Would you eat "animal feed"? In most cases it is the same as what we buy in the store, only a whole lot cheaper. Most animal feed grain is the same thing, only less processed. Generally speaking, less processed is better for us anyway.

The biggest difference between animal feed grain and human grain is the packaging. The food sold for human consumption is also filtered and sorted better. In animal feed you may find a pebble or two in a bag.

If you go in knowing these facts then you know you simply have to sift or sort your grain before eating it.

Another argument I often hear is that feed sold for animals is not handled as cleanly as for humans. Most of those people have not been to a farm or seen the process. Its all done with the same machines anyway up to the packaging process. As I said, animal feed is simply handled and processed less.

So what type of animal feed are we talking about anyway?

Whole grains. Corn, wheat, rye and oats for the most part. These are whole grains fresh from the field to the bag. There is little to no processing and very little handling. The feed is trucked to the packaging plant and poured into bags, then sewn shut.

These grains have a long shelf life and can be kept for many years.

In a survival situation having a bunch of 5 gallon buckets of whole grain stashed away could save your life.

Another argument I often hear is that animal feed is handled by people who have not washed their hands. There could be disease or germs in it. My response is that since the same people handled the same grain anyway up to a certain point, then there is probably just about as much danger of disease in the grain at the store.

And most likely you are going to wash and cook your grain before eating it anyway.

I am a firm believer in being prepared for disaster on a budget. You dont have to be rich to be prepared. A 50 pound bag of "chicken" corn sells for about $6 on sale. You get about a pound or two at the local store for that price.

Stock up and be prepared.