Cannery Orders

Just a friendly reminder, tomorrow is the last day to order from the Fresno Cannery if you wish to guarantee you will receive your order before they are shut down (see previous post on the cannery).

To see what is available to order, visit here to view the order forms. You do not have to fax the form in - you can just call during their business hours. The phone number to the Fresno Cannery is 559-255-2377. The lady there is very helpful if you have any questions for her. Also, they are open from 8:30-about 1:30, with a 1 hour lunch break in there.

E-mail me if you have questions about this! peachwoodpantry@gmail.com

Happy Storing!

55 Gallon Drums

I have just received the final bid information on the water drums from Containers, Here's how it breaks down:

• For an order of only 25 barrels, the cost is higher because it requires shipping ground with an external carrier (like UPS). So, for 25 barrels it's $67 per barrel, which includes tax and shipping, but is super pricey.

However, Containers, Unltd., sends shipments to Fresno regularly on their own big freight truck, so if we order more than the 25 we don't have to pay for the external shipping. So...the price goes down if we order more and ship it on their truck. I am determined to do it this way, so if there is not enough interest from our ward then I will open it up to others who might be interested.

• If we get an order of at least 50 barrels, the cost is only $48.50 per barrel, which includes tax and shipping.
• If we get an order of at least 75 barrels, the cost is $45.50 per barrel, which includes tax and shipping.
• Thus, the more barrels we order, the more the price decreases.

This is a good price. The cheapest I have been able to find these elsewhere is $60 per barrel + taxes & shipping = ouch. Several people have recently told me they were only able to find new drums in the last year for about $69 a piece. So, even the higher rate of $48.50 is an excellent buy.

 

If you are interested, please let me know. I will be sending around a sign up sheet during Primary, RS, & Priesthood this Sunday. Or, I will place a sign-up sheet on the Peachwood Ward bulletin board (under food storage info) if you do not get a chance to sign up during RS or priesthood.

 

Additionally, if you did not already get your water filters, please contact me so we can arrange for you to pick them up!!

 

Best wishes for happy storing!

Cannery Concerns

I just went to pick up my own personal order from the Cannery today, and I was given some bad news: the church is probably going to close down a major part of the Cannery. According to the people I spoke with there, activists have pushed to require that all Canneries (even dry pack) be retro-fitted with the same requirements as Wet Pack Canneries (even though they are not susceptible to the same bacteria, etc.). Unfortunately, to do this would require approx. $100k-$200k for EACH Cannery. Because this is so expensive, the church is planning to shut down much of its dry pack canning options.

While they will continue to provide pre-packaged goods at the canneries, and the materials to borrow/buy so you can do dry pack canning at home, the option to purchase Cannery packed goods will no longer be available. And, apparently, this isn't just the one here in Fresno, but at most of the dry pack canneries throughout the USA. I was also told that Fresno's operation has been shortlisted to be shut down sooner rather than later.

The good news in all of this, though, is that they said they will complete any orders that are already in BEFORE they are limited down/shut down.

So, this is my call to each of you to get your orders into the Cannery SOON. If at all possible, do what you can to get your orders in by the end of the month of May. The packers are going on vacation in June (so they will not be taking orders then) and she could not promise that Fresno's orders will be available in July. Please do not panic about this, but just prayerfully consider your options and do what you can for your own families right now. Of course you will be able to rent things to pack at home later, but that will be more difficult. So, where at all possible, order now what you feel you can comfortably afford.

The Cannery has some unusual hours of operation. They are only open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8-11:45am and then 12:45-2:30pm. You need to call during those hours to place your order. To contact them, call 559-255-2377. Right now they are a month out on orders, which is good if you need time to save up and pay for your order (you pay when you pick it up). However, you will need to pick up your orders during their unusual opening hours. If, for any reason, you have a hard time getting to them during that time to place an order or to pick it up once it has come in, please let me know and I'll do what I can to help you get your orders in & picked up.

If you wish to see what the cannery has to sell, and its prices, you can look at the order forms by visiting the church's welfare website here: http://providentliving.org/content/display/0,11666,8133-1-4352-1,00.html.

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns about this, or you can always call and speak with the Cannery (they're super nice and helpful).

Happy Storing!

