in 1981-82. Unemployment peaked at 10.8 percent in December 1982, a month after the recession had ended.
The recovery that followed was powered by baby boomers, they were mostly in their 20s and early 30s then. Their careers were taking off, they were starting families, and they were spending freely. On homes, furniture, cars — and everything else. Saving for retirement was the last thing on their minds.
Fueled by boomers, when the recession ended, growth was explosive. Consumer spending rose 5.7 percent in 1983. GDP rose 4.5 percent in '83 and 7.2 percent in 1984.
"If someone gets more comfortable, they spend a little more," says Erik Hurst, an economist at the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business. "As they spend a little more, someone else spends more."
Jump to today. For most of this decade, Americans enjoyed a credit-fueled binge that allowed them to spend more than they made. They snatched up everything from gadgets to houses.
Those houses soared in value and became as valuable a source of cash as a bank ATM. Home equity was tapped to pay for vacations, new cars and kitchen renovations. The rising stock market gave people an inflated sense of wealth as they watched their retirement accounts grow.
Not unlike the Roaring '20s, which preceded the Great Depression three generations ago, people believed the good times would never end. Per capita personal spending ballooned 25 percent from 2003 to 2005, according to data from Euromonitor International.
When the party ended, the nation was left with more than just a hangover. Personal debt had doubled in a decade. As of July, it stood at $13.8 trillion, or about $124,000 per household. Despite months of frugality, that was only slightly below its 2008 peak.
It will take years to work down the debt, which will prolong people's thriftiness. Paying it down will be harder because of the layoffs, pay cuts, freezes and furloughs. Personal income has fallen or been flat eight of the past 10 months.
On the asset side of their balance sheets, plunging stock prices and home values have made Americans feel poorer. Their net worth — the difference between the value of what they own and what they owe — has taken a staggering $12.2 trillion hit in the Great Recession. Net worth fell from $62.6 trillion at the end of 2007 to $50.4 trillion at the end of this year's first quarter, figures from the Federal Reserve show.
The result: Consumer spending adjusted for inflation fell 0.2 percent in 2008 — the first annual drop since 1980. Hardest hit from the first half of last year to the first half of this year: Motor vehicles and parts (down 17.2 percent); furnishings and durable household equipment (down 8.8 percent); clothing and footwear (down 5.8 percent).
"There will be a fundamental shift in the kind of cars we buy, a fundamental shift in the homes we buy, and a fundamental shift in consumption generally," says Matt Murray, an economist at the University of Tennessee. "And that is not something that took place in the 1980s."
As in the 1980s, much of that shift will be driven by baby boomers. For the 78 million people born from 1946 through 1964, the Great Recession hit at a particularly inopportune time — during peak years of earning and saving before retirement. Boomers range from 44 to 63 today — the youngest is nearly 10 years older than the oldest was in 1982. They are running out of time and are most likely to remain cautious spenders and become aggressive savers even as the economy improves.
The housing bubble mistakenly led boomers and millions of others to believe their home was their retirement nest egg. If they left their home equity alone during the boom, they've taken a hit the last couple years but are still ahead. But many treated their home like a personal bank and spent the gains by tapping a home equity line of credit.
Some now feel disgusted with the great national buying binge and are reacting against it. Last month, Chicago playwright Maureen Riley began giving away what she amassed.
"I felt this tremendous clarity as I looked around and saw my space emptying out and my closet emptying out," the 55-year-old says.
Despite all the battered personal balance sheets, thriftiness will abate somewhat as the economy continues to recover. There will still be vacations and home remodeling. But there will be caution, too.
Sanda Schramm, 63, a second-grade school teacher from Florham Park, N.J., and her husband Rob, 64, made changes after their retirement funds fell 20 percent below their peak. They considered themselves frugal before the recession. Now, they are even more tightfisted.
Instead of scouring for 40 percent discounts at Macy's and other department stores, she looks for 75 percent markdowns and shops more at consignment stores. They go out to dinner once a month instead of twice a week. And most everything they buy is paid for in cash, not with a credit card.
When the economy bounces back and her retirement accounts recover, Schramm says she'll continue to shop at consignment shops but will probably go to restaurants more.
"When the housing market and stocks were booming, everybody felt wealthy," she says. "But when everything goes down, you feel you're vulnerable ... I have always been careful, but now I am even more careful."
___
AP Retail Writer Anne D'Innocenzio contributed to this report from New York.

Rose Park Mormon a gardening advocate

Rose Park Mormon a gardening advocate
By Sharon Haddock
Mormon Times
Published: 2009-08-26 00:17:21

ROSE PARK, Utah -- With the national economy stumbling and the world climate changing, now is the time to become proficient at growing food.

So says a Rose Park, Utah, Mormon who hasn't bought a vegetable in a store for more than 20 years but still sits down to a healthy, veggie-laden meal every night.

"My mother used to make me take care of the vegetables in our garden," Ralph Steenblik said. "I thought it was an abomination."

Today, Steenblik, 81, cares for an 18-tree orchard and a large garden. He also oversees the Rose Park Community Garden just a ways north of his home in Salt Lake City.

Steenblik tills, seeds, weeds, waters and harvests all season long and even tends a few hardy crops through the winter. He raises sweet corn, celery, tomatoes, beets, carrots, 10 varieties of squash, beans, garlic, cabbage, leeks, chard and spinach.

"I eat fresh spinach all winter long," said Steenblik, who covers the plants with a layer of leaves so they continue to grow in the cold.


Eighty-one-year-old Ralph Steenblik works in his garden at his home in Rose Park, Utah. Photo: Michael Brandy, Deseret News


Steenblik freezes or cans his harvest. Last year, he put up 160 quarts of fruit, canned string beans and dill pickles, and froze corn, peas, broccoli, cauliflower and English broad beans.

At one point in the process, he stood back and surveyed the quart jars and the sink full of dishes and told himself, "Ralph, you'd make somebody a good wife!"

Steenblik, a widower with six children, 29 grandchildren and 20 great-great grandchildren, has lived in the Rose Park area his entire life. He has a knack for gardening, and he's learned a lot from books.

But the most valuable knowledge came from growing plants for years in the clay soil that's typical of the area.

He knows if he wants good carrots, he has to break up the soil to about a 1-foot depth wherever they are planted. He knows potatoes won't do well in the hard clay.

He knows to push the soil up around the celery plants and corn stalks to support them.

He understands the value of staggered plantings to assure fresh crops throughout the summer.

He's trying some peanuts to see what happens, and he's thinking about adding a few chickens to the mix.

"I don't grow radishes or red beets because I don't care for them," Steenblik said. "I won't waste my time with melons here. They didn't grow, so I'm not going to monkey with it."

He figures he's not only saved a good amount of money over the years from gardening, but he also eats healthily and feels good.

Steenblik can't believe people aren't growing their own food, given the current economic circumstances. Sometimes, he's the only one who shows up on Wednesday and Saturday evenings to work in the community garden, a place designed to benefit those who want fresh vegetables in return for a few hours labor.

"People will starve to death before they'll come and work and do something," he said. "That's my gut feeling."


