US

Let Them Eat…Carp? Illinois Considers Feeding the Poor With Invasive Fish

Asian Carp Could Be on the Menu for Anti hunger Program

Officials want to stop Asian carp before it enters the Great Lakes and decimates native aquatic wildlife. (Photo: Jim Weber, Zuma Press)

CHICAGO (The Blaze/AP) — From one of the most invasive aquatic species in the country to special of the day, Illinois officials see a use for Asian carp that will kill two birds — or carp rather — with one stone.

With record numbers of people in the region facing hunger, Asian carp  could soon fill their bellies while also helping prevent the exponentially growing carp population from reaching the Great Lakes — if it hasn’t snuck through already.

But Illinois officials appear to have their work cut out for them in terms of the carp’s image. Recent visitors to Our Lady of Grace Food Pantry in Chicago were skeptical. The pantry puts canned goods, meat and bread in the plastic food bags it gives out. If carp were to make its way there, workers would include it with the meat, leaving people to figure out how to cook the fish on their own.

“I wouldn’t eat it,” Vincent Williams, 49, an unemployed former bank worker, said with a look of disgust on his face.

“Ugh, I don’t know. I might,” said Christopher Cain, 25, a former moving company worker.

Before you turn up your nose too, know this: Asian carp is being re-branded and fried up to taste something like mahi mahi.

“We are in unchartered water here,” said Illinois Department of Natural Resources spokesman Chris McCloud. “Why remove them and put them into a landfill when you can take them and use them for good? If we can get past the name ‘carp’ and the perception … we can prove this is going to be a highly nutritious, cheap meal.”

Starting Thursday, the department launches a campaign to change the fish’s image and demonstrate how to work with the ultra-bony meat. Officials have enlisted Louisiana chef Philippe Parola, who’s become a national advocate for the fish he calls silverfin.

Getting carp to soup kitchens and food pantries is months off, said Tracy Smith, a director for Feeding Illinois, which supplies food banks and is helping on the project.

The idea is modeled after a state program that lets hunters donate deer meat to be ground and distributed to food pantries. But there’s no system in place for netting Asian carp in large amounts and cleaning and distributing the fish. And state officials don’t know the most feasible way to dole out the carp: minced or as boneless fillets, for example.

While eating Asian carp isn’t new — it’s consumed in China and high-end restaurants, among other places — the first step to get it to the American masses is countering the yuck factor.

Asian carp were imported from China and escaped into the Mississippi River in the 1970s. They’ve spread across dozens of waterways, with bighead carp in dozens of states and silver carp — the other Asian species near the Great Lakes — in more than a dozen. The bighead reaches up to 4 feet long and 100 pounds, while silver carp are famous for leaping from the water when startled, at times slamming into boaters with bone-shattering force.

Asian Carp Could Be on the Menu for Anti hunger Program

If Asian carp ever reached the Great Lakes — breaching electric fish barriers near Chicago — they could decimate food supplies and starve out native species, disrupting a $7 billion fishing industry.

Officials say carp are caught near the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, a man-made link between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River system, as part of a plan to control population, along with other precautions.

Nutritionists and food scientists tout Asian carp as low in mercury because they don’t eat other fish and are high in Omega-3 fatty acids. Illinois has been sending some of its carp to China, where the demand is high. This week, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, who is in China, sampled carp, reportedly saying it tasted like tilapia.

Anti-hunger advocates in Illinois are praising the idea of serving the carp, especially with increasing demand for food stamps. An average of 1.8 million people rely on the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program each month, according to figures from earlier this year. That’s up from 1.2 million people monthly in 2006.

“It’s a crisis” Smith with Feeding Illinois said. “Creative partnerships are going to be critical to getting through this.”

Chef Phillip Foss was among the first to serve it in a Chicago high-end establishment. Recipes on his blog, thepickeledtongue.com, include one for “Carp-accio,” which calls for cucumber and watermelon. He said it’s not easy to fillet because of the bones, but everyday cooks could use its minced form as a beef substitute.

