The Bishop's Storehouse

[thor610]

I just finished talking to reps at the Bishop's Storehouse in Indianapolis and they told me a few things that might be of interest to everyone.

1. http://providentliving.org/ will have a list of the bulk food items available for purchase at the storehouses.

2. Starting March 22 the following foodstuffs will be available already canned through the storehouse or through http://providentliving.org/ : wheat, rice, beans, oats and the starter kit.

3. Bulk food items to can yourself will still be available for purchase, however, they are phasing out the shorter term foodstuffs and going for the longer term storage items.

Right now I couldn't find the page on http://providentliving.org/ that showed the list of bulk items for sale, but I did find a page dealing with "New Findings for Longer-Term Food Storage" which is interesting:

http://providentliving.org/content/display/0,11666,7797-1-4222-1,00.html

It seems to me that the church is making it easier and easier for people to get their food storage together.

It looks like emphasis is now going to be placed more on survival foods.

Of course, that doesn't rule out rounding out your food storage with other shorter term foods.

[Cowboy]

We should have everyone check their local cannery and see what is going on and post it here.

[LoudmouthMormon]

Here in CO, we got the news in '07 that the dry cannery was cutting down on the variety, and focusing on the most basic of basics. A lot of people got bummed out because there would be no more potato pearls. I just don't see the point of food storage without dehydrated refried beans, so I have to go elsewhere now.

LM

[arbilad]

Just this Sunday I was told by my ward canning coordinator that the Colorado cannery is bringing back potato pearls. They will be prepackaged.

[mirkwood]

All true information. The cannery changes began to be implemented around November. The pearls were discontinued but have been brought back. The workers at our cannery said that the focus was shifting to long term foods.

25 lb. bags of hard white wheat are $7 at the Sandy Cannery. When these stocks run out we were told there will be a 40% price increase.

[thor610]

Gotta love those potato pearls!!!

[LoudmouthMormon]

Just this Sunday I was told by my ward canning coordinator that the Colorado cannery is bringing back potato pearls. They will be prepackaged.I will be in Aurora tomorrow - Salsa day! I'll ask them if they've got a timeframe in mind.

LM

[phylm]

I finally got a return call from our cannery in Jacksonville, Fla., today. They are short of wheat, but have a load coming in on the 25th. Made an app't. for our ward for the 26th. They want an estimate of how much we will be wanting to buy. Right now, Red wheat is $2.02 for a #10 can, white, $2.07, 25# bag $4,75 for red, $6.25 for white. Dried milk is $13.30 for a #10 can. They have cut back to mostly basic food, too. And the potato pearls are now available by the case, pre-packaged--in mylar bags, I presume. I got an email with the Provident Living page today with their sale items posted. I think I saved it, so will post it for you later. I did find, though, that, with shipping, the PL items are much more expensive than at Emergency Essentials this month. I've had good luck with EE, especially with their group offers.

[katcan]

I will ask them specifics at the dry pack and find out what is happening this spring. It looks like they are only selling the Starter Kit on providentliving.org right now. Can you order from providentliving and have it shipped throughout the US...I didn't find that on the site. Let me know where if you have found that. Maybe in the future?

[thor610]

I will ask them specifics at the dry pack and find out what is happening this spring. It looks like they are only selling the Starter Kit on providentliving.org right now. Can you order from providentliving and have it shipped throughout the US...I didn't find that on the site. Let me know where if you have found that. Maybe in the future?

I ordered the starter kit a few weeks ago and it was shipped right to my home in the midwest.

[katcan]

Just got home from the cannery and asked them some general questions. After March 24, 2008 the items that are available in the starter kit will be available to buy already canned. I asked him if people would be able to order online and ship over the US and he said that he assumed so. They will still allow people to can the food in the dry pack(just the dry pack food). You can check out a canner and get cans, lids, oxygen absorbers. You have to sign up a few weeks in advance. I signed up today and was able to get a canner for mid April. The potato pearls were phased out awhile ago but so many people complained that they are still available at some of the dry packs. They also have potato flakes. Such an enjoyable experience, everything is there, just waiting for you...

Oh yah, as of a few days ago the welfare square cannery is out of both kinds of wheat and doesn't know when they will be getting any in.

[thor610]

I found the page on providentliving.org with the storehouse order form:

http://providentliving.org/content/display/0,11666,7977-1-4352-1,00.html

[NRA]

thor610, do you know if this applies to all canneries or does this just apply if you order from the web site?

[MAAD]

I have heard (don't ask who because I can't say) that white wheat is going away out of church stock, because it is too expensive. What is currently available is all there is. If the prices come back down to a more affordable price the church will reintroduce white wheat. There are many storehouses that are low or are out of wheat right now. The church is injecting more wheat (red) into the supply chain for the storehouses. Red wheat price has gone up also but it is still less expensive.

On another note two of my brothers and my sister went to buy some wheat in the 5 gallon buckets last Saturday and this was their report. Murray, American Fork, and Sandy Costco?s are completely out and are not getting any more. Sandy Maceys is out, unsure of more shipments in future. Lehi Roller Mill's was out of the 5 gallon buckets. People are showing up and buying crate loads, literally!

All I have to say is; "Got wheat?"

[Charsee]

I talked to the Magna and Welfare Square Canneries recently. The Welfare Square Cannery had been out of wheat for weeks and didn't expect anymore for several more.

