lds cannery
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints operates the LDS Cannery or Home Storage Centers, and they had also opened its gates to the public. It has existed for many years, and there are hundreds of branches across the United States. These centers help the volunteers, church members, and even non-members to build a primary food supply for their long-term needs. Some of the products available are dry beans, rice, and wheat. Amazingly, the items are also available through their online store. The centers are built in line with the Latter-Day Saints' goal to help every citizen overcome hardships, integrate into society, and become self-reliant. The center has become accessible and more citizens purchases their food items in these areas to save money. In this article, we will discuss the brief history of the LDS Cannery or home storage centers. We will also tackle essential information about the products and services they offer and how they can help their patrons.

The LDS Cannery

The LDS Cannery is part of the Welfare Program of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. In the 1930s, the Great Depression affected many Americans. The leaders of the LDS started to make a change by incorporating livelihood programs for their members. LDS has seen the effect of the issues currently faced by America, especially to the children. Thus, they devised a welfare program, although it is not yet standardized. Through time, they built non-profit and service-oriented home storage centers to help families in times of need and prevent famine and death in America. The LDS Cannery or the LDS Home Storage Centers began to develop over time. At this center, anyone could purchase items they need at an affordable price and pack their long-term food storage on the site immediately. In 2013, the Church of the Latter-Day Saints announced that they made few changes in the canneries. Some of their facilities that offer on-site self-packaging of dry goods were reduced. Meanwhile, in 2015, most LDS canneries stopped offering on-site self-can products, then they became LDS Home Storage Centers. The few remaining facilities had also stopped offering self-canning features in 2016 Fall. Now, the LDS Home Storage Centers offer prepackaged items at no additional cost to its customers. With this, it is more cost-efficient and cost-effective for the management of the LDS Church to have the food prepackaged and offer it for sale. Also, there is no need to maintain the loaner can seamers that the clients can check out for free. The items that are available for purchase are the same food they offer before the change. It is still adequately packaged, suitable for a long-term package, and you can have it at an affordable price.

Who Can Buy From The Cannery?

Anyone can buy his needs from the LDS Home Storage Centers, even if you are not a member of the LDS church. They wanted to help every American and to prepare for whatever tragedy they may face in the future.

Why Are The Storage Centers Open to the Public?

The LDS Church has opened its home storage centers to the public to support the families in building their essential supply of food at their homes, which they will need in times of emergencies. It is also a part of their welfare program to help Americans in dire need of support during a crisis. Food storage can provide families with an opportunity to be self-reliant during hardships. Some of these are natural disasters, job loss, economic downturn, sickness, or the death of a family member.

Where is the Cannery Situated?

Currently, there are about 100 branches of the LDS Home Storage Centers across America. You can find more about their stores at the official website of the Latter-Day Saints.

Why are the costs so low?

Most of those who work in the Home Storage Centers and the farms are unpaid volunteers. They also have few middleman-type costs because they grow and process their products. It does not operate for profit. Instead, it merely works to cover the costs so that the long-term food storage will be available to as many people as possible. The LDS Home Storage Center is part of the welfare program of the LDS. They aim to help each American, especially those who cannot afford to buy their food products. In today's generation, where every commodity is costly, you will save a lot if you buy at the LDS Home Storage Centers.

What are the Items That You Can Buy?

The LDS cannery offers various items for Americans. These are a combination of dry goods, pasta, cereals and breakfast, bakery, dairy, and dehydrated fruits and vegetables. Some of these are as follows:
  • Cocoa mix
  • Dehydrated fruit and vegetable slices (like apple and carrots)
  • Flour
  • Fruit drink mix
  • Granola bar
  • Hard red and white wheat
  • Macaroni
  • Nonfat milk
  • Oats
  • Pancake mix
  • Potato flakes and pearls
  • Real honey
  • Spaghetti
  • Sugar
  • Various types of beans: pinto, black, refried, and white beans
  • Water bottle with filter
  • White rice

How is it to Visit the LDS Home Storage Center?

The volunteers at the LDS Cannery are knowledgeable about the products they offer, and they are very kind to assist the clients who want to purchase items for their long-term needs at their homes. The center is well maintained, and each section is clean, and the products are organized accordingly. They even have a station for the kids to play, draw, and meet with other friends, so you can leave them there and concentrate on your shop. You can also download and print the order form or price list before going to the center and hand it over to the volunteers to speed things right away.

Shipping of the Food Items

You can have the food shipped to you if you live in the United States and there is no Home Storage Center near you. There is no shipping cost. However, the price of the items is a bit high compared to when you do your shopping in-person at the centers. Meanwhile, orders typically take about one to two days to leave the distribution center. Orders are shipped via Fed Ex from Utah. Large orders are shipped via Fed Ex Freight. Finally, you will receive an email confirmation with the information about your shipping once the product is processed. Take note that the LDS Cannery does not yet allow international shipping but within the United States only.