“Make a seafood bolognaise sauce that everyone will love. Then surprise them, that they actually just ate Asian carp,” Foss said.

He and others point out that another now popular fish, the Chilean Sea Bass, was rebranded from its original name, Patagonian toothfish.

Illinois officials aren’t the first to float a humanitarian approach with carp. Late last year, Louisiana State University officials partnered with a nonprofit to make canned carp to send to Haiti, where the diet is already fish-rich and protein is scarce.

They came up with a product in a spicy tomato sauce with the consistency of canned salmon. The test batches in Haiti were a hit, said Julie Anderson, a professor with the university’s agriculture center. The project is stalled, because of funding and other reasons, but Anderson hopes it’s revived.

She said there were rave reviews after the canned carp was served on crackers at an office Christmas party.

“You hear about it so much on the news as a nuisance, a problem,” Anderson said. “People don’t associate nuisances with a good dinner.”

Here are some videos showing Asian carp in action.

This CNN reporter learns firsthand the dangers that are Asian carp (hint: watch for 2:05):

Some citizens have taken the Asian carp population into their own hands. Carp don’t stand a chance against “bow fishing”:

Or how about this video, reported by The Blaze, that shows carp hunters wearing armor and using swords on water-skis:

Comments (195)

  • allendk32
    Posted on September 22, 2011 at 11:25am

    thanks

    Report Post »  
    • gemologist
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 11:31am

      Yeah, this was a story about six pack abs and spamming comment boards, you just THOUGHT it was about fish when you first clicked in. Spam away.

      Report Post »  
  • Brizz
    Posted on September 22, 2011 at 11:25am

    Soon to be a staple in illegal ghettos around the windy “sanctuary” city.

    Report Post » Brizz  
    • Ruler4You
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 12:23pm

      This is a great idea. Add to it the feral hog problem across giant swaths of the south and you have balanced meat protein diet.

      Report Post » Ruler4You  
    • IntransigentMind
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 12:51pm

      Sure, let them eat carp, which is better than eating us. Cannibalism shouldn’t be permitted, real OR moral:
      Free-Riders: http://markamerica.com/2011/09/22/the-other-side-of-class-warfare-taking-society-down/

      Report Post »  
    • banjarmon
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 12:53pm

      It is good to give a man a fish, but it is better to teach him to fish. Therefore he can feed himself and brag about it for the rest of his life!!

      Report Post » banjarmon  
    • BowHuntingTexas
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 12:59pm

      Yes. A great idea when you include feral hogs.

      And squirrels. Dear God. Include squirrels and let us openly hunt them in our back yards.

      The homeless will be eating well around here.

      Report Post » BowHuntingTexas  
    • Deb C
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 1:04pm

      If we turn up our noses at plain old fish – freeze em and send em to poor starving families throughout the world. I can’t believe this is an issue !

      Report Post » Deb C  
    • preppymom
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 1:57pm

      In Ohio, they decided to feed the homeless deer meat… and there was an outcry about the brutality of hunting….so they said that they were only shooting sick deer….then there was an outcry by homeless advocates….so they decided on birth control for the deer….then there was an outcry because the birth control cost 30 dollars a month per deer….then lots of people died because there were too many deer and they walked in front of cars….unfortunately no outcry.

      Unfair, Unbalanced…but amazingly accurate
      http://www.crackingthemalecode.com/

      Report Post » preppymom  
    • rangerp
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 2:04pm

      carp was a regular meal when I was in Iraq. It was my favorite dish prepared by the Iraqi national police that I advised. They cooked it over an open fire, and sprinkled salt on it. I sure prefered it to sheep.

      In the US, it is common for African Americans and Asians to eat carp, but generally other folks leave it alone. Cooke some up, and I will not think twice about going into the hood and having a meal of carp and hushpuppies.

      Report Post » rangerp  
    • JLGunner
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 2:14pm

      Grab a net! There are some hard working poor “Legal” citizens that could use the food. Lets take care of the poor and hungry here at home before we start shipping crap all over the world.

