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Aaron Jackson, CEO of Wise, said the Company would immediately make ready a shipment of emergency entrees and breakfasts. These will be comprised of ready-made meals like Lasagna, Pasta Alfredo, Savory Stroganoff and Apple Cinnamon Cereal that are prepared in minutes by simply adding water.
“The challenges faced by the thousands of affected people in Liberia are beyond comprehension," says Aaron Jackson. “Among what is needed most urgently is a safe, stable and nutritious supply of easy-to-prepare foods. This donation package has been designed to provide 2 meals per day to more than 4,300 people.
Wise Company will be partnering with Convoy of Hope to handle the transport and distribution of this desperately needed food to emergency management officials in Liberia. Mr. Jackson said, “Having partnered with Convoy of Hope in other disasters, such as the tornado that struck Moore, Oklahoma in 2013, Wise Company knows it has a reliable best-in-class partner that can ensure these meals arrive to those most in need of help and assistance."
Wise Company’s freeze dried and dehydrated meals, sealed in lightweight Mylar pouches, will be easy for Ebola victims and support staff to prepare as only water is required – whether hot or cold. In addition, the packaging and shelf life of the donated Wise Company emergency meals allow emergency relief groups to safely store and transport the food for long periods of time and in adverse conditions should they not be immediately needed.
About Wise Company, Inc.:
Wise Company, headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, is a leading supplier of high-quality, innovative dehydrated and freeze dried food storage products for emergency preparedness and outdoor use. Wise Company provides great tasting, high-quality foods that have been purposely manufactured and packed to be prepared quickly and easily. Wise markets its products through a robust internal sales force that sells to channel partners, including retailers and distributors, and direct-to-consumer through its in-house sales force. For more information and a complete list of product offerings, visit http://www.wisefoodstorage.com.
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Inevitable and unforeseen events may happen anytime so it's best to be prepared every day. One way is to secure our family by providing them enough food that will cover at least a week. But how can you cook in difficult situations such as no power for about a week, or even months? Then here is when Wise Company foods takes place. Wise Company foods are prepared in minutes just by adding water. Providing you and your family great tasting, high quality foods that are quick and easy to prepare. A dependable, simple, and affordable choice for both your emergency food supply and outdoor needs. Make food easy to prepare with Wise Company foods!
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Every day, we take steps to keep our nation safe and ensure we thrive after disasters occur. Whether we face risks related to earthquakes, cyber attacks or chemical spills, our goal is shared: safety and resilience.
The National Preparedness System outlines an organized process for everyone in the whole community to move forward with their preparedness activities and achieve the National Preparedness Goal.
The National Preparedness System has six parts:
- Identifying and Assessing Risk. This part involves collecting historical and recent data on existing, potential and perceived threats and hazards. The results of these risk assessments form the basis for the remaining steps.
- Estimating Capability Requirements. Next, you can determine the specific capabilities and activities to best address those risks. Some capabilities may already exist and some may need to be built or improved. FEMA provides a list of core capabilities related to protection, prevention, mitigation, response and recovery, the five mission areas of preparedness. To see a full list of the core capabilities, including details about each one, visit our Core Capabilities page on this site.
- Building and Sustaining Capabilities. This involves figuring out the best way to use limited resources to build capabilities. You can use the risk assessment to prioritize resources to address the highest probability or highest consequence threats.
- Planning to Deliver Capabilities. Because preparedness efforts involve and affect the whole community, it?s important that you coordinate your plans with other organizations. This includes all parts of the whole community: individuals, businesses, nonprofits, community and faith-based groups, and all levels of government.
- Validating Capabilities. Now it’s time to see if your activities are working as intended. Participating in exercises, simulations or other activities helps you identify gaps in your plans and capabilities. It also helps you see progress toward meeting preparedness goals.
- Reviewing and Updating. It is important to regularly review and update all capabilities, resources and plans. Risks and resources evolve - and so should your preparedness efforts.
Specific Tools and Resources
Depending on your role in the community, you may be in need of specific tools and resources to help you through the cycle of the National Preparedness System. We’ve listed a few below, along with links for more information.
- Strategic National Risk Assessment. This document identifies the types of incidents that pose the greatest threat to the nation's homeland security.
- Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA). Guidance for conducting a THIRA at all levels of government can be found in Comprehensive Preparedness Guide (CPG) 201, Second Edition.
- State Emergency Operations Plans. Guidance for creating these plans can be found in CPG 101.
- National Incident Management System.
- Remedial Action Management Program.
National Severe Weather Preparedness Week
Be a Force of Nature: Take the Next Step
NOAA’S National AWeather Service and the Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA) are teaming up for a third year to lead a public education
effort aimed at improving the way people prepare for and respond to
severe weather.
National Severe Weather Preparedness Week is March 2-8, 2014 with goal of informing the public about severe weather hazards and
provide knowledge which can be used to prepare and take action. These
actions can be used to save lives anywhere - at home, in schools, and in
the workplace before tornadoes and severe thunderstorms and extreme
weather strikes.
Know your risk:
Every state in the United States experiences tornadoes and severe
weather - A total of 267 tornadoes occurred across 25 states during May
2013, including the devastating EF5 tornado that struck Moore, Oklahoma,
on the 20th causing an estimated $2 billion in property damage. Acting
quickly could mean the difference between life and death in these
situations. Follow weather.gov to get the latest forecasts.
Take Actions
During National Severe Weather Preparedness Week, join National Oceanic
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the Federal Management Agency
(FEMA) and do your part to prepare now. Being prepared is a collective
effort. It takes the whole community to effectively prepare for, protect
against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate against damages caused
by tornadoes and severe thunderstorms.
- Before storms strike, Be a Force of Nature and take the first to making sure that you and your family are prepared for severe weather. These include developing a family communications plan, putting an emergency kit together, keeping important papers and valuables in a safe place, and getting involved to make your community safe.
- Sign up for America’s PrepareAthon April 30, take action and share the word to encourage others to participate.
- Be an example by sharing information on what to do to be prepared on such occasions to your family, friends, and to all people.
Need ideas for what you can do?
- Ensure you and your family knows your surroundings and risk for specific weather events.
- Have an emergency plan, and know what to do before severe weather strikes. Post your plan in you home where family and friends who visit can see it.
- Identify an appropriate shelter in your home, neighborhood and community ahead of time. Share this with your neighbor.
- Learn how to strengthen your home and business against severe weather. Pass this on at a community gathering or faith-based meeting.
- Find out from local government emergency management how you will be notified for each kind of disaster and sign up for additional alerts through social media and local news. Understand these local warning systems and signals and share your knowledge with your coworkers and friends. Email these resources to your friends, post to your social media account.
- Remember, once you have taken action, share your story with your family and friends.
- Text your love ones and let them know you are safe and where you are.
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How Many Daily Calories Will I Need?
The average American says it’s easier to do their own taxes than it is to figure out what to eat and how many calories per day they need. Whether you’re planning your emergency food strategy or you’re reviewing an existing plan, now is a good time to think it through so you can ensure that everyone in your family has adequate nutrition in an emergency. Fortunately, it’s not that hard:
What kind of emergency?
First, ask yourself what kind of emergency you’re planning for. If
you’re creating an emergency stash of food for a snow day where you’ll
be playing games all day, you won’t need as many calories as you would
if you’re spending the day clearing storm debris. Caloric needs have
been updated recently and require an understanding of what it means to
be sedentary, moderately active or active.
Sedentary means no extra physical activity beyond daily activities for living.
Moderate means walking up to 3 miles daily at a normal pace (3 to 4 mph).
Active walking more than 3 miles daily, or heavy manual labor.
Consider the likely disasters in your geographic area then imagine what
your day would be like. Would you be engaged repairing your house,
clearing debris or helping the community rebuild or would you be passing
time with paperbacks until services returned to normal?
How many calories?
Once you’ve determined your “emergency†activity level, check the chart
(2014 U.S. Dietary Guidelines) for recommended maximum calorie intake.
If you’d like to take the opportunity to lose some weight, subtract up
to 500 calories from the recommended caloric intake.
Balance your calories
There are a lot of fad diets out there that require you to avoid certain
types of food, such as carbs and fat. However, carbohydrates are
required for energy and fat helps you feel full and can help stabilize
blood sugar.
Wise Company entrees and snacks allow you to create the right balance.
