Every summer my husband and I take a week long vacation to just get away, see new things and explore some of the country we might not know about. This summer was no different. We set off down the road in the general direction of south. We decided to center this years exploration in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.
Now, when we go on these trips, we don't form much of a plan. We pick out a few places in the area we want to visit but the schedule is very fluid with a lot of "Hey, this looks like a neat place to stop!" time added in. We use welcome centers and the brochure racks in hotels for ideas of what is in the area as well as using my "fr-enemy" Google.
After visiting Natural Bridge and The Virginia Safari Park, we had dinner and found a hotel. As we really didn't have much on the agenda for the next day, I decided to hop on Google and look for anything in the area that would be of interest to a roaming prepper. I was greeted by the usual listing of prepper groups in the area as was expected. I scrolled down the page a bit more and saw a listing for "East Coast Food Storage". Clicking on the link brought up an image of fully stocked shelves of freeze dried and dehydrated foods from brands both major and minor.
"Baaaayyyybeeee"! My usual intonation when I want something from my husband. "Look!"
I started scrolling through the website and he agreed it was right up our alley. And as luck would have it, it wasn't too far from where we were and in the general direction we were heading.
So after breakfast the next morning we put the address into the GPS and set off down the road. Now, I mention using GPS on purpose here. Without it, We more than likely would never have found the place. It is well off the beaten path. As a matter of fact, the path turns into a private lane long before you even get to the shop. Had it not been for our computerized guidance, I would have thought we were lost and trespassing on someones farm. As it turns out, I wasn't entirely wrong. ( TIP 1- Use GPS.)
You see, as it turns out, ECFS is the private venture of a husband and wife team run from a climate controlled building on their farm. As I was unaware of any of this, when we arrived, there didn't seem to be anyone around. Since I had the phone number copied from the website, I decided to give a call and see if or when they would be open. A cheerful voice on the other end told me they were open anytime we wanted them to be open. I explained we had just arrived and the gentleman on the other end of the line said he would send his wife on down and he would be there shortly. (TIP 2 - Call first.)
The welcome we were given by the Snow family was like we were long lost relatives. I have never felt so welcome in an unfamiliar place in my life. After introductions were made all around we spent a fair amount of time filling our carts with food and survival supplies as well as books, fire starting and medical supplies. But the list doesn't end there. They have a vast array of items for the self sufficient that also includes everything from wheat grinders to water filtration and storage. We took plenty of time to chat about general prepping and Bob demonstrated "Utility Fire" fire starting gel for us (sold me on it!)
As far as prices go, I would call them average. Selection was well above average with many different products and brands available. A full list of their stock is available in PDF on the website. Bob also mentioned plans of expansion in the near future. One important item of note, they do not take credit cards. cash or check only which is great for those concerned with OPSEC. (TIP 3- Take plenty of cash or your checkbook.)
We left with the truck more than a few pounds heavier than we started. I cannot, in all honesty, tell you how long we were there, as I completely lost track of time. I was just having so much fun with genuinely nice, like minded people. I would suggest allowing at least 2 hours if you feel the need to budget time. My husband and I were both very happy with our visit and plan to return. I would certainly recommend, If you ever find yourself in the vicinity of Troy, VA to take some time out of your trip to visit with them, you will not be disappointed.
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