DAWNITA FOGLEMAN: Prepping on the Homestead

 

Prepping on the Homestead

By Dawnita Fogleman, Correspondent Journalist

March 6, 2017, millions of acres of land were burned in the Oklahoma and Texas panhandles, Southwestern Kansas, and Southeastern Colorado. I wasn’t home. Afterwards, our oldest daughter told friends her younger siblings were like “a well-oiled machine” as they evacuated. They were so calm, they actually videoed their escape, driving through the flames.

I’ve been a prepper all my life; I just didn’t realize it until I was much older. You see, we lived in the middle of nowhere, Oklahoma. Seriously, the panhandle was literally labeled “No Man’s Land” during the Indian Territory days. It was over an hour to the nearest department store or substantial grocery store. We went shopping for necessities once a month, so we had to make sure we got what was needed for over a month, just in case the next trip got postponed for some reason.

We also live in an area where the electricity can be out for up to two weeks at any time of the year. Everyone who’s lived in the area for more than five years has figured out how to prepare.

Prepping isn’t something you do just because you're scared of something bad happening. I was raised with a saying, “Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.”

Understand, I grew up with my grandparents and great-grandmothers who lived through the Dust Bowl. The elders out here will talk about that time with a twinkle in their eyes, saying, “It was a hard life, but it was a good life.”

Through the hardships, they made memories worth sharing.

When the electricity goes out, the water well goes down, the deep freeze quits, or a neighbor gets a deer they don’t want to process themselves, our family hits high gear with all hands on deck.

We all know, when an emergency hits, there’s a job to be done, blessings to be had, and memories to be made.

Oh, they may not see it that way at the time, but this is definitely what happens.

Some of our children in the neighbor's cellar during a tornado warning.

Some examples:

Electricity goes out: Hubby and one of the boys go out to get the generator up and running. If it’s dark or it looks like it’ll be out for a while, the girls gather up alternative light sources and unplug unneeded electronics. Depending on the weather, we may open windows and unplug AC units. After checking the animals, we might get out the cards and board games. If there’s snow, we’ll start melting some for use and maybe make some snow ice cream.

Water well goes down: (Our water well is hooked to the grid, so this is added to the above if the grid is down.) We keep leftover vinegar and bleach bottles full of water in the bathroom for flushing. Our water purifier has a reserve, so we fill jars for drinking. (We all try to keep our jars full all the time, just in case.) If the water is going to be out for a while, we have a tank for the back of the pickup that we can take into town and haul water for the animals. We also have neighbors we can call on to borrow a shower if needed.

When the deep freeze goes down: Hopefully, we catch it before everything thaws. Anything that is even partially thawed out gets cooked. Hamburger gets browned. Roasts get baked in the roaster. Steaks get thrown in the Instant Pot for stew. (Yes, depending on the time of day and weather, we may grill some.) Anything that won’t be eaten soon gets put in baggies to go back in the freezer when it gets fixed or replaced. (Which is ASAP.)

When the electricity is off, we make sure NOT to open the deep freeze unless absolutely necessary, so everything stays frozen. The more you open that door, the greater the likelihood of contamination. I say this because I have seen people too often “checking” the deep freeze to make sure things are still frozen. If the temperature is over 75 degrees Fahrenheit and you open that door, it can raise up to five degrees even if you close it very quickly. As long as it’s closed, it will hold the temperature longer than you think. If you keep that door closed, it can keep things cold for a day or more, depending on the surrounding temperature. Once the electricity comes on and you take care of everything else, check and see if anything is thawed. If so, start cooking. Everything that’s still frozen will be fine.

Unplugging large appliances during an outage helps keep them safe from possible power surges while the electric company is working on the lines, or while you’re bringing your generator online.

Our family keeps go-bags full of basic overnight necessities and emergency items at hand at all times. We also keep emergency bags in each vehicle. We refresh these bags for each season and communicate about emergency plans often. Everyone knows where we will meet and who is responsible for what in the event of an emergency or evacuation.

Communication is so important. When everyone knows what is expected of them and that there is a plan, they are empowered and less likely to panic. Talk about every possible contingency. When you watch a movie or read a book in which the character has to overcome a traumatic event, talk about what they did, could have done differently, and how your family could handle something similar.

It was this communication and readiness that helped our family survive one of the most traumatic days of our lives in 2017.

If you are ready to move beyond a simple emergency go-bag checklist and create a plan rooted in faith, history, and practical skills, my guide, Dealing with Disaster: More than Just an Emergency Plan, will show you how. It is more than preparation; it is a roadmap for peace of mind in uncertain days. 

Receive your FREE Dealing with Disaster download today!

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About Dawnita Fogleman

Dawnita Fogleman once thought her quiet life, homeschooling her children, tending the homestead, and writing when she could, was enough. But as the world tipped sideways with inflation, wildfires, and unsettling whispers, she felt God calling her to more than just preparing her own home.

Drawing on her hippy-meets-cowboy upbringing, she began blending her journalist’s eye, homesteader’s hands, and a Bible-believing heart to share unvarnished truth, time-tested skills, and faith-rooted resilience.

Now, she guides homemakers, homeschoolers, and homesteaders to face uncertain days with courage, anchored in God’s Word and the wisdom of the past. Through books, courses, and community, she helps God’s remnant become resilient, because we were made for such a time as this. Find her at PrairieDustTrail.com.