Changes to our Greensboro Food Storage source

 Here is the article that came out from the Church today.

http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/concern-over-changes-to-home-storage-centers-unnecessary

They have announced that only 12 food storage facilities will still have self-canning.  The other 89 (including our Greensboro Home Storage Center) will discontinue all self-canning, and will only provide pre-canned food.

The nickname for the Greensboro Home Storage Center has always been "the cannery".  I guess we are going to have to stop calling it that now.

"Why would I want to use the dry canner instead of going to the cannery?"

You might ask “Why would I want to use the dry pack canner?”

IT MAY NOT BE CONVENIENT FOR YOU TO CAN AT THE CANNERY

You might have small children or a busy life, where you cannot go to the Greensboro cannery and stay for several hours canning your food there.  If you can buy the food in bulk at either the cannery or Sam’s or Costco, then you would be able to borrow the dry pack canner and package all the food at your own home on your own schedule.

YOU MAY WANT TO CAN SOMETHING THAT THE CANNERY DOESN’T CARRY.

The cannery only has a limited list of commodities to buy:  Three types of beans, powdered milk, white rice, white sugar, two kinds of wheat, dehydrated apple slices, carrots, macaroni and spaghetti, 2 kinds of oats, dry onions, and potato flakes.  If you want to get something different, an exotic kind of rice or grain, a different type of pasta, something the cannery doesn’t stock, then you could can it at your house.

YOU MIGHT BE IN A HURRY

If you read enough of my posts, you might be getting an idea that time is getting short and we really need to get our food storage sooner, not later. (Hint, hint.)  However, when I talked to Sister Mangum this week, the first opening she has for someone to go can at the cannery is APRIL 16.  She said that if I was just picking up empty cans and/or bulk food (in big bags), I could come get them at a time when others are already scheduled.

New Dry Pack Canner for the Morrisville Building

The Morrisville Building has received its Dry Pack Canner!   Appointments to use it should be made through me.

Now that we have our own canner, you will be able to can all sorts of dry commodities, such as wheat, flour, sugar, powdered milk, macaroni, rice, oats, etc. in the comfort of your own home or garage.  

But first, you have to obtain some empty cans and lids.

I just spoke to Sister Mangum, who is in charge of the Greensboro Family Home Storage Center (or “cannery”).  That is where you will have to go to buy the empty cans and lids.

http://www.providentliving.org/content/display/0,11666,7550-1-4066-1,00.html

We can buy the empty #10 cans for $0.75 each, and the metal lids for $0.15 each.  A plastic lid is $0.10.

You will also want to buy one Oxygen Absorber to put inside each can.  They are $0.10 each.  All dry canned food items must contain an oxygen absorber so that creepy crawlies don’t hatch out in the food and start to reproduce.  The oxygen absorber makes it so that IF a bug hatches, it will immediately die from lack of oxygen.

The ONLY EXCEPTION is white sugar.  Do not add oxygen absorbers to white sugar, it will turn into a solid brick.  There are no bug problems with sugar, so it is fine to just seal it inside the can without treating it.

(Canning at our church building is strictly forbidden, for insurance reasons.  I think the Church does not want to be held liable for any food safety.  I cannot even do any dry canning demonstrations in the building.)

A Reminder about the Greensboro Cannery

The Family Home Storage Center (or “cannery”) that is closest to us is in Greensboro.   You can make an appointment to pick up bulk food there, or to can the food into cans, by calling the cannery at 336-668-2284 or Sister Mangum at home at 336-584-6019.

Here is more information about the cannery:

http://www.providentliving.org/content/display/0,11666,7550-1-4066-1,00.html

Why would you want to go to the cannery?

In general, food from the cannery is about the cheapest you can get it.  Sometimes, one thing or another is cheaper at Sam’s or Costco, however, that item wouldn’t be in a bug proof container.

Buying the food at the cannery enables you to can it inside #10 cans and know that it will be good for 20-30 years.