Choose from our freeze-dried such as Roasted Chicken, Savory Roasted Ground Beef or even . Then, choose an energy source such as , granola or pasta entrees. Include a freeze-dried vegetable for fiber and micronutrients and you’ll have a well-rounded meal that will keep you going no matter what.
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Prepping for a New Year: 5 Things You Must Do Now
2014 is here. Typhoon Haiyan, which struck the Philippines in early November, reminds us of how critical it is to review survival stocks in order to be prepared for the unexpected. Here are five things you should do now to be prepared during the new year:
Rotate your stored fuel supply.
If you’ve had gasoline in canisters sitting for more than one year, it’s time to freshen up. Top off your car with the stored fuel now. Then, replenish your gas cans with fresh gas. Gasoline is a refined product, created to perform best within certain parameters. Over time it degrades, causing it’s performance, and subsequently your car’s, to fall short.
Check expiration dates on medical and pharma supplies.
Pharmacists regularly warn to toss expired medication. Expiration dates on medicine don’t necessarily indicate that a certain medication will “go badâ€. Rather, these dates are more indicative of the manufacturer’s recommendation of the time frame for use because stated dosage may not be as potent following its expiration. Regardless, now is a good time to review your survival kits and replace expired medicine, especially if it has expired within 6 months or more. This is especially true for any medicine that has been opened. If it’s expired, toss it.
Update your bug-out bag.
If you live in a climate that has marked seasons, go through your bug-out bag and make seasonal adjustments. When you originally prepped it, it may have been spring or summer. We’re in the winter season now, and it’s crucial to make the right seasonal adjustments. While you’re at it, double check that all of your items are working properly or are within their stated usage period. If not, replace items as necessary to ensure your bag is prepped and ready roll.
Round out your supplies with the items you’ve been putting off.
For a variety of reasons, there are always those items that seem to get pushed down the priority list. Make them a priority this year. For example, do you stock liquid bleach for purifying water but know it might be better to move to tablets or granules? Do it this year and stop putting it off. Many survivalists store tablet or granular form of common pool shock, also known as calcium hypochlorite, instead of bleach.
Review and update your emergency contacts and procedures.
This should be an annual exercise, especially if you’ve changed jobs, married, moved or lost a loved one. Ensure those closest to you know how to reach you, and vice versa. Your emergency procedures may also need some fresh eyes, especially if you’ve moved. Update your emergency procedures and ensure your entire family understands any necessary changes.
Pickling is great way to preserve food because you create an edible, anti-microbial liquid. It seems that nobody has ever come across a pickle gone bad but general consensus is that pickles can keep for up to 18 months.
Pickles have significant health benefits - as long as they’re made without sugar. Fermented foods are thought to be good for the digestive system and many people believe that the vinegar kills “bad†bacteria in the digestive tract and contributes to better health. Pickles are also a good source of vitamin K, the hard-to-get B vitamins, thiamine and vitamin A. But beware, pickles are made with generous amounts of salt, which can be a problem for people on sodium restricted diets.
What Can I Pickle?
Pickling is the answer to almost any abundance of fruit or vegetables:
Pickling Methods:
There are two methods: chemical and fermentation pickling. The chemical process involves soaking the food in edible liquid such as brine, though technically there are other liquid “pickles†such as oil and alcohol. In fermentation pickling, the food is preserved by creating lactic acid.
How to Pickle
The chemical method is the easiest (especially now that you know how to harvest salt!).
The fermentation process is exactly the same, just eliminate the
vinegar. If the food has enough moisture, the salt will draw out the
excess liquid. Note if your top vegetables aren’t immersed in water they
may mold. You can place a smaller glass jar filled with rocks or pie
weights (called a “followerâ€) on top of the vegetables to keep
everything submerged.
Did you know that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) offers free classes? The Emergency Management Institute (EMI) offers emergency management training for emergency management professionals, government employees and the general public. As part of the National Preparedness Goal, their free online independent study program offers self-paced courses in nine “mission areasâ€:
Class titles include:
There are many more interesting classes available - here’s the complete list: http://training.fema.gov/IS/crslist.aspx. And did I mention they’re online, self-paced and free?
There is a final exam at the end of each one, but you’ll feel more
confident in your ability to handle disasters once you’ve aced the
class. If you’re considering a career change, these classes can also
help you move into a career as an emergency management professional.