      Report Post » JLGunner  
    • MHP
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 2:15pm

      hey encinom,
      come eat some carp.
      supper is on.

      Report Post » MHP  
    • rangerp
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 3:17pm

      @MHP
      It would be more fun to beat ENCINOM about the head and shoulders with a live carp.

      Report Post » rangerp  
    • rangerp
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 3:19pm

      Might better ease up on the carp talk though.

      Those green peace PETA homos might start to cry about us eating those poor fish. Fish have feelings too.

      Report Post » rangerp  
    • ProbIemSoIver
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 3:55pm

      Illinois Department of Natural Resources spokesman Chris McCloudnedds needs to be on a steady diet of this “highly nutritious, cheap meal.”

      Report Post » ProbIemSoIver  
    • aafriend
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 4:07pm

      Amazing Chicago, Who is from there, so much for taking care of your own. when will people wake up. whats really amazing is when its all said and done and riots erupt in the street who will be protesting ?

      Answer:
      All the young generation, dope smoking zombies,welfare cases, government workers, entitlement babies who supported the mess in washington.

      and where will the privater sector working people be ? working and contributing to this world.

      Report Post » aafriend  
    • Black Manta
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 4:12pm

      Have you heard what Jesus feed the multitude?……

      Report Post » Black Manta  
    • SamIamTwo
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 4:38pm

      Yeah, as long as they catch them for themselves, I have no issue with it…but we know better.

      Report Post » SamIamTwo  
    • avenger
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 5:48pm

      Great idea….

      Report Post »  
    • the hawk
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 6:48pm

      Those South Siders would LOVE them some Deep fried FREE fish ! and a 40th ! Thats livin to some people down Ky. Tenn, Miss…………………………………………….

      Report Post »  
    • johnannegalt
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 8:25pm

      beggars can’t be choosers… at least these people are going to soup kitchens/food pantries and are turning to charity, VOLUNTARY displays of generousity, rather than demanding foodstamps at the point of a gun (held by the IRS police when you refuse to pay (all of) your taxes and they come collecting, and you then defend your property).. then taking said food stamps to walmart to stock up on Doritos and Snickers.. This seems like a much smarter, healthier option. Good idea, Illinois! (can‘t believe I’m saying that)

      Report Post » johnannegalt  
  • shelbyg513
    Posted on September 22, 2011 at 11:23am

    Just make it into gefilte fish.

    Report Post »  
    • TennesseeConservative
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 6:57pm

      Finally some common sense appears. An abundance of fish and hungry people, no brainer there. If it taste like Mahi, I will eat some. Who cares if it is carp.

      Report Post » TennesseeConservative  
  • gemologist
    Posted on September 22, 2011 at 11:21am

    Rebranding works.

    I rebranded some windbreaker pants as water-resistant gold overpants and what used to struggle to sell at $.50 per piece I not get about $7 apiece for. Sold about 350 of them before stock ran out.

    The problem is that everyone now is going to be on the lookout for this stuff. I am sure it tastes just fine, probably very good for you, If I were other blaze members (ones with money) I would be thinking about the survival food market (how it has been booming) and also the need for cheap protein (fish can be dried OR canned y’know) Bada-boom bada-bing You take about 3mil for an old cannery, or plant that used to bake or heat things, and you have fish you can make a mint on, provide for needs (also give a huge amount of it to charity, it’s good P.R., just dont say asian or carp)

    That is my latest $20 million dollar free idea.

    Report Post »  
    • gemologist
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 11:37am

      You would have to change the brand name every time bad pr caught up with they canned item or dried item (or fish sauce, fish stock, oil, etc) Eventually though you would hit on something rich people want to eat and then you are off to the races. so much money to be made, you could even hire lobbyists (who wouldnt have to work very hard) to convince governers that they should PAY you to pull the fish out and can it, (ooh, also for canned food contracts for emergancy shelters)

      Ya, making money on Asian carp is easy, provided you have an analytical brain and 10 million in the bank.

