# Are feds stockpiling survival food?



## Batt (Sep 8, 2006)

'These circumstances certainly raise red flags'

Are the feds stockpiling survival food?

"We're told that the feds bought the entire container of canned butter when it hit the California docks.," said officials at Best Prices Storable Foods in an advisory to customers. In addition several other survival food outlets have put a hold on selling any#10 cans empty or filled until 2009 sometime.

I don't know, probably just another straw for the camel's back.


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## hintonlady (Apr 22, 2007)

My prepanoia would compell me to panic.

The realist in me says:

1. I would like to presume (okay hope) that .gov has some sort of pseudo semi-infinite wisdom and would be smart enough to go incognito if something were worth concern, so as not to spook the herd. Maybe it is as simple as needing shelf stable butter in Iraq. (except I know .gov sold the cooking contract) hmmmmm......

2. As for cans, due to the above fumble and leak of reality update .gov wishes to remove the temptation to stock up/horde by making it harder on the common folk.

OR

3. Ernie was right, it's a huge conspiracy against us, the end is near. Time to get your game strategy perfected. AKA Were skarewed.



In all honesty, minus ridiculous humor and sarcasm......it DID get my attention and I didn't like it. I saw that butter announcement a few weeks ago. The can thing is news to me.

*please see above comment about prepanoia. 

Oh yeah, have a sunshiny day


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## ChristyACB (Apr 10, 2008)

I saw that on the site where canned butter can be bought and it did raise an eyebrow, but I don't actually think there is a nefarious reason behind it. It very well could be that they are simply updating the stock at the FEMA stations and ready supplies that go to emergency areas before hurricanes actually hit.

They did learn their lesson after Katrina about the ready food trucks. This could simply be part of that.


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## unregistered29228 (Jan 9, 2008)

There was a shortage of canned butter about 6 months ago, because FEMA bought an entire shipment. But the last time I checked (April?) they had plenty in stock. It just took the factory time to crank out another shipment.

I think the lack of 10# cans is because lots of people are starting to prep, who didn't focus much on it before. Just like the superpails of wheat, etc., that were unavailable there for a month or two - most of them are back in stock and available again. A sudden increase in purchasing just causes a vacuum in the supply that takes a while to catch up.


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## longrider (Jun 16, 2005)

The Gov't does stockpile foodstuffs. However only FEMA and the Military have a mandate to do so. FEMA stockpiles enough to respond to crisis for two weeks or less for a given region and estimated "needy" population. Meaning: not everyone in the "before crisis" population would be fed in soup lines but rather the left-behind and those rescued would be fed along with support personel. They rely on trucked in supplies to follow up from other regions not affected to continue the supply of foodstuff. 

The military only stockpiles for three months as a matter of routine. Primarily in MRE's. And those are for military personnel in general. They do this to be on the ready for deployment and war fighting. 

As a side note; You dont want to stockpile MRE's for long term use for your family. Surviving a crisis is one thing, but living off them is not a good idea. Test them to see why. Eat them morning noon and night for 7 days. Drink lots of water as you do. Then see what the effect on your body is.


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## Guest (Jul 24, 2008)

If the Feds weren't stockpiling storage food I'd want to know why. It's a certain fact that a lot of ordinary folks are.

Which is the greatest part of the reason that the storage food market is as tight as it is now. Not what the government is purchasing.

.....Alan.


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

Hintonlady, #3 is always the most likely answer.


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## WanderingOak (Jul 12, 2004)

I would say that canned butter is a bit exotic for the gov't to be buying in bulk, so I would take that with a grain of salt. I have heard tell that the nation's food bank network is stretched extremely thin. A few months ago, the local food bank in Watertown, NY was handing out bread to all comers, without any paperwork. There was a rack of food right inside the door. Now, you have to prove that you are needy to get anything. There is no such thing as 'gov't cheese' anymore. Since home heating fuel prices are going to be ridiculous this winter, with many families having to decide between heat and food, it could be that the 'preps' are for the food banks. I've heard that some New England states such as Maine are going to be opening up 'heat shelters' this winter, and I would guess that the people in those shelters are going to have to eat.