Go to http://www.providentliving.org/pfw/multimedia/files/pfw/pdf/123141_HSC_OrderFormUS_EngNov2011_pdf.pdf   to see the current price list.

Sister Mangum said they are open Mondays and Tuesdays in the daytime, on Wednesdays in the evening, and on the 2nd and 4th Saturday in the morning.  With those limited hours, you have to get an appointment way in advance.  Right now the first opening is April 16.

Each time I have been there, I have been put in a group of 3-7 people, and we all helped each other can our food, and got out within about 3-4 hours.

My apologies

I can't get that email from the Midkiffs to post properly.  Sorry about that.  I hope you can read it one way or the other.

How to get notifications from Greensboro Cannery

The following is an email I got from the outgoing manager of the Greensboro, NC cannery.

When Sister Midkiff and I took over we would have 2 weeks notice of upcoming price changes 


and we could easily notify everyone so they had time to stock up before prices went up, but now


 with the system that runs on the internet the last price change we received an email late


Thursday night that prices would be adjusted the following Monday when we opened. The


 managers no longer have to make the price changes in the cash register, it's all done in Salt


 Lake City and when the manager opens the cash register it's done. If you would like to be


 notified of upcoming price changes or any other news related to emergency preparedness,


 email Elder and Sister Mangum at  wel-hsc-greensboro@ldschurch.org and give them your


 email address and maybe include your home and cell phone #s.

From Brother and Sister Midkiff

Greensboro Cannery getting new managers

Brother Midkiff emailed me that he and his wife are down to their last month as managers of the Greensboro Home Storage Center, the church's dry pack cannery. The new managers will be the Mangums, and their assistants will be the Paynes.  Bro Davis will be there till early 2012.

 

The email address at the cannery is wel-hsc-greensboro@ldschurch.org

 

the phone # at the cannery is 336-668-2284

 

the fax # at the cannery is 336-668-4212

 

"The Mangums told me that for now they will keep the same schedule we've used; ie open by appointment only, available to be open Tuesday and Thursday mornings, Wednesday evenings and the mornings of the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of each month. The August calender still has some Tuesday and Thursdays open but the next available Saturday is the 2nd Saturday in December."   Brother Midkiff

Cannery prices increased, some up to 38%

Someone compared the BULK FOOD Prices at the LDS cannery on the price list from January 7, 2011 and the new price list effective April 4, 2011.  (This is the Home Storage Price List from the website www.providentliving.org)

 Here are the differences: 

Old Price New Price Percent Change

Black Beans $13.20 $16.80 +11%

Pinto Beans $17.45 $18.55 +6%

White Beans $12.55 $16.00 +21%

Dry Milk, Nonfat $41.65 $47.20 +12%

White Rice $10.00 $13.85 +27%

Sugar $17.35 $21.15 +33%

White Wheat $7.65 $11.45 +33%

Apple Slices $60.45 $72.55 +17%

Carrots $57.65 $66.40 +13%

Macaroni $16.50 $20.25 +18%

Quick Oats $9.85 $15.95 +38%

Regular Oats $9.85 $15.35 +36%

Dry Onions $76.30 $88.20 +13%

Potato Flakes $30.90 $33.30 +7%

Spaghetti $19.95 $23.85 +16%

Refried Beans $28.60 $35.90 +20%

Hot Cocoa Mix $33.50 $38.95 +14%

White Flour $10.30 $13.30 +22%

Fruit Drink Mix $27.75 $31.30 +11%

Huge price increases at Greensboro cannery effective Monday Apr. 4

(I wish this was an April Fool's joke but its not.)

