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As if the news from Wisconsin and Tripoli
weren’t worrisome enough, someone posted a link in the Rick’s
Picks forum over the weekend warning of looming food shortages: “Food Supply and Affordability Are Seriously Threatened.” The blogger associated with
this riveting essay on preparedness, one Kellene Bishop, alluded to a perfect
storm of factors likely to be felt as early as April. “It’s
headed into our homes no longer than six months from now, and more likely to
be obvious six weeks from now. Unless you’re enjoying an income that
can take a 40-50% increase hit in your essential expenses, then I’m
certain you will not be spared the impact of this snowball that’s
rolling down hill, gaining in momentum and size; and it’s coming right
to our front doors.”
Evidently not one to panic, Bishop
suggested that in anticipation of grocery-supply disruptions and explosive
price increases, we start preparing now with a “methodical, peaceful
and deliberate mindset” and no fears of an Armageddon-like event.
“I believe firmly that a daily awareness and effort to create a more
self-reliant world is critical in developing one’s ability to endure
any other type of crisis.”
Not all of those who commented on her
essay shared the author’s Zen approach to getting ready, however. There
was this response, for one, from a take-charge dad whose brood seems unlikely
to starve even if America a few years from now comes to resemble the
post-apocalyptic vision of hell-on-earth depicted in Cormac McCarthy’s The
Road. “I Spent 11 years in the US Army,” he wrote,
“three years in a Ranger battalion, two years as a weapons instructor,
one year as a Pathfinder team leader, five years’ regular infantry, and
one combat tour. Because of this I have no illusions of the evil that lurks
in the hearts of men -- seen it first-hand. I am a single parent…my
14-year-old son and I have trained very much in-depth in close-quarters
battle with assault rifles, shotgun and handgun. Why? People go crazy when
they have no food…when their children are starving they go totally out
of their minds, and if you have prepared they will be looking at you. Buy
weapons, ammo and pay for training. You will not regret it.”
Perfect Storm
Although in her essay, the first of a
series, blogger Bishop did not go into detail about the perfect storm that
could send food prices soaring, disconcerting signs are there for anyone to
see. For starters, although grocery prices are already rising at the most
astounding rate we have personally witnessed in our lifetime, they continue
to lag commodity inflation that has been headline news. Still worse is
that the trend could just be getting off the launching pad if the price of
crude oil is headed above $100 a barrel, as seems likely. That would
drastically increase prices for seed, feed and fertilizer, with a dramatic
impact on virtually all food prices. One perfect-storm factor already
making itself felt is the one-two punch of low temperatures in, first,
Florida, and then Mexico. Tomatoes, beans, bell peppers and eggplant were
among crops that have been devastated in both places, with growers reporting
crop losses of 80-100%.
We’ve linked Bishop’s article
because we fully share her concern that food prices and supplies are
especially vulnerable right now to shocks that could devastate
households. For those who want to take steps to prepare for such
circumstances, we would also recommend a superbly useful book written by a
friend of ours, Sean Brodrick. Available at Amazon (in paperback) for $7.99, it is
entitled The Ultimate Suburban Survivalist Guide.
Rick Ackerman
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