If you’re already working as an emergency management professional, the
Professional Development Series offers seven independent study courses
that teach the fundamentals of emergency management.
There are a few application guidelines - you must be a U.S. citizen
although there are a limited number of international seats available for
each class. Also, classes fill up so you want to note the registration
deadlines.
The Emergency Management Institute also offers on-site and remote classes if you’d like to attend on-campus.
For a full course and schedule list, go to http://training.fema.gov/EMICourses/.
Square foot gardening is an efficient method of growing vegetables and herbs in small, organized spaces. So-called “square foot gardens†are raised beds divided with 1“x1†wood into individual sections that are, you guessed it, a square foot each. So what’s wrong with row gardening? Mel Bartholomew, the creator of the Square Foot Gardening Method, says it’s all wrong:
“After looking at other people’s gardens, it was usually very
predictable. Here’s what I found out about single row gardening: Too big
an area Too much time Too much work Too much effort Too many seeds Too
many weeds Too many plants Too many problems Too costly Too much harvest
Too many tools IT’S JUST TOO MUCH OF EVERYTHING. People can grow 100%
of the crops they used to grow in large plots in just 20% of the space.
These smaller more organized gardens are easy for beginner gardeners,
can be located close to the house, and are easy to protect from pests
and frost.â€
What you can grow
Herbs and bulbs are great for square foot gardens as are beans and most vegetables. The only things that don’t work well are bulky vegetables like artichokes, ground spreaders like melons and root spreaders like blueberries. Good picks are:
- Onions
- Lettuce
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Carrots
- Asparagus
- Beans
- Cucumbers
- Corn
- Garlic
- Herbs
Picking a location
- 6 - 8 hours of sun a day
- Away from trees where shade and roots can interfere
- Close to house for convenience
- Good drainage
Making the box
Boxes should be 6“ deep and should be 4’ x 4’ square with no bottom. Fill the boxes with new potting soil, ideally a mix of 1/3 blended compost, 1/3 peat moss, and 1/3 coarse vermiculite. Each box should have a permanent grid on top that divides it into 1’x1’ squares. (Don’t skip this step or you’ll miss out on many of the benefits!)
Planting and care
Plant a different vegetable or herb in each square foot. If you’re
growing from seed, plant seeds sparingly. Water the entire bed gently by
hand with tepid water (never cold). As you harvest each square foot you
can add a little potting mix then replant it.
Of course, you’ll have to deal with insects and critters just like you
would in any garden, but it’s much easier in a square foot garden. To
keep hungry critters like deer and rabbits out of your garden, it’s easy
to build a removable wire mesh cap. If you end up with garden pests,
use organic pest control methods so your food stays safe to eat.
For more information on Square Foot Gardening, check out Mel’s excellent website at http://www.squarefootgardening.org/.
Salt is one of the things that made civilization possible. Sure, it makes food taste good but its real value is in it’s ability to preserve food. When you can preserve excess food, your chances for survival through a tough winter, summer drought or other disaster or emergency, go way up. Today we take salt for granted but it was hard to come by for thousands of years. Traders established “salt roadsâ€, or well-worn trading paths through countries that didn’t have access to salt. Wars were fought over salt. People gave their lives for salt. The epic saga of salt is fascinating and we recommend Mark Kulansky’s book Salt: A History of the World.
In the right proportions, sea salt has small amounts of essential nutrients that the body needs: iodine, iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium, manganese and zinc. We all know by now that too much salt has adverse health consequences so keep that in mind as you plan your emergency food strategy.
Today, we manufacture so much salt, and so many different kinds of salt, that it’s easy to take it for granted. Now, imagine there’s no salt. Well, there is salt but it’s in the ocean. How do you get it out? For a look at the modern process, check out this on-site tour from theKitchn: http://www.thekitchn.com/come-along-on-a-159478.
Can you harvest your own salt? Sure. And the good news is, it’s easy. The hardest part is finding clean seawater. Beware: Seawater is not the same everywhere. Ensure you’re using clean water that contains no runoff or chemicals. This eliminates public beaches and seawater from harbors or near industrial operations. Collect your water as far away from civilization as possible. You’ll get about 2 cups of salt per four gallons of water, so even though it’s a time-consuming process, the return is worth it.