Email I just got from the Greensboro Cannery from Brother Midkiff:

"I received an email this morning advising that price changes will be effective at the canneries all over the U.S. this coming Monday and the price list will be updated online today. I don't have a current price list here at home with me, but the new price list, if memory serves correctly, milk is going up $5 per bag, sugar up $4 per bag, apples up $11 pre box, carrots and onions up but I dont remember the current price, oats up about $7 per bag and wheat up about $4 per bag. If any of you are wanting to come to the cannery today before the price change, I can meet you there. call me on my cell phone at 336-287-1767"
-Brother Midkiff

How to have commodities shipped from the church to your home.

A message from Brother Midkiff of the Greensboro Cannery:

We sometimes have folks ask how to order the prepacked wheat, oats, flour, pinto beans or starter kits and have them shipped to their home. It's true that there's no shipping charge, but the cost is somewhat higher than if they came to the cannery and bought them. If you're driving a long distance to get one or 2 cases of food it would be less expensive to have it shipped to your home than to come to the cannery to get it. To order and have it shipped to your home go to "store.lds.org", and when the screen opens, near the top in the middle you'll see "home and family", then under home and family click on "self reliance" and it'll open the page with all the commodities and if you click on a commodity it gives you the price. 

Cannery trip on Dec. 14

I had to cancel the Dec. 9 trip, I am now going to the cannery with my son and his wife the morning of Tues. Dec. 14.  I am willing to pick up food for you (this offer is for Morrisville Ward, and Green Level ward if I have room), please contact me if you want to buy some.

Cannery Trip Dec. 9

(This offer is for Morrisville ward only, and Green Level ward if I have room.)


I will be going to the Greensboro cannery on Dec. 9 with my son and his wife.  If you want to come with us, or if you need us to pick up something for you, please contact me.  You will need to go to  http://www.providentliving.org/channel/0,11677,1706-1,00.html  and print out a price list (click on Home Storage Center Order Form) , and send it to Brother Midkiff, then give me a check made out to the cannery (I'll find out what to write on the check.)  I will be taking my van so I will have room.

If you wonder why you would want to buy food from the cannery: This is the most inexpensive way to buy all of these commodities.  

Here are a couple of price comparisons:

#10 cans:

Cannery Powdered milk: $7.05

Emergency Essentials powdered milk: $12.95

Walton Feed powdered milk: $11.60

Sugar:

Cannery 25 lbs for $14

Sam's club:  50 lbs for $29.00

From what I have seen, every food item is either a lot cheaper or a little bit cheaper than you can get it anywhere else.

You can get food in #10 cans, or in mylar pouches, or in bulk bags.  The #10 cans cost more but are ready for long term storage.  I don't know about the mylar bags, but the bulk bags need to be dumped into buckets when you get home, to keep out bugs.

Here are the items offered by the cannery:  Black beans, Pinto beans, White beans, Nonfat Dry Milk, White Rice, Granulated Sugar, Hard Red Wheat, White Wheat, Dehydrated Apple Slices, Dehydrated Carrots, Macaroni, Quick Oats, Regular Oats, Dry Onions, Potato Flakes, Spaghetti, and a few other things.

Please consider ordering something for me to pick up on Dec. 9.

Introduction to the Greensboro Cannery, part 3

Each time you change food items, you must change your gloves. There was a full box of them by the end of our duties, and we were able to take them home for other uses. They were hardly dirty, they just had a little residue on them from scooping wheat or sugar or potato flakes.

After we packed the food we had ordered, we had to wash the tubs and scoopers, and sweep the floor.


You can buy the food in bulk instead of canning it, if you want. Since it will not store well in these paper bags, you will need to do something with it when you get it home. You can bring it home and put it into buckets you have purchased elsewhere, or you can buy the empty cans and lids and oxygen packets from the cannery, and use our stake’s dry canning machine in your own garage. (I have to find out more about our stake’s canning machine.)

If you have a big order, or if you are picking up food for several people, it is good to bring a man along. This man was doing all the loading for his ward.




