Future Shortages Due to Coronavirus

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  • gardneto76
    gardneto76 Posts: 528 ✭✭✭✭
    edited July 2020

    I was pretty well prepared before the pandemic started, now I need to take inventory and see what I need to restock on if wave 2 does decide to hit. I am just now able to find my favorite TP in many different stores. I think at this point my biggest need is going to be meat. We have tons of seeds for the fall garden and canned vegetables already. You all really have me thinking now. I will need to start a looking for things to forage around me as well if store shelves dwindle again.

  • VermontCathy
    VermontCathy Posts: 1,987 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @gardneto76 What seeds are you planning to put in your fall garden?

  • Tiffany-LifeOfJoie
    Tiffany-LifeOfJoie Posts: 15 ✭✭✭

    I am buying extra sprouting jars, trays for microgreens, soil-less grow medium, already save my garden seeds, stocked up earlier this year on a huge supply of seeds for sprouting and I am uber focused on maximizing every square inch of my garden beds and expanding as much as I can to have an awesome Fall crop this year with hopefully loads of produce for storing. I can grow all winter here and have grow lights for getting my seedlings started.

    Planning to get another cubit yard or two of soil so I’ll be ready for the next couple seasons.

    I am seriously considering getting into chickens and/or rabbits as we have dogs that eat a raw meat diet and the limits on meat at the grocery stores these past few months has been tough. There’s just no way I could butcher them myself.

    I have a chest freezer in the garage for preserving fruits, veggies and greens and I add to it a little each week.

    I bought a kit online to make our own colloidal silver and it was THE BEST money ever spent. It’s only around $.25 for a 32oz homemade jar, compared to $40 for 16oz storebought.

    Still need to stock up on homeopathic remedies, salves and bandages.

    We have a small generator that could run the freezers if need be, but need to get a larger canister for storing gas. To have extra fuel for our vehicles too.

    I believe the ability to defend your space and protect your food supply may also be required so that is being addressed and before we lose that freedom.

    I do think food shortages are coming this Winter, and/or high prices AND restrictions on access to places if you don’t get the vaccine. And if nothing happens, then I’m still prepared for a natural disaster and when is having extra food and supplies ever a bad thing?

    I do worry that I’m missing something but TP isn’t even on the list. Lol. We’ll use wash cloths if we run out. :)

  • dottile46
    dottile46 Posts: 437 ✭✭✭

    At Wal-Mart toilet paper and paper towels are hit or miss. Cleaning supply shelf is still empty. Fresh beef cuts look like a beginning meat cutter got a hold of them. They are not very good cuts either. Flour and sugar are only half stocked. Garden seeds, various brands, are on the end cap facing the back wall where most people won't see them. Tropical fresh fruits are considerably more ripe than I have ever seen them. Maybe they are getting them straight from the fields? Seeing brands of boxed and canned goods that I've not seen in Wal-Mart before. Canned tomatoes were 75% stocked as were the other canned vegetables. Spaghetti sauce is still hit and miss.

    At the local grocery store the supply is here and gone. The truck comes weekly on Wednesday. By the time the weekend is over most canned items are in short supply. Spaghetti sauce is in short supply in the jars but fully stocked in cans.

    We went to Aldi last week. Their shelves were well stocked.

    I didn't see limits on anything in any of these stores.

    Aldi did have a sign on their register saying that only correct change was being accepted for cash transactions because of the Federal Reserves coin shortage. Wal-Mart self chceck-out has changed to card transactions only. In my opinion, the coin shortage is a farce. I think, can't prove, that it is along the line of this. If they say correct change no one wants to count change, and most that do carry cash don't carry coins, so they use a card. It's not a big inconvenience to anyone, except my 13 year old that doesn't have a card but does have cash, to use a card instead of cash. Just one more way to do contact tracing, control the wealth, etc. Just yesterday I said this to a coworker. Think how fast the card's security company can freeze your card when they think there is an unauthorized transaction on it.

  • gardneto76
    gardneto76 Posts: 528 ✭✭✭✭

    @VermontCathy We have very mild winters in Phoenix, so my fall garden is almost a normal garden. I will be planting all my lettuces, collard greens, kale, Swiss chard, green beans, beets, bok Choi, broccoli, carrots, cilantro, onions, peas, radish, spinach, probably other things as well. We get a few heavy frosts in Jan. But right now is really the most brutal on plants due to the heat.

  • Gail H
    Gail H Posts: 359 ✭✭✭✭

    If you think you'll need shoes before the next "wave" is over, I would advise that you look for them now. My daughter's work shoes were completely worn out and she went in search of replacements. The first store she went to had four pairs of shoes. Not four that were suitable for work that she could choose from- four in total for the entire store.

    She did find some at the second store she tried. She also found a pair of serviceable, if not stylish, winter boots on the clearance rack for $10. She grabbed those as well. With the year we're having, we may well end up with loads of snow!

  • LaurieLovesLearning
    LaurieLovesLearning Posts: 7,576 admin

    @Gail H I need new to me shorts for home. Mine are now literally threads. Most stores would not let anyone try on clothes. Some didn't accept returns. For others, if you need to return them, you have a number of days, but that doesn't work so well when you live an hour or more away.