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## Frugalite (Jun 8, 2008)

I saw that comment as well. My first thought was Fed Prep. Hubby said it was most likely FEMA Prep for emergencies. Sorry, FEMA doesn't seem capable of over seeing emergencies. Now, I am thinking why butter? Wouldn't oils be less expensive for feeding the needy? Butter is more a luxury, isn't it? It's quality that wouldn't be wasted on the masses when other edible oils would be available to cheaper. 

So, I'm thinking tunnels and luxury fox-holes for those who are illuminated.

Can't see an illumined one worth his salt that would eat pecan pie from a store bought pie crust when butter is in a can in the Chef's Pantry.


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## calliemoonbeam (Aug 7, 2007)

hintonlady said:


> *please see above comment about prepanoia.
> 
> Oh yeah, have a sunshiny day


ROFL, I love that word, prepanoia!  

I think government stockpiling is a pretty good explanation for why the dried foods companies have been running so short. There just aren't enough of us "preppers" to have run them all out in such a short amount of time. As for what they're doing with it, I tend to think they're stocking up the storage silos, bunkers or whatever you call them for the big shots in case things go south in one way or another.

As someone else said, they wouldn't be purchasing canned butter for food banks or FEMA type handouts, or to send to Iraq, too luxurious for the "common man". So what else could it be for? Heaven forbid TPTB (the powers that be) should have to do without something.

I've been getting more and more tense about things over the past nine months or so. I want to get stocked up and prepared so much! But money has been severely short for quite a while now and I feel like I'm losing the race with the clock. It's only been in the past couple of months that I've had anything left after just paying the basic necessities. I'm scrimping and putting back what little I can, but it's not nearly enough! 

Every time I think I can see a light at the end of the tunnel...it turns out to be the train coming straight at me! lol I have absolutely no one to depend on if the SHTF, and I'm so afraid it's going to be a case of too little too late. Reading these types of subjects just makes me more tense, so that's why I haven't been on here much lately. 

Plus I've been working every chance I can. I just had two solid weeks of 12-hours days, and that's going to give me about a thousand dollars to spend on preps. Now I just have to decide what the highest priorities are and put it there, in case work drops off again and I don't get another chance. Sorry this turned into a novel, lol.


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## uyk7 (Dec 1, 2002)

> It very well could be that they are simply updating the stock at the FEMA stations


According to the article FEMA says it isn't them.



.


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## hintonlady (Apr 22, 2007)

Okay, just for fun.....

What if the net bots detect our prepanoia and it combined with general financial/social chaos. Perhaps .gov and the "skimming the cream off of the top" cronies are starting to pucker the sphincter and wonder if the natives are just a tad too restless.......?!?!

I've been hearing drumbeats off in the distant jungle, the human sized soup pot is simmering.


So I ask you

What is the difference between well fed politicians in a comfortable bunker with luxuries and Saddam hiding in a rat hole?


NOTHING, hiding is still hiding and no matter how well fed, it IS not a sign of power, now is it? Strategic retreat is still a retreat.


I sure hope it is for the fema mental midgets, either that or SOL for us all.


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## booklover (Jan 22, 2007)

The article states that FEMA is not stocking up. It's someone else. The feds are not stockpiling any more that they have in the past.


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

It's not FEMA, therefore it's not the Feds? That's a logical fallacy. There are many, many flavors of Federal agencies and not all of them talk to each other. 

Have you ever seen pictures or read reports of Cheney's mountain hideaway or Bush's Crawford ranch? It's a survivalist's dream. Both places are fenced in, off the grid, highly defensible, stockpiled, and with quarters for large armed forces. When you see your leaders acting in a different manner than they are telling you to act, you should be very, very worried.


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## Shinsan (Jul 11, 2006)

I gotta agree with Ernie: Just because FEMA says it isn't stockpiling doesn't mean some other govt dept isn't. And whatever is going down that requires the stockpiling is not going to be advertised - on the contrary, it will probably be well concealed.
An entire shipment of canned butter, (from Australia), and canned cheese, (from New Zealand), _was_ bought up by the feds several months ago.

Now Mountain House #10 cans have been bought up
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=70281

Mountain House Foods 

Revised June 13, 2008 

"We've been told that the feds have bought up the entire stock of freeze dried foods 
at Mountain House. We just got in a good stock of their foods, but most of it's 
gone in backorders and there will be a 16-20 week delay getting in more 
canned Mountain House products [order Pouches!]. Something's up!"