E-mail: haddoc@desnews.com



MormonTimes.com is produced by the Deseret News in Salt Lake City, Utah.
It is not an official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Copyright © 2009 Deseret News Publishing Company

Grow 100 lbs. Of Potatoes In 4 Square Feet:

(For pictures please see the web site)

How To Grow 100 lbs. Of Potatoes In 4 Square Feet

Posted By TipNut On April 7, 2009 @ 1:06 pm In Garden & Plants, Popular Tips | 54 Comments

Potato Box Project By The Seattle Times
Quite the clever gardening tip here folks! Today’s feature includes tips from three different sources for growing potatoes vertically (in layers) instead of spread out in rows across your garden. If you have limited garden space or want to try some nifty gardening magic, this could be a great option for you.

First, there’s this article from The Seattle Times: It’s Not Idaho, But You Still Can Grow Potatoes [1]:

The potatoes are planted inside the box, the first row of boards is installed and the dirt or mulch can now be added to cover the seed potatoes. As the plant grows, more boards and dirt will be added.

You plant potatoes in one bottom layer, boarding up the sides of each layer and adding dirt as you go higher (you wait until the plants have grown a bit before adding a new layer). While new potatoes are growing in the top layers, remove the boards from the first layer at the bottom to carefully dig out the potatoes that are ready for harvesting. Fill the dirt back in and board up the box again. You move up the layers and harvest as the potatoes are ready. I imagine the new potatoes in the first couple bottom layers would be somewhat awkward to get at but as you move higher–not so bad.

I traced the information provided in the article to Irish Eyes Garden Seeds, they have another how-to article online here: How to Grow 100 lbs. of Potatoes in 4 Square Feet [2]. They also advise you can skip the box and try growing the potatoes in a barrel or wire cage instead.

In another article on The Seattle Times (How To Grow Potatoes At Home [3]), I came across this blog post from Sinfonian’s Square Foot Garden that details his attempt at growing potatoes with this potato box method: Build-As-You-Grow Potato Bins [4]. The info was from last year (lots of pics) and he’s promised updates of this year’s attempts. He added this tip for a better yield:

Greg from Irish-Eyes Garden City Seeds let me know that Yukon Golds, and all early varieties set fruit once and do not do well in towers. You only get potatoes in the bottom 6 inches, which is what I got. Late season alternatives to yukon gold are Yellow Fin and Binjte.

Bonus! For a handy project sheet, The Seattle Times has a nice image file detailing the steps (click to view the original):

How To Build & Use Your Potato Box: The Seattle Times

Imagine growing all those potatoes in a just a few square feet–and how drastically reduced the potato-patch weeding job will be! So Clever.

Reader Update: Here’s some info sent in by Christine who made a potato bin using wood pallets:

Last weekend, I was inspired by the Tip Nut potato bin – grow 100 lbs in 4 square feet. As nice as it looked, it seemed to be very complicated, especially unscrewing slats. Being a “just do it” kind of person, I asked my husband to build me one using pallets — which are free. He picked some up, but I realized that they were enormous, so he cut them in half and made side by side compost / potato growing bins.

The Tip Nut plan called for unscrewing the bottom portions to get the grown potatoes out. Rod attached pieces of wood to hold the front pallet in place and to allow you to slide it up like a window. I took books of hay to stuff in the openings of the potato bin so the dirt wouldn’t fall out. We’ll see how it does.

Here’s a photo:

Christine's Wood Pallet Potato Bin

Unfortunately we placed it up against our neighbor’s fence. On the other side is their dog, who our Puggle Feeney loves to visit. He is always trying to dig under the fence. With the bins in place over his digging spot, the poor guy jumped into the compost bin and got stuck!

Christine’s Update: After having it in place for a couple of weeks, I discovered that the local cats think it makes a fine litter box, so I’ve added a frame on the top with chicken wire to keep them out, but allow the sunlight and water in. See her page here for lots more info and tips: Food Security 2009 [5].

*Updated, corrected information

Reaping fruits of their labor

(See the article for pictures.)

Church News
Reaping fruits of their labor
By Lisa Christensen
Church News staff writer
Published: Thursday, Aug. 6, 2009

What started as a simple idea to help a ward in troubled economic times has sprouted into a program that will continue to benefit present and future ward members and non-members alike.

A former farmer, Bishop William Erickson of the Battle Creek 2nd Ward thought of the ward garden as a way to help his ward through the trying economic and spiritual times. After the Pleasant Grove Utah East Stake was asked to develop a 3-acre parcel of land in 2008, Bishop Erickson realized gardening was an efficient way to teach gospel principles, as well as supplement the needs of the Bishops' Storehouse, the use of which, he said, had increased by 40 percent as the economy had recently faltered.


"This year we have more people who have been out of work for a period of time than ever before," he said.

A member of the ward, Shirley Stone, had a small field behind her house. She agreed to let the ward use it as a garden. The land, about 3/4 acre, hadn't been used for years, and there were a lot of rocks to clear — three weeks of work. From there, the ward planted some winter crops to be harvested in the spring. Bishop Erickson said they didn't have high expectations for the first year of crops but have been pleasantly surprised: The ward started harvesting in early July and now harvests three times a week. Tim Salsbury, co-chairman of the activities committee and garden specialist with Scott De Montmorence, said the progression of the garden from being rocky and unused to fertile and bountiful has been interesting and rewarding.

"It's been fun to see it develop from what it was to what it is now," he said.


Brother Salsbury was recruited in part because of his profession as a plumber. Bishop Erickson provided the materials necessary to set up a watering system and Brother Salsbury put it together, creating a drip watering system, which he said reduces weed and insect problems, and eliminates the need for furrows. It also makes it easy for members to water the garden, Bishop Erickson said.

The members planted a diverse bunch of vegetables, including not only the standard fare of tomatoes, beans and squash, but also less-ordinary plants like broccoli rabe. Their harvesting started this season with spinach and radishes, and now has moved on to include beans and peas. Their planting isn't over, either: The ward recently planted some carrot seeds for a late harvest. Bishop Erickson said the harvest, seeing the fruits of their labor, is one of the benefits to the members he had hoped for.


"Producing crops you can see the fruits of your labor," he said. Seeing those fruits makes the work worth it, and, he added, builds a work ethic within the members of the ward. Such patience and work ethic required to garden is rare these days, he noted, but so important. "They're going to have a lot of difficulty if they don't learn how to work," he said.

The produce, as per the original plan to help provide food for members in need of assistance during trying economic times, has been given to those who have been struggling recently and, as more preservable vegetables ripen, Relief Society members will can them for the months ahead, as well as teach others how to can their own. The garden has been a missionary tool, too, Bishop Erickson said. Neighbors and friends who aren't LDS have helped in the garden and reaped the benefits, also.


The point of the garden, Bishop Erickson said, is to share and give some to everyone. The ward strives to not only produce food and work hard at the garden, but also to utilize their resources as best as they can.

"We're utilizing every inch of that ground," Brother Salsbury said. The project has helped forge better ties between ward members, he said. "It's been a good fellowshipping thing."


Bishop Erickson said the fellowshipping has been particularly helpful in regard to less-active members and people who have recently moved in and might not know the people who have been there longer. He noted that the project has reaped not only tangible rewards but spiritual fruits have been cultivated, too.

"To have the opportunity to do this … it has been very, very spiritually rewarding," Bishop Erickson said.

© 2009 Deseret News Publishing Company

Cash out of Debt: Three Steps to Financial Freedom

**I found this article and I thought that it was really good. As always you can click on the title to go to the web site where I found the article.**



Cash out of Debt: Three Steps to Financial Freedom

by Don Milne

Debt. It's a four-letter word that many of us use with careless frequency. We get a loan to buy a car. We get a second mortgage to pay for a wedding. We even buy our groceries with a credit card. It adds up. If you're like most people, you have between $40,000 and $50,000 in consumer debt, including about $9,000 of credit card debt.

