PrintAs has been previously reported on sites like WorldNet Daily, experts are predicting tough times ahead for the United States. The crisis may not be limited to the credit markets and the economy, however, but may even lead to a disruption in the nation’s food supply.
National studies have shown that overwhelming numbers of Americans believe they will face an emergency at some time in their lives, but fewer than 15% have taken even the most basic preparations. Whether the result of a terrorist attack, natural disaster, or domestic disturbance, Americans’ food supply is in great jeopardy. Making matters worse, corporate America’s reliance on just-in-time inventory means that even the slightest hiccup can lead to empty shelves at local grocery stores.
Some Americans are taking steps to prepare their families for what they see as the inevitable. Bill Heid, of Thomson, Illinois, watched the plight of thousands of American families after Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans and decided to do something to make sure his own family didn’t go without the basics in the event of a natural disaster
“I realized that if our food supply was disrupted even for a few days, we’d have a serious problem. So, I talked to scientists, farmers and homemakers and became an expert on how to stockpile food for emergencies. I now know exactly what foods will last, how to preserve them so they won’t go bad, and even how to produce my own ‘canned medicines’.”
Heid’s emergency preparedness caught on, and soon friends and family were asking about it, which led to the formation of FoodShortageUSA.com, a website dedicated to informing Americans about the extent of the crisis and how they can prepare.
“Our grandparents grew up with these secrets, but over a few generations most of the know-how has been lost. I’ve managed to gather all the information together in one place, and put together these training videos so anyone, whether a novice or an old-hand, can create their own supermarket at home, full of tasty, nutritious foods that will last for months or years”.
Other families are planning for the longer-term. Not content to rely on their pantry for food in the event of a catastrophic event, they are taking steps to become totally independent of the corporate food chain. Companies like SurvivalSeedBank.com offer a ‘seed bank’ that customers can use to create their own garden, resulting in a virtual unlimited supply of fruits and vegetables.
Mike Walters of SurvivalSeedBank.com says that not only does their package of heirloom seeds produce thousands of pounds of nutrient-dense food for just pennies a pound, but the company is literally giving away an 81 page manual on how to create a highly profitable crisis garden.
“We realized that most Americans don’t have the know-how to create their own garden, and since once the crisis is upon us there won’t be time for years of trial and error, we thought it was critical to get this information out there as soon as possible. It’s so important to us that we’re giving away the manual for free.”
Walters says that demand is so strong, their company may run out of seeds, “A lot of people are stocking up on gold, which is great, but what good will a closet-full of gold do you if you have nothing to eat and nobody else does either?”