      Report Post »  
    • cktheman
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 12:29pm

      And provided you get through the morass of government red tape that WILL be imposed, deliberately, to stifle anyone hoping to make a profit off of this market.

      This is Illinois we are talking about, right?

      Report Post »  
    • sWampy
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 1:00pm

      Orange Roughy used to be called slime head perch and nobody wanted them, new name, high dollar fish. The catfish industry is working on renaming catfish to delecota so dumb yankees can be fooled into tasting this delicious fish, almost like you have to fool kids into eating their vegetables.

      Report Post »  
  • Broncobuster
    Posted on September 22, 2011 at 11:21am

    My dad brought some smoked carp home when I was a kid. It was a little greasy but tasty . I’m not a big fan of smoked foods though .When my dad was young,he and his friends would spear carp in the farm drainage canals ,fill their car trunk ,and then take them into Milwaukee and sell them to the blacks who really loved to get the fresh fish.

    Report Post »  
    • Walkabout
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 11:53am

      If you steam cook them until the flesh is flaking off then carp is really good. I think that is how the chinese eat them.

      Report Post »  
    • johnannegalt
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 8:26pm

      Better than welfare!! http://markamerica.com/2011/09/22/the-other-side-of-class-warfare-taking-society-down/

      Report Post » johnannegalt  
    • Mr.Nick
      Posted on September 23, 2011 at 4:22pm

      I live in Illinois, and when I was a kid I used to catch carp all day and sell them to the Mexicans who loved them..

      I grew up down the street from a lake and Mexicans would fish all day for those things. They didn’t even use fishing poles – they’d wrap fishing line around a coke can and throw the line manually by spinning it around like some kind of lasso..

      Pizza dough was the bait they loved. There was a pizza joint down the street and they used to throw out their old dough and I would fetch it from the dumpster, however if I went into the establishment and asked they would normally just give it to me for free (being I was 10 years old)…

      Hell, I even brought some dough home and we made pizza’s with it…

      Good times…

      Report Post »  
    • Mr.Nick
      Posted on September 23, 2011 at 4:30pm

      The carp I caught and that the Mexicans were fishing for were not Asian carp tho, just regular carp.

      They get pretty big…. The largest I caught in a small lake was 20lbs, however I caught one in Lake Michigan that was at least 75lbs….

      Interesting note: I also caught a duck that day…… The damn thing stuck its head down in the water and snagged the dough..

      I had to cut my line – instead of a fish I had a duck in the air flying to get away.

      Report Post »  
  • Tankerman D
    Posted on September 22, 2011 at 11:20am

    How come non-native invaders that come into the country and consume the resources are bad when they’re fish….

    On the other hand, it‘s great to live in a country when those who are ’hungry‘ can turn down free food because it’s not something they like. { “I wouldn’t eat it,” Vincent Williams, 49, an unemployed former bank worker, said with a look of disgust on his face.}

    Report Post »  
    • smithclar3nc3
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 11:27am

      Sounds like Vincent can go dumpster diving if he won’t eat free fresh fish.

      Report Post »  
    • CatB
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 12:21pm

      I’m sure Vincent would take a “free” steak. What is the old saying? .. oh yea .. “beggars can’t be choosers” I guess Vincent never heard that … Hey Vincent take it or leave it .. you don’t want what is “free” go fend for yourself.

      Report Post »  
  • bigfatslob
    Posted on September 22, 2011 at 11:19am

    My Chinese mother-in-law cooks carp for us all the time. Healthy fish, tastes fine and what a great efficient idea to feed the poor/unemployed. Beggers should be greatfull and thank god for every bite of food. Learn grace and humility.

    Report Post » bigfatslob  
    • PavZilla
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 11:25am

      Too bad the people getting the unemployment checks couldn’t somehow be taught to fish (gasp, the horror and absurdity!)

      Report Post » PavZilla  
    • Walkabout
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 11:55am

      @ PAVZILLA
      Would you fish out of the Chicago Shipping & Sanitation Canal where they dump raw sewage?

      The wonders of a city run by generations of Democrat mayors!