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## jessimeredith (Sep 12, 2004)

calliemoonbeam said:


> I've been getting more and more tense about things over the past nine months or so. I want to get stocked up and prepared so much! But money has been severely short for quite a while now and I feel like I'm losing the race with the clock. It's only been in the past couple of months that I've had anything left after just paying the basic necessities. I'm scrimping and putting back what little I can, but it's not nearly enough!


This is us as well, callie. JUST when we had a little saved up to get a little something from Mountain View, there wasn't/isn't anything to get. The big wally world nearby has the pouches, but it's few choices and not much stock.

We'll see how the next month or two goes here, DH got a part-time job with the above named giant store just so we could get the land paid off faster and get more stuff put back before things get too much worse. Hopefully all will hold out for a bit!!


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

Why is it that when people agree with me they always say, "I'm forced to ..." or "I've got to ... " or "I guess I must ..." Nobody ever says they HAPPILY agree with me. 

Most of you people have been stockpiling food to keep your families going in an emergency for years. Why are you surprised that some unknown entity is now doing the same? They've probably been doing it for decades right under our noses but until this year it never made the news. 

My tinfoil hat sources tell me that this is part of the Continuation of Governance project, a special branch of the government whose purpose it is to make sure that government employees in key positions have the ability to get to work and keep operating without worrying about the safety of their families or where their next meal is coming from. People on these key position lists range from high officials (who always seem to make these lists) down to the guy who keeps the toilets flushing.

This program has been in place since at least the 1950's and out of part of it grew DARPA's pet project, the internet, which you are using today.


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## Shinsan (Jul 11, 2006)

Ernie said:


> Why is it that when people agree with me they always say, "I'm forced to ..." or "I've got to ... " or "I guess I must ..." Nobody ever says they HAPPILY agree with me.


In this case Ernie, maybe it's because it's not exactly a topic that most people would be happy about.


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## Guest (Jul 25, 2008)

Unless you think FEMA or some other government agency is also buying up the wheat that Walton Feed and other storage food companies sell I see no reason why civilian demand cannot account for the bulk of the demand we've seen these last couple of years.

The storage food industry is small potatoes compared to the likes of General Mills and ADM. It would take only a very small percentage of the national population to take an interest in food storage to max it out. We've seen it happen with storage wheat, it's happened with rice in some places. Why wouldn't folks who have the money (lots of money in the U.S.) do the same with freeze dried foods? They're going to be a lot more familiar and appealing than a bucket of wheat for folks who are not accustomed to real scratch cooking. People naturally flock to the familiar.

Oregon Freeze Dry is a major freeze dried foods manufacturer. As such they have contracts with the military, other government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and other food processors. Their Mountain House division is only a part of their company and not the major part at that. Whatâs more itâs only their #10 can lines that are maxed out, theyâve still got their pouch line available. Their freeze dried foods end up in all kinds of things from the stuff in your supermarkets to humanitarian relief supplies. It doesnât have to be FEMA buying the stuff and it doesnât even have to be government doing it.

At this moment there are a LOT of people beginning to put food away. Itâs looking like the runup to Y2K all over again, but this time there is no clear cut deadline by which itâll all be over or it will all go from the frying pan into the fire. Eventually I figure itâll peter out like it did back in the eighties, but just when that is going to be I canât say. Until then the storage food industry is going to run flat out or close to it because of the folks stocking up. Most of the long time players in the market are going to be slow to expand their capacity because storage food is a boom and bust industry. Get big now, go bankrupt later when the bottom goes out of the market.

Why spend time worrying over what the government might or might not be buying? If the events of the last few years havenât been enough to make your âget itâ then nothing will.

â¦..Alan.


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## hintonlady (Apr 22, 2007)

Considering the consumer market, it sure does make good advertising does it not?


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## Spinner (Jul 19, 2003)

I'd guess that the feds are the only ones with enough cash to stockpile everything that's been rumored. Not only canned butter, but all the freeze dried Mountain House foods, and I heard that some unnamed organization bought up a very large inventory of other prep items. (a very reliable source provided that info)

It appears that someone with unlimited funds is doing some heavy prepping.


