The body can deal with trace amounts of arsenic, but here in Mexico I purchase rice that was grown in Mexico, and from as far south as possible, so as to avoid cesium and other isotopes from Fuku that is falling out in the US.

Any idea of relying on stored food for when TSHTF, is probably short-sighted and not at all the most important issue.

This future doom we are speaking of will probably be a generational problem and last longer than our life-times.

The more important thing, is to find how to produce your own self sustainable food and needs source NOW, before TSHTF, at which time you will already need to be up and running with your suvivalisim.

Likewise, if you plan on storing up some food, you would better start eating and cycling through that food NOW, otherwise you will be confronted with unexpected problems when these things are needed, plus by not eating it you will allow the stock to age and reduce in value.

Personally, I base most of my diet on fresh foods like eggs and vegies that I produce now. I am on my third year more or less and am still learning, but the first year naturally was well more than half being wasted time and effort due to lack of knowledge.

These practicalities of needing to maintain a up and running self-sufficiency in both good times and bad times, must really suck for businesses like restaurants and food inc., but of course that is not my problem,

But one has to get the monkey off their back of needing a large income, even if it is for property tax. Sometimes only relocation can solve that problem. There are rural places where rent is so cheap that the idea of "owning" land, and all that entails becomes totally unreasonable, like here in Mexico. So much the better.

Chickens are good, especially when they are allowed to forage around the yard for bugs and stuff. Far better to cage the plants and let the chickens roam than the other way around. I also stock up on wheat which I sprout for 3 days for feed and for food, but we do not consume wheat that is not sprouted.

I grow and store some beans too for sprouting, but they are not as useful because chickens can't eat beans, but they eat just about everything else, it makes a lot of sense to share kitchen left-overs with the chickens.