Last Day for Orders & Money

Just a friendly reminder that if you wish to place an order for the 2-Filter Water Filtration Device or for the Water Bottle with Filter, you need to let me know TODAY or TOMORROW. Orders and money are due on Sunday, 17 April 2011.

As a reminder, the 2-filter device is $41.90 each, including taxes & shipping.

The water bottle with filter is $24.20 each, including taxes & shipping.

If you have questions about these products, check out information about them by clicking here. And, of course, email me with any additional questions, to place an order, or to arrange payment.

Happy ordering!!

The Starting Line: A Disaster Kit & Water

I just received an interesting link to an article titled, "Preparing a Disaster Kit." It doesn't go too in depth, but it gives a great overview of the basic needs to start storing. Check it out by clicking here.

The article cites sources like FEMA and the American Red Cross, so while their information doesn't go into much depth, it's at least from valid sources and gives you a great jumping point. If you wish to go straight to the in-depth source, you can find more information about FEMA's recommendations about water storage by clicking here. And, if you are interested in learning more about what the American Red Cross suggests for disaster kit storage, please click here.

Of particular note in the article is the initial emphasis on the need for water. Since the average person can only live about 2-4 days without water, this is of the utmost necessity. If you wish to start preparing your kit by increasing water storage options, you can do so by joining in the ordering fun this month and getting a water filter. You can view the options available to order by clicking here.

If you wish to participate in the bulk order, and have not already signed up at church or by phone, please e-mail me at peachwoodpantry@gmail.com.

Happy Storing!

Emergency Use Water Purifiers

Starting March 20, there are two options available to order for Emergency Use Water Purifiers through the Peachwood Ward. Payment must be received PRIOR to the order being placed. Money must be in no later than Sunday, April 17, 2011, if you wish to receive the discounted price as part of the bulk rate. E-mail me at peachwoodpantry@gmail.com if you have questions about payment options, who to make checks payable to, etc.

It should be noted that neither of the following water filters provides a long-term solution, but both are suitable for emergency situations.

OPTION 1:


For shorter term water filtration, I recommend you purchase the Water Filtration Bottle Kit from the church Distribution Services. According to their website, “This advanced bottle removes up to 99.99% of pollutants and contaminants found in drinking water. Produces up to 100 gallons of filtered water.”

The kit is particularly good because it comes with two filters, increasing your capacity to 200 gallons. It works by filtering the water as you suck the water through the straw, so it filters only what you will be drinking.

WATER FILTRATION BOTTLE KIT $24.20
Includes one 28 oz. water bottle with insulator sleeve and clip, and two filters.

For more information about this water bottle and/or replacement filters, please go to the LDS Distribution Services store here.

OPTION 2:

Manufactured by Pure Water Products in Texas (pwp@pwgazette.com), this is a two filter purifier, using both a Ceramic filter and a Carbon filter.

Ceramic filter removes up to 99.9% of bacteria and other biological contaminants including (but not limited to) e. Coli, Vibrio Cholerae (Cholera), Shingella, Salmonella Typhi (Typhoid), Crytosporidium, Giardia and many other types of bacteria, making it safe to drink. This is a reusable cartridge that will last as long as it can be re-cleaned. If the water is reasonably particle-free, it should last for many thousands of gallons.

Carbon filter removes chemicals in the water, and improves the taste and odor of the water. It is guaranteed for a capacity of up to 1,500 gallons and is easily replaced for a fraction of the overall cost ($15 or less from PWP).

Both filters are silver-impregnated to prevent bacteria growth within the filters.

Specifications: Both filters measure approximately 10" x 2" in physical size. The siphon tubing is ¼” ID x 48" and comes with the adapter to attach to the ceramic and/or carbon filters. Flow rate is about 3 gallons per hour.

Pictured to the right is the SK103 model. On the right side is the ceramic filter, and on the left the carbon filter.

SK103 TWO-FILTER SYSTEM $41.90
Includes one ceramic and one carbon filter along with adaptors and tubing. (The price above reflects a minimum total bulk order of 50 units)

For more information about the SK103 model (or others like it), replacement filters, and so forth, please visit Pure Water Products' website here.

ALL PRICES INCLUDE TAXES & SHIPPING

Note: Only the SK103 Two-Filter System is on a bulk discounted price (because it normally costs $61+tax). The water bottles can be purchased at any time through the church Distribution Services, located here.