Boiling method:
- Clean seawater
- A strainer, cheesecloth or cotton fabric with no soap residue
- A large kettle or pot
- Fire source
- Strain the seawater through the cloth and the sieve to remove any large particles (like sand). Bring the strained water to a boil in a large pot or kettle. After the water boils for a minute, reduce the fire or heat until the water just simmers. You’ll be simmering water for a long time, so be patient. When you see salt crystals start to form in the bottom of the pot and there is just a little water left, remove the pot from the heat source. In order to not burn the salt it’s a good idea to finish evaporating the water in an oven or kiln or by letting it dry in the sun.
Or
Evaporating method:
- Clean seawater
- A strainer, cheesecloth or cotton fabric with no soap residue
- Large glass trays (like Pyrex baking dishes)
- Strain the seawater through the cloth and the sieve. Pour the strained water into glass trays. (Don’t use metal or you’ll end up with bad-tasting salt and a corroded tray.) Leave the trays in the sun or by the fire and allow the water to evaporate.
Whichever method you choose, when the water is gone you’ll be left with large salt crystals. Break them up and store your salt in clean glass or ceramic containers.
For information about preserving food with salt, check out this site: http://www.ehow.com/how_2123649_preserve-food-saltcuring.html.
How much protein do I need?
First, let’s talk about protein. As a general rule, between 10 percent and 15 percent of your total calories should come from protein. A gram of protein has 4 calories. Earlier we talked about how to calculate your BMR number. Once you have your BMR, multiply it by .10 then divide by 4.
BMR x .10 / 4 = grams of protein you need per day
Generally, women need about 40 grams and men need about 50 grams of protein per day.
Before you figure out how to get enough protein, it’s helpful to understand what protein is:
What is protein?
Proteins are chains of amino acids connected by peptide bonds. Humans use 20 amino acids to build muscle and other parts of the body. Of the 20 amino acids, humans can only make (synthesize) 11; the other nine (leucine, isoleucine, valine, lysine, threonine, tryptophan, methionine, phenylalanine and histidine) must be obtained from food. Vegetable sources of these proteins are low in fat and deliver lots of other essential vitamins and minerals at the same time, so it’s no wonder one in seven Americans has gone vegetarian.
Ovolactopesca-what?
Some vegetarians eat fish, dairy and eggs, qualifying for the lengthy technical title ovolactopescatarian.
- Fish - with few exceptions, fish is low in fat and the higher-fat kinds contain “healthy†fat, so fish is a great protein option.
- Eggs contain about 5 grams of fat and 6 grams of protein each, or stick with the whites and you’ll get 4 grams of protein with 0 fat.
- Dairy - milk and cheese comes in full-fat and reduced-fat varieties. Save the full-fat for special occasions and enjoy reduced-fat dairy for around 7 grams of protein and 2 grams of fat per ounce.
Whether you’re a carnivore, herbivore or something in between, getting some of your protein from vegetable, whole grain and legume protein is going to improve your health and expand your horizons. Here are the powerhouses of vegetable-based protein that everyone can enjoy.
- Quinoa - a little grain from South America that is a protein dynamo with 18 grams of protein per cup
- Beans, lentils and peas - around 14 grams per cup. Garbanzo beans (chick peas) are even higher.
- Soy - 7 grams per cup and can be found in everything from soy “sausage†to soy ice cream. Some recent research suggests soy can affect hormones - both beneficially and adversely - so do a little homework before you rely too much on soy milk, tofu, and the many soy-based meat substitutes.
- Nuts - around 8 grams per cup - but be mindful of the high fat content of nuts - you don’t want to eat a whole cup every day!
- Vegetables and fruit - dried apricots (8 grams per cup), avocado, asparagus and spinach (5 grams per cup) are MVPs when it comes to combining vitamin C, fiber and protein.
Among Wise freeze dried foods some are higher in protein than others (meat lovers can add our popular seasoned freeze-dried meat packets) but our vegetarian friends get a head start with high protein entrees like Cheesy Lasagna, Chili Macaroni and Teriyaki Rice, and for even more protein and variety, add our new freeze-dried vegetable and fruit packets.