Save. Another four-letter word and one that too many of us avoid. Save for emergencies. Buy food storage. Save for missions. Pay the home off early. Save for retirement. Save for college expenses. Chances are that by trying to do them all, you will do none of them. That would make you normal. It will also make you broke.


Three Simple Steps


During our first twenty years of marriage, my wife and I handled money the way most people did--we borrowed. We weren't spendthrifts; we paid our tithing and lived frugally on a single income. But every year we ended up a little more in debt than the year before.


Fast forward twenty-three months, and our consumer debt went from $26,000 to $0. What changed was not knowledge, it was behavior. We followed these three simple steps:


1. Pay a full tithe and generous offerings.


2. Save a beginner's $1,000 emergency fund.


3. Pay off all consumer debt, one debt at a time beginning with the smallest.


In order for this plan to work, we also had to change three behaviors:


1. We cut up our credit cards.


2. We started using a cash envelope system


3. Together, we planned a monthly zero-based budget to tell our money what to do, each and every month.


Now the only debt we have is our mortgage. Great, you can be happy for me, but what does that do for you? Not much. But if you decide to follow these three steps and change these three behaviors, I predict that in eighteen months to three years, you too will be debt free except for your mortgage.


Step 1: Pay a full tithe and generous offerings


As a rule, many of us could do better with charitable contributions beyond tithing and fast offerings. Maureen Smith from Bountiful, Utah, who was still in debt, had been saving her music lesson money to replace a ten-year-old living room carpet worn thin by six busy children. In December 2005 her bishop was asking for donations to help needy families with Christmas. She gave him $600 - so much for plans for a new carpet. Around this same time, a local restaurant burned to the ground, and the law firm next door was required by their insurance company to pull out their three-month-old carpet, even though it was not damaged. To Maureen's surprise, the carpet was dropped off in her garage and is now in her home.


Step 2: Save a beginner's $1,000 emergency fund


If you set up a $1,000 beginner's emergency fund, two things will happen--you will be more careful in spending your hard-earned cash, and emergencies will happen with less frequency. Most people can set up this emergency fund in a few weeks or months. Sell something, take a temporary job, make minimum debt payments and throw that money into this fund.


Step 3: Pay off all consumer debt, one debt at a time beginning with the smallest.


With the first two steps taken care of, focus turns to paying off all consumer debt. Make minimum payments on everything but the smallest debt and use all your financial resources to pay it off as quickly as possible. As each debt is paid off, the amount you have to attack the next debt grows like a snowball. With focus, planning, dedication, and discipline you should be debt free except for your home in around two years.


Consumer advocate and personal finance author Dave Ramsey likes to say, "Personal finance is eighty percent behavior and only twenty percent head knowledge." If you can implement the following three behaviors, you will be able to easily follow the three steps above.


New Behavior 1: Cut up your credit cards


Professor Elizabeth Warren of Harvard Law School is known for her bold statement that credit card companies use the same marketing tactics as drug dealers. The average household has at least four credit cards, and fifteen percent have at least ten. The average user with a credit card balance owes around $9,000, and just like a drug addict, they had no intention of getting into this position. The average non-user owes nothing. There is no reason why a family can't make do with one credit card or none at all. You can use a debit card in place of most any type of credit card purchase.


New Behavior 2: Use a cash envelope system


Studies have shown that people who buy things with a credit card will spend thirty percent or more than by using cash. Your money will last a lot longer if you set up a cash envelope system for food, entertainment, clothing, and any other area where it is easy to overspend. Decide how much you are going to spend in each of these areas on payday and put the cash in separate envelopes. This money needs to last until you refill the envelopes again with the next paycheck.


Mandy and Steve Baker of Burley, Idaho, have used this system for a number of years. They have found that sometimes they have had to juggle money between envelopes, but they don't overspend. As a result, they have paid off nearly $10,000 of consumer debt and are now building up their emergency savings fund to equal three to six months of expenses.


New Behavior 3: Plan a monthly zero-based budget to tell your money what to do each and every month


Tyrell Arnold of Vanderhoof, British Columbia, was $30,000 in debt, and his wife BreAnn was expecting their first child. They held monthly budget meetings to plan what their money would do each month. They sold an expensive truck and made other adjustments that allowed them to pay off all their debts in four months. No debts mean they are getting a head start on saving for their children's education.


Joe Loughmiller of Fairmont, Minnesota, started holding a monthly budget meeting with his wife, and in twenty-eight months paid off more than $40,000 of debt. This monthly budgeting kept them on track with their goals. It was hard the first few months as they learned and honestly confronted their spending patterns, but they soon got the hang of it, as the results show.


The key is to use this budget for at least three months. Each month you will do better.


You now can choose to be normal and broke or change your behavior by following these simple steps to financial freedom. Since being debt free is more compatible with gospel principles, I hope to see you join the thousands of members that have already found this financial peace.



Don Milne lives in Bountiful, Utah. He directs a Zions Bank program (endprogram.com), which has partnered with businesses and churches in Utah and Idaho to teach classes on getting out of debt. More than 6,000 people have participated.

LDS Living, Inc. Copyright September/October 2007. Photo by Fernand Mengoni/sxc.hu.

Pink Water

http://www.maryvilledailyforum.com/homepage/x863183332

Our city's newspaper article.

Water Storage - For Your Information

FYI- Here are some links about water storage and the purchase of water products. Good luck reading and learning. It made me think.

http://www.providentliving.org/content/display/0,11666,7534-1-4065-1,00.html

http://www.nationalterroralert.com/safewater/


http://beprepared.com/category.asp_Q_c_E_137_A_c2c_E_tn_A_name_E_WaterStorageandWaterFiltration

http://beprepared.com/category.asp_Q_c_E_160_A_name_E_Water%20Storage

http://www.watertanks.com/

http://www.survival-center.com/guide/water.htm

http://www.preparedness.com/water.html

Wow Red - Pink Water

This morning we woke to see red now fading to pink water. Darren asked me to call the water company and they said "it was safe to shower and drink". I am not so sure so as a precaution a friend and I did some research and found out that the chemical that spilled in the water was Potassium permanganate. After further research in large quantities it can be quite toxic.

So I decided that we would use our stored water supply for drinking and hand/body washing. Which made me to think about the storing of water. (See the next posting for links.) I can't store water for everyone. I have just enough for 2 days of very conservative use for one house. But I have decided to change that!






The bathroom hand washing tub.

Church Welfare Program Helps People Help Themselves During Tough Economic Times

http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/news-releases-stories/church-welfare-program-helps-people-help-themselves-during-tough-economic-times


Watch the videos if you have time.

Packs

http://www.shelfreliance.com/shop/emergency

I found this site and thought I would share it with you.

If you click on kit planner then you can plan you own kits.

http://www.shelfreliance.com/planners/emergency/profile


I thought it was pretty cool. I planned for a worse case scenario and found some really cool items I might get one day.

Happy reading!

GLUTEN IS A MEATLESS SOURCE OF PROTEIN

This article is from The Leaf Chronicle. Click the title of this article to be directed to their site. They have many good articles there.

