A Working Rain-Collection System

Recently, I received these pictures from Troy Cormier who built a working rain-collection system.  His system has a capacity of 10 barrels as well as a built-in water level gauge.

 This picture shows that main inspiration for the modified system below.

(Click any picture to enlarge) 

 A raised frame for the barrels.  

You can see the drilled holes for the PVC that will capture the water from the bottoms of the barrels.  Troy adds, "The main structure is 6x6 posts with 2x12 cross beams at the bottom and 2x10 cross beams at the tops.  There is no cement on the 6x6 posts, but they are at least 3 feet in the ground."

This is the rain capture system connected into the home's rain gutter.

Another angle.

All of the barrels and the water drains beneath. 

 A closer view of the pipes under the deck.

 

 A multipurpose hose spigot and larger drain.

 These two photos and diagram show the water gauge, built so the owner doesn't have to always open the barrels to find out how full they are.

Some answers from Troy:

How long does it take to fill all 10 buckets?   

A light rain can take 24 to 48 hours of rain to fill, a good heavy rain 12 to 24 hours.  That is with only about 12 to 14 feet of gutter.  I have plans to add 20 to 30 feet more of gutters to cut the time down even more..

What do you use the water for?

Gardening.  Where I live they charge for every $1 of water used, a $2 sewage charge - so a $100 water bill will be a $200 sewage bill with a total bill of $300.

How long could the water last if you start from full capacity?

I guess it depends on the size of the garden and what you want to use the water for.  I have a small garden, two 4x8 beds.  It went 2 to 2.5  weeks without raining this summer and i was just about out of water when it rained again.

Troy adds:  Remember one thing when building - water weighs a lot!   8.34 lbs a gallon.  My system is 550 gallons that makes a full system 4587lbs!!  

Thank you, Troy, for sharing your rain-collection system with us! 

Food Storage Tags

You may remember this previous post, Labeling Long-Term Storage, from back in 2009 where Stephanie shared her idea of making tags to help with locating, rotating and replacing her food storage.  Well, I've had two-year intentions of doing the same thing, but have never gotten around to it.  Just this past Christmas, my wonderful parents-in-law gave me a new fun laminator and I've been itching to use it for this project since then. 

I made my tags using a different color of cardstock for each food storage product that I keep in buckets.  Actually there isn't much rhyme or reason to the colors.  I just used the colors that I had on hand.  In the picture below, you might notice that the brighter colors are easier to see and read so I would recommend that you use bright colors instead of dull or dark colors. 

I figured out how many tags of each that I needed.  For example, I knew that I wanted to always keep four buckets of flour on hand, so I used my word processor to print four "flour" labels.  I repeated this process for each of the items I keep in buckets: wheat, sugar, powdered sugar, brown sugar, rice, oats, and beans.  I laminated my tags for durability, but this isn't necessary.  Then I hole punched the side and tied each onto the bucket handles with some white yarn.  I made more than 40 tags.  It took about two hours from start to finish (but most of that time was spent doing second and third runs through my laminator in order to fully seal the tags - I'm sure you could do it in a fraction of that time).  I love the result!  It is so easy to figure out what is in each bucket now.

Recently I ran out of flour.  So I ran down into my storage area, grabbed a bucket of flour (which was so easy to find because of the easy-to-see tags) and emptied the previously-stored flour into my upstairs bucket.  I actually left the tag on the empty bucket and let it remind me that I needed to buy some more flour to replace the now-empty bucket.  I could also untie the tag and slip it into my purse or tie it to a shelf as a reminder that I need to replace that flour.  When I refilled the bucket with flour, I flipped the tag over and wrote 2011 on the back with a black permanent marker so that I would know the age of the newly purchased flour.

Here are a few other ideas and tips that you could use for labeling your food storage:

*Use different colored ribbons for each different food (i.e red for red wheat; black for black beans; pink for pinto beans; tan for oatmeal; white for rice; etc.).
*Use a different colors of  ribbon/yarn to indicate the purchase date.
*Use different colors of permanent markers to differentiate between foods and/or dates.
*Wrapping ribbon and index cards would work just fine.
*Magnetic labels could be used with #10 cans or steel shelves.
*Instead of tying a ribbon to foil pouches or #10 cans (that don't have a handle like a bucket or a neck like the PETE bottles), just tie a tag to the shelves or adhere a label with a small piece of ribbon directly to the product.
*Label two sides and the top of each container for more visibility.
*Use cup-holder screws to hang labels (of items needing to be replaced).
*These tags would be a great idea for a cheap, but love-filled gift.


I would love to hear your ideas!

Food Storage Hunt

Hannah and Abby over at Safely Gathered In are doing an ongoing series right now about how food storage bloggers organize their storage.  Last week they featured my storage area.  If you are interested in seeing how we organize our food storage, you can go to:  http://safelygatheredin.blogspot.com/2011/03/food-storage-hunt-iprepared.html.

