Preparing for 90 Days Without Power: A Homestead Approach

With the recent launch of FORTRESS American--Federal Operations for Resilience, Troop Resources, Energy, Supply, and Survivability, there has been a renewed attention to preparedness. Announced on September 30, 2026, the military initiative aims to strengthen installation security, reduce dependence on the civilian electrical grid, and improve the resilience of critical supply chains.

At The Highland Croft, preparedness fits naturally into the life we are building: growing food, preserving the harvest, caring for livestock, and passing practical skills to the next generation.

A prolonged power outage would test far more than our supply of flashlights. Here in Montana, it could affect heat, well water, food storage, and the daily work of keeping animals fed and watered.

A 90-day plan gives us a useful question to work through: How would we meet our family’s essential needs for three months without dependable electricity or regular resupply?

The answer begins with ordinary habits, a realistic inventory, and a little preparation at a time.

Start With Water

Before filling another pantry shelf, consider how water reaches your home.

An electric well pump needs a dependable backup power source or an alternative way to draw water. A manual pump can be valuable, but it must suit the well’s depth and be tested before an emergency.

CDC recommends storing at least one gallon of water per person per day. For a family of four, that adds up to 360 gallons over 90 days—a baseline that does not cover livestock or the full demands of laundry, cleaning, and homestead work.

For a longer disruption, combine stored drinking water with a reliable replenishment plan. Use food-grade containers, protect supplies from freezing, and understand how you would collect, carry, and treat additional water.

Choose treatment methods for the actual hazards in your source. Boiling kills germs, but it does not make water contaminated with fuel or toxic chemicals safe. Follow local health guidance if contamination is suspected.

Build a Pantry Around Meals Your Family Eats

A useful emergency pantry should feel familiar.

Start with a seven-day menu, calculate the ingredients, and repeat it across 13 weeks—approximately three months. Include breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks, and any special dietary needs.

Useful staples include:

• Rice, oats, pasta, flour, and wheat berries.

• Canned meat, fish, beans, and lentils.

• Canned vegetables, fruit, and shelf-stable soups.

• Peanut butter, cooking oils, and other familiar fats.

• Powdered milk, salt, seasonings, and baking supplies.

• Ready-to-eat foods for days when cooking is difficult.

Check calories and portion sizes rather than relying on package “serving” counts. Include enough protein, fat, and variety to make the plan workable.

Think through preparation, too. Wheat berries require a way to grind or cook them. Dried beans require water and cooking fuel. Keep some foods that can be eaten straight from the container, along with a manual can opener.

Buy gradually, date supplies, and rotate them into everyday meals.

Make a Safe Cooking and Food Storage Plan

Practice preparing a few pantry meals with your backup cooking equipment. Record how much fuel and water they use, then build your supply around that experience.

Outdoor camp stoves and grills must stay outdoors. Never use them inside a house, garage, or enclosed porch.

A freezer is valuable, but it needs its own outage plan. With doors closed, a refrigerator generally keeps food safe for about four hours; a full freezer for about 48 hours, or 24 hours when half full. Keep appliance thermometers available and follow official discard guidance. Never taste food to judge its safety.

Build a substantial shelf-stable pantry before an emergency so feeding the family does not depend entirely on keeping freezers running.

Put Winter Heat Near the Top of the List

In Montana, dependable heat deserves early attention.

Find out which parts of your heating system require electricity. A fuel supply alone may not keep a furnace running if its controls, pumps, or blower need power.

Have any backup heating equipment properly installed and serviced. Calculate fuel needs for your home and conditions, and keep warm bedding, layered clothing, hats, and sleeping bags accessible.

Never heat a home with a gas oven. Maintain battery-backed carbon monoxide alarms, and identify somewhere safe to go if indoor temperatures become dangerous. Leaving for dependable shelter should be part of the plan.

Use Backup Electricity Where It Matters Most

List essential electrical loads before choosing equipment: the well pump, medical devices, refrigeration, heating controls, communication, and lighting.

Then check starting wattage, daily energy use, and realistic runtime. Test the system under the loads you expect it to carry.

For fuel planning, multiply measured hourly consumption by planned daily operating hours and 90 days. Account for maintenance and safe fuel storage. For solar equipment, assess winter daylight, snow, and battery capacity.

Operate portable generators outdoors, more than 20 feet from doors, windows, and vents. Never run one in a garage, even with the door open.

Remember Sanitation, Health, and Communication

Three months of daily living requires more than food.

Plan for handwashing, toilet use, wastewater, rubbish, laundry, menstrual supplies, and dental care. Find out whether your septic or wastewater system depends on an electric pump.

Keep first-aid supplies, paper medication lists, emergency contacts, flashlights, batteries, and a battery-powered radio. Discuss prescription continuity and any powered medical equipment with your healthcare team before an outage.

Agree on a family meeting place and an out-of-area contact. Keep printed maps and essential information together in case phones or internet service are unavailable.

Make a Separate Plan for Livestock

On a homestead, household supplies are only part of the picture.

Inventory feed, hay, bedding, minerals, medications, and water needs for each species. Plan for frozen troughs, electric fencing, feed deliveries, and moving water without powered equipment.

Calculate animal water requirements separately from the family’s supply, allowing for weather, size, and production needs. Test the entire watering routine: drawing water is only the first step if it must then be carried across a snowy pasture.

Practice Before You Need the Plan

Begin with a daylight practice session, then try a full day when conditions are safe.

Prepare meals, draw water, complete animal chores, and use your backup lights. Record every missing tool, unexpected inconvenience, and task that takes more time than expected.

Build toward three days, then two weeks, then a month. Let each stage show you what the next one requires.

At The Highland Croft, preparedness reflects the values we hope to pass on: responsibility, resourcefulness, faith, and care for our neighbors. A stocked pantry matters. So do practiced skills, dependable systems, and people willing to help one another.

Start with one meal, one water container, and one practical skill—and keep building.