      Report Post »  
  • chips1
    Posted on September 22, 2011 at 11:18am

    I can’t believe the Blaze is racist. The story is about feeding the poor, and they show a picture of Obama giving another speech. What’s up with that?

    Report Post »  
    • Walkabout
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 11:56am

      Your post makes no sense unless a person take in the context of trolling.

      Report Post »  
    • Elena2010
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 12:47pm

      Roger that — there is no picture of Obama on this story at all.

      BTW, I think it’s a great idea! I’m not a big fish eater; but if I were hungry, bet on that I’d be chowing down on a rich, easy to digest, high protein dinner of Asian carp!

      Report Post » Elena2010  
  • FLyoverman
    Posted on September 22, 2011 at 11:17am

    I would not feed carp to a Gitmo prisoner. What’s next? Soylent Green?

    Report Post »  
    • CatB
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 12:22pm

      Actually many many people DO eat them … it is not unhealthy or unsafe .. so I say take it or leave it .. but don’t ask for something else.

      Report Post »  
    • Cherynn
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 12:52pm

      Ilinois politicians have been feeding the public crap for years, whats new here? Oh,,,the story is about carp, never mind.

      Report Post » Cherynn  
  • sWampy
    Posted on September 22, 2011 at 11:15am

    What could be better than a fish that terrorizes people in blue states, God is great.

    Report Post »  
    • JFC3
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 11:18am

      Good point, but the fish may Unionize and further siphon away tax money.

      In all seriousness, beggars can‘t be choosers so fry’em up. Based on the article it sounds pretty tasty…

      If only watermelons were jumping out of the river it wouldn’t be that big of a deal.

      Report Post » JFC3  
    • SlimnRanger
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 11:21am

      I reconize that mouth,it’s the mouth of Maxine Watters,as for eatting Carp,there is alot of bones in that fish,so be carefull to remove all the little bones

      Report Post »  
  • Anonymous T. Irrelevant
    Posted on September 22, 2011 at 11:14am

    Don’t give them fish, TEACH them to fish.

    Report Post » Anonymous T. Irrelevant  
    • gemologist
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 11:26am

      dont even need to fish, they practically are aiming for your chest, they need to be tought how to fillet (not as easy with those ish I bet)

      Report Post »  
    • chips1
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 11:41am

      First you have to teach them to eat. Then figure out how to fillet a fish with an uzzy.

      Report Post »  
    • Mr.Nick
      Posted on September 23, 2011 at 4:52pm

      I’ve never eaten a carp myself, however I have cleaned one and the biggest problem is that they have a “mud tube” that has bacteria that will spoil the meat and can burst rather easily..

      So cleaning such a fish can be quite tricky, hence difficult.

      However I don‘t know much about Asian carp anatomy so maybe they don’t even have mud tubes?

      I’ll say this much – when the salmon run on Lake Michigan (like in a few weeks) the Mexicans are down there snagging the hell out of them…. They don’t even do it for the sport they do it for a free meal….

      The nasty part is that these fish are literally “zombies.” Their body/flesh is literally falling apart and rotting away… Anyone who saw one of these dying salmon would refuse to eat it..

      Not to mention they have worms in them and other water born parasites.

      Sorry to get off topic but the safest salmon to eat are those less than 2 feet, anything bigger than that can potentially give you stomach problems .

      Report Post »  
  • Wurlitzer28
    Posted on September 22, 2011 at 11:12am

    It tastes good assuming you like most fish dishes. Why should it be wasted?

    Here we have an abundant source of nutrition from an otherwise problematic fish and a bunch of whiners who always bitch about commercial fishermen depleting resources are carping about it (pun intended).

    Report Post »  
    • HKS
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 11:16am

      Although they satisfy the same problem solving issues, I would suspect that the carp would be a bit more tasty than the soilent green.

      Report Post » HKS  
  • wisehiney
    Posted on September 22, 2011 at 11:12am

    Serve it with birth control sauce.