June 15, 2009

GLUTEN IS A MEATLESS SOURCE OF PROTEIN

Llewanne Bass
Reader Submitted

Looking for ways to feed families with alternative foods, leaders of the Relief Society (Women's organization) of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints tried their hands at extracting gluten from freshly ground hard white wheat, Saturday, June 13th.

Gluten is the substance extracted from freshly ground wheat (flour) by rinsing it in cold water. Allowing the rinse water to stand further separates the starch from the bran. The bran is then dried and used in cereals or other baking recipes.

Erin Hinton, class instructor, specializes in preparedness and long term food storage skills. Hinton is also an elementary school teacher in the Ft Campbell School system. Teaching comes naturally to Hinton. She believes “knowing how to extract gluten can give you essential food preparation skills in a time of need.”

Gluten is a principal source of protein. Combined with legumes, it becomes a complete protein and provides the body with the needed eight amino acids for a comprehensive source of nutrition. It can actually sustain life if meat products are not available. “Actually, research indicates that Americans eat too much meat in their diets. We don't need meat everyday.” said Hinton. Other resources for information include The Amazing Wheat Book, LeArta Moulton and Cookin' with Home Storage, Peggy Layton

Once gluten is extracted, seasoned and cooked, it can be shredded, ground, chopped, and shaped into nuggets or patties. It can be eaten alone, treated like other meat products or blended with ground beef. It can be combined with ground beef as an extender in tacos, spaghetti sauce or chili. It can also be made into jerky. The possibilities are endless! Once it is seasoned and prepared in recipes, you have no idea you're eating gluten.

Class concluded with a delicious luncheon featuring a variety of recipes using gluten.

This was the first time most of the women extracted gluten. Several women felt it was a lot of work! Jean Addison of Elkton, Kentucky said, “I'd rather put peanut butter on whole wheat bread!”

Joann Jarboe of Leitchfield, KY said “I would use purchased gluten to shorten the process but I will have my daughter demonstrate the process to the Sisters in my congregation. This is something everyone should know how to do. You never know when you'll need to do it.”

Other vital uses of wheat were discussed. Latter-day Saints are recognized for their expertise in preparedness skills and being able to sustain life in times of crisis.

For further information, see www.providentliving.org.

Why store food anyway?

Why store food anyway?
By Leslie Probert
For Mormon Times
Published: 2009-06-16 00:42:57

"If you are without bread, how much wisdom can you boast, and of what real utility are your talents, if you cannot procure for yourselves and save against a day of scarcity those substances designed to sustain your natural lives? ... If you cannot provide for your natural lives, how can you expect to have wisdom to obtain eternal lives?" (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, vol. 8, p. 68.)


Clearly there could not be a time when having some food storage at home would bring greater peace of mind. Concerns over swine flu mutating into a more serious pandemic have motivated federal authorities to recommend people have a two week's supply of food in case they will need to stay at home.

Long-term power outages and larger-scale disasters have shown that grocery stores are not always a reliable source of food. Having a supply of food brings peace of mind in such circumstances, allowing people and families a time to regroup, work out a plan to get through and improve their circumstances, and even share with others.

In the current economic climate, loss of jobs can create a huge strain on families. Prospects of taking a long time to find another job make the idea of having an entire year's supply of food a blessing for families.

Households are then able to use reduced financial resources to pay mortgages and other bills, spending very little on food by living on what they have stored. The idea of storing food to survive hard times is not new.

In Old Testament times, the Egyptian pharaoh was warned in a dream to prepare for seven years of famine by storing food during seven years of plenty. Throughout history people have stored food for the winter when there would be few sources of sustenance. With today's advances in technology and worldwide shipping, we enjoy a great year-round variety of food from the grocery store.

It's easy to forget that we are not immune from personal times of hardship, when a supply of food stored for a time of difficulty is needed. Such preparations can completely change how we get through the hardship. The time to choose greater peace of mind in an emergency is BEFORE it happens by making preparations. Gathering a supply of food in your "time of plenty" is an important investment.


Leslie Probert has a bachelor's degree in home economics from Brigham Young University. She is the author of "Emergency Food in a Nutshell" and is a popular speaker and mother of three.

E-mail: foodstoragechick@gmail.com


MormonTimes.com is produced by the Deseret News in Salt Lake City, Utah.
It is not an official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Copyright © 2009 Deseret News Publishing Company

Cultivating their fascination with fermentation

My BIL sent me this article. I thought I would share it with you. (Thanks David!)



Cultivating their fascination with fermentation

Tara Duggan, Chronicle Staff Writer

Sunday, June 7, 2009
Foods for fermenting include Radish Kimchee,peach chutney... Fermenting Foods for fermenting include sauerkraut photog... Alexander Valley Sauerkraut,Cultured Kombucha and Culture... Fermenting Foods for fermenting include peach chutney, ra... More...

Philip Sweet crossed over to the other side while volunteering at the Pickle Pavilion at last year's Slow Food Nation in San Francisco. He became fascinated with fermentation and the variety of ways people pickle around the globe.

"People are pickling everything," he says. "It opened up a whole new world to me."

As Sweet's work as an event planner slowed in recent months, he and a friend created Urban Peasant SF, an organization devoted to traditional food-preservation methods. Last month, they organized a class on fermented beverages; during the same period, Bay Area aficionados flocked to an all-day fermentation festival, a kimchi contest and a hands-on sauerkraut class, each practically unheard of a year ago.

Canning may still be having its comeback in this DIY era, but traditionally fermented vegetables - such as sauerkraut, kimchi and barrel-fermented pickles - take urban homesteaders to the next level of old-style food preservation. An easy and delicious way to put up the harvest, fermenting appeals both to the slow food and the health food crowds. It also fascinates those curious about food chemistry, whether a professional cook or passionate home tinkerer.

"I've always been interested in the old ways. I make jokes about watching 'Little House on the Prairie,' " says Alicia Preston, a client services manager for a software company. Last weekend, the self-taught pickler hosted a fermentation booth at Maker Faire in San Mateo, the annual celebration of modern-day crafts. "It's part of the lingering back-to-the- land movement stuff that I was briefly exposed to as a kid."
An ancient method

The basic method used to create common foods like bread, cheese, chocolate and wine, fermentation is almost as ancient as agriculture itself. It's simply the process by which yeast or bacteria transform sugar into acid or alcohol. While fermented foods like kombucha, kefir, old-fashioned soda and homemade miso are in the limelight, fermented vegetables - transformed from their raw form into pickles via lactic fermentation - have their own niche.

"There's a renaissance of interest in fermented foods," says Jessica Prentice, cookbook author and co-founder of the Locavores, the group who helped bring attention to using strictly local ingredients. At last month's fermentation festival in Freestone (Sonoma County), Prentice demonstrated how to make kimchi and sauerkraut. She considers the amount of attention being given to fermented foods - including by teenage vegans and hip young urbanites - at the level of a "movement."

The vast majority of store-bought pickles rely on vinegar for sourness, and most commercial sauerkraut is pasteurized at vast processing plants. Fermented pickles and unpasteurized sauerkrauts are made from raw vegetables that sit in a salty brine at cool room temperature for several weeks. This encourages the growth of beneficial, naturally occurring lactic bacteria, which destroys potentially harmful bacteria and creates lactic acid. Lactic fermentation causes the vegetables to become mildly, pleasantly sour and tender.