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## unregistered29228 (Jan 9, 2008)

jessimeredith said:


> This is us as well, callie. JUST when we had a little saved up to get a little something from Mountain View, there wasn't/isn't anything to get. The big wally world nearby has the pouches, but it's few choices and not much stock.


Emergency Essentials has at least half of their #10 can items in stock:

http://beprepared.com/quickshoplist.asp_Q_c_E_80_A_name_E_Dehydrated Food Storage in Cans


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## Hip_Shot_Hanna (Apr 2, 2005)

three reasons maybe why .........
http://www.businessspectator.com.au/bs.nsf/Article/NAB-will-shock-Wall-Street-GV4M7

http://cryptogon.com/?p=2994

http://www.libertypost.org/cgi-bin/readart.cgi?ArtNum=232391


the bean pot is almost boiling and when it does it will froth over and put civilisations fire out .


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## Guest (Jul 25, 2008)

Hip_Shot_Hanna said:


> three reasons maybe why .........
> http://www.businessspectator.com.au/bs.nsf/Article/NAB-will-shock-Wall-Street-GV4M7
> 
> http://cryptogon.com/?p=2994
> ...


 All of those and more. This time around we're not dealing with one big scenario, but a myriad of middlin' sized ones that are heterodyning with each other to create an atmosphere of uncertainty.

People really don't like uncertainty. It gives them the fidgets and makes them want to do something to feel more secure. For some folks food storage will be a part of that answer thus the rising demand we've been seeing these last two years or so.

.....Alan.


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## jessimeredith (Sep 12, 2004)

Mom_of_Four said:


> Emergency Essentials has at least half of their #10 can items in stock:
> 
> http://beprepared.com/quickshoplist.asp_Q_c_E_80_A_name_E_Dehydrated Food Storage in Cans


Thanks! I hit them last night to look around a bit. Have to discuss with DH now, but we'll likely be getting some of what we've been wanting tonight.


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## Gary in ohio (May 11, 2002)

why do they need to stockpile food, they just monitor all the prep and homestead forms and have a list of all the stockpiles around------ tin foil hat off.


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## unregistered29228 (Jan 9, 2008)

Maybe FEMA is restocking after helping out all the flood victims and Iowa and other places? Everyone looks to them for disaster relief, and they have to get their supplies someplace....


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## hintonlady (Apr 22, 2007)

Gary in ohio said:


> why do they need to stockpile food, they just monitor all the prep and homestead forms and have a list of all the stockpiles around------ tin foil hat off.


Easier to pay for items with cash quietly than with blood publicly


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## Marilyn (Aug 2, 2006)

I was at a new (to me) bulk food store in northern Indiana this past Wednesday. It was PACKED! It was in an Amish area so I assume they have a pretty steady business, but I am not exaggerating, it was a struggle to get up and down the aisles. They had good prices ($26 for 50lbs of chemical-free hard white wheat, nearly 6 lbs of black beans for about $4, etc). It didn't take me long to go through $70+. If I could have tolerated the crowds for just a bit longer, and interest shared with the people I was travelling with, I would have checked out the second half of the store. 

Unfortunately, the friends we were with, as well as my DH weren't nearly as interested as I was. When I called for muscle assistance (50 lb of wheat), I learned that they were already back in the truck waiting!

I wonder if their prices - and doing my own "shipping" - would make an annual trip feasible... I know, it will all depend on fuel prices.


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## Marilyn (Aug 2, 2006)

Calliemoonbeam: Where are you now in your preps? My original goal was to get 3months of everything on hand. Coming across opportunities like that mentioned above puts me at or above a year for grain, but painfully shy on water. Our next major purchase will be a good water filter as we just don't have the room to store months worth of water. The garden isn't doing as well this year as it did last year, so I am grateful for last year's overage.

If I had that extra money in our prep budget, I would back up to the 3 month level - COMPLETE IT, then increase in 3 month increments. 

P.S. You live in the part of the country that holds my dearest friend.


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## uyk7 (Dec 1, 2002)

> Maybe FEMA is restocking after helping out all the flood victims and Iowa and other places?


I think this is the third time this has been posted: FEMA, according to the article, IS NOT BUYING THE SUPPLIES.


.


