Stockpiles of food? (poll included)

Anyone got a link or three to reports on legal minimums for US stockpiles of food?

I recall that it recent years these minimums have been drastically reduced, like from 2 weeks or longer in the past down to a day or three at present.  Am I misremembering?

Bonus if you have links to public information on where those stockpiles are generally housed.

The recent reports of droughts blanketing the States leads me to curiosity on how much food we've got at the ready.  Hopefully, please, someone tell me that FEMA isn't in the command loop on distribution of said food?  Seems like if we could decentralize for distribution we might gain timing and other resource advantages. Best of all would be each State in the Union being ready and covered for food, irrespective of nationwide plans.

•  1.75 Liter Maker's Mark's Bourbon

  1 liter sweet vermouth
  1 bottle bitters

  by HeavyJ on Thu Aug 03, 2006 at 08:26:34 PM PDT

  •  I'm thinking that won't last long. n/t

    by emmasnacker on Thu Aug 03, 2006 at 08:41:51 PM PDT

•  S. Indiana Limestone Caves

  There is food stored in MRE form in Southern Indiana in the limestone caves.  The town of Marengo, IN has one of those food caches right in town.  I've heard there are more but I've given you an idea of where to start looking.  

  by libnewsie on Thu Aug 03, 2006 at 08:55:19 PM PDT

  •  Splendid!

    Much obliged, excellent starting point.

    by martini on Thu Aug 03, 2006 at 10:39:39 PM PDT

    •  More storage caves

      There are caves used as storage in many places in southern Indiana, not just the old limestone quarry in Marengo.  I've also heard there were some similar places in Arizona.  

      There used to be a old gypsum mine/storage cave under Grand Rapids, MI but I believe that one was always used for private storage, now it's used for records storage but it was used for vegetables at one time.  Detroit has an old salt mine caverns under it, now used for storage.

      by libnewsie on Thu Aug 03, 2006 at 10:52:57 PM PDT

    •  Martini

      A neighbor told me check Bedford, IN suppose to be MREs in a Limestone cavern there too.  He thought they were a stockpile for the military though...not for civilian use.  He was under the impression that the government sold off or gave away our food stockpiles back in the 90s?

      by libnewsie on Fri Aug 04, 2006 at 09:47:32 PM PDT

•  Sams Club and Costco

  Got the 3 packs of canned hams, 6 can packs of  chicken, 4 packed of corned beef, bunch of canned veggies, 36 pack of Ramen, big boxes of oatmeal and lentils repackaged in plastic containers, gallon of a ethoh and stove, 40 lbs of charcoal. That'll hold for a couple weeks.

  But for an "October surprise" crisis, make sure you have CASH, because all they have to do is yank the plug on ATMs and credit cards and the country will effectively be locked down.

  by bernardpliers on Thu Aug 03, 2006 at 09:13:34 PM PDT

  •  Shit I need money

    Just deposited some checks the other day and meant to get about $1000 in cash for emergencies.  I really don't know how much to have.  I know that people in Lebanon were paying up $600 to get taken out of the country or to safer ground.  I figured that if we were in that situation, it would cost more.  Since I live in LA, it would probably cost a lot more because of all the ultrarich here.  Crap.

    by fabooj on Thu Aug 03, 2006 at 11:39:01 PM PDT

    •  Consider, also,

      that cash may not be of much value, depending on the type of crisis.  What other small, portable, value-sustaining goods could you have on hand to trade your way out of danger?

      by martini on Fri Aug 04, 2006 at 08:50:28 PM PDT

•  What will happen

  if we can't get coffee?

  There will be plenty of coffee in
  my emergency kit.

  by hobo on Thu Aug 03, 2006 at 09:59:30 PM PDT

  •  whole coffee beans

    just make sure you grind it before the power cuts off - i tried to do it manually with a mortar and pestle after a hurricane once, and the results were pretty horrific. (blech)

    by kitten sedaris on Thu Aug 03, 2006 at 10:30:33 PM PDT

    •  Note to self

      look for hand powered coffee grinder.

      by hobo on Thu Aug 03, 2006 at 11:03:55 PM PDT

      •  you have a french press then?

        don't forget a way to boil water.

        let the primitive coffee parties begin!

        by kitten sedaris on Thu Aug 03, 2006 at 11:15:55 PM PDT

•  I have no idea about Americas

  food stockpiles. I did recentley hear that stores such as Walmart rely on very quick turnover of goods these days and do not store large quantities of anything anymore.
  So, if something catastrophic disrupted the flow of goods...we could all be sitting hungry in a hurry.

  I guess this is a good reason to try to be self sufficeint and act on what the RedCross recommends-Storing enough water and food for a minimum of 3 days, but longer is better.

  by Esjaydee on Thu Aug 03, 2006 at 10:23:15 PM PDT

  •  And not just water to drink.

    If water is cut off, that means no showers, no flushing toilets, no water for washing dishes, etc.

    by martini on Thu Aug 03, 2006 at 10:41:04 PM PDT

•  we have weeks' worth of nutrients stored

  in our ample american asses.

  by kitten sedaris on Thu Aug 03, 2006 at 10:27:10 PM PDT

•  Aack!

  I can't vote...water, quarters and food.  AlphaGeek's diaster diaries kicked my ass in gear.  

  by fabooj on Thu Aug 03, 2006 at 11:36:49 PM PDT

•  Nothing after 2004

  The only things I've been able to find were written in Q4 '04.  I did find this link (PDF) that seems pretty interesting.  I still don't expect my gov't to help me, so we're trying to stay as self-sufficient as possible.

  by fabooj on Thu Aug 03, 2006 at 11:42:45 PM PDT

  •  Rock on!

    This and your other comment were very valuable, thank you kindly.

    by martini on Fri Aug 04, 2006 at 08:53:28 PM PDT