    Report Post »  
  • ThomasUSA
    Posted on September 22, 2011 at 11:10am

    I’ve eaten smoked carp and it was good. If these people are really facing hunger due to poverty, they will be greatful to have carp rather than go hungry. I think it is a great idea… with the right advertising, it could be come a ‘delicacy” !

    Report Post » ThomasUSA  
  • beccainblue
    Posted on September 22, 2011 at 11:09am

    Why not compost them and sell them as fertilizer to the rest over the country? Isn’t that how we were thought to grow corn by the Native Americans? I seem to remember a text book foot note from the second grade.

    Report Post » beccainblue  
  • neozon
    Posted on September 22, 2011 at 11:08am

    If it taste good, then I will eat it. Yum-Yum

    Report Post »  
  • rabblechat
    Posted on September 22, 2011 at 11:04am

    Sounds Like a good Idea to me, If they are hungry enough to put their hand out then they should be grateful to receive fresh fish. It still makes me shake my head every time I am in the supermarket, And I see folks using their food stamp card to buy a $40.00 family pack of T-Bones…

    Report Post » rabblechat  
    • beccainblue
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 11:32am

      Where are you shopping? DEAR HEAVEN!

      Report Post » beccainblue  
    • MidWestMom
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 11:38am

      While in theory the program may sound like a good option, implementing it would be a government rules & regs and financial nightmare .
      1) pay & train people to catch the fish
      2) pay & train people to clean the fish
      3) pay & train people to can/process/cook the fish – because if a food bank just handed over a raw fish to someone who had no idea how to cook it or safely keep it and they ended up with food-poisoning from spoiled fish, the lawsuits would begin and the food pantry closes down.

      Giving the fish to organizations that provide actual meals could involve most of the above also….

      Report Post »  
  • Michael
    Posted on September 22, 2011 at 11:04am

    The only Carp that I know about are mud suckers. Personally if I were starving to death, I would eat one. Otherwise, I wouldn’t. The best way to prepare Carp is to pack it in mud, wrap it in tin foil, cook on an open fire for approx. one hour, when it’s done cooking take the mud and tin foil off the fish, throw the tin foil and fish away and eat the mud.

    Report Post »  
  • Locked
    Posted on September 22, 2011 at 11:04am

    Never tried it before: anyone have some opinions? I doubt it would be as good as Mahi Mahi, despite what the article said… but does that mean it’s not very fishy in taste, like tilapia? I’d be willing to try it; fish is pretty easy to cook.

    Report Post »  
    • MidWestMom
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 11:19am

      I don’t like fish so have never eaten it. If I was starving, I would. My great-grandparents & grandparents used to clean & can Carp. Grandma said it wasn’t bad – kind of like canned salmon. The key is cleaning the fish very well. They are bottom feeders so removing all the innards intact is important for taste.

      I have her recipies for carp as well as ‘possum, coon, squirrel etc etc. Interesting stuff and good information to have…just in case.

      Report Post »  
    • Locked
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 11:30am

      Huh, then the comparison to mahi mahi is even more odd, as Mahi’s main appeal is that it has very little “fishy” taste to it; salmon, on the other hand, is a very fishy fish.

      I’ll have to see if the local market has any for sale; might be worth a shot! Similar to you I never ever ate fish for a long time; recently I decided to give it a try and found out I loved it. Been trying all sorts of fish since, and haven’t found any “bad” ones yet :-)

      Report Post »  
    • kentuckypatriot
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 11:30am

      @ MIDWESTMOM:
      Please share the recipes.. you are right.. “ just in case ”!

      Report Post » kentuckypatriot  
    • MidWestMom
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 12:22pm

      @ kentuckypatriot

      I’d love to share the recipes. Unfortunately I’m having them typed, printed and spiral bound at the moment. The recipes are old and handwritten. Thank goodness for my niece…she has better eyesight than mine. Not only cooking recipes but “how to” stuff….soap, candles, herbal remedy, repairing common items (like harness mending, well repair) etc etc. I have stuff from my homesteader great-greats on down thru depression era. I come from country folks who practiced using what they had, lived off the land, make-do & re-use. I thank God everyday for what they taught me.