The guy I talked to at the Magna cannery said that there is no shortage on red wheat but that the people who have been bagging wheat have been busy elsewhere for the last few weeks. He said they would start bagging the red wheat in a few weeks again and get it out to the canneries and there would be plenty for everyone. He said he didn't expect any price increase. The white wheat is bought by the church and once it is gone they may wait until the next growing season to buy more. They had a couple of pallets of white wheat and flour at the Magna cannery he said.

[Charsee]

Anyone know if the white flour is milled by the church?

[katcan]

Anyone know if the white flour is milled by the church?

It doesn't say on the 25 pound bag. It just says distributed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and white flour in many languages.

[LoudmouthMormon]

Ok, I spoke to the friendly old codgers at the Aurora, CO cannery, and got this story:

There were giggles and dismissive gestures at talk of an impending wheat storage. They mentioned a nearby cannery was expecting 3 semi-loads of wheat soon, and wheat prices were not going to go up.

Church farms produce the red wheat you find at church canneries. There's plenty - 375,000 tons of it in the big Aurora silos right now. The price is $4.75/50 lbs, and not going up any time soon.

Back in Aug/July, the ethanol industry started some hefty corn purchases. Leading the cattle industry to use less corn and more wheat. This contributed to the other factors going into wheat. It also led to lower milk production, which is why powdered milk went from $6 to $13/can.

The church buys white wheat on the open market, and with such wild price swings and speculating going on, the church has made fewer purchases than usual, because the church isn't in the habit of gambling, which sort of defines the wheat market right now.

Both refried beans AND potato pearls are back in stock and available.

Their starter kits (2 red wheat, 2 rice, 1 pinto, 1 rolled oats) are going down in price soon from $26 to $18.69.

Another thing causing wheat issues, has been increased use of the cannery, as people came from Nebraska, Kansas, Wyoming to use the Aurora cannery.

He told me about one specific sale of 3000 lbs of wheat to a lady. Her story was she had over a dozen kids, had recently moved from Alaska, and left her food storage there as it would cost more to move than it was worth. He said if he had to do it over again, he would have only allowed her to buy that much wheat over a couple of months. As it is, he let her buy the wheat, causing a short-term shortage, and contributing needlessly to the general uneasiness.

LM
(I also came away with bleach as a freebie.)

[thor610]

thor610, do you know if this applies to all canneries or does this just apply if you order from the web site?



I'm sorry, but I do not know. I assume since it is on the church website that it applies to all. However, I suggest you call your nearest cannery and ask.

[dlcorrell]

The cannery in Snowflake, AZ has the prepackaged potato pearls. I just got some before they run out.

Also, they are limiting the wheat to 300 lbs. per family per month. They did this so people do not panic buy. The only wheat the cannery has on hand is the hard white.

Thats all I know for now.
donna

[thor610]

I finally was able to get to a canning session at the Indianapolis storehouse yesterday. It was a small group and most of us were buying lots of milk. The woman in charge of the cannery told me that she used to be a ward rep and could never get people interested in food storage. Now she says the cannery is being kept busier than ever with people coming in from the stakes.

[goldilocks]

In our ward bulletin today there was a note that wheat has tripled in price over the last 3 months. I thought that was interesting for St George. I don't think it has . Does anyone know for sure?

[bokbadok]

My ward had a canning appointment today. I wasn't physically able to go, but ordered a couple cases of cocoa. The report came back that there were only a few items available to can today: cocoa, beans, and powdered milk.

The girl that was reporting this said it was because of shipping costs, not food shortage. I don't understand what that means exactly. I can understand the church not buying commodities unless they're a certain price, but not shipping to the canneries because of fuel prices? there's got to be more to that story.

Anyway. This little ole' cannery in Utah County is purty much tapped dry this week.

[Equanimity]

The church has their own trucks that bring in the food, I doubt its because of shipping costs. I was told at our cannery that there are more people getting food from the bishops storhouse so there was not as much room to bring in food storage food on the trucks.

[bokbadok]

That would make sense. Boy, once again I am so glad I bought my supplies when demand and prices were low.

[mirkwood]

Me too.

[DMGNUT]

dlcorrell, I didn't know there was a cannery in Snowflake. That's way cool. My wife and I have some property about 10 miles east on the Concho Rd and if things last that long, we intend to retire out there. (It's near the Peach Patch).
In an odd twist, the Lord had us buy that land about 26 yrs ago, and then He put a Temple there long after that, and then He sent the missionaries to our door just 3 yrs ago.
Am I blessed, or what.

And me too, on getting the food when the getting was good.

[jettsmom]

The cannery in western missouri has limited amounts available.

We had a stake cannery appointment a few weeks ago, and were told to call first to make sure they even had anything. I ended up not going, because they didn't know if a truck was coming in or not.

They said that the supplies are gone almost as fast as they come in. The church is having a hard time keeping all the canneries stocked. They are only getting partial shipments.

The church does have plenty of wheat. Not the white, since they get it elsewhere. Once the price comes down, they will get the white wheat again.

I also heard that costco carries potato pearls. I don't have a membership, so I couldn't tell you for sure.

I just ordered from the internet some wheat, oats and a couple starter kits. It is cheaper from the cannery, but if they don't have it, I can't get it.

I'll buy my own rice from an asian market. I don't like the long grain rice as well, so if I'm going to pay those prices, I'd rather get the kind I prefer.

[KF7EEC]

I also heard that costco carries potato pearls. I don't have a membership, so I couldn't tell you for sure.

I purchased Potato Pearls at Costco in St George, UT, when I was up there a few weeks ago. Don't recall the price right now, but they care them.