    @twowingnuts Welcome here!

    Not allowing into businesses because you didn't get a vaccine? Now, that is one way to force people to get it if they can't figure out how to mandate it. In my province we still have the choice of whether to get any. Some people in other provinces don't have that privilege.

    I could see that happening.

    The series of surveys that I have been doing for awhile are alluding to mandatory vaccines. They have a few questions that are just reworded, sprinkled throughout the survey..."Would you get it?" etc.

    Another thing getting pushed up here (and the surveys show this), is a universal minimum salary for each person. That also sounds like trouble to me.

    Doing these surveys definitely keep me informed of the agendas...but, this is certainly off topic and could lead to some heated discussion. I think that we should keep to the subject at hand. Please don't let my squirrel thoughts sidetrack the shortages topic.

  • VermontCathy
    VermontCathy Posts: 1,987 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited July 2020

    @LaurieLovesLearning and @Gail H, I had the same problem here. Several pairs of jeans were developing holes, and while I sewed patches on them to get a few extra weeks of use, they were failing rapidly. There are some clothes I can safely buy without trying them on first, but jeans are not one of them!

    I finally bought some from a local store that was open and would allow returns locally, though the dressing rooms were still not open. Some other stores would only allow returns be mailed back to the warehouse, and I didn't want to deal with that. I measured my existing pairs carefully rather than depending on marked sized, and fortunately, they all fit and didn't have to be returned.

    We take so much for granted, until it isn't available any more.

  • RustBeltCowgirl
    RustBeltCowgirl Posts: 1,403 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Remember that a lot of appliances were not considered essential and the factory either had to close down or run on minimal staff. Plus you have a lot of them that are made in China and are shipped via container ship. My company is running into delays getting through North American customs (both US and Canada) of 2 to 3 weeks.

  • Sherry Clark
    Sherry Clark Posts: 6 ✭✭✭

    For 5 years I have grown a large sweet potato crop from seed potatoes from the previous year's crop. I cure the fall harvest and store them in small paper lunch bags -- one or two potatoes per bag. In March I pick out the sweet potatoes that have sprouted and plant a bunch of them in large aluminum roaster pans from the dollar store. By May I have well rooted plants ready for the garden.

  • Torey
    Torey Posts: 5,679 admin

    Thanks, everyone, for the suggestion of clothing. I have been more concerned with food, medicines and other supplies, so that clothing didn't really enter my mind. All of my jeans are getting to the stage that it is hard to decide which is the good pair for wearing to town. I should get new ones next time I am shopping. And maybe a new pair of hiking boots as well.

  • Ethereal Earth
    Ethereal Earth Posts: 142 ✭✭✭

    That is an interesting piece. Where the products originate from is important as shipping from countries with high numbers can cause delays like you are experiencing. As of right now it appears we are the only ones with a second wave coming but getting those older appliances replaced sooner rather than later may be something to look at.


    I haven't even thought of clothing until now. I am still working from home so workout shorts and graphic tee's have been my go to. They are estimating we are going back into the office in August but...it also looks like Vegas may close down again so who knows. I am also moving to a different climate in the winter so I have no idea what to invest in at the moment to prepare.

  • tilellli
    tilellli Posts: 16 ✭✭✭

    Believe it or not, it has been four weeks we are not able to find eggplant in our local store. I went to the nursery to get to some palnts since I haven't started seeds this year, but no luck in finding black beauty.

  • Paradox
    Paradox Posts: 187 ✭✭✭


    Yeah, i've been thinking about that a little too. Unfortunately, it's too early here to get winter clothes, and too late to get summer ones. my almost 14yo son has been growing, and shoes are an area I worry about with him.

  • shllnzl
    shllnzl Posts: 1,820 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Paradox www.landsend.com is having a clearance sale that includes winter clothes.

  • Ethereal Earth
    Ethereal Earth Posts: 142 ✭✭✭

    Have you tried online? I order some citronella plants off Etsy and got them in less than a week. They were in good shape too.

  • VickiP
    VickiP Posts: 586 ✭✭✭✭

    I noticed that many were having problems finding canning supplies so we set out to get some and there were none to get. Coincidentally a my husband ran into a friend of ours who has decided not to do any more canning and she was getting ready to put her left over supplies up for sale. We bartered for some and paid for others but were able to restock. Our main problem is that we have a smooth surface electric cooktop so we can't use the big canners. Also, since it is just the two of us we prefer pints but I really didn't have a lot of them, our friend had over 50 she wanted to get rid of, score! I had some tomatoes ready to can today, just a few but I ended up with four pints, it is a start.

  • Ethereal Earth
    Ethereal Earth Posts: 142 ✭✭✭

    @VickiP While there are still canning items on the shelves here, I've noticed that the pickings are quite slim. Maybe 1 case of pint jars, 1 case 1/2 pint and a couple boxes of lids. No pressure canners to be seen.