I am arranging some cannery trips for our ward. If you want to send a check and an order, the people going there can pick it up for you. Or you can come with us and help us can it. The tentative dates are Thursday Nov. 18, 9 am, Saturday Nov. 20 at 9 am. Or Tues. Nov. 23 at 9 am. Please call or email me (Amy) if you want to go or if you want to send an order. This offer is for Morrisville or Green Level ward only. You must get my email or phone off the ward list.

If you want to make an appointment for yourself at some other time, call the cannery at 336-287-1767.

(The End of this 3-part series.)

Introduction to the Greensboro Cannery, part 2

I needed to arrive in Greensboro at exactly 9 am on a Tuesday. I left my home in Morrisville at 7:15 am and was about 15 minutes early. There was a man and a woman from another stake canning with me. Here are some pictures of my adventure there.




As you are canning the food, there may be extra cans that your group does not buy. The next group can buy those. I came home with a can of dehydrated carrots and two cans of powdered milk that we didn’t can ourselves.



First, you have to put on a disposable apron, cap, and gloves. You must wear closed toed shoes. I needed a rubber band for my hair, I have long hair and it didn’t want to say inside the cap.

Second, all the cans need wiped out, to get rid of dust, then we set them on the table.







Then, we started scooping the commodity into the cans. Here, I am scooping macaroni.







When several cans were full, we put oxygen packets on top, then laid the lids on.





This man crimped the lids on with this dry canning machine.





Then we put the labels on, and the food was ready for us, or others, to buy.
Bring checks or cash, they don’t take credit cards.


I am arranging some cannery trips for our ward. If you want to send a check and an order, the people going there can pick it up for you. Or you can come with us and help us can it. The tentative dates are Thursday Nov. 18, 9 am, Saturday Nov. 20 at 9 am. Or Tues. Nov. 23 at 9 am. Please call or email me (Amy) if you want to go or if you want to send an order. This offer is for Morrisville or Green Level ward only. You must get my email or phone off the ward list.

If you want to make an appointment for yourself at some other time, call the cannery at 336-287-1767.

Tomorrow: Part 3

Introduction to the Greensboro Cannery, part 1

I knew nothing about the Greensboro cannery, so I went there a few weeks ago to see what it was all about.

The real name is the Family Home Storage Center. It is in the same building as the Bishop’s Storehouse, but they are two separate entities. Here is the difference:





The Family Home Storage Center is where members (and non-members) can go to obtain food storage items for their families. The food costs money.

The Bishop’s Storehouse provides food at no cost to church welfare recipients, paid for by our fast offerings.




The Family Home Storage Center is located at 129 Landmark Road, Greensboro, NC. It took me exactly 1 1/2 hours to get there, on a Tuesday morning, from Morrisville.

Get on I-40, go west about an hour and a half, and exit on exit 208-Sandy Ridge Road. At the end of the exit ramp, make a right onto Sandy Ridge Road, then another right onto Triad Street. (You made those 2 right turns around a Hess gas station, going around all three sides of the gas station). Follow Triad Street for about 9/10 of a mile, turn left onto Landmark Road. Go in the second and third driveways on the right.

You need an appointment. And it is good to know what you want to buy as you make the appointment, so they can check to see if they have enough. If you are buying a lot of food, they may not have enough, and they might tell you to wait until after the next shipment of food arrives.

I am arranging some cannery trips for our ward. If you want to send a check and an order, the people going there can pick it up for you. Or you can come with us and help us can it. The tentative dates are Thursday Nov. 18, 9 am, Saturday Nov. 20 at 9 am. Or Tues. Nov. 23 at 9 am. Please call or email me (Amy) if you want to go or if you want to send an order. This offer is for Morrisville or Green Level ward only. You must get my email or phone off the ward list.

If you want to make an appointment for yourself at some other time, call the cannery at 336-287-1767.

Look here to find the price list/order form: http://www.providentliving.org/content/display/0,11666,8133-1-4352-1,00.html

Tomorrow: Part 2.