      When I get the books back, I will try to post stuff somewhere on here.

      The key to the old-ways is to make sure you adapt them & use up to date safety precautions – especially dealing with food prep, cooking & preserving.

      Report Post »  
    • MidWestMom
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 12:38pm

      Another good thing: look for old books. Cookbooks, how-to stuff, school books etc. I’ve been collecting them for years because they interested me. Now I’m really glad I have them. Find them at yard sales, estate & farm sales, used bookstores etc. Interesting point – many of the books I paid a quarter for 5 years ago are now selling online for upwards of $15 or more. People are buying them up as fast as they can. And non-electric tools, household items (wringer washers, wash tubs, iron kettles, oil lamps, canning equipment etc), kitchen equipment (grain mills, coffee grinders and the like), cast iron pots & pans are all selling for high dollars. Not that long ago people couldn’t give that stuff away. Wood burning stoves – heating & cooking – prices have gone thru the roof.

      And its not just folks who live in “the sticks” buying these things….

      Two months ago we were offered $5000 for my 1932 wood cookstove. It’s in excellent condition – can fire it up today and use it with no problems. Considering we paid less than $500 for it four years ago, that tells me something. And these people didn’t want it for decoration, they wanted it to use. Needless to say, it’s still sitting in my kitchen. LOL

      Another thing we see prices going up for is cut firewood. More than doubled in the last year or so. If you don’t have the timber to cut your own, I suggest buying it now before the price goes up any more.

      Some will say it’s crazy but more & more folks

      Report Post »  
    • Mort
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 1:34pm

      Midwest Mom, can you post the cleaning and canning instructions for the carp?

      Report Post » Mort  
    • MidWestMom
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 4:24pm

      @ Mort

      As soon as I get the originals & the “new” typed & printed info back I’ll get stuff posted on here somewhere. Happy to share with anyone who’s interested.

      Report Post »  
  • cntrlfrk
    Posted on September 22, 2011 at 11:01am


    Careful, there are a lot of laws against Common Sense….

    .

    Report Post » cntrlfrk  
  • kentuckypatriot
    Posted on September 22, 2011 at 11:01am

    My question is how much is it costing the taxpayers to consult with the chef from Louisiana? And how much is it costing the taxpayers to sent the Gov to China?

    Report Post » kentuckypatriot  
  • SpankDaMonkey
    Posted on September 22, 2011 at 11:00am

    .
    I say why not. And while we are at it set up special stores for them to shop at, away from hard working folks……

    Report Post » SpankDaMonkey  
  • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
    Posted on September 22, 2011 at 10:59am

    Listen why not do the next best thing and those carp do not need to go to the landfills, give the fish carcasses to farmers to add into the top soil of their land, and use it to help with the growth of the plants. Besides, Asian Carp is horrendous.

    Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • rabblechat
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 11:05am

      Good point, that would make top notch fertilizer.

      Report Post » rabblechat  
    • Blazer123
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 11:13am

      How about we let people be uncomfortable in their poverty so they’re motivated to help themselves. I don‘t want people to be hungry and I also don’t want my tax dollars paying for people to eat better than I do.

      Beggars can’t be choosers used to be true…

      Report Post »  
  • mohavegreen
    Posted on September 22, 2011 at 10:58am

    Gefilte Fish maybe a tough sell to the Ism’s try Nile Perch.

    Report Post » mohavegreen  
  • revivalforsurvival
    Posted on September 22, 2011 at 10:57am

    Anti- hunger activist? Are there pro- hunger activist? Sounds fishy.

    Report Post »  
    • DimmuBorgir
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 11:06am

      I’ve always said, if I lost everything and ended up “homeless” I’d just walk my butt to the woods and start living off the land. it was good enough for my ancestors, it’s good enough for me.

      Report Post » DimmuBorgir  
    • rabblechat
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 11:11am

      @DIMMUBORGIR If you go that route make sure you have all the proper permits and licenses….

      Report Post » rabblechat  

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