  • smik123
    smik123 Posts: 60 ✭✭✭


    @Nancy A.Maurelli I was saving to get a new upright freezer and unless they are very small or very expensive they just aren't available at all. I ended up getting a Kenmore refrigerator with a 6 cu foot freezer. It was less than $1,000 and this was in May I believe.

  • probinson50
    probinson50 Posts: 49 ✭✭✭

    We had decided to start growing microgreens for ourselves and to sell for a little income at the local farmers market (which is still open, thank goodness). Had trouble getting seeds for a while. We can order some now, but not the most popular ones such as sunflower and pea. Looking for a different vendor now.

  • VermontCathy
    VermontCathy Posts: 1,987 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I was very disappointed when Johnny's Selected Seeds announced that they were accepting orders only from farmers, not home gardeners. (I think this was their way of dealing with the seed shortage and limited employee capacity.)

    I understand that supporting farmers is important and necessary, but food grown at home is just as important as food "from the store". While the farmers out there have my sympathy, we home growers also need and deserve support.

    That incident has accelerated my movement toward open pollinated varieties, heirlooms, and seed saving. Heirlooms varieties are less likely to be grown by large-scale farmers.

    I have most of my microgreen seeds already purchased for this winter, but I still need to get scallion seed. Allium seeds don't store well. I should probably freeze them once they're here.

  • Marjory Wildcraft
    Marjory Wildcraft Posts: 1,615 admin


    Hi @LaurieLovesLearning I didn't know that you did surveys. I used to years ago... I found it fascinating too.

  • LaurieLovesLearning
    LaurieLovesLearning Posts: 7,576 admin

    @Marjory Wildcraft I fill surveys for 2 major companies. I get points toward prepaid gift cards & get in on draws (that I never expect to see anything from). I don't do any from companies that I am not comfortable with (so, no other ones). I usually enjoy them. Even if I don't, I get a little something anyway.

    It is one way for me to eventually get myself a few treats. I think that I really want to get some herbal books or something along those lines. I've been saving my points for a good while so I can do some fun shopping!

    I still haven't bought any new shorts. I will make due until next spring. Pants will be the wardrobe of choice here soon enough.

  • Suburban Pioneer
    Suburban Pioneer Posts: 339 ✭✭✭

    I'm finding, to my surprise, that every variety of kale I've planted has thrived in our hot, dry weather - and even taste good when the weather is warm (tho REALLY delicious after the first frosts!) Cabbage is iffy for me, even in a raised bed, and every other green bolts before it grows two edible leaves, But kale is a trooper! I've got curly red, Tuscan, and13 kale grex from The Experimental Seed Company. Each is different, and each is hardy and delicious. THey also all re-seed easily, as does our Red Dragon mustard, which also, surprisingly, holds up well into the summer misery and springs back from seed every fall.

  • Suburban Pioneer
    Suburban Pioneer Posts: 339 ✭✭✭

    And if you just leave some of the seed heads alone, they'll re-seed themselves. The down side is they don't always re-seed where you want them, but they'll choose the spots that are naturally good for them. Thanks for the sprouting tip! I never would have thought about collecting my kale seeds for sprouting, but if course, what a great idea! Now I have one MORE think on my self-sufficiency "to-do" list p thanks a LOT LOL!

  • IrisB
    IrisB Posts: 142 ✭✭✭

    Big tomato shortage here - fresh as well as canned.

  • vickeym
    vickeym Posts: 2,134 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I work in the local grocery store (only one in our little semi remote village.) There are many things we have issues getting. We are regularly being "outed" on items or they don't even show items we have ordered on our invoices. Even things like Knox unflavored gelatin, pickle relish, mayonnaise you name it. Canning jars and lids are almost impossible to find new at this point. I recently ordered a large order of seeds from Sow True Seed and am putting together an order from Baker's Creek Seeds. Canning here in Alaska is something many of us do on a regular basis. So this time of year, any canning related items are hard to find.

  • VermontCathy
    VermontCathy Posts: 1,987 ✭✭✭✭✭

    My recent order from Baker Creek arrived quickly and without problems. They are out of stock on many varieties, but they have what they say they have.

    You should have no problems as long as you are a bit flexible in what you order.

  • marjstratton
    marjstratton Posts: 1,132 ✭✭✭✭

    Collected many of my seed and put them in a jar for winter use. I know I left enough to reseed. As you said, who knows where or when they will pop up!

  • Val
    Val Posts: 4 ✭✭✭

    I help to organise a local seed swap each year and we are already planning how we might be able to do the next one in February. Here in the UK there are strict rules about social distancing - currently we have to keep a 2 metre distance. We know that we won't have the same ambience of people hanging around and chatting or eating cake with a cuppa, but feel it is important to make the seeds available to anyone who needs them. We recently held a seed-sorting session in an open sided barn in our local community orchard. Current restrictions meant a maximum of 6 people could attend but we managed to get a lot sorted and packed into envelopes. We offer our seeds for free but usually get quite a few donations to help cover the costs of hiring a hall. I know that other seed swaps are still intending to run but we know we have to be flexible as we have no idea what the situation will be like next spring.