"I'm just fascinated by this bacteria. It's like gardening," says Kathryn Lukas, a professional chef who says she was first introduced to "real" sauerkraut more than a decade ago while living in Stuttgart, Germany. But Lukas' new line of Farmhouse Culture sauerkrauts have less to do with oompah bands and beer halls than with healthy eating and local, sustainable produce.
Lesson in sauerkraut

At a hands-on class at San Francisco's La Cocina commercial kitchen in April, Lukas demonstrated how to make a fresh-tasting sauerkraut that tastes almost nothing like the puckery commercial variety. She sliced the cabbage, tossed it with salt and caraway, and set it aside for 20 minutes to let the salt leach out the vegetable's juices. Then she showed how to punch the kraut into a jar so it would be submerged in its own brine.

The sauerkraut needs to stay in a cool place and ferment for about two weeks. After that, it will become increasingly sour until it's refrigerated, which halts fermentation. Late fall or early winter, rather than summer, is its traditional season, but our cool coastal climate and the availability of local cabbage means that Lukas can stay in production year-round.

Berkeley's Cultured goes through 2,000 pounds of farm-direct vegetables a week for its raw sauerkrauts, specialty seasonal pickles and kombuchas made with fresh-pressed juices. The latter two - with flavors like fennel kombucha and fermented purple carrot with red onion, coriander and lemon zest - are available only at its Berkeley pickle shop and at two Berkeley farmers' markets, while the sauerkraut is sold in grocery stores.

Cultured is also one of the few local producers of traditional Japanese pickles such as kasu, which are fermented with sake dregs from Takara brewery down the street. For nuka pickles, co-owner Alex Hozven and staff makes a paste of rice bran, seaweed and salt, which they cultivate for three months, adding vegetable scraps every day to aid fermentation. When the paste is ready, it's so active that it can pickle a carrot within a day or even hours, adding a yeasty umami flavor and slight sourness to the crisp, sweet vegetable.
Some in own juices

At the sleek West Berkeley Cultured kitchen, vegetables ferment in salt and their own juices - no water is added - for two to 10 weeks. They are held in steel fermentation tanks inside a walk-in refrigerator that stays in the low to mid-60s.

The health benefits of raw and fermented vegetables are what makes them one of the mainstays of the prepared foods offered by Three Stone Hearth in Berkeley. A cooperative kitchen that follows the nutritional philosophy of the Weston Price movement, it prepares traditional, "nutrient-dense" foods for weekly ordering and pickup, including a cultured raita and fermented radishes from River Dog farm.

Jessica Prentice, one of Three Stone Hearth's five worker-owners, touts the high levels of vitamin C, beneficial bacteria and active enzymes in fermented vegetables in her cookbook, "Full Moon Feast" (Chelsea Green, 2006).
Helping digestion

Fermented foods are also known to aid digestion, which is why they're traditionally paired with rich meats. Salvadorans pile curtido, a type of sauerkraut, on top of cheese-filled pupusas. But modern-day pickle aficionados see fermented foods as their own food group.

Kimchi certainly plays that role for Koreans, who eat at least 75 pounds a year per capita. As part of Critter Salon, a series of events that often explore food and fermentation, artist Philip Ross organized a kimchi contest last month that drew more than 30 entrants to the Mission district event. The winner, Connie Choe, had flown in from Los Angeles.

A professor of sculpture at University of San Francisco and former restaurant cook, Ross' work often involves bringing people in touch with the biotechnology around us.

"It's kind of magical. You have one thing and expose it to another process - maybe it's a salt - and it totally becomes something else," he says. "It's amazing."

There's yet another part of fermentation that appeals to Bay Area cooks - it relies on wild yeasts and bacteria from the air or in the food itself.

"If you make sauerkraut at home or things that require wild fermentation," says Sweet of Urban Peasant SF. "You can't eat any more local than that."

-- Recipes and additional tips and resources on fermenting foods, F4-5

-- Taster's Choice picks for pickled asparagus, F2
So, is it really safe?

Leaving foods unrefrigerated for two weeks or more can be disturbing to those who weren't raised with a crock of pickles in the hallway. But U.S. Department of Agriculture research service microbiologist Fred Breidt says properly fermented vegetables are actually safer than raw vegetables, which might have been exposed to pathogens like E. coli on the farm.

"With fermented products there is no safety concern. I can flat-out say that. The reason is the lactic acid bacteria that carry out the fermentation are the world's best killers of other bacteria," says Breidt, who works at a lab at North Carolina State University, Raleigh, where scientists have been studying fermented and other pickled foods since the 1930s.

Breidt adds that fermented vegetables, for which there are no documented cases of food-borne illness, are safer for novices to make than canned vegetables. Pressurized canning creates an anaerobic environment that increases the risk of deadly botulism, particularly with low-acid foods.

Sterilizing jars or crocks for sauerkraut or pickles is optional. It's OK to simply wash the jars in hot, sudsy water. Make sure that the food is completely submerged in the brine - some recipes call for weighting down the vegetables. Earthenware pickle crocks from Germany, such as Harsch brand, are designed to keep oxygen out but allow the undesirable carbon dioxide to escape. Canning jars work fine, too.

- Tara Duggan
Wine pairings

High acid food is a challenge to pair with wine. Add tangy or sour flavors - with or without spices and sweetness - and you're looking at a probable train wreck. Fermented food can encompass all these, and when eaten on its own - can be particularly unfriendly to wine.

When used in a dish, for example sauerkraut atop a hot dog or combined with an Alsatian choucroute garnie's rich sausage, the kraut's sour tang is toned down by protein and fat.

If wine is a must, you will most likely need very snappy acidity, though mineral hints might also be beneficial. Try a dry Austrian Riesling or Picpoul de Pinet.
Fermented food resources

Alexander Valley Gourmet. Raw sauerkraut and fermented pickles from a Healdsburg company. Widely available in refrigerated sections of Bay Area markets; sauerkraut is $5 for 32 ounces. alvalgourmet.com

Critter Salon and Studio for Urban Culture. Both organize fermentation and canning workshops and events. crittersalon.blogspot.com and studioforurbanprojects.org

Cultured. Pickle shop is located at 800 Bancroft Way (entrance on Fifth Street), Berkeley; (510) 540-5185 or culturedpickleshop.com. Open 9 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays. Products are also available at Tuesday and Saturday Berkeley farmers' markets. Sauerkraut ($8.69 for 16 ounces) is sold at local markets such as Whole Foods, Rainbow Grocery and Berkeley Bowl.

Farmhouse Culture. Sauerkraut available at Saturday Sunnyvale farmers' market and Sunday Palo Alto farmers' market for $6-$7 (with $1 refundable deposit on containers). At Santa Cruz Whole Foods markets; coming soon to Bay Area locations. farmhouseculture.com

La Cocina. Hosts cooking classes in San Francisco's Mission district, occasionally on food preservation. lacocinasf.org

Locavores. Resources for eating locally. locavores.com

National Center for Home Food Preservation. Canning guidelines and safety tips. uga.edu/nchfp

Three Stone Hearth. Offers food prepared according to the Weston Price nutritional philosophy for online ordering and weekly pickup or delivery at its Berkeley kitchen. threestonehearth.com

Urban Peasant SF. Workshops offer instruction in traditional food preservation methods, handcrafted foods and fermented beverages. urbanpeasantsf.com

Wild Fermentation. Wildfermentation.com lists resources and classes and is an offshoot of the cookbook "Wild Fermentation," by Sandor Ellix Katz (Chelsea Green, 2003).
Fresh Sauerkraut

Makes 3-4 pints

Total time: 2 weeks

This delicious sauerkraut is from Kathryn Lukas, adapted from a recipe in "Nourishing Traditions," by Sally Fallon (NewTrends Publishing, 2001). Lukas' general rule is to use 1.5 percent by weight of salt in proportion to the cabbage. Serve with all kinds of meats and sandwiches, or toss into salads for a crunch and a slight tang.

