Transitioning from a strategic plan to practical execution required a massive logistical operation to store food during the years of plenty. The economic policy was managed with great care and strict supervision. Because the unusual agricultural abundance in Egypt created a high potential for commercial export, central control was absolutely necessary [רש״ר הירש]. The collection was overseen by Joseph directly or through appointed officials who mobilized the citizens across the country [ביאור יש״ר, מלבי״ם].
The exact scope of this food collection is a matter of discussion. One perspective suggests that the collection did not literally encompass every piece of food, as this would have left the population to starve. Instead, the maximum possible amount was gathered after leaving the citizens enough to live on and plant for the next season, or the government simply purchased the surplus that people were eager to sell [אבן עזרא, רלב״ג, טור הארוך, אבי עזר, אור החיים]. Conversely, another approach maintains that all the food was indeed placed under central control, perhaps purchased cheaply from royal storehouses, but then distributed back to the citizens in measured annual rations to prevent waste [רמב״ן, מחוקקי יהודה]. A third view clarifies that the sweeping collection refers exclusively to the twenty percent tax that had been previously established as the king's share [אור החיים, רבנו בחיי, רד״ק]. The gathered provisions went beyond dry grain, encompassing all types of food suitable for human consumption, including fruits, figs, raisins, and produce typically eaten fresh [רמב״ן, רבנו בחיי, טור הארוך, העמק דבר].
Rather than transporting all the nation's wealth to the royal capital, a decentralized storage system was implemented. The produce from the surrounding fields and villages was gathered into the nearest cities. This method offered several distinct advantages. Logistically, it spared the immense effort of long distance transportation and prevented fresh food from spoiling on the road [ביאור יש״ר, העמק דבר]. Psychologically, the citizens cooperated much more willingly when they saw their crops securely stored in their own cities for their future needs, especially since people naturally prefer the familiar produce of their own region [רלב״ג]. Furthermore, this localized approach allowed officials to accurately estimate the food requirements for each specific population [ביאור שטיינזלץ].
From an agricultural standpoint, storing the local field produce within its adjacent city was based on the understanding that each region best preserves its own crops. To protect the harvest from rot, it was customary to mix in a small amount of soil from the very plot of land where the crops grew, as the local earth acted as a natural preservative [רש״י, מזרחי, רבנו בחיי, שפתי חכמים, משכיל לדוד, צאינה וראינה].
On a conceptual level, this practice of mixing soil into the food carries a deeper spiritual message. Food is compared to the study of Torah, which nourishes a person, while the soil, which everyone steps on, represents humility. Only when a person approaches their learning with true humility can they successfully internalize the knowledge, preserve it over time, and prevent it from spoiling or being forgotten [חומש קה״ת].