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## ovsfarm (Jan 14, 2003)

WanderingOak, you may be right about no more govt. cheese, but the govt. is still handing out food. There is a group near us that gets truckloads of fresh produce since they qualify for some kind of program for American Indians. Since many of our friends are in the tribe, once everyone on their list has been given as much as they can take, they bring the leftovers to us. (We get the scraps that even the Indians don't want!)

This last week we received full boxes of peaches, radishes, sweet corn, and cucumbers. They give it to us just to keep it from rotting at their distribution site. I know the Indian families are getting even more things, but I don't know exactly what--maybe cheese? Doesn't matter to me, I am not too proud to use food to keep it from going to waste. I processed all the peaches, we ate the corn and my mother is making 14 day pickles from the cucumbers. We gave the radishes away to another family. They were big, beautiful red ones, but we are not radish lovers (or even radish likers) so we found someone who was. I think that is why the Indians give their excess to us--they know we will either eat it or get it to someone else who will.

Re the govt. buying up supplies, an LDS newsletter I read said that the govt has recently started issuing bird flu protection kits to the military. I suppose it is possible that problem could become a large issue again. Guess we all need to just enjoy today's life to the max, since things could soon change.


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## Shinsan (Jul 11, 2006)

A friend of mine living in Alaska phoned "The Freeze Dried Guy" this morning and was told that the reports are true. The freezer guy has been dealing with Mountain House for over twenty years, and was told they wont be taking any orders until 2010. When asked if they were filling government orders they wouldn't reply.

I think at the moment this is only the 10# cans, but I believe, as my friend said: "There's something in the wind".


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## unregistered29228 (Jan 9, 2008)

uyk7 said:


> I think this is the third time this has been posted: FEMA, according to the article, IS NOT BUYING THE SUPPLIES.
> 
> 
> .


Well, Ok then....


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

A.T. Hagan said:


> All of those and more. This time around we're not dealing with one big scenario, but a myriad of middlin' sized ones that are heterodyning with each other to create an atmosphere of uncertainty.
> 
> People really don't like uncertainty. It gives them the fidgets and makes them want to do something to feel more secure. For some folks food storage will be a part of that answer thus the rising demand we've been seeing these last two years or so.
> 
> .....Alan.


Good word usaging, Alan. 

I perceive almost all of civilization as fear-based. Why did we invent agriculture? We were afraid we might not be able to hunt-gather enough food to get us by. Why did we develop fire? We were afraid of the dark. Why did we develop weapons? We were afraid of animals and our neighbors. Why did we develop science? We were afraid of the unknown.

Fear is a side effect of living in a fallen world. My fear grows when my faith in God wavers, but I try to reduce the complexity of modern life and revert to the simpler Agrarian ways of biblical precedent and then my fear evaporates like morning mist over a pond. That's a journey that will take the rest of my life, but it's one that I'm already on.

Don't worry too much about what the government and its myriad of secret alphabet agencies may be doing. If you're living simply and preparing for your own future then it won't affect you much, if at all.


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## JGex (Dec 27, 2005)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7405497.stm



> US resumes North Korea food aid
> 
> The US has announced a resumption for the first time in three years of food aid to North Korea, which is believed to be facing famine this year.
> 
> *The US government's development arm, USAID, said over the next year it will provide half a million tonnes of food.*


Maybe this has something to do with it?


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

Holy crap. Yeah, that might be it.

Nice foreign policy too. Feed your enemy's army. Good idea.


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## calliemoonbeam (Aug 7, 2007)

Marilyn said:


> Calliemoonbeam: Where are you now in your preps? QUOTE]
> 
> Sorry it took me so long to get back! I'm fairly good on food, although could always do better, especially in canned meats, could use some more sugar, salt, etc. However, I don't have any alternative cooking methods, no alternative power resources, tools, etc. I also need more lamps, lanterns, oil, that type of thing. Also medical supplies and toiletry type things. Oh, and I desperately need winter clothing and boots! Haven't bought any new clothes in seven years, lol, and never really needed much in the way of winter clothes since I didn't get out much.
> 
> ...