* 1 medium head green cabbage (about 2 pounds)
* 1 to 2 teaspoons caraway seeds
* 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons coarse sea salt

Instructions: Clean 3 to 4 wide-mouth pint jars and canning lids and rings in sudsy water.

Quarter the cabbage, then remove the core. Reserve 4 flat pieces to top each jar of the kraut. Thinly slice using a large sharp knife, mandoline or food processor.

Place in a large bowl with the caraway and 1 1/2 tablespoons salt and let sit for at least 20 minutes. Squeeze the sauerkraut, while tossing, to help break it down and release juices.

Taste the sauerkraut; it should be very salty. If needed add more salt.

Very tightly pack the sauerkraut into the jars, using a clean fist or a wooden spoon to push the cabbage down as far as it will go. Fill to no more than 1 inch from the top and cover with any juices in the bowl. If there are not enough juices to completely cover the cabbage, add a little bit of water. Cover each jar with the reserved cabbage leaf, then close the lid tightly.

Place jars on a plate in case they overflow slightly and put in a cool cupboard or pantry; the ideal temperature is 60°-64°. If liquid comes out, open the jars and add a bit more filtered water. Check and taste after 1 week then again after 1 1/2-2 weeks. If it's sour enough for your liking, refrigerate or eat immediately. Or, let sit another week or less to increase the sour flavor. Keep refrigerated.

The calories and other nutrients absorbed from brines vary and are difficult to estimate. Variables include the type of food, brining time and amount of surface area. Therefore, this recipe contains no analysis.

Lacto-fermented Peach Chutney

Makes 1 quart

Total time: 1 1/2-2 1/2 days

This recipe for spicy, fresh chutney is adapted from "Full Moon Feast," by Jessica Prentice (Chelsea Green, 2006). It can also be made with unpeeled chopped tomatoes. It's great with roasted meats or Indian dishes.

* 2 teaspoons fenugreek seeds
* 1/4 cup boiling filtered water
* 8 to 10 peaches, peeled and cut into small dice
* -- Juice of 1 lemon
* 1 tablespoon whole cumin seeds
* 2 teaspoons black or brown mustard seeds
* 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
* 1 4-inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
* 1 teaspoon powdered turmeric or one 1-inch piece fresh turmeric, peeled and grated
* 1 tablespoon Sucanat or rapadura (see Note)
* 1/4 cup yogurt whey (see Note)
* 4 teaspoons sea salt
* 1/4 teaspoon cayenne (optional)

Instructions: Put the fenugreek seeds in a small bowl and pour the boiling water over them. Let them soak overnight or for at least 6 hours.

Put the peach pieces in a large bowl. Drain the water from the fenugreek seeds and add the seeds to the peaches. Squeeze the lemon juice over the peaches.

In a small cast-iron skillet, toast the cumin, mustard and fennel seeds over medium heat until they begin to smell fragrant. Add the seeds to the peaches with the ginger, turmeric, Sucanat, yogurt whey, salt and cayenne. Stir thoroughly and taste. The mixture should be salty.

Transfer to a 2-quart jar and gently weigh down the top of the chutney so the liquid rises above the solids by filling a small, narrow jar with water and setting it inside the other jar so that it gently pushes the chutney down but allows the liquid to come to the top.

Ferment at room temperature at least overnight. If it is hot, 24 hours may be enough. If it is cool or just warm, ferment for 48 hours. Chutney can be eaten immediately or can be refrigerated for up to 1 month.

Note: To make yogurt whey, take 2 cups of live-culture whole milk yogurt and pour it into a colander or strainer lined with cheesecloth set above a bowl or pot. Let drip for up to 8 hours in the refrigerator. The whey will be in the bowl and the yogurt in the cheesecloth can be used like cream cheese.

Sucanat and rapadura are both types of unrefined cane sugar that can be found at natural foods stores such as Rainbow Grocery in San Francisco.

Per 2 tablespoons: 25 calories, 0 protein, 5 g carbohydrate, 0 fat, 0 cholesterol, 268 mg sodium, 1 g fiber.
Brined Snap Beans

Makes 1 gallon

Total time: 2 weeks

More subtle than vinegar-pickled green beans, this recipe is adapted from "Joy of Pickling," by Linda Ziedrich (Harvard Common Press, 1998), who says to use the freshest green beans you can find. Alicia Preston likes to make this recipe with trimmed asparagus as well.

* 2 pounds tender young snap beans, trimmed
* 6 small dried chile peppers
* 6 garlic cloves, chopped
* 12 black peppercorns, crushed
* 6 dill sprigs
* 1/2 cup pickling salt or 3/4 cup kosher salt
* 3 quarts water

Instructions: Layer beans, chile peppers, garlic, peppercorns and dill in a 1-gallon jar. Dissolve salt in the water and pour enough brine over the beans to cover them. Push a freezer bag into the mouth of the jar and pour the remaining brine into the bag. Seal the bag. Store at room temperature with the top of the container loosely covered.

Within 3 days you should see tiny bubbles rising. If scum forms on top of the brine, skim it off daily and rinse off the brine bag.

Pickles should be ready in about 2 weeks, when the bubbling has stopped and the beans taste sour. Remove brine bag, skim off any scum, and cap the jar. Refrigerate.

The calories and other nutrients absorbed from brines vary and are difficult to estimate. Variables include the type of food, brining time and amount of surface area. Therefore, this recipe contains no analysis.

Dongchimi (Young Radish Kimchi)

Makes 3 quarts

Total time: 2-3 days

This recipe is adapted from "A Korean Mother's Cooking Notes," by Chang Sun-Young (Ewha Womans University Press, 1997). This kimchi is traditionally a winter dish but has become popular in the summertime when the brining liquid is served with cooked somen noodles. Roasted salt and Korean radish is available at Korean grocery stores; look for the young ones measuring about 4 inches with the leaves still attached.

* 3 bundles Korean white radishes (9 radishes)
* 3 tablespoons roasted salt
* 3 tablespoons sugar
* 1 bunch green onions
* 1 large clove garlic, thinly sliced
* 1 knob of ginger similar in size to the garlic clove, peeled and thinly sliced

Instructions: Clean radishes under cold running water, making sure to remove any dirt between the radish and the leaves. Using a small paring knife, cut off any hairy roots and any yellow leaves. Do not peel the entire radish or the liquid will become too milky.

In a small bowl, mix 1 1/2 tablespoons roasted salt with 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar. In a large container, place a layer of the washed radishes and sprinkle with some of the salt and sugar mixture. Repeat this step until all of the radishes are in the container. Top with the slices of garlic and ginger. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 24 hours.

The next day, bring 6 cups of water with remaining roasted salt and sugar to a boil. After the sugar and salt is dissolved, remove from heat and while the water is still warm (about 100°), pour it over the radishes. Once the water is cool, cover the container and leave at room temperature for 1 to 2 days to ferment.

After 1 to 2 days, store dongchimi in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, peel the radish and cut into 1/4 inch thick, bite-size portions. Also, cut the leaves to bite size and serve with the radish and plenty of liquid.