Return Policy

All items can be returned or even exchanged within 90 days after the purchase. Remember that bulk bags or things cannot be returned to the centers. Now, if you wish to have your items returned, go to the nearest LDS cannery. You can have your shopping items returned, and you will receive a refund of the current selling price of that item. Unless you have bought a defective product, all returns and exchanges will only be accepted if the product is in new condition. Also, refunds will be issued in the same current and payment method. However, the LDS management may also choose at their sole discretion to have your money refunded in another form or even currency as they deem appropriate.

Food Source of LDS Cannery

Some of the food items like onions and carrots are sourced from China. The volunteers wash, trim, cut, dry, and pack the fruits and vegetables in bulk. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspects their plant in Illinois regularly. Also, the herbicides and pesticides used to grow the products are tested to make sure that they are within the standards of US EPA limits and they are non-GMO. Meanwhile, some of their products are grown directly by the LDS church partner farmers like the black beans, hard red wheat, pinto beans, and hard white wheat. The volunteers process the following products on the site:
  • Fruit drink mix (like berries)
  • Hot cocoa mix (The milk is from the poultry of the LDS farms)
  • Macaroni (Wheat is from the LDS farms)
  • Nonfat dry milk (The milk is from the poultry of the LDS farms)
  • Pancake mix (The products are from the LDS farms)
  • Spaghetti bites (The pasta is from the LDS farms)
  • White flour (Wheat is from the LDS farms)

Plans to Open Internationally

Currently, the LDS Church does not have any plans to open in other countries because it will mean searching for more volunteers. Also, the shipping costs and laws about the import and export of the food can be different abroad and hinder their operations. Currently, the church does not have concrete ideas if they will include freeze-dried carry items in their product. They don't have the equipment to do so, and it is costly. They are currently trying to meet the needs of the majority of Americans by sticking with providing their basic needs.

Importance of Long-Term Food Storage

The LDS church recommends that each family must gradually build food storage of three-month supply that contains necessary items such as wheat, rice, and beans. When stored correctly in a cool and dry place, these items can last for 30 years or more. A portion of some of these items may be rotated to continue for your three-month supply. Over time, the food you store in your house may have a possible decline in taste and quality, depending on the original quality of food, the process of packaging, and storage. However, studies show that even though the food was stored long-term, it can still help you survive, especially during emergencies. According to the Church of the Latter-Day Saints, the shelf life of some of their food items are the following:
FOOD NEW "LIFE-SUSTAINING" SHELF-LIFE ESTIMATES (IN YEARS)
Wheat 30+
White rice 30+
Corn 30+
Sugar 30+
Pinto beans 30
Rolled oats 30
Pasta 30
Potato flakes 30
Apple slices 30
Nonfat powdered milk 20
Dehydrated carrots 20

Food Supply Recommendations for Adults

According to the studies done by LDS, an adult needs to have a total of 11.5 kilograms or 25 pounds of the combination of wheat, corn, grains, and rice supply for one month. These products can last for up to 30 years with a proper storage method. Meanwhile, an adult needs to have at least 2.5 kilograms or 5 pounds of dry beans for a month, which can last for up to 30 years. You could also add other food products to your long-term supply, just like salt, sugar, nonfat dry milk, cooking oil, and baking soda. Also, have a supply of Vitamin C and other essential vitamins and minerals to power your body.

Packaging Recommendations

When packing for long-term food supplies, you can use #10 food containers, foil pouches, and PETE bottles, and these are all available in local stores in America. Also, you can use plastic buckets to store wheat, dry beans, and other products for an extended period. These containers, plus the oxygen absorber packets, can eliminate the growth of food-borne insects. Then, it aids the preservation of the food's taste and nutrition. Meanwhile, the storage life of the food can be impacted by various factors such as temperature, light, insects and rodents, and moisture. Store your food products at a temperature of 75-degree Fahrenheit or 24-degree Celcius or lower whenever possible. If the temperature in your storage area is higher, you can rotate the products so you can maintain their quality. Also, make sure that you keep the food in dry areas, and it has about 10% dry or less moisture content. However, if the food is stored too dry, it may result in botulism poisoning. It is best if you keep the containers off the floor to allow the air to circulate better. Protect the products in PETE bottles away from sunlight. And lastly, keep it away from rodents and insects to prevent damage to the food products.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, the LDS home storage centers are an excellent source of buying necessary food storage items that you can need during disasters. The prices are affordable, the service is friendly, and access to some stores is easy. There are steps to take to ensure that the food items you buy will stay for an extended period. Just remember the actions provided above, and you will be confident that you and your family won't starve in the next few years.

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