Transcript:

Before jumping right into a food storage program, it is important to start right from the beginning and decide where all that food is going to go. Over time you will spend good money on food storage, so it is imperative to protect your investment.

Let’s start with Step One--Preparing Your Space
Analise your space and ask yourself these questions:
Is the temperature in my storage room 70 degrees or lower?
Is it cool and dry?
Are there thing you could move into the garage to make room for more food items?
Are there any chemicals stored next to food that should be stored somewhere else?
Remember, north facing walls are cooler than south facing walls in your home.
I you have a basement; storing food under the stairs is a great idea.
Under beds is also an adequate storage area as long as the food is not too close to the heater vents.
If you are storing food containers directly over concrete floors, be sure to lay a 2”x4” underneath, as moisture from the ground is down out.  This way air is sure to circulate and you will avoid things like mold and mildew.

Step Two--Do you problem with mice or insects?
Now would be a good time to clear out your storage area and clean it thoroughly with a light bleach solution.  Set traps or contact a specialist to clear out these problems, so that you food will be safe and top quality.
If you see any bags or containers that are chewed through, be sure to discard them immediately to avoid eating contaminated food.

And Step Three--Take a look at shelf space
Do you have adequate shelf spacing in between your shelves?, or could you add a few more to maximize your space?
Do you have a way to protect your food against shifting should there be an earthquake?
By simply adding a piece of 1”x2” to the edge of your selves it can help assure that your cans will stay in their place, should that ever occur.

Step Four--Do you have an organized way to store your food?
Or do you find yourself hording and dumping wherever it will fit?
For now, just sort your food by containers, placing the larger buckets or boxes stacked on the floor and your can and baking goods on the shelves.
Later in the lessons you will learn how to effectively organize your storage space, so that everything has its place and everything is easily accessible.
Now, pad yourself on the back.  You have taken the first step to a more organized storage space.