They've also featured two other bloggers with promises of more to come.  Check it out.  You might find some ideas for your own storage.

gamma lids

Gamma lids are specialized lids intended to be used with 5 and 6 gallon buckets. They are heavy-duty, food-safe lids with a sealing-gasket which is both air and water-tight. They come in several colors, including black, white, red, yellow, orange and blue. They do tend to be expensive. The best price I've ever found was $4.99 at Wal-Mart. They can also be ordered online for around $6.50 to $8 (Amazon).

The great part about these lids is that you spin them open, instead of having to pry open your bucket lid every time you use the contents. My kids can open these gamma lids easily. Unfortunately, even my three-year old can open them easily, which leads to many "cooking" messes at our house.

I have a gamma lid of every color and a color-coding system to indicate their contents. I keep four buckets with gamma lids on the floor of my pantry. White contains rice; blue is bread flour; black holds my sugar; and red contains wheat. When my pantry buckets are running low, I transfer the food stored in my longer-term storage buckets into my pantry-buckets that have the gamma lids (you can also remove the gamma lid and place it on the new bucket).

I also keep two buckets with gamma lids in my longer-term home storage. The bucket with the orange lid is full of two-pound packages of brown sugar (which keeps them more fresh than if I just left stored them out on the shelf). The bucket with the yellow lid is full of smaller packages of powdered sugar.

These are just the ways that I personally utilize these great lids. Some families replace all of their longer-term storage bucket lids with gamma lids (which would be too expensive for me). I'm planning to store my charcoal in plastic buckets with gamma lids. Gamma lids would also be great for storing pet food, fertilizer, or anything else that you want to keep dry and easily accessible.

Gamma lids are not necessary for a three-month supply or even a longer-term supply. But if you utilize buckets for either, they can be a great tool!

How do you use gamma lids?

[PHOTO SOURCE]

i've run out of room!

Six years ago, our stake president challenged all of the families in our stake (group of local congregations) to complete their one-year food storage. We had just purchased our first home and were new members in the area. We'd made multiple moves across the country during that past few years and had some food storage, but not enough. I took the challenge seriously. Over the next year, I was able to gather a one-year supply. The foods recommended at the time were the basics -- and were very easy to store. I had mostly buckets and #10 cans.

Four years later, the new church recommendations were introduced in General Conference. We had recently added a little boy to our family and I needed to increase our food storage to include him. Because I had a full year's supply, I dragged my feet to implement these new recommendations - particularly the three-month supply of foods that we regularly eat since I knew I already had a three-month supply of the basics. In fact, part of the reason that I began this blog was because I knew I needed to follow that counsel. So, I'm working on my three-month supply right along with the rest of you.

Anyway, that's two long paragraphs to get to my point, which is that storing a three-month supply of foods that we regularly eat is harder than storing all the buckets and cans of a longer-term supply. I've been surprised at the volume of cans, bags and boxes that I've added to my food storage. I've had to purchase an extra set of shelves that are already full. I suspect that I could reduce the sheer volume of products by utilizing fewer canned foods, but I really want to make my three-month supply as user friendly as possible.

As I look at all this food, I'm wondering how to fit it all into my home. Having lived in even smaller quarters, I know that many of you are also having to be creative in storing your food storage. So where do YOU put it?

Here are a few of my ideas (I'd love to hear yours!):
* Use the space between the top of your cabinets and the ceiling (in the kitchen, bathroom, laundry room etc.). Put items in canisters, pots or cute baskets if needed (sometimes food storage can be decorative). Use curtains if needed.
*Utilize top shelves in closets and storage areas that might not have things on them because they are hard to reach.
*Store things under beds. You could even raise your bed with risers and store even more. Eliminate your bottom mattress and create a "foundation" using buckets and storage items.

* Store items under bedside tables or other decorative tables. Hide with a tablecloth.
*Store boxes in the bottoms of closets (shoes, boots, etc. can sit on top of the boxes).
*Insulate an attic space and add pull-down stairs.
*Basements, garages (might be too hot), cellars, sheds, cold-storage, etc.
*Dig a cold storage area.
*Pull a couch away from a wall and store items behind it.
*Free up cupboard space by hanging your pots and pans.
*Buy/make a decorative privacy screen and store items behind it.
*Buy an armoire and fill it with food storage.
*Use beds for the kids that are like bunk-beds, but that only have the top bunk. Fill the bottom area with home storage supplies. Cover with decorative fabric that matches the room. You could even use part of this space for storage and the other part for toys or a play area (separated by a desk or chest of drawers).
*Turn an extra coat closet into a food storage closet.
*Keep a box or two of food storage items in your trunk.

Keep in mind that idea food storage conditions are dry, dark and cool. You may or may not have an ideal place for your home storage. Be creative. If you don't have a place/way to store things in ideal conditions, then do your best. You might just have to rotate things through a little more quickly.

wheat

Wheat is one of the recommended grains for longer-term storage. It has a shelf-life of 30+ years. And like the Word of Wisdom states, grains are "the staff of life."

