Charles Bush and Lori Bush have opened a retail operation at Off Grid By Design. (Photos by Burl Rolett)
Preparing for the worst just got easier in Chesterfield.
Local solar panel installer Off Grid By Design has launched a retail spinoff – a survival store of sorts – that sells products such as nonperishable food, water and shelter options that could be used in the event of a disaster.
Owners Lori and Charles Bush, self-described “preppers,” are ready to ride out a storm while others are rushing to the store to stock up on essentials.
“If you hear about it in the morning and you get there at night, there’ll be no water. There’ll be no milk. There’ll be no eggs,” Charles Bush said.
Off Grid’s retail store is housed at the company’s log cabin building at 11010 Midlothian Turnpike, near Chesterfield Towne Center. Off Grid opened in August 2010 and has used its 3,000-square-foot space as a classroom and solar panel showroom.
Included in the new survival retail inventory are blocks of 12-day emergency rations, pouches of water and a straw with a built-in filter that allows the user to drink from standing bodies of water. Lori Bush said the new project is a natural extension of the original solar business.
The shop carries rations meant to last 12 days.
“It’s not about being green anymore,” she said. “It’s about being self-sufficient.”
Off Grid, which has housed classes for the nonprofit Green Living Education Center of Virginia as well as for-profit solar workshops, is adding disaster preparedness lessons to its curriculum.
Lori Bush said an outreach program is also in the works to help communities create an inventory of useful emergency skills near home, such as being aware of which neighbors can perform first aid or who on the block owns and can operate a chainsaw.
The Bushes have been building the survival store bit-by-bit over the past year, self-financing it with profits from the Off Grid business. Charles Bush does not know of any similar stores nearby to model his on, he said, so inventory will change as they see which products are in demand.
Charles Bush said prepping is a growing trend, particularly in the western United States. Its popularity is bolstered by TV reality shows “Doomsday Preppers” and “Doomsday Bunkers,” which showcase prepping in its most extreme forms.
Off Grid will officially launch the survival store at a grand opening this Saturday.
In addition to powering the cabin’s light electrical equipment, solar panels drive Off Grid’s business. In the future, however, Charles Bush sees a 50-50 split between the green energy and survival store sales as the company develops its concept and educates its customer base.
“Whether it’s as simple as emergency power, we can educate them and meet them where they are and help them eventually become completely off the grid and self-sufficient, if that’s what their goal is,” Lori Bush said.
The company’s log cabin building at 11010 Midlothian Turnpike.
Charles Bush and Lori Bush have opened a retail operation at Off Grid By Design. (Photos by Burl Rolett)
Preparing for the worst just got easier in Chesterfield.
Local solar panel installer Off Grid By Design has launched a retail spinoff – a survival store of sorts – that sells products such as nonperishable food, water and shelter options that could be used in the event of a disaster.
Owners Lori and Charles Bush, self-described “preppers,” are ready to ride out a storm while others are rushing to the store to stock up on essentials.
“If you hear about it in the morning and you get there at night, there’ll be no water. There’ll be no milk. There’ll be no eggs,” Charles Bush said.
Off Grid’s retail store is housed at the company’s log cabin building at 11010 Midlothian Turnpike, near Chesterfield Towne Center. Off Grid opened in August 2010 and has used its 3,000-square-foot space as a classroom and solar panel showroom.
Included in the new survival retail inventory are blocks of 12-day emergency rations, pouches of water and a straw with a built-in filter that allows the user to drink from standing bodies of water. Lori Bush said the new project is a natural extension of the original solar business.
The shop carries rations meant to last 12 days.
“It’s not about being green anymore,” she said. “It’s about being self-sufficient.”
Off Grid, which has housed classes for the nonprofit Green Living Education Center of Virginia as well as for-profit solar workshops, is adding disaster preparedness lessons to its curriculum.
Lori Bush said an outreach program is also in the works to help communities create an inventory of useful emergency skills near home, such as being aware of which neighbors can perform first aid or who on the block owns and can operate a chainsaw.
The Bushes have been building the survival store bit-by-bit over the past year, self-financing it with profits from the Off Grid business. Charles Bush does not know of any similar stores nearby to model his on, he said, so inventory will change as they see which products are in demand.
Charles Bush said prepping is a growing trend, particularly in the western United States. Its popularity is bolstered by TV reality shows “Doomsday Preppers” and “Doomsday Bunkers,” which showcase prepping in its most extreme forms.
Off Grid will officially launch the survival store at a grand opening this Saturday.
In addition to powering the cabin’s light electrical equipment, solar panels drive Off Grid’s business. In the future, however, Charles Bush sees a 50-50 split between the green energy and survival store sales as the company develops its concept and educates its customer base.
“Whether it’s as simple as emergency power, we can educate them and meet them where they are and help them eventually become completely off the grid and self-sufficient, if that’s what their goal is,” Lori Bush said.
The company’s log cabin building at 11010 Midlothian Turnpike.
Community is lucky to have such dedicated folks looking out for their community’s interest. Emergency Preparedness should be an effort that everyone considers, does something about, practices and expands upon. Wise people should look to nature as an example. Hardship can be avoided. Lack can be overcome. There is no fear of a disaster if one is prepared. Use the local resources to help educate yourself, family friends, community. I applaud these folks!
Great idea, I’ll be visiting this store this weekend. I don’t like fighting the crowds at the store when a storm is approaching.