The calories and other nutrients absorbed from brines vary and are difficult to estimate. Variables include the type of food, brining time and amount of surface area. Therefore, this recipe contains no analysis.

E-mail Tara Duggan at tduggan@sfchronicle.com.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/06/07/FDS617UQKF.DTL

This article appeared on page E - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle

Welfare: The power of cooperation (4 of 4)

Welfare: The power of cooperation
By Michael De Groote
Mormon Times
Published: 2009-06-08 00:22:27

Last in a four-part series on church welfare.

On the west wall of Dennis R. Lifferth's office is a large black-and-white photograph of a horse pulling a load. Copies of the photograph are in many offices at the welfare department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. "Because it underscores the principle of work so clearly: Focused. Straining. Effort," Lifferth said.

In the lower right corner of Lifferth's copy there is another photograph stuck in the frame. It is a small photo of two horses pulling a load together. They symbolize another principle for him: cooperation.

Two horses pulling together can pull more than two single horses pulling separately, Lifferth said. "This principle of cooperation, working together in families or working together in communities or nations is critical to the success of caring for the poor and the needy," he said.

This famous photograph, "Hard Labour," by Nelson Stedman is popular in the LDS Church's welfare department to illustrate the importance of work.

Lifferth is managing director of welfare services for the LDS Church. For him, self-reliance is a goal, but not one that stands in the way of people in immediate need.

"Some people are not able to help themselves. After a hurricane, people just need support and help ... a large part of our work is to help relieve suffering by simply providing charitable support," Lifferth said. "I think work is very, very important, but it will take more than work to accomplish what needs to be done."

In the Salt Lake area, Lifferth said, the church extends a helping hand to everybody. It works with other faith-based organizations, churches and agencies in providing thousands of dollars worth of assistance. The same thing happens internationally as the church works with Islamic Relief, Catholic Relief, World Vision and a number of other agencies.

For example, Lifferth spoke about the LDS Church's relationship with Catholic Community Services, "We work with them hand-in-hand. We are just so grateful for their outreach to those that are struggling -- refugees, the homeless. And so a lot of the work that is done by those in charitable institutions is to relieve suffering."

The LDS Church's ability to work broadly in relieving suffering wasn't always at the level it is today, according to Lifferth.

"Years ago there was a time when we barely had enough resources, barely enough productive capacity, to care for our own," Lifferth said, "but over the years this productive capacity has been expanded and increased."

The growth of the church's welfare program has been a process, according to Lifferth. The foundation was built during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Now the LDS Church has the strength to not only care for its own, but for many others.

There are two major ways Mormons contribute funds for helping others. One is the fast-offering fund and the other is the humanitarian fund.

People are often amazed, according to Lifferth, at the church's principle of fasting and the fast offering. "When we explain that every month members will go without two meals and take that amount of money plus more and donate that for the poor and the needy -- the world is surprised and they think it is such a wonderful principle. And the fact is that if the world would do this, we would be able to take care of the poor and needy of the world."

Members may also contribute to the humanitarian fund, according to Lifferth. The fast-offering fund is used for members of the LDS Church. The humanitarian fund is used for those who aren't members of the church.

"As the economy has turned down, it has been rewarding to watch these two funds and the fact that they continue to increase because of the empathy and the compassion and the kindness of those who want to care for those in need," Lifferth said.

The majority of the humanitarian fund comes from small contributions, according to Lifferth. "It's not the huge donations, which are always welcome, but it's the many people, each paying a small amount that adds up to a wonderful blessing to so many."

Lifferth said both funds, fast offering and humanitarian, have increased to the point where "there is sufficient to take care of many people."

"And, honestly ... where the demand is increasing so rapidly for assistance, I am grateful for two things: First of all, that the welfare system has the productive capacity to meet this increase in need -- not only for members of the church, but for others who are also struggling. And second of all, I'm grateful for the willingness of members to contribute so freely, both of their time and their means to make this possible."

All it takes is cooperation.

________________________________________

E-mail: mdegroote@desnews.com


MormonTimes.com is produced by the Deseret News in Salt Lake City, Utah.
It is not an official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Copyright © 2009 Deseret News Publishing Company

Welfare: Finding employment (3 of 4)

Welfare: Finding employment
By Michael De Groote
Mormon Times
Published: 2009-06-01 00:22:00

Third in a four-part series on church welfare.

�We all want to be able to take care of ourselves and our families,� Dennis R. Lifferth, managing director of welfare services for the LDS Church, said in a recent interview. �Unemployment strikes at the very heart of our self-confidence. The longer we are unemployed, the harder it hits.�

Lifferth said it was fortunate that the leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have encouraged members to have food storage to help weather financial storms. He told about what he called �four supporting pillars� to help those who are unemployed:

1. Faith

We need to have faith to find new employment. �Faith in ourselves that we can overcome, and that through hard work that we will soon find a job. Faith in others. And faith in the Lord, that he will sustain us and bless us,� Lifferth said. �Of all, he wants his children to be happy.�

2. Families and Friends

We need to rely upon our family and friends, Lifferth said, �to help us and sustain us and give us the support we need during these difficult times.�

3. Quorums and Ward Leaders and Relief Society

�I�m pleased as I watch the quorums of our wards go the extra mile. They are proactive and are helping by first, identifying those who are out of work and second, finding jobs for them,� Lifferth said. �(They) give them the encouragement and the support they need to get back on their feet.�

4. LDS Employment Centers

�The volunteers and staff of these centers, when they are not in the offices, they are out looking for jobs -- knocking on doors, trying to find ways to help,� Lifferth said.

Lifferth also recommends that an unemployed person thinks about the task of looking for work as if it is a full time job. �You have to work very, very hard,� he said. �And too often they�ll get discouraged and just stay home.�

When the interviews come, Lifferth recommends remembering the good things about former employers and being positive.

Reflecting on strengths and thinking about just who they are is another important element in finding a new job, Lifferth said. An unemployed person needs to decide what it is they want to accomplish, develop a plan and decide the kind of work they want to find.

�It is important that they remain positive and hopeful � knowing that they will find employment,� Lifferth said.

Lifferth told about how his grandfather found a job during the Depression. His grandfather had just immigrated to Salt Lake City. He was unemployed and knew nobody. �The support he received from both members of the church and the community was just incredible. He writes in his journal of all the people who helped him. It would have been impossible for him to start on his own. It required some kind of supporting help from those around him.�

And it still does.

Next week: The power of cooperation


E-MAIL: mdegroote@desnews.com


MormonTimes.com is produced by the Deseret News in Salt Lake City, Utah.
It is not an official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Copyright © 2009 Deseret News Publishing Company

Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap-

Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap- THANKS KAREN M!

Front or top load machine-

4 Cups hot tap water

1 Fels-Naptha soap bar

1 Cup Washing Soda

½ Cup Borax

- Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.
-Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.
-Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)
-Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.

-Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.
-Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)
-Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)

(about .03 cents per load)


Powdered Laundry Detergent- Top load machine

(this is the same amount of ingredients as the recipe above but only makes enough for 40 loads - it is easier to store but not as cost effective as the liquid)


1 Fels-Naptha soap bar

1 Cup Washing Soda

½ Cup Borax


-Grate soap or break into pieces and process in a food processor until powdered. Mix all ingredients. For light load, use 1 Tablespoon. For heavy or heavily soiled load, use 2 Tablespoons. Yields: 3 Cups detergent. (Approx. 40 loads)

(about .10 cents per load)

'Hard times' can forge faith

Pictures can be seen at the Church's web site, follow the link in the title of this article

Church News
'Hard times' can forge faith
By Jason Swensen
Church News staff writer
Published: Saturday, May 30, 2009

Stanley Steadman remembers a day decades ago when he knelt in family prayer with his parents and brothers. Such entreaties doubled as daily lifesavers for the Steadmans, who — likes tens of thousands of other families — were enduring the frigid days of the Great Depression.

Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
Daniel and Enid Faust of Taylorsville, Utah, were children during the Great Depression. Despite the economic hardships of the time, members such as the Fausts found spiritual support through faith, prayer and looking out for one another. Such support can be found amid today's economic struggles.

Jeffrey D. Allred
Elder Glen L. Rudd stands outside the Welfare Square silo in Salt Lake City. Elder Rudd is a lifelong witness of the blessings found in the Church's welfare program.

Midway through that prayer, a plaster light fixture broke loose from the living room ceiling, fell to the ground and shattered. Shaken by the unnerving crash, Stanley's brother looked up from his prayer and asked his parents if he should continue.

Yes, they said. Keep praying.

That event seems an apt symbol of the faithful members of that time. Despite the terrible economic crash that occurred as suddenly as that falling light fixture, devout LDS families kept focused on God and endured, day-to-day.
Deseret News Archives
President George Albert Smith, right, Elder Marion G. Romney, left, Elder Harold B. Lee, back left, and Stewart B. Eccles inspect bishops' storehouse in 1946.

For more than a year, a severe global 21st century economic recession has left many shaken and troubled. Comparisons to the U.S. Great Depression that began in 1929 and stretched through an entire decade have become common fodder for news stories. So as financial analysts eye the volatile markets and uncertain job outlooks, Church members once again look for divine comfort and spiritual supplication.

For most, the Great Depression is an unsettling chapter from the history books. But for a small percentage of "veteran" members such as Brother Steadman, those tough times exist in easily conjured memories. Many say the spiritual support that sustained members during the Depression remains available to rank-and-file members today. The lessons they learned then can help others today.

Elder Glen L. Rudd, an emeritus Seventy, knows the story of the Church and the Great Depression perhaps as well as anyone alive. As a young man, he watched desperate workers in his father's poultry business sit down to a lunchpail meal of potato peels. As a priesthood and Church welfare leader, he remembers a time in the Salt Lake Valley in the early 1930s when more than half of the wage earners in the Church were unemployed, including many local priesthood leaders.

"Unemployment destroys a man," Elder Rudd told the Church News. "It tears your guts out if you can't buy food for your own family."

During the Great Depression, the Church inoculated unemployed members from the "curse of idleness" by developing a welfare system anchored in priesthood solutions. Working under the direction of general Church leadership, stake presidents and bishops dispatched unemployed men to work in nearby fields to harvest crops. The produce from those harvests was then shipped to local Church storehouses and canneries to be distributed to hungry members. By staying busy and eschewing idleness, unemployed workers re-discovered their dignity, he said. They felt ownership in providing for their families.
Deseret News Archives
Welfare workers enlisted horse-drawn wagons and plenty of muscle to harvest sugar beets.

The curse of idleness exists today — and members who find themselves without a job may be especially vulnerable. Elder Rudd said men and women overcame the burdens of the Great Depression and remained spiritually strong by staying busy, following the counsel of their priesthood leaders and by never, never giving up.

"All great [men and women] have the ability to keep fighting, to keep plugging away," said Elder Rudd, who will soon mark his 91st birthday and is, yes, still working.

Daniel and Enid Faust are self-described "Depression Babies" who said today's members can realize the caring spirit that defined LDS families and units during the Great Depression.

"Hard times will prove us as a faith," said Brother Faust, who was raised in a Depression-era family that included his late brother, President James E. Faust of the First Presidency.

Deseret News Archives
A team of priesthood holders cuts wood at a work project in the Salt Lake Granite Stake wood yard in 1931.

The Fausts said diligent members remained focused on the dependable force of family and the gospel during the Depression years of frightening instability. Neighbors and fellow ward members looked out for one another. Folks often didn't have the money to be out and about, so they passed their time at home with family. It sounds restrictive, but many were offered a moment of Zion as they found strength through a unified gospel community.

"People were happy," Brother Faust said. "We didn't have much for Christmas, but you had your family. We had family home evening and made music together. One person would play the piano and another would play the violin."

Brother Steadman said his Taylorsville, Utah, community endured tough times by finding joy in simple, spiritual endeavors. "The Church was the key that held it together. It provided spiritual and temporal activities."

The Steadmans were also a musical family. So the brothers were often called upon to perform at ward reunions and parties. Sometimes someone would pass around a hat to reward the boys for their efforts. Brother Steadman's cut was once 40 cents. "That was real money," he said with a smile.

Still, those community activities provided rich respite from the frigid circumstances found outside the warmth of the Taylorsville Ward chapel.

Elder Rudd said the need to care for one another continues today. Some economists may not be labeling the current financial crisis a "depression" — but the sting is felt just the same when an individual is out of work or facing money woes.

"If there are 10 people in a ward out of work, that is just as real as 1,000 out of work people in a community," he added.

Ultimately, Brother Faust said, Church members survived the Great Depression by involving the Lord in their lives. It's a tactic that still works.

"If you have a testimony and you believe in God, you will find out He will help you."
© 2009 Deseret News Publishing Company

Welfare: Self-reliance isn't selfish (2 of 4)

Welfare: Self-reliance isn't selfish
By Michael De Groote
Mormon Times
Published: 2009-05-25 00:22:03

Second in a four-part series on church welfare.

Being self-reliant isn't just about taking care of yourself. According to Dennis R. Lifferth, managing director of welfare services for the LDS Church, it's the first step to helping others.

"The last thing we want to convey is that this is a self-serving principle," Lifferth said. "It's not. It is an outward serving principle. We become self-reliant so we can take care of ourselves, our family and others. That is the purpose and the reason.

"We want people to have the ability and the willingness to set their own course and solve their own problems. And once they are self-reliant, they are more able, better able, to care for others -- those who are in need. And this is all done under the inspiration of the Lord, helping them, guiding them."

Self-reliance is not exclusively Mormon. Lifferth has seen this principle -- helping people help themselves -- at the center of almost every institution and humanitarian organization.

"Most agencies will have two or three objectives," he said. "And the first will be to relieve suffering for those that simply need support to sustain life. But the more lasting purpose is to help people help themselves."

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has an organization that makes it easier to become self-reliant, according to Lifferth. It includes families, quorums, bishops and other entities that help not just in the short term, but for the long run.

Being self-reliant means that people set their own course and solve their own problems. Once they do this, they can help others get on their feet.

"The first thing we should remember," Lifferth said, "in addition to following the words of the prophet, is to pay our tithing and our offerings with the faith that Heavenly Father will inspire us and bless us in our efforts to care for our families and to care for others."

To truly be a servant to others, Lifferth said we must have some discretionary time and the ability to serve others. This means we have a responsibility to be educated, have our own food storage, put our financial affairs in order and be employed.

Self-reliance consists of many dimensions, according to Lifferth. They include education, health, spiritual strength, finances and home storage.

"But the one that is the most striking is unemployment -- which is facing a lot of wards throughout the world, especially here in the United States," he said. "And so, of all of our needs, we are placing a great focus on this question of employment."