Take some time to prepare for emergency scenarios befitting your geography. Every pet owner should have a grab-and-go plan for evacuating a home quickly and some geographies require a plan for extended absences. Here are some tips from the ASPCA and the Humane Society of the United States:
Get a Rescue Alert Window Sticker that lets emergency workers and others know how many pets are inside your home. Stickers are free from the ASPCA and from some pet stores or veterinarians.
Make an Emergency Supply and Travel Kit that is easy to carry. It should include:
- Pet first-aid kit that includes bandages, antibiotic cream, instant cold pack, gauze, alcohol wipes, sting relief, scissors, blanket and tweezers
- 3-7 days of canned (pop-top) or dry food (be sure to rotate every two months)
- Disposable litter trays and litter (aluminum roasting pans are the right size)
- Liquid disinfectant soap
- Garbage bags for clean-up
- Food dishes
- Extra collar and leash
- Waterproof container with a two-week supply of any medicine your pet requires
- Bottled water for at least 7 days
- A traveling carrier, ideally one for each pet
- Flashlight
- Blanket (useful for scooping up a fearful pet)
- Recent photos of your pets (in case you are separated and need to make "Lost" posters)
- Especially for cats: Pillowcase or EvackSack, toys, scoopable litter
- Especially for dogs: Extra leash, toys, chew toys, and enough cage liner to last a week.
Evacuation Preparation. If you must evacuate your home in a crisis, plan for the worst-case scenario. If you think you may be gone for only a day, assume that you may not be allowed to return for several weeks. When recommendations for evacuation have been announced:
- Keep emergency kit handy or load into vehicle
- Make sure pets are wearing tags with up-to-date identification
- Bring pets indoors. Pets can become disoriented and wander away from home during a crisis.
- Call ahead to make arrangements for boarding your pet outside of the danger zone at the first sign of disaster.
- If emergency officials recommend that you stay in your home, determine which rooms offer safe havens. These rooms should be clear of hazards such as windows and flying debris.
- Choose easy-to-clean areas such as utility rooms, bathrooms, and basements as safe zones.
- Fill up bathtubs and sinks ahead of time to ensure that you have access to water during a power outage or other crises.
- In the event of flooding, go to the highest location in your home, or a room that has access to counters or high shelves where your animals can take shelter.
If you keep other kinds of pets, the ASPCA lists special considerations for birds, reptiles and small animals that are important to read.
Whether your trip is a family vacation or part of a lifestyle, a little planning and strategy can go a long way. Here are some pre-planning tips for streamlining your on-the-road food strategy:
Stash Quick Food
- As you’re planning, check the map for empty stretches of road. Consider that your crew will probably be ready to eat every four hours and pre-load enough snacks or quick meals for long haul days.
- Scan the agenda for busy days and early mornings - plan quick breakfasts for fast cleanup.
- Take note of potential nighttime hauls and ensure the driver has a late night meal or snack handy before everyone else hits the sack.
- Freeze dried meals that only need hot water and a fork are handy for fast, no- cleanup meals. They also allow each person to pick their own entrée, just like they would in a restaurant, and eat when they?re hungry instead of waiting for a scheduled stop or for “the cook†to prepare a meal.
- Take a break for meals that allow you to try the regional food.
- Stop at roadside produce stands and farm markets to enjoy in-season, local produce. (Don’t buy too much though; you don’t have anywhere to store it.)
Be Safe
- Invest in a roll of non-slip shelf paper and ensure all galley shelves are covered.
- Use plastic dinner and storage ware (preferably non-disposable) - glass is too dangerous in a moving kitchen.
- If you use liquid propane to cook and cool, ensure it’s turned off while the RV is in motion. (Liquid propane is highly volatile. If the gas line breaks, one spark can cause an explosion.) While driving, the refrigerator will stay cool if the door isn’t opened too frequently.
- Secure all cooking gadgets and utensils. In an accident, these things can become deadly projectiles.
- Ensure you have a 5-pound BC-rated fire extinguisher in the galley and near each exit. Make sure your entire crew knows where these are and how to use them.
It can be difficult to stick to a healthy eating pattern on the road. Make these four habits part of your daily routine and you’ll feel better on your trip and won?t come home with pounds to lose:
- Include fruits and vegetables at every sit-down meal.
- Limit coffee and soda to one serving each per day.
- Keep and use fruit for snacks.