There are several different kinds of wheat:
Spring or winter -- which just refers to the season in which is was harvested.
Hard or soft -- hard wheat mills more consistently and has more protein (gluten).
Red or white -- which comes down to taste & texture preference.

You really have to figure this one out for yourself. My personal preference is hard white wheat. You may not know what to do with wheat, but don't let that stop you from storing it. My recommendation is that you acquire your wheat and then figure out how to use it.

In order to take advantage of that 30+ years of shelf life, though, you have to store your wheat correctly. Choose storage methods that help you avoid moisture, light, heat, and bugs. I personally use food storage buckets. I buy my wheat from Lehi Roller Mills. The wheat is clean, prepackaged and stored in a bucket with a gasket. Wheat prices are super high right now. I noticed that Costco is selling a 45 lb bucket of wheat for about $28. Last year, I bought the same bucket for about $17. I've heard that prices should fall once additional crops are harvested. The church cannery sells wheat in bulk and in #10 cans. Their prices are typically competitive. Some wheat comes in sturdy bags that are meant for storage (they are typically labeled "for storage" if this is the case). You can also seal your wheat into mylar bags within plastics buckets (ideal, in my opinion). If you buy your wheat in bags, you'll need to transfer and clean your wheat using a dry ice treatment. Instructions on how do this can be found here.

packing and storing

When it comes to keeping your longer-term storage -- well, long-term, you'll have four main enemies: moisture, heat, light, and pests (bugs/rodents). You can almost eliminate heat and light as concerns if you have a nice cool, dark basement in which to put your storage. Moisture and pests, though, are harder to control. The kind of storage container that you choose, can help eliminate three of the four storage enemies (even the best containers are affected by heat). So, it pays to pick your containers and their locations carefully.

If you don't have a cool, dark basement, then choose storage spots that are as cool and dark as possible. You can stack containers to make bedside tables. I've seen food storage under beds, on top of cupboards, and in sheds. Don't store items directly on cement floors. Many storage containers can leach chemicals and moisture out of the cement. It is better to use shelves or pallets, if possible.

Here is a list of storage containers and advantages/disadvantages:

*Plastic buckets (need to have a gasket in the lid; permeable; light gets in; can be heavy; reusable)

*Mylar bags/Foil Pouches - control light; rodents can rip; hard to stack; hard to move in big quantities; only reusable with right equipment.

*PETE bottles - don't control light; easy to move; readily available.

*#10 cans/aluminum cans - durable; control light; need a can opener; only reusable with right equipment.

*Glass jars - light gets in; rodents can't open; breakable; reusable with cheap & readily available equipment.

*Plastic bags - light and rodents can get in; harder to stack and move in large quantities; reusable; convenient.

*Burlap bags - moisture and pests get in easily; reusable; hard to stack and move in large quantities.

*Paper bags - moisture and pests get in easily; hard to stack and move in large quantities.

I use a mixture of these methods. I live in a very dry climate so plastic buckets work well for my wheat, bean and rice storage. I also have glass jars, cans, #10 cans and one double-bagged bag of wheat. I often buy my supplies in bags and then transfer into buckets. I don't do this with my wheat, though, as wheat requires a dry-ice treatment when transferred (see upcoming post on wheat storage). Oxygen absorbers are available to add to many of these containers. If your climate is very moist, buckets may not be adequate. A sealed Mylar bag inside of a bucket is often called a "super-pail." In my opinion, this may be the ideal storage container for large volumes of grains or beans.

Here are some links:

Packing Recommendations - providentliving.org

Oxygen Absorbers - providentliving.org

Storage Conditions - providentliving.org

longer-term supply

"For longer-term needs, and where permitted, gradually build a supply of food that will last a long time and that you can use to stay alive, such as wheat, white rice, and beans. These items can last 30 years or more when properly packaged and stored in a cool, dry place. A portion of these items may be rotated in your three-month supply." (All Is Safely Gathered In: Family Home Storage)

This is the "new" category that I think is most closely related to the traditional food storage. They've tweaked it, though, to be much more simple to understand. These products are intended to help us "stay alive." The church has recommended *Wheat, white rice, corn and other grains [25 lbs per person per month] and *Dry Beans [5 lbs per person per month]. All of the recommended products have shelf lives of 30 years or more.

If you add nine-months of these long term storage items to 3-months of short term storage, then you get your traditional one year of food storage. Below, I've calculated 9-months worth based on amounts found on the Provident Living website:
*Store 225 lbs of grains per person.
*Store 45 lbs of dry beans per person.
I would say that this is a good minimum goal for a family.

Here are some additional links:
Product Recommendations: *Wheat, white rice, corn and other grains. [25 lbs per person per month] *Dry Beans. [5 lbs per person per month]
Choosing Dry Products (Examples of products to avoid)