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## hintonlady (Apr 22, 2007)

I never ate me no kim chee that was made with butter......... LOL


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## Rosy in NH (Jun 5, 2008)

FYI for those who are interested, I received a slightly large order (100+ lbs) yesterday (7/29/08) of Rainy Day brand (aka Walton Feed) dehydrated foods that I placed in mid-May. I thought I might not receive the dehydrated butter powder I ordered as a friend who placed an order with the same vendor in April and received in June did not receive his butter. Well, I'm happy to report that my butter arrived with the rest of my order.

Speculation on why my friend didn't receive his butter but I did:
1. He ordered #10 cans, I ordered #2.5 cans. Maybe the stock of #10 cans was depleted... #10 cans appear to be extremely popular and unavailable for various products.

2. Maybe there WAS a big buyout of canned butter in May/June. I visited internet-grocer.net today where they sell the real canned butter (not the dehydrated) as they were the ones to issue the "feds buying butter" alert but I see now that in late June they posted canned butter availability again.
http://www.internet-grocer.net/butter.htm

3. Or perhaps it was an unintentional oversight during packing for shipment of my friend's order from the vendor. We know that they are EXTREMELY busy.

Oh well, I'm happy that I received most of my order and especially the butter powder. I have another order in the queue with #10 cans of butter powder. It will be interesting to see if they ship (expecting the order in August).


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## Sharon (May 11, 2002)

If you want canned butter, you can get it from www.MREdepot.com. Nice place to deal with with super quick service. They generally mail the same day they receive your order.


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## chris30523 (Jun 11, 2005)

Ernie said:


> Why is it that when people agree with me they always say, "I'm forced to ..." or "I've got to ... " or "I guess I must ..." Nobody ever says they HAPPILY agree with me.
> 
> Most of you people have been stockpiling food to keep your families going in an emergency for years. Why are you surprised that some unknown entity is now doing the same? They've probably been doing it for decades right under our noses but until this year it never made the news.
> 
> ...


When we were kids my dad had a "government job".Non-military. Each year he was given a large box of storage food for the family.Sometimes it was military rations(yuck) and sometimes it was freeze dried stuff.I never asked any questions.This kind of explains it.


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## paddymurphy (May 23, 2008)

This is actually several months old. Internet grocer had a blurb on their sight about thsi back in May or June. There was a large Fed order reulting in delays on shipping new orders for distributors. I also read some where else that MH was shifting to more foil packaging as it was more profitable for them. 

In regards to butter vs oil canned butter has a much longer shelf life. Also I think MREdepot or one of the other sites is doing a 50% sale on canned butter this week.


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## Calico Katie (Sep 12, 2003)

FWIW, in the Internet Grocer's newsletter sent out this weekend, Bruce Hopkins says they have confirmation that FEMA is buying up storable foods and that FEMA has told their suppliers to keep it on the QT. If this is true, I'm sure FEMA wouldn't want it to become the lead story on the evening news because it might cause a Panic. 

There could be any number of reasons for this to be happening but I don't think you have to be a psychic to see that something is on the horizon - just watch the evening news. 

I would like to say for any lurking PTB, that I, personally, only have one box of stale crackers in my kitchen cabinet and a dented can of chicken noodle soup. I don't stock up. In fact, I've never really been to this site. Some computer hacking prepper has set me up! Someone's framing me, I tell you, someone's framing me!!! :TFH::TFH::TFH:


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## Batt (Sep 8, 2006)

Calico Katie said:


> FWIW, in the Internet Grocer's newsletter sent out this weekend, Bruce Hopkins says they have confirmation that FEMA is buying up storable foods and that FEMA has told their suppliers to keep it on the QT.


 So you are saying that FEMA (Fix Everything My @$$] an agency of the federal government may have been lying to us? Amazing, Imagine that.


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## JGex (Dec 27, 2005)

I don't know Bruce Hopkins, but I found some of his diatribe in his newsletters to be awfully slanted. I'm not really sure why anyone would take his word for absolute truth on what the government is or isn't doing. Call me a skeptic, but the man IS selling food and what better way to sell it than to make people believe it's in short supply or in danger of being scooped up at any moment by the govt?

JMO


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## Guest (Aug 18, 2008)

JGex said:


> Call me a skeptic, but the man IS selling food and what better way to sell it than to make people believe it's in short supply or in danger of being scooped up at any moment by the govt?


Good point.


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