Each month count every store, compare the count with last month’s count minus what was issued, and divide the stock by the weekly use to get the weeks of food left. If that is shorter than the weeks to the next harvest, the shortfall sets the ration, and it is far cheaper to cut a little now than a lot later.
A monthly inventory check is the scheduled counting and weighing of all stored food and the comparison of the result with the records and the days to harvest.
What To Count
The carrier’s monthly inventory is to count jars by type, check the root cellar for spoilage and weigh the grain bins. Add cured meat, dried goods, oil and salt. The Phase 2 inventory guide suggests different frequencies by store, with perishables more often (Inventory Systems).
| Store | How to count |
|---|---|
| Jars | By type and year; count full jars on the shelf |
| Grain and dry goods | Weigh bins, or count measured scoops of known weight |
| Root cellar | Weigh or count crates by crop; look at every bin |
| Cured and smoked meat | Count pieces, estimate weight |
| Dried foods | Weigh or count bags |
Use the same containers and scales every time. Calibrate scoops and crates once by weighing them (Root Cellar Loading Plan).
The Reconciliation Step
Counting alone does not find losses. Compare:
expected stock = last month’s stock − issues recorded this month
and the actual count. The difference is loss to spoilage, pests or theft. The Phase 2 guide’s example: a book that says 200 kg of wheat when the bin holds 180 kg means 20 kg went somewhere. Investigate any gap above the normal shrinkage: look for damp, vermin and holes.
Weeks Of Food
For each staple:
weeks left = stock ÷ weekly use
and compare with the weeks until the next harvest.
Worked example (invented numbers to show the sums): potatoes in the cellar weigh 900 kg and the community has been using 120 kg a week. Weeks left = 900 ÷ 120 = 7.5. The next harvest of the crop is 11 weeks away. Shortfall = 11 − 7.5 = 3.5 weeks, which at 120 kg a week is 420 kg. To make the stock last, weekly use must fall to 900 ÷ 11 = 81.8 kg, a cut of (120 − 81.8) ÷ 120 = 32% for the potatoes. Other foods can replace some of the potatoes.
The same cut spread over the whole winter is much less painful than a cut from March. The carrier’s rule is the same: if the January inventory shows stores will run out before the May harvest, begin rationing at once, because waiting makes it worse (Storage Rotation & Inventory).
What The Count Should Trigger
| Finding | Action |
|---|---|
| Weeks left exceed weeks to harvest with a margin | Continue |
| Weeks left roughly equal weeks to harvest | Shave use and look for supplements |
| Weeks left fall short | Ration, shift to other foods, plan trade or foraging |
| Losses above normal | Investigate the store (Spoilage Monitoring and Response) |
| One food far ahead of the others | Use more of it |
December is the key month; the carrier calls for a pantry and cellar inventory then to calculate whether the stores will last until the spring harvest (October-December). Winter food gaps are treated in Winter Calorie Gap Planning.
Who Does It
One named person, with a deputy, holds the book and does the count with a helper so that a second person can confirm the numbers. Post the result where the community can see it. People accept a ration they have seen the reasons for.
Common Mistakes
- Counting the shelf but not the cellar.
- No issue record, so the reconciliation cannot be done.
- Keeping the count secret. The ration then seems arbitrary.
- Skipping January. It is the best month to correct course.
What’s Next
- Learn next: Spoilage Monitoring and Response — what to do with the losses you find
- Combine with: First-in-First-out (FIFO) Systems — keeping the count orderly